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Brown: Vaccine rates will determine reopening ZACK DEMARS The World
Oregon health officials said Tuesday the state will lift most COVID-19 restrictions when 70% of the state’s over-16 population has received a dose of the vaccine.
“We can truly begin taking steps forward, and into the next chapter of post-pandemic life,” Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said during a press conference. The plan directly ties the state’s virus restrictions to its vaccination rate, and falls in line with Brown’s
previous goal to reopen the state’s economy by the end of June. And for some counties, a reduction in restrictions could come even sooner than that. Starting May 21, counties with 65% of their adult populations vaccinated can move into the state’s lower-risk tier of
virus restrictions, if they create a plan to fill equity gaps in vaccine distribution. “These are really good indicators that we can safely reopen — begin the reopening of the economy — that we can protect our most vulnerable Oregonians and preserve
adequate hospital bed capacity,” Brown said. Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen said the announcement marks a shift in the state’s pandemic response. Please see Vaccination, Page A2
Acting teacher hopes to offer space to grow Hospital
pauses daycare after employee resignations
ZACK DEMARS The World
Acting has always been a part of Desireé Glenn Gaoiran’s dreams. Now, she’s hoping her new venture can fill a gap in youth activities she felt growing up. “This isn’t just an acting class,” Glenn Gaoiran said. “I’m working with these kids on not just audition etiquette, but etiquette in general.” Her twice-weekly classes, called Acting Up for Kids and Teens, bring kids and teenagers together for acting exercises, short lectures and confidence workshops. For now, classes meet in the Mossy Lotus yoga studio, until Glenn Gaoiran can move into a more permanent space. She held her first class in Mingus Park in October to gauge interest. In January she moved into the studio, and soon shifted from once-a-week classes to twice-weekly ones. “I’ve been working with this amazing group of kids that have
ZACK DEMARS The World
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Please see Acting, Page A3
Desireé Glenn Gaoiran leads students in an acting exercise at Acting Up for Kids and Teens in Coos Bay.
Local United Way celebrates 60 years
‘We are using our anniversary to celebrate our community’ By JILLIAN WARD For The World
SOUTH COAST ─ United Way of Southwestern Oregon is celebrating its 60th anniversary. It’s director, Jen Shafer, said the nonprofit established on the southern Oregon coast in 1961 with a focus on health, education and financial stability for Coos and Curry counties. Though the official anniversary was in February, Shafer said United Way of Southwestern Oregon is celebrating all summer long. “We are starting our kickoff celebration now and part of that is (recognizing) our nonprofits and community organizations (that have) gone above and beyond,” Shafer said. To do this, a nomination process was held in April to honor some of these groups and the first Facebook livestream was held two weeks ago to celebrate some of the nominated organizations. “We read the nominations and all Please see United Way, Page A4
Jillian Ward/For The World
United Way of Southwestern Oregon's Executive Director Jen Shafer (right) stands beside Grant Crim, director of Every Child Coos, during the Farmer's Market on May 5.
Photo gallery: Celebrating Mother's Day in style Photo gallery: South Cove is full of surprises
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Some Coos County families are temporarily out of childcare. Bay Area Hospital’s Bright Beginnings Learning Center has suspended classes after a large share of its staff resigned earlier this month, according to a hospital executive. Eight or nine teachers at the center resigned at the same time as the center’s director, according to Clay England, chief human resources officer, who oversees the center’s management. “In the state of Oregon, you have to have a licensed director to operate a daycare,” England said. “That really is what precipitated closing the facility, or pausing the facility, because we’re committed to trying to get things back in order.” As of midweek last week, the center, set up by the hospital to provide daycare for employees and community members, was about 40% staffed, England estimated. But since an interim or permanent licensed director hadn’t yet been hired, the center hasn’t been able to offer any care for the approximately 100 students it cares for at a time. England declined to share why the director left the center, but said the other staff members left with her because of their professional relationship. “I would just say that it was mutually agreeable at that point,” England said. “In the end as we resurface, it will be a good thing I think for us, and for her too.” Haley Gleason had a child enrolled at the center for after-school care part of each week. She said the sudden departure was puzzling. “I find that my child was really well cared for and loved at that facility,” Gleason said. “This just feels so drastic, and my heart really goes out to the staff.” Gleason said she hadn’t heard about the closure until she called the center to see if she could still Please see Resignations, Page A4
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