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THE ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2021
Risk level: One of 21 counties that will be at high risk through May 20
Continued from Page A1
the fourth surge,” the gov-
ernor said in a statement.
“Our hospitalization rates
have stabilized. Our infec-
tion rates are on a down-
ward trajectory. And in the
race between vaccines and
variants, our eff orts to vac-
cinate Oregonians are taking
the lead.
“We still have some
work to do to reach our 70%
goal, but I am confi dent we
can get there in June and
return Oregon to a sense of
normalcy.”
As of Tuesday , about
30,400 doses have been
administered in Clatsop
County and nearly 13,600
people were fully vacci-
nated. About 55% of res-
idents 16 and older have
received at least one dose,
according to the county.
“With eligibility open-
ing up to younger residents,
we continue to urge the pub-
lic to get vaccinated to pro-
tect not only themselves and
loved ones, but also to help
us on the path to re opening,”
a county spokesman said in
County reports 11
new virus cases
The Astorian
Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian
Registered nurse Audrey Knippa administers a vaccination
against the coronavirus.
an email.
Clatsop County is one of
21 counties that will be at
high risk through May 20.
Seven counties will be at
moderate risk and eight will
be at lower risk.
Counties with a popula-
tion of 30,000 or more are
evaluated for risk based on
virus cases per 100,000 over
two weeks and the test pos-
itivity rate for the same
period.
Counties at high risk have
a case rate between 100 and
Rent: ‘This bill has another
side that has not been given
any consideration’
Continued from Page A1
rental assistance to cover the
back rent,” Morgan-Platt
said in a statement furnished
by Stable Homes for Ore-
gon Families. “There are so
many Oregonians in simi-
lar situations who lost jobs
or income during COVID
through no fault of our own
and are still struggling to
catch up. As Oregon contin-
ues to face a statewide hous-
ing crisis and our communi-
ties are suff ering, SB 282 is
going to be a lifeline to pro-
tect us from eviction.”
Reliance on state
and federal aid
State Rep. Julie Fahey,
a Democrat from Eugene
and the chairwoman of the
House Committee on Hous-
ing, said the bill banks on
millions coming in state and
federal aid to tenants and
landlords.
“It is a reasonable com-
promise bill that sets the
stage for a more equitable
recovery,” Fahey, the bill’s
fl oor manager and chief
sponsor in the House, said.
“By passing this bill, we can
ensure that Oregon tenants
and landlords can get the
full benefi t of rental assis-
tance coming to our state
and help prevent the fallout
from the pandemic follow-
ing the most vulnerable Ore-
gonians for years to come.”
A special session of the
Legislature in December
extended the eviction mor-
atorium from December to
the end of June , and also
set aside $200 million for
assistance — $150 million
for landlords and $50 mil-
lion for tenants. The Ore-
gon Department of Housing
and Community Services
reported to the House com-
mittee this month that $40
million was paid from the
landlord compensation fund
in the fi rst round in March.
Congress also passed two
rounds of federal assistance
for renters, the latest round
approved in March. Ore-
gon’s senators announced
this month that the state will
be in line for $222.5 million
from President Joe Biden’s
pandemic recovery plan .
The state would get $156.5
million; Portland, $15.5 mil-
lion; Multnomah County,
$3.8 million; Washington
County, $14.2 million; and
Clackamas County, $9.9
million. Other amounts
will go to the counties that
include Eugene, Salem and
Medford.
“The policies we passed
last year have likely pre-
vented many thousands of
people from being evicted
from their homes during
the pandemic,” Fahey said.
“Because we know that
public health research has
shown that eviction mor-
atoriums helped prevent
the spread of COVID-19,
we know that in addition
to keeping people stably
housed, those policies have
saved lives.”
Other provisions
Among other provisions
of SB 282, which was bro-
kered by Sen. Kayse Jama,
D-Portland, with tenant and
landlord advocates:
• Potential landlords
would be barred from
screening out applicants
based on COVID-era evic-
tions. The bill would allow
sealing of evictions during
COVID from a tenant’s
record.
• Credit history reports
would be barred on any late
payments during the mora-
torium. Landlords would be
barred from screening out
tenants based on nonpay-
ment of past-due rent during
the eviction moratorium and
grace period.
• Landlords could not
evict tenants for dou-
bling-up or occupancy lim-
its that are narrower than
current law during the
COVID period when peo-
ple have had to share hous-
ing due to the pandemic and
wildfi res.
• Increased damages
would remain in eff ect tem-
porarily for retaliation viola-
tions by landlords during the
COVID era.
