■ ✁✂✄☎ SPORTS Stevens signs with Idaho ❋♦✆✆♦✝ ✞✟ ♦✠ ✡☛☞ ✝☞✌ WEDNESDAY ✍ ▼✎✏❝❤ ✑✒✱ ✑✥✶✾ ✍ $1.50 ●✓✓✔ ✔✕② ✖✓ ✓✗✘ ✙✕❛✗✚✔ ✛✗✜✛✢✘✐✜✚✘ ✣✕✖✤② ✦✓✗✖✤✧✐✢❦ ✓★ ✩❛✪✐✫ Fate of Union pharmacy on hold LGCC discusses funding plans ❝ ❞❡ ❢❣❤✐❥❧ ♠♥♣❥q♥r❥ st❤q✈ ✇❤①❥♣ ❥t ✐tt③ ❤❥ ❣rt①t④♥r ⑤❣❤♣♥⑥♥✐♥❥⑦ ⑤♥q♣❥ ❇✬ ❇ ✳③ ✯ ✰ ✮✴✸✯ it to go away,” the board ❚✹✺ ✻✼✽✺✿✈✺✿ ❵❄❂ ❈❩❨❩❁❂ ❯❈ ⑧❖❅❯❖P❊ chair said. pharmacy, the Union Drug Company, remains cloudy after a meeting of the South County Health Dis- trict Board Tuesday. The board did not take action on a request by Walt Brookshire, the owner of the Union Drug Company, to have the South County Health District purchase his pharmacy. Brookshire believes the purchase may be needed to ensure a pharmacy re- mains in Union after he retires. His hope is to have the pharmacy relocated and then run by the SCHD. Karen Wing, chair of the SCHD board, said the SCHD does not have the resources to purchase the pharmacy at this time, but stressed the body wants to save the pharmacy. “We all support the pharmacy and do not want analysis of the Union Drug Company is now being conducted by the SCHD and the board will take a serious look at its options after the review is com- pleted. “We will see if (the pur- chase of the pharmacy) is feasible,” she said. Purchasing the phar- macy would cost the SCHD about $240,000, but Brookshire said he would ask the money be paid over a 15-year period. This would cover the cost of the ⑧⑨ ❜❄❍❁❳❍❃❞P❊ ❜❁❂❊❃❁❅❜❨❅❯❖ and over the counter medi- ❃❍❨❅❯❖❊ ❍❖❏ ❅❨❊ ❜❍❨❅❂❖❨ ❀▲❂❊❉ said Brookshire, a member of the Union City Council. The immediate future of the pharmacy is in danger because its building at 105 N. Main St., may be sold this spring. Brookshire, who owns the building, ⑩ ⑨ ❶ ✱ ❇✬ ❡✷✳✴❡ ✮❡③ ❡ ❡ ❚✹✺ ✻✼✽✺✿✈✺✿ ❵❄❂ ♣❍ ❷❁❍❖❏❂ ❅❨❞ ❘❅❖◆ ❖❯❨❂❏ ❍ ❀❖❍❖❃❅❍▲ Council discussed what to do