The year included “kitten smitten” trend By Anne Scheck
The long and challenging year of 2020 is finally history, but some lesser-known happenings may influence the year ahead. Though not as newsworthy as coronavirus-related issues, these matters nonetheless have prompted a few predictions for the new year, thanks to findings from local experts.
Do they reflect trends that will be seen throughout the state? It’s possible. From the sudden “smitten by a kitten” movement to recent results showing that potholes are far from the most pressing problem on city streets, Independence may lead the way in municipal forecasting.
The long and challenging year of 2020 is finally history, but some lesser-known happenings may influence the year ahead. Though not as newsworthy as coronavirus-related issues, these matters nonetheless have prompted a few predictions for the new year, thanks to findings from local experts.
Do they reflect trends that will be seen throughout the state? It’s possible. From the sudden “smitten by a kitten” movement to recent results showing that potholes are far from the most pressing problem on city streets, Independence may lead the way in municipal forecasting.
IPD Officer Lance Inman Abandoned vehicles are proving to be a public concern.
Though the pothole in front of the Independence Civic Center has sparked comment, probably because it is noticeable to anyone dropping by with a utility payment, potholes are far from the most common complaint to the city’s handy app for reporting citizen worries, Indy Works. Streets with cracked indentions may look like homes for tiny tadpole after a downpour, but Indy Works recorded far more car-associated calls. There were only three notifications for potholes compared with 58 for abandoned vehicles, according to Jason Kistler, the city’s information technology manager.
“Many of these abandoned auto complaints are regarding vehicles not being moved for time periods that range from weeks to months,” explained Robert Mason, chief of police for Independence. Calls came in for trailers, boats and recreational vehicles left on the street, as well as vehicles with missing parts, such as the lack of an engine.
Sometimes safety concerns prompt the contact. A vehicle parked close to a corner, stop sign or an intersection can block a driver’s field of vision, he said. “Our city code has language that a vehicle can’t remain unmoved on public property for more than72 hours, or on private property for seven days, with some exceptions,” Mason added.
Bend and Portland have reported the same challenging situation of inoperable or discarded automobiles. Is Independence a town that now reflects an identical trend in less-populated cities? It may be. Although unlawful abandoned vehicles are defined by Oregon statute, there’s apparently no mandate for cities to publish data on them.
Increased cat litters are causing a feline adoption explosion.
The tail-end of 2020 validated a pet-producing prediction by Independence veterinarian Robert Archer DVM, who indicated weeks ago that more unplanned litters were likely, due to the fact that veterinarians weren’t allowed to perform spay or neuter surgeries for a period of months after the coronavirus surfaced. A representative of Hillsboro-based “Cat’s Cradle Rescue” confirmed that Archer’s forecasting was precisely on target, at least when it comes to the baby feline population.
There’s been a huge rise in shelter kittens, but it’s been matched by the soaring desire for these young cats, according to recent animal adoption data. Some have referred to this response as the “kitten smitten” phenomena of the pandemic – rates of kitten adoptions are the highest they’ve been in years.
Adoptees in local homes need special protection, cautioned Joe Hillesum, known in his Monmouth neighborhood as the cat whisperer. Owners should put collars on cats with contact information, he said, noting that some can appear to need help when simply wandering around. He recently thwarted a well-intended cat- napping from a passer-by who mistook a mewing cat for lost and homeless.
The past few months have seen far fewer missing cat alerts, if their absence on social media is an indicator. In fact,
at the Independence Airpark, there have been almost no such notifications, in contrast with past years when they were numerous. Asked about this unusual development, the president of the Independence Airpark Homeowners Association (IAHA) said he couldn’t speculate on the underlying reason.
“I really haven’t paid much attention to that sort of thing,” explained Gary Van Horn, who heads the IAHA board, adding that it’s “nice to hear, though.”
Independence trees are gaining new residential respect.
Independence has earned a “Tree City USA” designation by the Arbor Day Foundation for several years, but 2021 marks a leafy new turning point. A tree census conducted by city staff and volunteers identified each and every bark-bearing plant inside city limits.
At a recent meeting of the city’s Historic Preservation Commission (HPC), members looked over maps and lists of trees – and some HPC members picked their favorite. Seemingly tied for the biggest “wow” by HPC was a large flower-producing Japanese Pagoda and a massively branched Sugar Maple.
