A5
THE ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2020
CORONAVIRUS
OBITUARIES
Judge overturns state limits
on religious gatherings
Gov. Brown seeks review
by state Supreme Court
By MAXINE BERNSTEIN
The Oregonian
A Baker County judge on Monday ruled
that Gov. Kate Brown’s restrictions on reli-
gious gatherings are “null and void’’ because
her emergency order amid the coronavirus
pandemic exceeded its 28-day limit.
Circuit Judge Matthew B. Shirtcliff
granted a preliminary injunction to 10
churches that had sued the governor, fi nding
they had shown “irreparable harm’’ from the
deprivation of the right to freely exercise their
religions. His order also appeared to declare
as invalid the governor’s other “Stay Home
Save Lives” public health emergency orders.
“The governor’s orders are not required
for public safety when plaintiffs can continue
to utilize social distancing and safety proto-
cols at larger gatherings involving spiritual
worship,’’ he ruled.
He found that the churches can take nec-
essary social distancing precautions, just as
grocery stores and other essential businesses
have done. He also ruled that the injunction
was in the public’s interest, allowing people
the right to freely worship and the ability to
restore economic viability.
“This court understands that the current
pandemic creates an unprecedented crisis in
the state as well as in our country,’’ Shirtcliff
said, speaking from the bench in a videocon-
ference hearing.
He said he must weigh the governor’s pub-
lic health concerns against the constitutional
right of freedom of worship, but he found
that “the balance of equities tips in favor of
Plaintiffs.’’
Baker County Circuit Court judge Matthew
B. Shirtcliff on Monday overturned Gov. Kate
Brown’s restrictions on religious gatherings.
“Plaintiffs have shown that they will be
harmed by deprivation of the constitutional
right to freely exercise their religion. Other
plaintiffs have also shown great economic
harm to their businesses and their ability to
seek livelihood,’’ the judge said.
Attorneys for the churches successfully
argued that ORS 433.441 limits declared pub-
lic health emergencies to 14 days, or up to 28
days maximum, and because COVID-19 is a
public health crisis, that limitation applied.
But the governor’s attorney countered that
Brown declared a state of emergency under
a different state law, ORS 401.165, which is
not limited to any particular time period and
continues indefi nitely.
Yet the judge found that the gover-
nor’s other “Stay Home Save Lives” exec-
utive orders placing limits on social gather-
ings, education and business also were void
because they exceeded a 28-day limit. “More-
over, by not complying with ORS 433.441(5)
timelines, the Governor’s subsequent Exec-
utive Orders 20—05 through 20-25 are also
null and void,’’ the judge wrote.
Cannon Beach: ‘Job losses are unprecedented’
Continued from Page A1
“It worked for what it needed to,” he said.
“But it would have just been weird to have
the signs up at either end of town, yet we had
open businesses downtown.”
Cannon Beach also rescinded restrictions
on hotels and other short-term rentals on May
26. The Seaside City Council is scheduled to
decide on Wednesday whether to lift lodging
restrictions.
The county has sought a coordinated
approach to reopening. Phase one of the
reopening plan is set to last 21 days.
County leaders have indicated that lodg-
ing restrictions would likely not be eased until
early June, when Brown could lift a ban on
nonessential travel in the second phase of
reopening.
Steidel said it would have been diffi cult to
let other businesses open, but not allow hotels
to open. He said it also would have resulted in
upset hotel owners.
The mayor said the City Council picked a
date after Memorial Day weekend to avoid a
surge in visitors, and he thinks it also gives
hotels time to prepare.
“The daytrippers are going to come no
matter what,” he said. “So, why not take a
percentage of those and allow them to stay in
hotels where they will have a better chance
to use the restrooms, a better chance to wash
their hands and a place to get away from the
crowd if there is such a crowd.”
He said hotel visitation also supports other
businesses.
Steidel said the mayors in the county met
on Thursday, the day before Cannon Beach
decided to lift hotel restrictions before the rest
of the county.
“I don’t know if they were happy about it
because everybody has a different opinion on
what they can do and what should be done.
And I’m sure that the North County is a little
more perturbed at what we were doing, but I
think they were understanding,” Steidel said.
“At least in Clatsop County we’re commu-
nicating and there’s not a lot of rancor.”
Patrick Nofi eld, the president of Escape
Lodging in Cannon Beach, said the closure in
March was the right call and that it also gave
hotels time to prepare a plan.
