WEEKEND EDITION
Friday March 20, 2020
www.currypilot.com
Brookings, Oregon
SERVING CURRY COUNTY SINCE 1946
Governor Brown extends schools closure Staff Report
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overnor Kate Brown announced Tuesday, March 17, an extension of Oregon’s statewide school closure to a total of six weeks, until April 28, and also issued further guidance for Oregon’s public schools. This follows on an initial two-week closure of Oregon’s schools that was set to end on March 31. “I do not take the decision to extend school closures lightly,” said Governor Brown. “This will have real impacts on Oregon’s students, parents, and educators. But we must act now to flatten the curve and
slow the rate of COVID-19 transmission in Oregon, otherwise, we face a higher strain on our medical system and greater loss of life to this disease.” The orders are as follows: • Schools are to remain closed through Tuesday, April 28. • Districts are to provide learning supports and supplemental services to students and families during the closure period, including meals and child care. This includes the delivery of food assistance and offering child care for essential health care professionals and first responders. • School districts may call on public school educators and employees to deliver
limited learning and support services. • Each district will pay all their regular employees during the closure. • The Oregon Department of Education, Oregon Health Authority, and Department of Human Services are directed to support public schools in the continuity of mental health services. After Gov. Brown’s order, Brookings Harbor School District interim Superintendent Chris Eberhardt issued the following statement: Oregon Governor Kate Brown has announced an extension to her mandate to close Oregon schools to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). The
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(Above) Cindy Badger, BHSD Food Service Director, cradles one of the bags to be loaded onto buses for distribution to students on a ‘reverse bus route’ this week. (Below) Volunteers package snack packs at the Brookings Harbor Community Helpers Emergency Food Bank. Photos by Linda Pinkham.
Food service and volunteers gear up to deliver Raskauskas-Coons, BHSD public information officer. Meals will also be available at the cafeteria. Meanwhile, at the BrookingsHarbor Community Food Bank, nearly a dozen volunteers, including the Food Bank along with community kitchen volunteers, BHHS leadership students, Board of Directors from Brookings Harbor Education Foundation, members of the Brookings Church of the Nazarene and the Neighborhood Food Project and Azalea Princesses, showed up to put together 800 snack packs for kids. “We just heard there is a need, so here we are,” Sarah Burd said. “Kiddos need their food.“ The snack packs from the food bank were to be distributed at the BHHS Cafeteria site on Tuesday and again this Friday from 7 to 10 a.m. along with the school district food bags for student families that qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The food bags being packed at BHHS contained applesauce, juice,
Staff Writer
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ll hands were on deck on Monday, March 16 as food service workers and volunteers prepared 600 bags of food. “It’s a daunting task but with many hands, it’s coming together,” said Lynn McPherson, who was one of about 20 workers packing bags of food at the Brookings Harbor High School (BHHS) Cafeteria. “We are trying to include enough inside the bags to help supplement for a few days,” said Brookings Harbor School District (BHSD) food service manager Cindy Badger. They packed 600 bags of food for Tuesday alone to be distributed to students at the cafeteria and via bus. “We will do the ‘reverse bus routes’ again on Friday morning to take food to our regular bus stops at the usual morning time,” said Nancy
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Curry Public Library closes its doors
‘Kiddos need their food’
By Linda Pinkham
governor’s new orders mean that schools will be closed until April 28, 2020. We know this is a trying time and that the closure of our schools is a challenge. Please know we are doing all we can to plan for our students’ potential return and are looking for additional guidance from the Oregon Department of Education during this extended closure. What we do know right now: • We will continue a food distribution of boxed or bagged food from the school district and distribute “snack packs” from the local food bank. See our website for information
breakfast bars, apple strudel, chips, condiments, pasta, spaghetti sauce, bread rolls and apples. Refrigerated bags included salads, vegetable mix with salad dressing, cheese, lunchmeat and milk. The snack packs put together at the food bank consisted of either milk or juice, applesauce, fruit snacks, crackers and granola bars. The food bank group put together 800 packs on Monday and will pack another 800 to 1,000 packs for Friday. BHSD has not received word whether they will be distributing food next week since food is not usually distributed during spring break. Central Curry School District 1 is providing meals from 9-11:30 a.m. at Riley Creek School in Gold Beach to children ages infant-18 through Friday this week and will resume on March 30. “This is a grab-and-go meal,” said CCSD1 Superintendent Tim Wilson.
Staff Report
n response to the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning Thursday, March 19, the Curry Public Library will limit its services to those not requiring direct interaction with the public. This is in response to the American Library Association, Oregon Governor Kate Brown, the Oregon Library Association, and the Federal Government. The Curry Public Library Board and staff are closely monitoring the changing situation and will continue to adjust the response plan accordingly. “Closing the library is frustrating for everyone. The library board and staff are committed to service to the community, but protecting everyone’s health is what we think is best at this time. We will miss you all at the library,” stated Jeremy Skinner, Curry Public Library Director. During this time, Curry Public Library, at 94341 3rd St., Gold Beach, is committed to keeping as many services as possible available to patrons: • Library staff will be available via telephone at 541-247-7246 or 541-247-8122. • Patrons will be offered a pick-up option for library materials. To reserve an item for pickup, please place the item on hold online, or call the library. A shelf in the lobby will be open for pick up of materials during the hours posted below. Patrons are encouraged to use social distancing strategies during these pickups, and to stay at home if they are sick: Hours for Pickup: Monday-Thursday 12-6 p.m.; Friday-Sunday 12-5 p.m. • The library Wi-Fi will be on and accessible from More Library on Page A3
‘Do I need to be tested?’ — Curry Health Network opens COVID-19 Nurse Triage Line W
Staff Report
ith the evolving COVID-19 viral pandemic, many people have concerns about their health, or the health of loved ones and are asking lots of questions. Should I be tested for COVID-19? Should I stay home and self-quarantine? What is the process for testing? Where can I be tested? What are the current criteria for testing? Curry Health Network has established a 24/7 COVID-19 Nurse Triage Line to help answer those questions, as well as explaining their current practices and processes. 24/7 COVID-19 NURSE TRIAGE LINE Curry Health Network has established a 24/7 COVID-19 Nurse Triage Line to help answer these questions. Community members are invited to call 541-247-3090. WHERE IS COVID-19 SPECIMEN COLLECTION, AND WHAT IS THE PROCESS? More Tested? on Page A4
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