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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 6, 2020)
THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020 THE OBSERVER — 5A Jim and Connie Voelz property — 1701 Adams Ave. GRANTS Continued from Page 1A of the company’s $211,761 project. The project will give the butcher shop and meat market that opened in 2016 the funding to build a new cooler room, spice room and smoker area and acquire equipment. Further, the grant allows Hines Meat to hire fi ve new staff mem- bers to meet production and distribution demands. The new elements also will help the company achieve USDA certifi cation. “This project will help us create quality fami- ly-wage jobs,” Paige Hines, co-owner of Hines Meat Company, said. “The gift of Urban Renewal dollars, our tax money, is not lost on us and we hope that blessing circles back to our commu- nity and beyond. We are so excited and thankful.” Raul’s Taqueria and Flavors — 1302-1304 Adams Ave. The Mexican eatery on Adams Avenue will expand into the adjacent retail space to offer more customer dining space, a SCHOOLS Continued from Page 1A 7,360, according to data used by OHA, that one case pushes it over the threshold. Even Union County’s three cases last week count as a failure under the new standard, as that puts the county at 11.2 cases per 100,000 people, according to the OHA’s update. Exemption allows coun- ties to open classrooms for kindergarten through third grade or for districts with 100 or fewer stu- dents. Counties can do so if they have less than than 30 cases per 100,000 individ- uals as long as spread is not among students. Locally, Union County would have to stay at eight or fewer cases a week to be within this metric. Baker County would have to be at fi ve, and Wallowa County could have only two cases. Counties that would be able to open to kindergarten through third grade under the provision include Grant, Tillamook, Linn, Lincoln, Lane, Josephine, Douglas, Curry, Coos, Columbia and Benton. Union and Wallowa counties could in theory be a week away from reaching that barrier, and Harney, Klamath and Lake could with two more good weeks. A handful of small districts also could potentially open. But even if schools are able to reopen later this fall, many counties would need to maintain near perfec- tion to continue teaching in person. The rules from OHA state if a county has 30 cases per 100,000 people during a week, it is required to move back to distance learning. Oregon’s three smallest counties in popu- lation — Sherman, Gilliam and Wheeler — all would transgress that rule with one new case. Wallowa, Harney, Grant and Lake — all of which 50 years. Urban Renewal funds will help to offset the increased costs associated with this building’s one of a kind architectural features and design.” In addition, the proposal continues, restoring the his- toric storefronts along Fir Street would continue to grow the commercial dis- trict resulting from the new railroad quiet zone. The project includes replacing all electrical, HVAC and plumbing sys- tems in the 10-12 apart- ments as well as the histor- ical restoration of the facade of the building. The Urban Renewal Agency considers the Adams Avenue and Island City Avenue intersection as one of the gateways into downtown La Grande, according to a press release from the city. To help with making the entrance more inviting and to assist a local business, the Urban Renewal Agency granted $20,000 to Jim and Connie Voelz, owners of property on the southeast corner, for their renovation project. Improvements at 1701 Adams Adams Ave. will include planting trees and shrubs, resurfacing the parking lot and putting in a new fi re door and roof over the entryway. Connie Voelz said she would like to set up a fl ag pole and bench for people to enjoy as they pass by. “That corner was get- ting to be a real eyesore and there isn’t much you can do with all the con- crete, but we wanted to try and add something nice to the corner,” she said. “The grant funding means we can do more than we planned to at the start.” in La Grande, and my par- ents lived near the library, and we were great library patrons. I am sure that had a huge infl uence.” Bushman led the project on the library’s end. She said she remembered how people enjoyed the tem- porary StoryWalk in 2014 and liked the idea of a per- manent installation. “This is a great time for it,” Bushman said. “I wanted to this before COVID came out, and now that COVID happened it is a good thing to (get outside and do).” The cost for the project is around $6,200, and funding comes from grants and sponsorships. Commu- nity members can sponsor a book for $40, or one of the fi ve remaining unspon- sored posts for $300. A plaque with the sponsors’ names will be on display along the StoryWalk. Staff photo by Sabrina Thompson Staff Photo by Sabrina Thompson Owners of the apartments at the Slater Building, 212-214 Fir St., received a $75,000 grant from the city’s Urban Re- newal Agency to help cover the cost of updates and ren- ovations. Jim and Connie Voelz will update their property at 1701 Adams Ave., La Grande, with help from a $20,000 grant from the city’s Urban Renewal Agency grant, one of four the agency recently approved. full-service bar and elec- tronic gaming. “It means a lot to have this grant,” co-owner Arturo Escamilla said. “It is going to help with all of the improvements we are making. The project costs $42,143 and the company received $21,072 in grant funding. Additional improvements include installation of more plumbing, renovations to the building’s facade, new