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Firefighter of the Month

Tillamook County Wellness

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Headlight Herald

TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 2021

TILLAMOOK, OREGON • WWW.TILLAMOOKHEADLIGHTHERALD.COM

VOL. 133, NO. 9 • $1.50

Tillamook County remains in Lower Risk Vaccines continue for those 75 plus

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Hilary Dorsey Staff Writer

illamook County Health Department reported 12 new COVID-19 cases this week, with 11 confirmed positive and one presumptive. The health department is

monitoring 50 cases. Administrator Marlene Putman reported during a Tillamook County Leadership update Friday, Feb. 26, one person is currently hospitalized. “Over the course of the pandemic, we’ve had 23 hospitalizations,” Putman said.

Putman asks the public to take COVID-19 precautions and remember to wear your mask indoors when with people not in your immediate household. Keep social gatherings to 10 people at the most. “With 20 new confirmed positive and presumptive cases, measured

from Feb. 7 through the 20th, Tillamook County will remain in the Lower Risk status through March 11,” Putman said. “If cases increase above 30 in the next two weeks, then we’d be in risk of going to a different risk level effective March 12.”

Emergency Coordinator Ed Colson said 237 Moderna vaccines were administered this week. Large vaccine events were canceled due to the winter weather in the east, but small

n See RISK, Page 3

Beekeepers get cheesy with raffle Joe Warren jwarren@countrymedia.net

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he Tillamook Beekeepers Association’s main buzz is to practice and educate the public about sustaining honey bees. Everyone loves sweet local honey and honey bees are the most important part of the pollination process. “We do this by improving our own beekeeping practices and we seek to help others do the same,” said Brad York, the associations president. “We exist to promote the study, science, and art of keeping honey bees and to provide education, encouragement and mentoring to beekeepers in the Tillamook region of Oregon. Introducing the importance and gentleness of honey bees to children and adults, who are not beekeepers, is just one of our many important goals.” For the last four years the association has built

and raffled off a special bee hive so the lucky winner could start producing the sweet nectar in their own backyards. “This year, in concert with the Creamery, we created two hives with boxes replicating loaves of cheese,” York said. “Sharp Cheddar, Medium Cheddar, and Medium White Cheddar. Keeping the look of Tillamook and Cheese, the boxes are topped off with a hand-crafted cover

designed to resemble a barn.” (Rick Stelzig designed and built the bard top and the other parts of the hive). “Of course, it’s all about saving the bee. The funds go towards our ongoing efforts to work with the Tillamook community,” York added. Both hives will be raffled off at the Tillamook County Fair, but you may buy tickets now. Each primary winner of this raffle will receive one of the beautifully

handcrafted 10 frame beehives, including a unique one-of-a-kind barn top, two-deep boxes with 20 deep frames and foundations, tow medium supers with 20 medium frames and foundations, a vented Vivaldi board, screened bottom with drawer style white board, and hive stand. The value of each hive is estimated at $750. Each primary winner will also receive a one-year membership in the Tillamook Beekeeper Association valued at $20. Secondary prizes of two gift certificates for the Tillamook Creamery ($100 each) and two gift certificates for ($50 each) are also to be raffled. Tickets are on sale now on tillamookbeekeepers.org for $5 or a bundle of 5 for $20. One hive is currently on display at the Creamery in the Market. The other is displayed at the TCCA Farm Store.

Trail blazers

Coast Guard announces investigation into Coastal Reign capsizing T

For the Herald

he Coast Guard announced Wednesday, Feb. 24, a formal marine casualty investigation has been convened into the marine casualty of the commercial fishing vessel Coastal Reign which capsized Feb. 20, resulting in the loss of two lives. Rear Adm. Anthony Vogt, Coast Guard Thirteenth District commander, authorized the investigation. The crew of the 38-foot fishing vessel, Coastal Reign, was attempting to cross the Tillamook Bay Bar inbound when the vessel capsized with four crewmembers on board.

The Coast Guard has established an email address for the public and interested parties to provide information, ask questions and make comments related to the ongoing investigation and scheduled hearing. This email will be checked regularly and all correspondence will be acknowledged. The email address is: D13WebManagers@uscg.mil. Upon completion of the investigation, the Coast Guard will issue a report of the collected evidence, established facts and conclusions and recommendations regarding the marine casualty.

COVID-19 vaccine update: Scheduling for 75 and older, beware of scam A

An engineer working where the rail line passes through the Tillamook State Forest. Photos Courtesy of Jon-Paul Bowles

Salmonberry Foundation looks to ODOT funding as they embark on construction phase P

Hilary Dorsey Staff Writer

rogress is being made for the Salmonberry Trail, with plans for the river and canyon segments in the process of completion. The River Segment extends from the community of Mohler to the confluence of the Nehalem and Salmonberry Riv-

ers. The Canyon Segment extends from the confluence of the Nehalem and Salmonberry Rivers through the Salmonberry Canyon to a Washington County/Tillamook County boundary four miles west of the community of Timber. The river and canyon segments total 34 miles. “Once we do that, it’s kind of a landmark moment because we get into the construction phase,” Executive Director Jon-Paul Bowles said of the plans for the river and canyon segments. There are four segments on the trail: The Coast, a 26 mile section from the city of Wheeler on the north to Tillamook on the south;

Nehalem River, which spans 17 miles, from the confluence of the Salmonberry and Nehalem Rivers to the city of Wheeler; Salmonberry River, a 16 mile section through the Salmonberry River canyon; and The Valley, a 25-mile segment that starts in Banks and rises 1,600 feet in elevation to its summit at Cochran, west of Timber. The Valley planning began in 2019. Executive Director Jon-Paul Bowles said it would take funding to build the trail, especially along Hwy 101 on the coast. The Salmonberry Trail is putting together project

n See SALMONBERRY, Page 2

Hilary Dorsey Staff Writer

COVID-19 vaccine update was provided during the Tillamook County Board of Commissioners meeting Wednesday, Feb. 24. Commissioner Erin Skaar gave the vaccine report, as Marlene Putman and Ed Colson, of the health department, were both at a vaccine event. Skaar said Tillamook County has 413 total cases of COVID-19 and 11,005 negative tests, as of Feb. 24. “We’re running at a 2.1 percent average positivity rate, which is a nice low rate, which is allowing us to stay at Lower Risk level,” Skaar said. “We had 20 new confirmed positive and presumptive cases in the last twoweek period. “ Should the county have more than 30 cases in the upcoming week, this would cause the risk level to move upward. The larger vaccine clinics had to be postponed this week due to the bad weather back east, but some small clinics happened for booster shots, Skaar said.

“Tillamook County vaccine providers are actively working currently to schedule those people in the 75 and older category,” Skaar said. “There are about one thousand people in that category.” Currently, Tillamook County has over 5,000 people on the 65 and older list. As of Feb. 19, 3,369 primary vaccines have been administered since December. “We encourage everyone who has not yet enrolled to please do so,” Skaar said of those in the 65 and older category. “You can go on online to the website, you can also, if you’re unable to access the website, you can call the health department and someone will assist you with getting enrolled on the website.” Completed enrollments are put on a list to be contacted when a vaccine dose is available. The exact vaccine site will depend on vaccine supply. “Our staff will always identify ourselves and our organization and will never ask for payment or credit card information,” Skaar said on behalf of the health

n See VACCINES, Page 3


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