2A — THE OBSERVER
Daily
Planner
TODAY
Today is Tuesday, Aug. 18,
the 231st day of 2020. There
are 135 days left in the year.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT
On August 18, 1920, the
19th Amendment to the Con-
stitution, guaranteeing all
American women’s right to
vote, was ratified as Tennes-
see became the 36th state to
approve it.
ON THIS DATE
In 1587, Virginia Dare
became the first child of
English parents to be born
in present-day America, on
what is now Roanoke Island
in North Carolina. (However,
the Roanoke colony ended
up mysteriously disappear-
ing.)
In 1838, the first marine
expedition sponsored by
the U.S. government set
sail from Hampton Roads,
Virginia; the crews traveled
the southern Pacific Ocean,
gathering scientific infor-
mation.
In 1846, during the Mexi-
can-American War, U.S. forc-
es led by Gen. Stephen W.
Kearny occupied Santa Fe in
present-day New Mexico.
In 1894, Congress
established the Bureau of
Immigration.
In 1914, President
Woodrow Wilson issued his
Proclamation of Neutrality,
aimed at keeping the United
States out of World War I.
In 1963, James Mere-
dith became the first Black
student to graduate from the
University of Mississippi.
In 1969, the Woodstock
Music and Art Fair in Bethel,
New York, wound to a close
after three nights with a
mid-morning set by Jimi
Hendrix.
In 1983, Hurricane Alicia
slammed into the Texas
coast, leaving 21 dead and
causing more than a billion
dollars’ worth of damage.
In 1993, a judge in Saraso-
ta, Fla., ruled that Kimberly
Mays, the 14-year-old girl
who had been switched at
birth with another baby,
need never again see her bi-
ological parents, Ernest and
Regina Twigg, in accordance
with her stated wishes.
(However, Kimberly later
moved in with the Twiggs.)
In 2009, former South
Korean President and Nobel
Peace laureate Kim Dae-jung
died in Seoul.
In 2014, Missouri Gov. Jay
Nixon ordered the National
Guard to Ferguson, a suburb
of St. Louis convulsed by
protests over the fatal shoot-
ing of a Black teen. Don
Pardo, 96, a durable radio
and television announcer
known for his introductions
with a booming baritone on
“Saturday Night Live” and
other shows, died in Tucson,
Arizona.
LOTTERY
Megabucks: $5.3 million
7-12-13-15-26-37
Mega Millions: $31 million
3-24-29-42-47—13 x2
Powerball: $20 million
5-12-34-45-56—PB-3 x3
Win for Life: Aug. 15
4-15-33-55
Pick 4: Aug. 16
• 1 p.m.: 9-6-5-9
• 4 p.m.: 3-5-6-5
• 7 p.m.: 1-4-9-5
• 10 p.m.: 4-5-0-2
Pick 4: Aug. 15
• 1 p.m.: 7-4-5-6
• 4 p.m.: 3-6-0-8
• 7 p.m.: 4-4-8-2
• 10 p.m.: 2-9-4-7
Pick 4: Aug. 14
• 1 p.m.: 8-2-4-6
• 4 p.m.: 2-9-6-4
• 7 p.m.: 7-8-3-2
• 10 p.m.: 8-3-4-7
DELIVERY ISSUES?
If you have any problems
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TuESday, auguST 18, 2020
LOCAL/REGION
Joseph lauds late city council member
Richard pointer
died July 16 of
COVID-19-related
infirmities
By Bill Bradshaw
EO Media Group
JOSEPH — A moment
of silence and a tearful
tribute to late Joseph City
Councilor Richard Pointer
turned an otherwise routine
meeting, Thursday, Aug.
13, into an emotion-filled
gathering outside the Com-
munity Center.
The meeting started
with the moment of silence,
but concluded with Coun-
cilor Lisa Collier’s tribute
to Pointer, who died July 16
of COVID-19-related infir-
mities. Before she spoke,
Collier brought an other-
wise-empty chair to the
spot where he would’ve
normally sat.
