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Citizen Serving North Tillamook County since 1996

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January 27, 2022

northcoastcitizen.com

Volume 28, No. 2

Tillamook Bay South Jetty funding request of $62M approved recently

A boat captain navigates the channel on Tillamook Bay headed out for a day of fishing in the Ocean. Citizen file photo

Ashley Tike

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Staff Writer

he U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced the civil works programs they plan to implement in their Operation and Maintenance Work Plan of 202223. The Tillamook Bay & Bar project, to repair the south jetty at the Port of Garibaldi, has been allocated 62 million dollars.

The funding comes from the $22.81 billion dollars in supplemental funding provided in two recently enacted laws (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and 2022 Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act).

This is a triumphant success for Tillamook County and for the state of Oregon.

That success has not come without a struggle.

In 2009 the Port of Garibaldi’s efforts, in conjunction with partners, secured funding for the north jetty repair but the south jetty was overlooked; year after

year loosing out to larger projects and fund reallocations. Leaving the Garibaldi fisherman to navigate the failing jetty system at the mouth of the Tillamook Bay. “For a jetty system to work properly both sides need to be lined up, if not, sediment doesn’t get pushed out into deep water.

With an unstable jetty system, the sediment builds up at the entrance and there are breaking waves in a place where a secure channel should be,” Michael Saindon, retired master chief of the U.S. Coast Guard and General Manager for the Port of Garibaldi said.

Some would say the most prime fishing grounds in the state of Oregon are located right in front of Garibaldi. “I know some very tough fishermen that come fish here and turn around and take the product back to their ports because they’re scared to come in here. Just last year I lost a friend on the bar because

of the deteriorating south jetty,” Bob Browning, 3rd generation commercial fisherman and vice president of the Port of Garibaldi Commissioners Board said.

Getting the south jetty repaired means safety for the Garibaldi fishermen but also means a positive impact on the City of Garibaldi as a whole. The jetty system, in it’s current state, is considered more of a liability than an asset for some fishing companies. The risk has stopped them from delivering their product to Garibaldi.

“The jetty repair could turn things around; bringing a lot more product to our buyers, our facilities and even help create more jobs for the town,” Browning said.

Valerie Folkema, the president of the Port of Garibaldi Commissioners Board, along with partners, is credited for her tireless efforts to get the jetty project funded. “This bay has such a

significant value to the community that it would be an incredible derelict of our duties if we didn’t make an effort to get the jetty repaired,” Folkema said.

Senator Jeff Merkley, Senator Ron Wyden, and Rep. Kurt Schrader, as well as The Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, Oregon Public Ports Association and the Tillamook County Commissioners have also been key players in getting this funding. “We’re definitely taking a victory lap on this one,” Saindon said.

After 28 years of watching the jetty deteriorate, local recreational and commercial fisherman had lost hope of ever seeing the jetty function properly. “Not to sound pessimistic but I’m going to wait to pop the champagne until I see the rocks on the jetty,” Browning added.

Comments contact headlightreporter@countrymedia.net

NBHD board decides to not go forward with sale of property to the North County Food Bank D

ue to significant changes in circumstances and the ongoing need to evaluate and, if possible, develop housing for health care workers, the board of the Nehalem Bay Health District has decided not to proceed with the sale and transfer of district property to the North County Food Bank.

The health district emphasizes it will continue to provide a home for the Food Bank until a decision can be made about a location for a new facility.

The board made the decision following much deliberation, including numerous meetings with Food Bank board members, during a public meeting on January 13, 2022.

The health district and the Food Bank had entered into a sale agreement for a parcel of district-owned property in June 2020.

In making the difficult decision board members stressed:

• The decision to not execute the sale agreement came about because of dramatically changed conditions since June 2020, including the district’s acquisition of a new property just off Highway 101 in Wheeler.

This new property has been identified by the district as a suitable and improved site for a new primary health care center and pharmacy.

Prior to the property acquisition in the summer of 2021, a new health center and pharmacy was envisioned on property currently occupied by the old Wheeler hospital.

• The property acquisition decision created the opportunity to potentially repurpose the old hospital site into community-appropriate housing that could help alleviate the critical shortage of community housing for health care workers, among others. Siting the Food Bank facility without thoroughly investigating how housing might be incorporated on the district’s property could forestall options and make housing development more difficult to

finance and site.

• The district values its ongoing relationship with the Food Bank and has identified the Food Bank’s role addressing food security as a critical determinant of public health. The board extended its genuine thanks to members of the Food Bank board for their understanding of the district’s need to maximize the use of its property in Wheeler to accomplish the greatest good for the community.

• The health district board pledged to continue to work with the Food Bank to find a solution to the need for a new food bank facility, which is currently housed in the old Wheeler hospital.

The health district will continue to work on plans for the new health center/pharmacy and community-appropriate housing in close consultation with the city of Wheeler and with a commitment to engage the community in its vision going forward.

Rachel Armitage appointed to Oregon Senate T

he County Commissions of Clatsop, Columbia, Multnomah, Tillamook, Washington and Yamhill voted to appoint Rachel Armitage as the new Senator from District 16. Senator-designate Rachel Armitage will begin

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her service as state senator upon taking the oath of office.

