LOCAL
MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 2020
GOALS
Continued from Page 1A
Strope said that report is
complete and the city now
has specific recommenda-
tions to follow in 2020.
Strope said the report
shows La Grande has
enough land to address its
housing needs but the city
may need to make changes
to zoning.
La Grande last year also
wanted to continue working
on economic development
through Urban Renewal
Agency funding. Strope said
some projects wrapped up
in 2019, including updates
to Countertop Solutions,
Grande Ronde Animal
Hospital and Steve’s Outdoor
Adventures. He also said
progress continues with the
URA’s call for new projects,
which he described as a
“major tool for our economic
development.”
Perhaps the biggest goal
the city met was establishing
the train whistle quiet zone,
Strope said. The trains that
pass through La Grande are
no longer required to blow
their horns at each crossing,
an accomplishment that has
been in the works for more
than 10 years. The zone went
into effect just after mid-
night Dec. 27. Strope said the
city staff anticipates hiccups
in getting train engineers to
remember not to blow the
horns but they are happy to
have accomplished this long-
awaited goal.
Union County
Union County welcomed
two new commissioners in
2019, Matt Scarfo and Paul
Anderes. Both commission-
ers completed county college,
a networking opportunity
where new commissioners
learn the ins and outs of
county government.
“The best thing that came
out of county college was the
folks I met and the relation-
ships I formed,” Anderes
said.
Scarfo echoed Anderes’
remarks about county col-
lege and said having other
commissioners in Oregon he
can turn to for advice and
guidance will be invaluable.
The new commissioners said
the people they work with
have been the biggest help in
getting established in their
new roles.
“We have some truly great
people working in Union
County,” Anderes said.
The county’s goals in 2019
including commissioners
attending city council meet-
ings throughout the county,
increasing membership at
the Buffalo Peak Golf Course
and establishing new busi-
nesses in the Baum Indus-
trial Park. The county did
not increase membership at
the golf course but checked
off the boxes for the two
other goals.
Commissioner Donna
Beverage said two new busi-
nesses — Romans’ Precision
Irrigation and Ethiopian
Hands — finished building
at the industrial park and
plan to open for business in
the next few months.
All three commissioners
said they found value in
being liaisons to the differ-
ent cities as it helps them
better understand what is
happening across Union
County. Each commissioner
works with at least two
cities, and Scarfo said the
effort has helped bridge the
gap between county and city
officials.
“A lot happens at the city
level,” Scarfo said. “It is im-
SMITH
Continued from Page 1A
spotted owl habitat. Smith said as the
2nd District representative he would
work to end the federal Endangered
Species Act. He wrote on his website,
www.sendjefftocongress.com, the ESA is
no longer needed because many states
have their own version of it.
Smith also said he would work to boost
academic achievement in Oregon schools,
noting Oregon has poor graduation rates
and lower student scores on achievement
tests compared to other states. He said he
wants the state to place more of a focus on
vocational education.
Many schools focus on getting stu-
dents to college, he said, but that’s a bad
idea for 50-60% of students unless they
have significant scholarships, because
most students emerge from college
with large student loan debts. He said a
college graduate earning $25,000 a year
with a $35,000 loan debt often is not in
a good financial situation.
“For many it just does not pencil out,”
he said.
Rather than focusing on higher educa-
tion at more expensive traditional col-
leges, Smith said Oregon schools should
develop more vocation education pro-
grams to help students develop the skills
they need to land jobs as machinists,
BABY
Continued from Page 1A
decided baby Wyatt was too
big for a natural delivery and
took Jaime in for C-section.
He came out at 8 pounds, 5
ounces, and measured 20-1/2
inches long. Jaime said it
looks like little Wyatt has her
nose so far.
Jaime and Cody’s 10-year-
old daughter, Rikilynn, also
was excited to meet her
brother.
“She cried happy tears
at the gender reveal party,”
Jaime said about her daugh-
ter.
Once they knew the gen-
der of the baby, Jaime and
Cody set about finding him a
name. A friend gave Jaime a
book from which she learned
portant to keep these things
in everyone’s agenda.”
Another highlight in 2019
for the county commission-
ers was a visit to the White
House. Scarfo said it was an
honor to represent Union
County and rural Oregon.
Eastern Oregon
University
EOU’s biggest goals
for 2019 were to continue
making education more
affordable and accessible
to students and to continue
developing the university’s
identity as a rural university.
Using its strategic plan,
known as “The Ascent,”
the university worked on
these goals with a variety of
projects.
One project Eastern com-
pleted was the addition of a
sustainable rural systems
degree. Students enrolling
in the fall of 2020 will have
the opportunity to pursue
an area of study that will
develop skills geared toward
local communities. EOU
President Tom Insko said
he is excited about the more
experience-based, hands-on
learning opportunities the
school is developing for its
students.