But the census didn’t occur without some controversy: One resident objected that pine trees weren’t being given proper recognition for their historic importance to the ancient indigenous people of the area. And White Oak trees failed to incite any special notice, either, despite being the emblem of the Independence-based Luckiamute Watershed Council (LWC).
However, the LWC symbolized the tree’s significance by placing a White Oak sapling in the Luckiamute State Natural Area, just outside Independence, in celebration of the LWC’s millionth planting. The little tree, named “Garry,” was toasted with champagne by LWC members as a naturally beautiful example of Oregon’s finest.
Asked about how the historic relevance of trees is determined, Independence HPC board member Curtis Tidmore said he is perhaps the worst judge of that because, while he favors protecting the city’s tree canopy, he doesn’t think it should be done “under the auspices of historic preservation.”
“I’ve got a specimen dwarf evergreen in my front yard – probably one of the oldest of its kind in the state – but no one would ever think to include it,” he said. However, there does seem to be one tree in town that everyone agrees is historic. It’s at the entrance of Mt. Fir Park.
It’s grown from the seed of a Ginkgo tree that survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in World War II. Known as the city’s “Hiroshima Ginkgo,” it was planted last year as the centerpiece for a section there called the peace garden. Just before New Year’s Eve, the plant was checked – and found to be thriving.
Independence is joining the self-monitoring motorist movement.
This year, drivers in Independence will get a chance to see how fast they’re going -- the result of new digital speed signs located in different parts of the city. It’s true that all cars have a speedometer that gives that information, but a frequent response to Independence Police Officers at traffic stops is that the person behind the wheel had “no idea” the car was traveling at the rate it was clocked.
If funds permit it and the city’s traffic safety commission approves, signs ranging in price from about $3,400 to $4,500 will be considered for busy thoroughfares that include Hoffman and Stryker roads.
Research on the signs was done by Independence Police Officer Lance Inman, the city’s first motorcycle patrol officer. The units have the capability of using solar power, but perhaps not during what has been called Oregon’s misty “mushroom-growing” times.
Officer Inman, who carefully researched the digital sign options, helpfully included a coupon from the manufacturer that would take hundreds of dollars off the price tag. It expired in November, but there is no reason to presume that this officer won’t find and obtain another money-saving one this year, observed Robert Mason, chief of police for Independence.
Will last year’s sudden fad of exercise-walking in the rain persist?
With gyms and workout centers closed, “rain walks” gained some traction in Independence. That’s good news to research scientist Abram Wagner, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
He and several colleagues published “The Impact of Weather on Summer and Winter Exercise Behaviors” in a science journal two years ago. “What we found is that even somewhat mild weather, like rain, would push some people to exercise indoors, but a lot of people to just stop exercising all together,” he said, adding that the findings made him hope that people would find ways to continue exercising even during the rainy season. As it turns out, some inveterate walkers in Independence did just that.
“Proper rain gear gives us freedom from being inhibited by weather,” said Debra Plymate, a longtime pilot who’s accustomed to weather-watching. The pandemic shut exercise facilities but “when the rain is light, the wind is light,” why not go for a walk? she asked. Plymate, who spent many years as an air traffic controller, said reading the direction of the rain may be important.
If rain is blowing sideways, “it’s probably a cold front, and the wind direction is from the south,” she said. So when walking, “turn south and walk into the wind on your way outbound for your walk, and it will be much better on the way back with the wind behind you.”
“If you walk with the wind behind on the first leg of your walk, you will be sorry on our way back,” she warned. Also, “don’t bother with an umbrella,” she added – just rely on good weather-proof outer-wear. Aside from that “attitude is everything,” she said, noting that picking a specific time and sticking to it, rain or shine, is important.
Wagner is thumbs-up on Plymate’s plan. “I like the idea of rain walks,” the researcher agreed. However, there’s nothing wrong with indoor exercise, which could include short Pilates or yoga videos from YouTube, he said.
Though the pothole in front of the Independence Civic Center has sparked comment, probably because it is noticeable to anyone dropping by with a utility payment, potholes are far from the most common complaint to the city’s handy app for reporting citizen worries, Indy Works. Streets with cracked indentions may look like homes for tiny tadpole after a downpour, but Indy Works recorded far more car-associated calls. There were only three notifications for potholes compared with 58 for abandoned vehicles, according to Jason Kistler, the city’s information technology manager.
