LOCAL
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2020
OWNERS
Continued from Page 1A
our best feature. They are amazing. You
are only as good as your employees,” he
said.
Bruce’s staff is helping him not only
add breakfast but also serve up new
entrees for those keeping an extra eye
on their health. The menu now includes
organic steaks from grass-fed beef
and in the near future he plans to add
gluten-free products.
“We want to give people more healthy
menu options. A lot of people are on a
health kick,” Bruce said. “We want to
cater to their needs.”
Meals at Bud Jackson’s are prepared
quickly but not at the expense of taste.
“We don’t cook fast food. We cook
fresh food as fast as we can,” Bruce said.
BARRY
Continued from Page 1A
and counties in three ODOT
districts that combined
encompass Union, Wallowa,
Baker, Morrow, Grant, Mal-
heur and Harney counties.
“My job, essentially, is sup-
porting cities and counties,”
Barry said.
He said his experience
working as the liaison offi cer
has prepared him well for
some of the challenges he
would take on as a county
commissioner.
“The learning curve most
candidates go through, I
already have,” Barry said.
He explained his back-
ground has helped him
develop an understanding of
the process of governance.
“You are not born with
this, you learn it,” he said.
Barry fi rst worked as a
geologist for the state road
department and then as
District 13 operations coor-
dinator. Barry, who grew up
in Lakeview in a sheep and
cattle ranching family, has a
bachelor of science degree in
geology from Oregon State
University and is a Regis-
WORKSHOP
Continued from Page 1A
Continued from Page 1A
to declare a state of emer-
gency and to provide roughly
$120 million in funding to
help create more shelters,
build affordable housing and
preserve existing affordable
housing stock.
What’s at stake: The living
arrangements for thousands
of Oregonians who are con-
fronted by rising rents and a
thin supply of housing they
can afford. Moving people off
the streets and out of cars
makes it easier to provide
social services to homeless
people who have mental
health, addiction and other
challenges.
Key players: Kotek, state
Rep. Alissa Keny-Guyer,
chair of the House Hu-
man Services and Housing
Committee, and state Sen.
Shemia Fagan, chair of the
Senate Housing and Devel-
opment Committee.
Wildfi re
The issue: Oregon could
change the way it prevents
and suppresses wildfi re. The
governor’s Council on Wild-
fi re is proposing better ways
to plan fi re suppression, as-
in football, basketball and baseball.
“Everyone in Eastern Oregon is a
sportsman,” he said, explaining he con-
siders those who like hiking and fi shing
as sportsmen also.
Bruce, whose previous experience
includes years of managing food service
operations at the Eastern Oregon Live-
stock Show, bought Bud Jackson’s from
Victor “Bud” and Brenda Ashcraft, who
owned the restaurant for more than
a decade. Victor Ashcraft is known to
many as Bud Jackson. Bruce said he is
good friends with the Ashcrafts.
A longtime Union County resident,
Bruce is enjoying his fi rst stint as a res-
taurant owner because he loves people
and likes cooking, which he has done all
of his life after learning from his mother.
“Cooking is an art,” Bruce said, “and I
like people who like good art.”
tered Professional Geologist.
He said as a commissioner
his objectives would include
working to secure infra-
structure such as bridges,
roads and sewer and water
projects in Union County;
getting broadband internet
service for Union County
schools; creating opportu-
nities for young people to
get training in trades that
would allow them to secure
living-wage jobs here so they
do not have to leave the area;
and making sure industrial
lands, including industrial
parks, are protected.
Barry, Beverage and any-
one who fi les for Position 3
on the Union County Board
of Commissioners will be
on the ballot for the May 19
primary election.
A candidate who receives
more than 50% of the vote
will win outright. However,
if no candidate tops the 50%
mark, the top two fi nishers
will run against each other
in the November general
election.
The deadline for fi ling for
the Union County commis-
sioner and other elected
positions is March 10.
Coat drive, live performance, fi lm showing celebrate MLK Day
James said. “My mother is white and my
father is black, and I have seen my mother
and grandmother take an active role in
supporting me and providing access to op-
portunities that systems and communities
have previously left me out of. I am thank-
ful for their advocacy and I want everyone
regardless of their race or background to
be able to feel loved and included.”
She defi ned a white ally as “someone
who takes an active role in conversations
about injustice and uses their white privi-
lege to speak up and speak out on behalf
of marginalized groups.” James said now
is the right time to have this conversation
because people are more willing to talk
about these issues.
