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.
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