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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 10, 2020)
6A | SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2020 | SIUSLAW NEWS field and Seneca Sawmill in Noti. The county only announces Oregon Beverage Recycling Co- workplace clusters if they surpass operative in Eugene, as well as five confirmed cases. Kingsford Charcoal in Spring- On Tuesday, Lane County Public Health (LCPH) Public Information Officer Jason Da- vis announced that the county is monitoring 617 people who were in contact with people contagious with COVID-19. “That is an all-time record,” Davis said. Christina’s Estate Sales During the rest of the week, Presents LCPH gave additional updates 2421 16th Street in two press conferences, which Off Spruce Street are streamed live on Lane Coun- Friday 11am-4pm Saturday 11am-3pm ty Government’s Facebook page Sunday 11am-2pm and available to view online. ECCLECTIC “We can have an outbreak COASTAL SALE! or clusters in one population of Beautiful home of people, but unless the entire com- furnishing, upright piano, great décor, munity is really taking the health northwest artesian recommendations seriously and pottery, art glass, being vigilant on those, then we framed prints & will see spread to all corners of paintings, brand our community,” Davis said on news, gift items, gourmet full kitchen, Thursday. “Unfortunately, that’s linens, jewelry, what we’re starting to see.” quality women’s His immediate recommenda- clothing & tion for the community is to take accessories, many action to remain safe. books, offi ce, many usefuls, newer “The CDC (Centers for Dis- washer, lawn, ease Control) has let us know garden, feline that it is possible that the virus supplies. is airborne. That means that you FAR TO MUCH TO can get it pretty easily,” Davis LIST! Site is secured. said. “The only way to stay safe Masks are required. is constant vigilance — and even then, there is a possibility that you might still get sick.” The numbers in Lane Coun- ty are increasing at a rate that is still manageable for LCPH staff to conduct tracing. However, the alarming numbers prompted the Oct. 6 meeting of the Lane Coun- ty Board of Commissioners to consider “COVID-19 Response and Recovery” during its morn- COVID from page 1A Shoppe LOCAL #MyFlorence Shop. Eat. Support. SAVE. SHOP VOTE from page 1A count ballots in Oregon have been certified by a federally ac- credited voting system test lab- oratory. There are a number of dates and deadlines which must be adhered to for votes to count. After voters have filled out their ballot, they can return it by mail or take it to any official ing meeting. During the meeting, Lane County Health & Human Ser- vices Director Karen Gaffney presented five options for the commissioners to consider in addressing the county’s growing case rate: 1. Continue to monitor and in- tensify messaging efforts regard- ing masks, gatherings, distancing and hygiene 2. Sector-specific work with higher education, businesses, faith communities, etc. 3. Direct staff to prepare an or- dinance to require mask wearing 4. Request to be placed on the Governor’s County Watch List 5. Request to return to Phase 1. “What we need people to do is pretty straightforward: wear a mask, don’t gather, keep your physical distance and (maintain) hygiene,” Gaffney said. She and Lane County’s Senior Public Health Officer Dr. Patrick Luedtke said that county staff rec- ommended the first two policies, which are already active. According to Luedtke, a re- turn to Phase 1 would be a “blunt instrument” that would hurt certain areas that are so far less affected. “It doesn’t take into account the geography of our county — fron- tier, rural, urban — and where the predominant cases are,” he said. “It may not give us the max- imum benefit we would like and may also put some punishment on those areas that haven’t seen a great deal of the disease.” Phase 1 is detailed at gov status.egov.com/reopening-ore gon as part of Gov. Kate Brown’s reopening plan for the state. Lane County has been out of Phase 1 — which limits gatherings and requires more people to work from home — since June 5. The health officials also talked about the requirements to make it onto the Governor’s County Watch List. “Counties are placed on the Watch List when COVID-19 is spreading quickly and public health officials cannot trace that spread to specific sources — cre- ating a potentially dangerous dynamic,” the website reports. “Metrics include when there is a sporadic case rate of 50 or more per 100,000 people in the last two weeks and the county has had more than five sporadic cases in the last two weeks. Sporadic cases are those that cannot be traced to a source; they indicate communi- ty spread.” In Lane County, “We have not had an issue with sporadic cases,” Gaffney said. “We are able to do really great work in our contact tracing and link those cases to outbreaks. That is why we are currently not on the governor’s watch list.” Luedtke added, “It doesn’t seem as though we will (meet the requirements) anytime soon as long as we keep our numbers at this relatively high level and don’t go too much higher, and we maintain the staffing that we have.” As for a local mask ordinance, the