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About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (June 13, 2020)
SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 2020 BAKER CITY HERALD — 3A LOCAL & STATE Rachel Center fundraising drive starting June 21 OREGON REPORTED 178 NEW CASES OF CORONAVIRUS ON THURSDAY, A DAILY RECORD Brown pauses reopening for some counties due to case spike By Chris Collins ccollins@bakercityherald.com ■ One-week pause doesn’t affect Baker County, which has been in phase 2 since June 6 Portland Tribune Gov. Kate Brown on Thurs- day evening issued a one- week pause in the schedule to reopen counties closed for weeks because of the pan- demic quarantine. Multnomah County was scheduled to go into Phase 1 of reopening on Friday. The announcement came as the state reported 178 new positive cases of the virus on Thursday, June 11, surpassing the previous one-day record of 146 cases set just last Sunday. On Friday there were 142 new cases reported. “When we began reopen- ing nearly a month ago, I was clear that COVID-19 case counts would rise. We now see that happening in several parts of the state, both urban areas and rural communities,” Brown said in a Thursday evening press release. “As I have said before, reopening comes with real risk. As we navigate the reopening, we are carefully monitoring the capacity of our public health system to respond to COV- ID-19 cases without becoming overwhelmed. The noticeable increase in COVID-19 infec- tions in Oregon over the past week is cause for concern.” CHURCHES Continued from Page 1A During phase 1, from May 15 through June 5, the church required its members to wear face masks. However, with larger groups allowed under phase 2, church elder Karl Wittich said the church will return to a single Sunday service. Face masks are optional, not required. St. Francis de Sales Catho- lic Church won’t be fully opening, but the church will likely increase its capacity for services from 25 to 50. “We’ve been sanitizing the pews and doors and doing 6-foot distancing,” said Dawn Coles, parish secretary. To comply with guidelines, the church has been skipping two pews for every full one, and has been careful to keep adequate distance between families. Harvest Church, which usually has about 300 worshippers, has continued doing small group in-person services, but the bulk of its services have been online or parking lot services. On Easter, the church drew on the idea of a drive-in The Rachel Pregnancy Center’s baby bottle fundrais- ing drive will begin on its usual ending date of Father’s Day and continue through July this year. The annual Mother’s Day opening of the Rachel Center’s fundraising event was postponed this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Vera Grove, the center director and only paid employee. Baskets of bottles, where monetary donations can be placed, are ready for church representatives to pick up at the Rachel Center offi ce at 2192 Court Ave. during regular hours, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (June 16, 17 and 18) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The offi ce is closed from noon to 1 p.m. for lunch. Grove said those who can’t make it to the offi ce during regular hours, also may call to come in at other times on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. The baby bottles represent the living babies who are supported by the fundraiser, Grove said. “It’s a visual statement that a baby is alive,” Grove said. “A baby is a life that God has created.” A new feature this year, for those who would prefer to write a check to the Center during the fundraiser rather than collect change in a baby bottle, offers self- addressed envelopes to fundraiser participants. managing several simultane- ous workplace outbreaks. • Marion County has seen an almost 40% increase in cases over the last week and new hospital admissions for COVID-19 of county residents has increased over the last two weeks. further reopening. • Polk County has seen an “This one-week pause will increase in cases over the last give public health experts week and is managing a work time to assess what factors site outbreak. are driving the spread of the Current status of reopening virus and determine if we and all guidelines are avail- need to adjust our approach able at coronavirus.oregon. to reopening. I will work with gov. Currently: doctors and public health • Twenty-nine counties are experts to determine whether in Phase 2. to lift this pause or extend it • Three counties are in or make other adjustments.” Phase 1 and have applied for Beyond this week’s spike Phase 2: Hood River, Marion, in cases, other factors played and Polk. These applications into the decision to pause are being put on hold for one reopenings. They include: week. • Multnomah County has • Three counties are in seen an increase in residents Phase 1 and have not yet