“Many of these abandoned auto complaints are regarding vehicles not being moved for time periods that range from weeks to months,” explained Robert Mason, chief of police for Independence. Calls came in for trailers, boats and recreational vehicles left on the street, as well as vehicles with missing parts, such as the lack of an engine.
Sometimes safety concerns prompt the contact. A vehicle parked close to a corner, stop sign or an intersection can block a driver’s field of vision, he said. “Our city code has language that a vehicle can’t remain unmoved on public property for more than72 hours, or on private property for seven days, with some exceptions,” Mason added.
Bend and Portland have reported the same challenging situation of inoperable or discarded automobiles. Is Independence a town that now reflects an identical trend in less-populated cities? It may be. Although unlawful abandoned vehicles are defined by Oregon statute, there’s apparently no mandate for cities to publish data on them.
Increased cat litters are causing a feline adoption explosion.
The tail-end of 2020 validated a pet-producing prediction by Independence veterinarian Robert Archer DVM, who indicated weeks ago that more unplanned litters were likely, due to the fact that veterinarians weren’t allowed to perform spay or neuter surgeries for a period of months after the coronavirus surfaced. A representative of Hillsboro-based “Cat’s Cradle Rescue” confirmed that Archer’s forecasting was precisely on target, at least when it comes to the baby feline population.
There’s been a huge rise in shelter kittens, but it’s been matched by the soaring desire for these young cats, according to recent animal adoption data. Some have referred to this response as the “kitten smitten” phenomena of the pandemic – rates of kitten adoptions are the highest they’ve been in years.
Adoptees in local homes need special protection, cautioned Joe Hillesum, known in his Monmouth neighborhood as the cat whisperer. Owners should put collars on cats with contact information, he said, noting that some can appear to need help when simply wandering around. He recently thwarted a well-intended cat- napping from a passer-by who mistook a mewing cat for lost and homeless.
The past few months have seen far fewer missing cat alerts, if their absence on social media is an indicator. In fact,
at the Independence Airpark, there have been almost no such notifications, in contrast with past years when they were numerous. Asked about this unusual development, the president of the Independence Airpark Homeowners Association (IAHA) said he couldn’t speculate on the underlying reason.
“I really haven’t paid much attention to that sort of thing,” explained Gary Van Horn, who heads the IAHA board, adding that it’s “nice to hear, though.”
Independence trees are gaining new residential respect.
Independence has earned a “Tree City USA” designation by the Arbor Day Foundation for several years, but 2021 marks a leafy new turning point. A tree census conducted by city staff and volunteers identified each and every bark-bearing plant inside city limits.
At a recent meeting of the city’s Historic Preservation Commission (HPC), members looked over maps and lists of trees – and some HPC members picked their favorite. Seemingly tied for the biggest “wow” by HPC was a large flower-producing Japanese Pagoda and a massively branched Sugar Maple.
But the census didn’t occur without some controversy: One resident objected that pine trees weren’t being given proper recognition for their historic importance to the ancient indigenous people of the area. And White Oak trees failed to incite any special notice, either, despite being the emblem of the Independence-based Luckiamute Watershed Council (LWC).
However, the LWC symbolized the tree’s significance by placing a White Oak sapling in the Luckiamute State Natural Area, just outside Independence, in celebration of the LWC’s millionth planting. The little tree, named “Garry,” was toasted with champagne by LWC members as a naturally beautiful example of Oregon’s finest.
Asked about how the historic relevance of trees is determined, Independence HPC board member Curtis Tidmore said he is perhaps the worst judge of that because, while he favors protecting the city’s tree canopy, he doesn’t think it should be done “under the auspices of historic preservation.”
“I’ve got a specimen dwarf evergreen in my front yard – probably one of the oldest of its kind in the state – but no one would ever think to include it,” he said. However, there does seem to be one tree in town that everyone agrees is historic. It’s at the entrance of Mt. Fir Park.
It’s grown from the seed of a Ginkgo tree that survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in World War II. Known as the city’s “Hiroshima Ginkgo,” it was planted last year as the centerpiece for a section there called the peace garden. Just before New Year’s Eve, the plant was checked – and found to be thriving.
