Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 25, 2019)
LOCAL WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2019 UNION Continued from Page 1A in economic development and asset management. • Marty McKeon, a retiree who is an active community volunteer. The candidates were interviewed together by the council. All four of the candi- dates said they enjoy living in Union immensely. “I love Union and the free- dom we have,” McKeon said. The candidate said she likes that ordinances are enforced in a way that resi- dents don’t feel constrained. McDowell said one of the remarkable things about Union is that it has no down- side in terms of living space. “I just love the town,” he said. “I don’t know of a bad spot in Union wherever you live.” The candidate said he would like to see Union look into getting a readily acces- sible food bank established with the help of a grant. Hurd said he has gained a lot of knowledge about how cities operate through his work experience at Lincoln City. He wants to use what he learned to help Union. “I want to give back,” Hurd said. Jones said she would like to see Union grow but not to the point that it will lose its small community charm. “I want to see us gear up just a little bit,” she said. Mayor Leonard Flint told the candidates after the group interview that he was impressed with them and selecting one will not be easy. “You have made the city council’s job very diffi cult,” the mayor said. THE OBSERVER — 5A The chosen candidate will fi ll a vacancy created this summer when Walt Brook- shire stepped down because he is making Cove his new residence. Brookshire recently sold the building his business, the Union Drug Co., operates in. He will continue operating Union Drug Co. in the building he once owned. Brookshire was appointed to the city council about 2-1/2 years ago to fi ll a vacancy. He was elected to a four-year term in November of 2018. INQUIRY Continued from Page 1A and consequential confrontation with the Republican president, injects deep uncertainty into the 2020 election campaign and tests anew the nation’s constitutional system of checks and balances. Trump, who thrives on combat, has all but dared Democrats to take this step, confi dent that the specter of im- peachment led by the opposition party will bolster rather than diminish his political support. “There has been no President in the history of our Country who has been treated so badly as I have,” he tweeted Wednesday from New York, where he has spent the week meeting with world leaders participating in the annual U.N. General Assembly. “The Democrats are frozen with hatred and fear. They get nothing done. This should never be allowed to happen to another President. Witch Hunt!” While Pelosi’s announcement adds weight to the work being done on the oversight committees, the next steps are likely to resemble the past several months of hearings and legal battles — except with the possibility of actual impeachment votes. Her brief statement, delivered with- out dramatic fl ourish but in the frame- JUDGE Continued from Page 1A alcohol crimes who complete a 18-month treatment pro- gram through Drug Court, now named Treatment Court, can in some cases have their charges dismissed or their jail sentences reduced. “He helped get a lot of people off drugs,” West said of Mendiguren’s work with Drug Court, which since has been renamed Treatment Court. West said part of Mendig- uren’s success in Drug Court was due to his engaging personality. “He had a nice way of en- couraging people,” he said. Michelle Leonard, trial court administrator for Union and Wallowa counties, echoed this sentiment. “He was very compassion- ate person,” Leonard said. She said that in the court- room Mendiguren was able to connect with defendants and make them feel like he could INCREASE “We wanted to give members time to prepare of the change.” Continued from Page 1A Sandra Ghormley, direc- tor of member services, said the increase was an- nounced now to give time for members to adjust. “We wanted to give mem- Ghormley bers time to prepare for the change,” she said. Providing safe and reli- able service to its members at competitive rates re- mains a priority for OTEC, according to the news release, which stated that the cooperative has limited its cost increases to 0.95% — Sandra Ghormley, director of member services on an upcoming change to members’ bills on an annual basis over the past 15 years, while overall infl ation has increased in excess of 2% annually for the same period. OTEC is a not-for-profi t, member-owned