The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current, July 07, 2020, Image 5

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The Observer., July 07, 2020, Page 5, Image 5

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Newspaper Page TextLOCAL TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2020 HAWK HOWARD Continued from Page 1A Continued from Page 1A absorbed life-threatening blows. “People don’t survive being hit trucks,” Tomp- kins said. “Think of what it can do to a 2-pound bird.” She noted the bird suf- fered a second jolt when it fell to the ground. “It was a one-two punch,” Tompkins said. “It was blunt-force trauma.” Rainboth, who lives in Cove, learned of the injured red-tailed hawk when a man who had witnessed a truck hitting it brought the predator to her on May 9. The man told her the truck driver had not stopped after striking the hawk. Rain- both then helped get the bird to Blue Mountain Wildlife. “I did not think it was going to make it to Pend- leton,” she said. The center housed the hawk ﬁ rst in an indoor hospital cage, where staff fed it dead mice and other animals, including quail. Tompkins said it often is hard to get injured birds to eat, but this was not a problem for the red-tailed hawk, especially after she started giving it quail. The recovering hawk, which also received anti-inﬂ ammatory med- ication, was later moved to a small outdoor cage and ﬁ nally to a ﬂ ight pen when Tompkins thought it was ready to start testing its wings again. “It did well in the ﬂ ight pen,” Tompkins said, adding the Blue Mountain Wildlife does not name the animals it cares for unless they are for its educational program. An Oregon Depart- ment of Fish and Wildlife employee on Thursday brought the red-tailed hawk to La Grande, where Rain- both picked it up and took it to Phys Point Road just off Highway 237, near the site of the raptor’s rescue. Jenny Phelps of Summerville and her children, Colton and Myranda, also helped release the hawk. The raptor, however, did not immediately come out of its travel box. “I was worried,” Rain- both said, so she lifted the box. Fortunately the bird was just a bit lethargic and appeared reener- gized after Rainboth lifted it out. Rainboth said the hawk’s tail feathers indi- cate it is at least a year old. And the bird had a brood patch — an area on its belly that becomes featherless during nesting seasons to allow it to better incubate eggs with body heat. “It probably had a nest,” said Rainboth, who also is the coordinator of the La Grande School District’s science, tech- nology, engineering and math education program. The red-tailed hawk is one of about 10,000 birds Blue Mountain Wild- life has cared for since it opened around 1990. Tompkins said about half of the birds that Blue Mountain Wild- life receives are released back into the wild. Most of those released are young birds. Only about 10-15% of the birds released have been those injured in traumatic accidents, such as the red-tailed hawk released Thursday. “Being able to release a bird like this (one hurt in a serious mishap) is always special,” Tomp- kins said. said. “He responded to the steroid drug quite well, but then the virus had a come- back on him. It’s a sleeping killer — a silent killer — I’ll say that.” Paul Howard was readmitted to Grande Ronde, then transferred to Vibra Hospital of Boise, which his brother said had a wing speciﬁ cally ded- icated to coronavirus treatment. “We could not be there with Paul at either loca- tion,” John Howard said. The family held a grave- side service Monday. “We’ll be quoting scrip- ture from the Bible and talking about Paul, remi- niscing,” John Howard said prior to the service. Growing up, Paul Howard, who John said was a high school athlete, was known for racing, and he had a car that few could beat. “(He) enjoyed his 1969 383 Magnum Roadrunner,” John said. “He loved to race other people with cars during the 70s and lived life to the fullest. It was one of the fastest cars in the valley at the time.” John said Paul, who smoked for about four LOOP Continued from Page 1A their revenue by adding things like on-farm lodging, RV camping and event venues, in addition to product sales,” Dodson said. Agritourism is growing across the United States, and Dodson believes it is because of a deep-rooted curiosity that is greater today than it was decades ago when countless fam- ilies were involved in farming or many people had close relatives who were involved in farming or ranching. Today people feel more dis- tant from agriculture and want to get closer to it again. “Fewer people grow up on farms today. They have an urge to see where their food comes from,” Dodson said. Visiting farms also gives people a chance to make an organic connec- tion in today’s high-tech world. “They are getting in touch with nature,” Dodson said. Dodson said interest in agriculture among the general public also may be up because of the coronavirus pan- demic. She explained that people are expressing a greater interest in eating food produced locally because it is handled by fewer people, possibly Photo by Ellen Morris Bishop/EO Media Group Wallowa County residents funded a Fourth of July ﬁ reworks display Saturday that “shook” Wallowa Lake. Continued from Page 1A zeroed in on one group home. “They came to all the sites, all the employees, and all the clients were willing and able (to be tested),” she said. “One (client) refused a test. Public health gave us speciﬁ c instructions for the next 14 days. We did all of those things. (The client) never showed signs or symptoms. The employees also were told they could get tested in the community (clinics).” Slack said, to her knowl- edge, none of the staff had serious issues with the virus. “The main thing I heard from someone is they had a fever. I’m so grateful for my employees,” she said. The outbreak was one of four the Oregon Health Authority listed in the workplace outbreak cate- gory last week. The number of cases in the county, though, has not seen a drastic uptick in recent days. Saturday was the ﬁ rst day the county did not report a new case since June 11. The Center for Human Development Inc., La Grande, reported just one case Sunday, and no new cases Monday. Union County now has 356 cases of COVID-19 with 21 recoveries, 333 active cases and two deaths. Union County’s surge in cases led to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Thursday naming it among eight counties on a COVID-19 watch list, along with Jef- ferson, Lake, Lincoln, Mal- heur, Morrow, Umatilla and Wasco counties. “The spread of COVID-19 in these coun- ties has risen