A6
THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021
Tax: Remaining money would likely be used
to complete Uniontown Reborn master plan
Continued from Page A1
Having a position in the Astoria
Fire Department to focus on emer-
gency preparedness would bene-
fi t the entire community and take
resiliency beyond just planning, the
mayor said.
City Councilor Joan Herman,
Councilor Tom Brownson and
Councilor Roger Rocka had been
supportive of increasing the urban
renewal funding. Herman said she
was convinced by city staff ’s argu-
ments for the new positions.
The remaining $5.3 million in
the urban renewal fund will likely
be used in partnership with the state
to complete the Uniontown Reborn
master plan, including a lane recon-
fi guration along Marine Drive and
other streetscape improvements,
along with funding for facade
improvement grants.
The most likely need for more
money in the urban renewal district
was the revitalization of the Port
of Astoria’s West Mooring Basin,
identifi ed as a prime location for a
redeveloped commercial district.
Urban renewal funds helped pay for
a master plan of the area due in the
fall.
The city and other taxing dis-
tricts will also receive a pot of
money from amounts collected
over the maximum indebtedness
this year. The amount and timing
are unclear. Estes recommended
putting the city’s share into a fund
for work within a certain area or on
a certain project identifi ed by the
The Astorian
Clatsop County has reported
seven new coronavirus cases
over the past few days.
On Friday, the county
reported six cases.
The cases include a woman
in her 20s and a woman in
her 60s living in the northern
part of the county. The others
live in the southern part of the
county and involve a female
between 10 and 19, two men in
This year’s program will include
the Miss Oregon p arade through
downtown , an annual event inter-
rupted last year. “This year’s theme
will be ‘mask parade’ and all of our
candidates will be wearing mas-
querade masks, in order to fi nd a
fun way to celebrate COVID in
style, and hopefully send this pan-
demic on its merry way,” McShane
said.
“The Rose City Corvette Club
their 40s and a man in his 50s.
All six were recovering at
home.
On Thursday, the county
reported one case.
The case involves a woman
in her 30s living in the northern
part of the county. The woman
was recovering at home.
The county has recorded
881 cases since the start of the
pandemic. According to the
county, 21 were hospitalized
and eight have died.
Vaccine: County has vaccinated 8,420
Continued from Page A1
The Astorian
Astoria plans to hire another city planner. Former City Planner Rosemary
Johnson has fi lled in, with the department short-staff ed and deluged with
development activity and code amendments.
City Council.
“If these were city of Astoria
funds, they could potentially have
more fl exibility on what they could
be used for,” he said.
Rocka, who represents part of
the west side, said he supports put-
ting the city’s share into a fund
ready to throw at a project the city
identifi es in the future.
“What I have in mind as much
as the last time is the Port,” he said.
“I think the Port is at a point of fl ux.
They have a chance to be greatly
successful, which would benefi t all
of us. And it would be nice if the
city was in a position to jump in and
help.”
Miss Oregon: Parade through Seaside set
Continued from Page A1
County reports
seven virus cases
has already stated that they can’t
wait to mask up and drive our can-
didates in a tradition that is decades
old.”
The number of tickets available
will be based on Clatsop County’s
virus risk level in June .
“We have a COVID-19 task
force that is currently meeting to
discuss the safest protocols to keep
our candidates and volunteers safe
and healthy,” McShane said. “We
are requesting that each candidate
self-quarantine before arriving in
Seaside.”
Temperatures will be checked
for people who enter the convention
center.
COVID-19 protocols will be
posted on the scholarship program’s
website.
“Of course, we’d love noth-
ing more than for all COVID-19
restrictions to be at the lowest risk
assessment during pageant week,”
McShane said. “But we are pre-
pared to have an enjoyable event no
matter what.”
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“But the good news is that we
all have the tools to protect our-
selves and our loved ones by wear-
ing masks, keeping our distance
and limiting private indoor gather-
ings, ” Sidelinger said during a press
conference. “And starting Monday,
many more of us will have another
tool — access to a vaccine.”
The federal Food and Drug
Administration’s decision to pause
the use of the one-dose Johnson &
Johnson vaccine has disrupted vac-
cination schedules and created more
public skepticism around vaccines .
Clatsop County was expect-
ing to administer the Johnson &
Johnson vaccine to some prior-
ity groups at clinics this month,
including seafood workers, peo-
ple who are homebound, residents
in rural parts of the county and the
homeless.
Margo Lalich, the county’s
interim public health director, said
the county plans to move forward
using the Moderna vaccine at the
clinics, including an event sched-
uled at the end of the month for the
homeless .
Lalich said the county adminis-
tered 200 doses of the Johnson &
Johnson vaccine before the pause,
including at a clinic for seafood
workers on Monday.
“The adverse reactions that led
to the pause are extremely rare —
six cases out of more than 6 mil-
lion doses nationwide,” the coun-
ty’s vaccine task force said in
a statement. “However, if you
recently received the Johnson &
Johnson vaccine, and experience
severe headache, abdominal pain,
leg pain, or shortness of breath
within three weeks after vaccina-
tion, contact your health care pro-
vider, or seek medical care.”
While vaccine eligibility opens
to all Oregonians 16 and older
on Monday, the county only has
Moderna vaccines, which have
only been approved for people 18
and older.
Lalich told county commis-
sioners on Wednesday that Clat-
sop, Tillamook and Columbia
counties have talked with the Ore-
gon Health Authority about get-
ting access to Pfi zer vaccines —
which are approved for people 16
and older — to vaccinate 16- and
17- year-olds.
“They’re not a large segment of
our population,” Lalich said. “But
how can we get Pfi zer to Clatsop
County or to all of these counties?
“So we started that conversa-
tion on Monday. And so I would
expect by next week we’ll start
solidifying a plan. But right now,
only 18 years and older.”
As of Friday, 23,267 vaccine
doses have been administered in
the county, and 8,420 people were
fully vaccinated. The county’s goal
to reach herd immunity against the
virus is vaccinating 27,533 people.