Cottage Tour Tickets on sale PAGE 6
VOL. 46, ISSUE 14
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July 4th Parade Pictures PAGE 3
CANNONBEACHGAZETTE.COM
July 8, 2022
No fireworks, but annual parade offers boomin’ good time at Cannon Beach July 4th celebration That’s how we roll in Cannon Beach on July 4th Chamber of Commerce
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s Americans and as people in general, we love having options. What to eat, where to go on vacation, how to celebrate - having options and exercising them at our discretion is a significant part of why the 4th of July exists as a holiday in this country. We are also adaptable. The ability to take in new information, assess ever-changing factors and circumstances, and chart a divergent course, make a tweak in behavior, or modify, amend, or even expand options as needed is something that we as a people have been able to do with aplomb. When, as a society, we are able to adapt while also maintaining a healthy set of The Coaster Construction float was heads above others, literally, and was the only boom availoptions, we land squarely in able in Cannon Beach over the July 4th holiday. Photo by Debbie Workman. More photos inside win/win territory, and that’s a great place to set up camp. take in a sunset, and instead of a of a Firework-Free 4th of July. house pets. And in a more rural Fireworks are awesome. They fireworks display, enjoy a bonfire Between the ocean, sea stacks, or wilderness setting, fireworks just are. The whole, “Ooooooooo, into the evening. tidepools, and verdant coastal can have the same effect on Ahhhhhhhhh, Woah!” response to So for those that choose to forest, Cannon Beach is home to wildlife. Segments of the human a firework show is the dictionary relish their 4th of July with the a thriving but delicate ecological population can have a tough time definition of the word. Along with crescendo of a professional firesystem. Specifically, the birds that with fireworks as well, including grilling, family, and friends, they works show, the state is still home dwell on and around the iconic people with post-traumatic stress are a wonderful aspect of a tradito plenty of outstanding displays. Haystack Rock, sea life, and the disorder. As the son of a Vietnam tional 4th of July celebration. With Veteran, I can personally attest to But for folks that, for any number renowned herds of resident elk that said, over the years we have of reasons, prefer or would like to at Ecola State Park are impacted the struggles that my own father discovered that fireworks can have occasionally had with them. And try a firework-free celebration of by a firework display. Beginning some less than desirable effects on unfortunately, they can cause fires independence, there might be no with the 4th of July 2021, Cannon pets, wildlife, the landscape, and finer choice than Cannon Beach. Beach became a haven for folks when used improperly or under even people. Thankfully, you’ve got options that want to come and celebrate the wrong conditions. As many of us know, the same something to remember when you Independence Day at the ocean. With those factors in mind, the percussive explosions that produce community of Cannon Beach is celebrate the 4th of July, however Bring your family, friends, even excitement for many of us can you choose to enjoy it. the pets if you like - grill, chill, now affording revelers the option extract anxiety or even terror from
COVID vaccine for children under 5 now available C
Zoe Gottlieb Country Media
hildren 6 months and older are the latest group to become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine after the state granted its approval last month. The Office of Oregon Gov. Kate Brown reported Sunday, June 12, that the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup had completed its review of the federal process and unanimously concluded that the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are safe and effective for children as young as 6 months old. The Moderna two-dose vaccine series and the Pfizer three-dose vaccine series are now available to children 6 months to 5 years old, according to a press release from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). The OHA informed healthcare providers that they could begin administering the vaccines as soon as Monday, June 13. The news comes after State Epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger, joined by OHSU School of Medicine Professor of Pediatrics Dr. Dawn Nolt, announced the FDA’s approval of pediatric doses for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines at a press conference held Friday, June 17. “Today is a monumental step forward in our nation’s fight against the virus, with virtually every American now eligible for the protections that COVID-19 vaccines provide,” President Joe Biden said. “For parents all over the country, this is a day of relief and celebration.” Children aged 6 months to 5 years are the last subgroup to become eligible for the vaccine. The pediatric vaccine rollout will expand eligibility to 230,000 Oregon children and 20 million children in the United States. Pandemic outlook At the Mid-June media brief-
ing, Sidelinger touched on several points, including the downward trend of COVID-19 hospitalizations and Oregon’s still high level of community spread. According to Sidelinger, COVID-19 test positivity rose slightly from 11.4% on May 16 to 11.7% on June 14, and during the last month, daily reported case counts have leveled, from a rolling seven-day average of 1,401 cases reported on May 16, to 1,487 on June 14. “We assume these numbers are a dramatic undercount of the actual number of cases because we know many people are using at-home tests and not reporting the results,” Sidelinger said. “We also know many others are not getting tested. Trends in this state and around the country tell us there are higher levels of transmission.” As of Friday, June 17, there were 1,596 new COVID cases and six hospitalizations (309 overall). Vaccine efficacy According to a CDC report on the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine efficacy for children aged 6 months to 4 years, vaccines were 41.5% effective against COVID-19 infection up to 2.5 months after receiving a second dose. The CDC reported similar findings with vaccine effectiveness for adults aged 18-64 years at the height of Omicron. The CDC’s COVID-19 Data Tracker shows that the Omicron variant was still the dominant variant the week of June 5 - June 11, making up 62.4% of infections in the United States. Learn more about vaccine efficacy for pediatric doses on the CDC website. Back to masks? On Thursday, May 12, Multnomah County officials urged residents to consider readopting face coverings in public indoor spaces after the COVID-19 daily
