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Bylenga
seeks
House
seat
UHS names work fi rm, 2A
EOU adds more
all-American nods, 7A
Good day to our valued subscriber Alta Halliday of La Grande
■ Local
retailers share
important
steps for
competing with
online Goliath
TAKING ON
AMAZON
By Sabrina Thompson
■ PSU student
seeks Democratic
nomination for
District 58
The Observer
LA GRANDE — When
the weather gets cold and
the nights come earlier there
are few things better than
curling up with a good book
and a nice warm drink. Don’t
know what to read? Local
bookstore owners and library
staffs share their winter
reading recommendations.
By Antonio Sierra
EO Media Group
PENDLETON — Nolan
Bylenga arrived back in
Pendleton early Wednesday
morning after
fi nishing his
last set of fi nals
at Portland
State Univer-
sity, and he still
Bylenga
had multiple
essays to turn
in before the end of the week.
Amid all that, he declared
his candidacy for the state
House District 58 Democratic
primary.
Republican Bobby Levy of
Echo announced her candi-
dacy for the seat on Tuesday,
but Bylenga was the fi rst to
fi le for the seat on Dec. 5.
A 22-year-old PSU senior
and Pendleton High School
alum, Bylenga will attempt
to fl ip a seat that’s been
dominated by Republicans
for decades.
In explaining why he
was running for offi ce, By-
lenga cited Barack Obama’s
keynote speech at the 2004
Democratic National Conven-
tion: “The Audacity of Hope.”
Bylenga said he would like to
bring a sense of hope to the
district.
Despite his youth, Bylenga
is already well-traveled.
A standout on the Pendle-
ton High School track team,
he initially attended the
University of Florida to run
for the Gators.
But after an injury, he de-
cided to transfer to a college
closer to home. After stints
at Lane Community College
and the University of Oregon,
he was recruited to run track
for Portland State, although
he ended up injuring himself
again.
A political science major
at PSU, Bylenga holds some
views that run against the
grain of the Democratic Party.
Bylenga expressed
See Bylenga / Page 5A
Curling
up with
a good
book
Staff photo by Dick Mason
John Appleton fi ne-tunes a bow Thursday afternoon at Alpine Archery and Fly, La Grande. Helping customers
make sure their equipment is correct helps the small business take on online retailers such as Amazon.
By Dick Mason, The Observer
LA GRANDE — The rule is one John and Anieta Appleton, the owners of
Alpine Archery and Fly, almost never breaks.
Since purchasing their
archery shop 4-1/2 years
ago, the Appletons have
made sure every customer
purchasing a bow does not
leave without fi rst testing
it.
“We want to make sure
they are comfortable with
it and that it meets their
needs,” John Appleton said.
John and his wife,
Anieta, have an easy time
fi nding a test site — a
16-lane, 20-yard archery
range that is part of their
La Grande shop.
The range they provide
for patron use and their
test policy are evidence
of the Appletons’ focus
on customer service, an
important arrow in their
quiver as they compete
against Amazon, the online
giant that retailers face
each Christmas season and
year-round, one which has
more than $200 billion in
“We think of
ourselves as a service
business that also
sells retail products.”
— John Appleton,
owner of Alpine
Archery and Fly
Staff photo by Dick Mason
Whit Hartz of Mountain Works Bicycles, La Grande,
does repair work on a bicycle Wednesday afternoon.
The small business relies on customer service to
compete with the likes of Amazon.
annual sales. John Apple-
ton, like many local store
owners, believes reaching
out to customers is more
critical now than ever.
“Nothing beats customer
service,” he said.
Appleton said archers
who shop on Amazon will
fi nd equipment that is
less expensive than what
Alpine Archery sells. How-
ever, in the long run, those
purchasing bows from
Amazon will end up spend-
ing more than if they came
to Alpine. Archers who buy
bows at his shop do not
have to pay for assembly,
he explained, unlike those
who get theirs from online
retailers like Amazon who
have to pay an extra fee
that can drive the total cost
higher than what would
have been paid by shop-
ping at Alpine.
“If they had purchased
See Compete / Page 5A
La Grande hospital honors lives lost
■ Grande Ronde Hospital’s Home Health and
Hospice holds inaugural Remembrance Ceremony
By Sabrina Thompson
The Observer
LA GRANDE — Grande Ronde
Hospital’s Home Health and
Hospice held an inaugural Remem-
brance Ceremony Thursday night to
honor those whose lives were lost.
Families who had loved ones die
in hospice or while receiving home
health care from GRH this year
received a token of remembrance in
the form of an angel ornament with
the person’s name attached.
More than 75 ornaments hung on
the Tree of Light, according to Ann
Schaefer, a licensed clinical social
worker with the hospital. The tree
stands in the GRH Pavilion at 909
Adams Ave., the new Home Health
and Hospice headquarters.
“This year we are un-decorating
the tree and giving those who lost
INDEX
Classified ..... 2B
Comics ......... 7B
Crossword ... 3B
Dear Abby .... 8B
WEATHER
Horoscope ... 3B
Lottery.......... 2A
Obituaries .... 3A
Opinion ........ 4A
MONDAY
Outdoors ..... 1B
Sports .......... 7A
Sudoku ........ 7B
Weather ....... 8B
someone a little piece of them back,”
Schaefer said.
Former home heath care director
Marge Addleman was at the cer-
emony. Addleman lost her husband,
Ray Addleman, on Christmas morn-
ing 2018.
“It’s sounds silly, but it’s him, it
represents him,” she said about the
ornament.
Addleman, like others with fam-
ily members in hospice or utilizing
home health services, recalled a
fondness for those who worked
Children’s books
“Reading is a great way to
learn new things and open
up our imaginations to un-
lock new worlds,” said Carrie
Bushman, children’s services
staff member at La Grande’s
Cook Memorial Library. “It’s
an easy way to connect in a
world where we are losing
our human connections.
Spark a new interest, bond
over a favorite story from
your childhood with your
own children, or just curl up
with a blanket, hot cocoa,
and let the snow fall outside
while you go on a journey in
your mind.”
Bushman’s suggestions
for children’s books include
fi ction and nonfi ction on a
variety of topics. “A Big Bed
for Little Snow” by Grace
Lin tells the story of a little
boy who can’t resist jumping
on the warm winter bed his
mother made him. “I Just
Ate My Friend” by Heidi
McKinnon is a story about
the search for friendship and
belonging.
For children a little more
advanced in their reading,
Bushman suggested, “The
Good Thieves” by Katherine
Rundell. The inspirational
story is one of adventure and
determination.
A classic novel suggested
by Mike Maszk from Looking
Glass Books was A. A. Milne’s
“Winnie-the-Pooh,” as it
brought back happy memo-
ries for the store owner.
“My grandma called me
Pooh as a child, so it always
reminds me of her,” Maszk
said. “It is already a favorite
of my 8-month-old daughter.
It is a wonderful story full of
friendship, love and kind-
ness — all good reminders of
what is important during the
holiday season.”
Young adult books
For students in middle
school and high school who
want to get away from their
assigned academic reading,
Pendleton Public Library
and Cook Memorial Library
shared their suggestions for
books to read for pleasure.
“A Winter’s Promise” by
Christelle Dabos takes the
reader on an adventure with
a runaway who can travel
through mirrors. Pendelton’s
youth services librarian
Briana White suggested this
fi rst book in the series along
See Ceremony / Page 5A
See Books / Page 5A
CONTACT US
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541-963-3161
Issue 142
2 sections, 16 pages
La Grande, Oregon
Email story ideas
to news@lagrande
observer.com .
More contact info
on Page 4A.
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