Pacific City
SUN
TCVA donates wheelchairs for public use at popular area beaches.......2 County Commissioners establish fee for short-term rental operators................ 4 Nestucca Fire shares Christmas spirit
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Vol. 15, No. 359 • January 1, 2021 • FREE!
Tillamook County to remain in ‘Extreme Risk’ category for at least two more weeks
New Year on the Horizon
Beach goers flock to Cape Kiwanda for vibrant sunsets as 2020 comes to a close ODOT launches open houses for Valley, Coast projects The Oregon Department of Transportation launched online open houses the week of Dec. 22 for projects constructing in the Valley and on the Coast Highways in the coming year. There are four open houses, based on county (by project delivery areas). To see projects in Tillamook County, as well as in Clatsop, Columbia and western Washington Counties, visit https://odotopenhouse. org/2021-construction-a1. At the open house, participants can
check out the project locations via an interactive map; learn about project benefits and impacts; sign up for construction updates; and give ODOT feedback about specific concerns, considerations or questions. Most of the projects set for construction in 2021 are still in design. ODOT says this means that some of the details for construction staging and traffic control plans might not be known yet. ODOT says it will host another online open house in late spring that will have additional project information and
Watershed Council continues efforts to enhance fish habitat.................................6
feature more construction and traffic impacts. Since the projects are still being designed, ODOT says it’s important they hear from Oregonians to help the agency deliver the best projects for given communities. Those that have questions, comments, concerns or considerations that officials should know about as the agency wraps up design and gears up for construction, are encouraged to let ODOT know. The last day to provide comments via the open houses is Jan. 15.
Governor Kate Brown announced on Dec. 29 updates to county risk levels under the state’s new public health framework to reduce transmission and protect Oregonians from COVID-19. The framework uses four different risk levels for counties based on COVID-19 spread — Extreme Risk, High Risk, Moderate Risk, and Lower Risk — and assigns health and safety measures for each level. Effective Jan. 1-14, there will be 24 counties in the Extreme Risk level — including Tillamook County, which, after recording 102 more cases, will spend its second consecutive two-week period in the most severe — and most restrictive — risk category. Guidance at this level includes: • Indoor and outdoor social and at-homegatherings limited to 6 people (with a recommended limit of two households). • For eating and drinking establishments, indoor dining is prohibited and outdoor dining limited to 50 people with no more than six people per table with no more than two households present. • Use of indoor recreation and fitness establishments as well as indoor entertainment venues is prohibited. • For Shopping malls (indoor and outdoor), capacity is limited to 50% and curbside pick-up is encouraged. • For Faith Institutions, Funeral Homes, Mortuaries, and Cemeteries, indoor capacity is limited to 25% of maximum occupancy or 100, whichever is smaller. • For outdoor recreation and fitness establishments, as well as for outdoor entertainment, there is a limit of 50 people. Immediately to the north and to the south, things are a little bit better as Lincoln and Clatsop Counties are two of five counties that were lowered from the Extreme Risk category to the High Risk one. High Risk is the first level in which some businesses and facilities can resume offering indoor services with health and safety measures and capacity limits in place. As well, seven counties are at the Lower Risk Category, but none at the Moderate Risk assessment. A complete list of counties and their associated risk levels is available at https://drive. google.com/file/d/1AqwA0qfx4_q4mdKgoV1cxx7hGHhRNalL/view. “After weeks of diligent work by local leaders and public health officials to implement health and safety measures in their communities, this week’s county data is a welcome sign that we are making progress in stopping the spread of COVID-19 in Oregon,” said Brown. “The county risk level framework is meant to put us on track to reopen our schools, businesses, and communities. It is not easy. Oregon families and businesses have made incredible sacrifices. If we work together, we will see more counties begin to lower their COVID-19 risk levels. If communities let down their guard too early, we could see our hard-won progress unravel just as quickly. “Every week, more Oregonians are being vaccinated against this deadly disease. But, until vaccines are widely available with high participation rates, the surest way to open our communities is to continue practicing the measures we know are effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19 — wear your mask, keep physical distance from others, avoid gatherings, wash your hands often, and stay home when you are sick.” The Oregon Health Authority will examine and publish county data weekly. County risk levels will be reassigned every two weeks. The first week’s data will provide a “warning week” to prepare counties for potential risk level changes. The next assignment of risk levels will take effect Jan. 15. Updates to Warning Week data and county risk levels will be posted to coronavirus.oregon.gov.
we are open! CURBSIDE PICKUP AND TAKEOUT
AT PACIFIC CITY, TILLAMOOK AND CANNON BEACH
Pelican Brewing Company is open for Curbside Pickup and Takeout at all three of our locations – Pacific City, Cannon Beach, and Tillamook. Fly over and pickup a classic burger or flatbread to pair with one of our award-winning beers like Cape Crasher! Check us out at PelicanBrewing.com to stay up to date on all our current offerings. Cheers Fanatics!