electric co- operative that serves more than 31,000 homes and businesses in Union, Baker, Harney and Grant counties. Headquartered in Baker City, OTEC has district offi ces in La Grande, Burns and John Day. Stuck in a payday loan? Know before you owe dfr.oregon.gov J. Scott Applewhite/The Associated Press Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, joins impeachment activists with a youth-led group, By The People, to call for Congress to remove President Donald Trump from offi ce, outside the Rayburn House Offi ce Building on Capitol Hill. work of a constitutional crisis, capped a frenetic weeklong stretch on Capitol Hill as details of a classifi ed whistle- blower complaint about Trump burst into the open and momentum shifted toward an impeachment probe. For months, the Democratic leader has tried calming the push for impeach- ment, saying the House must investi- gate the facts and let the public decide. The new drive was led by a group of moderate Democratic lawmakers from political swing districts, many of them with national security backgrounds and relate to their struggles. “He would tell them, ‘Ev- eryone has things going on in their lives, even judges,’” Leonard recalled. Steven Joseph, a La Grande attorney who was a law part- ner of Mendiguren’s before he was elected judge, said that while this is true, it never infl uenced his court decisions. “He had a high level of em- pathy for those in the cross- hairs of the law,” Joseph said, “but that didn’t constitute a hall pass for misconduct.” Joseph said he was im- pressed by how Mendiguren never let politics or personal- ities infl uence his decisions. He said that in Mendiguren’s mind “the law was the mas- ter” and that proper applica- tion of it was crucial. Mendiguren, who grew up in Ontario, was a graduate of Gonzaga University Law School and practiced law in La Grande for about 17 years before he was elected a circuit court judge of Union serving in Congress for the fi rst time. The freshmen, who largely represent districts previously held by Republicans where Trump is popular, risk their own reelections but say they could no longer stand idle. Amplifying their call were longtime leaders, including Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, the civil rights icon often considered the conscience of House Democrats. “Now is the time to act,” said Lewis in an address to the House. “To delay or to do otherwise would betray the founda- tion of our democracy.” and Wallowa counties. Leonard, who worked in Mendiguren’s law offi ce before he was a judge, noted that during this time he was among the Union County lawyers serving as court- appointed attorneys for those who could not afford one. Mendiguren was reimbursed by the state but at a rate much lower than what he was making as an attorney in private practice. “He worked for a very reduced rate,” Leonard said. “He wanted to help those who could not afford an attorney.” Mendiguren was also devoted to his wife, Delo- res, and their two sons and two daughters, and he was involved in many community organizations including the Optimist Club, Cub Scouts, the Elks Club and Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church, of which he was an active member. He was part of the church’s theater group, The Fourth Street Players, that put on a dinner theater production each February. Zee Koza, director of the dinner theater productions, said Mendiguren was a delight to have in the cast each year. “He was such a kind per- son. He enjoyed performing and he wanted everyone else to have as good a time as he was,” Koza said. Playing golf and hunting were among Mendiguren’s hobbies. Those he played golf with included Mike Craw- ford of Enterprise. Craw- ford was always struck by Mendiguren’s interest in the welfare of others. “He (always) wanted to know how you were doing. It mattered to him,” he said. Crawford recalled that when Mendiguren was in Wallowa County, he made a point of visiting the father of one of his best friends. “Not everyone goes out of their way to do something like that,” Crawford said. EARTHLINK INTERNET HIGH SPEED INTERNET Enjoy big-time Internet speeds without spending big bucks! Get Connected for as low as $ Get Connected for as low as 14.95/mo. $ For the first 3 months (Offers vary by speed & location) HyperLink™ CONTACT YOUR LOCAL AUTHORIZED RETAILER Satellite Internet Connection speeds up to 75 Mbps* • 50X faster than DSL!!