A2 • Friday, June 11, 2021 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com
OBITUARY
Leila Mae (Hickerson) Vernor
Seaside
March 9, 1933 — May 11, 2021
“Welcome, I’m glad
you’re here!” This was the
warming demeanor Leila
carried at any community
event she volunteered for.
Leila Mae (Hickerson)
Vernor was born on March
9, 1933, in Alton, Illinois.
At home with family and
friends by her side, Leila
quietly passed away on May
11, 2021, in Seaside. Leila
had a smile on her face with
peace, knowing she was
going to be greeted by God
welcoming her home.
Leila was the fourth of
fi ve children, and was pre-
ceded in death by sisters,
LaVelle Hair, Emma Jane
Boschert and Eva Jean
Rose, and baby brother,
Clarence “Sonny” Hicker-
son. All of the siblings were
born to their late parents,
Leila Viola (Perrings) and
Clarence Davis Hickerson,
in Alton.
Leila graduated in the
last “January class” from
Alton Senior High School
in 1951. She was in French
Club, Future Business Lead-
ers of America, FDA, stu-
dent council, on the dean’s
list and played the alto sax
in the band. After gradu-
ation, she went on to the
Rubicon Business School
for accounting in St. Louis.
Leila’s older sister,
Emma Jane, and her broth-
er-in-law, set up a blind date
with someone who would
become Leila’s future hus-
band, and they played
“Cootie.”
It worked, because on
June 20, 1953, in 102-degree
weather, she married Oliver
W. Vernor (former Seaside
mayor from 1995 to 1998)
from Wood River, Illinois,
at the Cherry Street Baptist
Church in Alton.
Leila and Oliver (Ollie)
later moved to South Bend,
Indiana, where they were
blessed with two wonderful
children, Robert Wayne Ver-
nor and Cathy Jo (Vernor)
Opfer.
They moved to Chicago
Heights, Illinois, after a few
years. There, Leila discov-
ered Robert could not see
well. Leila’s compassion
and understanding helped
Robert overcome the chal-
lenges of being legally
blind. She was an amazing
mother, and took great pride
in helping Robert.
The Vernors moved to
Louisville, Kentucky, then
Florissant, Missouri. In
these moves, Leila became
the president of the PTA
for the school of the blind,
president of the local gar-
den club, participated in
county fairs and made life-
long friends.
Leila and Ollie took a
visit to see her oldest sis-
ter, LaVelle Hair, who lived
in Seaside, and they were
hooked! “We’re moving to
Seaside!” they said.
They continued their
activism in Seaside, start-
ing with church. Being
warmly welcomed when
they walked into Seaside
United Methodist Church,
they knew they were home.
Leila made great friends
in her numerous groups in
Seaside, like the ambas-
sadors, the Bob Chisholm
Community Center, Elks
Lodge No. 1748, being Mrs.
Mayor, Sunset Empire Park
and Recreation, the Seaside
Museum, TOPS Club and
her home away from home,
Seaside United Method-
ist Church. Leila also abso-
lutely loved her annual
excursion to choir camp at
Camp Magruder.
Leila loved being in
church. There she was a
devout member, pie maker,
seamstress, award-winning
counted-cross stitch artist,
bread pudding chef, cookie
maker, choir singer and
United Methodist Women
leader. She exemplifi ed all
that good “church” is meant
to be and stand for.
Many of Leila’s friends
have shared how their lives
were enriched by her kind-
ness and empathy that
would radiate from her. She
would make you feel “seen,”
and make sure you felt wel-
comed. Her wishes would
be to please continue shar-
ing kindness to others.
Leila was an amazing
wife, and was married 59
years to Oliver (1953-2012).
Facing life and all its obsta-
cles together, they perse-
vered and were determined
to make this world a bet-
ter place through fairness in
truth and kindness.
She believed in the power
of prayer. She loved her hus-
band, children, grandchil-
dren, great-grandchildren,
church, friends and neigh-
bors. She was able to love
all these people because she
loved Jesus, and always put
God fi rst.
Leila is survived by her
son, Robert W. Vernor, and
his wife, Shirley, of Den-
ver, Colorado; her daugh-
ter, Cathy “Cj” Opfer; her
grandchildren, Joshua and
Karina Hedegaard, of Silke-
borg, Denmark, and Jes-
sica and Rasheed Raines, of
Roanoke, Virginia; and her
great-grandchildren, Mat-
thew, Autumn, Chloe, Car-
ter, Kianna, Katie and Jack.
A memorial is being held
at 11 a.m. on June 26 at the
Seaside United Methodist
Church, 241 N. Holladay
Drive. There will be a link
to join the service via Zoom.
Contact the church offi ce by
email before noon on June
25 at seasideunitedmethod-
ist@gmail.com to receive
the link.
There will be a gathering
after the service at 725 Sec-
ond Ave. in Seaside.
In lieu of fl owers, memo-
rial contributions may be
given to the Seaside United
Methodist Church.
