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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 20, 2021)
A2 THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 2021 IN BRIEF Several contested races in May election The May 18 election in Clatsop County features sev- eral contested races for local education and recreation boards. The Clatsop Community College Board features three contested races. Local businesswoman Trudy Citovic and real estate agent Christina Secord are challenging Robert Dueh- mig, the board chairman and a member since 2014. Suzanne Iverson, a retired farmer and former college employee, is challenging David Zunkel, appointed to the board in 2019. Patrick Preston, a retired represen- tative for disabled veterans, is challenging Sara Meyer, elected in 2019. Rosemary Baker-Monaghan, who has been on the board since 2000, is running unopposed. Electrician David Schaelling Jr. and substitute teacher Christa Jasper are vying for a spot on the Knappa School Board being vacated by Craig Weaver. Michelle Finn, a corporate recruiter with Bank of America, is running unopposed for the position vacated by Tammy Goozee. Cullen Bangs, a member of the school board since 2009, is running unopposed. All fi ve positions for the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District Board covering South County are contested. Part-time transportation administrator Al Hernan- dez is challenging Sue Coddington, a nurse appointed to the board in 2020. Retired salesman John Huismann is challenging Celeste Bodner, the executive director of Seaside-based FosterClub appointed to the board in 2020. Wheel Fun Rentals co-owner Patrick Duhachek is challenging longtime board member Michael Hinton. Erika Marshall-Hamer, the interim director of global human resources for Mercy Corps appointed to the board in 2020, is being challenged by sales associate Jackie Evans. Retired businessman Stephen Morrison is challenging Katharine Parker, a board member since 2019 and head secretary at Seaside High School. The Port of Astoria Commission, Sunset Empire Transportation Board, Clatsop Care Health District, Astoria School Board, Warrenton-Hammond School Board, Seaside School Board and Jewell School Board each feature several uncontested races. Groups call for bird monitoring volunteers Bird monitoring on the North Coast will proceed despite the coronavirus pandemic. People interested in participating in the annual eff ort to collect information about seabirds like tufted puffi ns and brown pelicans can learn more through a March 30 webinar hosted by Friends of Cape Falcon Marine Reserve and Portland Audubon. “This year, we are planning for more volunteer involvement while following protocols to keep every- one safe,” said Joe Liebezeit, staff scientist and avian conservation manager at Portland Audubon. — The Astorian Forest pesticides found downstream in coastal waters Pesticides used on forests and in other applications have been found by researchers in watersheds along the Oregon Coast, raising concerns that aquatic species may be exposed to a toxic mixture of chemicals in the region. Researchers from Portland State University found traces of a dozen unique pesticides — a combination of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides — in water sam- ples and bivalves collected in downstream rivers and estuaries. The study found that the mixing of these compounds once they enter aquatic ecosystems could have a neg- ative impact on shellfi sh and other creatures living downstream — including harm to their hormonal pro- cesses and their reproduction and development. — Oregon Public Broadcasting BREAKING GROUND Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian From left, Commissioner Courtney Bangs, Commissioner Mark Kujala, Sheriff Matt Phillips, Commissioner Pamela Wev, jail commander Tom Teague and Commissioner John Toyooka break ground for the new Clatsop County Jail at the former North Coast Youth Correctional Facility on Thursday in Warrenton. Astoria High School reports virus case By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Astorian A volleyball game in Banks was cancel ed after a person associated with the Astoria High School volley- ball program tested positive for the coronavirus. Craig Hoppes, the super- intendent for the Asto- ria School District, could not provide more details about the case, but said he believes one more of the Astoria team’s games may be aff ected while people quarantine. The Banks Post reported that two virus cases among athletes on North Coast sports teams — the Astoria volleyball team and the Sea- side High School football team — resulted in the can- cellation of games against the Banks teams originally scheduled for Thursday and Friday . Seaside has had two dif- ferent confi rmed cases among student-athletes recently, according to Jeff Roberts, the principal at Seaside High School. The fi rst case was reported ear- lier this week. “At this point there have not been any further cancel- lations in our athletic or aca- demic schedule,” Roberts Seventh county resident dies from coronavirus The Astorian A seventh Clatsop County resident has died from the coronavirus. The Oregon Health Authority described the per- son as a 66-year-old man who tested positive on Jan. 3 and died on Jan. 8. The health authority said he had underlying conditions. No other information was immediately available. The county reported six new virus cases over the past few days. On Friday, the county reported one new case. A man in his 70s living in the southern part of the county was recovering at home. On Thursday, the county reported fi ve new cases. The cases include two women in their 40s living in the northern part of the county. The others live in the southern part of the county and include a male between 10 and 19, a woman in her 20s and a man in his 30s. All fi ve were recovering at home. The county has recorded 804 cases since the start of the pandemic. Eighteen were hospitalized and seven have died. told The Astorian. Hoppes announced Thursday afternoon that there had been a positive case at Astoria High School. School d istrict administra- tors notifi ed students and staff who may have come into contact with the person, Hoppes said. Hoppes declined specify whether the person is a stu- dent or works on staff , but said the person had not been on campus this week. In a letter sent to parents informing them of the situ- ation, Hoppes encouraged people to stay home when ill and follow other public health guidelines, such as wearing face coverings and frequent hand-washing. “We know this is a diffi - cult time for everyone and our hearts go out to those who are ill,” Hoppes wrote. Though the school dis- trict had allowed some lim- ited in-person instruction for certain classes or students with additional