COMMUNITY CORNER
TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2020
COMMUNITY
Meetings
• COVE — The city of Cove
will hold a work session
and special council meeting
Tuesday, June 9, at 6 p.m. at
Cove City Hall, 504 Alder St.
The purpose of the meeting
is to review the city’s charter
and rules of council. Virtual
attendance of the meeting is
encouraged. For instructions,
go to www.cityofcove.org.
• UNION — The Union
School Board will convene
Wednesday, June 10, at
6 p.m. for its regular monthly
meeting. The meeting will be
held at the high school athletic
complex.
Briefs
City announces specifi cs
of pool’s reopening
LA GRANDE — The
city of La Grande Parks &
Recreation Department
released a media an-
nouncement regarding
the restrictions that will be
implemented at Veterans’
Memorial Pool when it
reopens June 15. The pool
received permission to
reopen under the state’s
Phase 2 guidelines.
The known details are as
follows:
• Hours will be Monday
through Friday from 6 a.m.
to 2 p.m.
• Lap swimming will be
available with one person
per lane and the therapy
pool available for physical
therapy clients and senior
exercise participants.
• Showers and locker
rooms will be closed
with the exception of the
restrooms. Come to the
facility in your suit already
showered.
• Entry will remain at the
front entrance, but one-
way directional signage
will guide you after you
enter. Exit will be out the
east door.
• Distancing requirements
of 6 feet between people
will be in place and no
spectators will be allowed.
• Face masks are required
but are to be removed and
placed in a sealable bag
while swimming with face
in the water.
This is the fi rst step of the
pool’s reopening.
Expanded hours and
services will be announced
and implemented no sooner
than July 1.
Due to the evolving nature
of the situation, protocols are
subject to change with little
to no notice.
Stay informed on the
pool’s Facebook page or at
www.lagrandeparks.org.
Relearn the
fundamentals of health
at free class
Nature’s Pantry, La
Grande, is hosting a free
class, “Fundamentals to
Health: Simple and Powerful
Tools for Covid and for Life,”
Tuesday, June 16, at 6 p.m.
Led by
Naturopath John Winters
will lead the class, which will
be livestreamed from the Na-
ture’s Pantry Facebook page.
According to promotional
materials, participants will
be “reminded of the proven
foundational elements of
health that we all need now
as much as ever.”
Food samples will be
served.
Registration is required;
stop by Nature’s Pantry, 1907
Fourth St., or call 541-963-
7955.
Upcoming
local services
THE OBSERVER — 3A
Creating fun from afar
Potential EOU
Resident Advisors
go virtual for events
Will now also serve middle and high
school students to help them catch up
By Sabrina Thompson
The Observer
LA GRANDE — Most
students from Eastern
Oregon University went
home when the corona-
virus pandemic hit the area.
However, events for stu-
dents have not stopped —
they just went virtual.
Pet pageants, scavenger
hunts and more have helped
students feel connected to
the university.
“Events bring connec-
tions to one another and
gets people out of their
dorms and their buildings
and see one another and it
gives them a break,” EOU
freshman and potential res-
ident advisor Mandy Fet-
ters said.
Potential RAs are
testing their event-planning
skills by creating the vir-
tual events. Traditionally,
a requirement to become
an RA at Eastern is to be
a part of group planning a
large-scale event. With the
unprecedented nature of
spring quarter being online,
student leaders had to make
events available from afar.
Fetters said while the
process for becoming an
RA was different than her
friends’ experiences, she
was still able to get to know
other students in her class,
just in a different way. But
By Dick Mason
The Observer
Contributed image
Eastern Oregon University freshman Mandy Fetters di-
rects a virtual scavenger hunt for fellow students. Resi-
dent life at the La Grande campus moved to online events
due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Fetters said even though
the event couldn’t be large
scale, such as a water day,
she was happy with her
event.
The fi rst event was a vir-
tual talent show, where stu-
dents could submit live or
prerecorded footage show-
casing a talent. Winners
were awarded a movie
gift basket via mail. Other
events included a pet pag-
eant over Zoom and a scav-
enger hunt over TikTok,
where students had a week
to fi nd items in their home
and upload a video showing
their fi nds.
