By Lowell Thomas

“Lake Coquille” was really full last week. It even expanded to include Dutch John Pond and most of Sturdivant Park. This coming spring there will be a need for extra clean-ups to remove the “lake bottom” left behind when the lake shrinks back into being merely the Coquille River. There will
be an opportunity for some enterprising volunteers to gather up some good river bottom silt for their gardens. (Spring is coming - the first 2009 seed catalogue arrived in the mail last week.) In just a few weeks Coquille’s residents will start preparing their summer landscaping and outside yard appearance plans. Bare root plants will soon be available at local nurseries and another community beautification season will be under way.

The city was well decorated during the holidays. So many organizations and individuals participated that it is difficult to recognize them all. We must, as a community, express our corporate appreciation for being able to enjoy such expressions of great community spirit It is this spirit that makes Coquille’s life style so unique

Fund raising and grant application activities are continuing towards the goal of starting construction of the new community pool in fall of 2010. Sawdust Theatre backdrop portrait sales for the pool’s benefit are going well. Judy Gederos says January is a key month for these so painting can get started in time to be ready for the season. Sign ups are being handled at Judy’s New Image on Central. Ticket sales are well under way for Beta Sigma Phi’s Copa Cabana Gala (Valentines Ball) fund raiser for the pool on February 14. Tickets are $30.00 per couple for a great night of dancing away the winter blahs.

Although it is now too late to get a 2008 tax deduction for donations to Operation Coquille projects, it is not too soon to begin supporting the 2009 hanging flower basket project. In just a few weeks it will be time to plant the baskets and begin nurturing them in the project’s cold frames so that they will be well established by the time they are hung in mid-May. Donations are also needed by this project for the plants to be planted in core area sidewalk planters in May. Donors can mail in their contributions to PO Box 525, Coquille, OR 97423, or take them in to the new Coquille Garden facility on Central. Also, volunteers will be needed to man the water truck from mid- May to mid-September. Past volunteers can attest that being on a watering crew is a fun way to help beautify our community. Each watering run takes a little over an hour, usually early in the morning before too many cars get parked on core area streets and block easy access to the baskets.

Volunteers can drop in to Coquille Garden on Central and see Seiya (Sam) Nishi about signing up to be on a watering crew. The Operation Welcome project is ready for a busy new year. Newcomers to Coquille are invited to call 396-3191 (the Sentinel) to request one of the welcome bags containing valuable information about where to find goods and services locally. Bags also contain coupons, special offers and other introductory materials from local
merchants and service providers.

Operation Coquille Inc. needs more volunteer members in order to 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. Persons with new project ideas are invited to fill out applications for participation in tax exempt fund raising under the Operation Coquille, Inc. community benefit umbrella. Membership dues and all donations to Operation Coquille for community improvement projects are tax deductible and can either be mailed to PO Box 525, Coquille, OR 97423 or dropped off at our desk in the Sentinel office on