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Becky Crane: From tragedy to advocacy BY NATE SCHWARTZ News Editor
You may recall a guest column we ran in November from Becky Crane, local teacher, mother, and advocate, who tragically lost her son Blake to the flu in 2020. The shock was great, and the grief that followed is only understood by the unlucky few who have experienced similar. But rather than let grief overwhelm, Becky sought to prevent this tragedy from happening again here in Coos Bay. “When we lost Blake, it happened very fast, and I felt very responsible. I felt like I should have been able to stop
it. I should have been able to recognize the symptoms… With the feelings of guilt that I had I knew I needed to talk a lot, share my story with anyone that would listen. Share all the details, not hold them in. And what kept coming back was that he wasn’t vaccinated, and it was the only year of his life that he wasn’t vaccinated,” said Crane in an interview. The flu shot, which is recommended by the end of October, is something that can prevent strong flu symptoms even if gotten late. According to the CDC, flu activity spikes December through February. Many people avoid the shot due to inconvenience or mistrust, but it’s
also a common thought that because the vaccine doesn’t always fully prevent the flu, it must not be that critical. “We just didn’t do it. Just didn’t think it was that important. Thought the only reason we got flu shots was to make the flu not as bad when you got it, because I knew a lot of people got it anyways. So with that, I wanted to make it easier for students to be able to get their vaccination,” said Crane. “A lot of people had a hard time accepting that it was just a standard flu. It really can damage See Advocacy Continued on Page 3
Winter Whale Watch Week returns to the Oregon Coast December 27 through 31
OREGON COAST, Oregon— Oregon State Parks will host Winter Whale Watch Week on the Oregon Coast Friday, Dec. 27 through Tuesday, Dec. 31. Trained Oregon State Park volunteers will be stationed at 15 sites along the Oregon Coast from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to help visitors spot gray whales on their southward migration to the calving lagoons in Mexico. The sites are some of the best places to watch for whales on the Oregon Coast. A map of volunteer-staffed sites is available online at the official
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event webpage (links below). “Now is a perfect time to see the whales as their population rebounds on the Oregon Coast,” said Park Ranger Peter McBride. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced an end to an Unusual Mortality Event impacting gray whales. Since then, the estimated population has increased by roughly 30% See Whale Watch from 14,530 last year to 19,260 Continued on Page 3 this year, according to NOAA.
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