“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to represent the people of Senate District 16 and to the county commissioners for casting their votes in my favor,” said Senator-designate Rachel Armitage. “I look forward to bringing my perspective as a rural Oregonian to Salem. Our communities deserve action on the everyday issues that affect our way of life, such as access to rewarding jobs and stable, affordable housing.”

Senator-designate Rachel Armitage lives in Warren, Oregon with her husband and stepdaughter. She served as a Legislative Assistant during the 2016 and 2017 Legislative Sessions, focusing on education and

foster youth issues. She plans to bring her perspective from her past legislative work to the Oregon Senate, advocating for better economic opportunities for Oregon’s working families.

As the appointee from Senate District 16, Senator-designate Armitage will serve on the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on General Government.

“We are tremendously excited to welcome Senator-designate Rachel Armitage as the newest member of the Oregon Senate Democrats,” said Senate Majority Leader Rob Wagner (D-Lake Oswego). “Given her professional experience in the Legislature, she will bring an effective skillset to her role in the Senate as we continue to help guide Oregon through the

Rachel Armitage challenges the COVID-19 pandemic. We are all very fortunate for her decision to serve with us and I look forward to working with her during the upcoming Legislative Session.”

Tillamook County hits record high COVID case count for a single day A

Ashley Tike Staff Writer

ccording to Tillamook County Community Health Center Medical Doctor and Public Health Officer Melissa Paulissen, a new record number of COVID-19 cases was set, with 54 new positive cases on Wednesday Jan. 19.

Medical professionals are pleading with the public to follow COVID protocols to keep the community stay safe.

According to the data from Oregon Health Authority from January 18, 2022, community transmission in Tillamook County is high with a total of 189 confirmed and presumptive cases and a 21.7% test positivity rate. This number is higher than the data collected due the the number of home tests being administered.

High transmission rate is indicated in a county when the percentage of test positivity is higher than or equal to 10 percent and/or the total new cases per 100k persons in the last seven-days is higher than or equal to 100 cases.

According to the President of Adventist Health Tillamook, Eric Swanson, “We continue to have issues with bed availability and recently have been forced to make unconventional decisions transferring patients to hospitals we typically don’t transfer to, because they have open beds.” In Region 1 (Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Multnomah, Tillamook and Washington counties) there are a total of 28 (8 percent) adult ICU hospital beds available and 49 (2 percent) adult non ICU hospital beds available.

“Anything Oregonians can do now to reduce the spread of the virus will help to preserve hospital capacity for those who need it most,” Peter Graven, Ph.D., the director of the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Office of Advanced Analytics said. “If we can spread the peak out over two months rather than just a few weeks, it will help ensure Oregonians get the timely hospital care they expect and deserve,” said Graven.

The latest forecast from OHSU calls for the peak to hit around Thursday, Jan. 27 2022.

The federal site to order free quick (rapid) antigen home COVID-19 test is now live: https://www.covidtests.gov Super easy and quick to fill out- the tests will ship out late January. Every U.S. household is eligible for 4 free athome COVID-19 tests. Need help? Contact OHA COVID-19 Support Hotline: 866-917-888.

COVID-19 testing remains available at the health center’s acute care clinic from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Appointments are required. Call 503-842-3900 to schedule. Adventist Health Tillamook and Rinehart Clinic also have testing available.

The health department’s vaccine clinic is at the Tillamook County Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays.

Vaccines, pediatric vaccines, flu and pneumonia vaccines are available.

Adventist Health Tillamook is providing vaccines from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays at the Tillamook Medical Plaza and Women’s and Family Health. Pacific City also has vaccines at the Adventist Health clinic from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Rinehart Clinic has vaccines weekly by appointment. Local pharmacies also have vaccines available.

Send comments to: headlightreporter@countrymedia.net

2 n January 27, 2021 n North Coast Citizen n Manzanita, Oregon

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Tsunami threat passes with little impact Staff Country Media An underground volcano that exploded 5,000 miles away led to big waves and strong currents, but a tsunami threat passed with little impact.

An underground volcano that erupted near Congo caused concern along the Oregon and California coasts two weekends ago.

The volcanic eruption Friday night caused

significant damage from tsunamis and ash in Tonga, but it sent waves more than 5,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean. Around 7 a.m., notices from the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office, Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office and the National Weather Service warned of tsunamis along the Pacific Northwest.

The waves were expected to reach Northern California shortly after 7 a.m., parts of Curry County by 7:30 and the Charleston and Bandon areas in Coos County shortly after 8 a.m.

and further north by 10 a.m.

The warnings urged those in low-lying areas near the coast to be cautious an to evacuate to higher grounds.

When the waves did arrive, the impact was minimal with waves rising less than three feet.

But the impact in the ocean could be seen for hours as massive waves could be seen up and down the coast.

In Charleston, waves crashing into rocks sent plumes of water soaring 50 feet or more

into the air. Park ranges at Sunset Bay shut down the beach for several hours as the active waves and strong tides presented a danger.

There were no reports of damage in the region, although the active ocean did draw large crowds interested in seeing the after effect of the volcano more than 5,000 miles away.

Big parts of Tillamook County, Clatsop County are in the tsunami danger zone and have had major impacts from previous tsunamis.

