EOU Gameday
Inside
Democrats renew effort
on cap-and-trade, 3A
Nationals win title, 7A
True Grit
FRIDAY-SUNDAY • November 1, 2019 • $1.50
Serving
those
who
served
“
Fall back: Daylight
savings ends at
2 a.m. Sunday
Good day to our valued subscriber Sam Coffman of La Grande
They are a lot of fun. I love my job. The only thing I’ve
enjoyed more in my life was raising my children.”
— Andrea Konopacky, a volunteer leader of Harvest Share
ATV
ordinance
may be
revised
■ Veterans
Services helps
those who have
served our nation
■ Changes also
may be considered
in election process
By Sabrina Thompson
She has not had to use the number cards for about two
weeks. Konopacky believes this is because colder morning
temperatures are preventing people from coming early
and waiting outside.
On Thursday morning, a woman asked Konopacky if
she would be handing out numbers. Konopacky shook her
head no and said good-naturedly, “You have been good
kids.”
The food provided at Harvest Share on Thursday
included oranges, onions, split peas, potatoes, apples,
squash, mushrooms and carrots; a wide assortment
of bread items such as English muffi ns, hot dog buns,
sandwich buns and garlic bread; plus cheese and milk. All
were available to everyone except the milk, which only
homeless individuals can take. The milk is in one quart
containers so that it can be easily consumed before it
spoils, Konopacky said.
Much of the food provided by Harvest Share is donated
by Safeway, Market Place Fresh Foods, Kaufman’s Mar-
ket, the Oroweat warehouse in La Grande and the Or-
egon Food Bank. Most of the items are those nearing their
best buy dates but are still tasty. Many are picked up
each morning by Andrea’s husband, Steve, and Raymie
The minimum age for
driving all-terrain vehicles in
Union may soon be lowered.
Reducing the minimum
age is one of the changes
the city council may make
to Union’s ATV ordinance
as part of a set of revisions
now being considered. The
proposed revisions, all recom-
mended for consideration by
Mayor Leonard Flint, were
discussed at a city council
work session Wednesday.
Union’s ATV ordinance is
being reviewed for possible
revision because it has been
17 years since it was adopted,
said City Administrator Doug
Wiggins.
One of Flint’s proposed
revisions would lower the
minimum age for driving
an ATV to 12. Presently
the minimum age is 16. It
was noted in Wednesday’s
discussion that lowering the
minimum age to 12 would
be a plus because it would
allow youths who cut lawns
for money in the community
to more easily transport their
lawn equipment.
Another change proposed
by Flint, who could not
attend Wednesday’s meet-
ing, calls for stipulating
what permits and licenses
are needed to legally drive
an ATV in Union. Flint is
proposing that anyone who
has a driver’s license be
allowed to drive an ATV
and that everyone age 12
to 15 be required to have a
ATV permit. Everyone older
than 16 who does not have
a driver’s license would also
be required to have an ATV
permit in order to drive one.
Flint’s proposed changes
also call for Union’s ordi-
nance to require all drivers
and passengers age 17 and
younger to wear helmets. The
present ordinance makes no
reference to helmets.
The city council appeared
to agree via consensus with
all of Flint’s proposed ATV
See Popular / Page 5A
See Changes / Page 5A
Dick Mason
The Observer
The Observer
Union County has 2,500
registered veterans, which
is approximately 10% of
the population, according to
census data and informa-
tion provided by Veterans
Services at the Center
for Human Development.
There are services provided,
often free of charge, to these
men and women, and their
families, who have served
their country. For some these
services can be the difference
between a successful return
home and facing continuing
challenges.
“Veterans seem to have a
higher risk of mental health
conditions due to diffi culty
transitioning back into civil-
ian life,” Umatilla County
Veterans Services Offi cer
Glenn Scott said.
One of the diffi culties in
transitioning is that the
culture of the military is very
different from life at home,
according to Union County
Veterans Services Offi cer
Brian Blais. Both Scott and
Blais are former members
of the military and have
experienced the transition
fi rsthand.
