THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020
C OMMUNITY
Meetings
ISLAND CITY — Grande
Ronde Hospital Auxiliary
will meet Monday at Island
City City Hall. Refresh-
ments will be available at
9 a.m., and the meeting
begins at 9:30. The speaker
will be Aaron Curtis, man-
ager of the Dietary Depart-
ment. Anyone interested
in becoming an auxiliary
member is welcome to
attend.
LA GRANDE — Union
County Retired Educators
will meet Tuesday at
11:30 a.m. at Denny’s.
The program will feature
Suzannah Moore-Hemann,
executive director of the
Union County Chamber of
Commerce.
Briefs
Hoop-a-thon raises
funds for school
LA GRANDE — Grande
Ronde Academy, 507 Palmer
Ave., La Grande, is having
a hoop-a-thon free throw
basketball fundraiser Feb. 21
during regular school hours.
Participants are gathering
pledges (per basket or a fl at
donation) to help the school
provide Christian educa-
tion for the children of the
Grande Ronde Valley.
Sponsored “shoot-
ers” — students, faculty,
alumni and friends — will
shoot free throws for fi ve
minutes, trying to make
as many baskets as they
can. This is not a competi-
tion and the participants
don’t have to be ballplay-
ers to be a success. The
EOU football team will
be there to help out. The
community is invited to
attend and support the
hoop-a-thon. For more
information or to make a
pledge, call the school at
541-975-1147, email con-
tact@granderondeacad-
emy.org or go to www.
granderondeacademy.org.
Community-
wide pinewood
derby includes
workshops
LA GRANDE — The La
Grande Nazarene Church is
hosting a community-wide
pinewood derby March 1.
Registration begins at noon.
There will be brackets for all
ages and a free lunch.
Car kits may be pur-
chased for $5 at the church,
109 18th St., on weekdays.
Workshops with tools,
paint and experienced help
will be open to all at 6 p.m.
Feb. 21 and Feb. 28 in the
church fellowship hall. Go
to www.lagrandenazarene.
com for complete details.
Workshop focuses
on understanding
your adolescent’s
brain
LA GRANDE — “Un-
derstanding Your Child:
Providing a Culture of Care”
is a free two-part workshop
for parents of adolescents
(ages 12-18) Feb. 13 and 20
in La Grande. Participants
will learn the latest informa-
tion and research on brain
states, epigenetics and
more and how these affect
learning and cognitive
development in children.
The La Grande School
District reported it is starting
to help children understand
their brains in new ways to
promote learning and encour-
ages parents to support
learning and good behavior
at home.
Social worker Lisa Laden-
dorff leads the the work-
shops, which run 6-8 p.m. in
the La Grande High School
library, part 1 this Thursday
and part 2 next Thursday. No
registration is required, and
dinner will be provided at
5:30 p.m. For more informa-
tion, call the school district
offi ce at 541-663-3203 or go
to www.neonoregon.org/
upcoming-trainings.
MONOLOGUES
Continued from Page 1A
anything that was sexual
or about exploring yourself,”
Nielsen said. “Talking to my
grandmother when she got
older about those kinds of
things, it was still kind of a
‘he he’ behind the hand. It
was embarrassing for her. I
grew up in an open family
where we talked about things
that were too much informa-
tion, but it was important to
us. So I can relate and kind
of visualize my grandmother
fi nally realizing it’s okay to
talk about this. I shouldn’t be
ashamed.”
The play is often performed
as part of the V-Day/One
Billion Rising effort founded
by Ensler to end domestic
and sexual violence against
women. Proceeds from the
THE OBSERVER — 3A
LOCAL
upcoming La Grande perfor-
mances go to Shelter From
the Storm, the local nonprofi t
dedicated to fi ghting against
domestic violence.
Emily Hastings with
Shelter From the Storm has
been working as the liaison
between the performers and
the shelter.
“I think there is a lot of
stigma around women’s
bodies and appreciating your
body, and especially in rural
areas, sexual violence (and)
domestic violence is not some-
thing people have experience
talking about,” Hastings said.
“This show gives us a space
to talk about it and start a
conversation that we can and
should have.”
Sexual and domestic
violence is not something that
happens only elsewhere. Even
in small towns like those in
Union County, it is a reality.
The La Grande Police
Department from 2017-19
made 88 arrests for domestic
violence, according to depart-
ment records, and in 2019
received and investigated 308
reports of domestic violence.
The department reported
four incidents of forcible rape
and made one arrest for rape
in 2018, according to the 2018
Oregon Annual Uniform
Crime Report. La Grande
police received 187 reports for
sexual assault from 2017-
19 and made 37 arrests for
sexual assault.