“We did it during dead
week for a reason,” Fetters
said about her event. “As
people are studying and
cramming they tend to get
lost and we saw it as a way
to take a break. I have gone
to events because they are
fun or social and a great
way to escape from home-
work and the athlete life.”
PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT
FRIDAY
8:52 a.m. — The Union
County Sheriff’s Offi ce received
a report of a possible abuse sit-
uation in Cove. A deputy began
looking into the matter.
10:43 a.m. — A La Grande
caller asked about options to
deal with feral cats on the 2000
block of Oak Street.
11:35 a.m. — The Union
County Sheriff’s Offi ce received
a report of possible sexual
abuse at a residence outside La
Grande.
3:51 p.m. — An Elgin resident
reported being the victim of
harassment. A Union County
sheriff’s deputy followed up and
planned to warn a person for
telephonic harassment.
9:43 p.m. — La Grande police
and medics responded to a
vehicle crash with an injury at
Riverside Park. Police took a
report.
10:25 p.m. — A caller
complained about possible
fi reworks going off at Jackson
Avenue and Pine Street, La
Grande.
SUNDAY
7:09 a.m. — Emergency
services responded to Fox Hill
Road, La Grande, for a vehicle
crash with an injury. A Union
County sheriff’s deputy took a
report.
2:14 p.m. — The Union
County Sheriff’s Offi ce received
a report of a residential burglary
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SATURDAY
11:39 a.m. — Law enforce-
ment responded to the 2600
block of Bearco Loop, La
Grande, for a person suffering
mental or emotional duress.
Police also contacted the Center
for Human Development Inc. to
assist.
2:36 p.m. — La Grande police
responded to the 2300 block
of Spruce Street for a juvenile
involved in a disturbance.
Police returned the youth to his
residence and counseled him.
8:38 p.m. — La Grande police
received a report of juveniles
possessing marijuana on the
1500 block of Walnut Street. An
offi cer arrived and talked to the
youth.
OBITUARIES
on the 300 block of South Fifth
Street, Elgin. A deputy respond-
ed and determined this was a
civil matter.
8:19 p.m. — The Union
County Sheriff’s Offi ce served a
restraining order to a person on
the 500 block of D Street, North
Powder.
9:42 p.m. — La Grande
police received a report of a
domestic disturbance on the
200 block of Fir Street. Police
cited a 26-year-old man for
harassment.
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Barbara L. Garinger
Summerville
Barbara L. Garinger, 83,
of Summerville, died June
7. Loveland Funeral Chapel
& Crematory will be han-
dling the arrangements.
Calendar courtesy
of Loveland Funeral
Chapel
Santa Hill
La Grande
June 11 — MARTIN
GIRRARD: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
viewing, 2 p.m. funeral;
Loveland Funeral Chapel,
La Grande (a maximum
of 50 people are allowed
at a time).
June 12 — MARY
McKAGUE: 2 p.m. grave-
side service; Hillcrest
Cemetery, La Grande.
June 13 — RONALD
CASWELL: 10 a.m.
memorial service and
potluck (bring a dish to
share); Riverside Park
Pavilion, La Grande.
New Name.
Same Great Team.
Same Exceptional
Service.
Travis T. Hampton, D.P.M.
Santa Hill, 96, of La
Grande, died June 6 at a
local care facility. Loveland
Funeral Chapel & Crema-
tory will be handling the
arrangements.
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NORTH POWDER —
A bonus opportunity.
This is what North
Powder School District
students in middle school
and high school, who were
hurt by the sudden closure
of schools in mid-March
due to the coronavirus
outbreak, are receiving
this summer. The district
is expanding its annual
summer school to include
instruction for students in
middle school and high
school.
Previously the summer
school program, which
started about a decade
ago, served only elemen-
tary school students. But
this summer it will be
open to students in all
grades. The four-week
summer school starts June
15.
Superintendent Lance
Dixon said the addi-
tion gives students the
opportunity to complete
semester classes they may
not have due to the mid-
March closure, after which
only distance educa-
tion was available. Dixon
explained that some stu-
dents did not complete
semester classes following
the closure for a variety
of reasons, including the
fact that some do not excel
in distance education
settings.
“We wanted to give
them the chance to get
their semester credits,”
Dixon said.
