LOCAL
MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2019
THE OBSERVER — 3A
OREGON
Alternative group forms to promote Oregon wine industry
■ Group put together by businesses unhappy with Oregon Wine Association
The Associated Press
EUGENE — Wine businesses
unhappy with the Oregon Wine
Association have created a second
trade group.
The new coalition of Oregon
wine industry stakeholders on
Friday announced they had
formed the Oregon Wine Coun-
cil, the Eugene Register-Guard
reported.
Members earlier this year
opposed wine legislation they
viewed as “anti-competitive.” The
new group said it represents the
interests of the entire state.
“We formed the OWC because a
majority of large, taxpaying wine
growers as well as many of small
producers around the state don’t
have a say in how their tax mon-
ey is spent,” said Sam Tannahill,
OWC board member and founder
of A to Z Wineworks in Newberg,
in a press release. “We haven’t
been represented. Our goal with
the OWC is to change that.”
Members of the older organiza-
tion said it’s already a statewide
organization for growers and
producers.
“The argument that somehow
than wineries, he said, and grow-
ers want to be able to sell their
grapes widely.
A bill in the Legislature con-
tributed to the split. The measure
sought to more strictly enforce
standards for labeling wines as
from a certain region.
Standards say a certain
percentage of grapes have to
come from a region referenced
on a label. For example, an in- or
out-of-state winery buying some
grapes from southern Oregon re-
gions, but labeling its wines from
the Willamette Valley AVA, could
include no more than 5% of that
southern Oregon fruit in its wine.
the OWA is a group of selfi sh
people from one area of the state
is patently false,” said board
member Justin King, the national
sales manager for King Estate
Winery in Eugene. “We have
reps from all over the state, from
southern Oregon, more than a
few, in fact.”
The southern Oregon wine
industry has a different business
profi le than the Willamette Valley,
King said. The valley has a large
mix of wineries and wine grape
growers. In southern Oregon,
there are many more vineyards
The standards already exist but
enforcement by the Oregon Li-
quor Control Commission would
have been ramped up the legisla-
tion, which did not pass.
The measure created divisions
with Oregon regions that primar-
ily sell grapes.
The bill was sponsored by the
OWA and those who disagreed
said the group did not take their
interests into account.
Both groups said they seek to
unify the Oregon wine industry.
King said the wine associa-
tion has reached out to the new
group with the intent of working
together.
O BITUARIES
Baker City solar farm nears completion
Virginia ‘Tobie’
(Thompson) Williams
Elgin
By Samantha O’Conner
EO Media Group
Construction is nearing
completion on Baker Coun-
ty’s fi rst two solar power
farms, the larger of which
is near Sutton Creek Road
about six miles southeast of
Baker City.
That array of about 50,000
panels is about one mile
east of the landfi ll and about
7/10th of a mile south of
Interstate 84.
Enerparc Solar Projects
LLC of Oakland, California,
is building that solar farm as
well as a second project near
Unity, in southern Baker
County.
Construction manager
Douglas Stevens said work
on the Sutton Creek project
started Aug. 30, and compa-
ny offi cials expect the farm
to be online around Dec. 15.
“This one is fast-paced,”
Stevens said.
Currently, workers are
driving in piles — the metal
bars that will hold the solar
panels. The piles have be
driven a minimum of six feet
S. John Collins/EO Media Group
Workers are building a 15-megawatt solar power farm
near Baker City.
into the ground.
Stevens said he hopes
to have the 50,000 panels
installed within two weeks.
The panels are on motorized
tracks that shift the panels
as the sun moves, to maxi-
mize power production.
The Sutton Creek project
will cost an estimated $2.65
million, according to a permit
issued by the Baker City-
County Building Depart-
ment.
The company paid almost
$27,000 in permit fees.
The solar array will pro-
duce 15 megawatts of power.
That’s enough to power ap-
proximately 3,000 homes.
The Unity project, which
should be fi nished soon and
go online in mid-November,
will produce about 2.75
megawatts.
Stevens said about 35
people are working on the
Sutton Creek solar farm,
including employees from
contractor Vale Electric
Inc.
Crews are also fi nishing
a substation near Interstate
84 that will connect the solar
farm to Idaho Power Com-
pany’s transmission line.
Work on the substation
started in early July, accord-
ing to Idaho Power, which is
building the substation.
Both the solar farm and
the substation are on prop-
erty owned by Hat Brand
Land & Livestock LLC of
Baker City.
