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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 2019)
2A — THE OBSERVER D AILY P LANNER TODAY Today is Monday, Sept. 2, the 245th day of 2019. There are 120 days left in the year. TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT On Sept. 2, 1969, in what some regard as the birth of the Internet, two connected comput- ers at the University of California, Los Angeles, passed test data through a 15-foot cable. The first automatic teller machine (ATM) to utilize magnetic-striped cards was opened to the public at Chemi- cal Bank in New York. (Called a “Docuteller,” it was developed by Donald C. Wetzel.) ON THIS DATE In 1864, during the Civil War, Union Gen. William T. Sherman’s forces occupied Atlanta. In 1930, the first nonstop airplane flight from Europe to the U.S. was completed in 37 hours as Capt. Dieudonne Costes and Maurice Bellonte of France ar- rived in Valley Stream, New York, aboard their Breguet 19 biplane, which bore the symbol of a large question mark. In 1945, Japan formally sur- rendered in ceremonies aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, ending World War II. CORRECTION The Aug. 30 article, “Daugther of missing La Grande woman still seeks answers” incorrectly stated the memorial’s date. The cor- rect date is Sept. 14. LOTTERY Megabucks: $4.2 million 9-12-33-37-43-45 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2019 LOCAL Updates from Cook Memorial-La Grande Public Library C ook Memorial Library is closed today for Labor Day. Join us for “500 Miles through Spain: Lessons from the Camino de San- tiago,” presented by Jamie Jacobson, on Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. Recently returned from a solo 35-day trek across Spain, she will be sharing photos, stories and lessons learned along the way. Check out our new GO-STEM kits, part of the “Greater Oregon Science, Technology, and Math” regional partnership with EOU. Kits include com- ponents to explore STEM principles and education. Our annual School Sup- plies for Library Fines event runs through the end of OFF THE SHELF ROSE PEACOCK September. Patrons may bring in one new packaged item from an approved list and the library will waive $1 in overdue fi nes up to $10 per library card. Don’t have fi nes? We will gladly accept donations. See our website, Facebook page or front desk for a list of supplies. The Literacy Center opens Sept. 17. Regular hours will be 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. Toddler Time is Mondays at 10:20 a.m. for ages 14 months to 4 years and their caregivers. Baby Tot Bop, for those 3 years old and younger, is Fridays at 10:30 a.m. There will not be Baby Tot Bop on Sept. 6 or Sept.r 27. All children’s events are held in the Community Room. Children ages newborn to 5 may be signed up for the Dolly Parton Imagina- tion Library online or at the library. Participants receive a free book in the mail each month through their fi fth birthday. Also, Ready- 2Learn library cards are available for children age 5 and younger. Page Turners book club for adults meets Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. in the Archives Room. The book for discus- sion is “The Island of Sea Women,” by Lisa See, which tells of the complexi- ties of female friendship and the unique culture of the Korean island of Jeju spanning the multiple and complex cultural and politi- cal upheavals of the 20th century. Guided and silent medi- tation sessions begin Sept. 4. Led by Kitia Cham- bers, these sessions run Wednesdays from 5:15 p.m. to 6 p.m. and will explore a variety of meditation and relaxation styles and techniques. No experience is necessary. Ballet Basics, on Tues- days at 12:10 p.m., begins Sept. 10. This free, drop-in introduction to the fun- damentals of ballet is for adults only. Foreign Film Friday returns Sept. 13 with the Korean fi lm “Treeless Mountain.” Films will now start at 4 p.m. in the Community Room. Refresh- ments are provided. Teen Book Clubs, one for middle school age and one for high schoolers, will meet Sept. 5. See Celine for details. The Teen Writing Circle is Sept. 12 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Create an air plant terrarium at iCraft on at 4 p.m. Sept. 20. Teen events are open to those in middle and high school. Library hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to 6 p.m. Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Visit us at 2006 Fourth St., La Grande or call us at 541-962-1339. Find out more on our website, cityofl agrande.org/ library and Facebook page. Cow Fire gets moving over the weekend, jumps to 6,700 acres with help from dry weather, heat By Jayson Jacoby EO Media Group Record heat during the holiday weekend contrib- uted to the growth of the area’s largest wildfi re, and winds pushed smoke from the blaze into Baker Valley on Sunday. The 204 Cow Fire was started by lightning Aug. 9 on the Malheur Na- tional Forest in the extreme southwest corner of Baker County. The fi re, estimated at 6,700 acres, has also burned south into Grant County. The 204 Cow Fire is 10% contained. The temperature Sat- urday reached 96 degrees at the Baker City Airport, breaking the previous record for Aug. 31 of 94, set in 1998. It was the second record high in four days at the airport. Wednesday’s high of 100 broke the previous record for Aug. 28 of 98 degrees, also set in 1998. The heat, combined with low humidities and gusty winds, pushed the 204 Cow Fire toward contain- ment lines that crews have established, according to fi re offi cials. Some of the smoke also came from fi res that crews intentionally lit to burn areas between the main fi re and those containment lines. Five helicopters are assigned to the fi re. Some of those are based at the Baker City Airport, and have been making multiple fl ights near Baker City as they return to refuel. The Granite Gulch Fire, burning in the Eagle Cap Wilderness northeast of Baker City, was also active Sunday, but most of the burning was within the existing 5,200-acre perim- eter, according to the Forest Service. “The west wind should help the fi re continue to spread deeper in to the Last Chance basin where it can continue to ease around,” Incident Commander Adam Wing said. “I expect the east fl ank to continue to burn along the slope, with the wind causing short runs up the hill in front of itself.” Smoke from the 204 Cow Fire spread into Baker Valley Sunday, but the air quality remained in the “good” category. The air quality has crept slightly into the “moderate” category only once in the past few weeks, reaching 53 at 10 p.m. on Thursday. The “good” range is less than 50, and “moderate” is from 51 to 100. Mega Millions: $127 million 3-9-11-34-39-10-x4 LADD Powerball: $80 million 14-41-50-56-57-PB 18-x5 Win for Life: Aug. 31 4-27-39-62 Pick 4: Sept. 1 • 1 p.m.: 8-6-9-9 • 4 p.m.: 6-5-4-4 • 7 p.m.: 9-0-6-1 • 10 p.m.: 5-6-0-8 Pick 4: Aug. 31 • 1 p.m.: 6-9-7-7 • 4 p.m.: 3-1-8-1 • 7 p.m.: 7-5-1-7 • 10 p.m.: 2-0-3-4 Pick 4: Aug. 30 • 1 p.m.: 5-6-7-4 • 4 p.m.: 1-5-0-4 • 7 p.m.: 5-8-4-2 • 10 p.m.: 4-9-9-4 ROAD REPORT Numbers to call: • Inside Oregon: 800-977-6368. • Outside Oregon: 503-588-2941. NEWSPAPER LATE? Every effort is made to deliver your Observer in a timely manner. Occasionally conditions exist that make delivery more difficult. If you are not on a motor route, delivery should be before 5:30 p.m. If you do not receive your paper please call 541-963-3161. QUOTE OF THE DAY “Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.” Margaret Mead, American anthropologist (1901-1978) Continued from Page 1A One, fi nished in June, involved widening the fast lane shoulders from La Grande to Ladd Canyon, a distance of about 7 miles. The expanded shoulders, which are now 7-feet wide, provide more space for drivers to pull over during SEIU Continued from Page 1A proposed contract plus the addition of a new step. The latter would allow employ- ees who have “topped out” to receive a step increase. Step increases are pay raises provided for job per- formances rated satisfactory or better. Employees who have reached the top of the wage schedule have topped out and are not eligible for step increases. Employees reach the top of wage sched- ule after 10 years. Oregon’s public universi- ties are offering classifi ed staff employees a 2.5% total cost of living adjustment in 2020-21 but no increases in 2019. Classifi ed staff employees would receive a 1% COLA increase March 1, 2020, and 0.75% COLA emergencies and make it less likely they will accidentally roll off the freeway. Remily said the expanded shoulders will be a big help when ODOT has to close the east and westbound slow lanes to do main- tenance work. All slow-lane traffi c will be diverted to the fast lane, where the additional space will ac- commodate more