The BulleTin • Friday, May 21, 2021 A9
Mask rules
DEAR ABBY
Write to Dear Abby online at dearabby.com
or by mail at P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Dear Abby: My grandma,
who is in her 80s, had a
stroke recently. She has trou-
ble swallowing and speaking,
so she’s in a rehab facility 20
miles from her home, where
she is doing strengthening
exercises. She tires out from
just walking around her
room, so it’s not yet clear if
she will become a permanent
resident or discharged with
home health nurses. We are
distraught over this.
My husband and I were
originally planning to visit
her this summer — our an-
nual vacation — for a few
days. She lives 12 hours from
us. I was going to ask her if
we were welcome, but she
had the stroke before I could.
I’d like to ask her if she’d mind
if we still visit and, if it’s OK
with her, stay in her house, so
I can visit her at the facility if
she hasn’t been discharged.
My mother thinks this is a
bad idea. We have a 6-year-
old and a 3-year-old, and
Mom thinks they would
be too much for Grandma.
Abby, I don’t want my
grandma to die before I get to
see her again. We haven’t seen
her in four years. But after
talking with Mom, I’m now
hesitant to ask. The thought
of missing a chance to see her
one last time hurts my heart.
What should we do?
— Miss Her in Mississippi
Dear Miss: Listen to your
mother because what she’s
saying makes sense. If your
grandmother is discharged
with home nursing care,
there won’t be enough room
for your family. Two small,
active children may, indeed,
be more than she can deal
with in her weakened condi-
tion. Because it’s important
for you to see your grand-
mother, make other lodg-
ing arrangements for your
family when you’re in town,
and keep your visits with her
short and as stress-free as
possible.
Dear Abby: I have been
married for 25 years, some
good and some bad. The
hardest thing for me is that
when my husband is upset
with me, he stops talking to
me. If I ask if something’s
wrong, he won’t answer or
says “nothing” is wrong. I
have explained repeatedly
how upsetting this is because
I never know what I did, and
then, sure enough, I do it
again.
He says he doesn’t want to
say anything hurtful, but can’t
he tell me why he’s upset and
not be hurtful? He also ac-
cuses me of creating drama
when I get upset because I’m
trying to figure out what I did
wrong. Then, when I do it
again, he’s like, “We discussed
this.”
I have tried not talking un-
til he’s ready, but, again, there
is no resolution, and I’m get-
ting very resentful that the
ball is always in his court.
How do I handle this?
— Exhausted in New York
Dear Exhausted: An ef-
fective way to handle this
would be for you to insist the
two of you discuss with a li-
censed marriage therapist
how to more effectively com-
municate. The ball is always
in your husband’s court be-
cause he has maneuvered it
to be, and it isn’t playing fair.
In fact, it is emotional abuse.
Do not expect him to like the
suggestion, and don’t be sur-
prised if he refuses to go. If
that happens, you should go
anyway. His behavior is pas-
sive-aggressive.
YOUR HOROSCOPE
By Georgia Nicols
Stars show the kind of day you’ll have
DYNAMIC | POSITIVE | AVERAGE | SO-SO | DIFFICULT
MOON ALERT: Avoid shopping or making important decisions from
3:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. EDT today (12:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. PDT). After that, the Moon
moves from Virgo into Libra.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2021: You’re witty,
playful and restless. You like to be stimulated with pleasant diversions as
well as profound knowledge. You are confident and adaptable to changing
situations. This year you are prepared to work hard to create or build some-
thing new. This structure might be physical, or it might be building more
framework in your life.
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
Today you’re filled with positive vibes and self-confidence. Never-
theless, be aware of the restrictions of the Moon Alert (see above). Make
no promises then. Tonight: Relations with those who are closest to you are
excellent.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
This is a powerful day for finances and boosting your earnings.
However, a big part of this day is a Moon Alert, which means restrict your
spending to food and gas, and postpone important decisions. Tonight: You
can work and get a lot done.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
mask mandates had already
been dropped.
They said that businesses
that continue mandating masks
risk losing customers, but few
businesses feel comfortable
with the alternative, either.
They criticized the state for
once again asking businesses
to enforce public health policy
by requiring them to review
vaccine cards, without giving
them any tools or training, or
considering the burden that the
new rules will put on front-line
workers.