Independence is joining the self-monitoring motorist movement.
This year, drivers in Independence will get a chance to see how fast they’re going -- the result of new digital speed signs located in different parts of the city. It’s true that all cars have a speedometer that gives that information, but a frequent response to Independence Police Officers at traffic stops is that the person behind the wheel had “no idea” the car was traveling at the rate it was clocked.
If funds permit it and the city’s traffic safety commission approves, signs ranging in price from about $3,400 to $4,500 will be considered for busy thoroughfares that include Hoffman and Stryker roads.
Research on the signs was done by Independence Police Officer Lance Inman, the city’s first motorcycle patrol officer. The units have the capability of using solar power, but perhaps not during what has been called Oregon’s misty “mushroom-growing” times.
Officer Inman, who carefully researched the digital sign options, helpfully included a coupon from the manufacturer that would take hundreds of dollars off the price tag. It expired in November, but there is no reason to presume that this officer won’t find and obtain another money-saving one this year, observed Robert Mason, chief of police for Independence.
Will last year’s sudden fad of exercise-walking in the rain persist?
With gyms and workout centers closed, “rain walks” gained some traction in Independence. That’s good news to research scientist Abram Wagner, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
He and several colleagues published “The Impact of Weather on Summer and Winter Exercise Behaviors” in a science journal two years ago. “What we found is that even somewhat mild weather, like rain, would push some people to exercise indoors, but a lot of people to just stop exercising all together,” he said, adding that the findings made him hope that people would find ways to continue exercising even during the rainy season. As it turns out, some inveterate walkers in Independence did just that.
“Proper rain gear gives us freedom from being inhibited by weather,” said Debra Plymate, a longtime pilot who’s accustomed to weather-watching. The pandemic shut exercise facilities but “when the rain is light, the wind is light,” why not go for a walk? she asked. Plymate, who spent many years as an air traffic controller, said reading the direction of the rain may be important.
If rain is blowing sideways, “it’s probably a cold front, and the wind direction is from the south,” she said. So when walking, “turn south and walk into the wind on your way outbound for your walk, and it will be much better on the way back with the wind behind you.”
“If you walk with the wind behind on the first leg of your walk, you will be sorry on our way back,” she warned. Also, “don’t bother with an umbrella,” she added – just rely on good weather-proof outer-wear. Aside from that “attitude is everything,” she said, noting that picking a specific time and sticking to it, rain or shine, is important.
Wagner is thumbs-up on Plymate’s plan. “I like the idea of rain walks,” the researcher agreed. However, there’s nothing wrong with indoor exercise, which could include short Pilates or yoga videos from YouTube, he said.
Jimmy'Z one-stop gas shop The battle of pretty flowers versus native plants seems over.
It never really was a battle, of course – but along the creek-side path in Inspiration Garden, several regular visitors began asking if the master gardeners were ever going to beautify the banks by Ash Creek. After all, the area above, which once resembled the untamed landscape of a foreign planet, had been converted by them to eye-captivating beds of flowers and trees, from a rose garden to a fruit orchard.
As a result of the indomitable force of nature, it appears the decision has been made. During the pandemic, the soil along the creek grew thick with native vegetation.
That’s just as it should be, according to Michael Cairns, the former project manager for the Luckiamute Watershed Council (LWC). The goal was to create a self-perpetuating riparian system that provides all the ecologically-enhancing “goods and services” within the small stream’s capability, an environment that fosters good water flow and a healthy refuge for young fish. “That type of riparian system can't function with significant manipulation, heavily used trails, and introduction of non-native plant species,” he said.
Kristen Larson, the executive director of the LWC, agrees. Though native plants might not be considered traditional landscaping choices, they are adapted to local conditions, so they require less work to establish and maintain – all the while improving and preserving conditions of streams like Ash Creek, she said.
So, 2021 appears to herald a wildly successful outcome for Ash Creek.
Convenience stores have buyers chomping for more than gas.
When chicken wings went flying out of Jimmy’Z during the pandemic, was it a trend-setting sign for places outside Independence?
This certainly was seen elsewhere, too. Customers in the pandemic seemed hungry for carry-out food from one-stop shops that provide gas, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), based in Alexandria VA. While fuel sales lagged at these store sites, the purchase of other items actually rose, NACS surveys showed.
