T he C olumbia P ress
1
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C latsop C ounty ’ s I ndependent W eekly
www.thecolumbiapress.com
April 17, 2020
Vol. 4, Issue 16
Finally, state gets some encouraging virus news
The Columbia Press
and news services
News this week about the
COVID-19 pandemic brought a bit
of optimism to the state of Oregon,
its struggling businesses and those
who aren’t receiving paychecks.
Infections with the virus are pro-
jected to remain level into May and
stay within current hospital capaci-
ty if Oregonians continue social dis-
tancing, Oregon Health Authority
officials said.
All 58 of the state’s deaths have
been among the elderly, and all
had pre-existing health conditions.
Clatsop County has had six positive
cases, none of them have required
hospitalization and three have re-
covered and are no longer under
quarantine.
New projections from health re-
searchers estimate that Oregon’s
“aggressive” social distancing mea-
sures have prevented 18,000 cases
of COVID-19 and 500 hospitaliza-
tions. But restrictions must remain
Supplies
from the fed-
eral stockpile
in Dubai
arrive at the
state distribu-
tion center in
Wilsonville.
Courtesy Oregon
Health Authority
in place to prevent new cases from
rising above what’s happening right
now, the agency warned.
Oregon received 78 pallets of per-
sonal protective equipment April 10
from the U.S. Agency for Interna-
tional Development, replenishing
the state’s stockpile of N95 masks,
face shields, gloves, masks, coveralls
and other equipment.
The PPE has been kept in a foreign
disaster warehouse in Dubai. The
last time the stockpile was touched
for a domestic emergency was after
Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
This week, Oregon Army Nation-
al Guard members picked up the
supplies from the state distribution
center in Wilsonville and distrib-
uted them to all 36 counties, nine
tribal nations, and two tribal health
See ‘Coronavirus’ on Page 3
City making post-pandemic party preparations
B y C indy y ingst
The Columbia Press
The city is ready to party.
With cancellation of the Easter egg
hunt and a downtown street festi-
val, plus the possibility of no Fourth
of July parade, commissioners feel
something should be done for citi-
zens, many of whom haven’t left town
or their homes for months.
“It’s important we don’t just can-
cel everything,” Mayor Henry Balen-
sifer said during Tuesday night’s City
Commission meeting.
He and other commissioners are
working with Spruce Up Warrenton
on a “Welcome Back to the Future
How to help
Donations can be made to Spruce
Up Warrenton, P.O. Box 97,
Warrenton OR 97146. To volun-
teer, contact the group through its
Facebook page or call organizer
Brenda Hoxsey at 503-861-7309.
End of Pandemic Party” at Robinson
Community Park. The date has yet to
be set with so much uncertainty re-
garding the COVID-19 virus.
The group is raising donations for
the party so the city’s general fund
doesn’t take further beatings during
the unstable economy.
“It’s a communal sigh of relief,”
Balensifer said. “It’s important to
consider how do we move forward
and how do we play our role in the
new normal.”
Much will depend on orders of the
governor.
“My hope is that our state leader-
ship will get on board” in opening up
the economy, Commissioner Mark
Baldwin said. “In Clatsop County,
we’ve had six cases in five weeks that
we know of. If it’s looking like some
of us dodged a bullet, it’s because (lo-
cal governments) took action early.
… I urge our state leadership to make
decisions that are right for our citi-
zens.”
Graduation in
time of COVID a
sad introduction
to adulthood
B y C indy y ingst
The Columbia Press
How will our seniors graduate from
high school if the rest of the school
year has been cancelled? It’s already a
done deal, state leaders have decided.
While other grade
levels continue with
individualized “dis-
tance” learning, any
senior who was in
good standing when
the governor shut-
tered the schools
March 12 has been
given amnesty for
fourth quarter.
Heyen
The news is small so-
lace for Warrenton’s class of 2020.
There will be no prom, no spring
sports, no final band or dance recital,
no scholarship banquet, no gradua-
tion ceremony and no grad night.
“I’m sad for them,” Warrenton High
School Principal Rod Heyen said. “It’s
an anxious time for our seniors, for
sure.”
Senior Melia Kapua,
a three-sport athlete,
appreciates the love
and support from the
community,
which
has helped her cope
with such a frustrat-
ing situation, she said.
“Missing the last
Kapua
sport season of your fi-
nal year of high school
and not being able to walk at gradu-
ation are the two biggest things that
have really affected me,” she said.
“Everything was cut off and I didn’t
See ‘Graduation’ on Page 4