Brent Gyllenberg is Hat
Brand’s manager.
Enerparc applied in
March for a permit to divide
Hat Brand’s parcel into two
parts. The one where the so-
lar panels are being installed
is 549.6 acres, and the site
for the substation is slightly
larger than half an acre.
P UBLIC S AFETY R EPORT
LA GRANDE POLICE
DEPARTMENT
Arrested: Brianna Wells, 29,
unknown address, was arrested
on a charge of violation of a no
contact order.
Accident: Nobody was
injured in a traffi c accident at K
Avenue and Cedar Street on Fri-
day. The accident was reported
at 10:30 a.m.
Arrested: Cody Tanner Colton,
23, unknown address, was
arrested on a Union County
warrant charging supplying
contraband.
Arrested: LaTrisha Maureen
Williams, 28, unknown ad-
dress, was arrested on a Union
County warrant charging fi rst-
degree theft, second-degree
theft and fraudulent use of a
credit card.
UNION COUNTY
SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Arrested: Joshua Taylor Gun-
shore, 22, unknown address,
was arrested on a parole and
probation detainer.
Arrested: Wesley Burgess, 27,
La Grande, was arrested on a
parole and probation detainer
connected to an original charge
of a probation violation.
Accident: Nobody was
injured in a traffi c accident Sat-
urday on Hwy 203. The accident
was reported 12:32 a.m.
Arrested: Amber Darlene
Garcia, 37, unknown address,
was arrested by the Klamath
County Sheriff’s Offi ce on a
Union County warrant suspend-
ing post-prison supervision.
The warrant was connected to
an original charge of unlawful
delivery of methamphetamine.
OREGON STATE POLICE
Accident: Nobody was
injured in a traffi c accident on
Highway 22 in the Elgin area
Saturday. The accident was
reported at 9:50 a.m.
LA GRANDE FIRE
DEPARTMENT
Firefi ghters responded to six
calls for medical assistance on
Sunday, fi ve on Saturday and
eight on Friday.
L OCAL B RIEFING
From staff reports
Health Speaker Series
features EOU professor
LA GRANDE — Eastern Oregon
University and the Northeast Oregon
Area Health Education Center invite
EOU students, high school students
and community members to the fi rst
Health Speaker Series presentation of
the season. On Oct. 30, the presenter
will be EOU’s own Dr. Kyle Pfaffenbach.
Come to Huber Auditorium (Badgley
Hall, Room 102) to hear his story and
learn about career opportunities in
health and human performance. The
free talk begins at 5 p.m. Contact Brit-
tany Hargrove at 541-962-3422 or bhar-
grove@neoahec.org with any questions.
Learn about parent-child
interaction therapy
ELGIN — An informational open
house explaining parent-child interac-
tion therapy will be held from 5 p.m.
to 7 p.m. Oct. 30 at Stella Mayfi eld
Elementary School, 1111 Division St.,
Elgin. PIT is available to caregivers
with children age 2-6 who have behav-
Mon-Fri Blue Plate $12:
Roast Pork with mashed
potatoes, gravy and vegetables
Annual Halloween Party and
Costume Contest with the
Turkey shoot set for Sunday
LA GRANDE — The La Grande
Rifl e and Pistol Club’s annual turkey
shoot will be held Nov. 3 at the High-
way 244 River Range. Registration
opens at 9 a.m. and shooting begins
at 10 a.m. Shooters may use any
center-fi re hunting rifl es or muzzle-
loading rifl es, or any center-fi re
or muzzle-loading pistol with iron
sights. Cost is $20. Contact Darrel
Plank at 541-910-4132 for more in-
formation. The public is invited, and
harassment is encouraged, according
to the organizers.
‘Essentials Drive’ gathers
non-food items
LA GRANDE — American Family
Insurance is hosting an “Essentials
Drive” to collect non-food items to be
distributed to those in need this winter.
The community is encouraged to drop
off any of the below items at American
Family Insurance, 109 Depot St., La
Grande, through Dec. 15. Call 541-663-
1919 for more information.
Paper products: toilet paper, paper
towels, tissues.
Hygiene products: bar soap, body
wash, shampoo and conditioner, razors,
shaving cream, feminine products, dia-
pers, combs and brushes, lip balm.
Cleaning products: dish soap, laundry
soap, sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizer,
baby and body wipes.
Sleeping items (new or used): blan-
kets (easily washed, not comforters),
sleeping bags, single fi tted or top sheets,
pillows, pillow cases.