“I kind of didn’t want to
come tonight because we’re
missing a really big part of
our city council,” Collier
said. “Thank you for taking
a moment of silence with
us. I think I can speak for a
lot of people who are right
here and say that the day
Richard Pointer died was
one of the worst days this
year.”
She went on to tell a bit
about Pointer.
“For those of you who
did not know him, he was
only a resident of Joseph for
about two years,” she said.
Staff photo by Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
Joseph City Councilor Lisa Collier gives a tearful tribute Thursday, Aug. 13, to late Coun-
cilor Richard Pointer, who died last month of a coronavirus-related illness. Listening, from
left, are City Administrator Larry Braden and Mayor Teresa Sajonia.
“But if you didn’t know
that, you would think that
he lived here his whole life.
In his two years here, he
was deep into the commu-
nity. All of his favorite sto-
ries and all the places he
would be surrounded City
Hall and city council that
he had a mad passion for.…
He had a passion for his city
council job.”
But Pointer’s passions
went beyond city hall, she
said.
“He loved driving a
school bus for Joseph
Charter School and loved
those kids — and they were
‘his’ kids,” Collier said. “He
loved Ember’s, and that’s
no joke,” adding they carry
a particular dish because it
was one of his favorites.
“Of course, he loved
his family and his church,”
she said. “I just can’t say
enough about the man. We
lost an amazing man. We
will all remember him. I
put his chair back tonight
because for us having our
city council meeting out-
side, he would’ve just been
tickled. He found joy in
everything and he would’ve
loved it. Richard, you will
be greatly missed.”
Mayor Teresa Sajonia
and others agreed.
“Volunteerism is huge in
this community,” the mayor
Chaves to head EOU trustees
The Observer
LA GRANDE — The
Eastern Oregon Univer-
sity Board of Trustees last
week unanimously elected
Richard Chaves to serve
as chairman of the board
through November 2021.
Chaves, a member of
the EOU governing board
since its inception in
2015, is a business owner
in Baker County and an
alumnus of the university.
“EOU instilled in me
that I had what it took to
do whatever I chose to
do. It taught me that rural
communities have a lot
of advantages,” Chaves
said. “The chance to make
a difference in altering
the paths of young peo-
ples’ lives, that’s what it’s
all about and that’s what
nourishes my soul.”
Chaves served on the
EOU Foundation Board
of Directors prior to
joining the school’s gov-
erning board. He high-
lighted several priorities
for his term, including
an increased presence in
Salem, a focus on cre-
ative problem solving and
a willingness to make
tough decisions and stand
behind them.
Chaves replaces David
Nelson, a Pendleton resi-
dent, who was appointed
to be a founding member
of EOU’s independent
governing board.
Board members met
in a hybrid format, with
some on-campus wearing
The Observer
LA GRANDE — The
La Grande Parks and Rec-
reation Department wants
to keep the magic of the
summer lemonade stand
alive.
The department has tra-
ditionally conducted a day
camp devoted to teaching
youths about how to
operate lemonade stands
as profitable businesses.
Unfortunately, it has not
been able to do that this
summer because of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
In lieu of this opportu-
nity, the city is offering
youths the chance to learn,
online, about operating a
lemonade business.
The lessons are avail-
able via a free online
Lemonade Day platform
the parks and recreation
department is offering in
partnership with Com-
munity Bank, Ignite-La
Grande and Business
Oregon.
People accessing the
platform will learn how
to make a business plan
for a lemonade stand plus
the importance of goals
and of giving back to the
community, said McKayla
Nitz, recreation supervisor
for La Grande Parks and
Recreation.
Nitz said she hopes in
2021 the La Grande Parks
and Recreation Depart-
ment will again be able to
conduct its lemonade day
camp.