Oregon Dept. of Revenue offers tax time tips The Oregon Department of Revenue is offering tips to taxpayers in preparation for the 2022 tax filing season. The IRS and DOR will begin accepting e-file tax returns on Jan. 24. The tax filing deadline this year is April 18.

Returns will be processed in the order they are received. However, as in years past, the department will not issue personal income tax refunds until mid-February. A refund hold is part of the department’s tax fraud prevention efforts and allows for confirmation that the amounts claimed on tax returns match what employers report on forms W-2 and 1099.

Revenue encourages taxpayers to organize their tax records and check on the following items before filing their 2021 tax return to ensure that it is a complete and accurate tax return: • Make sure your information is

current at Revenue Online.

• If you don’t have a Revenue Online account, we encourage you to set one up.

• See the IRS and DOR websites for tax filing tips.

• Assemble your W-2 from your employer(s), 1099 forms and other documents you will need to file.

• Check the amount of any Child Tax Credit payments you received.

Advance payments were sent automatically by the IRS to those eligible. Families who received advance payments need to file a 2021 tax return and compare the advance payments they received in 2021 with the amount of the Child Tax Credit they can properly claim on their 2021 federal tax return.

• Choose a reputable tax preparer. The Oregon Board of Tax Practitioners offers a License Lookup website and there is more information from the IRS website.

The Oregon Office of Economic Analysis (OEA) confirmed a nearly $1.9 billion tax surplus, triggering a tax surplus credit, or kicker, for the 2021 tax year that will be returned to taxpayers through a credit on their 2021 state personal income tax returns filed in 2022.

You are eligible to claim the kicker if you filed a 2020 tax return and had tax due before credits.

Even if you don’t have a filing obligation for 2021, you still must file a 2021 tax return to claim your kicker credit. There will be detailed information on how to claim your kicker credit in the 2021 Oregon personal income tax return instructions: Form OR-40 for full-year Oregon residents, Form OR-40-P for part-year residents, and Form OR-40-N for nonresidents. Composite and fiduciary-income tax return filers are also eligible. Use the What’s My Kicker calculator to

determine what your credit amount will be.

Keep in mind the state may use all or part of your kicker to pay any state debt you owe, such as tax due for other years, child support, court fines or school loans.

Here are a few other things for taxpayers to keep in mind this tax season: • E-filing is the fastest way to get your tax refund. On average, taxpayers who e-file their returns and request their refund via direct deposit receive their refund sooner than those who file paper returns and request paper refund checks.

There are several free or low-cost preparation options available for both federal and Oregon tax returns, as long you meet the qualifications. Free tax preparation services are available for low- to moderate-income taxpayers through AARP and CASH Oregon.

United Way also offers free tax help through their MyFreeTaxes program. Check the DOR website for more information.

• Taxpayers can order copies of past returns, letters, or other correspondence—from 2015 to current—through their Revenue Online account. They can also order and pay for these, or older documents, over the phone at 800356-4222.

• Anyone who needs a personal income tax return booklet can download and print it from the department’s website at www.oregon. gov/dor/forms They can also order a copy online, by calling 503-3784988 or 800-356-4222, or by mailing their request—along with their name, phone number, and mailing address to, Forms Oregon Department of Revenue PO Box 14999 Salem, OR 97309-0990

Capturing value by keeping local seafood local The USDA has awarded The Oregon Coast Visitors Association $735,200 for a grant entitled, Capturing Value by Keeping Local Seafood Local.

This effort will expand the regional distribution network of smaller seafood and aquaculture producers on the Oregon Coast whose operating budgets are under $1,000,000 annually.

Comments from the USDA grant review committee stated that the “Grant makes a compelling argument to capitalize on tourism for local seafood sales.” This is because, based on the 2018 Visitor Impacts produced by Dean Runyan and Associates, visitors to the Oregon Coast spend $792,900,000 on food stores and food services annually, contributing

tremendous amounts of new money to our local economy each year.

“Oregon’s fisheries are the lifeblood of our coastal and tourism economies—supporting jobs that families rely on, and supplying communities across our state and around the world with exceptional products and experiences,” said Senator Merkley. “As we continue to recover from the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must ensure that this crucial industry receives the support it needs to survive and provide for Oregonians and consumers around the country. I’m thrilled the USDA has recognized the important work the Oregon Coast Visitors Association Inc. does for both Oregon’s fishing and

aquaculture industry, as well as our great state’s tourism industry. The grant OCVA has received will support its important work, helping to establish and strengthen the much-needed infrastructure for our fisheries to efficiently operate and thrive, and help our tourism industry bounce back stronger than ever.”

Additional comment from the review committees state the, “Project is already well poised for partners who share a current vision for what is needed to improve local seafood sales, impacting fisherman, processors, wholesalers and retailers.”

“If visitor spending and related economic development doesn’t support our residents and create resilient food systems even under distressing economic conditions, then

Proudly welcoming Amy Echelberger, MD, Internal Medicine

If you’re looking for a partner in your healthcare needs, look to Amy Echelberger, MD, our new internal medicine doctor.

Dr. Echelberger is dedicated to providing the best care for you at our medical office in Manzanita. This drives her to develop a deeper understanding of your health and who you are as a person.