“It’s diffi cult to know if this is a
change or if there are more supports to
engage,” she said. “I can say from my
experience people from all backgrounds,
race, region, class, ethnicity are craving
deeper connections and that requires
that we are able to have hard conversa-
tions and practice vulnerability.”
Kristy Athens, the outreach specialist
for the development district, noted that
white members of the community have
privileges because of the color of their
skin, and the purpose of the event is to
help raise awareness about privilege
and discuss ways people can reexamine
their presumptions.
“These privileges mean they might
have opportunities others do not,” she
said, “and they might not even realize it.”
She said there is a misconception
that race is not an issue in small towns
such as La Grande because of the lack of
SESSION
The new owner also is striving to
emphasize that Bud Jackson’s is a
family-friendly establishment.
“This is not a bar with a restaurant,”
he said. “We are a restaurant with a
really nice bar.”
The restaurant will continue to
focus on community events, including
programs such as youth sports. Photos
highlighting the success of local youth
athletic teams fi ll the place.
“We are a huge supporter of the town.
We want to support all local youths,”
Bruce said.
Bud Jackson’s was previously named
Bud Jackson’s Sportsman’s Bar and
Grill. The sports memorabilia and big
screen televisions showing an array of
athletic contests remain in place. Still,
the new owner wants everyone to feel
welcome there, not just those interested
Eastern Oregon University announced its Offi ce of Student Diversity and In-
clusion partnered with groups across campus and the region to launch a three-
day celebration this week in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s ideals and legacy.
The events begin Wednesday and are free to the public. For more information,
contact the Multicultural Center at 541-962-3741 or visit www.eou.edu/news/.
racial diversity. According to U.S. Census
Bureau data, Union County is 92.6%
white, with Hispanic or Latino making
up the largest minority at 4.9%. Athens
said because of this, the public isn’t see-
ing the diversity here and thinks there is
no need for conversations about privilege
and racial inequality.
James said the conversation of race
has so much stigma, and she has seen
people, in particular white people, feel
shamed and blamed.
“I believe that feeling of shame only
gets in the way of the connection we are
craving,” she said. “That’s not to dismiss
the historical and current atrocities
happening across the nation, but many
of us are not actively engaging in racist
acts. It’s much more subtle, and I want
to address that nuance.”
Athens said she believes having these
conversations can lead to improvements
to the economy and businesses. She said
more diversity in the workplace, and
more allyship with that diversity, means
businesses can keep staff longer with less
turnover because they are more comfort-
able at work when they feel included.
“Really, it is about making everyone
in the community feel welcome,” Athens
said.
Compared to the community at large,
there is more racial diversity at Eastern
Oregon University.
sess risk and prevent fi res.
Gov. Kate Brown intends to
ask for up to $200 million
over two years for the work.
Sen. Herman Baertsch-
iger, R-Grants Pass, wants to
modernize the state Forestry
Department and expand
its ability to use aircraft on
wildfi res.
What’s at stake: Despite
an average fi re season last
year, where about 16,867
acres burned, the growing
threat of climate change
has lawmakers and forestry
offi cials feeling like they got
lucky. Wildfi re costs in 2017
and 2018 set new records.
Such costs are expected
to grow if the state does
not spend more to prevent
and mitigate fi res, placing
continuing strains on state
budgets.
Key players: Jason Miner,
the governor’s natural re-
sources policy adviser; Matt
Donegan, chair of the state
Council on Wildfi re; Baer-
tschiger; Sen. Jeff Golden, D-
Ashland; the state Forestry
Department.
Guns
The issue: Democratic law-
makers are making another
attempt at a “safe storage”
Whites make up 74.5% of the student
body, and 6.8% of students identify as
Hispanic or Latino, according to www.
collegefactual.com. Bennie Moses-Me-
subed, the director of student diversity
and inclusion at EOU, said the univer-
sity is making efforts toward helping
students and faculty feel included,
citing as examples the multicultural
center and the yearly diversity and
inclusivity conference.
“A big part of this issue is that when
there are few people of color, it can be
like we are invisible or not present,”
Moses-Mesubed said. “Conversations
like this one can help bring people of
color to the forefront.”
With such a large percentage of white
students the topic is especially relevant,
Moses-Mesubed said. White students
may not think they are part of the conver-
sation because they aren’t dealing with
some of the issues of racism, she said,
but the purpose of diversity training and
conversations is to gain understanding
that we all live in a multicultural society
and are responsible for inclusion.
James believes discussions about inclu-
sion and specifically race are long overdue.