** 49.99/mo. first 12 months High-Speed Internet What you get with HughesNet Satellite Internet: • High speed with fiber optic technology • Fast download time for streaming videos, music and more! • Fast speeds up to 25 Mbps • Available everywhere 855-977-9436 • Larger data allowance (up to 50 GB per month) Speed performance allowing you to stream & download shows, music, photos, large files and more on multiple devices HughesNet is a registered trademark of Hughes Network Systems, LLC, an EchoStar company. The HughsNet Gen5 service plans are designed to deliver download speeds of 25 Mbps and upload speeds of 3 Mbps, but individual customers may experience different speeds at different times of the day. Speeds and uninterrupted use are not guaranteed and may vary based on a variety of factors including: the configuration of your computer, the number of concurrent users, network of Internet congestion, the capabilities and content of the websites you are accessing, network management practices as deemed necessary, and other factors. When you connected to HughesNet service using Wi-Fi, your experience will vary based on your proximity to the Wi-Fi source and the strength of the signal. *Speeds may vary depending on distance, line quality and number of devices used concurrently. Subject to availability. Some prices shown may be introductory offers. Equipment fees, taxes and other fees and restrictions may apply. **Speed comparison based on 1.5 Mbps DSL. Your Family Deserves The e BEST Technology... Value... TV!... Add High Speed Internet /mo. 190 Channels America’s Top 120 CALL TODAY Save 20%! Subject to availability. Restrictions apply. Internet not provided by DISH and will be billed separately. 1-866-373-9175 Offer ends 11/13/19. Savings with 2 year price guarantee with AT120 starting at $59.99 compared to everyday price. All offers require credit qualification, 2 year commitment with early termination fee and eAutoPay. Prices include Hopper Duo for qualifying customers. Hopper, Hopper w/ Sling or Hopper 3 $5/mo. more. Upfront fees may apply based on credit qualification. Fees apply for additional TVs: Hopper $15/mo., Joey $5/mo., Super Joey $10/mo. Serious speed! Save with Frontier Internet Bundles Bundle and save today Pay one price for two great services: high-speed Internet and a full-featured home phone Simply Broadband Max 19 99 BROADBAND ULTRA + PHONE + SECURE Per Month With Qualifying Phone Service 67 97 Per Month 6 Mbps + Free Wi-Fi Router + 1 Year Price Lock Call today and pay less 12 Mbps + Free Wi-Fi Router + 2 Year Price Lock Protect Your Identity, Devices & Files 855-972-6641 You can’t get BS from a buffalo. ™ *Internet access service and charges not included. Frontier does not warrant that the service will be error-free or uninterrupted. Nest products: Additional $9 shipping fee per Nest device. Nest products must be purchased with new Internet service or eligible Frontier Secure services. Taxes, governmental and Frontier-imposed surcharges, minimum system requirements and other terms and conditions apply. Nest®, Nest Learning Thermostat™, Nest Protect™, Nest Cam™ and the Nest logo are trademarks or service marks of Nest Labs, Inc. ©2017 Frontier Communications Corporation Imagine The Difference You Can Make DONATE YOUR CAR 1-844-533-9173 FREE TOWING TAX DEDUCTIBLE Help Prevent Blindness Get A Vision Screening Annually Ask About A FREE 3 Day Vacation Voucher To Over 20 Destinations!!! Sheriff Boyd Rasmussen Union County Sheriff’s Offi ce: Protecting and serving families, It has been an honor to schools, and communities serve as your Sheriff the past 14 years and to guide the good men and women of the Sheriff’s Offi ce in their service to you. “I support Sheriff Rasmussen because he has established Earning and keeping your a team oriented office that works hard to support and protect the youth and families of Union County.” trust is important to me. I look forward to standing Greg M. Baxter before you for re-election. “We stand by our Sheriff in protecting our County and citizens’ rights.” “Sheriff Rasmussen has worked hard for the citizens of Elgin to en- sure they have the law enforcement they need. He has often went above and beyond the contract with the City of Elgin to do this!” Brock Eckstein Elgin City Administrator Union County Commissioners: Oregon State Representative Elgin Mayor Island City Mayor Imbler Mayor North Powder Mayor Donna Beverage Matt Scarfo Paul Anderes Greg Barretto Allan Duffy Robb Rea Mike McLean Mike Wisdom To support the Rasmussen Re-Election Campaign contact Rita McMahan at ritamc@eoni.com. Paid for by the Committee to Re-Elect Sheriff Boyd Rasmussen, Rita Mc Mahan Treasurer 1801 Highland, La Grande