Seniors will not be
among the students who
will be attending summer
school. Dixon said all
Powder Valley High
School’s seniors graduated
Saturday.
Dixon anticipates the
summer school program
will have about 10 middle
and high school students
and 30 elementary school
students. The school will
operate Monday-Thursday
from 8-11:30 a.m. The dis-
trict will prepare break-
fasts and lunches for free
for all students.
The summer school
also represents the fi rst
time since mid-March that
teachers will be providing
instruction to students
face-to-face.
“Our teachers are
pretty excited about (the
chance to again have
students in their class-
rooms),” Dixon said.
The superintendent said
this spring’s school clo-
sure and the distance edu-
cation that followed were
not something teachers
welcomed.
“I’m sure nobody went
into education (so they
could) not be around
kids,” he said.
Teachers and students
at the extended summer
school will be required
to adhere to the state’s
COVID-19-driven social
distancing rules. This
means no more than 10
students in a classroom at
a time.
Dixon said rules like
this will actually help
students because many
learn best in small group
settings.
Martin Urban Girrard
July 12, 1928 - May 29, 2020
Martin Urban Girrard, passed away
May 29, 2020 at Grande Ronde Retirement
Center. A Viewing will be held at Loveland
Funeral Chapel (a maximum of 50 people
in the chapel please) on Thursday, June 11,
2020, 11:00-1:00 pm. The Funeral Service
will begin at 2:00 p.m. at Loveland Funeral
Chapel. Graveside service will follow at
Grandview Cemetery. For those who are
unable to attend the service, and would like to watch it live, please go
to our website, lovelandfuneralchapel.com, and click on the “Funeral
Videos” button a little before the service starts.
Martin was born July 12, 1928 in Seattle WA, to Harry and Neo-
ma (Thompson) Girrard. Martin grew up in Eastern Oregon (Hun-
tington, Weatherby, Medical Springs and Pondosa). He graduated
from Huntington High School in 1946. He met Harriet Cunningham
in Huntington and followed her to Perry. They married in 1948 and
celebrated 67 years of marriage together. They raised three sons in
La Grande.
Martin was employed by La Grande Fruit, Mt. Emily Lumber
Company, Pepsi Cola Bottling Company, and he retired from Borden
Chemical, in La Grande, OR. Martin was a hard working, honest,
loyal, dedicated man to both his work and family.
Martin enjoyed hunting, fishing, waterskiing, snowmobiling,
golfing, gardening and bowling. Martin was one of the top five bowl-
ers at Blue Mountain Lanes for maintaining a high bowling average.
He especially enjoyed crappie fishing with his friends and family. He
rode many seasons throughout Eastern Oregon on a snowmobile
with family and friends. Other favorite activities involved camping,
going for rides in the mountains, and enjoying stories and laughter
around a campfire.
He was a past member at the La Grande Eagles Lodge, La Grande
and Lake Havasu Elks Lodges, and La Grande Country Club.
He spent hours pulling his Grandkids on skies and tubes behind
his boat and enjoyed fishing. He celebrated his 75th birthday water
skiing at Hells Canyon. He liked growing peaches, apples, green
beans, strawberries, cucumbers and tomatoes. Martin had a green
thumb, enjoyed gardening and had a beautiful yard with lots of
flowers.
He enjoyed traveling to see family in the U.S.; travel to Canada,
Mexico, Hawaii, the Caribbean and Alaskan cruises with Harriet and
their friends and spending winters in Arizona for many years after
retirement.
Surviving sons are Mike Garrard and Rod Girrard (Patti) all of
La Grande, OR; grandchildren Katie (Brad) Wright, Rob Garrard,
Jamie Garrard, Logan Girrard and Hilary (Brian) Dibble; and 7 great
grandchildren. Surviving brothers are Bob and Steve Girrard and
3 nephews of La Grande. He was preceded in death by his parents,
Harry & Neoma, his wife, Harriet, and his son, Gary.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made at Amer-
ican Parkinson Disease Association, 135 Parkinson Avenue, Staten
Island, NY 10305 or go to www.apdaparkinson.org/1907d3l/.
Online condolences may be made to the family at www.loveland-
funeralchapel.com
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