LOCAL
TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2020
THE OBSERVER — 5A
scious and sent to the hospital
with an alleged vertebrae fracture.
Joshua Linn is a teacher at
Rocky Heights Elementary
School, Hermiston, and attended
the beginning of Saturday’s rally
after he said a coworker texted
him about its connections to
white supremacist groups. After
watching a few speakers from the
back, Linn said he found most
of them interesting and didn’t
see any associations with white
supremacy.
“It doesn’t seem like a white
supremacist rally to me,” he said.
About three blocks from the
“Hermiston Freedom Rally,” a
protest labeled “Essential not
Sacrifi cial” started at the same
time.
By noon, protesters all wearing
surgical or cloth masks were
taping posters to about 20 vehicles
sitting in the parking lot at the
corner of North First Place and
Locust Avenue. Signs included
“Thank you farm workers!” and
“We are wearing masks for you,
not us!” One vehicle sported a
“Black Lives Matter” sign.
Organizer Diedre Torres said
before the parade of vehicles
departed that she was going to
take them on a route through town
that avoided the other rally.
“I’m just trying to concentrate
on what we’re doing,” she said.
———
East Oregonian reporter Alex
Castle contributed to this article.
PROTEST
Continued from Page 1A
the risk of spreading the corona-
virus, all protesters are encour-
aged to wear masks and people
will stand 6 feet apart.
“Since the area in front of
city hall is not large, if the group
is bigger than on Saturday, we
will go on each side of city hall,”
Simpson said.
People who join the pro-
tests may be there to honor
George Floyd or to fi ght for racial
equality, or both.
“Standing publicly for what
you believe in is always a good
idea. It is the silence that leaves us
isolated,” Simpson said.
Another protest in Eastern
Oregon drew a larger and dif-
ferent crowd.
More than 100 people arrived
Saturday in downtown Hermiston
in defi ance of coronavirus guide-
lines against large gatherings for
a “freedom rally,” subsequently
sparking a protest in opposition
elsewhere in the city.
Organizers billed the rally as
a peaceful and apolitical “infor-
mation sharing event” that would
feature about a dozen speakers
from across the state. The rally
remained peaceful despite con-
cerns over potential confl ict.
“It could have been better. I
didn’t know exactly what every
person was going to talk about,”
Photo contributed by Max Koltuv
Miri Koltuv, 11, of La Grande, stands with her sister Dora, 9, father, Max, and their dog, Clifford, during the
protest she organized Saturday for racial equality.
said Colin Hodges, the event’s pri-
mary organizer. “I just thought,
let’s bring in as many different
people as possible from different
positions in different communities
and let them speak and see what
happens.”
Community members and law
enforcement expressed specifi c
concerns about the appearance of
Joey Gibson, who spoke fi rst Sat-
urday and is the founder of the
far-right Vancouver, Washing-
ton-based group Patriot Prayer.
But Hodges said he felt Gibson’s
presence did not ultimately defi ne
the event.
Reports have detailed Gibson
and Patriot Prayer’s history of
violent clashes with leftist pro-
testors, particularly in Portland,
and Patriot Prayer has previously
been associated with groups such
as the Proud Boys, an extremist
LA GRANDE
Staff photo by Dick Mason
Balloons and other decorations abound on vehicles Sat-
urday in La Grande High School’s drive-thru commence-
ment.
orated with signs and bal-
loons, along K Avenue and
onto Sunset Drive and H
Avenue for a distance of
about a half mile. Many
people sat along K Avenue
in lawn chairs cheering the
graduates as the procession
passed by.
2020 graduate Jenna
Freels said she was heart-
ened by the show of
support.
“It was pretty emotional
for me,” she said.
Festivities continued
Saturday night at the La
Grande Drive-in where a
senior slideshow was on
the big screen along with
recorded presentations by
the school’s valedictorians,
class president Nicholas
DuVernay and English and
literature teacher Kristy
Moore. The slideshow,
which featured photos of
the members of the class
COVE
Continued from Page 1A
than I could have imag-
ined,” Jace Svaty said about
the ceremony. “In truth,
this is way better than a
regular graduation. I think
this graduation was more
personalized. You could
decorate your car to your
interest. I’m a train fanatic,
so I got some of my train
stuff. Everybody got to dec-
orate their own little piece
of graduation.”
Graduates and fac-
ulty acknowledged the
ceremony was different,
but Cove School District
Superintendent Earl Pettit
was pleased with how the
school was able to hold
graduation and honor the
senior class.
“We made a commit-
Staff photo by Sabrina Thompson
Cove High School senior Nekoda Carlson crossed the
stage fi rst during Saturday’s commencement ceremony.
Carlson will attend Eastern Oregon University, La Grande,
in the fall to pursue a nursing degree.
ment when all of the shut-
downs and everything
started that one way or
another we were going to
hold graduation on time,”
Pettit said. “Once we got
the guidance from the state,
this is what we came up
with.”
