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Celebrating
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• 1922-2022
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COVID rules
change Saturday
at schools, jobs
The Columbia Press
New protocols for dealing with
COVID begin in local school districts,
businesses, and other indoor places
throughout the state after today.
Last week, the Oregon Health Au-
thority and the Oregon Department
of Education announced that manda-
tory masking will be lifted at the end
of day March 11. Requirements for
schools to contact trace and quaran-
tine close contacts of positive cases
also comes to an end.
Warrenton-Hammond School Dis-
trict polled employees and parents
on Feb. 28, asking them whether they
preferred to continue with a mask
mandate or to make masks optional.
More than 79 percent or parents and
67 percent of staff preferred to make
masks optional, according to the dis-
trict.
“As such, starting Monday, March
14, it will be optional for students,
staff, volunteers, and visitors to wear
masks in district schools and offices
and on district school buses. Contact
See ‘Rules’ on Page 5
March 11, 2022
Vol. 6, Issue 10
Redefining the district of Hammond
Left: The large sign
that will stand at the
entrance to downtown
Hammond.
Below: The grassy
strip that separates
Pacific Drive from Sixth
Street and defines the
downtown area, looking
east from Lake Drive.
By Cindy Yingst
The Columbia Press
Hammond is a distinct place
with a history worth preserving,
most would agree.
Others, particularly those who
live there, would like the city of
Warrenton to do more to help it
prosper.
“I love Hammond. It’s just a
very small, quaint town,” said
Cindy Yingst
The Columbia Press
Cheryl Hitchman, who was Ham-
mond’s final mayor before the
small city dissolved and became a part of War-
renton in 1991. “When I was mayor was when
it was probably the craziest time because of the
merge and they were also looking at putting in
a resort (at the marina) and nobody wanted
that.”
Hammond was incorporated as New Astoria
in 1899 and, in 1915, residents voted to change
the name to Hammond to align with the name
of its railroad station and post office. Andrew
Hammond was a Montana businessman who
platted the town and expanded the railroad
from Portland to the area in 1898.
But 85 years later, it became clear that the
small town could no longer support itself.
“The merge was a good thing for Ham-
mond. We couldn’t afford the billings any-
more,” Hitchman said. “The biggest concern
at the merge was that Hammond would lose
its identity and Warrenton promised to take
See ‘Hammond’ on Page 4