Friday, February 5, 2021 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com • A3
County remain at extreme risk for virus Sandcastle contest
goes virtual again
By NICOLE BALES
The Astorian
Clatsop County will
remain at extreme risk for
the coronavirus through Feb.
11, with slight modifi cations
to restrictions prohibiting
indoor activity at restaurants,
bars, gyms and entertainment
venues effective last Friday.
The
modifi cations
announced by Gov. Kate
Brown allow for a maximum
of six people indoors at facil-
ities over 500 square feet in
counties classifi ed at extreme
risk. One customer and one
employee are allowed in
smaller indoor facilities.
Indoor dining will still be
prohibited.
“Most of the state remains
in the extreme risk category,”
the governor said in a state-
ment Tuesday. “This is an
important reminder for all
Oregonians to continue to
do their part by abiding by
the health and safety guide-
lines in place. Until vaccines
are widely available with
high participation rates, the
surest way to lower our risk
and open our businesses and
communities is to continue
practicing the measures we
know are effective in reduc-
ing the spread of COVID-
19 — wear your mask, keep
physical distance from oth-
ers, avoid gatherings, wash
your hands often and stay
home when you are sick.
“The science has shown
us that outdoor activities are
safer than indoor activities
when it comes to the spread
of COVID 19, which is why
we have clearly delineated
guidance between indoor and
outdoor activities,” Brown
said. “We have seen over the
last several weeks that Ore-
gonians have largely com-
plied with risk levels to the
point that we have not seen a
surge in hospitalizations that
would have jeopardized hos-
pital capacity. This means we
are able to make these adjust-
ments for extreme risk coun-
ties, which should assist both
businesses and Oregonians as
we continue to work to stop
the spread of COVID-19.”
Clatsop County, which
has been at extreme risk since
Jan. 15, is among 25 counties
R.J. Marx
Firefi ghter Katie Bulletset helps replenish the supply at a
Seaside Fire Department mask giveaway last Thursday.
that will be at the highest risk
level until Feb. 11, includ-
ing Columbia County and
the rest of the Portland metro
area. Tillamook County will
be moved from extreme risk
to lower risk.
Counties with a popu-
lation of 30,000 or more
are evaluated for risk based
on virus cases per 100,000
over two weeks and the test
positivity rate for the same
period.
Counties at extreme risk
have a case rate exceeding
200 or more per 100,000 peo-
ple, and may have a test pos-
itivity rate of 10% or higher.
As of last Saturday, Clat-
sop County had 203 cases
per 100,000 over a two-week
period. Test positivity was
5.9%.
Restrictions
While indoor dining is
still prohibited at bars and
restaurants in counties at
extreme risk, the governor’s
modifi cations allow outdoor
dining pods and an adjust-
ment to tents. A maximum of
six people are allowed to use
lottery terminals indoors.
For gyms, indoor pools,
museums, theaters and other
entertainment venues 500
square feet or larger, a max-
imum of six customers are
allowed. For smaller indoor
facilities less than 500 square
feet, only one customer and
one employee are allowed
for services like personal
training. Outdoor dining is
allowed for up to 50 people
with an 11 p.m. closing time.
Tables must be limited to six
people from two households.
Outdoor entertainment,
recreation and fi tness facili-
ties can operate with a max-
imum capacity of 50 people.
Indoor and outdoor social
gatherings will be lim-
ited to six people from two
households.
Grocery stores, pharma-
cies, retail shops and shop-
ping malls can operate at
50% of capacity.
Churches can stay open
at 25% of capacity or 100
people indoors, whichever
is smaller, and 150 people
outdoors.
Businesses are required
to have employees work
remotely, if able, and close
offi ces to the public.
Only outdoor visits will
be allowed at long-term care
facilities.
Over the past month,
political and business lead-
ers on the North Coast have
called on the governor and
the Oregon Health Author-
ity to end prohibitions on
indoor activity in counties at
extreme risk.
Astoria Mayor Bruce
Jones sent a letter to the gov-
ernor on Dec. 31, endorsed
by Warrenton Mayor Henry
Balensifer and Seaside
Mayor Jay Barber, argu-
ing that the prohibitions
are unnecessarily burden-
some on businesses, and that
capacity should be the same
as counties at high risk —
25% or 50 people, whichever
is smaller.
David Reid, the exec-
utive director of the Asto-
ria-Warrenton Area Cham-
ber of Commerce, sent a
similar letter to the governor
and health authority in early
January requesting evidence
to support the need for the
prohibitions.
The Clatsop County
Board of Commissioners
also supported eliminating
prohibitions in a letter to the
governor on Jan. 13.
“The easing of the restric-
tions does not address the
original question that may-
ors and businesses across
the state have been asking:
Where’s the data to justify
the tightest restrictions —
even these new restrictions,”
Balensifer said.
“Offi cials have been and
are asking — begging — for
the cold, hard data behind the
decisions being made about
their futures, livelihoods and
even their lives. Why does
the state scorn offi cials for
seeking information?”
The Oregon Mayors
Association Board of Direc-
tors, which includes Balen-
sifer, called for the extreme
risk category to be elimi-
nated altogether.
