FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019
KINDNESS
Continued from Page 1A
Kindness wants to ensure that they are
giving back to their community in every
possible way.
“I don’t take a wage. I don’t want to,”
Meyer said. “I just want to give back to the
community. I feel that it’s my call.”
All of the people working at Community
Kindness are volunteering their time, as
none of the employees take home a paycheck.
Meyer had the idea and means to open
the store in December 2018, and with the
help of the community her dream became
a reality. Business like ACE Hardware and
Carpet One donated paint and fl oors for
the shop located at 1315 Adams Ave. Com-
munity members’ donations helped fi ll the
store with clothes, furniture, appliances and
goods to buy at bargain prices.
“I am truly grateful for the support we
have had in these past eight weeks, and
before in the set up,” Meyer said. “I can’t
do this without that support. The people
B2H
Continued from Page 1A
approved and signed by Com-
missioners Paul Anderes,
Donna Beverage and Matt
Scarfo on Wednesday, include
requiring that the fi rm doing
the B2H work, likely Idaho
Power, contract with a Union
County wildland fi refi ghting
company that meets Oregon
Department of Forestry or
U.S. Forest Service qualifi ca-
tion standards. The com-
missioners’ request calls for
the wildland fi refi ghting
company to have an engine
and crew on site during all
construction activities outside
of multi-use areas. Multi-use
areas are gravel lay down
yards where heavy equip-
ment is kept at work sites
while a project is underway,
Beverage said.
Having wildland fi refi ght-
ers on hand would be critical,
the letter says, because of the
nature of this area’s topogra-
phy and the risks posed by
construction work.
“Union County is com-
prised of terrain that can be
challenging to reach by emer-
gency vehicles and during the
summer months is usually
under a high industrial fi re
precaution level. Since the
building of a new 500kv
high voltage transmission
line in Union County is not
a normal activity or occur-
rence, we feel there could be a
greater potential for wildland
THE OBSERVER — 5A
LOCAL
who come in and shop, and have come
back already, the people who donate this
stuff, and the people who come in and say,
‘You know what, good job,’ that keeps me
going. You can’t buy that, you can’t pay for
that stuff.”
Meyer aims to make the store accessible
for everyone, taking pride in the cleanliness
and organization of her store, with wide and
cleared aisles. She’s also proud of the items
that she sells within the store.
“I won’t sell anything here that I wouldn’t
buy myself,” Meyer said.
During the grand opening event, women’s
and children’s clothes, books and movies
will be half off. Meyer hopes that people
will come in and see the store as a place
that serves the community through acts of
kindness, integrity and love, according to
the store’s motto, seen on brochures and the
front of the store.
The store’s ribbon cutting will take place
at 9:45 a.m. and the shop will remain open
until 5 p.m. with special sales, refreshments
and prizes being offered during the day.
fi res because of the increased
construction activity level in
our country,” the commission-
ers wrote.
The impact the B2H
project will have on gravel
roads in Union County is also
addressed in the letter. The
roads the commissioners said
would be affected by B2H
work include Jimmy Creek,
Olsen, Heber, Bushnell, Mar-
vin, Hawthorne, Rock Creek
and Dark Canyon roads.
“Depending on how the
power line is constructed,
and the types of construction
equipment used, these roads
will need additional mainte-
nance,” the commissioners
wrote.
The letter also addresses
Morgan Lake and Glass Hill
roads, both gravel roads,
upon which Idaho Power or
one of its contractors would
be hauling heavy construc-
tion equipment. The letter
states that Idaho Power
should be required to widen
Morgan Lake Road so it can
accommodate two lanes of
traffi c and that its guardrail
should be installed for the full
length of the road. The letter
also states that Idaho Power
should be required to do
extensive maintenance work
on Glass Hill Road.
“All roads that will be used
to construct the B2H power
line are farm to market roads
and do not experience this
type of construction traffi c,”
the commissioners wrote.
ELGIN
Continued from Page 1A
who grew up in Elgin and
worked for Boise Cascade
for 19 years, succeeded Dave
Milner, who retired after
a 27-year career with the
Elgin School District.
Running the school bus
service is something Eck-
stein is enjoying, a responsi-
bility he will like even more
once the school year starts
Monday.
“I know the families and
kids (we will be serving). It is
exciting,” Eckstein said.
The longest of Elgin’s bus
routes, Eckstein said, is its
Palmer route, which goes all
the way to Lookingglass Fish
Hatchery, about 20 miles
north of Elgin.
As maintenance supervi-
Complete list of requests
Union County Commissioners request
the Oregon Department of Energy staff
take these six issues under serious
consideration and include them in the
Final Order.
REQUEST #1:
Oregon Department of Energy staff
needs to clearly identify a process for
confl ict resolution between Union
County and the Site Certifi cate Holder
or Site Certifi cate Holder’s contractor
for all approval conditions requiring
plan development after Site Certifi cate
approval is granted and prior to
construction activities commencing in
Union County. This shall be included
in the language of the Site Certifi cate if
approved.