Her training in internal medicine goes beyond routine screenings and occasional sickness, but also to preventative care, lifestyle and management of chronic conditions. Dr. Echelberger isn’t just your doctor, she’s your health partner.

Now welcoming new patients at: Adventist Health Medical Office – Manzanita 10445 Neahkahnie Creek Rd., Manzanita 503-368-2292 AdventistHealth.org/AEchelberger

A service of Adventist Health Tillamook RHC/Medical Office Network

what is the point of it,” states Marcus Hinz, Executive Director of the Oregon Coast Visitors Association (OCVA).

Anyone interested in the project can visit OregonCoastFoodVision.com to learn more and seek out potential connections and alignment with this effort.

In the next few years, OCVA intends to raise $15 Million in additional investments to support this hyper

-local seafood infrastructure project. This will support the smallest of family fisher, processors and distributors to ensure enough seafood landed

in Oregon, stays in Oregon to supply schools, hospitals, food stores, and of course Oregon Coast restaurants.

LNCT & LNWC Announce the 12th Biennial Nehalem Estuary Cleanup Its back! After a year delay in 2021, The Biennial Nehalem Estuary Cleanup will happen on March 5th, 2022.

Save the date! The event will be cohosted by the Lower Nehalem Community Trust (LNCT) and Lower Nehalem Watershed Council (LNWC). We are also reaching out to past partners with an opportunity to be involved.

This will be a day to make a lasting difference in our beautiful Nehalem River Estuary and our community! As an all ages and all abilities event, volunteers can help to set-up or take down, collect debris by boat or on foot, sort the collected materials, be involved in a children’s activity, or participate in other ways. The Cleanup will begin and end in Wheeler, Oregon.

Do you want to be involved? Do you have a service or materials to donate?

Do you have a boat and are you willing to shuttle people and debris? If so, please reach out. We’re still in our early planning stages. Contact Ben with the Lower Nehalem Community Trust at ben@nehalemtrust.org or Zac with the Lower Nehalem Watershed Council at lnwc@nehalemtel. net.

LNCT protects and stewards natural wildlife habitat in the Nehalem region of the Oregon Coast.

For more information contact: Ben Pittenger at ben@ nehalemtrust.org.

LNWC protects, preserves, and enhances the Nehalem River watershed through leadership, cooperation and education. For more information contact: Zac Mallon at lnwc@nehalemtel.net.

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Manzanita, Oregon n North Coast Citizen n January 27, 2021 n 3 With a goal of bringing the people of rural Oregon’s common sense with her to the capitol, Suzanne Weber, former Tillamook Mayor and current State Rep. Dist. 32 kicked off her campaign for Oregon Senator in downtown Tillamook. Weber is stumping for Betsy Johnson’s empty seat after Johnson resigned to start campaigning for Oregon State Governor. The event was on January 18, at 6 p.m. hosted by Derrick Josi at Pacific Restaurant.

She is continuing her campaign events along the coast this month for more information check out her website weberfororegon.com.

On Sat. Jan. 22 at 9:45 a.m. Nehalem Bay fire and Rescue, Manzanita Police and Tillamook ambulance responded to a vehicle accident on Hwy. 101 around mile marker 48 just south of Wheeler, for a motor vehicle accident.

A red vehicle was northbound when it hit a patch of ice and slid sideways into a southbound S.U.V. The driver of the red car had to be cut out with the jaws of life. The driver was transported the Tillamook Hospital.

Rockaway Beach fire was called for back up.

Tillamook Sheriffs also responded.

Pictured is Division Chief Jesse Walsh is extracting the victim with the jaws of life. Photo Hal McMahan

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Brown pitches $200 million workforce spending plan to Legislature Julia Shumay Capitol Chronicle Gov. Kate Brown started pitching her $200 million workforce package to legislators recently, sending staff to committee meetings to sell the idea of using higher-than-expected revenue for grants and subsidies to get more people working.

Her team faced skepticism about the need and who would benefit.

Lawmakers will get an updated look at state finances in early February, but their most recent update from November estimated that the state will receive $700 million more than budgeted in tax revenue during the current two-year budget cycle. Brown wants to use a portion of that money, as well as federal money from the American Rescue Plan Act, to get more people of color working in health care, manufacturing and construction.

Jennifer Purcell, Brown’s workforce policy adviser, told a House committee that Oregon employers desperately need more workers.

It’s a problem that predated the Covid pandemic and has only worsened, she said.

After unemployment skyrocketed in the early days

of the pandemic, the state added more than 100,000 jobs in 2021 – restoring four out of every five jobs lost in the pandemic. But job vacancies are the highest they’ve been since the state began collecting data in 2013, with roughly 107,000 unfilled jobs, Purcell said.

“The data show that we still have some workers sitting on the sidelines due to Covid-related reasons, but that number is small and growing smaller,” she said. “The real issues existed before Covid: an aging workforce and a lack of skilled and experienced applicants.”

The governor’s solution, crafted last fall by her Racial Justice Council, would pay $95 million in direct stipends to Oregonians participating in apprenticeships, or to subsidize other costs, like child care, housing and transportation, for people learning new skills.

It also would give $35 million to local workforce boards, $17 million for career programs at community colleges and $20 million for apprenticeship programs, and create a new pilot program with $10 million for local community-based organizations to hire employees who can help Oregonians navigate public benefits available to

them.