At Jimmy’Z on Monmouth Street there was a noticeable uptick in the demand for food, which occurred after Oregon expanded the supplemental nutritional assistance program (SNAP), an action enacted by the state after the wildfires. Patrons began buying hot food with SNAP benefits, explained owner Jim Newbeck. However, keeping the cases stocked was difficult. “Our corn dogs were placed on back order and many times we were only allocated a few when we did get them,” he said.
Though his store “did fine” during coronavirus measures, there were manufacturing shortages. “So, it’s not possible to tell exactly what is up or not since we never really had a complete hot case,” Newbeck pointed out. For example, beer sales went up when bars shut down but “supply issues from manufactures made it a struggle to stay completely stocked up on everything,” he said.
It’s hard to predict whether or not the increased need for hot-case offerings will continue. The SNAP expansion was expected to expire at the dawn of the new year – and consumer tastes can be fickle. Two years ago, jalapeno poppers seemed to have a loyal following at Jimmy’Z. Last year it was stuffed spuds, according to an observant store employee.
It never really was a battle, of course – but along the creek-side path in Inspiration Garden, several regular visitors began asking if the master gardeners were ever going to beautify the banks by Ash Creek. After all, the area above, which once resembled the untamed landscape of a foreign planet, had been converted by them to eye-captivating beds of flowers and trees, from a rose garden to a fruit orchard.
As a result of the indomitable force of nature, it appears the decision has been made. During the pandemic, the soil along the creek grew thick with native vegetation.
That’s just as it should be, according to Michael Cairns, the former project manager for the Luckiamute Watershed Council (LWC). The goal was to create a self-perpetuating riparian system that provides all the ecologically-enhancing “goods and services” within the small stream’s capability, an environment that fosters good water flow and a healthy refuge for young fish. “That type of riparian system can't function with significant manipulation, heavily used trails, and introduction of non-native plant species,” he said.
Kristen Larson, the executive director of the LWC, agrees. Though native plants might not be considered traditional landscaping choices, they are adapted to local conditions, so they require less work to establish and maintain – all the while improving and preserving conditions of streams like Ash Creek, she said.
So, 2021 appears to herald a wildly successful outcome for Ash Creek.
Convenience stores have buyers chomping for more than gas.
When chicken wings went flying out of Jimmy’Z during the pandemic, was it a trend-setting sign for places outside Independence?
This certainly was seen elsewhere, too. Customers in the pandemic seemed hungry for carry-out food from one-stop shops that provide gas, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), based in Alexandria VA. While fuel sales lagged at these store sites, the purchase of other items actually rose, NACS surveys showed.
At Jimmy’Z on Monmouth Street there was a noticeable uptick in the demand for food, which occurred after Oregon expanded the supplemental nutritional assistance program (SNAP), an action enacted by the state after the wildfires. Patrons began buying hot food with SNAP benefits, explained owner Jim Newbeck. However, keeping the cases stocked was difficult. “Our corn dogs were placed on back order and many times we were only allocated a few when we did get them,” he said.
Though his store “did fine” during coronavirus measures, there were manufacturing shortages. “So, it’s not possible to tell exactly what is up or not since we never really had a complete hot case,” Newbeck pointed out. For example, beer sales went up when bars shut down but “supply issues from manufactures made it a struggle to stay completely stocked up on everything,” he said.
It’s hard to predict whether or not the increased need for hot-case offerings will continue. The SNAP expansion was expected to expire at the dawn of the new year – and consumer tastes can be fickle. Two years ago, jalapeno poppers seemed to have a loyal following at Jimmy’Z. Last year it was stuffed spuds, according to an observant store employee.
Janica Duncan Special section: The Independent (February 2021)
Parents Protest Continued School Closures by the Central School District, Call Remote Learning A Serious and Ongoing Problem For Some Students
By Anne Scheck
Some parents in Central School District 13J say they believe certain students will never be able to return to school normally again unless in-person teaching resumes soon. And they’re not talking about simply getting children back into regular classes – they’re referring to kids suffering so much from the shutdown that their losses cannot be restored.
Amid the continued closure, a group of mothers testified at the Central School District’s January board meeting that pandemic measures are causing serious emotional issues among some youth – inflicting a danger to children’s mental health that should be as worrisome to school officials as the risk from the coronavirus.
