Memorial day preparations... Marine Corps Band, barbecues and parades.

Western Douglas County remembers their vets…

Residents in Reedsport are serious about their Memorial Day weekend. No, they don’t all go camping and take the weekend for themselves. Many of them are involved in an entire series of events aimed at remembering veterans who have passed on… either in action, or after they come home. The Memorial Day observances begin tomorrow afternoon with a community gathering flanking Highway 101 in the center of town to welcome the 29 Palms Marine Corps Air, Ground, Combat Center Band to town. The band makes their first performance Sunday evening at the Pacific Auditorium at seven pm… but at four that afternoon a community barbecue will be held at the United Presbyterian Church to welcome the band. Things kick into high gear on Memorial Day itself with a memorial service and VFW formation at the Reedsport Cemetery at ten, followed by a noon parade through town and ending with another barbecue and concert, at 1:30, at Hahn Park. Tuesday, the music moves to nearby Winchester Bay where the Marine Band will offer two free concerts at Phillip Boe Memorial Park… one at noon, the other at 6:30.

Memorial Day observances in Florence are a little more subdued, but every bit as reverent. The American Legion is organizing the traditional 11 AM service at Veteran’s Memorial Park on Bay Street. Acting post commander Steve Olienyk says one traditional aspect is the ‘laying of wreathes on the water’ that will conclude the ceremony. Anyone is welcome to bring a wreath to the service…
Olienyk – “Prior to 11 o’clock. We want to do that between 10:30 and eleven.”

From there, they’ll be transferred to the Coast Guard.
Olienyk – “And then what we do is we transport them over to the port dock and the coast guard vessel picks them up there.”

At the conclusion of the observance, they’ll be laid in the river.

Memorial Day weekend is the traditional start of the summer recreation season and that means camping. Some Oregon campgrounds are still closed however. A wet and cool spring has left snow piled high… as much as 12 feet deep at some higher elevations. That means some campgrounds in the Cascades still aren’t open. The Oregon Coast is “wide open” however. The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is reporting all coastal campgrounds, except one primitive location, Hilgard Junction, is still affected by high water on the Grande Ronde River.

You may be relaxing this weekend, but law enforcement officers will be getting plenty of overtime. Several local agencies will be joining with the Oregon State Police to provide saturation patrols over the weekend. Police say the targeted activities they’ll be looking for… speeding, seatbelt and child safety seat violations, as well as driving under the influence. Last year 6 people died in six separate crashes on Oregon highways over the Memorial Day Weekend. Officials hope to reduce that number.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) - Police say a man loaded what appeared to
be a leftover World War II-vintage bomb into his minivan and drove
it to the downtown Corvallis, Ore., police station. Officers closed
off traffic while they decided how to dispose of the explosive
yesterday afternoon. The man says the device was found in a shed on
rental property he manages nearby. He decided Corvallis police
would know what to do so he drove it to the station, bringing his
pet dog Bling Bling along for the ride.

BEAVERTON, Ore. (AP) - Authorities in Washington County, Ore.,
have seized more than 17 pounds of methamphetamine with an
estimated street value of $775,000 after a traffic stop led to a
search of two homes. The Oregonian reports that two men were
arrested for investigation.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - "Saturday Night Live" star Fred Armisen
is going to address the Oregon Episcopal School graduating class in
June. Armisen is also the co-creator and co-star of "Portlandia,"
the IFC series that parodies Portland, where the private school is
located.

WILLAMINA, Ore. (AP) - The Yamhill County sheriff's office says
two county probation officers in a car collided with a school bus
carrying 19 kids in the town of Willamina. No children were hurt in
the head-on crash yesterday. The two people in the car were taken
to a nearby hospital for evaluation.

ALBANY, Ore. (AP) - Three Corvallis men have been arrested in
the death of a man found fatally beaten in a sleeping bag off
Interstate 5 near Harrisburg. The Linn County sheriff says the men
were found working at a farm near Corvallis and were arrested after
questioning by detectives. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
has placed an immigration hold on all three.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A federal jury has awarded $100,000 to a
Marion County sheriff's deputy in a wrongful termination lawsuit.
The money was awarded to Kristine Phillips on May 12 because the
sheriff delayed her reinstatement after an arbitrator ruled in her
favor. Phillips worked at the county jail in 2007 and was accused
of misconduct and fired for handcuffing an inmate to a bunk bed.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A group of lawyers and religious leaders
in Portland is trying to prevent the execution this summer of death
row inmate Gary Haugen. Oregonians for Alternatives to the Death
Penalty hopes to persuade Gov. John Kitzhaber to commute the death
sentence and may take legal action to stop the execution. Haugen
was in prison for killing his ex-girlfriend's mother in 1981 and
was sentenced to die for killing another inmate in 2003. The
execution date is set for Aug. 16.

BEAVERTON, Ore. (AP) - Narcotics investigators in Washington
County have seized 17 pounds of methamphetamine and $42,000 in cash
after a traffic stop led to a search of two homes. The Oregonian
reports the meth has an estimated street value of $775,000. Members
of a drug task force stopped a suspected drug runner's truck on
Monday in Beaverton. No drugs were found but a drug dog indicated
it detected the scent of drugs. Officers found meth and cash in the
two homes. Both men were arrested for investigation of possessing
and delivering meth.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Rhino romance is in the air at the Oregon
Zoo in Portland. A black rhino named Pete has been alone since his
last mate died in 2005. A female rhino named Zuri arrived last
month from the Cleveland zoo on a breeding loan. Zuri went on
public display yesterday and the two rhinos touched horns between
the bars. Soon they'll be allowed together. Keepers hope the result
will be an addition to the endangered species.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:

The Oregon Duck baseball team can act the part of the spoiler this weekend when they host number six ranked Oregon State for the final series of the Pac-10 season. The Beavers hold a one-game lead over Arizona State and UCLA in the race for the conference crown and the Ducks can spoil that lead with two wins. Oregon and Oregon State meet at PK Park in Eugene.

Tickets are on sale for the first ever Viking Athletic Recognition dinner to be held a week from tonight at Siuslaw High School. Former Siuslaw Athletic Director and current president of the Siuslaw Athletic Booster Club Deacon Perkins says it’s not a fundraiser.
Perkins – “What we decided to do was recognize kids.”

Those kids are all the Athletes of the Week and Honorable Mentions recognized this past year by the Sports Club… Mapleton and Siuslaw alike.
Perkins – “We’re bringing all those kids together and just trying to do a ‘feel good’ athletic kinda recognition for those kids.”

The prime rib dinner will be prepared by the Siuslaw Culinary Arts Program… tickets are $12 and are available at Coast Radio, the high school office, Coast Insurance and All About Olives in Old Town.