WEEKEND EDITION // SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2021
149TH YEAR, NO. 41
$1.50
Schools
struggle
with lack
of bus
drivers
Local districts request
help from the state
By ETHAN MYERS
The Astorian
Photos by Lydia Ely/The Astorian
Kayla Slovak Perez, center, and Diana M. Niño, right, sit at a table with bags, masks, thermometers and other personal protective
equipment laid out for people to take at a COVID-19 and fl u vaccination clinic hosted by Consejo Hispano and the Oregon Health
Authority on Wednesday at Haystack Gardens in Cannon Beach.
Hispanic population
grows on North Coast
Census shows a 35.6% increase in the past decade
By ERICK BENGEL
The Astorian
T
he Hispanic population in Clat-
sop County grew by 35.6%
over the past decade, according
to the 2020 census, but community
leaders believe the fi gure is likely an
undercount.
Between 2010 and 2020, the num-
ber of Hispanics rose from 2,838 to
3,848. Hispanics now make up 9.4%
of the county’s population.
The largest increase was in Warren-
ton, the county’s fastest-growing city,
where Hispanics roughly doubled,
from 286 to 571.
Despite the growth, Jenny Pool Rad-
way, the executive director of Consejo
See Hispanics, Page A6
School superintendents in Clatsop
County are sounding the alarm about a
lack of school bus drivers.
The labor shortage comes as coronavi-
rus protocols limit the number of students
that can be on a bus at once, increas-
ing the pressure to fi nd more drivers.
Between the fi ve school districts, they
need nine bus drivers, Knappa Superin-
tendent Bill Fritz said .
Fritz and Astoria Superintendent Craig
Hoppes said they have been able to make
ends meet to start the school year, but the
lack of backup drivers is concerning.
Although Knappa has yet to make cuts
to routes or see long delays, Fritz said,
“it’s only a matter of time unless we can
get some drivers.”
In September , a joint request was
made on behalf of superintendents in
Astoria, Knappa, Warrenton and Seaside
to the Oregon Offi ce of Emergency Man-
agement asking for school bus drivers,
which could result in the Oregon National
Guard stepping in to help.
“Unless they are able to get perma-
nent-type drivers … it’s just going to be a
B and-A id until we can get more drivers,”
Hoppes said.
The Warrenton-Hammond School
District does not have a major shortage,
Superintendent Tom Rogozinski said, but
is running a little thin due to increased
routes from the addition of Warrenton
Middle School.
Jewell Superintendent Steve Phillips
said that as a rural school district, it is
always tough to fi nd school bus drivers,
but the district does not have an immedi-
ate need and did not join the countywide
request.
School districts expect to lose some
workers b ecause of Gov. Kate Brown’s
vaccine mandate on teachers and other
Prayer candles sit on the shelves of Kiosco Mexicano in Warrenton.
See Bus drivers, Page A6
State lifts health advisory
in Cannon Beach
Fecal bacteria levels
have declined
By KATIE FRANKOWICZ
The Astorian
CANNON BEACH — The
state has lifted a health advisory
for Cannon Beach and Tolovana
Beach State Recreation Site.
The Oregon Health Author-
ity issued the advisory on Tues-
day after water samples off the
Gower Street storm outfl ow
and in the ocean water off Tolo-
vana showed high levels of
fecal bacteria.
On Thursday, further test-
ing revealed those levels had
dropped back down.
“Contact with the ocean
water no longer poses a high-
er-than-normal risk,” according
to the Oregon Health Authority.
Cannon Beach offi cials
say a spike in fecal bacteria
is expected when heavy rains
follow a long stretch of dry
weather. In these cases, the
higher-than-usual amount of
fecal bacteria in the water is
often tied to wildlife.
The advisory came after a
rainy weekend on the North
Coast.
Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian
State discloses virus cases at care facilities
New cases at Astor Place,
Providence ElderPlace
By ERICK BENGEL
The Astorian
The Oregon Health Authority has
disclosed coronavirus cases at two
care facilities in Clatsop County.
Five virus cases were reported at
Astor Place Assisted Living Com-
munity in Astoria in late Septem-
ber. Three virus cases were reported
at Providence ElderPlace in North
Coast, a Seaside outpatient center,
according to the health authority’s
weekly outbreak report.
“The safety and health of our
residents and employees is our top
priority,” Jeremy Ross, the director
of communications at Enlivant, a
company that oversees Astor Place
and senior living homes nation-
wide, said in an email.
“Astor Place experienced about
one year and eight months without
a single positive COVID-19 case,
but when that changed we followed
all state and local guidelines,” Ross
said . “Since the health depart-
ment information came out, we can
report all COVID cases have fi n-
ished precautionary isolation and
have recovered.
“While we can’t get into specifi c
health cases, we have no doubt our
industry-leading vaccine policy
played a role in preventing more
serious results and we are grateful
for these outcomes.”
Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian
Coronavirus cases have been reported at Astor Place.
MORE INSIDE
New virus cases reported
at local schools • A6
Astor Place did not answer ques-
tions about the circumstances of the
outbreak, whether staff or residents
caught the virus, or the vaccination
status of the infected individuals.
Mike Antrim, a Providence
spokesman, said the virus cases at
ElderPlace did not involve patients.
The facility, which is not a residen-
tial center, closed for 10 days as a
result of the outbreak and reopened
Friday. For privacy reasons, Prov-
idence declined to share more
details, he said.
The health authority, meanwhile,
listed a virus outbreak at Clatsop
Care Health & Rehabilitation at 11
virus cases .
See Virus cases, Page A6