“While we fully acknowl-
edge that COVID-19 is a
threat and that preventa-
tive and protective measures
are critical, we respectfully
request increased commu-
nication and consideration,
including data sharing,” the
board wrote in a letter to
Brown last Tuesday. “We,
as a body, request a release
of data on the effi cacy of the
full closures, specifi cally of
eating and drinking estab-
lishments, indoor recreation
and fi tness establishments as
required in the ‘extreme risk’
category. To date, no such
data or cogent rationale has
been forthcoming.
Classrooms: ‘My education is being jeopardized’
Continued from Page A1
By KATIE FRANKOWICZ
The Astorian
CANNON BEACH —
A sandcastle competition
that usually draws thou-
sands of visitors to the North
Coast will go virtual again
this summer because of the
coronavirus pandemic.
The event usually acts
as a kickoff to the summer
tourism season, but with
vaccine distribution still
unfolding slowly across
Oregon and Clatsop County
in the state’s extreme risk
category, there was some
question about whether
people would feel com-
fortable gathering in large
groups even several months
from now.
If there’s suddenly a
“miracle cure and COVID
is no longer a concern,”
the competition may move
ahead as normal.
But, said Jim Paino, the
executive director for the
Cannon Beach Chamber of
Commerce, “We’re trying
to be realistic about that.”
For now, organizers are
planning an event that is
not contained to one day or
even one location and can
safely include many people.
The 57th Annual Sand-
castle Contest will begin
June 5 and run through
Sept. 6. Entrants can build
their sandcastle anywhere:
in Cannon Beach, at a local
beach if they live elsewhere
on the coast or even in a
sandbox in their backyard.
People will submit photos
of their creation for judging.
“Really the whole world
is available to build your
sandcastle,” Paino said.
Contest organizers do
not allow any kind of pre-
servatives, adhesives or
colors.
“We want the event to be
really eco-friendly,” Paino
said. “When the tide comes
in and washes them out,
we’re back to our normal
beach.”
Last year, organiz-
ers had to quickly change
plans when it became clear
— between early concerns
about the coronavirus and
then Gov. Kate Brown’s
restrictions on large gather-
ings and events — that even
pushing the contest into
September wouldn’t work.
The contest was held online,
but organizers ended up
only having a few months to
fi gure out what they would
do.
This year, they are hop-
ing to get word out ear-
lier and even fi nd ways to
hold some of the traditional
events that were a part of
the contest, such as live
music.
The event usually draws
around 50 sandcastle entries
with teams and builders
constructing often elaborate
sculptures out what is natu-
rally available on the beach:
mostly sand and water.
Thousands of people typ-
ically descend on Cannon
Beach for the single-day
event.
This year, contest orga-
nizers still hope to award
medals to winning sandcas-
tle entries.
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week and as much face-to-
face time with their teacher
as possible,” Pacifi c Ridge
Elementary principal Juliann
Wozniak said.
Second- and third-grade
cohorts are set to begin the
week of March 1 and fourth
and fi fth graders could return
to in-person classes March
15. Students enrolled in com-
prehensive distance learning
may continue to do so.
Sixth grade students
could return to the middle
school for in-person instruc-
tion on Feb. 22, with sev-
enth and eighth graders set
to begin March 1.
March 16, the fi rst day
of the third trimester, will
be the fi rst day of school for
high school students.
In-person classes will
require mandatory wearing
of masks, a daily physical
screening and completion of
a self-screening form, strict
seating charts and on-site
virus testing if required by
state metrics.
Gyms and indoor athletic
facilities may be opened with
some constraints, including
masks and physical distanc-
ing, Seaside High School
principal Jeff Roberts said.
With enclosed space of 500
square feet, four separate
groups may be on-site at any
one time, limited to six stu-
dent athletes and a coach
for a 45-minute timeline for
those sessions.
A screening process will
be required.
“We have to be partners,”
Roberts said. “We cannot
be irresponsible in our own
behaviors to jeopardize what
we are all trying desperately
to work for. To prevent the
spread of this virus, to not
only get your kids but keep
your kids in school safely has
to be a community effort.”
Starting Monday, the dis-
trict will offer any student
interested in any activity to
sign up with coaches to par-
ticipate. F irst grade teacher
Tracey Wright sought a delay
of in-person classes until all
staff have received access to
the second vaccine, which,
she said, is unlikely to occur
until March 8.
John Edwards, whose
wife is a teacher, expressed
concern of the risk of
COVID-19 and of dis-
comfort among staff mem-
bers. “My family has been
impacted by this pretty
severely, death, severe ill-
ness,” he said. “I’m more
worried about the general
community, the relationship
between the staff, the stu-
dents and the school board.”
An emotional plea from
sophomore Abby Nofi eld
urged a return to in-person
classes.
“I’m 16,” Nofi eld said. “I
miss my teachers. I miss my
friends. It is so hard to see
community members who do
not have the best interest in
the students. I’m missing out
on a high school education.
“I am missing out on the
opportunity to stay in a class-
room and learn,” she con-
tinued. “This year has been
so diffi cult for so many
teachers, so many students.
But my education is being
jeopardized.”
School b oard mem-
bers voted unanimously to
approve the district’s reopen-
ing plans, both for in-per-
son learning and athletic
participation.
“I get that teachers are
dedicated,” board member
Lori Lum Toyooka said. “I
feel like we need to get a lit-
tle outside of our comfort
zone and get the kids back to
school. It’s been 11 months.
The great thing is, kids are
adaptable. It’s time to get
back to the classrooms as
proposed.”
A June event
altered by the
pandemic
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