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At the Pumps

Breach at DHS

Price break, but uncertainties

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Wednesday, March 25, 2020

The Chronicle

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thechronicleonline.com

Serving Columbia County since 1881

Oregon’s Stay at Home Order JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

Oregon’s cases of coronavirus rose to 209 with eight deaths, as of Tuesday, March 24. On Monday, March 23, Gov. Kate Brown issued Executive Order 2012, directing everyone in Oregon to stay at home to the maximum extent possible and adding to the list of businesses that will be temporarily closed to stem the spread of COVID-19 in Oregon. Following the Governor’s order, The Chronicle contacted the City of St. Helens to determine the City’s reaction. We received the following statement from the City of St. Helens Communications Director Crystal King. “St. Helens does not plan on issuing its own order at this time. We will be following the state orders and working with Columbia County

leaders to encourage our community to follow these new social distancing measures to help keep all Oregonians safe. St. Helens is working with Columbia County to place reader boards around the area with social distancing messages. We are also working on new signage to post in our parks in addition to ordering new handwashing stations. The health and safety of our community is our top priority. It is up to every person in our community to work together and practice social distancing guidelines to keep St. Helens and Columbia County safe and healthy.” Brown’s order is effective immediately, and remains in effect until ended by the Governor. In issuing the order, Brown said: “We are learning more about this virus and how people react to it every day. Not just from a medical standpoint, but from a social and behavioral standpoint.

About the order • All non-essential social and recreational gatherings of individuals are prohibited immediately, regardless of size, if a distance of at least six feet between individuals cannot be maintained. Gatherings of members of the same residential household are permitted. • It closes and prohibits shopping at specific categories of retail businesses, for which close personal contact is difficult to avoid, such as arcades, barber shops, hair salons, gyms and fitness studios, skating rinks, theaters, and yoga studios. • It requires businesses not closed by the order to implement social distancing policies in order to remain open, and requires workplaces to implement teleworking

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Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chronicle

This popular play area along the Columbia River in St. Helens is closed to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

Senior Center struggles to close funding gap CHRISTINE MENGES chronicle2@countrymedia.net

Christine Menges / The Chronicle

St. Helens Senior Center volunteers Trinity Snider, Jennifer Meabe, Cyndy Miller and Jennifer Wentworth work to prepare food for the Meals on Wheels program.

The St. Helens Senior Center, located at 375 S 15th Street, is struggling financially and is now only delivering meals Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, rather than Monday through Friday. The center provides meals to senior citizens through its Meals-onWheels program and other activities for senior citizens throughout the year, On Monday, March 16, Director Kathy Innocenti received permission from the center’s board of directors to dip into the center’s emergency

funds to keep the meals on wheels program going. The center also closed its thrift store, Top Notch, on Saturday, March 21, due to decreased customer volume, Innocenti said. While the center usually receives about $90,000 from the Community Action Team per year to support its operations, the center is facing an approximate $5,000 per month shortfall for the Meals on Wheels program, Innocenti said. That revenue shortfall is due to the decreased customers at Top Notch and also the lack of revenue and donations coming from activities the center regularly hosts, according to Innocenti. For the Meals on Wheels pro-

gram, the center has about 160 people on their regular route, according to Innocenti. In order to keep the program going, the center is providing recipients one fresh meal and one frozen meal, and volunteers are working hard to make that happen. While the center usually makes 200 meals per day on their normal schedule, they are now doubling that output so that recipients can have another meal the next day. Volunteers are coming in from local schools as well as from Foursquare Church, Innocenti said.

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Who We Are: Avamere offers free lunch JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net

If you look, often you can find a silver lining, a positive in a negative. In the latest installment of The Chronicle’s Who We Are, we find a local independent and assisted

(503) 232-7292

HEAT AND COOL UP TO 1000 SQFT. INSTALLED FOR AS LITTLE AS $2800 AFTER REBATES AND INCENTIVES

living facility engaging, socially distancing safely, with residents, staff and the community to offer a free lunch during the coronavirus health crisis. Avamere at St Helens is helping the community during these challenging times with what Avamere’s director of community relations calls a “win/win community idea.” Jenny Hicks said the facility is helping restaurants and the medical community all in one with a quick phone call for delivery service. Avamere at St Helens chooses a medical clinic each week and contacts a local restaurant for the delivery service. The list for the free lunches includes, Legacy Medical GroupSt Helens, OHSU Family Medi-

cine at Scappoose and St Helens Internal Medicine. The Chronicle: How did this positive project emerge and why does Avamere believe it is important now? Hicks: I’m fortunate to work for a company such as Avamere who in times like this says “What can we do now”? We can ignore what’s occurring around us in our community or do something to make a difference. The Chronicle: How do you determine who is selected to

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Courtesy photo

Avamere at St Helens chooses a medical clinic each week and contacts a local restaurant for the delivery service in an effort to support local medical providers and restaurants.

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To our valued customers, Opinion: ...................A4 Poll: ...........................A4 Cartoon: ...................A4 TV Guide: ................A5 Classified Ads: .........A6 Legals: .......................A7 Blotters: ..................A8 Obituary: ..................A9 Vol. 138, No. 13

At St. Helens Market Fresh, we are committed to always to serving the needs of our community during this crisis. In an effort to be safe and proactive, we have adopted a enhances sanitation procedures including disinfecting bathrooms, cart handles and carry baskets multiple times daily. In additions, we are offering customers the opportunity to order groceries and pick up curbside. Customers who would like to utilize this method may call, text, email or Facebook Message their orders to the store. Curbside pick up will works as follows: 1. Orders placed before 2 pm can be pick up the same day by 4 pm with curbside payment. 2. Orders placed after 2 pm will be scheduled for pick-up the next day by 4 pm with curbside payment.

3. Orders paid via phone may be picked up anytime.

5. Customer name and contact information must be included in all orders

4. Customers will be notified of completed orders using the same method used to place the order.

7. Curbside pick-up will be available Monday through Friday.

6. Customers specify whether substitutions are acceptable.

Customers may contact the store to place orders using the following: Phone: 503-397-2288 • Text: (To be added soon) • Email: sthelensmarketfresh@yahoo.com • Facebook Messenger St Helens Market Fresh

Unfortunately, we are unable to accept EBT and WIC benefits for curbside orders. We appreciate the health and happiness of our community and wish to thank for you continued support! Sincerely, Brian Brame, Vice President Kirby Company

1111 Columbia Blvd, St Helens, OR 97051 • 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. • (503) 397-2288


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