In accordance with state
regulations on social dis-
tancing, students and their
families remained in their
cars. The speeches from the
salutatorian, co-valedicto-
rians and faculty were pre-
recorded and played on a
local radio station.
RESCUE
Continued from Page 1A
the life vest to create tem-
porary footwear.
He said he was happy he
picked the life vest he did
because it is likely what
saved them from drowning
in the river.
They had to cross a sub-
stantial span of the river,
so they assembled a make-
shift log bridge. As they
neared the bridge, search
and rescue team members
found them.
Hansen said they were
cold, wet and tired by then,
and it was a relief to see the
team. Search and rescue
members provided Hansen
with fresh boots, and he and
his son changed into dry
clothes before attempting
Photo contributed by Eric Hansen
La Grande residents Eric Hansen, 49, and his son, Louis,
11, here in a recent photo, fell into the Grande Ronde River
when their canoe capsized May 4. They swam as far as 60
yards before making it to shore.
to climb up the steep hill to
the road. The rescue team
then helped them down the
river to an easier area to
hike up.
Hansen said during the
entire ordeal his only real
fear or panic was when
10106 N. ‘C’ • Island City
of 2020 from grade school
through high school, was
one of many that have been
shown annually at LHS
graduations.
Freels said the slide-
show had more impact at
the drive-in. She explained
that at past graduations in
the high school gym, the
slideshow was on a smaller
screen before the ceremony,
which made it harder to see
and meant that everyone
was not focused on it at one
time. The drive-in made
it easier to see on a bigger
screen and there were fewer
distractions.
“It had everyone’s atten-
tion,” Freels said.
All 11 of La Grande
High’s valedictorians —
“While these last few
months are not what we
would have hoped, we
made it,” salutatorian Karia
Weber said. “Such a dis-
tant hope is now a present
reality. Things have been
unpredictable, uncertain,
but let us leave that all
behind and leave here today
without contention in our
hearts.”
At the end of the cere-
mony, the students left their
cars and walked across
the stage to receive their
diplomas. Hand sanitizer
was at the foot of each end
of the bleachers, and stu-
dents returned to seats — 6
feet apart — on a separate
set of bleachers to throw
their caps in the air. Family
members and supporters
exited their cars to take
pictures of the graduating
students.
Louis was in the river.
Once they were on land,
Hansen said he knew they
would get home. Still, he
was grateful for the efforts
of search and rescue.
Since the incident,
Hansen said he has a dif-
ferent relationship with the
Grande Ronde River.
“When I look at the
water — and I’ve been back
and went into the water —
it has changed something
there,” he said. “Not a fear
of my life, but yet there is a
fear of my life.”
Hansen said he fre-
quently talks with his son
about what happened as it
was a traumatic experience
for the boy. But, Hansen
said, things seem to be
OK, and the pair have con-
tinued going on adventures
outdoors.
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change is inevitable. And
other times, it’s not bad to
change things up a bit,’’
Moy said.
Moore, the teacher who
students chose as the guest
speaker, urged the grad-
uates to discover their
potential.
“You have only just
begun to live, and all of us
who love and care about
you must encourage you to
to spread your wings and
fl y — or fi nd your voice
and roar! Continue your
journey, and always make
us proud. Mighty Tigers —
let us hear you roar!” Moore
said.
The senior class pres-
ident, DuVernay, was
among the students who
addressed the challenges
and loss the members of
the class of 2020 have
faced because of the coro-
navirus pandemic, which
forced the closure of all
school buildings in Oregon
in mid-March.
ONLINE
For more photos and longer versions of the
graduation stories, see this story at
lagrandeobserver.com
Continued from Page 1A
fl ying overhead capturing
images for a livestream on
the internet.
“It was really neat. I’m
so glad that they did it that
way. The community sup-
ported us well,” said Amber
Hamilton, who received her
diploma Saturday.
She said the unique cere-
mony will help La Grande’s
class of 2020 to be forever
remembered.
“Nobody will forget this
class,” Hamilton said.
The new graduate said
the ceremony eased much
of the disappointment she
felt after learning her school
could not have a traditional
commencement.
“I had been looking for-
ward to it since kinder-
garten,’’ Hamilton said.
Graduates and their
families lined up in vehi-
cles, many colorfully dec-
organization labeled as a hate
group by the Southern Poverty
Law Center and whose members
describe themselves as “Western
chauvinists.”
Gibson faces felony charges
for inciting a riot for his role in
a Portland street fi ght last May
between Patriot Prayer mem-
bers and members of the anti-fas-
cist community that resulted in
a woman being knocked uncon-
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and spoke via pre-recorded
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Moy made reference
to the unconventional set-
ting at the start of his
presentation.
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Moy here, talking to you
from the big screen! I hope
everyone is comfortable
in your cars or wherever
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