The students had a great time  but worried about gaining weight  as they took their beautiful cakes  home. The class is not yet full, so  people can still register (396-  5866). On July 2nd, will be the  first cake decorating cake for kids.  Kids can still register for that  class. $5 class fee suggested.  Come by the Downtown Studio  to see what other classes are available  or planned. Also check out the  art gallery selling wonderful art  and craft items made in Coos  County and soon art from the talented  kids of Coos County will be  available.. Jeri Ramsey held her  first cake decorating class at the  Downtown Studio (located at the  old Barrow’s Building) Thursday  June 25th with some amazing  results. Roses and rosebuds covered  cakes as the students learned  the art of making flowers, some  with purple tinged petal edges.

On June 25 at 5:00 p.m. Rick Goche was sworn in as  Port of Bandon Commissioner. The ceremony was hels at  the picnic shelter on the Bandon boardwalk.  Goche takes over for retiring Ernie Amling who served  as Commissioner from 2001 to 2009.

The Port of Bandon is the port authority for Bandon  Harbor in the city of Bandon. The port has full marina facilities  for boat launching and sport fishing. It also serves as a  waypoint stopover for commercial fishing and recreation  vessels, and has a scenic boardwalk with a nature pathway  and observation areas.

The United States Coast Guard operates  Search and Rescue Detachments for the Coquille River  in Bandon Harbor in the summer and on halibut season  weekend openers in the spring, and is equipped with a 47-  foot motor life boat and crew  The river rises in several forks in the Coastal Range,  formed at Myrtle Point by the confluence of its North and  South Forks. The North Fork rises in northern Coos County  and flows southwest. The East Fork rises in western  Douglas County, approximately 15 miles southwest of  Roseburg, and flows generally west into Coos County,  where it joins the North Fork.

The South Fork rises in southern Coos County, north of  the Wild Rogue Wilderness Area, and flows briefly southwest,  then turns north. It receives the Middle Fork then  joins the North Fork from the south at Myrtle Point. The  combined river flows in zigzag generally west, past  Coquille. It enters the Pacific at Bandon, approximately 20  mi north of Cape Blanco.

Lifeguard Karl Smith, 16, pictured on the right, and Lifeguard Cody Waddington, 18, watch in awe as Brian
Bunoz, 12, dives off the board during one of the free swim days at the Coquille Community Swimming Pool.

Cutis Jack, owner of Coquille Supply, must register as sex offender

On Friday, June 19th,  Curtis Hale Jack of Coquille

entered a guilty plea to the  crime of Sex Abuse III, a  class A misdemeanor, before  the Honorable Richard L.  Barron. A charge of Sex  Abuse I and a charge of Sex  Abuse III were dismissed  pursuant to a plea negotiation  offered by Coos County  Deputy District Attorney  Karen McClintock.  McClintock also recommended  that Jack serve 15  days in jail, something that  Judge Richard Barron didn’t  accept, instead sentencing  the Coquille businessman to  90 days in the Coos County  Jail.

Mr. Jack appeared in  court with his attorney John  Trew. The charge stemmed  from an incident on May  12th where Jack subjected a  17 year-old female victim to  sexual contact by touching  her breast. According to the  victim, the contact was  unwanted. Mr. Jack, who  will have to register as a sex  offender, was also sentenced  to 3 years of supervised probation,  90 days in jail, and a  fine of $6,250. As a condition  of his probation, he will  be required to enroll, participate,  and successfully complete  a sex offender treatment  program.

He was also  ordered to refrain from  knowingly associating with  the victim and persons  under the age of 18 except  under specific circumstances  specified in writing by the  Court or Probation Officer.

At the June 1st Urban Renewal meeting city councilor &  URA chairman Loren Wiese, city councilor Bruce Parker,  and Mayor Steve Britton, sub committee members of the  Coquille Urban Renewal Board (URA) recommended to the  Board (URA) that they award a contract to Leland  Consulting Group to give an analysis of urban renewal plan  options. The URA board approved hiring the Leland  Consulting Group for $31,015 with $6,500 going specifically  for site planning of the GP mill site.

A public meeting between The URA and  Leland Consulting Group is set for June  30th at 4:30 pm. According to City Manager Terrence  O'Conner, the main function of the consulting group is to  examine the financial underpinnings of the district. The  consulting group will address such questions as, Do we  need to change the district boundaries? And, do we need to  revise the financial estimates on revenue and expenditures?  Anyone interested in the plans and goals of Coquille's  urban renewal agency is urged to attend these meetings.  Chairman Loren Wiese assured the Sentinel that the public's  input would be given serious consideration.

At the URA's budget meeting on June 17th concerning  the 2009-2010 Urban Renewal budget tentative goals for  URA were published.  Provide funding for the city's riverwalk project $50,000.  Provide funding for the city's pool project $75,000.  Provide funding for the completion of road and improvements  to the GP mill site $150,000.  Other URA projects $22,678.  What is Urban Renewal?  Urban renewal is a way for municipalities  to avoid the negative consequences of urban  blight by renewing and revitalize neighborhoods  within the Urban Renewal district.  This is done by using Tax Incremental Funds (TIF).

TIF's  work in this way: Tax revenue that is generated by the  incremental increase in property value in the renewal area  can be used to fund improvements in the area being  renewed. Simply put, by renewing or improving neighborhoods  within the renewal district, property values go up,  thus generating tax revenue that is then used to renew other  areas in the urban renewal district. Past urban renewal projects  have included adding new awnings, new benches,  new sidewalk trash receptacles for pedestrians, and a color  coordinated exterior paint job. All of this is meant to  enhance the appearance of our downtown district to make it  more attractive to business people, developers, and consumers.

For instance, the Nosler Building on the corner of  Adams and 1st streets that houses the Eden Valley Health  Food store and apartments has benefited from urban renewal  projects by receiving a fresh coat of paint, new awnings  and new metal benches on the sidewalks.

by Nancy Keller

Lincoln school had festive decorations and joyful sounds as  kids and adults had fun during the Second Annual  Midsummer Fest Satuday, June 20th. The wind and gray  clouds threatened to dampen the fun but the cafeteria provided  a safe haven from the winds and ocasional rain drops.  People got face paintings of frogs and dolphins, made  wreaths of flowers or feathers, while others had fun with  beading, making earrings and necklaces. Huge bubbles  scattered in the wind while some kids attempted to pop  them before they were blown away.

The side walks were  decorated with chalk drawings and kids were having fun  with balloons which one parent attempted to make into balloon  animals. Shirts were tie dyed and one girl attempted  to learn a song on the guitar and then joined in with the  silly songs led by the guitar player.  A treasure hunt had kids racing across the field in search  of clues.

They enjoyed finding the treasure chest and sharing  their booty. One lone child braved the wind to paint on  the outdoor easels.  The Downtown Studio looks forward to making this a  yearly Festival with dancing, music, games, workshops and  storytelling. If you missed it this year, you have another  chance for next year which is expected to be even better.