“It is about providing
relevance and providing
opportunities through the
university for our students,”
Insko said.
Insko also said he is happy
the university continues to
provide affordable education
to students. He said the uni-
versity has kept its tuition
increases lower than other
universities, and the imple-
mentation of a free review
process for transfer credits
has helped provide access
to education for students
who want to continue their
education at EOU.
electricians, linemen and in construction.
He said jobs in these fields offer living-
wage jobs and the training will not leave
students over their heads in debt.
Smith also is concerned about the
future of Medicare, which he said will
become insolvent in seven years with-
out action. He said soaring health care
costs are endangering the program.
“They are rising at twice the rate of
inflation and three times the rate of
wage growth,” Smith said.
He blamed a shortage of health care
providers as a big reason for soaring
health care costs. He said a dearth
of medical schools is one reason for
the shortage and cited Oregon as an
example. He said Oregon Health &
Science University, Portland, graduates
150 doctors a year, not enough to allow
the state to maintain a sufficient level of
physicians for its population of almost
4.2 million. He said he would like to see
changes at the federal level in policies
and funding that would allow more
universities to offer medical degrees and
more health care provider training over-
all. He said medical organizations and
their lobbyists are preventing the expan-
sion of medical education programs.
“This is the root cause of rising health
care costs,” Smith said. “The system is
rigged.”
Smith is among eight candidates
Wyatt means “little warrior.”
“When I first felt him
kick, I knew that’s what he
was — a little warrior,” she
said.
It took seeing the infant
in person though to solidify
the name. The couple still
is considering their son’s
middle name.
As the New Year’s baby,
the Grande Ronde Hos-
pital Auxiliary, the Auxil-
iary Sewing Committee and
Quilt Questers sent Wyatt
home with an array of gifts,
including a handmade quilt
and stocking and plenty of
newborn supplies.
Jaime and Cody said they
were looking forward to
going home and getting to
know the newest member of
their family.
Renovation of Loso Hall
remains ongoing and prog-
ress continues on updating
some of the performing arts
facilities on campus.
Insko credited the success
of the year’s accomplish-
ments to the university’s
strategic plan, which pro-
vides a clear vision.
Wallowa County
Wallowa County Commis-
sioner Todd Nash said the
goals for the county in 2019
were to work on the Wallowa
Lake Dam and the Blue
Mountains Forest Plan.
The dam was not complet-
ed, though Nash said most of
the work will be completed
during the winter of 2020
and the project finished
by the fall of 2021. He said
doing the work during the
winter will employ workers
during the off-season.
The Blue Mountain
Forests Plan revision did not
come to fruition. The U.S.
Forest Service tossed out the
project in March 2019 and
late in the year re-started the
process — for the third time
— to develop a plan that
addresses social, economic
and ecological goals of the
national forests in the Blue
Mountains in addition to pro-
viding framework for future
management decisions.
“We are developing a new
plan, and doing it in a new
way,” Nash said. “Hopefully
in the next two and a half
years we will have a new
functioning plan.”
Cove, Elgin, Island City,
North Powder, Summerville
and Union city officials did
not respond to requests for
comment on 2019 goals
before publication. The Ob-
server will provide informa-
tion about the 2020 city and
county goals at a later date.
running to succeed incumbent Greg
Walden, R-Hood River, who announced
in October he will not will not seek
reelection. Walden has served in Con-
gress since 1999. Smith spoke highly of
Walden’s work in Congress.
“Greg Walden has done a good job of
looking out for the people of Eastern
Oregon,” the Elgin candidate said.
This is Smith’s second run for public
office. He ran in the Republican pri-
mary for Oregon governor in 2018, plac-
ing fifth in a 10-candidate field. Knute
Buehler, a physician from Bend, won
the nomination but lost to incumbent
Kate Brown in the general election.
Buehler also is running in the Republi-
can primary to succeed Walden.
Joining Buehler and Smith in this
year’s GOP primary field are state Sen.
Cliff Bentz of Ontario; Mark Roberts of
Medford, a former Independent Party
member who ran for a congressional
seat in 2018; and Kenneth Medenach
of Klamath County, who was part of
the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
occupation in 2016.
Three Democratic candidates are
running for their party’s nomination:
Jack Howard, a La Grande attorney
and former Union County commission-
er; Medford resident John Holm; and
community organizer Isabella Tibbetts
of Jackson County.
Serious speed!