vehicles. This will boosts on Nov. 1, 2020, and March 1, 2021. The state’s universi- ties are also offering step increases in 2019-20 and 2020-21, for which 70% of the classifi ed staff em- ployees are eligible. These step increases would raise the base wages of eligible employees by 9.5% over two years, according to Di Saunders, a spokesperson for the state’s seven public universities. The fi rst bargaining ses- sions during the cooling-off period are set to be conduct- ed Sept. 11-13 in Corvallis and Sept. 23-24 at Portland State University. The SEIU bargaining team represents about 4,500 student service employees also make things less hazardous for maintenance workers. The second portion of the project that has been completed is the repav- ing the Exit 265, about 5 miles east of Ladd Canyon. Remily said the Exit 265 roadway was badly in need of re- pair because it was cracked and rutted. ODOT will conclude work on the Ladd Canyon Freight Improvement at Oregon’s public universi- ties. EOU has about 130 classifi ed staff who include custodians, carpenters, plumbers, offi ce specialists, information technology specialists and heating, air conditioning and ventilation system specialists. The earliest the classifi ed staff at the state’s universi- ties could strike is Sept. 23. Morris said he hopes a strike can be avoided. “Nobody wants to strike (but) members will do this because they want to show management they provide value to students and their campuses,” he said. Morris said that for the last three to fi ve years, the wage increases the univer- sity services workers have Project in late October and resume it in 2020 on April 8. The spring work will include the addition of a 1.5-mile third lane on I-84 from Milepost 269.5 to Milepost 271. The new lane will be meant for trucks. The expanded space should reduce the number of times Ladd Canyon has to be closed due to trucks block- ing lanes, Remily said. received have not kept up with infl ation. “It is time to change this,” he said. Saunders said she remains hopeful that a contract can be settled before there is a strike, one which likely would impact students since classes at Oregon’s state universities begin La GRANDE AUTO REPAIR 975-2000 www.lagrandeautorepair.com MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE Joe Horst ACDelcoTSS Sept. 25. She noted that the classifi ed staff and the state’s universities share a common interest: They want students to be successful. “They (the classifi ed staff and the universities) will work hard to make sure that the start of the school year is not disrupted,” Saunders said. Closed Labor Day Tues-Fri Blue Plate $12: Shrimp Stuffed Sole with buttered noodles and a cucumber salad Open Mic with Ashley O’Toole Tuesday, September 3rd 8pm-10pm 541-963-8766 tendepotstreet.com Grande Ronde Hospital proudly welcomes: Jeanna Romer, MD Joining the GRH Women’s Clinic team as a Doctor of Gynecology & Obstetrics Dr. Romer is a native Oregonian and Eastern Oregon University graduate. She was drawn back to the Grande Ronde Valley by her love of the people, the outdoors, and the desire to raise her family in a small community, all the while providing access to quality, non-judgemental, and compassionate healthcare for women throughout n internship intern nsh ship ip at a t the th e University Univ Un iver ersi sity ty of o f the area. Dr. Romer completed her medical education at OHSU, followed by an Hawaii on Oahu, and then completed her OB/GYN residency at the University of f es,, Connecticut. Professionally, she is interested in minimally invasive surgeries, thyy healthcare policy and women’s health advocacy. She is passionate about healthy lifestyles including diet, exercise, and preventative medicine. She enjoys working ng g with women at various stages of their lives - whether they need a surgeon, are e trying to prevent pregnancy, seeking help to conceive, or dealing with issues uess surrounding menopause. Personally, Dr. Romer enjoys running, biking, hiking, rock ockk climbing, cooking, and spending time with her husband and three young children. n. Please join us in welcoming Dr. Romer and her family back to the area! a! GRH Women’s & Children’s Clinic 710 Sunset Drive, Suite E, La Grande • 541.663.3150 • grh.org/ob-gyn/ n/ Dr. Romer is now accepting new patients! Learn more about Dr. Romer in our online Provider Directory at www.grh.org today. Jeanna Romer, MD