REQUEST #2:
During construction activities of
the B2H Project in Union County,
the Site Certifi cate Holder will
contract with a local Union County
Wildlands Firefi ghting contractor
qualifi ed by the Oregon Department
of Forestry or the USDA Forest
Service and have a Type 6 or
Type 4 engine and crew on site at
construction locations during all
construction activities outside of
multi-use areas.
“Union County will require
(Idaho Power Company) to
review the condition of the
roads with Union County
Public Works Director to
develop a maintenance and
safety plan that will keep
Union County roads in cur-
rent or better condition.”
The issue of noxious weeds
sor, Eckstein is responsible
for hiring a staff of bus driv-
ers. The Elgin School District
presently has three full-time
certifi ed bus drivers, one
who is close to being certifi ed
and two who will serve as
substitutes.
Those who will be driv-
ing buses this school year
include Daniel Bolen, Elgin
High School’s agricultural
science teacher and FFA ad-
viser. Bolen has been driving
school day bus routes, often
as a substitute, since he was
hired as an EHS teacher six
years ago.
Bolen enjoys driving the
routes because it gives him
a chance to get to know the
district’s grade school stu-
dents. This means that when
they come into high school,
they will already know one
REQUEST #3:
During construction activities of
the B2H Project the Site Certifi cate
Holder and Site Certifi cate Holder’s
contractor(s) shall provide emergency
contact information to the following:
• Union County Sheriff’s Offi ce and
Dispatch
• Union County Emergency Services
Offi ce
• Union County Public Works
Department
• City of La Grande Police Department
• Oregon Department of Forestry
• USDA Forest Service, La Grande
Ranger Station
• Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch
Center
Emergency contact information shall
include individual’s name, company
individual works for, position individual
holds within that company, phone
number and business address.
REQUEST #4:
Union County requests Idaho Power
Company or the Site Certifi cate Holder
to use the Alternative Route (aka the
Morgan Lake route) identifi ed in the
application for Site Certifi cate of the
B2H Project.
REQUEST #5:
Union County requires a $500,000
is also addressed in the let-
ter, because activity on the
ground can cause seeds of
toxic weeds to germinate.
The commissioners are
requesting a $500,000 bond
from Idaho Power to pay for
noxious weed control costs “in
the event that adequate weed
control is not conducted by
of their teachers.
“It makes them feel a little
more comfortable (when
they see a familiar face),”
Bolen said.
Bolen said that the most
challenging part of driving
a school bus is developing a
sense of its size and where
it is on the road. He said
the many mirrors school
buses have are a big help.
They are such a big help,
he said, that sometimes
he feels more comfortable
driving a school bus than
he does his wife’s car or his
pickup.
Elgin School District Su-
perintendent Dianne Greif
said that making the busing
switch has made her sum-
mer a little more hectic.
“It has been busy but
exciting,” Greif said.
bond from Idaho Power Company to
pay for noxious weed control costs in
the event that adequate weed control
is not conducted by Idaho Power
Company at any point over the initial
20 years of construction and operation
of the B2H Project (as determined
by the county weed supervisor). This
bond will help offset costs if the county
must go through the enforcement
process and contract the noxious
weed treatments themselves. The
bond amount is based on estimated
contractor control costs for the roughly
3,500 acres of disturbed ground and
Site Boundary areas along with 55
miles of disturbed/new roads that will
be within Union County.
REQUEST #6:
During construction activities of the
B2H Project in Union County, the Site
Certifi cate Holder will contract with
a local North East Oregon noxious
weed control operator, licensed by
the Oregon Department of Agriculture
for noxious weed control activities.
After construction activities and for the
life of the transmission line Oregon
Revised Statue 569.390 will be used for
the control of noxious weeds in Union
County for all lands.
Source: Union County Board of Commissioners
Idaho Power Company at any
point over the initial 20 years
of construction and operation
of the B2H project.”
The letter states that
“Union County believes that
no portion of the B2H Project
should be sited within Union
County.” However, if this ob-
jection is ignored, the letter is
asking that Idaho Power in-
stall the transmission line via
the alternative Morgan Lake
route, which would run south
of the proposed Mill Creek
route in the Morgan Lake
area. Transmission lines on
this route would be much less
visible than on the Mill Creek
route, Beverage said.
IMPASSE
Continued from Page 1A
I got screened.
Now, I’m talking about it.
spokesperson Di Saun-
ders said the universities’
proposed compensation also
includes step increases which
about 70% of the employees
receive.
The universities are pro-
posing a 2.5% cost of living
adjustment plus the step
raises which total about a
12% increase overall in the
next two years, she said. The
union is seeking to add a step
at the top of the range so the
30% of employees who have
reached the previous top step
would also receive a step
raise during the next contract
period.
“In providing wage
increases to any group of
employees, it is important
that the universities weigh
the impacts that may directly
affect our primary stake-
holders: students, Saunders
said. “With tuition being the
primary revenue source for
the universities, any wage
increases must be balanced
against impacts on low- and
moderate-income students
and families in Oregon, while
also recognizing the high
value that classifi ed staff
provide to the universities
and our respect for their
contributions.”
SEIU 503 members last
went on strike in the mid-
1990s.
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screened because they’re encouraged
by someone they know and trust. So
if you’ve been screened, please talk
about your experience. And encourage
others to get screened too.
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Pendleton, Oregon
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