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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 25, 2019)
LOCAL MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2019 THE OBSERVER — 3A L OcaL b riefing From staff reports Community generosity evident at free Thanksgiving dinners Go outside, not to the mall — celebrate “Green Friday” Nov. 29 LA GRANDE, UNION, ENTER- PRISE — Free meals on Thanks- giving Day will be offered in three locations in our corner of Oregon. Organizers of each event emphasize that all are welcome to take advan- tage of the community dinners. In La Grande, Neighbors Together of Union County will serve dinner at the Presbyterian Friendship Center, 1204 Spring Ave. The doors will open at noon, and the meal will be served beginning at 1 p.m. This year there also will be a free community dinner at the EOLS Club- house, 760 E. Delta Ave., in Union, from 1-4 p.m. Dinner, coffee and juice will be provided. Those who attend may bring a side dish or dessert to share. Wallowa County’s annual Com- munity Thanksgiving Dinner will be available from 1-2:30 p.m. at Clover- leaf Hall at the Wallowa County Fair- grounds, 668 N.W. First St., Enterprise. If you wish, bring a donation to the food bank or a dessert to share. SALEM — Oregon Parks and Recreation Department invites Oregonians to ditch the shopping bags and lace up their hiking boots to celebrate “Green Friday” Nov. 29. OPRD will waive day-use park- ing fees that day in 25 state parks across Oregon. Parking is free year- round at almost all state parks. On Green Friday, the parking fee will be waived at the 25 parks that usu- ally charge for parking. Learn more about Oregon State Parks at www. oregonstateparks.org Admission to Holiday Market benefits emergency food bank LA GRANDE — The annual ESA Delta Epsilon Holiday Market will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 30 at the Blue Mountain Conference Center, 404 12th St., La Grande. Santa will be there from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The market will feature a variety of crafts, homemade items and local and small-business vendors. There also will be raffles, a silent auction and a food booth. Admission is canned food or packaged diapers, to be donated to the local DHS Emergency Food Bank. Tickets on sale for Cove Christmas High Tea COVE — Celebrate the holiday season with friends and loved ones at the Cove Christmas High Tea Dec. 7 at the Ascension School Camp and Con- ference Center, 1104 Church St. The event will go from 2-4 p.m. and feature sweet and savory delights, music and festive decor. As an added Christmas treat, each ticket sold will be entered to win a special gift basket full of local goodies, including a gift certificate for a one-hour relaxation massage courtesy of Ascension Massage. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $8 for children age 12 and younger. Reser- vations are requested. To purchase tickets, go to https://edeo.formstack. com/forms/cove_christmas_tea_tickets. Tickets bought online will be available at the door. Call 541-568-4514 ext 2 for more information. Funding and services available through Training & Employment Consortium LA GRANDE — Training & Employment Consortium, a part of WorkSource Oregon, currently has funding available for training. Funds may be used toward completing col- lege degrees, vocational certificates and licenses and GED testing and tutoring. Registration and assessment must be completed and eligibility must be determined before funds can be awarded. Funding is limited, so early applications are encouraged. TEC’s programs serve adults and youth (age 14 and older). In addi- tion, TEC offers on-going computer classes, job search and resume assis- tance. All services are free of charge. To access services or have your ques- tions answered, stop by the Training & Employment Consortium office in La Grande at 1901 Adams Ave., Suite 4, or call 541-963-7111, ext. 233; in Baker City at 1575 Dewey Ave., or call 541-523-6331, ext. 243; or in Enterprise at 104 Litch St., or call 541-963-7111, ext. 247. Rotary’s Coats for Kids & Adults is ready to warm hearts By Ellen Morris Bishop EO Media Group ENTERPRISE — After a chilly and ominous September start, fall has been remarkably mild in Wallowa County. But that won’t last. A wintry blast is set for later in the week. Fall is over. If your kids have outgrown their coats of last year, or are looking for newer, warmer