The Union County Sher-
iff’s Offi ce reported from
2017 to Jan. 31 it made 23
arrests for domestic assault,
six for domestic strangulation
and 36 for restraining order
violations. The sheriff’s offi ce
did not receive any reports
Staff photo by Sabrina Thompson
From left, EOU students Reshme Sandhu and Julia
Huyg, EOU alumnus Candi Nielsen, EOU faculty Naomi
Tuinstra and EOU alumnus Catie Johnson rehearse a
group monologue, “They Beat the Girl Out of My Boy…
or so They Tried”, from “The Vagina Monologues
. The piece touches on the experiences of some trans-
gender women.
of forcible rape or other sex
crimes during that time.
Union County District
Attorney Kelsie McDaniel
did not respond to requests
for the number of domestic
violence and related cases her
offi ce is prosecuting.
of a company or adviser.
this spring to designate
more Wild and Scenic riv-
ers and streams in Oregon.
“Oregonians’ overwhelm-
ing response shows both
that our state enjoys a
unique love affair with
our iconic rivers and that
Oregonians support efforts
to do more to protect these
treasured waterways,”
Wyden said in the news
release.
Wyden said he is proud
Oregon now has 2,173 miles
designated in the Wild and
Scenic Rivers system but the
total remains a small fraction
of Oregon’s 110,994 miles of
rivers and streams. The bill
he plans to introduce would
build on legislation Congress
passed last year to add more
than 250 miles of Wild and
Scenic rivers in Oregon.
Wyden in the release also
stated outdoor recreation
supports 172,000 jobs in
Oregon and generates $16.4
billion in economic activity
statewide.
N EWS B RIEFS
Swindlers scam
$200K from 80-year-
old Oregon man
SALEM — Valentine’s
Day is almost here, and the
Oregon Division of Financial
Regulation warns: Don’t get
catfi shed.
Recently, an 80-year-old
widower lost $200,000 in
catfi sh scam.
The state agency in a
news release reported the
unidentifi ed fraudster stole
a Florida woman’s identity
to befriend the Oregonian
through an online dat-
ing service, over months
convinced the elderly man
they were in a long-distance
romantic relationship and
proposed an opportunity
to support an art gallery in
Florida.
The scammer pretended
to seek investors to cover
$5 million in transporta-
tion costs to ship a 500-
ton marble lion sculpture
from China. The con artist
promised the return of the
investments plus a percent-
age of the profi ts from the
sale of the sculpture.
“The widower even
received fabricated docu-
ments detailing the contract
with the museum and bank
statements. Relying on the
documents and his roman-
tic relationship, the victim
made a series of payments
over fi ve months to various
individuals and overseas
bank accounts totaling more
than $200,000,” the regula-
tion division reported. “The
widower lost his entire in-
vestment, and investigators
have been unable to locate
the scammer.”
Andrew Stolfi , division ad-
ministrator, stated romance
scams typically target older
individuals and victims often
wire funds overseas or to
third-party transfer agents,
making it diffi cult to track
the money and identify
the con artist. The division
encourages consumers to
do their homework before
making any investment and
provided tips to avoid getting
catfi shed or falling for an
investment scam:
•Donotsendmoneyto
anyone you have not met
in person, and be cautious
about sharing personal or
fi nancial information.
•Donottransfermoney
to unknown people or
intermediaries. If you need
to use a third party to send
money, use a licensed money
transmitter.
•Keepcopiesofallcom-
munications with scammers
and report them to the divi-
sion, the online dating site,
the local police, the Federal
Bureau of Investigation and
the Federal Trade Commis-
sion.
For more information and
tips about investing, visit
dfr.oregon.gov/fi nancial/in-
vestments. Consumers also
can contact the division’s
advocates at 888-877-4894
to ask questions, fi le com-
plaints or check the license
Wyden receives
more than 15,000
nominations
WASHINGTON — Oregon’s
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
announced he received more
than 15,000 nominations
to protect 4,000-plus miles
of rivers and streams in
Oregon as Wild and Scenic
Rivers.
The Democrat sought
nominations to add Oregon
waterways to the National
Wild and Scenic Rivers
System, which Congress
established in 1968 with
the Wild and Scenic Rivers
Act to preserve certain
rivers. More than 2,200
Oregon waterway fans sent
their nomininations, ac-
cording to the news release
from Wyden’s offi ce, with
many submitting more
than one designation.
Wyden will consider the
nominations as he devel-
ops legislation to introduce
P UBLIC S AFETY R EPORT
MONDAY
A caller at 6:55 a.m. reported
a tree fell and took down some
type of line on the fi rst block of
North Fourth Avenue, Elgin. A
Union County sheriff’s deputy
responded and determined the
line was a cable.
An Imbler caller at 7:35 a.m.
reported cows on the road on
the 3100 block of Cedar Street.
And an Island City caller at 8:22
a.m. reported a rooster on the
loose on Valley Street.