case count more than tripled from April to May. While the recommendation fell short of a mandate, after conducting interviews with OHA officials, The Chronicle learned that the possibility of reimposing mandates is not out of the picture. In an email correspondence, OHA Public Affairs Specialist Rudy Peter answered a question from The Chronicle as to whether there is a potential for mask mandates to come back in the fall should case numbers rise. “The Oregon Health Authority monitors communicable disease outbreaks, including COVID-19 case rates and hospital capacity,” Peter responded. “If hospital capacity is strained, unable to care for the public, OHA will take steps to ensure hospital care is accessible to those in need.” According to Peter, keeping a close eye on COVID-19 caseloads and hospital admission rates in service areas will be critical in determining whether hospital capacity is at risk. “New COVID-19 admissions and the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied represent the current potential for strain on the health system,” he said. “Data on new cases acts as an early warning indicator of potential increases in health system strain in the event of a COVID-19 surge.” On Dec. 27, 2021, The Chronicle reported that the OHA filed a proposed rulemaking notice with the Oregon Secretary of State’s
Office, requesting changes to the current rule requiring the adoption of the indoor masks in Oregon, that would have expired on Feb. 8, 2022. In February, the OHA’s Public Health Division filed a Permanent Administrative Order repealing the temporary order. The order reads in part as follows. “The Authority gives the Oregon State Public Health Director or the Oregon State Health Officer the authority to rescind and reinstate all or parts of the rule taking into consideration, at a minimum, information and data related to COVID-19 transmission, hospitalizations and deaths, disparate effects on communities of color and tribal communities, guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and rates of vaccination for COVID-19.” CDC data shows Columbia County as in the medium-risk category for COVID-19 transmission, meaning recommendations are as follows: • If you are at high risk for severe illness, talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need to wear a mask and take other precautions. • Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines. • Get tested if you have symptoms. See covid.cdc.gov for more data, resources, and updates about COVID-19. See related story on page 5.
Beeswax historical tribute now online F
or centuries, beeswax and Chinese porcelain have washed ashore on Nehalem Spit, on the north Oregon Coast. After years of research in archives around the world in combination with archaeological evidence, scholars were able to point to the Santo Cristo de Burgos, a seventeenth-century Manila galleon owned by the kingdom of Spain, as the mysterious vessel commonly known today as the “Beeswax Wreck.” On June 16, National Geographic announced that state officials had confirmed the recovery of timbers from the Santo Cristo de Burgos near Manzanita. In summer 2018, the Oregon Historical Society’s (OHS) scholarly journal, the Oregon Historical Quarterly (OHQ), published a ground-breaking special issue on this research, a powerful combination of archaeological and archival evidence solving this centuries-old mystery. In light of the recent discovery of remains from the wreck, OHS has recently made this special issue of OHQ, “Oregon’s Manila Galleon,” available for free online. “Our understanding of the history of the Beeswax Wreck is because of the knowledge and scholarship shared by dedicated individuals from across disciplines and centuries; everything from Native oral tradition to archival research to maritime archaeology has brought new information to the public about one of Oregon’s most fascinating mysteries,” said Oregon Historical Quarterly Editor Eliza E. Canty-Jones. “With this exciting discovery of timbers from the ship itself, OHS is proud to make this scholarship accessible to all to provide a more complete narrative of this fascinating piece of Oregon history.” Stories of a very large shipwreck began circulating during the earliest days of Euro- American presence in the Pacific Northwest, as fur traders and explorers learned from Native people that a large ship had long ago wrecked on Nehalem Spit, with survivors and cargo that included beeswax. The stories, shrouded by speculation and often contradictory Euro-American folklore, captivated treasure-hunters who searched for a century and a half on nearby Neahkahnie Mountain and the adjacent beaches. The archaeologist-led team of the Beeswax Wreck Project used geology, archaeology, and porcelain analysis, combined with documentation from Spanish archives, to pinpoint the ship’s likely identity. Beeswax stamped with Spanish shippers’ marks confirmed the wreck’s origin, and patterns on Chinese porcelain sherds allowed researchers to narrow the date range. The Spanish Manila galleon trade was the first global network, and close to 300 galleons left the Philippines for Acapulco carrying Asian goods during its 250-year span. The Project determined that the Beeswax Wreck was one of two galleons that vanished without a trace: the Santo Cristo de Burgos, which sailed in 1693, or the San Francisco Xavier, which left Manila in 1705. Mapping the location of beeswax deposits allowed Project members to assert with confidence that the ship almost certainly wrecked before the 1700 Cascadia earthquake
n See TRIBUTE, Page 3