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DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2021
148TH YEAR, NO. 142
$1.50
CORONAVIRUS
County to
move into
moderate
risk for virus
‘COVID
HAIR’
Restrictions ease
starting Friday
By NICOLE BALES
The Astorian
Clatsop County will move into moder-
ate risk for the coronavirus beginning Fri-
day as virus case counts taper.
The county has been at the state’s
high-risk designation for the virus since
late April.
Gov. Kate Brown on Tuesday
announced that starting June 1 county
risk level changes will be announced
weekly instead of every two weeks.
Counties facing moves back up in risk
level will be given a caution period to
focus on bringing case counts back down.
Most restrictions will be lifted when 70%
of Oregonians 16 or older receive at least
one dose of the vaccine .
Counties where 65% of people 16
and older have received at least one dose
were given the option to move into lower
risk, a way for counties to begin loosen-
ing restrictions ahead of the state’s 70%
goal.
About 59% of people 16 and older in
Clatsop County have received at least
one dose, according to the Oregon Health
Authority.
See Risk, Page A8
Fireworks
won’t shine
in Seaside
Mom,
daughters
take off inches
for charity
Beach volleyball set to return
By KATHERINE LACAZE
For The Astorian
By R.J. MARX
The Astorian
S
EASIDE — While everyone’s
experience during the coronavi-
rus pandemic has been unique,
there is one shared by many:
Infrequent haircuts.
Katharine Parker saw this “COVID
hair” trend as an opportunity to give
back and share a bonding experience
with her daughters.
Earlier this month, Parker,
6-year-old Chloe and 8-year-old
Mikayla visited Rita Lovegreen
at Hair by Rita and had multiple
inches of their hair lopped off . They
donated it to Children With Hair Loss,
a nonprofi t that provides free hair
replacements to children and young
adults facing medically-related hair
loss.
See Donation, Page A8
TOP: Rita Lovegreen cuts 10 inches of Chloe Parker’s hair. ABOVE: Katharine
Parker, top left, cut her hair and donated it to Children With Hair Loss along with
her two daughters, 6-year-old Chloe and 8-year-old Mikayla. Lovegreen at Hair
by Rita did the haircuts.
SEASIDE — The city will not light
up the sky with fi reworks over the beach
this summer because of the coronavirus
pandemic.
This is the second year fi reworks have
been canceled. “The professional show
takes quite a bit of fi nancing, but also a
lot of resources necessary to make that
happen,” said Brian Owen, the CEO of
the Seaside Chamber of Commerce. “We
were not able to get everything together
to make a safe show.”
The show typically brings nearly
50,000 people to Seaside and is the kick-
off to the summer season, with visitors
coming from throughout the region . Offi -
cials have estimated the annual economic
impact of the event to the city is more
than $20 million.
See Fireworks, Page A8
Caps, gowns and caution
College maritime program
receives national recognition
Graduation plans marked by pandemic concerns
By KATIE FRANKOWICZ
The Astorian
An outdoor graduation cere-
mony in Jewell on June 12 will
feature six in-person graduates
and one cardboard cutout.
The small school’s seventh
senior is already gone — he
joined the U.S. Marine Corps and
is off to training. The school dis-
trict took a picture of him in cap
and gown before he left so he
could still stand with his class-
mates for commencement.
Last year, North Coast seniors
saw their dreams of a triumphant
and highly social conclusion to
their high school years dashed as
the coronavirus pandemic closed
schools abruptly in March. Tradi-
tional events were cancel ed and
graduation itself was a strange
aff air conducted at distance, in
face masks and, in many cases, in
the family car.
When this school year began ,
the C lass of 2021 had the bene-
fi t of knowing nothing would be
normal.
Some started to plan their next
steps earlier. In Astoria, older stu-
dents, including seniors, took
on part-time jobs because they
could be more fl exible with their
See Graduations, Page A8
Designation could
lead to more resources
By KATIE FRANKOWICZ
The Astorian
Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian
Astoria High School students received
their diplomas last year at a hybrid
ceremony at CMH Field.
A new national designation
could funnel resources and equip-
ment to Clatsop Community Col-
lege’s maritime program.
The program was recently
named a center of excellence for
domestic maritime workforce
training and education by the fed-
eral Department of Transporta-
tion’s Maritime Administration.
The college is one of 27 commu-
nity colleges and training institu-
tions across 16 states to receive
the designation.
The designation is expected to
provide opportunities for cooper-
ative agreements that could help
with eff orts to recruit students
and faculty, as well as enhance
facilities. There could also be a
chance for the college to receive
surplus equipment or have tem-
porary use of federal equipment.
It is not clear yet when the col-
lege will see tangible benefi ts .
The designation comes at a
time when college leaders con-
tinue to consider a costly expan-
sion of the Marine and Environ-
mental Research and Training
Station campus and are also look-
ing at how to boost enrollment
and retain students following a
See College, Page A8