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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 6, 2019)
SPORTS Inside WWII veteran makes her home in Joseph, 2A Handmade Holidays, in Go! Reed a main catalyst Follow us on the web WEDNESDAY • November 6, 2019 • $1.50 Local Girl Scout leader honored By Sabrina Thompson The Observer If it weren’t for Angela D’Antonio, there wouldn’t be Girl Scouts in Union, Baker and Wallowa counties. That is what most people who are part of D’Antonio’s service unit will tell you. Her fellow leaders said she is organized and keeps the troops going strong. She has been locally recognized for her work, and Tuesday night she was honored at the national level by the Girl Scouts of America with an Appreciation Pin for her service and dedication to her community. “It’s re- ally nice to be recognized,” D’Antonio said. “I put a lot of D’Antonio time into Girl Scouts so it’s nice to be seen.” D’Antonio has been work- ing with her service unit for seven years, leading her La Grande troop, Troop 50145, and helping with the seven other troops across the three-county unit. She organizes events and activi- ties, manages and maintains regulations set out by the Girl Scouts organization and supports her fellow troop leaders in getting informa- tion to their girls. When she fi rst took over the leadership role at the ser- vice unit, D’Antonio did it so that her two daughters could have a strong troop and the community it provides. She said she saw a need in how the local Girl Scout organi- zation was being run and wanted to help fi x it so that her daughters and the girls in the troop could continue to grow through Girl Scouts. “I just really enjoy being with the girls, providing opportunities and fi nding things people in La Grande might not think about,” D’Antonio said. Some of these activities include indoor skydiving, trips across the nation and camping trips. These are in addition to the meetings held that teach girls leadership and life skills. D’Antonio said that troops can be different See D’Antonio / Page 5A Good day to our valued subscriber Darcia Jenner of La Grande Overwhelming support: Union School District voters approve $4M school bond for major upgrades Dick Mason / The Observer Much of the money from a $4 million bond approved by Union voters Tuesday will be used to renovate Union High School, whose building was constructed more than a century ago. The district will also receive a $4 million matching grant from the state. By Dick Mason, The Observer Union School District Superintendent Carter Wells has a lot more on his plate than he did a day ago, but he could not be happier. Voters passed on the higher workload to him Tuesday by overwhelmingly approving a $4 million bond to help pay for major upgrades to its buildings. Measure 31-98 passed by a margin of 324 votes, 636-332. Of those who voted, 65.7% voted yes and 34.3% voted no. Wells said nothing he said could capture how excited he felt. “I’m elated. I can’t express in words my emo- tion,” he said. The bond levy will provide the Union School District a two-for-the-price-of-one bargain. The school district was awarded a grant from the Oregon School Capital Improvement matching program this summer that will provide a dollar- for-dollar match of $4 million for the bond. This means the school district will receive a total of $8 million for construction. The school district would not have received the matching grant if voters had not approved the $4 million bond in the Nov. 5 mail election. Wells has been applying for the OSCI grant three times a year for several years. This summer was the fi rst time the Union School District was awarded the grant. Macey Clark, chair of Citi- zens for Union Education, a community group that campaigned for passage of Measure 31-98, said Wells is to be commended for the work he did to get the bond passed and to get the OSCI grant. “He went above and beyond,” Clark said. Wells said he hadn’t known what to expect going into the mail election. He said that almost everyone he talked to supported the bond, but he wondered if that was misleading since so many of the people he talked to were tied to Union’s schools who would be inclined to vote for the bond. He said the people of Union should be proud of the way they stepped forward to support the bond. “The future of the Union School District is bright because of our community’s support,” Wells said. “It has made the school district viable for the future.” Wells said he will be having to do more work while overseeing the bond projects, but he is excited about the prospect. The school district will have three years to spend 85% of the money. Much of it will be done during the summer months when school is not in session and the weather is better. Clark said the $8 million will boost the quality of the Union School District’s facilities to a level equal to that of the high-quality education students are already receiving. “I’m so excited for the kids,” said Clark, who added that she was grateful for the community support the bond received. She encourages community members to attend future school board meetings so they can give input on how the $8 million is spent. See Bond / Page 5A Ready to hit the stage ■ Cove High School’s revived drama program preparing second production By Dick Mason The Observer The silence was startling. A Cove High School student par- ticipating in a play rehearsal late Monday afternoon was speaking smoothly and in character during an extensive dialogue when he abruptly fell silent. The sudden quiet went on for about 10 seconds and it was not apparent if the script called for the pause or if the student had forgot- ten his lines. Then CHS drama and English teacher Teresa Farrell, sitting off- stage, gave the student wise advice. “It is okay to jump ahead a couple of lines,” she said. The young actor, staying in character and with professional- ism beyond his years, did just that, INDEX Business ...... 1B Classified ..... 5B Comics ......... 9B Crossword ... 7B See Drama / Page 5A WEATHER Dear Abby .. 10B Horoscope ... 7B Lottery.......... 2A Obituaries .... 3A FRIDAY Cove High School stu- dents Amein Gallegos, left, and Hannah Alldredge are members of the cast of Pysch. Opinion ........ 4A Sports .......... 6A Sudoku ........ 9B Weather ..... 10A Dick Mason / The Observer Full forecast on the back of B section Tonight Thursday 24 LOW 54/32 Partly cloudy Partly sunny EOU WRESTLERS TAKE TO THE MAT CONTACT US HAVE A STORY IDEA? 541-963-3161 Call The Observer newsroom at 541-963-3161 or send an email to news@lagrandeobserver.com. More contact info on Page 4A. Issue 132 3 sections, 26 pages La Grande, Oregon Online at lagrandeobserver.com