Merkley expects
Iran to respond to
killing of general
By Kyle Spurr
EO Media Group
REDMOND — At a
town hall meeting Satur-
day, U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley,
D-Oregon, addressed the
potential for war following
the assassination of Iranian
military commander Maj.
Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
Merkley expects Iran to
respond to the attack since
it would be the equivalent
of Iran assassinating the
U.S. secretary of defense,
he said.
But Merkley said he is
working in Congress to
avoid an escalation into
war. He also reminded the
crowd that President Don-
ald Trump does not have
the constitutional authority
to take the country to war,
unless he can prove a ter-
rorist connection.
“We have to try to inter-
rupt the escalation into
another major war that
will endanger our national
security and result in thou-
sands of Americans who
will die on battlefields and
cost another trillion dollars
in funds,” Merkley said. “We
have to speak up. We have
to do everything we can to
stop that.”
The Redmond town hall
inside the Ridgeview High
School auditorium drew
a couple hundred people
who were eager to hear
from Merkley on national
topics, such as the impeach-
ment of Trump, health care
and climate change. Most
people in the audience sup-
ported Merkley and gave
him a standing ovation at
the end of the town hall
meeting. About 30 Trump
supporters protested out-
side the high school before
the town hall.
The gathering was the
first of three scheduled
meetings in Central Oregon
on Saturday. Merkley also
held town hall meetings
at the Madras Performing
Arts Center and at Barnes
Butte Elementary School in
Prineville.
Merkley, a Democrat
from Portland, offered his
thoughts at the Redmond
town hall meeting about
the Trump impeachment,
which he said aligns with
the protections the Found-
ing Fathers established in
the Constitution.
“The issues that have
been raised are very con-
sistent with the founders’
concerns,” Merkley said. “Is
there an abuse of power,
and is there a solicitation of
foreign interference?”
Merkley said he shares
concerns with House Demo-
crats who believe Senate
Majority Leader Mitch Mc-
Connell is unwilling to hold
a fair Senate trial regarding
impeachment.
“To me, that is a violation
of our constitutional respon-
sibility,” Merkley said. “And
I feel if you can’t take the
oath in an honest and clear
way to do it impartial jus-
tice, then you need to recuse
yourself from participation
in the trial.”
Merkley also discussed
climate change in dire
terms.
“The issue of carbon pol-
lution and how it’s affecting
our planet is the biggest
challenge human civiliza-
tion has faced,” he said.
Merkley said climate
change can be felt in the
forests, farmland and ocean.
In the summer it produces
intense wildfires, and in the
winter, low snowpack.
Got
Resolutions?
As we gear up for a brand-new year, make
Grande Ronde Retirement Residence your new
home.. From health and fitness features to family
entertainment, we deliver all you need to make
2020 your best year yet!
Pay one price for two great services: high-speed Internet
and a full-featured home phone
Simply Broadband Max
19
Ryan Brennecke/EO Media Group
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley answers a question from the
crowd Saturday during a town hall meeting at Rid-
geview High School in Redmond.
Save with Frontier Internet Bundles
Bundle and save today
99
BROADBAND ULTRA + PHONE + SECURE
Per Month
With Qualifying
Phone Service
67 97
Per Month
6 Mbps + Free Wi-Fi Router + 1 Year Price Lock
Call today and pay less
12 Mbps + Free Wi-Fi Router + 2 Year Price Lock
Protect Your Identity, Devices & Files
855-972-6641
Look for our Help and ideas, inspiration and support to help you set
and keep your goals all year!
You can’t get BS from a buffalo. ™
*Internet access service and charges not included. Frontier does not warrant that the service will be error-free or uninterrupted. Nest products: Additional $9 shipping fee per Nest device. Nest products must be purchased with new Internet service or eligible Frontier Secure services.
Taxes, governmental and Frontier-imposed surcharges, minimum system requirements and other terms and conditions apply. Nest®, Nest Learning Thermostat™, Nest Protect™, Nest Cam™ and the Nest logo are trademarks or service marks of Nest Labs, Inc. ©2017 Frontier
Communications Corporation
Imagine The Difference You Can Make
DONATE YOUR CAR
1-844-533-9173
FREE TOWING
TAX DEDUCTIBLE
10106 N. ‘C’ • Island Cit y
1809 Gekeler Ln.
La Grande
Help Prevent Blindness
Get A Vision Screening Annually
Ask About A FREE 3 Day
Vacation Voucher To Over
20 Destinations!!!
An Independent
Insurance Agency
Reed & Associates for
excellent service LOCALLY!
Nicole Cathey
THE OBSERVER — 5A
541-975-1364
541-963-4700
Medicare, Auto, Home
insurance and Annuities
Toll Free 1-866-282-1925
www.reed-insurance.net
Kevin Reed