Threats, ‘outrage’ over face mask rules cancel reopening of Oregon theme park

Outrage over planned face mask rules has canceled the scheduled reopening of the Enchanted Forest theme park in Oregon this Saturday, owners say.

“Unfortunately, recent comments and threats have made clear that our community is not in agreement as to how we will interact in public places with regard to mask requirements for those who are vaccinated versus those who are not vaccinated,” read a statement on the park’s site.

The Salem park had planned to check COVID-19 vaccine cards at the gate to determine who could safely go mask-free, KGW reported.

“Half of the people were thrilled,” owner Susan Vaslev told Willamette Week. “A huge portion of the people were very angry. Angry is very mild — they were outraged.”

Plans to reopen the theme park, which opened in 1971 and features rides and attractions with a fantasy theme, are now on hold.

“There were threats, there was harassment and it still continues right now,” Vaslev told KGW. “We just don’t feel we can safely open.”

Oregon has since ended all outdoor face mask requirements for both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents, but Vaslev told KGW the park will not reopen for now.

“That isn’t in the cards right now,” Vaslev, the daughter of park founder Roger Tofte, told Willamette Week.

“Our commitment to being a place where families can spend time together free of unnecessary hate and conflict simply outweighs our strong desire to reopen our business,” reads a statement on the Enchanted Forest website.

Vaslev told Willamette Week the park has been “hanging by a thread” since closing at the outbreak of the global coronavirus pandemic.

More than 164 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide with more than 3.4 million deaths as of May 19, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 33 million confirmed cases with more than 587,000 deaths.

More than 125 million people in the United States have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of May 19, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

This story was originally published May 19, 2021 at 2:26 PM with the headline "Threats, ‘outrage’ over face mask rules cancel reopening of Oregon theme park."