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WEDNESDAY • January 29, 2020 • $1.50
Joyce Beeman
Good day to our valued subscriber George Venn of La Grande
Elgin Neighborhood Watch
Devoted
public
servant
passes
■ Joyce Beeman,
former long-time
Island City official,
dies at the age of 76
By Dick Mason
The Observer
ISLAND CITY — Island
City has lost one of its most
dedicated public servants.
Joyce Beeman, a woman
whose tenure shy of three
decades as a city coun-
cilor featured an attendance
record almost as perfect as
the putting greens at the La
Grande Country Club golf
course in Island City, died
Saturday. She
was 76.
“It is heart-
breaking,” said
Island City’s
city recorder,
Beeman
Karen Howton,
of the news of
Beeman’s passing.
Beeman served on Island
City’s city council for 28
years through January of
2015, a span during which
Dale De Long was mayor for
24 years.
Beeman was present for
almost every council roll call
during this time.
“I can remember her
missing only one or two
city council meetings. She
was very conscientious and
caring,” said De Long, who
served as mayor from 1990
to early 2015.
Beeman made it to many
of those meetings despite
health issues that would
have sidelined the less
dedicated.
“She took her civic duty as
an elected offi cial very seri-
ously,” Howton said.
In this role Beeman had
an open mind and was
consistently willing to take
community input.
“She was always ready
to listen to any residents,
whether they were complain-
ing or had praise,” Howton
said.
When not addressing city
council issues, Beeman was
busy as a member of the
Island City Lions Club,
Oregon
“We know who lives in our
neighborhood, we know what
is going on. So we know when
something is going wrong or
doesn’t seem quite right.”
— Elgin Mayor Allan Duffy during a
meeting to establish a neighborhood
watch
Staff photo by Sabrina Thompson
Richard Mackie of Elgin asks a
question Monday night at the city’s
fi rst neighborhood watch meeting.
Another meeting in a few weeks will
establish block assignments and
phone trees.
COMMUNITY‘S
NEW PROGRAM IS
UNDERWAY
■ Elgin takes first steps toward neighborhood watch after recent rash of crime
Ballot
initiative
aims to
curb
walkouts
■ Union leaders
to file initiative
aimed at stopping
legislative walkouts
By Jeff Mapes
Oregon Public Broadcasting
SALEM — Oregon Gov.
Kate Brown and Demo-
cratic legislative leaders
have played down the idea of
trying to amend the Con-
stitution to prevent future
walkouts of the kind staged
by Republicans
during last
year’s legisla-
tive session.
But a top la-
bor leader says
Baessler
public employee
unions are
planning to fi le a proposed
ballot initiative that would
threaten legislators who
walk out with being tossed
from offi ce.
Joe Baessler, political
director of the American
Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees,
said polling conducted by
the unions show that “voters
really seem to like the idea
that if you don’t show up to
work, you lose your job.”
See Walkouts / Page 5A
Fishtrap
Staff photo by Sabrina Thompson
Elgin Mayor Allan Duffy, right, addresses residents Monday night at the Elgin Community Center during a
meeting to establish a neighborhood watch.
Writer pens
bio about
her life,
struggles
By Katherine Stickroth
For EO Media Group
By Sabrina Thompson, The Observer
During the meeting, some residents
asked about the city’s ability to
prosecute, but Eckstein reminded
them that it is not under the city’s
jurisdiction.
“We have a great relationship
with the sheriff’s offi ce, and a great
relationship with the court,” Eckstein
said.
Rasmussen said to ensure residents’
safety, the neighborhood watch is
meant to be a hands-off organization.
ENTERPRISE — In a
memoir that stretches across
the United States, writer Pat
Higgins Adelhardt narrates
her journey, not only of miles,
but in her recovery from
depression.
“Far from the Tree” depicts
her childhood years on the
family orchard farm in Hood
River, spans the tumultuous
1960s when she worked for
the CIA in Washington, D.C.,
and recounts farming for 35
years in Maryland and then
landing in Wallowa County.
A scene at Wallowa Lake
graces the back cover.
The book describes how
Adelhardt faced her father’s
secret Mafi a ties and other
issues to overcome her own
depression.
Adelhardt and her hus-
band, Brian, bought a cabin
at Wallowa Lake in 2004 as
a rental and visited every
See Watch / Page 5A
See Adelhardt / Page 5A
ELGIN — Elgin’s neighborhood watch is underway. Concerned residents
of the small town gathered Monday night at the community center to begin
organizing to form the watch. The meeting also provided the opportunity for
locals to bring their questions and concerns about what the watch will entail.
See Beeman / Page 5A
“We know who lives in our neigh-
borhood. We know what is going on,”
Elgin Mayor Allan Duffy said. “So we
know when something is going wrong
or doesn’t seem quite right.”
The conversation and creation of
a neighborhood watch came up after
a recent rash of crimes in Elgin.
Duffy presented the idea to the city’s
public safety committee, which gave
a thumbs-up to the plan. Monday’s
meeting brought together leaders of
the movement with residents who
want to be involved.
Elgin Municipal Court Judge
Laura Eckstein, Union County Sher-
iff Boyd Rasmussen and the three
deputies assigned to the Elgin area
attended. Duffy encouraged residents
“We have the unique ability to take care of our problems right here.
The main thing is we will take care of things ourselves. We have an
extremely united city.”
— Elgin Municipal Court Judge Laura Eckstein
to reach out to these key people
directly when they see something
wrong, and to communicate with
their neighbors.
“We have the unique ability to
take care of our problems right here,”
Eckstein said. “The main thing is we
will take care of things ourselves. We
have an extremely united city.”
Eckstein as city judge oversees
misdemeanors and code violations.
Felony cases fall under the authority
of the Union County Circuit Court.
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
Full forecast on the back of B section
Tonight
Thursday
34 LOW
45/39
Evening rain
Cloudy
COUNTING THE HOMELESS
CONTACT US
HAVE A STORY IDEA?
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Call The Observer newsroom at
541-963-3161 or send an email to
news@lagrandeobserver.com.
More contact info on Page 4A.
Issue 13
3 sections, 24 pages
La Grande, Oregon
Online at lagrandeobserver.com