Fred Meyer said Thursday
that it will continue to require
masks in response to Oregon’s
new guidance, despite its parent
company, Kroger, suspending
mask requirements elsewhere
in the country.
Oregon’s Enchanted Forest
amusement park announced
Monday that it would delay
its reopening plans after some
people responded to its de-
cision to continue to require
masks with threats and angry
comments.
Dalton said she heard from
a family grocer in Central Or-
egon as well that said some of
its employees had threatened
to quit after the way they were
treated by customers while try-
ing to enforce the state’s new
mask rules.
“The revised OHA guidance
doesn’t provide a choice for
businesses,” Dalton said.
The panelists said businesses
remain worried that they could
open themselves up to litigation
by asking for customers’ health
information and remain con-
fused on how to effectively im-
plement the state’s guidance.
Some wondered how busi-
nesses are supposed to stop
customers from showing fake
vaccines cards or simply tak-
ing off their masks after enter-
ing the stores. Others wanted
to know whether the state
expected businesses to store
customers’ vaccination infor-
mation or force customers to
verify their vaccination status
every time they shop.
“We really need clear guid-
ance for our folks,” said Jenny
Dresler, legislative and grass-
roots counsel for the Oregon
State Chamber of Commerce.
“They are so confused and
so scared of the possibility of
lawsuits in this space. The top
thing I heard from our mem-
bers was, ‘How do we get out of
this mess?’”
Workers groups were simi-
larly concerned about the new
guidance.
Courtney Graham, political
& electoral strategist at SEIU
Local 503, said the guidance
will not only put an undue bur-
den on front-line workers, but
could put the health of those
workers at risk if customers
who are not fully vaccinated
skirt the rules and forgo masks.
Most front-line workers in Or-
egon didn’t become eligible to
receive vaccines themselves un-
til April 5.
There was less agreement on
how Oregon should change its
guidance to address the con-
cerns of businesses and work-
ers.
Some panelists raised the
possibility of allowing custom-
ers to self-attest to their vaccine
status, while others said the
state should consider rolling
back its guidance to mandate
masks indoors until a greater
percentage of Oregon’s pop-
ulation is vaccinated. Dalton
pointed to other states that have
set dates to remove mask man-
dates rather than rushed to is-
sue new guidance.
What’s clear, Dalton said, is
that Oregon’s current guidance
isn’t working.
“You have a real problem
across the state right now,” Dal-
ton said. “You have had a real
problem since Thursday night.”
while, more than a few firms
have announced disinfecting
drones to spray potentially con-
taminated zones from above.
Drones aren’t transporting
COVID vaccines in the U.S.
yet. But Coldchain wants to
change that.
The company will work with
the Federal Aviation Adminis-
tration this summer to obtain
approval for delivery routes
in Texas. This comes after the
FAA issued new drone rules in
December in a step toward en-
abling widespread commercial
deliveries. Phase two for Cold-
chain will be to fly the drones
further, out of their line of
sight, to trained EMS workers.
Coldchain has already de-
veloped 12-inch, cube-shaped,
thermal containers to be car-
ried by Draganfly’s drones.
The company’s tempera-
ture-controlled boxes can
hold roughly 600 to 1,500 vi-
als of vaccines, depending on
the provider. And it was con-
structed to maintain the su-
per-low temperatures required
by Pfizer for 48 hours, and
Moderna for at least 72 hours,
Williams said. Johnson and
Johnson’s one-dose vaccine
can be kept at slightly higher
temperatures, between 36 and
46 degrees Fahrenheit, which
the container can maintain for
roughly 96 hours, Williams
added.
The packages have data col-
lection devices that will alert
Coldchain to variations in vac-
cine temperatures, the com-
pany says. Once the drone
makes it to a drop-off site, the
recipients can use a smart-
phone code outside the con-
tainer to determine the pay-
load’s internal temperature.
Draganfly offers a range of
drones customized for spe-
cific jobs across education, law
enforcement and agriculture.
Coldchain says it plans to start
vaccine deliveries in Texas
with the firm’s medium-range
drones capable of flying
roughly 372 miles roundtrip
on a charge.
