RECORDS AND MORE
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2020
COMMUNITY
Briefs
Not too late to sign up
for Drug Free Run
LA GRANDE — The annual
Drug Free Run is the main
fundraiser for the Union
Counties Safe Communities
Coalition, a community
organization that exists
to increase community
awareness of youth sub-
stance abuse and promote
prevention in Union County.
Due to COVID-19 and current
restrictions, this year’s Drug
Free Run will be virtual,
meaning participants can
run or walk anywhere they
choose anytime in August.
To register, go to https://
drugfreerun.itsyourrace.com
and choose your race: 1 mile,
5K or 10K. After registering,
download the app and track
your race. The fee, which
supports the efforts of the
Safe Communities Coalition,
is $10 per person, or $25 for
families of three or more
T-shirts are included in
the registration fee and
are produced locally. The
shirts may be picked up at
Community Merchants, 1210
Adams Ave., La Grande, any
time after you register. For
more information, email
ucsafecommunities@gmail.
com or call 541-963-1034.
Cook Memorial Library
introduces Library @ Your
Door Delivery Service
LA GRANDE — In part-
nership with local business
Rob’s Speedy Delivery, Cook
Memorial Library now offers
Library @ Your Door, a free
delivery service to La Grande
residents who cannot come
to the library due to long- or
short-term health concerns
or physical challenges. Deliv-
eries will be made on Fridays
beginning Aug. 28.
Rob’s Speedy Delivery
drivers will deliver any
book, audio book, magazine
or DVD you want from the
library to your home or care
facility and retrieve it when
they are due or when you
are ready to return them.
When we deliver your new
items, we will pick up your
old ones. There is no fee:
Rob’s Speedy Delivery is
offering this service as a way
to give back to their local
community.
For more information or
to arrange delivery, contact
the library at 541-962-1339
or complete the form at
www.cookmemoriallibrary.
org/Pages/Index/182199/li-
brary-your-door-delivery-ser-
vice.
New child care and early
education guidelines
released
SALEM — Parents and
guardians who want to
know more about how ODE
is working to protect their
children at child care and
school during the pandemic
may consult the Oregon
Department of Education’s
Early Learning Division’s re-
cently released “Health and
Safety Guidelines for Child
Care and Early Education
Operating in COVID-19” at
https://oregonearlylearning.
com/COVID-19-Resources/
For-Providers.
The updated guidelines,
which take effect Sept. 1, are
posted on the web page in
English and Spanish.
Menus
Union County Senior
Center takeout lunches
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.
AUG. 24-28
Monday: meatloaf, mashed
potatoes and gravy, vegetable
casserole, rolls, fruit.
Tuesday: Reuben sand-
wiches, potato salad, fruit
garnish, light dessert.
Wednesday: Swiss-ba-
con-spinach tarts, salad
greens, fresh fruit, dill bread,
lemon sorbet.
Thursday: shrimp crois-
sant sandwiches or roast
beef sandwiches, Greek
salad, chips, fresh fruit, zuc-
chini-chocolate chip bars.
Friday: beef stroganoff,
rice, layered salad, rolls,
fresh fruit, dessert.
THE OBSERVER — 3A
Strope earns high marks from city council
LG city manager
receives an average
of 4.48 out of 5 on
annual assessment
By Ronald Bond
The Observer
LA GRANDE — Robert
Strope has received a raving
review from the La Grande
City Council.
“Robert
serves the
community
with profes-
sionalism and
integrity. His
Strope
evaluations by
councilors and
directors refl ect these qual-
ities,” La Grande Mayor
Steve Clements said.
During a work session
Wednesday, Aug. 19, the
La Grande city manager
earned high marks across
the board in a performance
review, one that included
praise for a budget that kept
La Grande in a strong place
fi nancially even during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think probably his
top score was his fi nancial,
his budgetary knowledge,”
said Councilor Mary Ann
Miesner. “He’s very knowl-
edgeable about the budget,
and we feel confi dent about
his ability to put the budget
together.”
Miesner added the city
ends a year with more
money available than it
budgeted for because of
Strope’s approach.