statewide order is still in place, and there is little extra a county government could add to that. After this information, the commissioners got the chance to weigh in on. West Lane District 1 Commis- sioner Jay Bozievich said that he is seeing “a lot of fatigue” as peo- ple grow weary of the restrictions that keep them away from loved ones and events. “My message to folks is that we’ve got to get those behaviors back in control so (LCPH staff) can continue to do the contact tracing you’ve been doing that keeps our random case rate down,” he said. Commission Chair Heath- er Buch, representative for East Lane District 5, instructed staff to pursue additional messaging and sector-specific guidelines, the first two staff recommendations. However, “We should be pre- pared to be on the Governor’s County Watch List soon if our numbers continue to rise,” she cautioned. Lane County has been con- ducting testing for those affected by the recent wildfires, with three testing dates this week. There have been a total of 69,821 neg- ative tests since testing began in March. According to govstatus.egov. com/OR-OHA-COVID-19, the state has had a total of 36,116 cas- es as of 12:01 a.m. Friday. Oregon has had 594 deaths. In a Tuesday press conference, Oregon Health Authority Direc- tor Pat Allen said, “The rising case numbers should catch ev- eryone’s attention. COVID-19 is a stubborn enemy. It will not go away easily or soon. Rooting it out of our homes and our com- munity requires all of us working together.” Part of the conference was the announcement that the federal government will be giving Ore- gon 60,000 to 80,000 COVID-19 rapid tests per week until the end of the year. The Abbott Binax- NOW antigen tests can diagnose cases of COVID-19 in 15 min- utes. This will double Oregon’s testing capacity, though testing will be prioritized for vulnerable communities. It is unclear how the tests will be divided by county. In the meantime, Davis sug- gests that Lane County residents continue to wear masks, maintain distance, limit gatherings and wash often. “The best way that people can truly be helpful is to examine their own actions and really make sure they are doing their part and communicating with their friends and families,” he said. “If you real- ly want to make a difference, real- ly want to help, the best thing you can do is have those conversa- tions in your social group and in your family with those who may not be masking, or who may not see COVID as a serious threat to our public health. … This needs to be a pro-social, helpful effort, where we’re all pitching in and really trying to slow the spread.” In her closing remarks on the COVID-19 agenda item at the Lane County Commissioners meeting, Buch said, “Everybody needs to participate. This is an ‘us’ issue, not a ‘they’ or ‘them’ issue. I strongly urge folks to continue to follow the guidelines so that we don’t have to move on to options three, four and five. And option four may not be an option; it may be dictated for us.” On Friday afternoon, Brown announced that Umatilla County was back on the Watch List even though it remains in Phase 2. “Combined with yesterday’s record high statewide case count, this is a sign that we must tread cautiously or we risk losing the gains we’ve made in slowing the spread of COVID-19,” the gover- nor stated. drop box. In Florence, voters wishing to use a drop box can do so at the Florence Justice Center, 900 Greenwood St., where a white drive-up voting drop box is lo- cated near the entrance. For those returning their ballot by mail, no stamp is nec- essary because the postage has been pre-paid by the state. Vot- ing officials encourage voters to return their ballot as soon as they can, but no later than Oct. 27 in order to ensure they are re- ceived by Nov. 3. Ballots are not forwardable. If someone is registered to vote by Oct. 13 but now have a different address, call Lane County Elections office for in- structions on how to update your registration and receive a ballot. If a ballot is lost, de- stroyed, damaged or someone makes a mistake in marking the ballot, they may call the county elections office and request a re- placement ballot. People who are not registered to vote in any Oregon county may register online at oregon- votes.gov no later than 11:59 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 13. The on- line option is available only to those with a valid Oregon driv- er’s license, DMV-issued identi- fication card or learner’s permit. Remember, ballots must be physically received at a county elections office or in an official drop box by 8 p.m. Nov. 3. As Clarno mentioned, the technology and the processes are in place to guarantee a free and fair election. However, another type of challenge faces election officials. “The biggest threat we have to elections today continues to be misinformation. It can be found in many sources — social media, traditional media, statements by candidates and elected officials, email lists, text message chains and mailers,” she warned. “Mis- information can even be spread through candidate statements and measure arguments in this voters’ pamphlet. Candidates pay a fee to have the statements printed and they are not fact- checked.” Clarno added that although there has been