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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 14, 2019)
2A — THE OBSERVER MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2019 LOCAL UNION COUNTY BUSINESS D aily P lanner La Grande travel trailer builder TODAY Today is Monday, Oct. 14, the 287th day of 2019. There are 78 days left in the year. TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT On Oct. 14, 1947, U.S. Air Force Capt. Charles E. (“Chuck”) Yeager became the first test pilot to break the sound barrier as he flew the experimental Bell XS-1 (later X-1) rocket plane over Muroc Dry Lake in Califor- nia. ON THIS DATE In 1912, Theodore Roos- evelt, campaigning for the presidency, was shot in the chest in Milwaukee. Despite the wound, he went ahead with a scheduled speech. In 1939, a German U-boat torpedoed and sank the HMS Royal Oak, a Brit- ish battleship anchored at Scapa Flow in Scotland’s Orkney Islands; 833 of the more than 1,200 men aboard were killed. In 1960, the idea of a Peace Corps was suggested by Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy to an audience of students at the University of Michi- gan in Ann Arbor. In 2001, as U.S. jets opened a second week of raids in Afghanistan, President George W. Bush sternly rejected a Taliban of- fer to discuss handing over Osama bin Laden to a third country. In 2003, John Allen Mu- hammad pleaded not guilty to murder as the first trial in the deadly Washington- area sniper rampage got under way in Virginia Beach, Virginia. LOTTERY Megabucks: $4 million 3-21-22-25-30-38 Mega Millions: $65 million 14-22-30-37-60-8-x3 Powerball: $100 million CELEBRATES 10 YEARS ■ ■ Outdoors RV honors milestone with Anniversary Edition By Sabrina Thompson The Observer In the spring of 2009, Ron Nash saw an opportunity with the closing and bankruptcy of Fleetwood Enter- prises Inc. and bought the assets of the company he had previously worked for. At the former Fleetwood plant, at 62582 Pierce Road in La Grande, he started Outdoors RV manufacturing, and for the last 10 years the company has been making premium hitch-on trailers based on Nash’s vision of pro- viding quality four-season RVs for the rugged Pacific Northwest. To celebrate, Outdoors RV are releasing a new line of Anniversary Edition trailers. Outdoors RV’s sales and product manager, Darin Nelson, had been a Fleetwood employee, and he has been with Outdoors RV since the beginning. Recalling his start at Outdoors RV, Nelson said, “Ron sat me down, and when I asked what direction he would like me to take, he said, ‘We don’t build junk,’ and it’s been that way ever since.” When Nelson compares his previ- ous and current employers, he said has found pride in the work he does now, building and manufacturing top-of-the- line RVs. “A lot of the work at Fleetwood was based on the numbers,” Nelson said. “Here it is focused on providing what is best for the customers.” In order to achieve this goal, Out- doors RV spends more money purchas- ing better materials. While this ends up costing customers more money, the trailers they buy last longer and work better, according to Nelson. This was part of what Nash wanted when he started the company. “There is a customer out there look- ing for something that is better made,” Nelson said. The other part of Nash’s vision, Nelson said, was listening to what cus- tomers want. The manufacturing plant gives tours of the facility daily, providing potential customers the opportunity to give input on what they are looking for Sabrina Thompson / The Observer Outdoors RV created a special series of trailers to celebrate its 10th an- niversary. The units have new features and will only be made for a limitted time before the company resumes regular manufacturing. in an RV. “We want to show you all of the ele- ments,” Nelson said. “We are proud of what we are building.” Because of that, he said, the company creates trailers that have been selling out since the beginning. “Business isn’t rocket science,” Nelson said. “Just listen to the customers.” Employees have a hand on every element of the RV along the produc- tion line, from building the walls and framework to installing furniture and fixtures. Outdoors RV employs around 200 people from the local community, and all the units are built here. As part of the process, the trailers are tested for quality and function. Most of the materials come from the United States and Canada. While Nelson said some components you just can’t get made in America, everything the company can get, it will. He said this helps ensure the quality of the trailer because the company isn’t look- ing to cut costs through buying inferior products from overseas. Once a unit has been tested for qual- ity and reliability, and it passes all of the inspections, it is shipped off to dealers in the Northwest. The closest local dealer is in Pendleton. After Ron Nash passed away in August, his wife, Sherry Nash, took over the company. Like many of the employees of Outdoors RV, she lives in La Grande. Nelson said it is great that so many employees are local because it helps keep the money in the local economy. In celebrating Outdoors RV’s 10th anniversary, the company has devel- oped a new line of trailers, acknowledg- ing the milestone on the inside and out- side. The plant began building the line in September, and once the trailers are completed in October that line’s design will not be built again. The units have special features including new graph- ics, fiberglass front tops and a new auto leveling system that will be standard in all the company’s anniversary trailers. “We are looking forward to the next 10 years,” Nelson said. Win for Life: Oct. 12 Robin Wortman resigns from UCSCC 6-8-31-76 By Sabrina Thompson 12-29-34-53-65-23-x2 The Observer Pick 4: Oct. 13 •1p.m.:1-6-5-8 •4p.m.:9-4-1-9 •7p.m.:9-4-4-4 •10p.m.:8-5-1-6 Pick 4: Oct. 12 •1p.m.:6-3-4-9 •4p.m.:0-2-1-1 •7p.m.:6-9-2-9 •10p.m.:0-1-6-0 Pick 4: Oct. 11 •1p.m.:0-3-8-4 •4p.m.:7-9-1-1 •7p.m.:2-7-2-6 •10p.m.:3-2-4-3 NEWSPAPER LATE? Every effort