Pacific City
SUN
Belsey Insurance brings local insurance option to Pacific City.............................................4
NVS opens registration for Summer Day Camp
County looks to April for open house for Kiwanda Corridor project............................. 6
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Nonprofit organizations partner to expand Water Quality Monitoring program.............. 7
Vol. 15, No. 389 • February 25, 2022 • FREE!
Volunteers sought for Trail Ambassador program at Cape Kiwanda, North Coast
A Charitable
Effort
Proceeds from a collaborative effort between Pelican Brewing and Fort George Brewing to benefit Clatsop Community Action
This spring, Trailkeepers of Oregon, North Coast Tourism Management Network, NCLC Cape Falcon Marine Reserve Program, and Oregon State Parks are kicking off another season of the Trail Ambassador Program to equip North Coast visitors with the information they need for a safe, informed, and positive experience when hiking and visiting the region. The Trail Ambassador 2022 season will kickoff on Earth Day weekend, April 23, and Trailkeepers of Oregon is currently seeking volunteers. Volunteer Trail Ambassadors are placed at some of the busiest trailheads and beach accesses on the North Oregon Coast. Volunteers will have the opportunity to table at trailheads and hike the trails on weekends during peak season. Volunteers will engage with the public to answer hiking and destination related questions, promote responsible stewardship ethics, communicate about trail conditions, seasonal beach programming, and alternative hike information, as well as direct folks to resources such as OregonHikers.org and land manager and partner websites. Arica Sears, deputy director for the Oregon Coast Visitors Association, has been a supporter of the Ambassador program on the coast. “The Trail and Beach Ambassadors provide an invaluable asset to the visitor experience by sharing localized messages and opportunities to visitors,” she says. “This program supports coastal destinations during a time when agencies are dealing with record numbers of visitors.” Trail Ambassadors communicate key safety and trail condition information integral to both keeping folks safe and promoting stewardship of our most heavily visited recreation sites. Staying on official trails, packing out waste, being responsible with pets, and knowing about other nearby options if the destination is overcrowded, are important aspects of the program. “Trail users on the North Coast have realized firsthand the positive results of OPRD’s partnership with TKO over the last several years. The unified messaging of safety, stewardship and education is becoming standard fare during our busiest recreational season and we couldn’t be more pleased. Welcome back TKO volunteers!” says Ben Cox, park manager for the Nehalem Bay Management Unit. Program organizers are looking for friendly, professional, outgoing individuals who enjoy informing and helping others and possess knowledge of North Coast trails and beaches. Volunteers are required to take an online training before signing up to volunteer. For Trail Ambassador Program details and to sign up to volunteer, go to trailkeepersoforegon.org/trailamabassadors. There will be an online information session to answer any questions about the program on March 16 at 6:30 p.m. To register, visit https://www.trailkeepersoforegon.org/events/ trail-ambassador-kick-off-info-session/.
Oregon to lift mask requirements for indoor public spaces, schools March 19 Oregon will lift mask requirements for indoor public places and Oregon’s schools on March 19, Oregon Health Authority announced on Feb. 24, as hospitalizations drop and are projected to reach levels below those at the start of the Omicron surge. Earlier this month, OHA announced that the general indoor mask requirement would be lifted by March 31, with the option of lifting it sooner if conditions improved enough. Originally, OHA announced that the K-12 indoor mask rule would lift on March 31. Feedback from school districts around the state indicated that preparations for the transition could be completed earlier. By that date, it was expected, 400 or fewer people per day in Oregon would be hospitalized with the virus, a level the state experienced prior to the arrival of the Omicron variant. A recent modeling report
by Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) predicted the state would reach that total around March 20. Daily COVID-19 hospitalizations have declined 48 percent since peaking in late January. Over the past two weeks, hospitalizations have fallen by an average of more than 30 a day. As of Feb. 24, there were 528 people hospitalized with COVID-19 across the state. Reported COVID-19 infections also have dropped precipitously in recent weeks. Over the past month, new infections have declined by more than 80 percent. The seven-day moving average for new cases is 84 percnet lower than at the peak of the Omicron surge. “We are able to take this important step, earlier than anticipated, because of the collective diligence and the shared sacrifice that people in Oregon have demonstrated in getting vaccinated, wearing masks
and limiting their gatherings,” said Dean Sidelinger, M.D. MSEd, health officer and state epidemiologist. “Based on the feedback from local leaders and communities, OHA and ODE are partnering to develop practical updates to safety protocols for quarantine, contact tracing, and testing that meet the current conditions of the pandemic,” said Colt Gill, director of the Oregon Department of Education and deputy superintendent of public instruction. “These guidelines will continue to support our North Star goal of providing in-person learning for every student, all day, every school day and will focus on specific supports for students, staff, and families that may be at more risk from COVID-19 than others in the school population.” Officials say the March 19 date continues to give local communities
time to prepare for the transition, and it allows district and school leaders to take necessary actions to ensure students can safely remain in their classrooms. State officials highly recommend that people in high-risk groups continue to wear masks in indoor public settings even after the restrictions are lifted. They include people who are at higher risk because they are unvaccinated; immunocompromised; have underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of complications; are 65 or older; or who live with someone in one of those categories. State officials also continue to strongly recommend universal masking in K-12 settings where children are required to attend. Those settings bring together vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, as well as individuals who are at higher risk for severe COVID-19 illness.
We are proud to present the first beer of our Coastal Collaboration giveback series brewed in collaboration with Fort George Brewery with 100% of the proceeds benefiting our local friends at Clatsop Community Action. This Alder Smoked Stout is available at our brewpubs, select bottle shops, or online in our Beer Boxes, shipped directly to you. Support the cause, and share with your friends because all proceeds go towards food, housing, energy assistance in the coastal Clatsop community.