ones, now’s the time to act! In fact, if the adults in your family, or you have friends in need of a warmer or newer coat, there’s a snugger coat in their future, too. Each year, the Wallowa County Rotary Club, in partnership with Building Healthy Families, collects donated coats, and in many cases, purchases new coats, for distribution to children and adults in need in Wal- lowa County. This popular program typically distributes two hundred coats each fall. Rotary Coats for Kids Chairman Rob Lamb noted plenty of coats are available for those who need them this year. “Usually we have lots of coats that find new homes by this time of year,” Lamb said. “But this year not as many people have stopped by the Wallowa Valley Professional Building on the corner of First and Greenwood streets where they can pick up a coat that fits. That’s especial- ly true of children’s coats.” In addition to the tradi- tional donated Coats for Kids Program, the Rotary Club now distributes new coats through Building Healthy Families. Using input from area teachers and social workers, ap- proximately 75 new coats will be distributed this fall. Individual Wallowa County rotarians and local benefactors donate approxi- mately $1,500 each year to purchase these coats. Marilyn Dalton of Building Healthy Families purchases the warm winter coats in a variety of sizes and colors based on specific student needs. Children take pride in their warm new coats. The Coats for Kids and Adults program will end Nov. 30. So if you are in need of something warmer to wear, stop by the Wallowa Valley Professional Building on the corner of First and Greenwood streets and pick up one that fits. Building hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday – Friday. New items will be added as they become available until the end of November. If anyone needs a coat but is unable to travel to the distribution spots, or does not find the correct size, contact Marilyn at Building Healthy Families: 541-426-9411; or Rob at 541-432-4343. Bank of Eastern Oregon opens Hermiston branch By Jade McDowell EO Media Group HERMISTON — Bank of Eastern Oregon now has a full-service branch in Hermiston. The new branch is at 1475 N. First St., Hermiston, in the former Eastern Oregon Telecom building. The building also houses the offices of commercial lending team Lucas Wagner and Jared Lathrop, and mortgage officer Kaitlin Orcutt. Bank of Eastern Oregon began in Gilliam County in 1945 and has grown to serve communities throughout northeastern Oregon and southeastern Washington. It recently announced a new La Grande branch in addition to the new Hermiston location. “Since our beginning in 1945, Bank of Eastern Oregon has focused on providing quality banking services to the rural communities of Eastern Oregon,” Melissa Samms, the new branch’s local operations manager, said in a news release. “We look forward to meeting and making new friends with the residents, business owners, farm- ers and ranchers of Hermiston and the surrounding areas.” According to the release, BEO is a “full-service commercial bank special- izing in agricultural and small busi- ness lending, municipal and special district deposit services, and offers a wide variety of consumer and business accounts and services.” The new branch is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and can be reached at 541-303-8274. P ubLic s afety r ePOrt FRIDAY La Grande police at 10:30 a.m. responded to the 2300 block of Q Avenue on a report of a burglary. An officer took a report. The 400 block of Meadows Court received extra police pa- trols after a caller at 12:20 p.m. reported suspicious circum- stances in the neighborhood. Transients at 2:46 p.m. requested a voucher from La Grande police, but an officer denied the request. A little less than an hour later, police received a request for a gas voucher, and again the reply was no. An Elgin resident on the 100 block of 19th Avenue reported a suspicious person. A Union County deputy sheriff respond- ed and found the person was selling vacuums. Oregon State Police arrested Calvin Ray Cathey, 59, of La Grande, for driving under the influence of intoxicants, two counts of felon in possession of a weapon and two counts of unlawfully carrying a concealed knife. Law enforcement at 11:24 p.m. received a report of a motorist stuck on 5 Point Creek Road near Hilgard Junction State Park about 11 miles west of La Grande. A sheriff’s deputy was not able to reach