with money allo- cated to the TRT funds and what to do with the unanticipated sur- plus from the general funds budget at Mon- ❏❍❞ ❖❅◆❄❨P❊ ❬❯❁❭ ❊❂❊❊❅❯❖ ❉✳✴✵✶✷✹✻✼✽✾✿❀❁❂❃❀❄❅❀❄ ❆❊❋ ●❍■❏❍ ❑◆❖P ◗❏❘ ❊❙❯ ❱❋❋❍ ❏❳❋◆❙❨■❍P ❯■❍❩❋ ❬❭❪❫ ❙❨ ❬❪❴ ❵❘ ❛❙■❍ ❜❨❘ said he has a purchase agreement with a perspec- tive buyer, who might ex- ercise it by May 1. Should this happen, Brookshire said, his phar- macy would have 90 days to relocate. “The clock is ticking quickly,” said Brookshire, who has owned Union Drug Company since the mid-1990s. Should the pharmacy relocate, it would do so with the help of the Cove- Union-Powder Medical ❣❊❊❯❃❅❍❨❅❯❖❴ ✱ ⑧ ✲ P❊ ❲❯❍❁❏ has formally expressed ❊❩❜❜❯❁❨ ❈❯❁ ❂❧❯❁❨❊ ❨❯ ❭❂❂❜ ⑧❖❅❯❖P❊ ❜❄❍❁❳❍❃❞ ❯❜❂❁❍❨❪ ing. The board of CUP, a ❖❯❖❜❁❯❀❨ ❨❄❍❨ ❯❬❖❊ ❨❄❂ assets of The Union Fam- ily Health Center, passed a resolution last week stat- ing it will consider a num- ber of options for helping Brookshire, including con- structing a new pharmacy building, renting one or purchasing one that would be renovated. The resolution passed by the CUP board will take ❂❧❂❃❨ ❯❖▲❞ ❅❈ ❨❄❂ r❯❩❨❄ County Health District agrees to buy the Union Drug Company. Should CUP and the SCHD work ❨❯◆❂❨❄❂❁ ❨❯ ◆❅❙❂ ⑧❖❅❯❖P❊ See Pharmacy / Page 5A meeting. The TRT funds are used for tourism pro- motion and tourism- related facilities. The money comes from lodging taxes from area motels and hotels. ✱ ❵❄❂ ❅❨❞ ❯❈ ♣❍ ❷❁❍❖❏❂ has just over $16,000 available to be used in ❨❄❂ ❃❩❁❁❂❖❨ ❀❊❃❍▲ ❞❂❍❁❉ according to City Man- ager Robert Strope. The Union County Chamber of Commerce also receives funds from the TRT budget, which is See LGCC / Page 5A Award-winning director to give Elgin looks to fill ambulance, fire department needs EOU commencement speech ❝ ➑❤♣❥❣q① ➒q❣➓t① ①❤❥♥➔❣ ❞③⑦❣ →♥❥➣➓❣q❤✐✈ ✇❤♣ ①t④♥①❤❥❣✈ ⑤tq ❤① ➒♣r❤q ♥① ↔↕➙➛ ⑤tq ❧♥♣ ⑤♥✐④➜ ➝➞♥⑤❣⑥t❤❥➟ ❇✬ ①✷✮✯③✳✴③✮ ❇❡✯✳④❡⑤ ❚✹✺ ✻✼✽✺✿✈✺✿ Skye Fitzgerald will be the commencement speak- ❂❁ ❍❨ ❨❄❅❊ ❞❂❍❁P❊ ❑❍❊❨❂❁❖ ⑥❁❪ egon University graduation ceremony on June 15. An ⑥❁❂◆❯❖ ❖❍❨❅❙❂❉ ♥❅❨⑦◆❂❁❍▲❏ ❅❊ ❍❖ ❍❬❍❁❏❪❬❅❖❖❅❖◆ ❀▲❳❪ ❳❍❭❂❁ ❍❖❏ ❑⑥⑧ ❍▲❩❳❖❩❊❴ ♥❅❨⑦◆❂❁❍▲❏P❊ ❃❩❁❁❂❖❨ ❃❁❅❊❅❊ ❅❖ ❏❅❧❂❁❂❖❨ ❃❯❩❖❨❁❅❂❊ ❍❁❯❩❖❏ ❨❄❂ ❬❯❁▲❏❴ ❵❄❂ ❀❁❊❨ ❀▲❳ ❅❖ ❨❄❂ ❊❂❁❅❂❊❉ ◗⑩❶ ❈❂❂❨ from Syria,” was released in 2015 and follows Syrian- American doctor Hisham Bismar as he treats victims of the Syrian civil war in a Turkish hospital on the Syrian border. ❵❄❂ ❊❂❃❯❖❏ ❀▲❳ ❬❍❊ ❁❂❪ project is a trilogy of short leased in 2018 and is called ❀▲❳❊ ❂⑨❜▲❯❁❅❖◆ ❨❄❂ ❁❂❈❩◆❂❂ ◗♣❅❈❂❲❯❍❨❴❫ ❵❄❂ ❀▲❳ ❈❯▲❪ lows German volunteers ➠➡➢➤ ➥➦➧➨ ➧➨➩➥➦➫➨➭➯ ➲ ➥➦➫➨➳ ➵➦➧➥ ➥➦➤ ➸➺➧➻➤➼➩ ➸➵➧➢➻ ➨➡➼➫➨➧➥➫➡➨ ➡➽➽➤➢➤➻ ➫➾ ➧ ➵➡➨➻➤➢➽➚➪ ➶➪➧➥➽➡➢➼ ➥➡ ➹➤ ➧➹➪➤ ➥➡ ➥➧➪➳ ➧➹➡➚➥ ➥➦➤ ➫➾➾➚➤ ➧➨➻ ➹➤ ➧➹➪➤ ➥➡ ➢➧➫➾➤ ➧➵➧➢➤➨➤➾➾ ➾➚➢➢➡➚➨➻➫➨➭ ➾➡➼➤➥➦➫➨➭ ➥➦➧➥ ➫➾ ➢➤➧➪➪➩ ➫➼➶➡➢➥➧➨➥➘➴ ➷ ➬➮➱✃ ❐❒❮❰Ï✃ÐÑÒÓ of Monument, which cur- rently has a population of about 125. He said that with class sizes of around six students, he got plenty of one-on-one time with teachers. His experience, he not- ed, was the opposite of ◗❳❯❊❨ ❜❂❯❜▲❂P❊ ❜❂❁❃❂❜❨❅❯❖ of rural schools. I got a great education.” Fitzgerald said after high school he was drawn ❬❄❯ ❬❂❁❂ ❍❊❊❅❊❨❅❖◆ ♣❅❲❞❍❖ ❨❯ ❑⑥⑧ ❲❂❃❍❩❊❂ ❄❂ ❏❅❏❖P❨ migrants attempting to make the journey in boats to Europe to seek asylum. want to live in too large of a town, and he was also excit- ◗♣❅❈❂❲❯❍❨❫ ❬❍❊ ❖❯❳❅❖❍❨❂❏ for an Academy Award this year. Fitzgerald grew up in the ❨❅❖❞ ❑❍❊❨❂❁❖ ⑥❁❂◆❯❖ ❨❯❬❖ ❂❏ ❲❞ ❍❖ ❯❧❂❁ ❨❯ ❁❩❖ ❯❖ ❨❄❂ ❑⑥⑧ ❃❁❯❊❊ ❃❯❩❖❨❁❞ ❨❂❍❳❴ ⑥❖❃❂ ❄❂ ◆❯❨ ❨❯ ♣❍ ❷❁❍❖❏❂❉ Fitzgerald said he fell in love with the valley. See Director / Page 2A ❇✬ ❆✭✮✯✰✮ ✲❡✳✴✵✷✸✰ ❚✹✺ ✻✼✽✺✿✈✺✿ Elgin City Council mem- bers and volunteers for the Elgin Rural Fire Protection District are preparing to purchase a new ambulance and recruiting