signage and hiring four new employees. “This expansion is some- thing we’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Escamilla buildings in La Grande on the National Historic Reg- ister. The URA awarded the project $75,000 to offset the costs. In his proposal, Mike Sattem said the building has remained unchanged over the last 130 years. “As one of the largest buildings by square footage (in the downtown), updating key systems has proven to be too costly for most private owners,” Sattem stated in the pro- posal. “Restoring the building with new mechan- ical systems will help to ensure the building’s safety and lifespan for another have 7,000-8,000 people — would be forced into dis- tance learning with three cases in a week. Union County would be sent out of the classroom if there were nine cases in a week, and Baker County would strike out at six cases in a week. In the last week, sev- eral counties exceeded in a single day the weekly number needed to stay open. As an example, Uma- tilla County on Monday had 64 cases — close to triple the 24 it must stay at or under for a week in order to open class- rooms. Morrow County had eight on Sunday, more than double its allowed threshold for a week. Mal- heur County had 10 on Sunday, which would force schools to closed if they had reopened. And while the regula- tions do not include a state mandate for this number, the number of cases state- wide gives a good reference for how far Oregon schools may be from reopening. The state would need to be at about 424 cases a week — roughly 60 per day — to be cleared to reopen, and triple that — 180 per day — to stay open. July 6 was the last time Oregon was under 180 cases in a day when it posted 168. The last day with fewer than 60 was June 2 when it had 33 cases. Just breaking under the 5% statewide positivity rate could be a challenge in the weeks ahead, as the rate has been hit just once in the past fi ve weeks. During that time, the state has processed an average of 36,226.4 test results. To get to 5%, there could be only 1,811.32 pos- itives per week, or less than 259 a day, and that metric would need to be satisfi ed three weeks in a row. That would be accom- plishing a feat that hasn’t been met since mid- to late-June. said. “The store is too small sometimes for our cus- tomers, and with the exten- sion we can offer more and sell more drinks, provide our customers with more options.” Dry Creek Capital — 212-214 Fir St. Mike and Laura Sattem of Dry Creek Capital sub- mitted the largest project proposal, estimating they need around $345,506 to complete interior and exterior renovations of the newly acquired Slater Building, one of the fi ve STORYWALK Continued from Page 1A Storywalk exhibits out- side its building in down- town La Grande. The Riv- erside Park Storywalk will be permanent and display a variety of authors. The fi rst pages on display are from “My Octopus Arms” by local artist Keith Baker, a children’s book about all you can do with your hands and arms. NELSON Continued from Page 1A Nelson leaves with the respect of his fellow board members. “Whether he is partic- ipating in a one-on-one friendly discussion or chairing a meeting of the EOU Trustee Board, David is respectful, caring and attentive,” Trustee Richard Chaves said. “He has the ability to work through sensitive discussions and situations, bringing them gracefully to resolution. I am honored to know David and call him friend.” Former EOU interim president Dixie Lund, also a member of the board of trustees, said she has learned by listening to and observing Nelson’s style of leadership. “He’s also become a very good friend, who I will greatly miss when he steps down from the board. He makes sure all opin- ions are voiced, but is also perceptive when a speaker tends to monopolize, ‘get into the weeds,’ or speak on a personal agenda rather than on what’s best for the university,” she said. Baker wrote and illus- trated the book for chil- dren ages 2-5. Because it is the inaugural book for the project, Baker’s book will remain up a little longer than future displays. Bushman said she is eager to see how the Story- Walk project is received by the community. “I think it is really sweet to share a book that way,” Baker said. “I am really curious to see how that all works. I grew up Retired Hermiston School District Superinten- dent Jerry Pratton, another member of the board of trustees, has a long history of working with Nelson. “David and I have known each other and worked together on many things regarding educa- tion since I was a super- intendent and he was in the Legislature,” he said. “I have such great admi- ration for him and how he preserves the dignity of people while moving to a sometimes tough solu- tion. David Nelson is like the North Star to sailors — he is always there, always a guidepost to the right direction, always can be counted on, and is a very bright spot in an often vast and dark world.” “In the Legislature,” Nelson said, “you’re never quite sure if you’re suc- cessful, but in the univer- sity you see things grow and change every year. Serving on the board was a worthwhile endeavor, on par with serving in the Legislature. Thank you to the community for allowing me to serve and giving me this great opportunity.” “Shop Responsibly, Shop Local” Our local businesses need us and we’ll get through this together www.VisitUnionCounty.org Prepare for unexpected power outages with a Generac home standby generator SCHEDULE YOUR FREE IN-HOME ASSESSMENT TODAY! 877-557-1912 FREE 7-Year Extended Warranty* A $695 Value! 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