Misc. (new or used): small tarps,
backpacks or zippered bags, rain gear,
waterproof ponchos, socks (especially
needed), reusable water bottles, phone
chargers or battery packs, tents and
tent stakes, camping gear of any type,
small camping cookware, hand warm-
ers, emergency blankets.
La GRANDE
AUTO REPAIR
Virginia “Tobie” Williams,
81, of Elgin, died Oct. 23 at
Grande Ronde Hospital. A
celebration of
her life will be
held at 2 p.m.
Nov. 2 at the
Elgin Stam-
pede Hall.
Casual dress is preferred by
the family.
Known as Tobie, she
was born March 15, 1938,
in La Grande, to Emmett
and Eva Mae (Rollins)
Thompson. She lived on
Cricket Flat as a child and
resided in Elgin the rest of
her life. She attended Elgin
High School. Tobie married
Chuck Williams on July 3,
1956.
Tobie’s interests included
playing guitar, piano and
organ. She enjoyed hunting
and fi shing. She especially
enjoyed watching school
sporting events and travel-
ing to her grandchildren’s
and many school-aged kids’
sporting events all around
the Northwest.
Tobie loved spending
time with her grandchil-
dren and great-grandchil-
dren. The last few years in
her home, she particularly
appreciated time sitting
on her patio in her favorite
swing.
Surviving relatives
include her sons and
daughters-in-law, Brent
and Leone Williams of El-
gin and Keith and Stepha-
nie Williams of Island City;
daughters and sons-in-law,
Kelly and Glen Griffi th of
Ione and Kanda and Steve
Gresham of Elgin; brother
and sister-in-law, Larry
and Betty Thompson of
Elgin; six grandchildren
and 12 great-grandchil-
dren; and many nieces and
nephews.
She was preceded in
death by her husband,
Chuck; parents, Emmett
and Eva Thompson; and
sisters, Peggy Kennedy,
Dixie Stanton and Bobbie
Horn.
Thomas G. Hiatt
La Grande
Thomas G. Hiatt, 83, of
La Grande, died Oct. 25 at
Grande Ronde Hospital.
An obituary is forthcoming.
Loveland Funeral Chapel
& Crematory will be han-
dling the arrangements.
Tyler J. Kahut
La Grande
Tyler J. Kahut, 25, of
La Grande, died Oct. 24 at
his residence. An obituary
is forthcoming. Loveland
Funeral Chapel & Crema-
tory will be handling the
arrangements.
Donald W. Morris
Formerly of Baker City
Donald William Morris,
60, of St. Helens, died
Oct. 2. A service will be held
at a later time. Donald was
born and raised in Baker
City and has family in La
Grande. Online condolences
may be made to the family
at www.lovelandfuneral-
chapel.com.
UPCOMING FUNERALS
AND VISITATIONS
Sponsored by
Nov. 2
Virginia “Tobie”
Williams:
2 p.m., celebration of
life, Elgin Stampede
Hall; casual dress
preferred.
Nov. 12
Phillip
Mendiguren:
2 p.m., Rosary and
Mass of Christian
Burial, Our Lady of the
Valley Catholic Church,
La Grande.
New Lease on
Retirement
Enjoy what matters!
975-2000
Give us a call
www.lagrandeautorepair.com
MOST
ADVANCED
TECHNOLOGY
AVAILABLE
Wasteland Kings
Thursday, October 31st
541-963-8766
tendepotstreet.com
ioral issues. The service is provided by
Center for Human Development. The
open house will include light refresh-
ments. For more information, call CHD
at 541-962-8800.
1938-2019
Memorial contributions
may be made to the Elgin
Stampeders.
Online condolences may
be made to the family at
www.lovelandfuneralcha-
pel.com.
Joe Horst
ACDelcoTSS
Undisputed leader in sports with
exclusive NFL SUNDAY TICKET.
Out-of-market games only.
Select int’l games excluded.
Iv Support Holdings LLC
855-502-2578
www.satellitedealnow.com/OR
“NFL”, the NFL Shield design, “NFL SUNDAY TICKET” and its respective logo are registered trademarks of the National Football League and its affiliates. Team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. NFL:
AP Images. ©2019 AT&T Intellectual Property. All Rights Reserved. AT&T, Globe logo, DIRECTV, and all other DIRECTV marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks are the
property of their respective owners
GRANDE 1809 Gekeler Ln.
Ronde
Retirement & Assisted Living
La Grande
541-963-4700