“But at some point we had to get going
again and I think the city saw that. I mean,
they can’t keep the tourists from coming.
T hey’re going to come regardless of the gov-
ernor’s order,” he said.
Escape Lodging manages a number of
hotels in Seaside and Cannon Beach, as
well as restaurants, including the Driftwood
Restaurant & Lounge and Tom’s Fish &
Chips. They also manage the RV r esort for
Cannon Beach. The company furloughed 410
employees in March due to the closures .
“And that’s just my company,” Nofi eld
said. “Think about the cumulative effect in
Clatsop County of those employees and the
impact that has on their families. I mean, it’s
huge.”
Nofi eld shared a presentation with the City
Council last week before the vote on Friday
about the precautions hotels plan to take.
He said lodging property owners repre-
senting more than 80% of the hotel rooms in
the city came together and agreed on a docu-
ment of best practices and standards to keep
employees and guests safe when they reopen.
“The impact of the hotel closure due to
COVID-19 has been catastrophic and the
job losses are unprecedented,” Nofi eld told
the C ity C ouncil. “We are now in our ninth
week of the closure and the longer that our
properties are closed, the harder it will be to
recover.”
Nofi eld said hotels can open safely before
phase two. He pointed to two of his company’s
properties outside the county that are operat-
ing at 60% occupancy in May with the pro-
tocols in place and no incidence of the virus.
Nofi eld referred to the hospitality industry
as a partner of the city.
“We really are the generator of the econ-
omy, especially in South County,” he said.
“We don’t get a lot of essential travel in Can-
non Beach — it’s minimal. We barely get
some in Seaside.”
SEVENDAY FORECAST FOR ASTORIA
TODAY
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
John Vernon Lockwood
Salem
May 19, 1949 — April 30, 2020
John Vernon Lockwood was born May ber of Mazamas and hiked Mount Hood.
19, 1949, in Walla Walla, Washington, to His greatest pleasure was his garden, his
Vernon A. Lockwood and Elizabeth Vahl many friends and his family. John worked
as a volunteer at the Willamette
Lockwood. John died in Salem,
Humane Society H e was the cat
Oregon, on April 30, 2020.
whisperer .
He graduated from Astoria
He is survived by his mother,
High School in 1967, and Oregon
Elizabeth Lockwood; sister, Eliz-
State University in 1971. He was
abeth L. Nimmo (Ed); brother,
a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon
Andrew Lockwood; niece, Kath-
fraternity.
erine Nimmo Rosenbaum (Andy);
John enlisted in the Air Force,
nephews, Cameron Nimmo (Fer-
and was stationed in Montana and
nanda), and Christopher Nimmo
England.
(Jennifer); and great-nephews
He worked at Mercer Indus-
John Lockwood
and nieces, Aidan, Alex and Ava
tries in Beaverton, and then for
Rosenbaum and Lucy Nimmo.
the Marion County tax assessor.
Services will be held at a later date.
He retired in 2016 as Marion County com-
Donations in his memory may be made
mercial tax appraiser.
John was an Eagle Scout, and a mem- to Willamette Humane Society.
SPORTS
Gretchen
Johnson,
moments
after her
victory in the
Oregon Coast
Invitational
women’s
championship
last summer.
Gary Henley/The Astorian
Oregon Coast Invitational
canceled over coronavirus
The committee took an online survey
from participants to get an idea of how
many golfers would be attending.
B.K. Srinivasan, the tournament chair-
man, said, “The response to the survey was
awesome (over 400 responses), and while
a lot of you felt golf should be played, there
was a strong sentiment of caution given the
lack of understanding of the virus.”
At the end of the day, he said, “the guid-
ance from the governor’s offi ce took pre-
cedence, and we as organizers didn’t feel it
appropriate to label this event as ‘just golf.’
This news will disappoint many,” but, he
added, “let’s make the 110th Invitational a
memorable event for all the right reasons
in 2021.”
The tournament will return July 17,
2021.
First time in 75 years
The Astorian
Add the Oregon Coast Invitational to
Clatsop County’s growing list of big events
cancel ed due to the coronavirus.
The Oregon Coast Invitational commit-
tee and the board of directors of the Asto-
ria Golf & Country Club announced it
as a “postponement” of the 110th annual
tournament.