Patsy Richards, who cochaired the group that developed the plan, told lawmakers they need to be prepared for a complete exodus of Baby Boomers from the workforce.

The youngest boomers turn 58 this year, and millennials will make up 75% of the workforce by 2030, she said. But because other generations are smaller than boomers, there aren’t enough workers to fill all the jobs coming open, she said.

Richards, who runs an apprenticeship program for certified nursing assistants, said the state needs to make sure its investments in workforce training actually help the people the state intends to help. For instance, she said, a government subsidy that covers half the cost of child care doesn’t help if the parent can’t afford the other half.

There are also obstacles that people might not recognize at first, Richards said.

One member of her apprenticeship program, a retired veteran who wanted to work in health care because of the pandemic, had threadbare scrubs, and it wasn’t until she saw him that she realized the cost of scrubs could be prohibitive.

“We have given a lot of

money to help a lot of people, but when it’s all said and done and we go back and we look at it, the same people are struggling,” she said.

Purcell said the group picked health care, construction and manufacturing because those three fields provide decent wages and all three will need more skilled workers. The health care industry faces the twin problems of pandemic-induced burnout and an aging population that needs Oregon Gov. Kate Brown addresses a Portland more care, manufacturing business summit on Dec. 6, 2021. (Ron Cooper/Orerequires constant retraining gon Capital Chronicle) as technology evolves and many construction workers are aging out of the workforce debt that now it’s making all he said. while the industry is booming, of the jobs that are available Before signing off on she said. uneconomic for them,” she the new spending, he said Lawmakers from both said. “If we have $200 million lawmakers will want to parties responded with skepavailable, how do we best know who would receive the ticism. make that serve the needs? To money, whether people are Rep. Jami Cate, a Repubme, a lot of what was said is going to be available to be lican farmer from Lebanon, just not what I’m seeing as a retrained quickly enough to said she wasn’t convinced that need in my community.” meet existing labor shortages the problem facing Oregon Rep. John Lively, the and whether the state will end was the lack of a skilled Springfield Democrat who up enticing existing workers workforce. Employers in chairs the House Economic to quit their jobs or move, her district are ready to train Recovery and Prosperity causing new issues. employees but aren’t getting Committee, said he wasn’t “There’s complex issues applicants, she said. sure the proposal would move there that I think will be part “In my communities, it forward during the Legisof this conversation that we seems very prevalent that we lature’s February session. need to have in a session, have actually over-educated Lawmakers have just 35 days and the unfortunate thing is our workforce for the jobs in session, beginning Feb. 1, this is a short session, so I that are available, and saddled and the governor’s spending don’t know exactly the path them with so much education plan is a complex proposal, forward,” he said.

Tillamook County Solid Waste For more information about recycling or hazardous waste disposal: Call (503) 815-3975 or visit our website at www.co.tillamook.or.us/solid-waste 503 Marolf Loop, Tillamook, OR 97141

6.5 Tons of E-waste Collected in Just One Day • Approximately 50 million tons of e-waste is generated around the world. However, about 70 percent of the materials inside those electronics can be collected through recycling and repurposed into other goods or raw materials.

• To manufacture, distribute and retail one computer and monitor, it takes approximately 500 pounds of fuel, nearly 50 pounds of chemicals and more than one ton of water.

• For every one million cell phones recycled, we recover more than 35,000 pounds of copper, 700 pounds of silver and 75 pounds of gold.

Tillamook County transfer stations recently hosted a special e-waste collection event to benefit high school senior SAFE committees in Nestucca, Neah-kah-nie, and Tillamook. Community members from across the county released 6.5 tons of non-working computers, televisions, printers, keyboards and mice to be recycled. Televisions, alone, accounted for 2.5 tons of the total and in Pacific City, customers brought in almost a ton of printers.

Each January Tillamook County Solid Waste advertises a Saturday in which all proceeds from the sale of broken electronics will be donated

to area high school seniors. “By donating to Senior SAFE, the community makes the senior’s party really special,” explains Amber Porter, this year’s Tillamook SAFE party coordinator and parent of a Tillamook HS senior. “I can’t tell you what we are doing this year - it’s a surprise - but, I can tell you it will be fun and memorable.”

Through the Oregon E-Cycles program, e-waste can be dropped off free-of-charge year ‘round in Manzanita, Tillamook, and Pacific City. One company in Clackamas processes much of our e-waste here in Oregon.

They chop, crush and grind the items

Paint Recycling Made Easy Recycle Your Paint There are over 180 PaintCare sites in Oregon where households and businesses can recycle or dispose of unwanted paint, stain, and varnish all year round, including these sites in Tillamook County: True Value 34995 River Ave (503) 965-6295 Manzanita Transfer Station 34995 Necarney City Rd (503) 368-7764

Tillamook County HHW 1315 Ekloff Rd (503) 815-3975 9 a.m.–1 p.m. on this date: Saturday, February 5, 2022

https://www.co.tillamook.or.us/solid-waste

All PaintCare sites accept up to 5 gallons per visit (some take more). Please call ahead to confirm business hours and ask if they can accept the type and amount of paint you would like to recycle. PaintCare sites do not accept aerosols (spray paint), leaking, unlabeled, or empty containers.