to alarming levels in recent weeks,” the press release stated. “Anal- ysis by the Oregon Health Authority showed alarm- ingly high per capita rates of case increases and com- munity spread — cases where the infections are not attributable to a speciﬁ c location or event. This com- munity spread is a serious warning sign for health experts.” State agencies will mon- itor counties on the watch list in the coming days while the Oregon Health Authority and local ofﬁ cials deploy additional resources to control the spread of the disease. The the governor’s ofﬁ ce also announced the Oregon Liquor Control Commission with support from Oregon Occupational Safety and Health ﬁ eld ofﬁ ces will conduct spot checks and inspections across Oregon during the holiday weekend to ensure restaurants, bars other businesses and their patrons comply with state alcohol laws, OLCC rules and the requirement to wear a face covering in indoor public spaces. That action comes after the state reached a record of 375 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. That was the ﬁ rst of four days in a row when there were at least 300 new cases in the state, adding 344 Friday, 303 Saturday and 301 Sunday. Sunday’s total moved the state past 10,000. There were 165 cases added Monday, the lowest total since 171 were posted June 30. Businesses that refuse to comply with requirements face ﬁ nes and harsher penalties. OSHA and OLCC staff have the authority to take administrative action, according to the press release, including issuing citations, ﬁ nes and “Red Warning Notices,” which apply to businesses that appear to be in “willful vio- lation” of the governor’s executive orders or that refuse to take corrective measures. “Such businesses are closed until the hazardous at the Center for Human Development Inc., and said he was “most proud” of what Paul did to help their mother, Carolyn. “We always looked up to Paul for the courage he had. And he’ll be missed in our family for a very long time,” John Howard said. John spoke candidly about individuals needing to protect themselves and others in the commu- nity with the coronavirus present. “We all need to do what we can to stop the spread of the virus,” he said. “We just need to be sensitive to those that have underlying health problems, whether they are diabetic or have asthma. ... Some of us live without taking medication or are healthy, (but) we need to be cognizant of those that have health problems and are struggling.” He’s especially adamant about it because he doesn’t want to see anyone face what his family has. “I think it’s important we wear a mask when you’re in a store or in close quarters, and social dis- tance outside to stop the spread,” he said. “I really don’t want any other com- munity members to go through losing a loved one through COVID such as our family has.” reducing the chance that it was exposed to the coronavirus. “There is a strong interest in knowing where their food has been,” Dodson said. Stops on the Union County Farm Loop include Almosta Farm at Cove, which has been operating about three years. The farm, owned by Jan Marrs and Lori Shields, offers tours and overnight accommoda- tions. Visitors also have a chance to experience what it is like to work on a farm. Those coming to Almosta Farm have the opportunity to feed chickens, clean animal stalls, weed a large garden, milk a goat and more. Visitors also can mingle with and pet the farm’s eight Nigerian dwarf goats. “They love people and always want attention,” Marrs said of the goats. One objective of the owners of Almosta Farm is to help people develop a connection to their food. Marrs said studies indicate the more con- nected people are to the food they eat the healthier they are. Marrs and Shields once had a foster child on their farm who liked only junk food when she arrived. “French fries were her vegetable of choice,” Marrs said. However, after growing her own pro- duce, Marrs said the girl developed a love of fresh vegetables. Farms that were on the Cove-Union Farm Loop map and will be on the Union County Farm Loop map include Folly Farm in Cove, which is owned by Cindy and Ralph Edwards. Cindy Edwards credited the loop map project with making people aware of the many small farms in Union County. She also noted an objective of Folly Farm is to educate people on how easy it is to grow their own food. Edwards said being part of the loop is helping her farm achieve this goal. A grant from the Union County Chamber of Commerce funds the Union County Farm Loop map project. “(The chamber has) been very supportive and enthusiastic about agritourism activities,” Dodson said. Copies of the new map will be available soon online at www.vis- itunioncounty.org and hard copies also will be available at the Union County Chamber of Commerce, 207 Depot St., La Grande, at stops on the Union County Farm Loop and at the La Grande Farmers Market at Fourth Street and Adams Avenue each Tuesday and Saturday during the summer. condition is remedied,” the press release stated. “Vio- lation of a Red Warning Notice results in stiff penalties.” And the city of La Grande in a press release Monday morning announced City Manager Robert Strope extended the city’s emergency dec- laration through Sept. 4 in conjunction with Brown’s extension of Oregon’s state of emergency declaration last week. Blazing Fast Internet! ADD TO YOUR PACKAGE FOR ONLY 19 . 99 $ /mo. where available 2-YEAR TV PRICE GUARANTEE America’s Top 120 Package MO. 190 CHANNELS Including Local Channels! CALL TODAY - For $100 Gift Card Promo Code: DISH100 for 12 Mos. 1-866-373-9175 Oﬀer ends 7/15/20. 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Nicole Cathey decades, faced mental health issues beginning in his 20s that affected him, but didn’t stop him. “He made the best of his life, even though he lived with that complica- tion,” John said. “He lived independently, was able to socialize, was able to work, enjoy family events, and be a normal person, even though he was com- promised with a mental ill- ness. He never once com- plained about his illness, never felt sorry for himself or shameful.” John called his brother a man who was dedicated to his work, which he said included a 25-year career Fireworks red glare over Wallowa Lake OUTBREAK THE OBSERVER — 5A 10106 N. ‘C’ • Island City 541-975-1364 Toll Free 1-866-282-1925 Relieving Hip and Promotes Heart Health Joint Paint Reduce Anexiety Improves Appetite Reduce Imflamation & Digestive www.facebook.com/lagrandecbd | 541-304-9119 2108 Island Ave. La Grande, OR Medicare, Auto, Home insurance and Annuities www.reed-insurance.net Kevin Reed