Tillamook County Wellness
Veterans Fly Over Noon Wed. 11/11/20
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Headlight Herald
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2020
VOL. 133, NO. 46 • $1.50
TILLAMOOK, OREGON • WWW.TILLAMOOKHEADLIGHTHERALD.COM
Weber wins State Rep spot, Brown elected Sheriff O
Biden beats Trump for President with record voter turnout
n Tuesday, Nov. 3, Tillamook County voters hit the polls in near record turnout to decide federal, state and local elections, as well as vote on ballot measures. Voter turnout for Tillamook County was 81.55 percent according to the Tillamook County Clerk’s website. Unofficial results show Josh Brown won county sheriff. Brown got 7,672 votes compared to challenger Gordon McCraw, who received 7,387. Incumbent Doug Olson received 1,806 votes for Tillamook PUD, Subdivision 1; his challenger Maile Samek received 992 votes. Olson will retain his seat on the Tillamook PUD board.
Incumbent Harry of Wheeler with 169 E. Hewitt received 931 votes, compared to votes for Tillamook challenger incumbent PUD, Subdivision 3. Heidi Stacks, who He will retain his seat received 110 votes. on the board. Michael Glowa and Incumbent ManzaGordon Taylor won nita Mayor Mike Scott Wheeler city councilor received 264 votes positions against chalfor mayor compared lengers Dave Bell and to challenger Scott T. John Lawrence. Galvin, who received Keith Cantrell won 250. Scott will retain Rockaway Beach city his position as mayor. councilor with 397 Suzanne Weber Josh Brown Jerry Spegman won votes, compared to a seat on the Manzachallenger incumbent votes. Incumbent nita City Council, as he received Nathan R. Beeman, who received Thomas D. Ashenbrener received 256 votes for Manzanita City 385 votes. 241 voted and Randy Kugler Councilor, and incumbent Hans Incumbent Rockaway Beach received 227. Tonjes also won, receiving 250 city councilor Kristine Hayes Doug Honeycutt won mayor
ORIGINAL
City council considers county property tax exemption proposal T
EXCLUSIVE Tillamook School Dist. #9 administrative offices. Photo by Joe Warren
ORIGINAL
Tillamook schools begin hybrid model for K-6 on Dec. 9 T
he Oregon Department of Education released new metric information for Safe Schools, Safe Learners on Oct. 30. The Safe Schools, Safe Learners guidance has changed to allow more counties and school districts to return to in-person learning. Tillamook School District is eligible under these new metrics and intends to start a phase in for a hybrid model for students K-6 beginning Dec. 9, the start of the second trimester. Tillamook School District stated they intend to start a phase in for secondary schools in week one or two of January. Superintendent Curt Shelley said with the hybrid model, half of the students would come school for in-person learning on Mondays and Wednesdays and the other half would attend Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Monday holidays, those students would attend inperson learning Wednesday and Friday of that week. Fridays will be a time for staff professional development and preparation. The changes in the Safe Schools, Safe Learners metrics allows for inperson instruction in places of the state
where the risk of COVID-19 is lower. Changes to the metrics include additional time for schools to transition between in-person and distance learning models; increased access to in-person instruction at the elementary level; a two week ‘look back’ at the metrics data, rather than one week at a time over a three week period; and removes the state positivity rate in favor of county positivity rates. “We’re starting K-6 because the little ones are not the transmitters, according to pediatricians,” Shelley said. “We’ll slowly turn the dial up for junior high and high school.” Shelley said the school district is working to be prepared to go back to comprehensive distance learning if there is a COVID-19 outbreak. Schools will have hand sanitizers, temperature checks as students walk into school and health rooms for kids who need to be isolated. Staff will be trained for those things as well. Shelley said they also hired a district nurse. “Once we start in-person learning, walk-up meals will be able to be available for those kids who are on alternate days and not in school,” Shelley said. “They’ll be able to walk up to the cafeteria and get [their meal].” Shelley said for students in class,
n See ELECTED, Page 3
EXCLUSIVE
Going back to class
Hilary Dorsey Staff Writer
received 504 votes for position 3, compared to challenger Geoffrey Grace, who received 387 votes. Hayes will retain her seat on the city council. Incumbent Rockaway Beach city councilor Penny Cheek received 506 votes for position 5, compared to challenger Zandra Umholtz, who received 315 votes. Cheek will retain her seat on the council. Tim Hall won mayor of Garibaldi with 282 votes, compared to challenger Whitey Forsman, who received 212 votes. Judy Riggs and Katie Findling won Garibaldi City Council
meals would be brought into the classroom on carts, as each classroom is its own cohort. The school district is also working on implementing transportation routes. “We’re encouraging people who don’t feel comfortable with putting their children on the bus to transport them themselves,” Shelley said. Students K-6 will begin the hybrid model on Wednesday, Dec. 9, the start of the second trimester for the school district, Shelley said. Dec. 6 is a teacher work day and on Dec. 8, teachers will meet for professional development. “Our 7-12 will continue with comprehensive distance learning,” Shelley said. “We’re going to watch the metrics and see how we’re doing. We feel pretty good about K-6 because those kids aren’t the super spreaders but we’ve got to be a little more cautious about our grades 7-12.” The school district hopes to get grades 7-12 back in class as early in January as possible. Shelley appreciates how hard all school district staff has worked, stating that the teachers have been spectacular. Send comments to: headlightreporter@countrymedia.net
Hilary Dorsey Staff Writer
illamook City Council discussed at a meeting Monday, Nov. 2, the finance committee’s recommendation concerning a county property tax exemption proposal. The Tillamook County Housing Commission is currently working with the cities to implement dual ordinances. The property tax exemption can be claimed on new construction or rehabilitation. The tax exemption would abate taxes on multi-family structures for 10 years. The county is making the decision on the properties in the unincorporated areas and the cities are making decisions on the properties in their areas. Tillamook County Commission Chair Bill Baertlein said this is the county’s request to the city and that it is time for the city to step up to the plate, as the county has helped the city in many ways, including paying for the signs at Carnahan Park. City Manager Paul Wyntergreen said this is an incentive program to attract developers. It would increase safety impacts. It would give the city 10 years of additional public safety. “There’s not a direct cost to the city,” Wyntergreen said. “You’re withholding future income is what it is. Your costs to the city are indirect and you’ll have apartments with people who demand services without having any property tax during that period of time. You will have increased public safety during that time.” Sarah Absher, director of the Tillamook County Department of Community Development, said the city should look at this as an investment. The abatement does not have to last the full 10 years. “The most extreme case could be a 10 year exemption for the entire development but there’s opportunities for many layers of how that exemption can be taken and what the level of participation is,” Absher said. When the tax exemption period is over, it is over, Absher added. “The city can choose to stop participating any time,” Absher said. “You would just be committed to the exemptions you’ve already done.”
n See PROPOSAL, Page 3
County leaders recommend closure of Cape Kiwanda to vehicle beach access T
Hilary Dorsey Staff Writer
he Tillamook County Board of Commissioners voted in a meeting Wednesday, Nov. 4, to send a letter of recommendation to the Oregon Parks
and Recreation Commission regarding vehicle beach access in Tillamook County. Chief of Staff Rachel Hagerty said the commissioners accepted testimony on the subject from Oct. 5-20. During that time, the commissioners received over
1,000 responses. “Tillamook County tourism continues to grow rapidly, overloading the county’s ability to manage the increasing number of visitors,” the commissioners wrote in the letter the Oregon Parks and Recreation Depart-
ment (OPRD). “The tidal wave of tourists overloads beaches with vehicles and enforcement agencies, like the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, lack
n See LEADERS, Page 3