LEARN MORE: VISIT PAINTCARE.ORG OR CALL (855) PAINT09

to separate out a myriad of different materials, which are then purchased by other companies as raw materials for new electronics.

Tillamook County Solid Waste and Heart of Cartm extend a big thank you to the Master Recyclers, parents and high school students who volunteered, the station attendants who work hard to package and ship materials and to all the residents responsibly recycling.

You are encouraged to seek out reuse and repair options before discarding electronics. Then, utilize e-waste recycling opportunities

wherever they are available. For more information about recycling in Tillamook County, visit www. co.tillamook.or.us/gov/solidwaste For more information about reuse and repair, contact Heart of Cartm, at 971.389.8414 or visit www.heartofcartm.org

Heart of Cartm PO Box 122 Manzanita, OR 97130 971.389.8414

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n North Coast Citizen n Manzanita, Oregon

he Garibaldi Lions Club will finally be holding our 35th Crab Race on March 12th and 13th, 2022. This event was shut down two days before it happened in 2020 much to the disappointment of our regular participants. The city council approved helping the Lions with this endeavor by sponsoring the event this year. But now we are moving forward and really need enthusiastic volunteers to help with this event. We will need people to help set up and tear down, cashiers, alcohol monitors, crab wranglers, a track announcer and steward, track secretary, and people to help in the kitchen. If you are interested in helping (free admission for helpers), please email me or contact me at 503-317-1533. This is the big-

gest fundraiser for the local Lions Club so we can support the community with our primary purpose, sight and hearing (eye exams and glasses and hearing aids), as well as funding our annual Christmas Basket Program and donating to other community resources and nonprofit organizations.

If you haven’t been to a crab race before or are new to the area, this is a family friendly event with racing (we supply the racers), fabulous food and beverages, and prizes. Check it out on YouTube under Garibaldi Crab Races.

The Lions are also in need of more members! Our membership has declined in recent years due to members passing and moving away. If you want to be part of the community and help others, please let me

Citizen

OPINION

know. Maslov’s Hierarchy of Needs lists the need to belong as being necessary for personal growth, yet the trend over the last 60 years is that membership in fraternal organizations has been declining. Numerous scholars disagree over the cause being external (work and family obligations) or internal (interactions with members and disagreements

North Coast

Serving North Tillamook County since 1996

Run Betsy Run!

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Betsy Johnson’s candidacy for governor is the most exciting thing to happen in Oregon politics in my lifetime as a voter. I was a child when former Governor Tom McCall was in office, and I remember how proud my mom and Oregonians in general were of Tom McCall.

That’s how I feel about Betsy Johnson.

I have had the privilege of working with former Senator Betsy Johnson on issues that matter to Tillamook County citizens and to rural Orego-

over structure and rules). At any rate, we need to get back to the times where you knew and helped your neighbors.

It takes a village!

Speaking of a village, the City of Garibaldi will also be hosting a Town Hall meeting to discuss what you would like to see for the 2022 Garibaldi Days celebration. There will also be volunteers required to put on an event of this magnitude, such as parade crowd control, entertainment, city information booth volunteers, reunion activities and other events. Anyone interested in participating is welcome to attend the meeting scheduled for Wednesday, February 9th at 6:00 p.m. at the City Hall meeting room on 6th and Acacia. People with information regarding prior Garibaldi

Days history and events that were successful or memorable are encouraged to attend.

The Food Pantry in Garibaldi will be open next month on Friday, February 11th and 25th, behind God’s Lighthouse Church on 8th and Highway 101 from 10 am to noon. The pantry had a successful day last Friday, serving three times as many people than the previous opening. Be sure to mark it on your calendar and make necessary arrangements to get there early enough so you can be served.

I am still actively cleaning up the highway south of town, weather permitting. It is appalling to fill so many bags of trash in such a short amount of road. While discarded masks continue to increase with the usual

Letters and Columns nians for the last three years in my role as county commissioner, and she is a force of nature.

She’s powerful, extremely well connected, consistently the smartest person in the room without rubbing anyone’s nose in it, and she has the political juice to get things done. She’s a fierce advocate for citizens and businesses and a tough leader who holds state government to the highest standards of transparency and accountability.

Over twenty years in office as state senator, Betsy built a dynamic bipartisan network of relationships all over Ore-

gon that will carry her to the governor’s office.

Several years ago, I asked Betsy if she would consider running for governor.

She said no because the Democratic Party wouldn’t nominate her. As a moderate Democrat, Betsy was too conservative for progressive leaders in the party.

I was thrilled to see Betsy’s announcement that she was running for governor as an independent unaffiliated candidate, stepping up as the only true centrist in a field of candidates bound to partisan money and agendas. As governor, Betsy will bring

I

Doug Pilant TCTD General Manager

’m very excited to introduce Dispatch from the WAVE, Tillamook County Transportation District’s new monthly update in the Citizen. We have a lot of exciting news to share this year and are pleased to kick off our series by announcing a new bus schedule that went into effect on January 23, 2022. This schedule has reinstated many services that had been temporarily suspended beginning in September 2021.

