Sports
Inside
Storms bolster snowpack, 2A
Agritourism innovator, 1B
Tigers are rolling
Follow us on the web
WEDNESDAY • January 22, 2020 • $1.50
2020 Legislature
Short
session,
hot
topics
Good day to our valued subscriber Faye Winkle of La Grande
Australian Wildfi res
Union County
Commissioners
On the front lines
Barry
throws
hat in
the ring
■ Legislators
prepping to tackle
guns, wildfires,
homelessness
■ Imbler fire chief
challenging Donna
Beverage for
Position 3
By Sam Stites,
Jake Thomas and
Claire Withycombe
By Dick Mason
The Observer
Oregon Capital Bureau
SALEM — Legislators will
roll up their sleeves for some
speedy politicking in Febru-
ary, tackling some of Oregon’s
thorniest problems.
When they gather for
the month-long legislative
session, legislators want to
improve the state’s care for
people with mental illness
and its ability to fi ght increas-
ingly destructive wildfi res.
They want to protect the
state’s air quality by decreas-
ing the state’s greenhouse
gas emissions. Also high
on the “to do” list is moving
thousands of Oregon’s home-
less people off the street and
into housing.
Lawmakers expect to
cooperate across party lines
in the Democrat-controlled
Legislature to progress on
run-of-the-mill issues and
budget fi xes.
But the greenhouse gas
proposal poses the risk of a
political blowout. Last year,
Senate Republicans fl ed
the state to avoid taking a
vote on a similar proposal.
They have said such an act
remains an option for them
in February.
Other controversial issues
coming back to life include
campaign fi nance reform and
fi rearm regulation.
Here’s a guide to what to
watch once legislators con-
vene in the Capitol on Feb. 3:
Homelessness
The issue: The U.S. Depart-
ment of Housing and Urban
Development estimates about
15,800 Oregonians are home-
less. About 64% are “unshel-
tered,” meaning they live in
public or private places not
meant for human habitation,
such as cars or public parks.
House Speaker Tina Kotek,
D-Portland, wants lawmakers
See Session / Page 5A
similar, but different — especially
their workforce,” he said.
The entire state of New South
Wales has less than 1,000 full-time
fi re employees, but 70,000 volunteers.
Goodrich likened it to an old-fash-
ioned bucket brigade style of fi ghting
fi re, but much more sophisticated.
Each small town or rural neighbor-
hood has its own brigade, similar to a
volunteer fi re department, supervised
by the state’s rural fi re service.
“They do initial attack and
extended attack,” he said.
When a wildfi re is reported, volun-
teer fi refi ghters get a page. Goodrich
said whoever is available jumps on
a truck and goes to put out the fi re.
If the fi re grows into a large fi re, the
rural fi re service pages the volunteers
IMBLER — Mike Barry, a
geologist and chief of the Im-
bler Rural Fire Department,
has fi led to run for Position 3
on the Union County Board
of Commissioners.
Barry will
challenge in-
cumbent Donna
Beverage, who
is beginning her
fourth year as a
Barry
member of the
county board.
“I am running for offi ce
to continue my life of public
service and to make a differ-
ence for Union County,” said
Barry, who is an emergency
medical technician and
the local agency liaison for
the Oregon Department of
Transportation, which he
has worked for since 1990 in
Union County. He has been
a volunteer fi refi ghter in
Union County since then as
well, for the La Grande Rural
Fire Department from 1990
to 2006, and the last 14 years
with the Imbler Rural Fire
Department and its fi re chief
since 2012.
Barry, as the transpor-
tation department’s local
liaison offi cer, is responsible
for making sure state and
federal funding for transpor-
tation projects reaches cities
See Goodrich / Page 5A
See Barry / Page 5A
Alex Tigani/Singleton Argus
Firefi ghters from the Australian Army Reserve at the Hunter Valley RFS are briefed about the status of fi res.
Nathan Goodrich, fi re management offi cer for the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest’s Wallowa Fire Zone,
returned to Northeast Oregon last week after spending the past month or so in Australia.
