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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 20, 2019)
2A — THE OBSERVER EDUCATION Merle Comfort honored by state association “Merle was instrumental in keeping the situation under LA GRANDE — Merle control,” Glaze said, describing Comfort generated a wave of Comfort as “cool as a cucum- excitement Saturday at the ber in stressful situations.” He Oregon School Boards Asso- also said Comfort’s combina- ciation convention in Portland. tion of common sense and Comfort, a La critical thinking skills Grande leader known serve him well as a for his ability to calm board member. turbulent waters, Colleagues agree brought people at the Comfort played an im- convention to their feet portant role in the pas- Comfort when he accepted a sage of the La Grande high association honor School District’s $31.5 — State School Board Mem- million bond in 2014. The ber of the Year. The award bond funded the construction salutes Comfort for his 20-1/2 of a new Central Elementary years of work as a member of School building and major the La Grande School Board renovations throughout the and the eight years he has school district. spent on the InterMountain Mark Mulvihill, superinten- Education Association Board. dent of the InternMountain Comfort learned earlier he ESD, said Comfort’s collabora- would receive the award but tive style was instrumental in was moved by the moment. getting the Umatilla-Morrow “It was more emotional for ESD and the Union-Baker me than I thought it would ESD to merge into the be,” he said. InterMountain ESD in 2011. Larry Glaze, director of The change helped save the operations for the InterMoun- Union-Baker ESD, which tain Education Service Dis- was experiencing fi nancial trict and former La Grande diffi culties. School District superinten- “He made a major contribu- dent, said Comfort deserves of tion,” Mulvihill said. “It would the honor. have been much more diffi cult “He has an extraordinary without his help.” commitment to public service. Joe Justice, a member of the I have never seen anyone La Grande School Board for more devoted to public service nine years, said “it is amazing” than he is,” Glaze said. how Comfort, despite his other Comfort served on the La responsibilities, is able to serve Grande School Board from the school district with such a 1991-99 and from 2007 to degree of consistency. the present. He is the board “Being a school board mem- chair. Comfort has helmed the ber is a very thankless job but board during tumultuous pe- also a very, very necessary riods when the school district one,” Justice said. “Having had to deal with issues such someone like Merle (on the as serious fi nancial problems. board) is invaluable.” By Dick Mason The Observer WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2019 LOCAL Warming station receives state funding it can’t use By Sabrina Thompson The Observer LA GRANDE — The Union County Warming Station received more than $55,000 in funding from the state but can’t use any of it. The organization behind the shelter has to hold on to the funds from the Oregon Housing and Community Services because an appeal has halted the process of it moving into a new facility that the shelter is renting near downtown La Grande. The appeal is currently under consideration by the La Grande City Council. If the council rejects the appeal, the warming station will be granted the neces- sary conditional use permit. Until then, the warming station is not able to provide a warm place to sleep to whoever needs it during colder months. “The appeal of the permit caused more than one prob- lem,” said Debora Smith, the warming station’s board treasurer. The Oregon Housing and Community Services pro- vided more than $1.7 mil- lion Nov. 14 to organizations across the state to help local organizations provide shel- ter to those without homes. Community Connection of Northeast Oregon, serving Baker, Grant, Union and Wallowa counties, received $55,790. All of the funds are going to the Union County Warming Station. Smith said that’s because the warming station is the only shelter in the immediate region. She said while she doesn’t believe there are ser- vices that would bring people to the Union County Warm- ing Station from neighboring counties, the shelter will welcome anyone who comes. She explained the Observer fi le photo The current appeal on the Union County Warming Station has kept the organization behind the station from being able to access more than $55,000 in funding. majority of the money will go toward retrofi tting the station’s new location at 2008 Third St., including for new sprinklers and an alarm system in addition to making the building ADA compliant. Any money left over will help cover rent, utilities, food and supplies for running the shelter. Cody Vela, president of the Union County Warm- ing Station’s board, said the organization wants to serve those going through the crisis of housing instability — but this mission has been delayed by the appeal, fi led by local businessman Al Adelsberger over concerns about the size and location of the winter shelter. Now the station’s board, and those who need its services as winter approaches, look forward to a public hearing on the appeal set for Dec. 4 at La Grande Middle School. “Our hopes are (the city council) will reverse the appeal,” Vela said. “And our hopes are once it is reversed, we can immediately begin the work that needs to be done to open our doors.” No plea yet on Imbler arson case ■ Kael Knight makes appearance in Union County Circuit Court on Tuesday Powers any delay is not about whether Knight is mentally fi t to proceed but LA GRANDE — A plea deal looks about the district attorney’s offi ce to be in the works for arson defendant needing to check all the boxes, such as Kael Knight of Imbler. talking to victims. Knight, 19, appeared Tues- Knight faces one count of day afternoon in Union County evidence tampering and two Circuit Court via video from each of fi rst- and second-degree the nearby county jail. He sat arson. Tampering is a misde- silent while deputy district meanor, but the arson charges Knight attorney Greg Baxter and are felonies. defense attorney Rick Dall The state has accused Knight updated the court on the possibly of of setting four fi res in the Imbler area, reaching a plea. on Sept. 4, 21 and 24. The fi rst three Dall told Circuit Judge Thomas fi res destroyed abandoned buildings By Phil Wright The Observer and the last was next to a business. Imbler Rural Fire Chief Mike Barry at Knight’s arraignment on Sept. 26 told the court the fi res seemed to be escalating toward a more public threat. Baxter told the court he is work- ing to resolve the case soon, perhaps in a matter of a few weeks. He said the hang-up is fi nding an appropriate place for Knight after jail because he may have “potential mental health issues.” Powers set Dec. 10 for Knight to submit his plea. Eastern Oregon, you’re our kind of communities. Respect, responsiveness and commitment. 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