LOCAL
❋★✩✪❆❨✱ ✫❆❨ ✬✱ ✭✮✶✾
ÕÖ×Ø
Continued from Page 1A
combination of these ser-
vices, no matter what the
individual chooses, SART
advocates, SANEs and law
enforcement will back the
decision.
“We want to put it out
there that the whole pur-
pose of us providing ad-
vocacy is to support a sur-
vivor in whatever choices
they want to make,” she
said. “We respect their au-
tonomy and we respect our
survivors to make their de-
cisions on their own.”
Survivors themselves, or
friends and family mem-
bers of a survivor, can call
or text the SART crisis ho-
tline at 541-963-9261 any
time to discuss their situa-
tion with an advocate. Even
outside of Shelter From the
Storm’s business hours, a
victim advocate from the
Union County District At-
✁✂✄☎✆✝✞ ✟✠✡☎ ☛✞ ✁✄ ✡☞✌✌✍
Valerie Schlichting, vic-
tim assistance program
director at the DA’s of-
✎✡☎✏ ✞☞☛✑ ✒✓✔✕ ☞✑✖✁✡☞ ☎✞
try their best to respond
quickly to calls regardless
of the hour.
“We’ll get up in the mid-
dle of the night and go to
Shelter From the Storm,
open it up, and sometimes
the victims meet us there,”
she said. “We’re involved
as much as (victims) want
us to be.… Really, it’s edu-
cating them and making
sure they’re aware of ev-
ery option that they have
and then helping them
make that choice.”
In addition to being on
call after hours, Schlicht-
☛✄✗ ✞☞☛✑
✘☎ ✙✓✝✞ ✁✠✡☎
is responsible for gener-
ally overseeing the coali-
tion and holding monthly
meetings with representa-
tives from each participat-
ing entity. Whereas Shel-
ter From the Storm leads
most of SART’s work with
survivors and services,
✘☎
✙✓✝✞
✁✠✡☎
✚✁✡✛✞☎✞
its energy on education,
●
✆
×Ö
ØÕ
Continued from Page 1A
-
pression system and res-
toration of the theater’s
facade.
Michael Jaeger, board
president of the Liberty
Theatre Foundation, said
construction on the fa-
cade is already underway
and the grant from Or-
egon Main Street is a big
step forward.
“This grant will really
help us complete (the fa-
✥☎ ✛✞☎✑ ✚✁✂ ☞ ✎✂☎ ✞✛✢
✡☞✑☎ ✃ ☞✞
☎✌✌ ☞✞
❐
✘☎ ✎✂☎
retarding system in the
building,” he said. “This
will help immensely take
care of something that we
didn’t have cash in the
bank to pay for.”
According to Jaeger,
the theater lost its histori-
cal entrance way when it
was converted into retail
space in 1962. The plan
is to restore the facade to
its 1930s look and convert
the Putnam Building into
“a space that would be
supportive of the Liberty.”
“They’re both his-
toric buildings and Dale
Mammen purchased the
Putnam Building for the
purpose of refurbishing
it back to its original style
and grandeur of the day,”
Jaeger said.
He continued by de-
scribing Mammen’s vi-
sion of establishing a res-
taurant and concessions
stand in the Putnam
Building so theater-goers
can eventually enjoy en-
tertainment and a bite to
eat in the same space.
sexual assault awareness
and providing survivors
with information on their
rights and options when
handling a case. Schlicht-
ing said the opportunity
to have a variety of orga-
nizations come together
to help sexual assault sur-
vivors is helpful in more
ways than one.
“We can put our heads
together and decide what
resources we need to
reach out to, what this
person might need, and
make sure that they are
covered,” she said. “If you
don’t have that, then you
have someone who’s going
✁ ☎☞✡✘ ✑☛✜☎✂☎✄
✢✌☞✡☎
✁
get their services... so hav-
ing a group of people who
are looking out for their
interests and providing
resources really is the best
approach.”
When asked about the
importance of the rela-
tionship between the or-
ganizations involved with
SART, Evans had a similar
response.
“I think any time you have
a coordinated response be-
tween community mem-
bers, it provides us an op-
portunity to build a strong
foundation and communi-
cate well with each other
and streamline processes,”
Evans said. “Survivors don’t
have to wait hours for things
to get coordinated. Our re-
sponse can be relatively
quick depending on survi-
vors’ wants and needs.”
