THE
SPRINGFIELD
CHAMBER'S
BUSINESS
OF THE
YEAR
2022
$1.00
VOLUME 61 I ISSUE 19
THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2023
CHRONICLE
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S E R V I N G S P R I N G F I E L D , C R E S W E L L & C O T TA G E G R O V E
Survivors, community reû ect on Thurston Shooting
BY RYLEIGH NORGROVE
RYLEIGH@CHRONICLE1909.COM
THURSTON 4 Each day, 12 children die and
32 more are injured from gun violence in America.
Twenty-o ve years ago at Thurston High School,
two more names 3 16-year-old Ben Walker and
17-year-old Mikael Nickolauson 3 were added to the
nearly 900 students who have died by gun violence
at schools since that tragic Thursday morning.
On May 21, 1998, 15-year-old freshman Kipland
<Kipp= Kinkel opened o re on his classmates.
Wearing a trenchcoat, Kinkel walked into
Thurston High School9s cafeteria, armed with more
than 1,000 rounds of ammunition and two pistols.
He started o ring his father's Ruger .22 caliber rin e.
That day, Kinkel killed two students and
See THURSTON 4 10
AP ARCHIVE PHOTO / DON RYAN
Students walk hand-in-hand to Thurston High School in Springfi eld, Ore. on May 26, 1998, the
fi rst day of classes after the May 21 shooting.
Pandemic
in periphery
INSIDE
BY RYLEIGH NORGROVE
RYLEIGH@CHRONICLE1909.COM
<Even though my kids are in the
Spanish program, I wanted them
to have this opportunity to cele-
brate their culture as well,= she
said. <We did a study and found
that the second-largest demo-
graphic at our school is Asian and
Pacio c Islander. So we decided to
do something to celebrate that.=
She noted that events highlight-
ing diversity like AAPI were not
around when she grew up and
commended the school9s commit-
After three years of historic illness
and changes, last week rang in the end
of the federal public health emergency
for COVID-19. As a result, Oregon's
pandemic measures will undergo
similar changes.
Ending the public health emergency
comes as COVID-19 weekly cases and
hospitalizations are down drastically
from previous years.
Nearly 38 months since the o rst
Covid case was reported in Oregon,
state ofo cials are lifting many of the
protective measures they say have
helped reduce infections, hospitaliza-
tions, and deaths.
One of the o rst changes is no longer
recommending o ve-day isolation peri-
ods for those infected with COVID-
19. Now, ofo cials say people are best
staying home until
they9re fever-free for
24 hours and symp-
toms have improved.
<These are similar
to recommendations
we make to folks who
are recovering from
influenza or RSV,=
Sidelinger
said Dean Sidelinger,
Oregon Health officer, during an
online media event Wednesday. <And
we feel that this is the best response
and evolution to our guidance as we
enter this phase of the pandemic.=
Still, Sidelinger said that going into
summer, Oregonians should be as up
to date as possible with their Covid
vaccinations and boosters.
<That offers you and your loved
ones the best protection. If you9ve not
yet received a COVID-19 bivalent
booster, please get that,= he said. <If
you are an individual who9s at higher
See HERITAGE 4 7
See PANDEMIC 4 7
RYLEIGH NORGROVE / THE CHRONICLE
Youngsters perform a traditional Samoan dance at Guy Lee Elementary’s AAPI heritage celebration last week.
From left: Sarona Putuga (9), Maliya Anderson (11), Api Lopesi Leilua (9), Priscilla Pulalasi (12), Amelia Putuga
(10) and Nevaeh Young (11), who are dancers with the Talavou Pacifi c Arts Academy.
Event illuminates 'intersectionality of City's identity'
BY RYLEIGH NORGROVE
RYLEIGH@CHRONICLE1909.COM
SPRINGFIELD 4 It was the
o rst-ever Asian American and
Pacio c Islander (AAPI) heritage
event at Guy Lee Elementary last
week 4 and the sunny, summer
evening was filled with fami-
lies playing games, dancing, and
sporting new henna tattoos.
The event highlighted and
uplifted cuisines, music and
cultures within the AAPI commu-
nity.
Food trucks, vendors, musi-
cians, and dancers snacked on
Korean corn dogs, Taiwanese
tamales, egg tarts, Asian-inspired
empanadas, sushi, and bubble tea.
The AAPI celebration was
spearheaded by a team of dedi-
cated community members,
parents, and teachers.
Melissa Kruse is a mother of two
students at Guy Lee, and was the
event9s main organizer. For her, the
celebration was a way to support
her community's cultural education.
Matteus de Silva, 10,
charms the crowd while
behind a keyboard at
the Willamalane Spring
Marketplace.
FULLS STORY: Page 16
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