TCTD is happy to share that we are again offering 4 roundtrips per day between Tillamook and Lincoln City, and between Tillamook and Manzanita/Cannon Beach. We also added back an additional roundtrip between Tillamook and Oceanside daily and expanded our new Port Run route to 4 trips daily. The District is also happy to announce that Dial-A-Ride has increased driver resources, meaning that more daily trips will be possible. Information on the new schedule

Landscaping

is available on our website at www.TillamookBus.com.

These service reinstatements are the outcome of the District’s recruitment of 9 additional drivers over the past few months. We credit our hiring surge to a hiring and retention bonus plan that was made possible by a temporary amendment to the Oregon Pay Equity Act; funding available from the American Recovery Plan; and a negotiated agreement with our employee union. These new recruits are completing the District’s driver training program and will graduate the profes-

sional training program about the time the new schedule goes into effect.

We are very appreciative that these 9 new drivers have chosen to become a part of the TCTD family and are delighted to be starting a new year out with many familiar faces who have been Driving the WAVE for many years. The effort our drivers have made since the beginning of the pandemic, and especially since this past summer, have been truly monumental. Because of their commitment to serving the community and their willingness to pitch in extra working hours and days, we were able to keep the WAVE rolling without the dramatic service reductions many of our neighboring transportation districts continue to experience.

I’d also like to thank our community for your continued support through these difficult times. We know schedule changes can have a significant impact on your ability to get to work, school, church, medical appointments, and other

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2022 is an exciting year for the District, as we look forward to celebrating our 25th year of providing service to Tillamook County. It only seemed fitting to begin this year with restoring services to all of you. Please stay tuned for our next Dispatch from the WAVE as we introduce plans for our anniversary celebrations, announce further service expansions, and more.

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together legislators and citizens from both parties, she’ll bridge the urban vs rural divide and call on Oregonians of all stripes to work through tough issues together.

Running for governor as an independent, unaffiliated candidate is a bold and gutsy move. If anyone can do it, it’s Betsy! Her candidacy is a rare opportunity to push the reset button on partisan politics, remember our common values as Oregonians and get behind someone we can all support. Run Betsy Run!

Dispatch from the Wave

Business& Service Directory

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Fireball and 5-hour energy bottles, drink cups and food wrappings, there is still evidence of deliberate dumping in certain pull outs and debris that probably escaped from a truck or trailer that was not properly secured. If you are interested in adopting a section of highway, I believe there are two one mile sections through Garibaldi that have not been spoken for. It requires a commitment of a minimum quarterly cleanup and making a report. I have information for the program director so contact me.

Want to highlight someone’s birthday/anniversary/ event? Be sure to contact me and let me know. Nice to be back! Stay well and take care of each other. It takes a village.

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Hemp compounds prevent coronavirus from entering human cells Steve Lundeberg Guest Article Hemp compounds identified by Oregon State University research via a chemical screening technique invented at OSU show the ability to prevent the virus that causes COVID-19 from entering human cells.

Findings of the study led

by Richard van Breemen, a researcher with Oregon State’s Global Hemp Innovation Center, College of Pharmacy and Linus Pauling Institute, were published today in the Journal of Natural Products.

Hemp, known scientifically as Cannabis sativa, is a source of fiber, food and animal feed, and multiple hemp extracts and compounds are added to cosmetics, body lotions, dietary supplements and food, van Breemen said.

Van Breemen and collaborators, including scientists at Oregon Health & Science University, found that a pair of cannabinoid acids bind to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, blocking a critical step in the process the virus uses to infect people.

The compounds are cannabigerolic acid, or CBGA, and cannabidiolic acid, CBDA, and the spike protein is the same drug target used in COVID-19 vaccines and antibody therapy. A drug target is any molecule critical to the process a disease follows, meaning its disruption can thwart infection or disease progression.

“These cannabinoid acids are abundant in hemp and in

many hemp extracts,” van Breemen said. “They are not controlled substances like THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, and have a good safety profile in humans. And our research showed the hemp compounds were equally effective against variants of SARS-CoV-2, including variant B.1.1.7, which was first detected in the United Kingdom, and variant B.1.351, first detected in South Africa.”

Those two variants are also known the alpha and beta variant, respectively.

Characterized by crownlike protrusions on its outer surface, SARS-CoV-2 features RNA strands that encode its four main structural proteins – spike, envelope, membrane and nucleocapsid – as well as 16 nonstructural proteins and several “accessory” proteins, van Breemen said.

“Any part of the infection and replication cycle is a potential target for antiviral intervention, and the connection of the spike protein’s receptor binding domain to the human cell surface receptor ACE2 is a critical step in that cycle,” he said. “That means cell entry inhibitors, like the acids from hemp, could be used to prevent SARSCoV-2 infection and also to shorten infections by preventing virus particles from infecting human cells. They bind to the spike proteins so those proteins can’t bind to the ACE2 enzyme, which is abundant on the outer membrane of endothelial cells in

the lungs and other organs.”

Using compounds that block virus-receptor interaction has been helpful for patients with other viral infections, he notes, including HIV-1 and hepatitis.

Van Breemen, Ruth Muchiro of the College of Pharmacy and Linus Pauling Institute and five scientists from OHSU identified the two cannabinoid acids via a mass spectrometry-based screening technique invented in van Breemen’s laboratory. Van Breemen’s team screened a range of botanicals used as dietary supplements including red clover, wild yam, hops and three species of licorice.

