COMMUNITY
Saturday, July 11, 2020
Obituaries
Community
Meetings
• COVE — The public is invited
to view a special meeting
Tuesday, July 14, of the Cove
City Council for a presentation
of the city’s updated charter,
which will be on the Nov. 3
ballot. According to a press
release, an information sheet
has been sent out to the res-
idents of Cove. The meeting
begins at 7 p.m. at city hall;
connecting to the meeting
virtually is encouraged. For
instructions, go to www.city-
ofcove.org or request a link by
emailing cityadmin@cityof-
cove.org.
Briefs
Library resumes take-out
service, offers weekly
trivia contest and call-in
storytime
LA GRANDE — After a
brief hiatus due to the local
COVID-19 outbreak, Cook
Memorial Library resumed
its take-out service this week.
If you received confirmation
that items are waiting for
you, pick them up Monday
through Friday from 10 a.m.
to noon and from 4-6 p.m.
If you placed items on hold
during the hiatus, you will be
notified as soon as they are
packaged and ready.
If you’d like to place an or-
der, you can place items on
hold in the online catalog or
call in your requests at 541-
962-1339. When picking up or
dropping off items, patrons
are asked to wear a mask.
The library is not charging
late fees and is working to
update patrons’ accounts to
reflect this.
Join Cook Memorial Li-
brary on Tuesdays online at
5:30 p.m. for a quick round of
trivia. There are six questions
total, and the whole event
lasts about 10 minutes.
The person who gets the
highest number of first-post-
ed correct answers during
the livestream (and is not a
recent winner) gets a $5 gift
certificate to the La Grande
Farmers Market.
On Mondays at 11 a.m.,
parents may call 541-314-
4256 to access a read-aloud
storytime for children. A new
story is read each week by
Miss Carrie or one of the
community’s local celebri-
ties.
Menus
Union County Senior
Center takeout lunch
menu
Pickup 11:30 a.m.-
12:30 p.m. at 1504 N. Albany
St., La Grande. For delivery,
call 541-963-7532 before
10 a.m. Age 60+, $3 suggest-
ed donation; all others, $5.
JULY 13-20
Monday: stuffed pork
tenderloin, rice pilaf, apple
Waldorf salad, baked bread,
dessert.
Tuesday: chicken Alfredo,
Caesar salad, freshly baked
bread, fruit tarts.
Wednesday: mini ba-
con-cheese tarts, garden
salad, freshly baked bread,
dessert.
Thursday: loaded chef
salad, bread, fresh fruit.
Friday: Reuben sandwich-
es, potato salad, coleslaw,
cookies.
Union County kids free
grab & go lunch menu
Pickup 11:30 a.m.-
12:30 p.m. at Riveria Activity
Center, 2609 Second St., La
Grande. Free for age 1-18; all
others, $4.
JULY 13-20
Monday: roast pork,
veggies, steak fries, baked
apples, rolls.
Tuesday: BLT sandwiches,
fruit salad, veggie sticks,
cookies.
Wednesday: chicken
Alfredo, salad, fruit, rolls,
pudding.
Thursday: pulled-pork slid-
ers, tater tots, veggies, fruit
salad, Jell-O.
Friday: mac and cheese,
veggie sticks, fresh fruit,
rolls, dessert.
Donna J. (Sherod)
Emmons
1931-2020 • Formerly of Wallowa
Donna Jean Emmons,
88, formerly of Wallowa,
died March 17 at her home
in Medford. A graveside
service will be held July
18 at 11 a.m. at the Wal-
lowa Cemetery, followed by
a celebration of her life at
the home of Elsie and Red
Evans. Arrangements are
by Bollman Funeral Home,
Enterprise.
Donna was
born July 22,
1931, in Wal-
lowa, to Glen
and Hilma
Sherod. She
was a 1949
graduate of Wallowa High
School, where she was a
member of the Gamma
Theta Sorority.
Donna was introduced
to LeRoy Emmons of La
Grande by a friend. They
were married Sept. 24,
1950, and made Wallowa
their home. They had five
children (one who passed
away just days after his
birth). They had been mar-
ried for 29 years when
LeRoy passed away in April
1979.
Donna worked many
jobs in Wallowa, retiring
from US Bank in 1996.
After retirement she enjoyed
planting, reading and col-
lecting wind chimes.
She also took care of her
youngest daughter, Jeannie,
who battled cancer for 24
years.
After Jeannie passed
away in March 2007, Donna
decided to move to Med-
ford, where she could be
closer to her remaining
family. In her new home
she had a beautiful sun-
room where she continued
to collect wind chimes and
grow the best Christmas
cactus you’ve ever seen. She
enjoyed making new friends
5:15 a.m. — The Union Coun-
ty Sheriff’s Office arrested Mark
Alvin Wisdom, 62, of North
Powder, on accusations of
interfering with making a report,
four counts of menacing, four
counts of pointing a firearm at
another and unlawful posses-
sion of a weapon.
7:50 a.m. — La Grande police
received a report of the theft of
a vehicle from the 1300 block of
Jefferson Avenue.