“My plea to Central, to the board, to the superintendent and to the teachers is that now that the metrics are not mandatory, we begin now to get our students back into the classroom,” said Janica Duncan, a certified substitute teacher for the district. Her five children span the K-12 spread, yet only her youngest is able to attend school – a preschool, Duncan pointed out.
“I am so concerned about the mental state of the children in the district,” Duncan stressed. She was joined by several others who reiterated the same underlying message: for many, distance learning has been a colossal failure.
Incidents from other parents, as well as some students, indicate a rise in self-cutting to deal with the isolation, peer discussions of depressive symptoms that include thoughts of suicide and reports of children in beginning grades having sudden breakdowns.
“Suicidality, eating disorders are presenting a significant challenge,” confirmed OHSU Pediatrician Alex Foster at a public health forum held by Portland State University in mid-December. And even the childhood eating disorders are far from typical, he said – involving children who stop eating because “they’ve just given up.”
Gov. Kate Brown eased restrictions in late December for school closures, making statewide metrics “advisory” instead of mandatory, and allowing decisions to be made “district by district.” However, by last week, she was forced to announce that anticipated shipments of vaccine would be delayed, due to a “deception” at the federal level in the quantities available to be sent. Vaccination for educators is slated to start the end of January, but it remains unclear how many injections can be delivered and in what time period.
Asked about this, Duncan acknowledged that "there is some talk about waiting for the vaccine.” However, it could take far longer than anticipated to get school staff and teachers vaccinated, she noted. "Vaccination should not be what determines when schools open," she said.
Recent research seems to back up that assertion. In the past few weeks, studies in the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics and by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that children at school don’t transmit the virus readily across educational settings. However, the findings don’t involve a more contagious strain now being detected, which might be a complicating factor.
In a public meeting last month, Colt Gill, director of the Oregon Department of Education, alluded to the lack of evidence for students to be “super spreaders” – a quote that Duncan recounted to the board during her presentation.
Duncan is part of a committee for the district that's helping to plan for school re-opening – and she believes that schools are safe when mitigation measures are carefully followed and in place. She’s also the founder of "Let Oregon Learn," a Facebook group she started in September locally, which now has grown to include nearly 4,000 followers from across the state.
Parents Protest Continued School Closures by the Central School District, Call Remote Learning A Serious and Ongoing Problem For Some Students
By Anne Scheck
Some parents in Central School District 13J say they believe certain students will never be able to return to school normally again unless in-person teaching resumes soon. And they’re not talking about simply getting children back into regular classes – they’re referring to kids suffering so much from the shutdown that their losses cannot be restored.
Amid the continued closure, a group of mothers testified at the Central School District’s January board meeting that pandemic measures are causing serious emotional issues among some youth – inflicting a danger to children’s mental health that should be as worrisome to school officials as the risk from the coronavirus.
“My plea to Central, to the board, to the superintendent and to the teachers is that now that the metrics are not mandatory, we begin now to get our students back into the classroom,” said Janica Duncan, a certified substitute teacher for the district. Her five children span the K-12 spread, yet only her youngest is able to attend school – a preschool, Duncan pointed out.
“I am so concerned about the mental state of the children in the district,” Duncan stressed. She was joined by several others who reiterated the same underlying message: for many, distance learning has been a colossal failure.
Incidents from other parents, as well as some students, indicate a rise in self-cutting to deal with the isolation, peer discussions of depressive symptoms that include thoughts of suicide and reports of children in beginning grades having sudden breakdowns.
“Suicidality, eating disorders are presenting a significant challenge,” confirmed OHSU Pediatrician Alex Foster at a public health forum held by Portland State University in mid-December. And even the childhood eating disorders are far from typical, he said – involving children who stop eating because “they’ve just given up.”
Gov. Kate Brown eased restrictions in late December for school closures, making statewide metrics “advisory” instead of mandatory, and allowing decisions to be made “district by district.” However, by last week, she was forced to announce that anticipated shipments of vaccine would be delayed, due to a “deception” at the federal level in the quantities available to be sent. Vaccination for educators is slated to start the end of January, but it remains unclear how many injections can be delivered and in what time period.