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ï
ð ñòóôôó õöò÷øùú ûòüýòþ
ó÷ûÿüóýù óý
❉ ✄
ò
ýöòüý
❡
➋➌➍➎➏➍ ➐➑➒➓➔→➣➏↔↕➙➛ ➜➝➞➛➟➠➛➟
➡➢➤➥➦➧ ➨➩➧➫➥➭ ➯➲➳➵➦➳➢ ➸➢➺➻ ➦➲➳ ➯➦➺➢➻ ➼➢➤➥➤➥ ➢➳➥➽➺➫➥➳ ➧➾➩➺➼➧➦➳➭ ➥➦➧➫➾➥ ➤➫ ➦➲➳ ➺➫➚➥➤➦➳ ➳➪➧➻ ➢➺➺➻ ➧➦ ➦➲➳ ➯➲➳➵➦➳➢
➸➢➺➻ ➦➲➳ ➯➦➺➢➻ ➼➳➫➦➳➢➭ ➶➹➘➹➶ ➴➥➵➧➫➾ ➷➩➳➭ ➴➥➵➧➫➾ ➬➤➦➮➱
lence Resource Center de-
veloped a toolkit in 2011 to
help communities across
the U.S. and U.S. territo-
ries customize their SART
outreach and expand ser-
vices, according to the
organization’s website at
www.nsvrc.org.
The NSVRC website
✑☎✎✄☎✞ ✒✓✔✕✞ ☞✞ ✣✤✛✌ ☛ -
disciplinary, interagency
teams that promote col-
laboration to support vic-
tims of sexual assault and
✘✁✌✑ ✁✜☎✄✑☎✂✞ ☞✡✡✁✛✄ -
able,” and traces their for-
mation in the U.S. to more
than 30 years ago.
“By nature, SARTs are
unique to their local cir-
cumstances but share
three core goals: sup-
porting victims, holding
☞✡✡✁✛✄ ☞✥✌☎✏
✁ ✂ ✁✜☎✄✑☎✂✞
and increasing commu-
✂➆✄ ♦☎
ôòÿô
✷ ýýÿöôù
ÿ
ÿ
ôý
üù
SART isn’t unique to
Union County, however.
The National Sexual Vio-
The Liberty Theatre
Foundation Board presi-
dent also credited Mam-
men for bringing the two
buildings to the city’s at-
☎✄ ☛✁✄ ☛✄ ✘☎ ✎✂✞ ✢✌☞✡☎✍
“Dale got us all inter-
ested in the theater, so
he’s the visionary and the
person behind the Lib-
erty Theatre and the Put-
nam Building,” he said.
Wednesday night, the
Urban Renewal Agency,
composed of La Grande
City Council members,
voted to extend the Lib-
erty Theatre project’s
deadline from August 20,
2018, to June 1, 2021, but
Jaeger said he estimates
the theater should be
operational sometime in
2020.
“I think we’ll be done
before then, but it gives
us a little bit of breathing
room,” he said.
In the same round
as the Liberty Theatre
grant, Oregon Main
Street awarded funding
to 30 projects across the
state, adding up to more
than $5.4 million. Out
of these, Baker, Uma-
tilla, Union and Wallowa
counties received a total
of $800,000.
“I was so impressed to
see there were four proj-
ects just in Union, Baker,
Wallowa and Umatilla
counties,” Risteen said.
“It’s a great program for
rural areas especially.”
Contact Amanda
Weisbrod at 541-963-
3161 or aweisbrod@
lagrandeobserver.com
nity safety,” the website
states. “Over time, most
SARTs face challenges and
identify gaps in services
▲●✝✝
Continued from Page 1A
reserved pavilions this
summer.
“The reason this is be-
fore you today is because
when summer heats up
and pavilion rentals are
going strong and they
book them for next year,
we’ll have a new structure
in place,” he said, address-
ing the council, which
passed the amendment
unanimously.
La Grande Public Works
Director Kyle Carpenter
then stepped up to the po-
dium to discuss the 2018
✎✄☞✌ ✞ ✛✑✆ ☞✄✑ ✂☎✢✁✂
✚✁✂
the City-Wide Voluntary
Sidewalk Local Improve-
ment District with the
council.
Last year, the total cost
of projects repaired under
the LID was more than
$20,000 with approxi-
mately 1,500 square feet
of repairs throughout the
city. The packet provided
by the city notes a LID
✣✁✜☎✂✞ ✢✂✁✢☎✂ ✆ ✁ ❐ ✄☎✂✞ ☞
way to improve their prop-
erty and maintain existing
sidewalks.”
Carpenter then pro-
posed to establish a new
LID for 2019 that would
focus on Area Nine, which
covers the eastern side of
the city bordered to the
north by Island Avenue
and the south by the rail-
road tracks. According to
the provided packet, this
area was last evaluated in
2008.