Please feel free to leave a
note of a special memory to
share with Leila’s family in
her guest book at caldwells-
mortuary.com
Brown sets June 21 target to end COVID-19 limits in Oregon
By GARY A. WARNER
Oregon Capital Bureau
Nearly all COVID-19
restrictions could be lifted
in as early as just over two
weeks, Gov. Kate Brown
said last week.
The state is about
127,000 adults short of the
goal of getting at least one
shot of vaccine into 70% of
eligible residents.
Once the state crosses
the threshold, Brown said
she would lift masking,
business capacity, event
size, social distance and
other limits that Orego-
nians have dealt with for
most of the past 15 months.
“We can fully reopen —
we can all look forward to
that,” she said.
Brown and top state
health leaders made the
announcements during a
press call last Friday.
After the vaccination
goal is met, Brown said
local health offi cials would
take over the daily deci-
sion-making and opera-
tions in counties from the
Oregon Health Authority.
Brown listed what the
changes would mean to
the state’s 4.24 million
resident:
Fourth of July barbe-
cues, eating popcorn in
a movie theater, getting
a beer after work at the
local brewery with your
friends,” she said. “Restau-
rants and bars able to wel-
come a full house. The
Pendleton Round-Up? Yes,
that, too.”
Oregon’s
statewide
mark stood at 66.2% on
Wednesday.
The fi rst full day of
summer — Monday, June
21 — was the optimistic
target that state was trying
to reach, Allen said.
“This is not a slam
dunk,” Allen said.
Allen said a June 30 esti-
mated earlier this spring
was well within reach.
“It will take a lot of
work by a lot of people to
get it done,” Allen said.
Lifting
restrictions
would include:
• Ending the risk level
system for counties of
lower, moderate, high and
extreme.
• Ending a state require-
ment for masks and face
coverings in almost all set-
tings. Exceptions would
be airports, public tran-
sit, and health care settings
that follow federal agency
guidelines.
• End requirements for
individuals to show vacci-
nation verifi cation in pub-
lic venues and businesses.
• Allow K-12 students
to attend school in-per-
son, full time, fi ve days per
week.
K-12 guidance is being
revised to support schools
in safely delivering in-per-
son instruction throughout
the school day.
Current health and
safety standards, includ-
ing indoor mask require-
ments, will remain in place
in workplaces, schools and
child care settings.
Colleges and universi-
ties can make their own
decisions on protocols after
considering guidance from
the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
Brown
said
lifting
restrictions did not mean
the public health crisis in
Oregon was close to over.
Because there are few cur-
rent options for those under
age 16, only a little more
than half of the state pop-
ulation is vaccinated today.
Brown will re-examine
whether or not to lift her
emergency order that gave
her a wide latitude on pub-
lic health decisions.
“The pandemic will not
be over,” Brown said.
To try to increase the
vaccination rate toward
the goal, many pharmacies
will extend hours to reach
out to more people who
want shots.
“Some people are not
vaccine resistant, but vac-
cine
inconvenienced,”
Allen said.
Brown also reiterated
plans to give away $1 mil-
lion to a vaccinated Orego-
nian, along with $10,000 to
a vaccinated person in each
of the 36 counties. Schol-
arships worth $100,000 are
also being off ered to lucky
vaccinated youth.
Brown and the health
authority offi cials said it
was time to push past the
current levels of inocula-
tion as medical evidence
and state statistics show the
impact of the virus has sep-
arated residents into two
groups with very diff erent
likely futures.
“This has really become
a tale of two pandem-
ics,” Brown said. “If you
are vaccinated then you’re
safe, you can carry on
safely without wearing a
mask and social distanc-
ing. If you are not vacci-
nated, this virus still poses
a very real threat.”
Children, immunocom-
promised, cancer patients
and those who have not
been able to get vaccinated
for any reason must still be
considered when commu-
nities decide what steps to
take.
“There are still Ore-
gonians who need to take
extra precautions to feel
and stay safe,” Brown said.
If someone is unvacci-
nated, they remain a dan-
ger to family, friends and
others in their communities
who could get sick or die.
“So, it will remain
incredibly important for
Oregonians to continue
making smart choices,”
Brown said.
The health author-
ity will continue to mon-
itor the global pandemic
and provide assistance and
resources, but will increas-
ingly advise local offi cials
on measures to take.
The health authority and
CDC are expected to issue
more guidance in coming
days as the state nears the
70% goal.
June 4 was the 500th
day since COVID-19
was fi rst reported in the
United States in Snohom-
ish County, Washington, on
Jan. 21, 2020.
Oregon reported its fi rst
COVID-19 case on Feb.
28, 2020 in Washington
County.
Over 33.4 million infec-
tions have been reported
since then, with over
598,707 deaths, the Johns
Hopkins
Coronavirus
Resource Center reported.
PUBLIC SAFETY LOG
SEASIDE POLICE DEPT.
