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Local communities take part in National Night Out BY BREE LAUGHLIN The World

Local community members came together with their friends and neighbors, police ofﬁcers and ﬁrst responders to celebrate National Night Out. Millions of people take part

in National Night Out across communities in all ﬁfty states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide on the ﬁrst Tuesday in August. The annual communitybuilding campaign promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie.

National Night Out representatives said the events enhance the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. They also provide a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.

Many community organizations and business sponsors came together to make the local events happen. Eastside neighborhood, Coos Bay In the Eastside Neighborhood of Coos Bay, local residents

grabbed their lawn chairs, blankets and bug spray to get to know their fellow neighbors at Eastside Park. Coach House Restaurant provided hamburgers and hot dogs with all the ﬁxings, Bigfoot Please see NIGHT OUT Page 3

Coos Watershed Association group nears completion of Kentuck Creek project

BY BREE LAUGHLIN The World

The Coos Watershed Association is a nonproﬁt organization that develops and carries out collaborative

watershed rehabilitation projects with interested groups and landowners. Many community members know the Coos Watershed Association for the events they put on throughout the year, but

not everyone gets to see the work they do behind the scenes to restore the local watershed. Members of the Coos Watershed Association recently got together with a local landowner and project partners

from the Wild Salmon Center to reflect on their Kentuck Creek habitat restoration project. The Kentuck Creek sub-basin, east of Coos Bay, has been heavily impacted by agriculture, forestry and mining. Yet, these tidal wetlands are critical for many fish and wildlife species. “It’s difficult to maintain a good balance between the health of the streams, the creeks and the ponds that are here, and also run an Ag-heavy operation on this land,” said Steve Colberg, the owner of the Kentuck Creek project land. “I’ve always been a little restoration minded and conscious of our impacts here. So, I partnered with the Watershed Association to see what we could do,” he said. Dan Draper, restoration project manager for the Coos Watershed Association, said the Kentuck Project fit well within the organization’s goals. “This project had two landowners that were really in alignment with what we wanted to do when we started talking Please see WATERSHED Page 10

Fin’s Family Fun arcade opens in Bandon A new Bandon business appeals to the young and young at heart.

BY BREE LAUGHLIN The World

Fin’s Family Fun arcade offers a wide variety of arcade games in a family-friendly atmosphere in the heart of Old Town Bandon. Owners Neal Barlow and Dustin Michalek said they hope the arcade will appeal to both tourists and locals. The business partners have had a ‘soft opening’ earlier this summer acquiring different games and setting up a party space. Now, they have a plenty of games to choose from, including favorites like Guitar Hero, Halo, Jurassic Park, air hockey, Pacman, prize games and more. “We’ve had a lot of support from the community because there’s nothing like this in Bandon for kids,” Barlow said. The arcade owners said new technology makes it easy to load money onto a card to play

the games. Customers also have the option to download an app to track their gameplay and earn bonus credits. The owners said during the summer, tourists would come

into Bandon, eat and go to the beach, then ask ‘What else is there to do?’ Michalek said their business fills a gap by providing an additional activity for families

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and encourages visitors to extend their time in Bandon. The arcade owners also appreciate support of the local Please see ARCADE Page 3

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Upcoming enhanced trafﬁc enforcement in Coos Bay On Monday, August 19, the Coos Bay Police Department (CBPD) and other law enforcement agencies across Oregon will begin using federally funded enforcement hours to educate the public about child seat and safety belt laws. The enhanced enforcement will continue until Sunday, September 1. According to 2022 crash data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System 31% of motor vehicle occupant fatalities in Oregon were caused by not wearing a safety belt or using a child restraint. For children aged one to twelve, motor vehicle crashes are the primary cause of death nationwide. Car seats are thought to improve crash survival rates by up to 59% for children ages one to four and by 71% for infants under the age of one. When compared to safety belts alone, booster seats can reduce the risk of nonfatal injuries in children aged four to eight by 45%. In 2017, an Oregon law passed that requires children to travel in a rear-facing safety seat until they are at least two years old. A child over the age of two must continue to travel in a car seat with a harness or a booster seat until they are eight years old or 4’ 9” tall and the adult belt fits properly. The 2017 law improves protection of a child’s head, neck, and spine from potential crash injuries. For more information on Oregon child safety seat requirements visit: https:// www.oregon.gov/odot/ Safety/Documents/ODOT_ Car_Seat_Flyer_2021English.pdf This enforcement is made possible by grant funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

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