Draganfly is not the only
startup transporting medical
supplies in the U.S. amid the
pandemic. In October, Con-
cord, California-based Volansi
began its commercial health
care flights around Wilson,
North Carolina, where the
company distributes pneumo-
nia and hepatitis vaccines in
partnership with the pharma-
ceutical giant Merck.
Volansi hasn’t transported
coronavirus vaccines, though
“our payload boxes are de-
signed specifically to carry
COVID-vaccine types,” said
Hannan Parvizian, the compa-
ny’s CEO.
Germany’s Wingcopter
is also racing to distribute
COVID-19 vaccines, while
San Francisco’s Zipline started
dropping off Oxford-Astra-
Zeneca vaccines in Ghana
earlier this year. Walmart part-
nered with Zipline in Septem-
ber for on-demand medical
supply delivery.
Draganfly says what makes
its plan with Coldchain differ-
ent is that it has COVID-19
vaccine customers ready to re-
ceive deliveries if testing pans
out this summer.
sales as battery or hydrogen ve-
hicles by 2030.
The company unveiled a
plan to partner with energy
company Shell to set up a 745-
mile hydrogen fueling corri-
dor linking Rotterdam in the
Netherlands and Hamburg and
Cologne in Germany by 2025.
Shell would build 150 hydro-
gen stations along it by 2030.
Rotterdam and Hamburg are
major commercial ports.
Putting more zero-local
emission vehicles on the road
is part of Europe’s plan to dras-
tically reduce emissions of
carbon dioxide, the primary
greenhouse gas blamed for
global warming and climate
change. The European Union
aims to sharply reduce its
emissions of greenhouse gases
by 2050 to a level that can be
absorbed through artificial or
natural means, such as oceans,
soil and forests.
As a publicly owned com-
pany, Daimler Truck will face
scrutiny from investors and
analysts as it strives both to im-
prove profits from its current
offerings and to invest in new
technologies expected to domi-
nate the future.
While battery cars and
trucks are already on the road,
the application of hydrogen
fuel cells to power large num-
bers of vehicles remains far-
ther off. In fuel cells, hydrogen
reacts with oxygen to produce
electricity and water.
Yet the company is betting
heavily on hydrogen despite
the challenges. Daum, the
Daimler Truck CEO, predicted
that electrical grids won’t be
able to support an all-battery
fleet of trucks as zero-emission
cars and trucks become more
numerous.
“Both technologies will be
needed, and we intend to lead
the industry in both,” he said.
The company foresees the
use of hydrogen for long-haul
routes while arguing that bat-
tery-powered trucks are more
efficient for shorter range de-
liveries. Daimler Truck is test-
ing a hydrogen-powered long-
haul truck, the GenH2, and
has battery trucks operating in
customer test programs, with
mass production expected in
2022 for Freightliners’ eCas-
cadia and 2021 for the Mer-
cedes-Benz eActros.
Continued from A8
States have taken varied ap-
proaches to the new federal
guidance. Some, like New York,
are allowing fully vaccinated
people to stop wearing masks
immediately, while others, like
California, are keeping mask
requirements in place for now.
Oregon Health Authority
Director Patrick Allen told law-
makers that the state settled on
its middle ground approach
after consulting businesses,
unions and worker groups
within the state.
But businesses and unions
pushed back against those as-
sertions.
Jess Giannettino Villatoro,
political director for Oregon
AFL-CIO, and Paloma Sparks,
general counsel at Oregon Busi-
ness and Industry, said their or-
ganizations were informed that
the rules were coming but were
not offered a chance to provide
input before the state rolled out
the new guidance.
“I would not use the phrase
‘worked with,’” Sparks said.
“He informed us of what they
would be doing and seemed
pretty immune to our feedback
and our concerns about how
this was going to be imple-
mented.”
Several of the business
groups invited to testify said the
state has put business owners in
an “impossible situation” with
the new requirements.
They said Oregon’s failure to
issue formal guidance for five
days after the Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention’s
announcement last week cre-
ated confusion and led to many
in the public thinking that
Drones
Continued from A8
“If I have to get a life-saving
vaccine to somewhere that’s
about (300 miles) from here, I
have to find a courier, get them
on the road, and it can take up
to seven hours to get it deliv-
ered. If I put the package on a
drone, I’m still able to track it,
and it gets there sooner for a
lot less money,” Williams said.