All of the votes against
the fi nal version were cast
by Republicans, although
three Republicans joined
Democrats to vote for it.
“This bill has another
side that has not been given
any consideration,” Rep.
Kim Wallan, R-Medford,
said.
A move by Republicans
to send the bill back to com-
mittee failed on a party-line
vote.
Rep. Jack Zika, R- Red-
mond, said he sought an
amendment that would have
allowed landlords to check
some tenant records unre-
lated to fi nances. He said his
intent was not to block the
bill itself, and that he felt an
agreement was close.
“Nobody wants to see
anybody evicted,” he said.
Rep. Wlnsvey Cam-
pos, D-Aloha, said that as
a case manager, she works
with prospective tenants to
help them apply for rental
housing.
“I know there are back-
stops in place for checking
on the past rental history of
tenants,” she said.
“ What I do know, from
doing the work I do, is that
if we do not pass this, it will
cause harm to our commu-
nities. We all know that bad
actors exist, but I also know
that folks want to be able to
pay their rent so they can
stay in housing.”
The Oregon Capital
Bureau is a collaboration
between EO Media Group
and Pamplin Media Group.
200 per 100,000 people, and
may have a test positivity
between 8% and 10%.
As of Saturday, Clatsop
County had 132 cases per
100,000 over a two-week
period. Test positivity was
5.1%.
“I’m pleased that we
are moving forward and
extreme risk restrictions in
Oregon will not be triggered
this week. I’m optimistic
Clatsop County can move
down in risk category and
the vaccination goals are
Clatsop County on Wednesday reported 11 new
coronavirus cases.
The cases include a woman in her 70s, whose
residence is unknown, along with a female between
10 and 19, a man in his 30s and a man in his 60s
living in the northern part of the county. The others
live in the southern part of the county and involve
a female under 10, three males between 10 and 19,
a man in his 30s, a woman in her 40s and a man in
his 60s.
One was hospitalized and the others were recov-
ering at home.
The county has recorded 976 cases since the
start of the pandemic. According to the county, 24
have been hospitalized and eight have died.
good motivation to get back
to a more routine existence,”
Mark Kujala, the chair-
man of the county Board
of Commissioners, said. “If
you haven’t been vaccinated
yet we have openings at our
Preparedness: Two
more public meetings
planned in summer, fall
Continued from Page A1
Farncomb said there are
a lot of north-south oriented
waterways like lakes, streams
and wetlands that make it dif-
fi cult to create new connec-
tions. Meanwhile, a wide
swath of the coast is expected
to be inundated during a
major earthquake and there
are few places to reach higher
ground.
Farncomb said improv-
ing trails in Fort Stevens State
Park is also a priority because
of the heavy visitor traffi c
during the summer.
The project will also look
at building a vertical structure
people can climb to evade a
tsunami.
The county expects to
hold two more public meet-
ings in the summer and fall
before presenting the com-
pleted project plan to the
Board of Commissioners
early next year.
An advisory committee
for the project is made up of
representatives from cities ,
fi re districts, private and pub-
lic landowners and nonprofi t
agencies, including Consejo
Hispano.
Homeless: ‘Warming center is
there for anybody and everybody’
Methodist Church in Astoria
and Seaside United Meth-
The conversation, the fi rst odist Church. In Astoria, the
of several meetings happen- church also hosts the Astoria
ing on Thursdays through Warming Center. As of April,
May 20 and on June 3 and it was off ering free showers
on July 1, comes as the con- three days a week.
sequences of homelessness
“The warming center is
have come to the fore in Sea- there for anybody and every-
side. Montero, Mayor Jay body,” Avila said. “It’s not
Barber and others proposed one of those places where you
a series of forums last year have to be in recovery before
before being delayed because they let you spend the night.
of the coronavirus pandemic. You can be whatever con-
At a City Council dition you’re in. ... There’s
goal-setting session in Jan- nothing in the Scriptures or in
uary, homelessness, addic- these sacred texts that judges
tion and mental health issues someone for being poor.”
were listed among the city’s
Martin Letourneau, of
top priorities. In the months the organization Love on
since, the topic has widened the Streets, said his group
into a regional conversation.
was interested in immediate
Daniel Baker, of Light- remedies.
house Christian Church, said
“Right now, we’re in the
he saw the forum as “a great business of Band-Aids,”
opportunity for us to take a Letourneau said. “What
lead and lead in an area that we’re doing is we’re going
needs us. And we want our out to where the homeless
communities to know that people are. And we’ll go to a
we are here as a part of the variety of places. We go to the
community.”
south entrance of Safeway,
Baker recommended con- we go to the Mill Ponds, we
versations with the homeless. go down to the Turnaround,
“If
we
we go up
have a real
by 12th and
‘RIGHT NOW, Necanicum.
conversation
with people,
we try to
WE’RE IN THE And
I think we
fi nd as many
might be able
BUSINESS OF people as we
to get to the
can. And we
BAND-AIDS.’
root that will
ask, what do
actually help
they need?”
