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State rep tours Bandon hospital, A9

Tell a big story, B1

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2022 | theworldlink.com |

KDUN radio in Reedsport celebrates a year back on air The AM radio station has a far reach on the Oregon Coast and beyond “The response has been fantastic,” Larson said. The duo pride themselves on providing small towns in Oregon with community news and entertainment. “It’s impacted Coos Bay, Winchester Bay, Florence, Reedsport, the Scottsburg area and other local communities,” Larson said. “Now people can tune in to us to listen to music entertainment, find out what’s going on in the local area, listen in to the hourly news, the morning show or afternoon show – and of course

By BREEANA LAUGHLIN The World

A small-town radio station based in Reedsport is celebrating a year being back on air after more than two years of radio silence. KDUN AM 1030 is a 50,000 watt radio station that is owned by longtime nationally syndicated-radio host Delilah Rene and ran by station engineer Bob Larson, who also has a fruitful history in radio and television.

Delilah in the evenings,” he said. KDUN made a return the air last year on Sept. 6 after being purchased by Delilah’s Big Shoes Productions on May 3, 2021. Delilah is a small-town girl who went on to make a big name for herself in radio. She is known for her feel-good radio show that offers song dedications and provides encouragement and advice to listeners. The nationally-syndicated radio host can be heard coast to Please see KDUN, Page A2

Contributed photos

Delilah Rene and Bob Larson worked together to bring KDUN radio back on the air in Reedsport.

Youth center teaching valuable lessons in Bandon By DAVID RUPKALVIS The World

Frantz said. He said the goal Saturday was not only to help the community, but also to help the teens. "The goal is the for the youth to have a servant's attitude," Frantz said. "They've been all cooped up and it's good to get out and serve." Makaela Gonzales, a teen

An after-school program in Bandon has grown into something much more valuable for the community, The Bandon Community Youth Center, which has served as the primary after-school program in the city for years, expanded its full summer recreation program this year. The result was dozens of children learning valuable skills and having fun throughout the summer. During the eight-week program, between 35 and 45 children attended each day. Every morning started with a bus ride t the Coquille pool, where children received swimming lessons. After returning to Bandon, there were a variety of fun things to do. "The Bandon Community Youth Center is the only ofter-school program we have in Bandon," said Melinda Torres, who joined the board of directors. "A lot of parents depend on us to open our doors. (Over the summer) we had presenters come in once a week and on Fridays, we did a field trip somewhere." One of the highlights was working with Bandon Dunes to offer golf lessons to the children. "Some of them had never played golf before," Torres said. "They need to do it." The summer program was run by nine employees, five of whom were high-school students. Torres said the youth center partnered with Alternative Youth Activities, and AYA paid some of the payroll. Over the summer, those who attended heard from the Coos County OSU Extension Office, the Bandon Library, Coos County Sheriff's Office, Bandon Police, Bandon Fire Department and the U.S. Coast Guard. And then there was the fun part. "One day we went to the Coquille Community building and we did roller skating," Torres said. "Some of them have never roller skated in their life. We had a lot of opportunities that kids had never experienced." All in all, Torres said, it was a fun summer with opportunities to learn, explore and recreate. "It was just a really fun experience for the kids," she said. "We even had some kids come from Coos Bay. This has always been near and dear to my heart. I grew up in Bandon, and I volunteered there in high school. We try to create life-long learners and expose kids to different things. "The kids went bowling and

Please see VOLUNTEER, Page A2

Please see BANDON, Page A9

Photos courtesy of Roy Lowe

Above: A snowy plover watches over its chicks. Right: A snowy plover rests in sea foam on the beach.

Watching over the plover

Bandon biologists dedicate themselves to snowy plover recovery telein have been on the forefront of this effort. The Bandon-based biologists came to Oregon to study plovers 26-years-ago. “We were hired to do the job the first year, and then we liked it so much it turned into another year… and then it turned into 26 years,” Lauten said. The biologists study the birds by finding their nests – which consist of just a few tiny eggs laid right in the sand. They monitor the nests along with the mating pairs of birds. When the baby birds hatch, the biologists put small colored bands on their

By BREANA LAUGHLIN The World

Snowy plovers are a rare shorebird species that live on Oregon beaches. These fluffy little birds blend in with their surroundings and can be hard to spot. Just few decades ago these birds almost disappeared for good. The populations of the Western Snowy Plover have made a comeback thanks to a coordinated effort by biologists, volunteers and educated beachgoers up and down the Oregon Coast. Dave Lauten and Kathy Cas-

legs in order to track them. “It’s interesting to study the individual birds at each beach and see the dynamics of population – and what is working and what isn’t working,” Castelein said. Lauten and Castelein have worked with the Nature Conservancy and Oregon State University, and they now work with Portland State University’s Oregon Biodiversity Information Center. Their dedication to birds and to wildlife is what keeps them motivated. “We work 7-days a week all summer long. You have to have

the passion to get up out of bed at 5 a.m. every morning day after day and you have to have a passion for the birds – and find it interesting,” Lauten said. “It’s a little bit like a game because you are getting clues all the time about where the birds might be nesting and where to find the birds - and whether or not the brood is still active. So for me I look at as a little bit of a challenge to make it fun,” he said. Bringing the birds back Not everyone knows there are Please see PLOVER, Page A3

Photos by David Rupkalvis/The World

Teens from four different churches came together Saturday to help build needed items at Coalbank Village during a day of service.

Teens volunteer to help Devereaux Center, Coalbank Village too to work at the Devereaux Center and Coal Bank Village, a transitional housing center for the homeless. At Coal Bank Village, which can house up to 20 homeless individuals at a time, Chad Frantz led the effort as the teens built a dining shelter, rails for the bathrooms to assist the handicapped and a shelter for the residents to hang out in.

By DAVID RUPKALVIS The World

While most teens in the community were enjoying one of the final weekends of their summer, around 40 teens came together last Saturday to help those less fortunate. Spearheaded by Skyline Baptist Church, the teens from four churches came together

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At the Devereaux Center, the volunteers installed a fence, did landscaping and helped paint. Frantz, the youth pastor at Skyline Baptist, said helping others is something his church and his teens care strongly about. "We have a passion just to serve and be able to show the community that Christ cares about the community, whether you're doing good or struggling,"

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