The Columbia Press
March 11, 2022
Learning the fine art of fire-starting
Lewis and Clark National
Historical Park Ranger Izzy
Sanchez will lead a Klahowya
Youth Volunteer program on
fire-starting and candle-mak-
ing from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Monday, March 21, at the
Fort Clatsop Visitor Center.
Sanchez has been leading
programs at the park since
2018.
The session is one of five
living history workshops
this spring, with participants
agreeing to demonstrate their
new skills later during public
sessions at the park.
For each session, those who
participate will sign up as a
volunteer and must commit
four hours of volunteer work
in the spring or summer. Par-
ticipants, under the mentor-
ship of park staff, will be able
to use the volunteer time for
Courtesy Fort Clatsop
Park Ranger Izzy Sanchez leads a demonstration on fire-start-
ing.
resume building, community
service hours, or high school
senior project commitments.
For more information, con-
tact Sanchez at 503-861-4416
or lewi_education@nps.gov.
Rules: Schools develop new protocols for COVID
Continued from Page 1
tracing and quarantining
will also be paused,” Super-
intendent Tom Rogozinski
wrote in a letter to parents.
“This decision is consistent
with recently updated guid-
ance from the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control, is sup-
ported by the Clatsop County
Public Health Department,
and, as per the survey results
… reflects the significant sup-
port our shareholders have
voiced for making masks in
our schools optional.”
New protocols that begin
Monday:
• Schools will continue to
screen students each day for
COVID symptoms. “It will
continue to be important
for individuals with COVID
symptoms to stay out of
school until they are syp-
tom-free and fever-free for
24 hours,” according to the
new protocols.
• Administrators and staff
will continue to sustain and
encourage physical distanc-
ing.
• Everyone must practice
sound hygiene through fre-
quent hand-washing and
covering sneezes and coughs.
• Schools will continue to
notify parents of COVID cas-
es at school if their child may
have been exposed.
• Students and staff mem-
bers who contract COVID
will be required to stay
home and isolate themselves
for five days and be symp-
tom-free and fever-free for
24 hours before returning.
• In the case of a COVID
outbreak in a classroom,
a grade, or a program, the
district reserves the right to
temporarily require masks
or to temporarily institute a
quarantine for those impact-
ed.
“While most in our com-
munity will embrace these
changes … ,” Rogozinski
wrote, “many will be disap-
pointed or even frustrated
by them.”
He urged those who are
concerned to contact him or
their child’s principal.
“We will do all we can to
support you and your child
through this transition,” he
wrote.
The district’s motto will
be “Mask-Optional and
Mask-Friendly” in support
of those who choose to wear
a mask some or all of the
time.
“The issues of masks and
COVID protocols in schools
are issues on which there is
passionate and often divisive
disagreement,” Rogozinski
told parents.
“I am very appreciative
and proud of the fact that
those passionate disagree-
ments have not once in the
two years of this pandemic
caused a substantial distrac-
tion from our district’s focus
on serving kids. I thank our
students, our parents, and
our staff for that.”
5
Seeking seniors with green thumbs
The Clatsop County Mas-
ter Gardener Association
seeks applicants for its an-
nual scholarship program
for graduating seniors who
are residents of Clatsop
County.
All graduating seniors,
including those who attend
private school or are home-
schooled, are welcome to
apply if they plan to attend
college, vocational school,
or a training program de-
signed to help them devel-
op skills that contribute to
the advancement of sound
gardening practices while
leading to an advanced de-
gree, license, or certifica-
tion.
This year’s scholarship
fund totals $2,000, which
can be granted in its en-
tirety to one student or
distributed among several
students.
Awards are made based on
a student’s academic stand-
ing and interest in horticul-
ture or a related field.
Applicants must submit
a completed application
and essay, along with high
school transcripts and two
letters of recommendation
by April 29.
Applications can be found
at clatsopmastergardeners.
org/CCMGA-Scholarship
or requested by phone from
the Oregon State University
Extension Office 503-325-
8573.