She noted that in past
years those who attended
the day camp used the
training they received to
operate lemonade stands
at La Grande’s Crazy
News Briefs
Police warn
residents to be wary
of driveway scam
Photo by Alex Navarro, Eastern Oregon University
Richard Chaves speaks during Eastern Oregon Uni-
versity’s Commencement in June 2019. The universi-
ty’s board of trustees last week unanimously elected
Chaves to serve as chairman through November 2021.
masks and physically dis-
tant and others partici-
pating via Zoom at last
week’s meeting.
Trustees recognized
Nelson, the retired board
chairman, and welcomed
incoming members Karyn
Gomez and Danny Bailey.
Gomez, a professor in
the College of Education,
was appointed to serve as
the faculty trustee, and
Bailey, who works in the
Financial Aid Office as the
scholarship coordinator,
was appointed to serve as
staff trustee. New shared
governance leaders for
the coming academic year
also were in attendance.
Board members
responded to legisla-
tive and financial updates
regarding COVID-19 and
its impact throughout the
state. Vice President for
Finance and Administra-
tion Lara Moore reported
that state funding for
higher education would
not be affected in 2021,
but the coming bienniums
could bring significant
challenges.
“I’m grateful we have
2021 to further prepare,”
she said. “Our efforts to
reduce spending since
spring have been fruitful.
With many employees
working reduced hours,
implementing a not quite
hiring freeze but a hiring
frost, and virtually no
travel, EOU will end FY
20 with $11 million in
reserve — the strongest
position EOU has ever
been in — which will be
necessary to weather the
coming storm.”
The governing board
will review the universi-
ty’s final budget at its reg-
ular meeting this fall.
La Grande offers online lemonade stand program
By Dick Mason
said. “It takes a special
breed to stick with it and
do it and do it the best you
possibly can and not take
it for granted, and Richard
did not take it for granted.
With that in mind, I hope
we can find someone to step
up and become a part of the
community and continue
to make it a positive place
to be.”
Sajonia said she would
soon post an opening to fill
the remainder of Pointer’s
term, which runs through
2022. She said applicants
must file by 5 p.m. Aug. 25
at City Hall.
In another matter, the
council heard a project
Days celebration in July.
This has proved to been
an ideal place to sell
lemonade.
“There is a lot of foot
traffic at Crazy Days,”
Nitz said.
In 2019, 10 youths
attended the lemonade day
camp, where they received
advise from business
experts including those at
Community Bank. Later
the youths operated a total
of four lemonade stands
at Crazy Days, each of
which made at least $100
in profits, said Chris-
tine Jarski, the city of La
Grande’s economic devel-
opment director.
The platform parks and
recreation is offering is
connected to the National
Lemonade Day program,
which prepares youths to
operate stands. The Lem-
onade Day program was
founded by Michael Holt-
house, the founder and
president of Paranet Inc., a
computer network services
company. The first Lem-
onade Day was in 2007 in
Houston.
“Our mission is to help
today’s youth become
the business leaders,
social advocates, commu-
nity volunteers and for-
ward thinking citizens of
tomorrow, one lemonade
stand at time,” the Lem-
onade Day website states.
The Lemonade Day
program is open to youth
of all ages but its curric-
ulum is written to target
ages 3-5.
Parents can register
their sons and daughters
for the lemonade program
at www.lemonadeday.org/
la-grande.
update from Lucas Stangel,
an engineer with Anderson
Perry and Associates of
Enterprise, on projects
underway or proposed.
In addition to a paving
project and the expansion of
city utilities into the indus-
trial zone on the north end
of town, the major proj-
ects are a major upgrade on
city water lines and a major
upgrade to the waste treat-
ment plant.
The first two, City
Administrator Larry
Braden said, are covered
by grants. But the city will
need to take on the cost of
the water lines and waste-
water plant. The water lines
are expected to cost $1.8
million, while the waste-
water treatment plant is
expected to cost $3.8 mil-
lion, he said.
Braden said the cost of
the sewer and water projects
should be covered by utility
rate increases.