But either way, it will be the fi rst time
in 75 years that the coast invitational will
not be held.
Going back to the tournament’s fi rst
year in 1910, there were previously no
invitationals held in 1918, from 1927 to
1930 and from 1942 to 1945.
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REGIONAL FORECAST
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
Seattle
58 51
A shower
57 47
56 46
Cloudy, showers Some sun with
around
a shower
57 46
A couple of
showers
59 47
63 50
Variable clouds Partly sunny
67 48
Cloudy
Aberdeen
Olympia
58/51
63/52
Wenatchee
Tacoma
Moses
Lake
63/49
ALMANAC
UNDER THE SKY
TODAY'S TIDES
Astoria through Sunday
Tonight’s Sky: The brightest
stars of Corvus, the crow, make a
four-sided shape that resembles
a sail.
Astoria / Port Docks
Temperatures
High/low ................................ 65/51
Normal high/low .................. 61/46
Record high .................. 83 in 1958
Record low .................... 33 in 1974
Precipitation
Sunday ..................................... 0.03”
Month to date ........................ 2.77”
Normal month to date ......... 1.94”
Year to date .......................... 34.83”
Normal year to date ........... 32.23”
Forecasts and graphics provided by
AccuWeather, Inc. ©2020
Source: Jim Todd, OMSI
Sunrise today .................. 5:38 a.m.
Sunset tonight ............... 8:47 p.m.
Moonrise today .............. 4:39 a.m.
Moonset today .............. 5:48 p.m.
First
Full
12:22 p.m. 6.4 6:24 a.m.
none
6:12 p.m.
Cape Disappointment
12:03 p.m. 6.2 5:45 a.m.
11:55 p.m. 7.8 5:32 p.m.
Last
12:12 p.m. 6.6 6:02 a.m.
none
5:47 p.m.
Warrenton
12:17 p.m. 6.8 6:08 a.m.
none
5:56 p.m.
Knappa
12:24 a.m. 8.0 7:25 a.m.
12:59 p.m. 6.7 7:13 p.m.
Depoe Bay
May 22 May 29 June 5 June 12
11:21 a.m. 6.2 5:14 a.m.
11:09 p.m. 7.8 4:57 p.m.
0.7
1.8
1.0
2.1
0.8
2.0
0.8
1.9
0.6
1.5
0.9
2.0
City
Atlanta
Boston
Chicago
Dallas
Denver
Honolulu
Houston
Los Angeles
Miami
New York City
Phoenix
San Francisco
Wash., DC
Today
Hi/Lo/W
Wed.
Hi/Lo/W
77/59/s
57/44/pc
64/54/c
92/66/s
87/57/s
86/73/pc
94/70/s
70/54/pc
89/74/t
65/48/pc
89/62/s
68/54/pc
69/51/c
73/59/t
58/42/s
65/53/c
86/70/s
84/43/pc
86/73/sh
93/74/s
74/55/s
87/74/t
64/47/pc
87/65/s
68/52/s
64/52/c
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy,
c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms,
r-rain, sf-snow fl urries, sn-snow, i-ice.
63/51
Hermiston
The Dalles 69/51
Enterprise
Pendleton 54/40
62/47
66/51
La Grande
56/43
61/49
NATIONAL CITIES
High (ft.) Time Low (ft.)
Hammond
SUN AND MOON
New
Time
58/46
Kennewick Walla Walla
62/49 Lewiston
71/53
62/50
Salem
Pullman
68/46
Longview
58/51 Portland
63/51
63/47
Yakima 71/52
63/50
Astoria
Spokane
67/52
Corvallis
61/48
Albany
61/48
John Day
Eugene
Bend
63/47
56/38
54/42
Ontario
66/48
Caldwell
Burns
56/34
63/45
Medford
63/46
Klamath Falls
55/35
City
Baker City
Brookings
Ilwaco
Newberg
Newport
Today
Hi/Lo/W
59/41/t
59/46/c
57/52/c
62/47/c
56/49/c
Wed.
Hi/Lo/W
56/39/c
60/48/s
56/49/c
59/45/c
55/47/c
City
North Bend
Roseburg
Seaside
Springfi eld
Vancouver
Today
Hi/Lo/W
60/50/c
64/50/c
58/51/c
62/48/c
62/50/c
Wed.
Hi/Lo/W
61/49/pc
66/49/c
56/48/sh
61/48/c
59/46/c