much discussion about the U.S. Postal Service re- cently, “most of what has been reported is misinformation. We work closely with our postal partners and are confident ser- vice levels for your ballot contin- ue to be high as they were in the May Primary.” To track your ballot or to find your nearest drop box, visit ore- gonvotes.gov/myvote. Faith – Friendship - Fellowship – Fun CHURCH DIRECTORY To include your organization in this directory, please call us @ 541-997-3441 THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST FOURSQUARE CHURCH OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS 1624 Highway 101 (next to A&W) –- 997-6337 2705 Munsel Lake Road, All are welcome! Pastor George Pagel – Something for the entire family. Zoom Worship Services: 10 AM & 11:30 AM Sunday. Sun. Services: 10:45 a.m. Bishop Larry Farnsworth 541-999-1979 Wednesday Bible Study returns this Fall. Website: florence4square.com COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH 4590 Hwy. 101, Across from Fred Meyer –- 997-7418 NEW LIFE LUTHERAN CHURCH, E.L.C.A. Sunday School, 9:30a.m. – Worship, 10:45 21st & Spruce Street – 997-8113 Wed. Prayer - 6:00 p.m. – Pastor Jim Abbott – All are welcome Wed. Ministries 1-8 Grade 7 p.m. Sermons are on YouTube at https://youtu.be/jcTJVWp_6ps. CROSS ROAD ASSEMBLY OF GOD www.florencenewlife Lutheran.org Corner of 10th & Maple- 541-997-3533 Sunday Live Services: 9am & 11am PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF THE SIUSLAW (please pre-register) 3996 N Hwy 101 541-997-7136 Facebook Streaming: 11am Sunday morning Internet and in person Sunday services at 10AM, https://www.florencecrossroadag.org/church-online Call the church for details. Other platforms update after the service. Reverend Greg Wood florencecrossroadag.org All Welcome. Come as you are. office@florencecrossroadag.org RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS (QUAKERS) FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH - SBC “War is still not the answer.” FCNL 1935 25th St. – 997-7660 • Pastor, Ron Allen Since we meet in homes, we are taking a mindful pause. Services on Facebook live Call 997-4237 or 902-9511 for information. Sunday’s at 11:00 am Wednesday’s at 6:00 pm RESURRECTION LUTHERAN CHURCH, L.C.M.S. All Bible studies held at the church including Every Sun., Bible Class 9 a.m., Worship Service 10 a.m. Sunday morning, Thursday Ladies study, and 85294 Hwy. 101 S. – 997-8038 Children’s Programs are suspended. DVD of Weekly worship service available. Blessings on you and your family. www.puppro.wixite.com/rlcflorence FLORENCE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 2nd & Ivy - 541-997-2961 - Non-Denominational Service is on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Our service is also available via Zoom. Contact us at office@florencechurch.com for log-in information. SUPPORT FLORENCE CHURCH OF CHRIST Pre-Denominational (Romans 16:16) 1833 Tamarack Street (2 blocks east of Hwy. 101 on 18th St.) Bible Study: Sunday 10 a.m.; Worship: Sunday 11 a.m. www.churchofchristflorence.org FLORENCE CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE 12th and Nopal – 997-9020 Services will be available via YouTube. Follow the link at http://florencenaz.church/ 541-997-7178 HOME OF THE BEST TIRE VALUE PROMISE SAINT MARY, OUR LADY OF THE DUNES CATHOLIC CHURCH 1.5 miles south of river on Hwy 101 – 997-2312 COVID-19 Compliant Masses have been scheduled. Please call our office for details. Hours: M-F, 8am-3pm 541-997-2422 Watch FLORENCE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST 4445 Hwy 101 (South of Fred Meyer) – 997-3951 Worship on Saturday 10:30 A.M. Adult/Children’s Sabbath School 9:15 A.M. FLORENCE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 2nd & Kingwood • (541) 997-6025 Link to Sunday services at www.florenceunitedmethodist.org or find us on Facebook. 4325 Highway 101, Florence ST. ANDREW’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 2135 19th St. –- 997-6600 One service, at 9:00 AM, each Sunday in July. Reservations are required. Call 541-997-6600 or e-mail standrewssecretary19@gmail.com and state name & number of people in your family that plan to attend. Weather permitting, service may be held outdoors in the Labyrinth Area behind the church. Face masks, hand sanitizing and social distancing are required both indoors and outside. FLORENCE EVANGELICAL CHURCH 1318 Rhododendron Dr. • 541-997-2523 Sunday Service 11am ( Children Sunday School) Mid-Week Activities, all ages. FLORENCE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP 87738 Hwy 101 at Heceta Beach Road RUAUU? All are welcome to explore the answer. Until it is safe to meet in person, Sunday Worship Services are available 24/7 on our website: www.florenceuuf.org LES SCHWAB TIRE CENTERS Tires • Brakes Shocks • Alignment Give us a call 541-997-3441 to get us your updates or email to: mberg@thesiuslawnews.com “In Search of the Lord’s Way” Sunday, 7:30 AM KMTR Cable Channel 12 Western Lane Translator Channel 16.2 Then visit the Florence church of Christ 1833 Tamarack Florence, Oregon and experience the joy and simplicity of pre-denominational New Testament Worship. (Romans 16:16) Bible Study: Sunday, 10:00 am Worship: Sunday, 11:00 am www.churchofchristfl orence.org