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Headlight Herald
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2021
TILLAMOOK, OREGON • WWW.TILLAMOOKHEADLIGHTHERALD.COM
Hump day...
COVID-19 update
Death toll at 17, testing and vaccines available at fairgrounds
Pacific City man offers picture perfect camel rides B
Amber Deyo Country Media
efore finding himself the owner of two camels, John Bonander had a 10-year career of selling computers to small and medium businesses in Arizona. He took a sabbatical and came up to Oregon to help a friend who had a private exotic animal farm. He ended up going back to his job. “I sat down in my cube. It’s big, big room full of a bunch of cubes where you know people are getting their life sucked out of them, no windows, and maybe some making good money. But I sat there maybe an hour before I wrote my notice,” he said. “That was 14 years ago now. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d ever be doing this. Never, ever, ever. I love it.” From there, 13 years ago, he decided to get two camels of his own. “It’s just what I fell into … dumb luck,” he said. “I’ve always liked animals, but I grew up in the South Side of Chicago. But I like it and I like learning.” He acquired Frank and Calvin from Knoxville, Tennessee. They are both geldings and have always been together. He said the climate here is great because it doesn’t get too cold. But even in the desert it gets cold at night, so they need a good shelter and windbreak. He said they also grow a thick winter coat. He said he doesn’t shave them with clippers, he just brushes them. “They eat alfalfa, but they’ll browse anything. I mean, they’ll go eat blackberries, ferns, you name it,” he said. “They’re like a giant goat.” He usually has a pocket full of alfalfa cubes for treats, but they also like carrots and watermelon. Right now, he just gives rides in the round pen, but for every ride he gives there, he has someone ask him about riding them on the beach. He found a spot with a great view and he has a vision. That vision has amounted to hard labor and long days. But once he has the trails in place, he can lead folks up the trail on the camels, to the perfect spot at sunset. “They can bring wine or whatever they want to do, and I can lead them back down when they’re ready,” he said. The trail he’s making will get
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John Bonander, owner of West Coast Camels guides his camel Frank to offer a ride at their location in Pacific City. Adults and children can get a five-minute ride around the pen and riders can get pictures of themselves on a camel. Photo by Amber Deyo. people out on a camel long enough, but not too long, he said. “I think it’s gonna be perfect,” he said. One barrier to this at this time is that there’s only one of him and he has two camels to be led. He said a person has to respect that they are handling a large animal that could hurt you. He said they get smarter every year and a person can’t be sheepish in taking care of them. For the outside observer, when they aren’t being ridden, they sit quietly and chew on their cud. And when they are being ridden, they follow Bonander’s lead. He said even after he gets his trail set, he will still do the rides in the corral. He said he only charges $15 for the short ride because he wants the camels to be accessible. “If you’ve got something cool like these guys, you should just share,” he said. He said he thinks there are
camels in every state except Hawaii, and he was required to get a United States Department of Agriculture Exhibitors license for the camels. “If you had a camel in your backyard and that’s all it ever did and you didn’t – not even once - take it to a school, a church, a parade, or anything like that, you wouldn’t need a license,” he said. “But the minute you exhibit it out in the public. You have to have a USDA license.” He said he’s inspected a couple times a year to prove his facilities are up to snuff and his equipment is OK, and he’s following his animal care plan and more. He went to a camel bootcamp where he learned about camels and how to care for them. He said that in fact, camel’s humps are not filled with water as most people seem to think. “I’m pretty sure when we were all young, we all saw this Mickey
Mouse cartoon or something like that with Mickey or Goofy filling up the camel’s hump with water,” he said. “I think that’s where it’s from. Could be wrong, but that got in everyone’s head.” In reality, it’s fat storage and the spot on their body where they store fat. But it’s firm with fat and gristle and connective tissue. A camel’s backbone is straight, he said. This is only his second season in Pacific City, working alongside Green Acres Beach & Trail Rides: Horseback Rides, and he’s working on getting his new vision dialed in for next year, as the weather will be prohibitive to trail building and camel riding before long. West Coast Camels LLC is located at 5985 Pacific Ave, Pacific City, OR 97135. Bonander can be reached at (602) 703-2663 or you can find them on Facebook and Instagram.