Martin Letourneau |
them under-
Letour-
Love on the Streets
stand
that
neau
said
there’s a way
his
dream
out,” he said. “A lot of these for Seaside was an all-year
folks have lost their purpose. shelter, drop-in center and
It’s easier to just live on the a resource center. “We need
street because they don’t a system that’s going to
really have anything they’re meet needs and provide the
looking for. How do we help resources,” he said.
them have purpose? Again,
Barber said he is “proud
it goes back to the individual to be the mayor of a city
person.”
that cares about all people,
Baker advocated for not just some people, but all
programs, but also sought people. It’s so easy to talk
accountability. “We’ve got to about this problem. But that
continue to have programs,” doesn’t solve anything. ... As
he said. “But I believe that the mayor of the city, I need
there has to be some account- to learn more about what it
ability, and not making it so is that we can do together to
easy to live on the street.”
deal with these situations of
Pastor Michael Avila people who are homeless or
serves at both the First United houseless.”
Thursday clinic and a clinic
for minors this Saturday.
Don’t wait.”
Restaurants and bars
can continue indoor din-
ing at 25% of capacity — or
up to 50 people — with an
11 p.m. closing time. Up to
75 people can dine outdoors,
with a limit of six people per
table from two households.
Gyms, indoor pools,
museums, theaters and other
entertainment venues can
operate at 25% of capacity,
or up to 50 people, which-
ever is smaller.
Grocery stores, pharma-
cies, retail shops and shop-
ping malls can operate at
50% of capacity.
Churches can operate
at 25% of capacity or 150
people indoors, whichever
is smaller, and 200 people
outdoors.
Indoor social gatherings
must be limited to six peo-
ple from two households in
counties at high risk. Out-
door gatherings can have
eight people.
Businesses should urge
employees to work remotely
if able.
Visits are allowed at
long-term care facilities.
The county has recorded
976 cases since the start of
the pandemic. According to
the county, 24 were hospi-
talized and eight have died.
Consult a
PROFESSIONAL
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LEO FINZI
Astoria’s Best
Examine the “suffix” of the email sender, the
part after the “@” symbol.
If that identifies the company correctly, it is
legit. For example,
“Specialoffers@usbank.com” “@usbank.com”
means it really is from US Bank.
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just created a gmail user name “USBank-
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Disregard the “prefix”, the part before the
“@” symbol. Focus on the “suffix” the part of
the email to determine if an email is legit.
Q: What are 3
things I can focus
on to stay healthy?
Diet, exercise and sleep.
ASTORIA A:
They are all interrelated. In fact,
CHIROPRACTIC
if you focus on one, the others
get better. So, start by picking
one that seems to be lacking, and
503-325-3311 commit to small changes.
1490 Commercial Have more questions?
Street, Suite 202 Call us today!
Alicia M. Smith, DC
Owner
Astoria, Oregon
Q: What should I
use to clean my
baby’s teeth?
baby’s teeth are not
A: Remember
only important, but part of their
JEFFREY M. LEINASSAR
DMD, FAGD
L E I NA S S A R
DENTAL EXCELLENCE
503/325-0310
1414 MARINE DRIVE,
ASTORIA
www.smileastoria.com
health and development. Cleaning
baby’s teeth can be done by gauze, a
finger swipe, or a small brush. Make
it quick and fun!! Remember that
a night-time bottle with milk has
lactose (milk sugar) and juice has
fructose or sucrose (sugar) and if it
sits on teeth day after day, problems
are going to develop. Baby teeth are
small with thin enamel, so they are
important to keep clean.
Q: I’m going out of town
and need to stop my
newspaper. What
are my options?
have different options for
A: We
you if you are heading out of
Jeremy
Feldman
town. We can switch you to a Web
subscription while you are away and
Circulation Manager you can read the paper online, or
you can have your delivery stopped
and donate your missed papers to
local schools. Whichever option fits
your needs, just call our circulation
department at 800-781-3214 or go
www.dailyastorian.com online and enter your vacation at
949 Exchange St., Astoria, OR www.dailyastorian.com under
“Subscriber Services.”
800-781-3214