PUBLIC SAFETY LOG
May 29
12:11 a.m., 2400 block U.S.
Highway 101: Emergency
medical response.
12:39 a.m., 2400 block U.S.
Highway 101: A person is
arrested on a warrant.
8:24 a.m., 1900 block S. Roo-
sevelt: A woman called police
to say she would be breaking
into her daughter’s home
after her daughter threw her
out and changed the locks.
She said she was breaking in
to retrieve her washer and
dryer. She warned police her
daughter might call them.
Police advised they would not
respond unless there was a
disturbance.
Caller reports an injured cat in
the road. On arrival police met
with the owner of the now de-
ceased cat. Police transported
the cat to the clinic.
7:54 a.m., 1200 block Ave-
nue A: Emergency medical
response.
6:15 p.m., 300 block S.
Roosevelt: Subjects reported
loitering on property are told
to leave.
11:25 a.m., 1100 block S.
Downing: Emergency medical
response.
June 2
12:25 a.m., 800 block Avenue
B: A couple reported having
an argument are warned of
disorderly conduct.
11:52 p.m., 900 block S.
Holladay: A disturbance is
reported.
June 3
June 1
8:25 a.m., Nike and Roosevelt:
9:29 a.m., 2500 block Pine:
Emergency medical response.
5:56 p.m., 1100 block Ave-
nue B: Emergency medical
response.
PUBLIC SAFETY
LOG
8:45 p.m., 900 block S.
Holladay: A disturbance is
reported.
8:17 a.m., 1200 block Ave-
nue B: Emergency medical
response.
11:56 p.m., 900 block 15th
Avenue: Suspicious circum-
stances are reported.
10:16 a.m., N. Roosevelt:
A person is arrested on a
warrant.
May 31
June 3
1:04 p.m., 300 block Fourth
Avenue: Emergency medical
response.
SEASIDE FIRE & RESCUE
2:57 p.m., Ninth Avenue:
Two fully-grown adults as
described in the police report
are trespassed from each
other’s property after getting
into an argument over the
property line.
8:50 p.m., 400 block Four-
teenth Avenue: Fire investi-
gation.
11:50 p.m., Safeway: A distur-
bance is reported.
May 30
11:33 a.m., Edgewood and
Broadway: Caller reports dog
inside a vehicle on a hot day.
Police go to check on the dog
who is in a Tesla with the air
conditioning running. The
dog, police say, is living the
good life.
9:18 a.m., 300 block 12th
Avenue: Fire alarm.
May 30
9:17 p.m., N. Roosevelt near
the Welcome Sign: Fire inves-
tigation.
and ODOT assisted at the
site. Wilson was also cited
for driving with a revoked or
suspended license and failure
to drive within his lane.
Gearhart man
involved in crash
A 32-year-old Gearhart man
was involved in a car crash on
U.S. Highway 30 near Harmo-
ny Lane June 4 at 8:11 a.m.
State police witnessed the
accident as it happened. They
said an unrelated car slowed
down and pulled off the
highway traveling westbound.
Another car in traffi c slowed
down and was hit by the car
traveling behind who failed
to brake in time to avoid col-
lision. Both cars were able to
be driven from the scene. The
other driver was a 56-year-old
woman from Astoria.
Warrant arrest
A Los Angeles man was ar-
rested June 6 at 6:31 p.m. on
U.S. Highway 26 at milepost
15 heading eastbound during
a traffi c stop for observed vi-
olations. The driver identifi ed
himself and a records check
came back with a warrant for
his arrest. Francisco Javier
Barajas, 43, was transported
to the county jail.
GEARHART
FIRE DEPT.
FIRE LOG
May 1
7:55 a.m., emergency medical
service, Drummond.
12:50 p.m., system mal-
function, U.S. Highway 101,
Gearhart.
4:14 p.m., emergency medical
service, Fifer.
10:12 p.m., emergency medi-
cal service, Pine Ridge.
6:03 p.m., Shilo Inn: Emergen-
cy medical response.
11:32 p.m., 400 block S. Roos-
evelt: Fire investigation.
OREGON STATE
POLICE
PUBLIC SAFETY LOG
May 31
7:30 a.m., 90000 Manion
Drive: Emergency medical
response.
June 1
12:17 a.m., Avenue A and
Downing: Odor of gas report-
ed.
2:49 a.m., 400 block Second
Avenue: Emergency medical
response.
June 2
12:10 a.m., 1100 block Av-
enue A: Emergency medical
response.
Arrested
Troopers and deputies from
the sheriff ’s offi ce responded
May 29 at 8:19 a.m. to a two-
car collision on U.S. Highway
30 at milepost 92.5. Arrested
on scene was Jay Richard
Wilson, 58, from Seaside.
Police say he was driving
while under the infl uence of
intoxicants; he also had no
insurance. The other driver, a
63-year-old Warrenton man,
was not injured. Aff ordable
Towing removed both cars
from the scene. Knappa Fire
columbiamemorial.org/mens-health