Asked about this, Duncan acknowledged that "there is some talk about waiting for the vaccine.” However, it could take far longer than anticipated to get school staff and teachers vaccinated, she noted. "Vaccination should not be what determines when schools open," she said.
Recent research seems to back up that assertion. In the past few weeks, studies in the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics and by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that children at school don’t transmit the virus readily across educational settings. However, the findings don’t involve a more contagious strain now being detected, which might be a complicating factor.
In a public meeting last month, Colt Gill, director of the Oregon Department of Education, alluded to the lack of evidence for students to be “super spreaders” – a quote that Duncan recounted to the board during her presentation.
Duncan is part of a committee for the district that's helping to plan for school re-opening – and she believes that schools are safe when mitigation measures are carefully followed and in place. She’s also the founder of "Let Oregon Learn," a Facebook group she started in September locally, which now has grown to include nearly 4,000 followers from across the state.
Leslie Lloyd “Let Oregon Learn” advocates for the safe reopening of schools, but it also provides a way for parents to connect, and it has become a place to vent during discouraging periods.
When Duncan posted one day about worrying over two of her children's declining motivation, more than 150 other parents shared their own similar concerns within minutes. In fact, finding like-minded moms was one of the benefits of signing up to speak at the school board meeting, said Leslie Lloyd, who has an outside job, a kindergartener and a second grader.
Finding out that she wasn’t alone, “was nice to know,” she said. Her family of four had relocated to Monmouth only last year, and she had been unaware of the advocacy group until only recently.
The sudden departure from school was hard on her family, she recalled. They moved to the district in late February -- and a few weeks later, in March, the schools were closed.
At the board meeting, Superintendent Jennifer Kubista said re-opening is “our priority, too.”
However, “we know that we still have high caseloads in our zip codes,” she said. “We’re continuing to monitor that.”
When Duncan posted one day about worrying over two of her children's declining motivation, more than 150 other parents shared their own similar concerns within minutes. In fact, finding like-minded moms was one of the benefits of signing up to speak at the school board meeting, said Leslie Lloyd, who has an outside job, a kindergartener and a second grader.
Finding out that she wasn’t alone, “was nice to know,” she said. Her family of four had relocated to Monmouth only last year, and she had been unaware of the advocacy group until only recently.
The sudden departure from school was hard on her family, she recalled. They moved to the district in late February -- and a few weeks later, in March, the schools were closed.
At the board meeting, Superintendent Jennifer Kubista said re-opening is “our priority, too.”
However, “we know that we still have high caseloads in our zip codes,” she said. “We’re continuing to monitor that.”
Jennifer Kubista (Photo: 13J SD) Kubista expressed concern about the positivity rate, which was expected to go higher in the aftermath of the holiday season. A few days after the school board meeting, the Oregon Health Authority issued data affirming that Polk County remains in the “extreme risk” category.
However, district personnel also are anxious to open the schools for in-person learning, according to Kubista. In fact, there are plans to start at the elementary-school level, with kindergarten through third grade.
Lloyd supports the phase-in approach suggested by the superintendent, she said. The youth have been out of school for months, and just as they had to adapt to being gone from classes "they need a period of adjustment for returning," she said.
Following the school board meeting, Kubista and Board Chair Steve Love released a timeline; Late January is targeted for more intensive planning, with the goal of providing more details then about bringing staff back into buildings.
The teacher’s union, the Central Education Association (CEA), also released a statement on school re-opening. “We have many members who are eager to re-enter the buildings and instruct students in-person, and the CEA wants that to take place as soon as it is safe to do so,” the statement said. “However, we also have many members who cannot re-enter buildings but are willing to do the even harder work of instructing students virtually.“
The CEA acknowledged that the situation has been difficult for families, and hard on educators, as well. “We ask that you please support your community’s educators as we make the best choices we can in these challenging circumstances,” it concluded.
However, district personnel also are anxious to open the schools for in-person learning, according to Kubista. In fact, there are plans to start at the elementary-school level, with kindergarten through third grade.
Lloyd supports the phase-in approach suggested by the superintendent, she said. The youth have been out of school for months, and just as they had to adapt to being gone from classes "they need a period of adjustment for returning," she said.
Following the school board meeting, Kubista and Board Chair Steve Love released a timeline; Late January is targeted for more intensive planning, with the goal of providing more details then about bringing staff back into buildings.