“Racism and exclusion of ‘minorities’
has been around for centuries,” she said,
“and the only time we have seen move-
ment toward racial equity is when we
center it in conversations and action.”
gun control bill. Another bill
would allow local govern-
ments to ban fi rearms from
public buildings.
What’s at stake: Advo-
cates say their proposal is
intended to reduce deaths
and injuries in Oregon
caused by guns. The legisla-
tion also could broaden the
public buildings where guns
could be banned.
Key players: State Reps.
Rachel Prusak, D-West Linn;
Janeen Sollman, D-Hillsboro;
Oregon Firearms Federa-
tion; the NRA; Oregonians
for Safe Gun Storage and
Reporting Lost/Stolen Fire-
arms; Moms Demand Action.
Environment
The issue: Democrats are
pursuing limits on green-
house emissions by industry
in their latest version of a
cap-and-trade program.
What’s at stake: Scientists
say the impact of climate
change grows more distinct
each year and environmen-
talists contend Oregon needs
to be a leader at taming
damaging emissions. But
opponents in industry and
agriculture say new costs
would harm employers and
consumers.
THE OBSERVER — 5A
GOODRICH
each day.
“It’s a pretty good sys-
tem,” he said. “The rural fi re
system provides trucks, per-
sonal protective gear and
training; the people provide
the work.”
The same fi re truck may
show up, but the person-
nel is constantly changing,
making it a little tricky to
manage large fi res when
the overhead team doesn’t
know who will be showing
up each day.
Goodrich said managing
fi res is the same no matter
where you are, but the fuels
throughout the state are
different, requiring different
tactics. He said like Oregon,
New South Wales has a
variety of ecotypes from the
coast inland to the drier
bush country.
“There is heath and other
coastal vegetation similar
to chaparral by the coast in
sandy soil. Inland there are
dense groves of eucalyptus
and palmetto,” he said.
While techniques such
as burning ground between
the fi re and fi re line are
used in Australia as they
are in America, Goodrich
said it is more like fi ghting
fi re in the southeast states
where ground litter is gen-
erally leaves and branches.
Some of the deciduous trees,
he said, don’t drop their
leaves and maintain a thick
canopy with little
underbrush.
“When it gets windy the
fi re will run up slope and
into the crowns,” Goodrich
said.
Goodrich said there are
15 types of eucalyptus,
which is known for habitat
and food for koalas. Some
are 150 feet tall and 5 feet
across at the base. Another
variety in the eucalyptus
family has stringy bark like
juniper and when it burns,
chunks of burning debris
can get airborne, potentially
setting spot fi res.
Goodrich said he spent
his time in the interior of
the country, not along the
coast where television news
captured burning homes
and injured animals. He
said he saw plenty of wom-
bats and kangaroos, but
where he was stationed the
fi res were relatively slow
moving and the animals
were able to get out of the
way.
The American and
Canadian fi re managers
were sent over as part of an
agreement made among the
countries of Australia, New
Zealand, Mexico, Canada
and the United States 15
years ago to share fi refi ght-
ers in times of dire need.
Goodrich said the Austra-
lians regularly send troops
to the U.S., but Americans
haven’t been dispatched
down under for 10 years
when fi res killed 180 people
on what was referred to as
“Black Saturday.”
541-786-8984
Alliance Self Storage
Continued from Page 1A
2105 E L Ave., La Grande • allianceselfstorage123@gmail.com
Thank You Chamber Members
TOWN SQUARE
PUBLICATIONS
www.VisitUnionCounty.org
TREE
FACT:
The “knock on wood”
tradition comes from
a time when primative
Always
pagans used to tap
FREE Estimates
or knock on trees to
summon the protective
3110 10th Street,
spirits that resided
Baker City
in them.
Key players: Sen. Michael
Dembrow, D-Portland; Sen.
Arnie Roblan, D-Coos Bay;
Senate President Peter
Courtney, D-Salem; Baer-
tschiger..
Campaign fi nance
The issue: Oregon is one
of a handful of states that
don’t limit donations to
political campaigns. Sup-
porters say major donors
have an outsized infl uence
on Oregon politics while
opponents say campaign
donations are a form of free
speech that shouldn’t be
restricted. New limits could
change Oregon campaigns
because candidates would
have less money to market
themselves.
What’s at stake: Voters
will consider a constitutional
amendment in November
that would free the Legisla-
ture to regulate campaign
fi nance. Legislation could
be considered that would
script new campaign limits if
that ballot measure passes.
Key leaders, including the
governor, have backed away
from pushing such legisla-
tion for now.
Key players: Golden; Hon-
est Elections Oregon.
Call today to connect with a
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