is made to de- liver your Observer in a timely manner. Occasionally condi- tions exist that make delivery more difficult. If you are not on a motor route, delivery should be before5:30p.m.Ifyoudonot receiveyourpaperby5:30p.m. Monday through Friday, please call 541-963-3161 by 6 p.m. If your delivery is by motor carrier, delivery should be by 6 p.m. For calls after 6, please call 541-975- 1690, leave your name, address and phone number. Your paper will be delivered the next business day. QUOTE OF THE DAY “If a problem cannot be solved, enlarge it.” — Dwight D. Eisenhower After eight years with the Union County Safe Com- munities Coalition, Robin Wortman will be leaving the coalition and returning to her family in Wallowa County. As coalition coordinator, Wort- man has been responsible for organizing activities involved with UCSCC’s federally funded drug free community grant. The county is accepting applications to fill her role until Oct. 18. “I am excited for her, for this opportunity she has for a new adventure, and sad for us that we are losing her,” DeAnne Mansveld, coalition colleague and substance abuse and tobacco prevention coordinator for UCSCC, said. “We’ve grown a lot together through the years. It’s a new chapter for the coalition as well.” UCSCC is an organization dedicated to making Union County a safe, healthy and drug-free community, accord- ing to its website, especially for the youth of the county. “Kids are our future,” Wort- man said. “It is important Come in today and let our “People Who Care” 1123 Adams Ave La Grande 541-963-5741 redcrossdrugstore.com CARING they have the best start in life possible.” Wortman joined the coali- tion eight years ago when the position first opened up. She said she saw it as an oppor- tunity to do noble work that could have a positive impact. She also said she liked the idea of working with people who had a common mission in making the community free of drug, alcohol and sub- stance abuse. In addition to the satisfac- tion of working toward the coalition’s goals, Wortman said, she has enjoyed working with the UCSCC team. “The hardest thing will be leaving all the wonderful people I have been working with,” Wortman said. “We have such a supportive com- munity. I am going to miss interacting with my cowork- ers and the people of Union County.” As coordinator she has helped in the organization and implementation of com- munity events like October’s Red Ribbon month and an annual multimedia confer- ence for seventh-graders to teach them about online safety and the dangers of substance abuse. She is also a member of the Safe Commu- nities Youth Council and has worked with various com- munity organizations includ- ing police, GRH, the school district, fire departments and more to facilitate events. “Losing someone with her level of expertise and experience, it will be hard to find someone to fill that role,” UCSCC Co-chair Stu Spence said. “We have a busy and ambitious outreach schedule. We will need someone who can mobilize these different sectors.” With youth as a focus for the organization, Wortman is in charge of the Youth Council, which works directly with high school students to By Ellen Morris Bishop EO Media Group ENTERPRISE — Steel- head season is a cold-weather institution for Wallowa County fishermen. But this year’s steelhead run is going to be small, according to ODFW fishery biologist Kyle Bratcher. “We’re well into the steel- head run this year and we’re getting a clearer picture of what returns will look like,” he said. “It’s going to be a pretty tough year.” So far this season, only about 3,700 steelhead that are bound for the Grande Ronde, Wallowa and Imnaha rivers have made it over Bonneville Dam. Usually the number is about 10,000 by now. Ocean conditions have been adverse for steelhead and most salmonids, Bratcher said. Ocean waters have been warm, reducing upwelling that provides nutrients and, ultimately, food for growing steelhead. Warmer ocean wa- ters also mean that predatory species like mackerel, that often favor warmer water, hang around in steelhead territory longer. They compete with steelhead for food — and also dine on the younger steelhead. And there just isn’t much food, Bratcher said. “NOAA and others monitor how the fishery is doing,” he said. “The fish they found this year are not in good condition.” Because of overall low return numbers, the Colum- bia and Snake rivers are shut down to angling for steel- head. Many of the steelhead bound for Wallowa County rivers are still moving up through the Columbia and Snake rivers. Oregon, Wash- ington and Idaho biologists are monitoring those move- ments as they make their way to Lower Granite Dam. “My projections suggest we can have a steelhead season on our rivers in Oregon and still get enough fish back to the hatcheries to make broodstock goals,” Bratcher said. “Maintaining a one-fish limit on steelhead will help ensure this.” The one-fish limit pro- vides a slight advantage for wild fish, Bratcher said. He estimates that about half the returning fish are hatchery- produced. So if fishermen can keep just one fish, and it’s a hatchery broodstock, that will leave more wild fish to spawn. At present, there’s a temporary rule that ends steelhead season on Dec. 31, with a bag limit of one fish. HAS REOPENED! Closing for the Season Tuesday, October 15th Come see our end of season specials Monday-Tuesday 11:30-8:00 pm staff help your FALL be HAPPY & FESTIVE! create messaging that peers will respond to. Wortman said the job of coalition coordinator var- ies from day to day, week to week and month to month. Depending on the needs of the coalition, Wortman could be doing anything from writing grants to interacting with people at a booth during a fair. “I am not a decision maker, however,” Wort- man said. “My job is to help implement and move forward the commission’s decisions.” Wallowa County’s steelhead run small 602 Adams Ave. 541-962-7856 Same delicious menu and wonderful atmosphere Come see us soon! 2711 Bearco Loop, La Grande (541) 962-0825
