‘Spring ahead’ Sunday March 8
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Equipment fire at area log yard Page A3
The Chronicle
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Serving Columbia County since 1881
Coronavirus Strikes Oregon
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thechronicleonline.com
Leap Day babies celebrate CHRISTINE MENGES chronicle2@countrymedia.net
School districts take action
Oregon cases increasing JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
Columbia County response CHRISTINE MENGES chronicle2@countrymedia.net
JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
Oregon health officials have identified a third presumptive positive case of COVID-19 among state residents. The third case is an adult Oregon resident from Umatilla County who is hospitalized in Walla Walla, Wash. On Monday, March 2, state and local health officials are moving quickly to contact people who may have been in close contact with the individual who tested as a presumptive positive case. The third case is not linked to travel to a part of the world with known cases of COVID-19. It is considered a case of community transmission. Preliminary reports indicate the Oregon resident attended a youth basketball game at a gymnasium at Weston Middle
School officials in Columbia County are taking preventive steps to ensure student and staff safety in light of the coronavirus presumptive cases that have been reported by the Oregon Health Authority.
See CASES Page A4
The Chronicle sat down with Michael Paul, the Public Health Administrator for Columbia County, to talk about steps that the county is taking to monitor the coronavirus and handle an outbreak should one occur.
St. Helens Schools
The Chronicle: Is what’s happening in Clackamas County affecting Columbia County in any way?
Following the Chronicle’s query last week about steps being taken, the St. Helens School District’s community relations specialist Stacey Mendoza replied, “The Oregon Health Authority in collaboration with the Columbia County Health Department is providing us with information and guidance regarding coronavirus.” See SCHOOL Page A9
This past Saturday, the world had a Leap Day, or an extra day added to February, Feb. 29. Most years, February ends on the 28th. But once every four years, the month gains an extra day. The reason why has to do with how the earth revolves around the sun. While people tend to think of years as being 365 days long, in reality it takes the earth 365 days, five hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds to make a full revolution. If calendars didn’t account for those extra five-ish hours, the seasons would eventually go out of whack. That’s why, to account for the discrepancy, an extra day is added (more or less) every four years. For most people, the extra day is just one more day in the calendar year. For those born on the date, it’s a bigger deal. While most people have a 1 out of 365 chance of being born on any other calendar date, being born on Leap Day has a probability of 1 out of 1,461. This means that “leaplings,” as they are known, comprise less than 0.07 percent of the world’s population. If those odds weren’t crazy enough, even more mind-boggling is the fact that there are two sets of fraternal twins in Columbia County born on this date. One pair just celebrated their fourth or “first” birthday. The other just turned sixteen, or “four.”
Paul: Clackamas County declared an emergency, but not a public health emergency. A public health emergency is defined within the state. The state of Washington declared a state of emergency.
Finn and Magpie
renovate and remodel the high school buildings, of which most classrooms were constructed in the 1950s. SHSD officials detailed the expected changes in a recent news release, saying the renovations would focus on safety and security. Other changes would include updating and repairing aging buildings, modernizing the high school career and vocational training labs, upgrading classrooms, and expanding seating in the athletics and auditorium rooms. Wright told the board the $55 million bond measure would be the most appropriate because it received the most support from the
The first set of twins were born to Becky Bean of St. Helens, and their names are Finn Bean, a boy, who was born at 4:26 p.m., and Magdalena, or “Magpie” Bean, a girl, who was born at 4:32 p.m. on Leap Day of 2016. This year, they celebrated their “first” or fourth birthday. For them, it’s the first of many more birthdays that they will only be able to celebrate on the actual day once every four years. What’s more, Becky said, it’s the last Leap Day birthday on a Saturday, until their 32nd birthday. Becky said her twins’ birth was not planned for Leap Day at all. “It was supposed to be one baby, born in like, April,” Becky said, “And then they came a month early.” Finn and Magpie, the youngest of Becky’s four children, who have so far been celebrating their birthday on Feb. 28, are too young to understand the concept of having a birthday on Leap Day, Becky said. “They’re like, ‘we have a birthday every year,’ and I’m like, ‘No, no no. This is the special birthday,’ and they’re like, ‘they’re all special.’ I’ve tried to explain the concept, but all they hear is ‘birthday,’” Becky said. While the children themselves may not yet understand, Becky said she was very excited to celebrate and sing Happy Birthday to the twins on their actual birthday. For leaplings, myriad freebies and special deals exist for those born on this special day. On Leap Day, Becky took her twins to Build-A-Bear Workshop, which offers a special deal to leaplings where they get to build a teddy bear for $2.29. She also took them to Olive Garden, which gives leaplings a deal where they can get four desserts in order to make up for the other birthdays they had to skip. Because Becky has twins, they got eight desserts, which means she and her other kids were able to indulge in all of the sweetness. Additionally, Becky said she’s found a few hotels that offer free stays
See COUNTY Page A8
School renovation bond (503) 232-7292
HEAT AND COOL UP TO 1000 SQFT. INSTALLED FOR AS LITTLE AS $2800 AFTER REBATES AND INCENTIVES RX18NMVJU/FTX18NMVJU
Illustration courtesy of the St. Helens School District
This earlier artist’s drawing shows what the St. Helens High School campus could look like like following improvements. CHRISTINE MENGES chronicle2@countrymedia.net
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Vol. 138, No. 10
Voters will be asked in May to approve a $55 million bond measure designed to fund renovation of St. Helens High School. Board decision The St. Helens School District (SHSD) Board of Directors unanimously approved the bond measure to appear on the May 19 Primary Ballot at their Wednesday, Feb. 26 regular public board meeting. The decision follows a presentation from Jeremy Wright, a representative from Patinkin Research Strategies, a consulting firm which conducted polling in the community to determine the
NEXT WEEK!
support for a bond measure. Should the ballot measure pass, it will be at the cost of $0.94 per $1,000 estimated property value, according to Wright. In the fall of 2019, SHSD Superintendent Scot Stockwell, with the approval of the SHSD board of directors, withdrew a proposed bond measure which would have been for $65 million from the fall ballot. Stockwell cited the need to continue to listen to the community and to see what they would like in a fully renovated high school. After that decision, the figure for the bond measure was diminished to either $50 or $55 million, with the final figure being dependent on what polling showed would be most supported by community members. If passed, the measure will fully
See RENOVATION Page A6
See LEAP Page A12
Truckload Meat Sale
Save the date March 12th and 13th
1111 Columbia Blvd, St Helens, OR 97051 • 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. • (503) 397-2288