needs late last year, the bulk of middle school and high school stu- dents had only returned to classrooms in March. Hoppes and school board members cautioned that a return to school could mean virus cases among staff or students. While the school district can ask people to conform to strict protocols on campus, they have no control over what people do outside of school, Hoppes has said. The school district began the school year remotely and started the push to reopen across grade lev- els this year. School board members were encouraged to see recent studies that suggested in-person school did not increase the spread of the virus, and that schools are rarely superspreaders. DEATHS March 17, 2021 In DELPHIA, Brief Richard Lucian, 91, of Warren- ton, died in Warrenton. Deaths Caldwell’s Luce-Lay- ton Mortuary of Asto- ria is in charge of the arrangements. MALINEN, Cheryl Jean, 77, of Astoria, died in Astoria. Caldwell’s Luce-Layton Mortuary of Astoria is in charge of the arrangements. RUND, Sandra Jean, 77, of Astoria, died in Portland. Caldwell’s Luce-Layton Mortuary of Astoria is in charge of the arrangements. March 16, 2021 McNEILL, Donald Thomas, 69, of Seaside, died in Portland. Cald- well’s Funeral & Crema- tion Arrangement Center of Seaside is in charge of the arrangements. PUBLIC MEETINGS MONDAY Seaside City Council, 7 p.m., (electronic meeting). TUESDAY Astoria Planning Commission, 5:30 p.m., City Hall, 1095 Duane St. Seaside Airport Committee, 6 p.m., City Hall, 989 Broad- way. Warrenton City Commission, 6 p.m., City Hall, 225 S. Main Ave. PUBLIC MEETINGS Established July 1, 1873 (USPS 035-000) Published Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by EO Media Group, 949 Exchange St., PO Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103 Telephone 503-325-3211, 800-781-3211 or Fax 503-325-6573. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Astorian, PO Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103-0210 DailyAstorian.com Circulation phone number: 800-781-3214 Periodicals postage paid at Astoria, OR ADVERTISING OWNERSHIP All advertising copy and illustrations prepared by The Astorian become the property of The Astorian and may not be reproduced for any use without explicit prior approval. COPYRIGHT © Entire contents © Copyright, 2021 by The Astorian. MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MEMBER CERTIFIED AUDIT OF CIRCULATIONS, INC. Printed on recycled paper Subscription rates Eff ective January 12, 2021 MAIL EZpay (per month) ...............................................................................................................$10.75 13 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$37.00 26 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$71.00 52 weeks in advance ........................................................................................................ $135.00 DIGITAL EZpay (per month) .................................................................................................................$8.25 New vaccination timeline depends on supply By NICOLE BALES The Astorian Clatsop County’s corona- virus vaccine task force has begun vaccinating seniors 65 years and older and is look- ing ahead to vaccinating the remaining priority groups as more vaccines become available. Gov. Kate Brown on Fri- day rolled out the state’s new vaccine distribution plan after the Biden administration directed all states to lift eligi- bility requirements for every- one 16 and older by May 1. Oregon did not plan on lifting all eligibility restric- tions until July . “Upon learning of the news, I directed the Ore- gon Health Authority to review Oregon’s vaccina- tion timelines,” the gover- nor said during a press con- ference. “Equity has been at the forefront of our COVID- 19 response and vaccine dis- tribution. As we open up eli- gibility to all Oregonians on May 1 , I remain committed to the equitable distribution of vaccines for seniors, front- line workers and Oregonians with underlying health con- ditions. My team is in touch with the White House for more specifi cs about when vaccine shipments to states will increase. “The Oregon Health Authority tells me that, pro- vided supplies come in from the federal government as anticipated, we expect to have enough doses for every Oregonian who wants a vac- cine to have the opportunity for at least a fi rst dose by the end of May.” There is no guarantee Clatsop County will receive enough vaccine doses to complete priority groups before the new deadline. Throughout the roll- out, the c ounty’s v accine t ask f orce has not received enough doses to keep up with the state’s timeline or with demand. The task force has stressed that vaccine eligibility does not necessarily mean availability. “We can’t predict today how many individuals in the various priority groups will be vaccinated by May 1 — as always, everything is depen- dent on vaccine deliveries,” a spokesman for the task force said in an email. “Our expectation is that as vaccine supply increases, local hospitals, clinics and pharmacy outlets will be able to play a much bigger role in the vaccination eff ort, partic- ularly in serving the general public.” As the task force moves through vaccinating people 65 and older, appointments will be made for those 69 years old fi rst, then 68 and so on. Under the state’s new timeline, people between 45 and 64 with underlying health conditions, migrant and sea- sonal farm workers, seafood and agricultural workers and food processing workers will be eligible by March 29. People living in low-in- come senior housing will also be eligible by the end of the month, as well as peo- ple experiencing homeless- ness, people displaced by wildfi res, wildland fi refi ght- ers and women who are pregnant. By April 19, people classi- fi ed as front-line workers by the federal Centers for Dis- ease Control and Prevention will be eligible , including people living in multigener- ational households and peo- ple between 16 and 44 with underlying health conditions. As of Friday, 12,431 doses have been administered in the county, and 4,176 people are fully vaccinated. The coun- ty’s goal to reach herd immu- nity against the virus is vacci- nating 27,533 people. VOLUNTEER PICK OF THE WEEK Baxter Black Fre e Est Fast ima tes Call me ti Any is our Pet of the week He is an American Shorthair Jeff Hale Painting • • • • Enjoy this living piece of sculpture along with adding poetry and playfulness to your life. Residential Commercial Cedar Roof Treatments Exterior Repaint Specialist Over 25 years local experience 503-440-2169 Jeff Hale, Contractor LICENSED BONDED INSURED CCB#179131 Sponsored by Bayshore Animal Hospital CLATSOP COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER 1315 SE 19th St., Warrenton • 861- PETS www.dogsncats.org Noon to 4pm, Tues-Sat