SPORTS
❰ÏÐÑ ÒÓ ÔÓÕ Ö××Ò ÑÓ ØÖÓ❰Ù
ÚÛÜ ôïðõíöíð÷í
ÝÞ ßàáâ ã äåæç
êëìí îïìðñòóð
ôíðñíö èé ø ùú ûüúýþÿ
Tigers lock up GOL
❇☞♦✌✍✎✏ ✏♦
②♦✌ ✑②✒
✴✵ ✶✷ ✸✹✺✻✼
✓✔✕✖✖ ✗✘✙✚✛✗✘✜✜✢ ✕✖✣✛✤✗✚✥✖✦ ✖✧★✖✕✙✩ ✙✘✜✪
✼✽ ✾✿✼✶✼❀❁❂
✘✫✛✬✙ ✙✔✖ ✚✭★✘✣✙ ✛✮ ✭✘✕✯✚✬✘✗✘ ✛✗ ✢✛✬✙✔✰
✱✛✭✖ ✤✖✙ ✢✛✬✕ ✲✬✖✩✙✚✛✗✩ ✘✗✩✳✖✕✖✦✰
❯ ✁✂ ✄✂☎ ✆✝
❙✞✟✠ ✄✂✡✡☎ ✁✆✁✠☛
✄✂✞❈✁✆✁✂
❆✖✤✚✩✙✖✕ ✛✗✜✚✗✖ ✘✙❉ ✔✙✙★✩❉❊❊✜✘✤✕✘✗✦✖✗✭✚✰✖❋✖✗✙✫✕✚✙✖✰✣✛✭
✖✭✘✚✜❉ ✬✣✩✘✮✖✣✛✭✭✬✗✚✙✚✖✩●✤✭✘✚✜✰✣✛✭ ✛✕ ✣✘✜✜ ❍■❏✰❑▲▼✰❏◆▲❖
❃✼❄ ✷✵✻❅
P◗❘❚❱❲❳❨❲❚❩❬ ❚❱ ❳◗❭❪❚❳◗❫ ❴❩❳ ❩❬❵❱❚❲◗ ❛❜❚❝❫ ❛❨❳◗ ❨❬❫ ❳◗❴❳◗❱❜❞◗❬❲❱
↕➙➛➛➙➜ ➝➞ ➙➟ ➠➡➢ ➜➢➤
➵➸➸➺ ➺➻➼ ➽➸ ➸➾➚ ➪➻➶➾➹➺ ➘➾➴➘➷➚➬➴➹➚➮➱➹➚➹➘➻ ✃➬➚➴➼ ➸❐ ❒➻ ➵➚➻❮➺➹
MONDAY ➥ ➦➧➨ ➩➫ ➭➯➲➳ ➥ $1.50
Spring
cleaning
Candidate
believes
legal
knowhow
a plus
✁ ❚✂✄ ☎✆✝✞ ✟✠
❊✡☛✆☞ ✝✟ ✂✟✡✌ ✆✝✍
✎☞☞✏✎✡ ☎✡✄✎☞✏✑
❉✎✞ ✝✂✆✍ ②✎✝✏✒✌✎✞
❡❢ ❣❤✐❥❦✐ ❧♠♥♣qrs❦
t✉✈ ✇①③✈④⑤✈④
❡❢ ➜♥➝➞ ➟✐♣s❥
t✉✈ ✇①③✈④⑤✈④
A legal background
can serve a school board
member well.
Kevin Smolkowski,
who has a law degree,
believes this and says
it is a reason why he is
running to remain on
the Elgin School Board.
Smolkowski, a 1989
graduate of the Uni-
versity of Oregon Law
School, grew up in the
Grande Ronde Valley
and is completing his
➅❻➀➂ ➊❿❶⑦ ⑧❼ ➀➂❿ ➯❽➣❹❼
School Board.
“A law background
helps you as a school
board member because
you often review poli-
cies and procedures
to make sure they are
legal,” he said.
Smolkowski, a candi-
⑥❶➀❿ ❻⑧⑦ ➲⑧➁❹➀❹⑧❼ ➨ ⑧❼
the Elgin School Board,
is running against
Rod Spikes in the
May 21 mail election.
Smolkowski currently
holds Position 2 on the
school board but cannot
run for reelection for his
current seat because he
is in the process of mov-
ing inside the Elgin city
limits.
