The Columbia Press
March 5, 2021
3
Westport site of newest county park
The Columbia Press
Courtesy Oregon Health Authority
Air Force veteran Nancy Sprauer of Sisters receives her
COVID-19 vaccination at a VA Clinic in Bend.
Vaccine supply can’t match demand
The Columbia Press
Clatsop County recorded just
three new cases of COVID-19
in the past seven days ending
Wednesday.
It brings the total case count
to 783 since the pandemic ar-
rived here a year ago. Eighteen
people had been hospitalized
and six had died. All others
had recovered or are recuper-
ating at home.
Statewide, there had been a
total of 156,287 coronavirus
cases with 2,252 deaths.
In addition to a drop in cas-
es locally, there is more good
news this week.
More than 1 million vaccines
have been administered state-
wide, Oregon Health Authority
reported Wednesday.
People 65 and older are eli-
gible to receive the vaccine, as
are first-responders, educators
and those working in health
care. Clatsop County is strug-
gling to keep up with the de-
mand, however.
“Eligibility” does not nec-
essarily mean “availability,”
health officials point out.
Some have questioned why
local vaccine clinics aren’t yet
open to people declared eligi-
ble by the state. The answer:
supply.
Those 80 and older were de-
clared eligible on Feb. 8. Eligi-
bility was extended to those 75
Getting a vaccine
Visit the county’s website
at co.clatsop.or.us/public
health or call the Clatsop
County Public Health De-
partment at 503-325-8500.
and older on Feb. 15, to those
70 and older on Feb. 22, and to
65 and older on March 1.
However, due to the limit-
ed vaccine supply delivered
to Clatsop County, there are
many residents 80 and older
who have yet to receive their
first dose.
The local Vaccine Task Force
– a partnership of the Clatsop
County Public Health Depart-
ment, Columbia Memorial
Hospital and Providence Sea-
side Hospital – is prioritizing
vaccinations for seniors by
age.
When all residents 80 and
older who want the vaccine
have received at least a first
dose, then vaccinations will
open to those 75 and older, fol-
lowed by those in the younger
age groups.
A week ago – on Feb. 26 --
6,555 shots had been given in
Clatsop County, and 2,371 res-
idents were fully vaccinated.
The Task Force had sched-
uled four clinics this week to
deliver 1,300 shots – including
600 second doses.
Clatsop County is about
to get a new and improved
county park with boat ramps,
boarding docks and other
recreational facilities.
Westport County Park off
Highway 30, about 25 miles
east of Astoria, was made
possible by the donation of
27 acres from Georgia Pacif-
ic’s Wauna Mill.
In January, the Oregon
State Marine Board approved
a $640,000 grant for boating
facilities at the park.
And on Feb. 23, the Clatsop
County Board of Commis-
sioners kicked in $250,000
for its required grant match
and hired two companies
that will build seven boarding
docks and precast concrete
boat ramp planks, which
must be delivered by contract
before June 30.
Clatsop County has been
working with the Marine
Board for more than a de-
cade on improvements to
the Westport boating facil-
ity, which is the site of the
southern terminus of the
last regularly operating car
ferry on the lower Columbia
River. The hourly ferry runs
between Puget Island near
Cathlamet, Wash., and West-
port.
Four years ago, the Marine
Board gave the county a grant
to obtain necessary permits
from federal, state and local
authorities.
Planned improvements in-
clude restrooms, a floating
kayak launch dock, a gang-
way, boarding docks, short-
term boat tie-up docks and a
paved parking lot.
The county has operated
the boat ramp since 1972.
The current ramp consists of
a two-lane ramp with wood-
en boarding floats and is at
the end of its life.
The area has been popular
Cindy Yingst/The Columbia Press
The ferry approach to Westport County Park, which will soon
get a complete makeover.
during the spring Chinook
salmon fishery and is used by
anglers and duck hunters in
the fall. But just 1,800 boat-
ers use the facility annually.
While the boat ramp and
dock have been there for de-
cades, the area’s potential
hasn’t been fully realized be-
cause of limited parking and
the poor condition of the cur-
rent facilities. The land dona-
tion has changed everything.
KG Manufacturing of Red-
mond will build the seven 6-
by 20-foot aluminum board-
ing docks for $106,924.
Oregon Precast of Prineville
will build the concrete boat
ramp planks for $82,975.
The docks and ramp
planks will be delivered to a
nearby county maintenance
yard so that there are no
delays waiting for materials
when the federal in-water
work window opens later in
the year.