the vehicle, and the sheriff’s office activated the search and rescue team. SATURDAY A La Grande police officer at 1:20 p.m. responded to the 500 block of Fourth Street for a dog bite victim. Police in La Grande at 10:59 p.m. received a report of juveniles trespassing on the 700 block of N Avenue. Parents picked up the youth. SUNDAY The Union County Sheriff’s Office arrested Nicholas Lee Kokos, 31, of La Grande, for DUII. The Union County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 69500 block of Shaw Creek Road, El- gin, for possible animal abuse and cited one person. La Grande police at about 8:20 p.m. responded to a report of a fight on the 2200 block of Adams Avenue. An officer took a report of an assault. La Grande police at 8:34 p.m. received a call about a sex crime. And La Grande firefighters responded to four calls for medical assistance Sunday, 10 Saturday and nine Friday. Mon-Fri Blue Plate $12: Roast Beef with Mashed Potatoes, O bituaries gravy, and vegetable Live tomorrow night: Richard D. Tull Meacham 1944-2019 Richard “Rich” Duane Tull, 75, of Meacham, died Nov. 20 at Grande Ronde Hospital. At his request, there will not be a service. Known as Rich, he was born Aug. 31, 1944, in Hay- ward, California to Vernon and Clara (Jensen) Tull. He was raised in Chico, California. In UPCOMING FUNERALS AND VISITATIONS Sponsored by Nov. 29-30 Ruth McClure: 2-4 p.m. Nov. 29 viewing; 9-9:45 a.m. Nov. 30 viewing followed by 10 a.m. funeral; all at Loveland Funeral Chapel, La Grande. 1969, Rich moved to Pendle- ton. He then lived in Herm- iston for several years before moving to Meacham in 2001. He attended school in Chico, California, and later Yuba Community College in Butte, Colorado. Rich served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam and Germany. He married Karen Cook in 1971 and they later divorced. In 1980, he married Janet L. Sharp. Rich was employed with Marsh’s Men’s Wear in 1969 and then owned and operated his own business, R. Tull Co. Painting, until retirement in 2006. He enjoyed hunting, being in the outdoors, flying and bar stool testing. He was a past member of the Pend- leton Chamber of Commerce, Pendleton Elks #288 and Hermiston Eagles. He served as the state vice president and chapter president of the Oregon Pilots Association. While in the Army, Rich was shot down three times in Vietnam and received the Bronze Star and several Air Medals for combat sorties flown. Survivors include his wife, Janet; children and their spouses, Brenda K. and Dale Primmer of Pendleton, Kristopher and Angie Tull of Springfield, Missouri, and Sara Jean and Jesus Vil- lereal of Coralville, Iowa; and six grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Vernon and Clara; sister, Sheri Marsh; and brother, Rodney Tull. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.lovelandfuneralchapel. com. Arline M. Martens La Grande Arline M. Martens, 101, of La Grande, died Nov. 24 at a local care facility. An obituary is forthcoming. Loveland Funeral Chapel & Crematory will be handling the arrangements. Lois E. (Nelson) Thompson Formerly of Enterprise 1927-2019 Lois Ellen Thompson, 91, of Tri-Cities, Washington, and formerly of Enterprise, died Oct. 30. Lois was born Nov. 27, 1927, in Enterprise, to John and Elmo Nelson. She graduated from Enterprise High School in 1945. Lois moved to the Tri-Cities in 1952, where she worked in the food service industry for several years. In 1981, she relocated to Tonopah, Nevada, and worked on the Nevada Test Site for Reyn- olds Electric. It was there Lois met her best friend and future husband, Jack. She retired in 1989 and shortly after moved back to the Tri- Cities. Lois loved to travel. Her sense of humor was second to none. Her love for her family was foremost in her life, and she touched many hearts. Surviving relatives include her husband, Jack; children and their spouses, Sharon and Bill, Leslie, Tracy, Bill and Debbie, and Lary and Chris; 11 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; daughter, Vicki; and siblings, Barbara and Bob. Gregory Rawlins Tuesday, November 26th 8pm-10pm 541-963-8766 tendepotstreet.com Come in today and let our staff help make your Thanksgiving HAPPY & FESTIVE! 1123 Adams Ave., La Grande 541-963-5741 redcrossdrugstore.com Enjoy what matters! FAMILY OWNED November 30th & December 1st 1809 Gekeler Ln. La Grande 215 Elm Street La Grande (541) 963-5440 northwestfurnitureandmattress.com 541-963-4700