An earlier paper in the Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry described tailoring the novel method, affinity selection mass spectrometry, to finding drugs that would target the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

In the later research, lab tests showed that cannabigerolic acid and cannabidiolic acid prevented infection of human epithelial cells by the coronavirus spike protein and prevented entry of SARS-CoV-2 into cells.

“These compounds can be taken orally and have a long history of safe use in humans,” van Breemen said.

“They have the potential to prevent as well as treat infection by SARS-CoV-2. CBDA and CBGA are produced by the hemp plant as precursors to CBD and CBG, which are familiar to many consumers.

However, they are different from the acids and are not

contained in hemp products.”

Van Breemen explains that affinity selection mass spectrometery, which he abbreviates to AS-MS, involves incubating a drug target like the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with a mixture of possible ligands – things that might bind to it – such as a botanical extract, in this case hemp extract.

The ligand-receptor complexes are then filtered from the non-binding molecules using one of several methods.

“We identified several cannabinoid ligands and ranked them by affinity to the spike protein,” van Breemen said. “The two cannabinoids with the highest affinities for the spike protein were CBDA and CGBA, and they were confirmed to block infection.

“One of the primary

concerns in the pandemic is the spread of variants, of which there are many, and B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 are among the most widespread and concerning,” he added.

“These variants are well known for evading antibodies against early lineage SARSCoV-2, which is obviously concerning given that current vaccination strategies rely on the early lineage spike protein as an antigen. Our data show CBDA and CBGA are effective against the two variants we looked at, and we hope that trend will extend to other existing and future variants.”

Van Breemen said resistant variants could still arise amid widespread use of cannabinoids but that the combination of vaccination and CBDA/CBGA treatment

should make for a much more challenging environment for SARS-CoV-2.

“Our earlier research reported on the discovery of another compound, one from licorice, that binds to the spike protein too,” he said.

“However, we did not test that compound, licochalcone A, for activity against the live virus yet. We need new funding for that.”

Timothy Bates, Jules Weinstein, Hans Leier, Scotland Farley and Fikadu Tafesse of OHSU also contributed to the cannabinoid study.

Steve Lundeberg is a researcher and writer for Oregon State University Relations and Marketing.

He may be reached at steve. lundeberg@oregonstate.edu

Secretary of State release OSP audit, recommendations Jeremy C. Ruark Country Media

More comprehensive data analytics could help the Oregon State Police (OSP) Patrol Services Division better project future staffing needs, deploy current resources, and project overtime needs, according to a just-released OSP

audit by Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan.

The Oregon Secretary of State’s Audits Division focused on whether OSP’s workforce planning efforts adequately consider public needs and trooper safety.

The audit contains four recommendations to the OSP to improve the law enforcement

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agency’s ability to identify staffing needs when developing future budgets, ensure consistent and efficient deployment of trooper resources, and better project overtime needs for budget requests.

“OSP’s presence on state highways is vital to the safety of motorists and their passengers,” Secretary of State

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Shemia Fagan said. “Better information and a more comprehensive approach could help build trust with Oregonians and improve public safety.”

OSP currently analyzes existing data to determine the impact its troopers can have on public safety but uses a method that primarily focuses on population — which experts say is one of the least effective methods.

Auditors identified a more comprehensive approach considering OSP’s workload allowing the agency to identify actual staffing needs when developing future budgets and better leverage existing troopers.

The Audits Division also recommends OSP account for the changing law enforcement environment within its staffing strategy and methodology including assessing whether all current duties are aligned with the evolving nature of state policing public policy.

Audit Recommendations To improve trooper staffing analyses, promote public safety, and make the best use of budgeted resources, OSP should: 1. Use available timebased data to analyze the Patrol Services Division’s workload and include the results when presenting budget requests to the Legislature.

2. Continue working with the Legislature to appropriately fund administrative support positions and fill

vacant trooper positions.

3. Create a standardized methodology and process for conducting workload analyses at the area level, train the appropriate staff to conduct them, and incorporate them into the Patrol Services Division’s scheduling plan.

4. Develop processes to regularly analyze overtime usage for improved efficiency.

While not within the audit’s scope owing to the fluid and evolving nature of police reform and accountability efforts, OSP should account for the changing law enforcement environment within its staffing strategy and methodology including assessing whether all current duties are aligned with the evolving nature of state policing public policy.

The state audit division listed the following reasons why this audit is important.

• OSP is a law enforcement agency with a broad set of duties that includes responsibility to patrol Oregon’s 7,000 miles of highways and support local sheriffs and city

and Tribal police.

• OSP has eliminated 24hour coverage across the state due to changes in its funding source in 1980 from the state highway fund to the state general fund.

• OSP has worked with the Legislature and the Department of Administrative Services to increase resources and restore trooper positions, yet still holds positions vacant to cover other costs.

• OSP troopers experienced additional service demands during the 2020 wildfires, protest response, and COVID-19 pandemic.

• Police reform has been a topic of national conversation in recent years and numerous bills have been passed on the subject in Oregon.

This is the second audit Fagan has released pertaining to law enforcement and police accountability. The Secretary of State issued a performance audit examining the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) in December 2021.