“After I left the Army I
moved to Alaska,” Blais said.
“I didn’t know veterans ser-
vices was a thing. It wasn’t
until I was an EOU student
I learned about the services
available to me.”
Blais got involved with
veterans services programs
and eventually took over the
role at CHD after the previ-
ous services offi cer, Byron
Whipple, retired in April of
2019. Since Blais’ induction
into the role, he has focused
on reaching out to those
veterans who are not already
engaged, and ensuring that
those who are, are getting the
services they need.
“Every community has a
different focus,” Blais said.
“Here, it is to get them all the
See Services / Page 5A
Dick Mason/The Observer
Steve Konopacky, a member of Community Connection of Northeast Oregon’s regional food bank staff,
brings in items for Harvest Share. Harvest Share offers free produce, bread and cheese to whoever wants it
on weekdays.
HARVEST SHARE
REMAINS POPULAR
By Dick Mason, The Observer
Andrea Konopacky did not need to hand out laminated number cards at the
Union County Senior Center Thursday morning, but she had them ready just in case.
Konopacky is a volunteer leader of Harvest Share, a
program that provides free fruit, vegetables, bread and
cheese each weekday to anyone who comes to the Union
County Senior Center.
Harvest Share has been operating for about 10 years
and is proving popular, sometimes a bit too popular, a
problem Konopacky is addressing with skill and dis-
arming humor. Up to 27 people are sometimes lined up
outside the Union County Senior Center when it opens
at 8 a.m. This can result in too many people rushing in at
once to pick up the best food available.
To prevent chaos when there are 15 people or more
gathered outside, Konopacky now hands out number
cards to those waiting. Then at 8 a.m. she calls out fi ve
randomly selected numbers at a time and lets those fi ve
people come in and pick up food items for several minutes
before admitting another group of fi ve, a process that is
repeated until everyone is inside.
Konopacky started this process several months ago.
Some people grumbled at fi rst, but now those who take
advantage of Harvest Share seem to appreciate the
system.
“They like being able to come in (in groups of fi ve) and
relax while they select their food,” Konopacky said.
Challengers deep on background, lack certification
■ Union County Sheriff’s race
has three candidates vying for
sheriff, first time since 1980s
By Phil Wright
EO Media Group
If either challenger in the race for Union
County Sheriff wins, he would have to spend at
least a few weeks in Salem for training.
Bill Miller, 53, of Elgin, and Shane Rollins, 45,
of Cove, aim to oust Sheriff Boyd Rasmussen,
who seeks a fi fth term. Miller and Rollins have
WEATHER
INDEX
Classified .......4B
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Crossword .....5B
Dear Abby .....8B
Horoscope .....5B
plenty of law enforcement experiences, but they
each lack a critical component for being a sheriff
in Oregon — police offi cer certifi cation.
Each challenger said he can work out a way
to deal with that if he wins. Miller said he would
have to attend a couple weeks of courses to reac-
tive his certifi cate. Rollins, however, would need
to spend 16 weeks training at the Oregon Public
Safety Academy in Salem.
Rasmussen, meanwhile, has certifi cates from
basic to executive and all in good standing.
Oregon Revised Statute 206.015 sets out the
qualifi cations for sheriff: Candidates must be
Lottery............2A
Obituaries ......3A
Opinion ..........4A
Outdoors .......1B
Record ...........3A
MONDAY
Spiritual Life ..6A
Sports ............7A
Sudoku ..........7B
Weather .........8B
at least 21; have at least four years experience,
either as a full-time law enforcement offi cer or a
mix of work and post-high-school education; and
cannot have a felony conviction or other convic-
tions preventing them from obtaining police
offi cer certifi cation. Sheriffs have up to a year to
obtain that certifi cation.
If a sheriff fails to follow through, the county
declares the offi ce vacant.
Jason Myers, executive director of the Oregon
State Sheriffs’ Association, said while the law
provides that grace period, a sheriff “absolutely
See Race / Page 5A
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Issue 130
3 sections, 20 pages
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