That has proven key
Observer File
La Grande City Hall is shown in this Observer fi le photo. City Manager Robert Strope in a
Wednesday, Aug. 19, work session received high marks for his work in the city, including
his handling of the city budget.
during the pandemic, as the
city was able to put together
an emergency loan program
for local small businesses
that doled out more than
20 loans, Strope said. The
city also has been able to
set aside $250,000 from the
current budget to help with
future coronavirus-related
issues should they arise.
“He’s always had us
have a little bit of a safety
net,” Councilor Corrine
Dutto said. “That was
really helpful with COVID,
because we were able to
offer some small business
loans that we were able to
deliver much quicker than
the state or the federal
grants or loans. We were
able to help our businesses
quickly.”
Strope’s assessment had
an average score of 4.48 out
of 5 on the eight metrics he
was scored on, and in 44 of
the metrics, his score was
either a 4 or 5.
“One of the things that I
think is really important is
you don’t get a good review
as a city manager without
a great team of folks that
work with you,” Strope
said. “Much like being a
coach of a football team,
you’re graded on a large
part how the team is per-
forming. They do a nice job
of making me look good,
and more important they
do a great job with the city
Ceremony to honor servicemen
75 years after their death
of La Grande, which is
gratifying.”
Keeping the city in solid
fi nancial positioning has
been a high priority for
Strope.
“The council talked
about the importance of
being in good fi nancial
shape. That is something I
take a lot of pride in. It goes
back to the team,” he said.
“They do a great job man-
aging the budget. They are
conservative in what they
ask for.”
Miesner also spoke
highly of Strope’s integrity
as a straight shooter who
won’t tell one councilor a
different answer to a ques-
tion than another.
Upcoming
local
services
The Observer
LA GRANDE — A pair
of La Grande residents are
looking to pay tribute to 15
World War II servicemen
who died after the war on
the 75th anniversary of the
crash that took their lives.
The men were onboard
a B-24 Liberator returning
home to the Northwest on
Aug. 25, 1945, just days
after Japan’s surrender when
their aircraft crashed in the
Blue Mountains near Spout
Springs, killing all the men
in a fi ery explosion. There
is no wreckage to mark the
location of the crash.
The local men orga-
nizing the ceremony,
Lyle Schwarz and Armen
Woosley, coordinated an
event three years ago to
honor the crew of a B-17
Flying Fortress crash a
little closer to La Grande
that also took the lives of
all onboard. According to a
letter from Schwarz, there
have been several other mil-
itary crashes in the Blues,
and there were more than
U.S. Air Force photo
This Consolidated B-24D Liberator is on display at the
National Museum of the United States Air Force at the
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. A B-24 Liberator
with 15 servicemen aboard crashed 75 years ago just after
the end of World War II near Spout Springs. There were no
survivors. Two local men are organizing a memorial event
Tuesday to honor the servicemen.
52,000 aircraft accidents
in the U.S. during World
War II.
An honor guard from the
Oregon National Guard, a
playing of taps, a reading
of names and an invocation
and prayer by Rev. Roger
Cochran of La Grande are
part of the ceremony.
The ceremony will take
place Tuesday, Aug. 25,
at 1 p.m. For those inter-
ested in attending, travel
17.7 miles out of downtown
Elgin on Highway 204, then
turn right on Balloon Tree
Forest Road. From there,
drive 1.9 miles, turn left,
and drive half a mile to the
crash site, which is near the
road. Arrows and fl ags will
help mark key intersections.
Anyone attending should
allow extra time to travel
forest roads.
PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 19
6:57 a.m. — The Union
County Sheriff’s Offi ce received
a report of a restraining order
violation in Elgin.
10:09 a.m. — An Island City
resident on the 10800 block of
Walton Road reported a bur-
glary. A deputy responded and
took a report.
2:12 p.m. — Denny’s, 2604
Island Ave., La Grande, reported
receiving a fake $50 bill. Law
enforcement responded and
cited Alexander William Dooley,
21, for forgery.
4:49 p.m. — A caller asked
La Grande police to conduct a
welfare check on someone. An
offi cer contacted the caller and
referred them to the Oregon
Department of Human Services
Adult Protective Services.
6:17 p.m. — A caller reported
people were camping by the
Grande Ronde River in the area
of the 3200 block of Walnut
Street, La Grande.
