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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (June 12, 2020)
June 12, 2020 T he C olumbia P ress Unity Train comes to neighborhood near you A grateful community can show some love to local first responders on Wednesday, June 17. The Unity Tribute Train, organized by Spruce Up Warrenton and the Asto- ria-Warrenton Area Cham- ber of Commerce, includes a procession of fire trucks, police cars, Medix vans and more. The procession will make its way through neigh- borhoods in Warrenton and Hammond. It’s a way to help thank those who have been on the front lines fighting COVID-19. Residents on the route are encouraged to wave, cheer, or decorate their houses. Those driving to watch the procession can make signs or decorate their vehicles. “The public is asked not to enter the street and not to hand anything to the proces- sion participants,” informa- tion from organizers states. “Procession participants are asked not to hand anything to the public. Please social distance. … Masks are en- couraged.” Best places to view the pro- cession: Warrenton High School, Warrenton Soccer Fields, Hammond Mari- na, and Warrenton Grade School. The event begins at 6 p.m. and leaves from the high school. It’s expected to ar- rive at the soccer fields by 6:15, Hammond Marina by 6:45, and the grade school by 7:30. However, all the times are tentative. Ballot error caused by mishandling of Skipanon voters The Columbia Press The way the county han- dled Skipanon Water Control District’s dissolution late last year led to ballot problems in the May 19 primary, Clatsop County’s election official told commissioners Wednesday. Since it no longer existed, voters were moved out of the water district’s boundaries, Tracie Krevanko said. But at the same time, “residents in the district inadvertently got moved out of commissioner boundaries.” The mistake affected 438 residents living in Precinct 22. They initially received incorrect ballots that didn’t include the Clatsop County Commissioner District 2 race between Sarah Nebeker and John Toyooka. The voters received new bal- lots by mail within five days. “The elections process is re- ally, fundamentally, a state process,” County Manager Don Bohn said. “It’s a com- plicated process, too.” Clatsop County has 33 pre- cincts and there were 138 dif- ferent versions of the ballot in the primary, he said. “Part of the complication is what led to the problem we had in District 22,” he said. “Voter turnout in that pre- cinct turned out to be high because, I think, we got ev- eryone’s attention. The goal is to have a flawless election and I know that’s Tracie’s goal as well.” New outdoor lights rule goes into effect today Check your lights if you live in an unincorporated area of Clatsop County. A new ordinance on out- door lighting goes into effect today, June 12. It requires all new and replacement out- door light fixtures to be fully shielded and oriented in such a way that they don’t cause glare on adjacent properties or rights of way. Low-intensity ornamental lighting and holiday lights are exempt, as are lights used in support of certain indus- tries such as farming, forest- ry, mining and maritime ac- tivities. To read the full text of the ordinance, go online to co. clatsop.or.us/landuse. For questions, call the county’s Community Development Department at 503-325- 8611. We’re online at thecolumbiapress.com. You’ll find expanded stories, more photos and a place to pay for subscriptions. 5 No active county coronavirus cases The Columbia Press Clatsop County hasn’t had a new case of COVID-19 in several days, County Manager Don Bohn said Wednesday night. “We’ve had 46 active cases. All 46 have recovered,” he told County Commissioners. Lincoln County had a large outbreak and the county has offered some assistance there, he said. “It certain- ly makes us more aware of what’s possible in Clatsop County.” Pacific Seafood’s Newport processing plant had 124 employees who tested pos- itive, it was disclosed last week. Health authorities there said the outbreak has been contained. The com- pany paid to have all 376 workers at its five Newport facilities tested. It was the second largest workplace coronavirus outbreak in Or- egon to date. Fifteen workers at the company’s Warrenton plant tested positive last month. There also have been five cases reported at Am- azon’s Aumsville facili- ty in Marion County and seven cases at Chaucer Foods, a packing plant in Washington County. As of Wednesday, the state has had 5,060 cases of COVID-19 and 169 deaths.