✣✟✛✂ ✞ ☞✜ ✗✁☎✞ ✁✛ ✏
that require working to
change systems. The most
successful SARTs work
to improve systems to-
ward these three common
goals.”
Rianna Bridge, a vic-
tim advocate at the Union
County District Attorney’s
✁✠✡☎✏ ✞☞☛✑ ✞✘☎
walk infrastructure in that
area, (then) we send out
letters inviting those to par-
ticipate who have areas with
problems,” the public works
director said, adding anyone
living outside of Area Nine
who wants to participate in
the program can still “take
advantage of the prices, (but
at this time we won’t) ac-
tively pursue any areas other
than Area Nine.”
The council approved
Carpenter’s proposal unan-
imously.
Later in the meeting,
Councilor Gary Lillard de-
livered a proclamation to
declare May 2019 as Older
Americans Month in order
to acknowledge the growing
number of older adults in
the community and appre-
ciate their “many valuable
contributions to society.”
“We urge every resident
to take time during this
month to recognize older
adults and the people who
serve them as essential
and valuable members of
our community,” Lillard
said. The council unani-
mously passed the procla-
mation.
The La Grande City
Council will meet at 6 p.m.
❭❪
✘☎ ☎✧☞✤✞ ☛✄
the Storm provides.”
While resources, advo-
cacy and education are the
✘☎ ✁✠✡☎✏
☞✄✗☛✥✌☎ ✥☎✄☎✎ ✞ ✞✛✂✖☛✖✁✂✞
Shelter From the Storm
hopes “it’ll be less trau-
matic and more survivor
centered.”
Schlichting agrees hav-
ing an exam room on site
allows Shelter From the
Storm to provide wrap-
around care to victims of
sexual assault, making
their healing process as
void of trauma as possible.
“The biggest thing for
victims is that they be able
to have somewhere that’s
safe to them, and it’s not
necessarily an institution-
alized place like a hospi-
tal,” she said. “Victims
who come forward have
just been through a really
traumatic thing in their
life, and they want to feel
safe and supported and
surrounded in services —
that’s what Shelter From
can access if they choose
to activate SART, Schli-
chting, Bridge and Evans
agree the most valuable
recompense is the em-
powerment returned to
survivors by the ability
to approach their healing
however they like.
“In sexual assault, all
the power has been taken
away from the victim, and
(SART) is just our way of
being able to give back
some of that power and
let them really run how
things are going to go and
what they want to have
done,” Schlichting said.
“We support them in their
decisions, what they want
to do, and then we make
sure that there’s follow
through and advocate on
their behalf of what they
want.”
Monday in the Commu-
nity Room of Cook Me-
morial Library to begin
budget hearings for the
Liberty Theatre Founda-
tion Board does not com-
plete its project by June
1, 2021, the board would
be required to repay the
$150,000 loan it received
from the URA.
The URA loaned this
$150,000 to the Lib-
erty Theatre Foundation
Board in two installments
❒❮❰ÏÐ❒❮❒❮
✎✞✡☞✌ ✆☎☞✂✍
Urban Renewal Agency
Following the city coun-
cil meeting Wednesday
night, the Urban Renewal
Agency, composed of La
Grande City Council mem-
bers, considered moving
the deadline for the com-
pletion of the historic Lib-
erty Theatre building ren-
ovations to June 1, 2021,
giving the Liberty Theatre
Foundation Board an ex-
tra two years to get the
project up and running.
The former deadline was
Aug. 20, 2018.
Councilors Justin Rock
and Jim Whitbeck raised
concerns about the ex-
tended deadline, suggest-
ing the URA propose an
agreement with “more
teeth.”
“When do we stop if they
don’t meet this deadline?”
Rock asked. “When is
enough enough?”
After a long debate, the
agency agreed to approve
the extended deadline,
but with one caveat: If the
✁✚
✏
ÑÒÓ ❮❮❮
❴❝❣❵❤❴
✘☎ ✎✂✞
✢☞☛✑
☎✧☛✥☛✌☛ ✆ ☛✄
Ô
☎✂✤✞ ✁✚ ☞✄✆
kind of punitive action the
next agency should choose
to implement,” La Grande
Mayor Steve Clements
said.