THURSDAY, AUG. 20
9:37 a.m. — A La Grande
resident on the 2000 block of
Fir Street asked to speak to an
offi cer about an ongoing issue
of dogs barking.
10:55 a.m. — La Grande po-
lice responded to Max Square
at the intersection of Adams
Avenue and Fourth Street for a
disturbance. Police warned one
person for disorderly conduct.
FAMILY
OWNED
Stoneware
Raku
Upcycled
Furniture
12:26 p.m. — A caller re-
ported a burglary on the 66100
block of Dark Canyon Road,
La Grande. A Union County
sheriff’s deputy responded and
took a report.
2:51 p.m. — La Grande police
responded to the 1500 block
of Fifth Street on a call about a
domestic disturbance. Offi cers
arrived and turned the situation
over to the Center for Human
Development Inc., which han-
dles mental health and other
issues.
10:03 p.m. — La Grande
police responded to the 2400
block of Adams Avenue for a
domestic disturbance and took
a report for a restraining order
violation.
Come In and
to
Browse
CELEBRATE the Gallery
Aug. 22 — STAN CASE:
10 a.m. celebration of
life, Case arena at 64066
Booth Lane, La Grande;
face coverings and social
distancing required; watch
the livestream at www.
lovelandfuneralchapel.com
(click on “Funeral Videos”
near bottom of page).
“Whatever I’ve heard
from him, other councilors
have heard the same thing.
Any of the directors will
tell you the same informa-
tion,” she said.
“His integrity is implicit
in my opinion,” Miesner
added, calling that the most
important facet to her.
Dutto agreed.
“He’s a very good leader.
He knows all the laws and
statutes and regulations so
he does not lead us astray
in that way,” she said.
“Overall, I think the mes-
sage was we all appreciated
his integrity.”
His temperament and
even-keel approach — even
during the pandemic —
were points commented on
by the council during the
work session.
Even in areas the
council wants Strope to
focus on, the city manager
already is working to make
improvements.
“One of the things we
have not completed that
they asked me to move up
on the priority list is con-
solidate all our city poli-
cies into a personnel policy
handbook,” he said of a
move that would put pol-
icies that are scattered
into one document. “That
is something we’ve been
working on for a number of
months.”
The review, Stope said,
will be made offi cial in
September.
“I’m very happy with
him,” Dutto said. “I think
he is an outstanding asset to
our community.”
Aug. 22 — JUSTIN
PARKER: 2 p.m. funeral,
Lighthouse Pentecostal
Church, Island City.
Aug. 28 — JOYCE
STEVENS: 11 a.m. out-
door funeral, Cove Baptist
Church; 1 p.m. graveside
service, Grandview Ceme-
tery, La Grande; bring your
own chair, face coverings
and social distancing
required.
Aug. 29 — MIKE MAY:
4 p.m. memorial service,
Riverside Park Pavilion, La
Grande; face coverings and
social distancing required.
— Calendar cour-
tesy of Loveland Funeral
Chapel, La Grande
BIRTHS
GRANDE RONDE HOSPITAL
BARTRAM: To Hannah Dawn Clark and Kyle Taylor
Bartram, of La Grande, a daughter, Charlie Ann Bar-
tram, Aug. 12 at 1 a.m.
BLAIR: To Hannah Marissa Blair and Tevin K. Blair,
of La Grande, a daughter, Violet Wednesday Blair, Aug.
6 at 4:55 p.m. Grandparents are Kathy Sargent and Spring
and Darwin Roberts.
FIORITO: To Deven Renee Fiorito and Samuel Rus-
sell Fiorito, of La Grande, a son, Calvary Roy Fiorito,
Aug. 10 at 8:06 a.m. Grandparents are TedRoy McBride,
Kim McBride, Dan Fiorito and Meg Fiorito. Great-grand-
parents are Patricia Thomas, Roy McBride and Marilyn
McBride.
Thank you for
the prayers, cards, flowers and
food you have so kindly
given during our
time of loss.
The Family of
Doug Trice
50
Happy
Anniversary
th
August 5 - 25
thePottersHouseGallery.com
Bob & Delorris Goss
(August 20, 1970)
215 Elm Street La Grande (541) 963-5440
northwestfurnitureandmattress.com
1601 6th Street, La Grande corner of 6th and Penn
Love ~ Lisa, Cheryl & Family