community members to join the team. Kevin Silvernail, ERFPD ❀❁❂ ❃❄❅❂❈❉ ❊❍❅❏ ❑▲◆❅❖P❊ current ambulance was purchased brand-new in 2008, meaning its lifespan is almost at its end. ◗❘❂P❙❂ ❏❯❖❂ ❍ ◆❯❯❏ ❱❯❲ of keeping the ambulance ❳❍❅❖❨❍❅❖❂❏❉ ❲❩❨ ❬❂P❁❂ ▲❯❯❭❪ ing for a new one for safety ❁❂❍❊❯❖❊❉❫ ❄❂ ❊❍❅❏❴ ◗❵❄❂❁❂P❊ ❖❯ ❊❜❂❃❅❀❃❉ ❳❍❖❏❍❨❯❁❞ ❏❍❨❂ out there, but 10 years is a guideline.” ❑▲◆❅❖ ❢❍❞❯❁ ❣▲▲❍❖ ❥❩❧❞ said the city council is cur- rently researching possible grant funding avenues with the U.S. Department of Ag- riculture and other organi- zations in order to pay for a new ambulance, which he estimates would cost about $250,000. ◗❘❂P❁❂ ▲❯❯❭❅❖◆ ❍❨ ❍▲▲ ❊❯❁❨❊ ❯❈ ◆❁❍❖❨❊❴ ♠❨P❊ ❱❩❊❨ ❍ ❳❍❨❨❂❁ of searching for who has ◆❁❍❖❨❊ ❨❄❍❨ ❀❨ ❯❩❁ ❖❂❂❏❊❉❫ ❄❂ ❊❍❅❏❴ ◗♥❩❖❏❅❖◆ ❬❅❊❂❉ ❨❄❂❁❂P❊ ÷ÒÞâ øùùú ïïïï ûî üÒÕØâã ïïïïïïïïïïïÓø àØÖÖÒâúïïïïïïïïïïïïÛø ýÝØâÖÐ ïïïïïïïïïïïïþø äù×ÖÑÞâ×ÒÐïïïïïïÓø äÝ×Ù×ØÙïïïïïïïïïïÜø FRIDAY ❯❨❄❂❁ ❨❄❍❖ ❑▲◆❅❖P❊ ❅❊ ❅❖ ♣❍ Grande, which would add at least 20 minutes to every call response time. “Having your own local ambulance is a part of pub- ▲❅❃ ❊❍❈❂❨❞❴ ❘❂P❁❂ ❜❁❯❙❅❏❅❖◆ ❍ safety measure for our com- munity,” he said. “Folks out ❨❄❂❁❂❉ ❬❄❂❖ ❨❄❂❞P❁❂ ❅❖ ❖❂❂❏❉ ❨❄❂❞P❁❂ ❁❂▲❞❅❖◆ ❯❖ ❩❊❉ ❊❯ ❬❂ ❵❄❂ ❳❍❞❯❁ ❊❍❅❏ ❨❄❂ ❀❁❂ district follows the same boundary lines as the Elgin School District. r❅▲❙❂❁❖❍❅▲ ❊❍❅❏ ❑▲◆❅❖P❊ emergency services have 12 volunteers in total, 10 of whom are responders for ❲❯❨❄ ❨❄❂ ❀❁❂ ❏❂❜❍❁❨❳❂❖❨ and the ambulance. Back in ❳❂❖❨ ❨❄❍❨P❊ ❁❩❖❖❅❖◆❴ q❯❩ ❏❯❖P❨ ❬❍❖❨ ❞❯❩❁ ❍❳❲❩▲❍❖❃❂ ❲❁❂❍❭❅❖◆ ❏❯❬❖❴ ❘❂P❁❂ ◆❂❨❪ began volunteering for the not necessarily a timeline, ❘❂P❁❂ ❨❁❞❅❖◆ ❨❯ ❲❂ ❜❁❯❍❃❨❅❙❂ get year ends in July, so he and the council are ex- pecting to have the new ambulance in town by late summer or early fall. The mayor stressed the impor- tance of the rural city having its own functioning emer- top of Minam