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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 3, 2020)
SPORTS Inside Across the Outback, 2A Elk congregating at state-run feeding sites, 1B Smelling the Roses FRIDAY-SUNDAY • January 3-5, 2020 • $1.50 Union County Warming Station Council decision likely to stand Good day to our valued subscriber Mark Gish of La Grande BEHIND THE LENS: Photographer captures beauty of La Grande ■ No LUBA appeal filed to stop warming station By Dick Mason The Observer LA GRANDE — The outlook for the Union County Warming Station is brighten- ing. It appears the La Grande City Council’s Dec. 4 decision to allow the overnight shelter for those in need to operate at its new location at 2008 Third St. near downtown will not face a challenge at the state level. The deadline for fi ling a notice of appeal to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals was 5 p.m. Dec. 30 according to La Grande City Planner Mike Boquist. LUBA, based in Salem, received no appeals by the deadline, giving the warming station a green light. Still, there is one caveat. The state board accepts appeals in the mail only. If one arrives with a Dec. 30 postmark, the board would consider it valid, Boquist said. That possibility appears unlikely, however, because nobody notifi ed the city of La Grande that they intended to appeal the council’s decision. Boquist said informing the city is a requirement of an appeal to the state board. Cody Vela, chair of the Union County Warming Station board, was heartened when the deadline passed without news of a notice of appeal being fi led. “This is a great way to start the new year,” Vela said Thursday morning. Boquist said had there been an appeal, LUBA likely would not have issued a rul- ing for at least three months. The La Grande Planning Commission in October granted a conditional use permit for the warming sta- tion to operate at the Third Street site. Developer Al Adelsberger appealed that Staff photo by Sabrina Thompson Shay Witten photographs local cosplay model Britt McNeil during a photo shoot Thursday afternoon in La Grande. By Sabrina Thompson, The Observer LA GRANDE — Eight years ago, La Grande photographer Shay Witten’s friend was designing a fashion line. Witten thought it would be interesting to see what the clothes looked like on models through the lens of a camera. Witten shot the photos and knew there was no turning back. That experience gave Witten the passion for photographing people, and the local landscape of La Grande provided the backdrop. “La Grande has great outdoor nature locations, and there are old buildings with a lot of charm,” Witten said. “You just have to know where to fi nd it.” Witten, who uses the pronouns they, them and their, has done shoots around La Grande, including Pioneer Park, in the back of the Liberty Theatre and the alleyway between hq and Beckie’s Studio of Dance. They like the variety the area provides. Previously, they took photos in Eugene and Corvallis, which they said had, in their opinion, less interesting places to shoot. The subjects of Witten’s photos are most often people. Some models are ones Witten has reached out to, often through social media, to help build both their portfolios. Witten also often receives requests to shoot photos, such as family photos or senior portraits. In either case, Witten said they enjoy working with the subjects to make sure the photos are as good as possible. “It is really important to make sure your model is comfortable,” Wit- ten said. “I help those who haven’t done it before with encouragement Staff photo by Sabrina Thompson and give feedback. I like to keep it positive, and it’s pretty easy since Photographer Shay Witten captures La Grande local Britt McNeil in an See Witten / Page 5A alley during a photo shoot Thursday afternoon. See Appeal / Page 5A Report examines breaching of Snake River dams By Katy Nesbitt For the EO Media Group PENDLETON — A $750,000 report, which looked at the possible effects of breaching the four lower Snake River dams, summarized the issues around protecting endan- gered species while maintaining renewable energy supplies, riverine transportation and irrigation. The draft report funded by the Washington Legislature took about three months to conclude that breaching the dams might help save orca populations, but the bigger pic- ture is more complex. Kurt Miller, executive director of Northwest RiverPartners, said breaching the dams could have negative impacts on vulnerable communities. The vast majority of North- west RiverPartners’ members are nonprofi t utilities, Miller said, but some are farmers, managers or port districts. He said the organization formed in 2005 as a coalition to promote what its members consider smart salmon recovery. INDEX Classified ..... 3B Comics ......... 7B Crossword ... 5B Dear Abby .... 7B “My members are salmon advo- cates and we want solutions that consider salmon and people,” he said. The four federally owned dams on the lower Snake River are Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose and Lower Granite. Miller said the dams not only keep energy affordable, but they are an important supply of electricity where there are more and more de- mands. Pointing to a symposium in Portland last October, attended by WEATHER Full forecast on the back of B section Horoscope ... 7B Lottery.......... 2A Obituaries .... 3A Opinion ........ 4A MONDAY Outdoors ..... 1B Sports .......... 7A Sudoku ........ 7B Weather ....... 8B Friday Saturday Sunday 36 LOW 40/28 39/30 Rain and drizzle A shower Rain/snow showers NEW BICYCLE LAW 400 utility leaders and policymak- ers, Miller said securing the region’s energy sources is imperative. “Coal plants are being retired and we believe the dams are truly criti- cal to avoid blackouts,” he said. The risk to those who depend on the dams for energy is also an outcome of climate change. “Given temperature projections, the region could have the same kind of issues as California,” Miller said. Even with more solar and wind See Dams / Page 5A 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 2 2 sections, 16 pages La Grande, Oregon Online at lagrandeobserver.com