ap- admitted to the hospital plied for Phase 2: Clackamas, over the last two weeks. Lincoln, and Washington. The percent of tests that are • Multnomah County is in positive is going up, in the baseline status. County lead- face of increased testing. More ers have applied for Phase 1, than 40% of the new cases in and that application is being the last week have not been put on hold. traced to a source. Gary A. Warner of the Oregon • Hood River County has Capital Bureau contributed to seen an increase in new cases this report. over the last week and is “This one-week pause will give public health experts time to assess what factors are driving the spread of the virus and determine if we need to adjust our approach to reopening.” — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown Phase 1 reopening, allowing some restaurants and other businesses to reopen, was ap- proved for 31 of the state’s 36 counties in mid-May. While much of Oregon has moved into Phase 2, including Baker County, nearly half of Oregon’s 4.3 million popula- tion live in counties that are lagging behind. Multnomah County, which includes Portland, is the only county that has not started the reopening process. It has applied to go into Phase 1 beginning Friday. Marion, Washington, Clackamas, Hood River, Lincoln and Polk coun- ties are still under Phase 1. “In order to ensure that the virus is not spreading too quickly, I am putting all coun- ty applications for further reopening on hold for seven days,” Brown wrote. “This is essentially a statewide ‘yel- low light.’ It is time to press pause for one week before any “People are really excited.” — Troy Teeters, head pastor, Baker City Church of the Nazarene, talking about worshippers returning to regular services movie to create “parking lot services,” where members tuned into a radio station, 107.9, and listened to the service while in their cars. As phase 2 comes into effect, the Harvest Church plans to split services into two and hopes to be able to have around 150 people per service, if they can comply with social distancing guide- lines. Troy Teeter, head pastor at the Baker City Church of the Nazarene, said “people are really excited” to return to regular services. Teeter said the church plans on having two separate services for at least June 14, 21 and 28, one in the main church at 9 a.m. and one at 10:30 a.m. in the Family Life Center, a separate building. The church also plans to have a secure offering box instead of passing around an offering plate, and the Eucharist offerings will be individually wrapped. See Fundraiser/Page 5A New At The Library Patrons can reserve materials in advance online or by calling 541-523-6419. Drive-in hours at 2400 Resort St. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. FICTION • “Daddy’s Girl,” Danielle Steel • “Credible Threat,” J. A. Jance • “The Persuasion,” Iris Johansen • “Wrath of Poseidon,” Clive Cussler • “The Summer House,” James Patterson The hardest part, Teeter said, is the coming and going of people through the door- ways when the service begins and ends, but the church is asking its members to wear face masks during these times. Teeter also said that while he understands people have different ideas and beliefs on the situation, he’s trying his best to comply with what sci- ence and government health offi cials are saying. NONFICTION • “Dinner in French,” Melissa Clark • “A Year in Flowers,” Erin Benzakein • “The Blue Zones Kitchen,” Dan Buettner • “D&D Dungeon Masters Guide,” Mike Mearls • “How the South Won the Civil War,” Heather Richardson DVDS • “1917” (Action) • “Birds of Prey” (Sci-Fi) • “Clemency” (Drama) • “Gretel & Hansel” (Horror) • “The Hustle” (Comedy) The family of Betty Green THANK YOU The family of Elvyn Bell thanks everyone for the cards, gifts of food and flowers, and outpouring of love and support during his long illness and death. Your kindness will always be remembered. “You’ll love the work we do. I guarantee it.” - JR would like to thank everyone for their cards, food, donations to the quilt club and sincere sympathy that you showed to our families during the passing of our mother. She was truly a lady and a queen and even a little feisty. We would also like to express our gratitude to Memory Lane for the wonderful care that they gave our mom her last 3 years. They are like our extended family. A thank you to Stephanie at Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home for helping with moms final arrangements and for helping with her beautiful memorial stone. We are so proud to live in Baker City, Oregon where people really care about people. Sincere thanks with His blessings, 225 H Street • East of I-84 • 541-523-3200 • grumpysrepair.com Larry and Rocky Morris Steve and Marilyn Jones Open for dining in 6 am to 12 am Daily Take out and Catering is Available. 515 Campbell Street Baker City 541-523-4318 Visit the store for Baker’s best Gifts