Law enforcement at about
11:25 a.m. responded to a
report of someone on the 2400
block of Riddle Road suffering
a mental or emotional crisis.
Mental health workers handled
the situation.
A caller at 1:50 p.m. reported
possible child abuse at a site
in Island City. A Union County
sheriff’s deputy responded and
talked with the parent.
Law enforcement at about
3:45 p.m. responded to Depot
Street and Jackson Avenue, La
Grande, for a tree on a vehicle.
La Grande police at about
10:40 p.m. responded to a noise
complaint on the 100 block of
Fir Street. Police warned several
people at the scene.
TUESDAY
The animal control offi cer at
about 11:40 a.m. responded to
the 62200 block of Robin Road,
La Grande, for a dispute over
a dog, which led to the owner
getting the dog.
La Grande police at about
1:10 p.m. responded to the
2300 block of Q Avenue for
break-in at a residence. Police
took a report.
A Union caller at 4:06 p.m.
reported a dog bit someone.
A caller at 6:51 p.m. reported
juveniles smoking on the 2300
block of Q Avenue, La Grande.
An offi cer contacted the caller
and will follow up.
La Grande police at 5:28 p.m.
received a report of animal
cruelty.
Law enforcement and
La GRANDE
AUTO REPAIR
medics at 8:11 p.m. received a
report of a person in La Grande
suffering mental or emotional
distress. An ambulance took
the person to the hospital.
La Grande police arrested
Dustin Michael Webb-Davies, 27,
of La Grande, for third-degree as-
sault and criminal mistreatment.
And La Grande fi refi ghters
responded to seven calls for
medical assistance on Tuesday
and six on Monday.
975-2000
www.lagrandeautorepair.com
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ACDelcoTSS
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Loray N. (Allen) Clark
Island City
1933-2020
Loray Nadine Clark, 86, of
Island City, died Feb. 5 at her
residence. As she requested,
there will not be
a service. Loray
will be buried
with her mother
at Grandview
Cemetery.
Loray was born Oct. 15,
1933, in Shoshone, Idaho, to
Max and Helen (Ambrose)
Allen. She attended elemen-
tary school in Weiser, Idaho,
until April 1946, when her
family moved to Wallowa.
Loray was a member of the
National Honor Society at
Wallowa High School and
graduated in 1951.
In 1954, Loray married
Eugene Childers, and their
daughter, Coby, was born in
1955. The marriage ended in
divorce, and Loray moved to
La Grande to be close to her
mother and two sisters.
Loray was employed in
the business offi ce of what
is now Eastern Oregon Uni-
versity for seven years and
then at Reynolds Insurance
Agency. In February 1975,
she began working at the
State Employment Offi ce
in La Grande and retired in
March 1995.
In September 1982, Loray
married Donald L. Clark.
When they both retired, they
moved to Island City and
have lived there since.
Surviving relatives include
her husband, Donald; daugh-
ter, Coby Childers Hallgarth
of La Grande; brother, Jim
Allen of Klamath Falls;
sisters, Faith Folsom of Cove
and Teresa Sable of Valley
Springs, California; and one
granddaughter and three
great-grandsons.
She was preceded in
death by her parents, Max
and Helen, and two nephews.
Online condolences may be
made to the family at www.
lovelandfuneralchapel.com.
Linda Y. (Lovell) Johnston
Elgin
1943-2019
Linda Y. Johnston, 76, of
Elgin, died Nov. 27, 2019, at
Grande Ronde Hospital. A
celebration of her life potluck
will begin at 1 p.m. April 18
at the Elgin Community
Center. Arrangements were
entrusted to Loveland Fu-
neral Chapel & Crematory.
Linda was born in 1943
in Roseburg to Russell and
Lorrane Lovell. She attended
Roseburg High School.
Linda had two children:
Enid and Sheilia. In 1987 in
Springfi eld, she married Jim
Johnston.
Linda enjoyed collecting
porcelain dolls, painting and
fi shing.
Surviving relatives include
her husband, Jim Johnston
of Elgin; daughter, Sheilia of
El Cajon, California; grand-
children and great-grandchil-
dren; and siblings, Robert and
Betty, both of Washington.
JESS
FURGERSON
SCULPTURE
www.VisitUnionCounty.org
Call today to connect with a
Justin R. Bowling
Island City
SENIOR LIVING ADVISOR
Justin R. Bowling, 44,
of Island City, died Feb. 7
at OHSU in Portland. A
celebration of his life will
be held at 2 p.m. Feb. 29 at
Grande Ronde Academy.
Loveland Funeral Chapel &
Crematory is handling the
arrangements.
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Feb. 14
Stanley Morrison:
10 a.m. celebration of
life, Loveland Funeral
Chapel, La Grande;
casual dress preferred.
April 3
Loren Fihn:
5 p.m. burial of cremains,
Island City Cemetery;
followed by reception
dinner.
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