grade, then out north seven miles, then out to 204, then south to the top of Hamburger Hill.” have to have good equip- ❲❩❨ ❬❂P❁❂ ▲❯❯❭❅❖◆ ❍❨ ❜❩❁❪ ❥❩❧❞ ❊❍❅❏ ❨❄❂ ❃❅❨❞P❊ ❲❩❏❪ å➹æçè îÑÐ×ÙÒÐÐïïïïïïïïðî ñòÞÐÐ×ó×ÒãïïïïïïïÜî ñØô×ÕÐïïïïïïïïïïïÓî ñâØÐÐõØâãïïïïïöî gency equipment because the nearest ambulance ting to a point where it needs to be replaced soon before we run into issues. chasing (the ambulance) after the end of the budget year.” ❷✻➉❺➊❹✹➋➌❸✻➊✻ ❜➄➍❋❿■❨➎P❋◆❙❾➆❏❍❨❊❋◆❋➆❩❙◆❳❋❨❙❨❨❊❋➏❩❙➆❋➇➍➏➐❙◆➆❯❘ ❷❸❹❺✳✹❹❻✷❹✴❸❹❼❹✽✾✿❀❁❂❃❀❄❅❀❄ ❽❾P■❍ ❿■◆❋ ◗❊■❋➀ ➁❋➂■❍ ❜■❾➂❋◆❍❙■❾➃ ❛■➄❋ ➅❋❙◆❯❏❍ ❙❍➆ ❵■➄ ❵■❾❯❏❍➃ ➂❏❾❖❍❨❋❋◆❯➃ ❱❖■❾➆ ❙ ❨◆❙■❍■❍P ➇❋❩❊❙❍■❯➇ ➀❏◆ ❯❨◆❋❍P❨❊❋❍■❍P ❨❊❋■◆ ❯➄■❾❾❯ ➆❖◆■❍P ❯❨◆❖❩❨❖◆❋ ➈◆❋❯❘ stts ❯❁ Pt✉ ❬❄❂❖ r❅▲❙❂❁❖❍❅▲ ❀❁❂ ❏❂❜❍❁❨❳❂❖❨❉ ❄❯❬❂❙❂❁❉ the city had 18-20 emer- gency service volunteers. He said the current volun- teer maximum is 23 people, in realizing the life of our equipment.” Along with having a reli- ❍❖❏ ❄❂P❏ ▲❅❭❂ ❨❯ ◆❂❨ ❍❊ ❃▲❯❊❂ ❍❲▲❂ ❍❳❲❩▲❍❖❃❂❉ ❥❩❧❞ ❍❖❏ had that many,” Silvernail Silvernail both spoke on how vital it is to have enough volunteers to run the emer- gency vehicle and respond to calls all over the area, but ❂❊❜❂❃❅❍▲▲❞ ❍❃❁❯❊❊ ❑▲◆❅❖P❊ ❀❁❂ protection district, which Silvernail described as “the ❲ ❚✁❲✂ ✥✉✄✄ ☎✆✝✞✟✠✡☛✆☞☛✌✞✍✠✟❦✆☎✎✡✞✟☛✏✆☞ ✑♦✒✓✔✕✖ ✑✕✜✢✣✤✦② ✸✗ ▲✘✙ ✺✚✛✸✚ ▼✧★✩✪✫ ✬✪✧✭✮✫ ❈✪✧✭✮✫ ÿ ❸❹❺❸ ❻❼❸❽❽❾❿➀ ➁➂❹❾➃❻ ➄❿➅ ➆❿➀➇ ➈➀➇❹❾ to that number as possible. ◗♠❨P❏ ❲❂ ❬❯❖❏❂❁❈❩▲ ❅❈ ❬❂ ❊❍❅❏❴ ◗❘❂ ❏❂❀❖❅❨❂▲❞ ❖❂❂❏ ❙❯▲❩❖❨❂❂❁❊ ❈❯❁ ❲❯❨❄ ❨❄❂ ❀❁❂ department and the am- bulance. A lot of volunteers have a role with both be- cause they go hand-in-hand ✇ ❨❄❂ ❀❁❂ ❏❂❜❍❁❨❳❂❖❨ ❩❊❂❊ See Elgin / Page 5A ➪➶➹➘➴➪➘ ➷➬ é➴êç ➴ ➬➘➶ëì åæç➴í ➮➱✃❐❒❮❰❐❰✃❮✃ ÏÐÐÑÒ ÓÔ Ó ÐÒÕÖ×ØÙÐÚ ÛÜ ÝÞßÒÐ àÞ áâÞÙãÒÚ äâÒßØÙ ➉➊➋➋ ➌➍➎ ➏➐➑➎➒➓➎➒ ➔➎→➑➒➣➣↔ ➊↕ ➙➛➜➝➞➟➠➝➠➜➟➜ ➣➒ ➑➎➔➡ ➊➔ ➎↔➊➢➋ ↕➣ ➔➎→➑➤➋➊➥➒➊➔➡➎➣➐➑➎➒➓➎➒➦➧➣↔➦ ➨➩➫➭ ➯➩➲➳➵➯➳ ➸➲➺➩ ➩➲ ➻➵➼➭ ➽➾➚ Online at lagrandeobserver.com