Last week, Coldchain an-
nounced plans to spend
$750,000 on Draganfly’s equip-
ment to ship medical supplies
and COVID vaccines on an
experimental basis to nearby
locations.
Unmanned aerial vehicles
are shaping up to assist during
the pandemic in other ways,
too. Draganfly developed a
system that can measure peo-
ple’s vital signs such as heart
rate and blood pressure from
a drone. Drones from the Chi-
nese manufacturer DJI have
been used to monitor social
distancing in Elizabeth, New
Jersey, over the past year. Mean-
Brooke Herbert/The Oregonian, file
Blanca Rokstad, CNA at Rose Villa Senior Living in Oak Grove, holds up
her COVID-19 vaccination card after receiving her first round on Dec. 21.
It’s an upbeat, energetic day! You will do everything within your
power to get what you want, and you’ll be disciplined about doing so.
However, be aware of the Moon Alert this afternoon. (See above.) Tonight:
Romance, sports and social times are promising.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
You’re full of positive feelings today, which is why you feel generous
to others, especially someone in need. If you can help this person, great.
Check the Moon Alert for this afternoon. Tonight: Domestic discussions, es-
pecially with females, are positive.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
Because you are confident and very much in control today, you will
convince others to do your bidding. You will run the meeting if you’re dealing
with groups. However, this afternoon is a Moon Alert. Be aware of this. To-
night: Your communications are skilled and smooth!
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
This morning is a strong time for you because the Moon is in your
sign and the Sun is at the top of your chart, which means you radiate confi-
dence and authority! You will be commanding and people will do what you
want. However, once the Moon Alert begins, ease up. Tonight: It’s a good
time for shopping or financial decisions.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
This is an upbeat, interesting day because you’re eager to do
anything to expand your horizons. To a lesser degree, this continues during
the Moon Alert. Then, after the Moon Alert is over, the Moon is in your sign!
“Hello, world!” Tonight: You’re in the groove and happy.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Daimler
Continued from A8
Chief Technology Officer
Andreas Gorbach said the
company would spend the
“vast majority” of vehicle de-
velopment money on battery
and hydrogen vehicles by 2025.
He predicted that the cost of
such vehicles would fall to par-
ity with diesels sometime after
2025 for battery vehicles and
after 2027 for hydrogen fu-
el-cell trucks.
A key obstacle remains in-
frastructure for fueling and
charging, which is “in its in-
fancy and developing at differ-
ent speeds around the world,”
he said.
Nonetheless, the company’s
roadmap foresees up to 60% of
You’re in the driver’s seat for discussions about how to share some-
thing this morning. Most likely, things will go the way you want. But once the
Moon Alert begins (see above), just tread water. Wait until it’s over to contin-
ue to negotiations. Tonight: Keep a low profile.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Discussions with others will be lively this morning because people
are ready to put their cards on the table. However, once the Moon Alert
begins, postpone important decisions or spending money (except for food).
Tonight: Discuss your future goals with a friend.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Because you have robust energy and enthusiasm, you will accom-
plish a lot this morning. Likewise, your health will feel great! However, be
aware that once the Moon Alert begins this afternoon, everything changes.
Lower your expectations. Don’t spend money (except for food). Tonight: Par-
ents and bosses are impressed with you.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
You’re looking at a fun-loving, lighthearted, playful day! Sports
events, fun activities with kids, social diversions, the arts and romance are
energized. Once the Moon Alert begins, this same energy continues. Bonus!
(However, avoid important decisions and spending money during the Moon
Alert.) Tonight: Travel, study — do something to expand your world.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
You will be ambitious about tackling tasks at home or a discussion
with a family member today. Note: Caution against being extravagant.
During the Moon Alert (see above), restrict spending to food. Tonight: A sexy
time. Also a good time to discuss shared finances.
Hope Starts
Here
Donate Today
Child Abuse Prevention
mtstar.org | 541-322-6828
We hear
you.
We’re dedicated to
helping you!
Contact your local DISH Authorized Retailer today!
Juniper Satellite
410
3474
410
3474
(541) 410-3474
410
3474
410
3474
635 SW Highland Ave., Redmond, OR
junipersatellite.com