Nestucca, NKN school districts start school year with distance learning, TSD9 to start with in person learning D
Hilary Dorsey Staff Writer
ue to the increase in COVID-19 cases in Tillamook County, as well as increased COVID-19 related deaths, two school districts have planned to delay the start of the school year. Neah-KahNie School District and Nestucca Valley School District plan to begin a comprehensive distance learning model Monday, Sept. 13. Tillamook School District will begin in-person learning Tuesday, Sept. 7. Neah-Kah-Nie School District
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Neah-Kah-Nie School District announced Monday, Aug. 30, plans to delay the beginning of the school year to Sept. 13, and will begin with comprehensive distance learning. The district had previously planned for a start of in-person learning to begin Tuesday, Sept. 7. According to a letter to the community from Superintendent Paul Erlebach, the school district’s goal is to transition from comprehensive distance learning to in-person instruction as soon as possible once the data indicates in-person instruction is safe. Extra-curricular activities at the middle and high school are temporarily suspended, as of Aug. 30. On Thursday, Sept. 2, middle school athletes were cleared to begin football practice Sept. 7 and volleyball and cross country on Sept. 13. There were no updates on high school sports as of press time. The school district held a meeting
Wednesday, Sept. 1, via Zoom to discuss the upcoming school year and answer questions from parents, staff and students. Erlebach said he and the principals discussed a return date of Oct. 18, but if the district can transition before that date, they will. Gov. Kate Brown announced a vaccine mandate in August, requiring all K-12 school employees to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18. “We’re in a pandemic, and with the numbers where they are, that’s why I made the decision,” Erlebach said. A parent asked about testing athletes. Neah-Kah-Nie High School Principal Heidi Buckmaster said OHSU is going to be rolling out a screening program using the PCR test, mostly used for asymptomatic people. Before the roll out, OHSU has to complete a pilot program. Buckmaster offered to volunteer the school for the program. “Any screening/testing that’s go-
ing to happen is still a little bit out,” Buckmaster said. “We have already completed all the registration paperwork required for us to participate in that. All we need is for parents to opt in.” Nestucca Valley School District Nestucca Valley School District announced Thursday, Sept. 2, that the school year will also begin in comprehensive distance learning, due to the COVID-19 spread in the county. The school district had previously delayed the start of the school year to Monday, Sept. 13. Superintendent Misty Wharton stated in a letter to the community that the district would look at data points and consult the Tillamook County Health Department to make a decision about the model of instruction every two weeks.
n See SCHOOLS, Page A3
Hilary Dorsey Staff Writer
illamook County Community Health Centers reported during a Tillamook County Board of Commissioners meeting Wednesday, Sept. 1, 81 COVID-19 cases from Friday, Aug. 27, through Sunday, Aug. 29. There were 356 cases in the 14-day case count from Aug. 15 through Aug. 28. Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Ed Colson reported 666 COVID-19 cases from Aug. 1 through Aug. 29. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the county has had 1,441 cases. “We are at 13 confirmed deaths as of this report, 11 being confirmed not vaccinated and two with no vaccine record,” Colson said. “The death toll was five deaths up until July. Since August, that death toll has gone up to 13. Eight deaths in nine days.” The health department reported Thursday, Sept. 2, four new COVID-19 associated deaths, raising the death toll to 17. There are eight confirmed outbreaks in the county and eight pending investigation, Colson added. The public health team is behind on case investigation but is working to catch up. Oregon Health Authority confirmed outbreaks as of Sept. 1 at Tillamook Youth Correctional Facility with 29 cases, Fred Meyer with 25 cases, Stimson Lumber with 18 cases, Tillamook County Creamery Association with 11 cases, Tillamook Country Smoker with eight cases and Tillamook County Transportation District with five cases. “OHA reports that the Delta variant is three times more transmissible than the earlier strains of the virus, causing at least two times more infections,“ Colson said. Colson said one of the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is the use of masks. Gov. Kate Brown has issued mask mandates for indoor public spaces and most outdoor public settings. “Tillamook County Public Health recommends that individuals take the following precautions to reduce and limit the spread of COVID-19: To follow current mask requirement – wear a mask properly over your nose and mouth – keep six feet of distance from those not in your immediate household, wash your hands frequently, and make a plan to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible if eligible and not yet vaccinated,” Colson said. The health department has opened a drive-thru testing site from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the Tillamook County Fairgrounds for those who have symptoms or known exposure. All Adventist Health clinics are available for non-symptomatic COVID-19 testing, typically used for travel requirements, pre-op surgery and more. Rapid testing is available by walk-in appointments for existing patients. For non-existing patients, visit the Adventist Health Tillamook location. Colson said the vaccine is the best tool for protection against the virus. COVID-19 vaccines are available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Tillamook County Fairgrounds inside the convention center. Send comments to: headlightreporter@countrymedia.net