The teacher’s union, the Central Education Association (CEA), also released a statement on school re-opening. “We have many members who are eager to re-enter the buildings and instruct students in-person, and the CEA wants that to take place as soon as it is safe to do so,” the statement said. “However, we also have many members who cannot re-enter buildings but are willing to do the even harder work of instructing students virtually.“
The CEA acknowledged that the situation has been difficult for families, and hard on educators, as well. “We ask that you please support your community’s educators as we make the best choices we can in these challenging circumstances,” it concluded.
Amber Bacio Amber Bacio, another one of the mothers at the school board meeting, said she recognizes there may be fear about the risk of covid infection by teachers, but "concessions" could be made for those who want to avoid exposure. "Virtual learning is not working," said Bacio, who has three daughters in district schools. "Students need an active learning environment."
Duncan agrees. Classes online often lack the hands-on learning that is necessary to master some subjects, such as her teen's high school chemistry class, which has no lab, she said. And, with sports cancelled, some students lost a big part of what helps them stay the course, Duncan said.
Tiyah Lewis shared her own frustration about the adolescent need for regular school.
Duncan agrees. Classes online often lack the hands-on learning that is necessary to master some subjects, such as her teen's high school chemistry class, which has no lab, she said. And, with sports cancelled, some students lost a big part of what helps them stay the course, Duncan said.
Tiyah Lewis shared her own frustration about the adolescent need for regular school.
Tiyah Lewis “I have a senior in 'Main Street Singers' at the high school -- and that group hasn't been able to sing together," Lewis said. When song practices ceased, so did the opportunity for that special kind of shared experience, she pointed out.
The high school senior class seems to be particularly hard-hit by the change, Lewis noted. The very milestones that many students look toward when finishing the last year at Central High – from homecoming to senior prom – are gone, with "virtual" substitutes as a disappointing replacement, she stressed. "They are just missing so much," Lewis added.
Yet, so far, the response she's gotten from school representatives about reopening is "lukewarm," Lewis said. However, she started a Facebook group for other parents interested in supporting it -- attracting nearly 120 followers in almost no time, she said.
Bacio said she’s growing impatient, too. “I was not meant to be a teacher," she said. With children of different ages, she's unable to provide needed instruction – and it's unrealistic to expect parents to do so, she said. Historic portrayals like "Little House on the Prairie" may make it look successful, but off-site, home-based education is a continual struggle "with everyone sitting on top of each other all day long."
Lewis said she worries about the increased screen time in distance learning. For children who already were spending a lot of time online before COVID-19 – for game-playing and in other internet activities – the pandemic meant even more hours interacting with technology instead of engaging with people.
What are the long-term effects going to be? she asked. “I am seeing ADHD- like behaviors in my third-grade son due to anxiety that’s very much screen induced,” she said. “Our pediatrician agrees that we wouldn't be experiencing these behaviors on such a level if he could be in a classroom.”
For many parents in Central School District 13J, a return to school cannot come soon enough.
The high school senior class seems to be particularly hard-hit by the change, Lewis noted. The very milestones that many students look toward when finishing the last year at Central High – from homecoming to senior prom – are gone, with "virtual" substitutes as a disappointing replacement, she stressed. "They are just missing so much," Lewis added.
Yet, so far, the response she's gotten from school representatives about reopening is "lukewarm," Lewis said. However, she started a Facebook group for other parents interested in supporting it -- attracting nearly 120 followers in almost no time, she said.
Bacio said she’s growing impatient, too. “I was not meant to be a teacher," she said. With children of different ages, she's unable to provide needed instruction – and it's unrealistic to expect parents to do so, she said. Historic portrayals like "Little House on the Prairie" may make it look successful, but off-site, home-based education is a continual struggle "with everyone sitting on top of each other all day long."
Lewis said she worries about the increased screen time in distance learning. For children who already were spending a lot of time online before COVID-19 – for game-playing and in other internet activities – the pandemic meant even more hours interacting with technology instead of engaging with people.
What are the long-term effects going to be? she asked. “I am seeing ADHD- like behaviors in my third-grade son due to anxiety that’s very much screen induced,” she said. “Our pediatrician agrees that we wouldn't be experiencing these behaviors on such a level if he could be in a classroom.”
For many parents in Central School District 13J, a return to school cannot come soon enough.
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