■ Nathan Goodrich returns from helping battle to douse Australian wildfires
positions fi lled by North Americans
were similar positions, as much of
JOSEPH — Facing a historic fi re
Australia’s fi re work force is
season, American fi re manag-
volunteer.
ers are mobilizing for Australia
Heat waves and drought
to help quell hundreds of fi res
have fueled bigger and more
that have blazed across the
frequent fi res in parts of Aus-
country since August.
tralia, so far this season torch-
Nathan Goodrich, fi re
ing some 40,000 square miles,
Goodrich an area about as big as Ohio.
management offi cer for the
Wallowa-Whitman North Zone,
“We were sprinkled into
was one of 20 Americans who teamed teams already there in New South
with 20 Canadians dispatched to the
Wales, so we were anywhere from
state of New South Wales in Decem-
two to three hours north of Sydney to
ber. Goodrich returned home Jan.
two to three hours south,” he said.
12, but several U.S. Forest Service
Goodrich said he spent the fi rst two
personnel from Northeast Oregon
weeks working in an offi ce, helping
will remain in Australia until the end coordinate resources while trying to
of February.
learn the Australian fi re manage-
Goodrich said he served as an
ment system.
operations section chief. Most of the
“Their incident command is
By Katy Nesbitt
For the EO Media Group
Workshop
La Grande Business
Now under new ownership
White ally
■ Bud Jackson’s
discussion coming has
new owner
to La Grande
By Dick Mason
The Observer
■ Program on race, privilege, inclusivity
on Feb. 5 has workshop for businesses
and a conversation for the public
for businesses and nonprofi ts
Feb. 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
LA GRANDE — The North- and moderate a community
east Oregon Economic
conversation at 6 p.m.
Development District
Both events will take
has been working to
place at Cook Memorial
provide resources and
Library, 2006 Fourth St.
education regarding
The workshop costs $25
equality and inclusion.
to attend and includes
James
As part of this mission,
lunch. The community
the district invited
event, an Oregon Hu-
Alexis James, an educator and manities Conversation Project
innovator, to speak as part of
entitled “White Allyship in
a program addressing what it
Close-Knit Communities,” is
means to be a white ally.
free and open to the public.
James will be in La
“I identify as multicultural,”
See Workshop / Page 5A
Grande to lead a workshop
By Sabrina Thompson
The Observer
INDEX
Business ...... 1B
Classified ..... 3B
Comics ......... 7B
Crossword ... 4B
WEATHER
Dear Abby .... 8B
Horoscope ... 4B
Lottery.......... 2A
Obituaries .... 3A
FRIDAY
Opinion ........ 4A
Sports .......... 6A
Sudoku ........ 7B
Weather ....... 8B
LA GRANDE — Bud
Jackson’s, a La Grande
restaurant now under new
ownership, is undergoing
subtle and not-so-subtle
changes.
The biggest may have
a big impact on how
some residents start their
mornings. Now known as
Bud Jackson’s Eatery and
Taps, the business started
serving breakfast Monday,
offering a menu featuring
chicken-fried steak and
eggs Benedict.
“We needed another
restaurant that serves
breakfast after the truck
stop closed,” said Ron
Bruce, the new owner of
Bud Jackson’s, referring to
the closure of the Flying J
Full forecast on the back of B section
Tonight
Thursday
36 LOW
44/38
Rain and drizzle
Showers around
A SALUTE TO OBSERVER CARRIERS
Staff photo by Dick Mason
Ron Bruce, right, the new owner of Bud Jackson’s
Eatery and Taps, La Grande, helps cook John
Pendarvis with meat cutting in the restaurant’s
kitchen Tuesday morning.
Travel Plaza’s restaurant
in the fall.
The closure, he said,
left just four La Grande
area restaurants serving
breakfast.
Bruce said he feels
fortunate to be taking the
reins of a restaurant that
has a loyal clientele and to
have inherited a staff that
is second to none.
“The staff we have is
See Owners / 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 10
3 sections, 22 pages
La Grande, Oregon
Online at lagrandeobserver.com