Position 2 is open to
people who live in the
Elgin School District
but outside Elgin’s city
❽❹❷❹➀➁➉ ➇➂❹❽❿ ➲⑧➁❹➀❹⑧❼ ➨
is open only to people
living within the city
limits.
Smolkowski previous-
ly worked for the Inter-
nal Revenue Service as
❶ ➁➀❶⑩ ❶➀➀⑧⑦❼❿➊ ❶❼⑥ ❼⑧➇
❹➁ ❶❼ ❿❸❿❾❺➀❹➈❿ ❶⑥➈❹➁❿⑦
for CVS, a national drug
store company. He grew
up in La Grande and
has lived in the Grande
Ronde Valley most of
his life. Smolkowski
is a 1981 graduate of
See Elgin / Page 5A
➳➵➸➺➻➼➽➾ ➚➪➵➻➵
➶➹➘➴➹➷➬ ➮➴➹➬ ➱✃❐❒❮ ❐❰ ➴Ï❮ Ð➹ ➱✃➹➬Ñ❮ Ò➷✃❮ Ó❮➘➹✃➴Ô❮➬➴ ➷Õ ✃❮➴➷✃➷➬Ö ➹❰➴❮✃ ➹ ×ØÙÚ❮➹✃ Û➹✃❮❮✃ Ü➷➴Ï ➴Ï❮ Ñ❮➘➹✃➴Ô❮➬➴Ý
A firefighter and a mentor
❡❢ ➜♥➝➞ ➟✐♣s❥
t✉✈ ✇①③✈④⑤✈④
In an age of thermal imaging
cameras, self-contained breathing
apparatuses and robotics, it is easy
➀⑧ ❻⑧⑦➣❿➀ ➀➂❶➀ ➅⑦❿➅➣➂➀❹❼➣ ❹➁ ❼⑧➀ ⑧❼❽➊
a science but also a craft.
An art that Captain Stan Grove of
the La Grande Fire Department has
spent much of the past two decades
“He has been a great mentor. He
wants to see people be successful in
a job he is very passionate about,”
➁❶❹⑥ ➍❿❼❼❹❻❿⑦ ➠⑧❸➉ ➡➢➠➑➤➁ ❶⑥❷❹❼❹➁➒
trative assistant.
Tibbetts said Grove has the per-
fect demeanor for a mentor: “He is
patient and always kind.”
Grove is stepping down to get a
break from the physical and psycho-
➅➣➂➀❿⑦➁ ⑧⑩ ⑥❺➀➊➉ ➂⑧➇❿➈❿⑦➉ ❶⑦❿ ❶❽➒
❹❼ ⑨❽❶❾❿ ➀⑧ ⑧⑩➁❿➀ ➀➂❿ ❾⑧➁➀
ways on call in case there is a major
of Cleanup Day.
❶➁ ❶ ➅⑦❿➅➣➂➀❿⑦➌
“I’m old enough now to be the
grandfathers of some of them,” he
said.
“He is dedicated to his craft and
leading new people to it,” said Capt.
Robert Tibbetts of the La Grande
Fire Department.
Grove has been a member of the
La Grande Fire Department for the
past 28 years and now is leaving his
department in the hands of many
➅⑦❿➅➣➂➀❿⑦➁ ➂❿ ➂❿❽⑨❿⑥ ➀⑦❶❹❼➌
➁➂❹❻➀➁ ❻⑧❽❽⑧➇❿⑥ ➆➊ ➫➭ ➂⑧❺⑦➁ ⑧⑩➌ ➠❹⑦❿➒
❶❼⑥ ➀➂❿ ➊⑧❺❼➣❿➁➀ ➅⑦❿➅➣➂➀❿⑦➁➌
➂❿❽⑨❹❼➣ ⑧➀➂❿⑦ ➅⑦❿➅➣➂➀❿⑦➁ ❷❶➁➀❿⑦➌
Þß àá âßâàãäåßâ åæ çàá
ãèäéå äêâ ëßäâàêì êßí
îßæîëß åæ àåïð
ñ òóôõö÷øùôôõ÷÷úû
üýþ÷ýùÿû ý öýÿ õ
ùöõ õþýö÷ õÿ÷
❋ ❡
✥
t
❛
“You get an adrenaline rush com-
ing out of a deep sleep,” Grove said.