❘❂❃❄❅ ❆ ❇❉❋❋❉●❍ ■❏❑❉▲❑ ▼●❖t◗❚❯❱t❯❖❍❯❖❱ ❚❉t◗ ❲❳❱t ❩❍❯ ❄❏❋❋❬
ß àáâã ãäåææçèçéâ ê ëìíîï ðñòóôìôñõó
ö÷ øùúûüýüùþû ÿ s s✶✼ ÷ ✶✁ ✂✄ þ ✂☎✆ ý ✝✄✞ ø
✐✐✐❥❦❧♠♥❧♣qr❧✉✈✇♥r①❧②♥❥③✇④
◆✟✠✡☛☞ ✌✍ ✎✌☞✏✑✒ ✷✓ ✣ ❊✔✕☞✖ ✎✌☞✏ ♦✌✑✕✒ ✥✗✵
❈✌✑✕✒ ✥✓✩✵ ✘✙✚✛✜ ✢ ✤✦✛✜✧✤✚★✪✫✧ ✬✭✮✜ ✪✛✤✯✚✬✪✛✰ ✱✲✬✜✳✴
⑤⑥⑦⑧
ß àáâá P✸P âçæàäå ❨ ê ëìíîï ðñòóôìôñõó
ö ✼ øùúûüýüùþû ÿ s ✁s✻ ✶✻✹ ✂✄ þ ✂☎✆ ý ✝✄✞ ø
⑨⑩❶⑨❷❸❹⑩
⑧❹❸❺❷⑥❻⑥❼❽
❙✺✽☛✒ ✷✾✷ ✘✢✳✷✓✿✾✷✿✴
❈✌✑✕✒ ✗✾ ✷✾✷❀ ✥✗❁✵✓✵
⑨❶⑨❾❻⑨❿❻❹
⑨❸⑩➀➁➂➃⑧⑦⑦
➄➅➆ ➇➅➈➉➊
✸✹ ✻✹✼✽✿✽✹✼✽✹❀
✻✹■❁❂❛✹❃✽ ✸❄✽✹❃②
➪➶➹➘ ➴➷➬➶➮ ➱✃❐✃❒❮❰Ï❐ÐÑ❰Ò❐ÓÔ ÓÕ ❐❰❒❒ Ö×ØÙÚ ÛÜÜÝÙÞØØ
➓❾❿➅➄➆➉❾➔ ➁→➇➃➔ ➣➃↔❾
➅➌➂→➉➆➌➄❾ ➆➌❿ ➁➌➌→➅➇➅❾➂
❲❳❩❬❭❪❲❬❩❫❴❳
✏
in 2011 and the second in
2013, according to the Lib-
erty Theatre Foundation
grant tracking spreadsheet
provided by the city. The
agency previously decided
to grant forgivess for this
loan, but will require pay-
ment if the project isn’t
completed on time.
The members of the
URA also decided to deny
any further extensions
on this project, although
the future URA members
of 2021 could choose to
amend that decision if
they wish.
“I think (this agree-
ment) also provides some
➧➨➧➩➫➧➭ ➯➧➩➲➳➵➸➺➻➵➭ ➻➼➽➸➻➵➭ ➳➾➧➲➻➭ ➚➻➵➺➧➵➧
❵❞❡❢
☎ ✑✁
❾➊➄❾➋➋❾➌➇ ➂❾➉➍➅➄❾ ➎➏➐➁➎➎➑➒
victim examination room
in the state, according to
Evans. She said by doing
↕➙➛➜➝➜➛ ➞➟➠➡➢➤➥➦➡
❫❴❵❛❜❝
❐
the inspections of the side-
❅❇❅❇❈ ❉❊ ●❍❏ ❑ ▲▼◆❖P◗ ❍❘❙❯
✘☛✄✦✞ ☛ ✝✞
very important Union and
Wallowa counties have
their own localized SART
services to give survivors
a chance to come forward
and heal if they so choose.
“With it being such a
rural community, being
able to have these services
accessible to everyone is
really important because
not every county has a re-
source like this,” Bridge
said. “If we didn’t have this
service, people would be
traveling to Baker County
or Pendleton.”
Shelter From the Storm
is in a unique position as
it holds the only in-house
❽❾❾❿ ➀ ➁➂➂➃➄➅➆➇❾➂ ➈➃➉
①③④⑤⑥⑦ ⑧⑨⑩❶⑦❷
❚✯✰ ✲✳✴✰★❱✰★ ✵ ✺✷
❵♦❜❜ ❝❞❡❡ ❢❣❤✐✐❣❥❤❥❣❢❦❥❧
♠♠♠♥❞❡❡♣❣qrst❞✉r✈❡♥r❡✇
❸⑦❹③❺ ❻⑦⑦❼