At its monthly meeting last week the  Operation Coquille, Inc. Board approved  the application from the Hat Shop to come  under the tax exempt umbrella. Their project  emphasis is providing a central point  where individuals and families can get  information about where to obtain special  needs services in this area. They are located  at 142 Central (across from Truffles.)

Their  project is The Teen and Parent Resource  Center which is currently being updated at  this time. The mission of the resource center  is to provide information about all available  resources (local, national and on the  web) to teens and parents with regard to  related youth issues of depression, suicide,  addiction, and self injury. They have some  teens volunteering already at the Hat Shop  and would like to create a street team to  educate the public about teen problems and  resources for dealing with them. They are  proposing a new motto for teen groups -  “nothing in excess.” Jenny Rose is the key  contact person at the Hat Shop.  The pool project committee says it  needs thirty more signatures on petitions  supporting their request for an Urban  Renewal Agency commitment of $250,000.  For individuals who haven’t yet signed a  petition, they are available at both Judy’s  New Image on Central and at the Sentinel  office on First. Another grant request for  $500,000 is in the process of being prepared  and expected to be submitted next  month.

Meanwhile the new swimming season  has gotten underway. Because of the  slowing of grant funding due to the nationwide  economic recession this will not be  the last season for the existing pool. There  will be at least one more season for the  existing pool before new pool construction  could possibly get under way. Depending  on how soon economic recovery occurs it  may be even longer before enough funding  commitments can secured so that actual  construction scheduling can be accomplished.  . The River Walk Trail project continues  selling honor bricks to raise funds for the  project. Purchase forms are available at the  community center, city hall and the Sentinel  office. These bricks will ultimately become a  part of the trail surface between the parking  area near Fat Tuesdays and the old railroad  trestle. Two sizes are available (4"x8" and  8"x8") at $50.00 and $75.00 respectively.

Sample bricks can be seen at the Sentinel  office and in the community center near the  entry to the large auditorium. The project  committee is exploring several additional  fund raising activities.  The hanging flower baskets are beautifying  the core area and Central, but the project  committee says that they can still use a few  more volunteers for manning the watering  truck this summer. Watering is done on  Tuesday and Thursday each week and takes  about 1 ½ hours to make the rounds.  Interested persons can sign up at the Coquille  Garden Shop on Central between Curves and  the Motel.  Operation Welcome provides newcomers  special bags containing information about  services and merchants in Coquille. Earlier  this year bags were going out at the rate of  about one per week.

Newcomers, or those  knowing of newcomers, are invited to call  the Sentinel phone number (396-3191) and  ask for Dian with their requests for these  welcoming bags. The influx of newcomers  has increased during June according to Dian  and the local merchants are being very generous  with items to fill the welcome bags.  Operation Coquille Inc. needs more volunteer  members willing to help carry out community  benefit projects for improving our  quality of life. Individuals can become members  by coming into the Sentinel office on  First St., completing a membership form, and  leaving the form with a dues payment on our  desk. (Dues are only $20 per year.)  Operation Coquille depends primarily on  membership dues to cover its administrative  expenses so all contributions for projects can  be used by the projects for their expenses.