Such shocks to one’s system take a
➀⑧❽❽➉ ❶❼⑥ ❹❼ ❶ ➁❿❼➁❿ ➅⑦❿➅➣➂➀❿⑦➁ ⑦❶⑦❿❽➊
completely wind down.
“Strong adrenaline is still there
continually,” Grove said.
➥➂❿ ➅⑦❿➅➣➂➀❿⑦➉ ➦➧➉ ➁❶❹⑥ ➂❿ ➆❿➣❶❼
realizing it was time to consider
retiring when he saw an increasing
age discrepancy between himself
⑥⑦⑧⑨ ⑧⑩ ❶ ❷❶❸❹❷❺❷ ⑧❻
10 tires, and the tires
will be accepted only
until 11 a.m.
Brock Eckstein, city
administrator and re-
corder, said the $5 do-
nation per load was put
logical stress he regularly confronted
“It is a young man’s job,” Grove
said. “It is hard missing sleep and al-
ways staying ready.”
He said that arising in the middle
of the night to respond to an emer-
gency is always challenging but aid-
ed by a feeling of urgency.
The Elgin Chamber of
Commerce is hosting its
eighth annual Cleanup
Day May 11, collabo-
rating with local clubs
and student athletes to
beautify the city.
Anyone living in the
97827 zip code can take
advantage of the pro-
gram, which allows El-
gin citizens to dispose
of trash, furniture, bat-
teries, tires and other
difficult-to-throw-out
items at a discounted
rate from 8 a.m. to noon
at the Elgin City Dump.
New this year is a $5
minimum donation per
load, a $2 fee for regu-
lar tires and a $5 fee for
truck and tractor tires.
Each household can
➡➢➠➑ ➅⑦❿➅➣➂➀❿⑦➁ ➇⑧⑦➏ ➨➩➒➂⑧❺⑦
❿❷❿⑦➣❿❼❾➊ ❹❼ ➇➂❹❾➂ ❶⑥⑥❹➀❹⑧❼❶❽ ➅⑦➁➀
➃➄➀ ➅⑦➁➀ ➀➂❿ ❾➂❶❷➆❿⑦
responders are needed. They must
sleep with their pagers on so they
can respond at a moment’s notice.
Grove’s family has become accus-
tomed to hearing calls on Stan’s pag-
er, according to his oldest daughter,
Lisa. She said her family is looking
forward to seeing what evenings will
be like without hearing emergency
dispatch calls.
“We may or may not miss being
awakened by the pager sounds. Prob-
ably not,” she said at a retirement
party for her father on Wednesday.
was doing it for dona-
tions only at the gate,
but we started having
➡❹➏❿ ❶❽❽ ❻❺❽❽➒➀❹❷❿ ➅⑦❿➅➣➂➀❿⑦➁ ➇❹➀➂ ➀➂❿
LGFD, Grove is an emergency medi-
cal technician who has made countless
calls to provide medical assistance. He
had been responsible for accessing and
stabilizing the condition of patients,
⑨❿⑧⑨❽❿ ➇❹➀➂ ➁❹❸ ➀⑧ ➁❿➈❿❼
loads and they weren’t
paying anything so it got
out of balance,” he said.
“We’re hoping this will
rein it in a little bit.”
According to a press
release from the cham-
ber, the 2018 garbage
bill added up to nearly
$3,600. While dona-
tions at the gate and
sponsor money helped
➀⑧ ⑧⑩➁❿➀ ➀➂❹➁ ❾⑧➁➀➉ ➀➂❿
city still owed more than
$1,500 at the end of the
day.
See Grove / Page 5A
See Cleanup / Page 5A
Local organization recognized by Sen. Merkley for service
manager for Community Connec-
❡❢ ❣❤✐❥❦✐ ❧♠♥♣qrs❦
t✉✈ ✇①③✈④⑤✈④
➀❹⑧❼➉ ❶❼⑥ ⑨⑦❿➁❿❼➀❿⑥ ➂❿⑦ ➇❹➀➂ ❶ →❶➣
For 50 years, one local organiza-
tion has been providing vital com-
munity services and has largely
gone without praise or recogni-
tion. But on April 25, it received a
much deserved thanks.