11:40 a.m. — A caller reported
a prowler near a residence on
the 3000 block of Birch Street,
La Grande. Officers arrived and
found the suspect was a relative
of the homeowners.
2:47 p.m. — A resident on the
63100 block of Gekeler Lane, La
Grande, reported a burglary. A
Union County sheriff’s deputy
with her neighbors, walking
her dog to her daughter’s
house just down the street,
spoiling her great-grand-
children and jokingly giving
the ones she loved most a
hard time.
As Donna grew older,
her decision to move to
Medford proved to be a
blessing. Her son Roger
was able to move into her
home to assist with her
care. When her condition
declined, she was constantly
comforted and cared for by
her daughter Vickie and,
with multiple trips from his
home, her son David.
Surviving relatives
include her children, David
Emmons and his wife, Rox-
anne, Roger Emmons,
and Vickie Sutton; five
grandchildren; and seven
great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in
death by her father, Glen
Sherod; mother, Hilma
Sherod; husband, LeRoy
Emmons; sister, Genevieve
Keyser; daughter, Jeannie
Emmons; and son-in-law,
Craig Sutton.
Upcoming
local
services
Glen R. Marshall
Formerly of La Grande
Glen Raymond Mar-
shall, 90, of Sumpter and
formerly of La Grande,
died July 9 at his residence.
Arrangements are by Gray’s
West & Co. Pioneer Chapel,
Baker City.
Joyce Wicklander
Joseph
Joyce Wicklander, 77, of
Joseph, died July 8 at her
home. Arrangements are
by Bollman Funeral Home,
Enterprise.
Alice Gipson
July 18 — DONNA
EMMONS: 11 a.m. grave-
side service, Wallowa
Cemetery; followed by a
celebration of life at the
home of Elsie and Red
Evans.
July 24 — IRMA
ROGERS: noon graveside
service, Hillcrest East
Cemetery, La Grande;
please wear a mask.
— Calendar
courtesy of Loveland
Funeral Chapel, La
Grande
Formerly of Cove
Alice Gipson, 75, of
Ontario and formerly of
Cove, died May 13. The
celebration of life planned
for July 25 has been can-
celed due to the pandemic.
Instead, a private service
will be held. Interested
friends may contact the
family with questions.
Wallowa County Fair coming together
By Bill Bradshaw
EO Media Group
ENTERPRISE — Plans
still are underway for a
Wallowa County Fair to be
held July 31 to Aug. 8 at the
fairgrounds in Enterprise,
and organizers are begin-
ning to get an idea of how
it’s going to look.
Initial plans, so far,
are to avoid any close-
packed group gatherings
to comply with Gov. Kate
Brown’s executive restric-
tions for the COVID-19
pandemic.
“We have a small com-
munity fair and we think
we can conduct it” under
those restrictions, said
Todd Nash, the Wallowa
County commissioner who
is most closely involved
with the fair. “Our fair’s
quite different from most
others around the state.
We think we can come in
under what’s required of us
by the governor’s executive
order and do it safely.”
Nash and Brenda
Stanley, chairwoman of
the Wallowa County Fair
Board, said they expect to
EO Media Group file photo
FFA and 4-H sheep handlers line up outside the livestock arena during the 2019 Wallowa
County Fair. Under guidelines the Wallowa County Board of Commissioners and the fair
board are working out, no such group gatherings are likely at this year’s fair to comply
with Gov. Kate Brown’s restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
limit the number of animals
each youth can show to
one. A youth will be able to
bring a market animal or a
breeding-stock animal, but
not both.
“We can’t have them
bring a whole herd,”
Stanley said. “We just can’t
contain them.”
First-time homebuyers
eligible for grants
The Observer
LA GRANDE —
Oregon Housing and
Community Services has
awarded Community Con-
nection of Northeast Ore-
gon’s Housing Resource
Center a $300,000 grant
to provide down payment
assistance for first-time
homebuyers.
Applicants can receive
up to $15,000 in down pay-
ment and closing costs
toward the purchase of their
home.
Eligible applicants must
have gross annual income
less than the Area Median
Income, be first-time home-
buyers, have net worth lim-
itations, and be lender-ready
within one year.
Area Median Income
for the counties served by
CCNO are:
•Baker County, $58,100
•Grant County, $60,800
•Union County, $58,900
•Wallowa County,
$64,400
In addition, Commu-
nity Connection provides
pre-purchase counseling
to residents interested
in purchasing a home.
The program helps posi-
tion prospective buyers
for lender approval by
addressing budget, credit
and debt and offers edu-
cation on available loan
products.
The agency also offers
Individual Development
Accounts for first-time
homebuyers, allowing
qualified buyers to save up
to $12,000 toward a down
payment over a course
of three years, as well as
foreclosure intervention
and default counseling.
For more details on the
down payment grants and
CCNO’s other programs,
go to www.ccno.org or
contact Debbie MacBaker,
manager of the Housing
Resource Center, at 541-
963-3186 or debbie@ccno.
org.
Public Safety Report
WEDNESDAY
tHE OBSErVEr — 3A
took a report.
4:05 p.m. — A caller on the
600 block of Fourth Street,
Powder River, reported a dog in
distress.
