INSIDE
Richwine signs, reflects on time as a Bobcat Pages 8
Tillamook County Wellness
Headlight Herald
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020
Pages 7
Burn to learn
Seventh COVID-19 case is confirmed in county EXCLUSIVE
ORIGINAL Nehalem Bay Fire and Rescue hosted a burn to learn Sat. June 20. This was a multi agency burn. Participating were N.B.F.R.D., Fire and departments from Nestucca, Netarts-Oceanside, Rockaway Beach, Garibaldi and Cannon Beach. Tillamook ambulance was on standby. Pictured (top) is N.B.F.R.D. Chief Chris Beswick giving instructions to the firefighters. (Bottom) firefighters work to extinguish the burning home during training. Photos by Hal McMahan
Food Roots partners with Adventist Health to increase access to locally grown fresh food A
s the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold and impact our community, food insecurity in Oregon’s rural communities is at an all-time high. Tillamook-based nonprofit Food Roots is honored to announce that Adventist Health has increased Food Roots’ capacity to address regional food insecurity through a $20,000 contribution to its local food programs. This grant funding comes through the Adventist Health corporate Community Strength Grant, which is extending support to vulnerable communities during this unprecedented health crisis. By rapidly providing emergency funding to close community partners, Adventist Health is enabling community-based organizations more flexibility and support to serve our most vulnerable community members. This grant will provide Food Roots with critical funding for staffing their Local Food Programming, which implements the FarmTable storefront in downtown Tillamook, and provides the community with direct access to locally grown produce and other nutritious food. This store also provides a critical market for local farmers, fishers, and other food producers who have been impacted by the pandemic through restaurant closures and other lost markets. As part of its COVID-19 response, Food Roots has expanded its community partnerships and leveraged the FarmTable store to increase access to vulnerable populations. FarmTable
INDEX Classified Ads........................9-16 Crossword Puzzle..................... 13 Fenceposts................................. 6 Letters......................................4-5 Obituaries................................... 6 Opinions..................................4-5
VOL. 133, NO. 26 • $1.00
TILLAMOOK, OREGON • WWW.TILLAMOOKHEADLIGHTHERALD.COM
A
Hilary Dorsey Staff writer
s Tillamook County adjusts to Phase 2, a seventh confirmed COVID-19 case has been reported as of Monday, June 22, by Tillamook County Community Health Centers. The individual is between the ages of 30-39 and is a resident of Tillamook County. Public health department staff is working with the individual who remains under self-isolation at home. Contact investigation is currently ongoing. This is the first COVID-19 case reported in Tillamook County since April 14. The Tillamook County Board of Commissioners discussed at their weekly community meeting Friday, June 19, Gov. Brown requiring various counties to wear face coverings in public indoor spaces, COVID-19 testing and updates in the county. Effective Wednesday, June 24, Lincoln, Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Hood River, Marion and Polk Counties will have a face covering requirement for indoor public spaces, such as grocery stores, gyms and fitness studios, pharmacies, public transit agencies, personal service providers and more. Businesses must require employees, contractors, volunteers and customers to wear a mask, face covering or shield unless an accommodation or exemption applies. Children under 12 years of age, as well as people with a disability or medical condition that prevent them from wearing a face covering, are not required to wear one. Adventist Health Tillamook President Eric Swanson said, their PPE supply is adequate. Patients are coming back to get their care. “The health department is going through the 40 some plus pages of guidance the state has put out about education so we can help the schools,” Gordon McCraw said. “We have a meeting planned with them to get their plans going and then make sure they’re in compliance with what the guidance says.” McCraw also said he accepted 300 donated face shields a man in Washington had made. The man had supplied all first responders in Washington. Rep. David Gomberg said when people are not feeling sick, it is harder to encourage them to stay home and we need to get a better sense of how many people are walking around asymptomatic. Sen. Betsy Johnson said the fact that
n See SEVENTH, Page 3
Locally grown food is more accessible due to a grant from Adventist Health and a partnership with Food Roots. Courtesy photo continues to accept SNAP (food stamps), and has increased its Double Up Food Bucks program to provide $20 for every $10 spent using SNAP/ EBT benefits. Food Roots is currently conducting weekly sales of large quantities of fresh produce from local farms to Oregon Food Bank, Tillamook County Services for distribution to pantries and meal sites, providing sales to local farmers and healthy food to pantry clients. This partnership was made possible by state funding to the statewide Oregon Food Bank network, and is sustained through a grant from the Columbia Pacific CCO. This Food Roots FarmTable and OFB partnership has resulted in 1,050 meals of locally produced food distributed through the Tillamook food bank network during the months of May and June. In addition, Food Roots has teamed up with NorthWest Senior Disabilities Services to provide a Bounty Box ($40 worth of produce and local food items) for all Meals on Wheels recipients in
Tillamook County; many of these individuals are SNAP recipients, and will be able to purchase future Bounty Boxes for only $20 EBT through Double Up Food Bucks. These partnerships increase visibility for Food Roots programs that increase the affordability of local food for low-income members of our community. “We are incredibly grateful for partners like Adventist Health who understand the critical need to provide operations funding that makes these community programs and new partnerships possible. Without this support, we would not be able to implement, expand and continue to develop these services for our community. Adventist Health Tillamook has supported Food Roots’ low-income food access programming over the past four years and this larger investment through the Community Strength grant will provide Food Roots with additional capacity to strengthen community partnerships and networks to impact more community members who struggle
with food insecurity,” said Lauren Sorg, Food Roots Executive Director. “Ensuring our community has access to nutritious food that supports health and well-being is a key part of the healing mission of Adventist Health,” said Eric Swanson, Adventist Health Tillamook president. “Especially during these times of stress to family incomes, it’s our honor to partner with Food Roots to expand their capacity to serve both community members facing food insecurity as well as local farmers and food producers. About Food Roots Food Roots (foodrootsnw. org) exists to grow a robust and equitable food system in Tillamook County through community engagement, education, food producer support, and improved access to local food. Our FarmTable Storefront at 113 Main Ave. in downtown Tillamook is currently open for phone orders and curbside pick up, Monday through Wednesday from noon to 6 p.m.
LUBA listens to Facebook cable testimony L
Hilary Dorsey Staff writer
and Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) listened to oral arguments in ORCA v. Tillamook County on Tuesday, June 16. Arguments focused on the land use decision reached by Tillamook County that approved the installation of Facebook’s Jupiter Cable System in Tierra Del Mar. The fiber optic cable system and landing site would be on a property zoned rural residential two-acre, located within the Tierra Del Mar area north of the Pacific City/Woods unincorporated community and designated as Tax Lot 3200. Preconstruction began Jan. 29 and HDD drilling activity began March 9. All construction activities stopped on April 30 and will begin again on Jan. 1, 2021 during the allowed construction period specified in the conditions of approval. Sean T. Malone, attorney for ORCA, said statements by the neighbors of the site are in the record. This is critical infrastructure, he said. Malone said the site seems like an odd place for this.
n See LUBA, Page 3