The current residen-
tial water bill of $37.60
a month and sewer bill
of $36 a month will each
have to be raised to $48.35
a month. Those increases
are expected to be imple-
mented at the conclusion of
the two projects. The water
lines are due to be replaced
next year, so the water bill
increase would be imple-
mented in fall 2021. The
sewer project is bigger, and
would not be done until fall
of 2023, at which time the
sewer rate hike would be
implemented.
LA GRANDE — A new
scam may be heading to
Union County, and the La
Grande Police Department
wants the community to be
aware.
According to a press
release from the police
department, the scam
involves Shanadoa “Shaun”
Wayne Johnson, 43, with
others making up a work
crew that offers to pave
or seal driveways. How-
ever, according to police,
the crew does not complete
the projects or does so hap-
hazardly. So far, there have
been at least 10 victims in
California.
Johnson reportedly
has family in the area,
according to La Grande
police, and he could be
coming here or already may
be here.
Vehicles involved in the
previous cases include a
1999 Ford F-250 extended
cab with a white diamond
plate tool box; a small
dump truck, possibly with
a flatbed trailer; a Toyota
Prius; and a gray Dodge
pickup with an amber light
on top.
Johnson has multiple
warrants out of Oregon,
the press release stated,
including many for theft.
If anyone in the commu-
nity has information about
Johnson, or is offered any-
thing matching the descrip-
tion of this scam, con-
tact the La Grande Police
Department business line at
541-963-1017.
Domestic violence
report leads to
pursuit, arrest
LA GRANDE — The
La Grande Police Depart-
ment received two reports
Thursday that culminated
in the pursuit of a stolen
vehicle and the arrest of
Deven Matthew Loree, 32,
of Portland.
At 2 p.m. Aug. 13, a
report came to La Grande
police of a stolen vehicle
from the Oregon Depart-
ment of Transportation
parking lot. An employee
witnessed a man, later
determined to be Loree,
driving out of the parking
lot in her personal vehicle.
Law enforcement offi-
cers from LGPD, Union
County Sheriff’s Office
and Oregon State Police
attempted to locate the
vehicle, but did not find it.
Just after 6 p.m., La
Grande police officers
were dispatched to a
domestic violence situa-
tion in progress where a
woman called 911 while
a passenger in a vehicle.
Dispatch was able to track
the location of the vehicle
with the open 911 line. The
driver threw the phone out
of the vehicle in the area
of Lake and Alder Street.
The woman fell out of the
moving vehicle, sustained
injuries, and was taken to
the hospital.
Officers pursued the
driver, who turned out to
be Loree, in the vehicle,
which was the stolen
vehicle. Oregon State
Police continued the pur-
suit once it traveled out-
side of city limits and con-
tinued onto the interstate.
Loree was found in Perry
and taken into custody.
Officers found a weapon
near the driver’s seat and
drug paraphernalia in the
vehicle.
Police arrested Loree
for domestic violence
assault, felon in posses-
sion of a weapon, posses-
sion of methamphetamine
and unauthorized use of a
motor vehicle. La Grande
police also reported Loree
is in custody at the Union
County Jail.
Fire burns 8,000
acres in Malheur
County
JUNTURA — A wild-
fire in Malheur County
between Vale and Juntura
grew rapidly after being
reported Sunday after-
noon, reaching 8,000 acres
by Monday morning.
The Indian Creek Fire
is burning northwest of
Highway 20 about 13 miles
east of Juntura, according
to the Bureau of Land
Management’s Vale Dis-
trict. That’s about 70 air
miles south of Baker City.
Vale District crews
worked past midnight
Sunday, extinguishing spot
fires, cutting dozer lines
and grading roads in the
area to establish firelines.
Nine aircraft dropped
retardant to slow the fire’s
spread Sunday and more
water and retardant drops
were coming Monday.
The blaze was reported
Aug. 16 about 12:45 p.m.
near Jonesboro. Its cause is
under investigation.
— EO Media Group