6:17 p.m. — La Grande
police received a complaint
about someone going through
a dumpster on the 2000 block
of Second Street. Subsequent
reports about the same com-
plaint in La Grande came in at
7:57 p.m. on the 2200 block of
Island City and at 8:19 p.m. on
the 1900 block of Fourth Street.
THURSDAY
7:49 a.m. — A caller report-
ed someone left dogs in their
vehicle with windows up at
Walmart, 11619 Island Ave.,
Island City.
9:31 a.m. — A caller reported
vandalism to a vehicle on the
2800 block of Adams Avenue, La
Grande. Police responded and
took a report.
10:58 a.m. — La Grande
police cited an 18-year-old Elgin
male for minor in possession of
alcohol.
1:03 p.m. — The Union
County Sheriff’s Office received
a report of people shooting in
a prohibited area off Fox Hill
Road, La Grande. A deputy
checked the area but did not
find anyone.
1:29 p.m. — La Grande police
received a report of vandalism
to a sign on the 1900 block of
Island Avenue.
3:11 p.m. — A caller reported
vandalism to a building on the
2600 block of Second Street, La
Grande.
9:22 p.m. — A caller reported
juveniles caused a disturbance
on the 1200 block of Cedar
Street, Elgin.
going to go.”
However, he and Stanley
emphasized, no firm deci-
sions have yet been made.
Just rough outlines of a
number of the events have
been agreed upon.
“Nothing’s set in stone,”
Nash said.
The commissioners
Nash agreed, after dis-
cussing it with fair repre-
sentatives at the county
commission meeting
Wednesday, July 1.
“If you take a market
animal, you won’t be able
to also take a breeding
animal,” he said Thursday.
“Likely, that’s the way it’s
have worked with livestock
superintendents and the
fair board to set times for
weigh-ins, animal shows
and auctions. The partic-
ipating youths have been
notified.
Stanley said they don’t
want the year’s hard work
put in by 4-H’ers and FFA
youths to go for naught.
“Despite the COVID,
kids have still been
working,” she said. “Our
main focus … is to have a
fair for these kids.”
While desiring to have
the best fair possible under
the circumstances, orga-
nizers are not ignoring the
safety aspect.
“We encourage anyone
who thinks they’re particu-
larly threatened by COVID
or have a compromised
immune system to not
come,” Nash said.
He said he doesn’t know
when all the particulars of
this year’s fair will be in
place.
“The rules tend to
change for us quite often,”
he said. “We hope to know
by fair time.”
Eagle Cap Excursion
Train cancels season
The Observer
ELGIN — The Eagle
Cap Excursion Train will
not run this season.
The Friends of the
Joseph Branch Board
of Directors on Friday
announced the cancellation
of the train’s season.
The board reported
in a press release it has
watched the status of the
coronavirus pandemic and
decided to not operate the
Eagle Cap Excursion Train
this season.
“When considering
the average age of pas-
sengers and volunteers,
the enclosed and close
environment on the train
and what it would entail
to reduce the risk for all
involved, the board mem-
bers voted unanimously
not to run,” according to
the press release. “Instead,
they will concentrate
this year on making fur-
ther improvements to the
equipment, work with
the Wallowa Union Rail
Authority to upgrade the
tracks and lay the ground-
work for an amazing
season in 2021.”
“A majority of our pas-
sengers are of the pop-
ulation most vulnerable
to the virus and it would
be difficult to keep the
Observer file photo
A group of veterans exit the Eagle Cap Excursion Train
in Elgin in this 2017 file photo. The Friends of the Joseph
Branch Board of Directors announced Friday the cancel-
lation of the train’s season due to the pandemic.
social distance parame-
ters during the trips, while
carrying enough passen-
gers to cover costs,” Ed
Spaulding, board presi-
dent and engineer, said
in the press release. “As
always, our top priority
is the health and safety of
passengers and volunteers,
and to ensure they have
an enjoyable experience.
We believe the best way to
achieve that is to delay all
activity until the virus is
under control.”
After announcing a
busy season in March,
the group cancelled its
May and June trips, then
announced delaying the
season until fall. The
board reported it negative
impacts shutting down will
have on Union and Wal-
lowa County businesses.
“We look forward
to serving our passen-
gers again and will work
hard to help rebuild the
tourism industry in 2021,”
Spaulding concluded.
The nonprofit Friends
of the Joseph Branch is
contacting people with
people with reservations
and offering refunds or
vouchers for use in 2021.
Eva Bennett
The family of
would like
to take this opportunity to thank everyone for your kindness and
thoughtfulness during the recent loss of our loved one. A special
thanks to Dr. Gornowicz, the staff of Grande Ronde Hospital and the
staff of Grande Ronde Hospice for their care and guidance the last six
months, the staff of Grande Retirement Residence for their attendance
to her everyday needs, Ian Murphy, Zee Koza and the staff of Loveland
Funeral Chapel for their professionalism and compassion in these
strange times and all of you who sent cards, food, flowers, donations
and kind thoughts and prayers.
The Brogoitti’s
Cathy, Allen, Carrie, Dutch, Meggen, McKenzie, Stella and Maggie