Community Connection of
Northeast Oregon was recognized
for its outstanding service to Bak-
er, Union and Wallowa counties
➆➊ ➋❿❼➌ ➍❿⑩ ➎❿⑦➏❽❿➊ ➐➑➒➓⑦❿➌➔ ❶➀
his town hall in La Grande in late
April. Merkley shook the hand
of Audrey Smith, Union County
manager and regional food bank
❩❂❬❭❪
❈✂ ❈☛☞✆ ✄☎☎✆ ✌ ✝ ☎✠ ✆✞ ✠ ✟✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✸✡ ✹✡
❈✍☛☎☎✎☛✍✟✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✽✡ ✺✡
❉✞✄✍✏✑✑✒✠
➀➂❶➀ ➂❶➁ →⑧➇❼ ⑧➈❿⑦ ➀➂❿ ↔➌➋➌ ↕❶⑨❹➒
tol.
“I’ve been with Community
Connection now for two years,
and I’ve learned it’s uniquely re-
sponsive to the needs of our com-
munity,” Smith said at the town
hall. “We’re very happy to cel-
ebrate our 50th anniversary this
year, and I want to thank Sen.
Merkley for honoring us.”
In a follow-up email, Merkley
noted his reasoning for honoring
Community Connection was due
to the vast range of services it has
its seven locations and about 90
employees, strives to best “advo-
cate for and assist senior citizens,
children, low-income persons, and
persons with disabilities in attain-
ing basic human needs and in be-
➀⑧ ➀➂❿❹⑦ ➇⑧⑦➏ ⑧➈❿⑦ ➀➂❿ ❽❶➁➀ ➅➈❿ ⑥❿➒
cording to its mission statement.
Margaret Davidson, Community
cades. We need groups like Com-
munity Connection to continue
providing essential resources to
rural communities, and I am com-
mitted to being a strong federal
partner by supporting the range
of programs that enable them to
do just that.”
Community Connection, with
❾⑧❷❹❼➣ ❷⑧⑦❿ ➁❿❽❻➒➁❺➙❾❹❿❼➀➉➛ ❶❾➒
↕⑧❼❼❿❾➀❹⑧❼
❿❸❿❾❺➀❹➈❿
⑥❹⑦❿❾➀⑧⑦➉
called the organization one of the
community’s “best kept secrets.”
“I don’t think people have any
idea of the array of services that
we provide,” said Davidson, who
has worked with Community Con-
See Service / Page 5A
❝❞❡❢❣❞❤ ✐✉❥❥ ❦❧♠♣qrst❧✈t✇♣①rq②❧❦③s♣qt④❧✈ ❀❁❂❃❆❀❃ ❄❅ ❫❆❴❭❆ ❅❃❁❵❛ ❩❬❭❆❜
⑤⑥⑦⑧⑨⑩❶
⑤❿➀➁➂➃➄ ❇❋●❏❑▼◗❏◗●▼● ✘✙✚✚ ❚✛✜✢✣✤✜✦✧✜✦★✜✩✤✦✪✪✫✙✬
❷❸
❼❽❾❷❷
❱☎☎✕✞✺✸ ✆☛✖☎❲✶✻✓✄❳✞☎ ✭✮✯✲✰✱✳✲✳✯✱✯✪✦✤✜★✴✙★✜✫✙✵✚ ✬✪
✷☎✞✌♦
➅➆➇➈➉➊ ❹❺❻
➋➉➌➍➎➊
➏➐➆➑➑➒
➓
➔
➑→➌➣↔➇
✔✄❨✍✄✖✟✞❲❖✍✞❳☛✖ ★✜✩✤♥✚✙✼✦✙★✴✜✪✣✤✜✦✧✜✦✾✿✪✫✾
Online at lagrandeobserver.
❊▲ ■◆ ✥❯❙❊❯✥ ✁P❊◆❙
com
❍☛☞✞✠
✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✶✡ ✺✡ ❖✑✆ ❖✓✆✖ ♦✕ ✆☛ ✄✍✆ ✖✠ ✞ ✠ ☎✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✹ ✸ ✏ ✏
❍☛✍☛☎✌☛✓✞✠
✔☛♦ ❘✞✌☛✍✟✠
♦✞✍✒✠✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠✷ ✸ ✏ ✏ ✗✓☛✍♦☎ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✻✏
WEDNESDAY
provided for half a century.
“I congratulate Community
Connection on their 50th anni-
versary, and was happy to honor
them at the town hall,” Merkley
wrote. “Countless Oregonians in
this area have been helped thanks