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THURSDAY
•
• $1.50
October 1, 2020
LG city
councilors
fend off
accusations
GOP website
criticizes three
council members
Good day to our valued subscriber Ryland Hardman of Cove
Back to school
K-3 LG School District
students to be back in
their schools Oct. 5
By Dick Mason
The Observer
By Sabrina Thompson
The Observer
LA GRANDE — La Grande
city councilors Nicole Howard
and Corrine Dutto and Mayor
Steve Clements are defending
themselves against criticism from
what they believe are baseless
accusations from a member of the
Union County Republicans.
Lanny Hildebrandt posted a
rant on the Union County Repub-
licans’ website Sept. 8 accusing
the councilors and mayor of sup-
porting Black Lives Matter,
Antifa, violent riots and looting,
and defunding the La Grande
Police Department. The post was
gone Wednesday morning, Sept.
30, but was republished to the
website within a few hours.
Hildebrandt is an accountant
in La Grande and the treasurer
for the local political action com-
mittee Americans for Liberty. He
did not return messages for com-
ment before deadline Wednesday,
Sept. 30.
Union County Republicans
Chair Laura Eckstein said the
post is an opinion piece because
Hildebrandt published his name
and contact information.
“The post in question was
made by a private citizen, and was
clearly marked as his opinion, not
that of the (Union County Repub-
lican Central Committee). The
UCRCC strongly supports free
speech, questioning candidates
for public offi ce on their views on
important issues, and voting for/
recommending votes for candi-
dates that refl ect or align with our
values, as refl ected in our county
party platform.”
She compared the post to a
letter to the editor, and said Hil-
debrandt posted it because he
has access to the website as the
former party chair.
Hildebrandt in the post claimed
the mayor and councilors would
be in support of the Black Lives
Matter movement, Antifa occupa-
tion and defunding the police.
Dutto said the accusations
made against her and the other
councilors are unfounded.
“(Hildebrandt) is jumping to
conclusions based on my regis-
tration (as a Democrat),” Dutto
said. “The decisions we do get to
See, Attacks/Page 5A
LA GRANDE — The atmosphere at
Island City Elementary School, La Grande,
is ticking up a beat — and for good reason.
Monday, Oct. 5, will be a red-letter
date for all elementary schools in the La
Grande School District, marking the fi rst
time since mid-March, when all of the
district’s schools were closed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, that some students
will be attending classes at their schools.
The school district has met state safety
standards allowing for students in kin-
dergarten through third grade to return to
classes in person. This means K-3 students
no longer have to take classes via distance
learning, which they and the rest of the
students in the district have been doing.
First-year Island City Elementary prin-
cipal Brett Smith said there is a heightened
sense of anticipation in his school.
“There is a buzz in the building, a very
positive one,” Smith said. “There is a
feeling of hope and optimism.”
The principal said teachers are excited,
and he feels good about the students
returning.
“Kids are not meant to be in front of a
computer for hours and hours,” Smith said.
Central Elementary School principal
Suzy Mayes said in an email that her staff
also is delighted students will be returning
soon.
“All of us are excited to welcome our
students back to school. Our staff have
been preparing their classrooms all week
for the day we all have been waiting for,”
Mayes said.
Many precautions will be in effect to
protect children from COVID-19. For
example, all students will stay in their
classrooms throughout the day except
when they go outside for recess.
“It will be a family unit,” Smith said.
Rather than students going to a cafe-
teria for breakfast and lunch, meals will
come to their classrooms. And restrictions
will keep students from certain portions of
Dick Mason/The Observer
Dale Read, a member of Island City Elementary’s custodial staff, sanitizes a surface at the
school Thursday, Sept. 30, 2020. The La Grande School District is preparing for its all its K-3
students to return to classrooms Monday.
“Kids are not meant to be in front of a computer for hours and
hours.”
See, Schools/Page 5A
— Brett Smith, Island City Elementary School principal
Fresh faces seek to lead Island City
Island City has
two candidates
running for mayor
By Sabrina Thompson
The Observer
ISLAND CITY — Island
City residents will vote in a new
mayor in November, and two
candidates are vying for the seat.
Dale Hanson stepped in as
Island City’s interim mayor when
Robb Rea resigned to move
to Parma, Idaho, in August.
Hanson, who previously held the
position until 2019, is not run-
ning for reelection. Margaret
Spence and David Comfort are
looking to fi ll the role instead.
Margaret Spence
Spence lived in Portland
prior to her move to Island City
in 2014. She said her family
came to the area as a way to
give their children a better life.
Since coming into town, Spence
has been involved in the Union
County Fair Board as the fair’s
INDEX
Business ....... 1B
Classified ...... 3B
Comics .......... 7B
Crossword .... 5B
ELECTION INFORMATION
• Voters soon will decide several local races, including those for mayors of
La Grande and Island City. Ballots for the 2020 election will be mailed Oct. 14
and must be returned by 8 p.m. Nov. 3. The voter registration deadline is Oct.
13.
Spence
Comfort
manager and worked in the La
Grande School District as the
Union County Safe Communities
Coalition coordinator.
“It is now time for me to focus
on my city and my neighbor-
hood,” Spence said. “My expe-
rience has given me the oppor-
tunity to get to know Union
County and now I’d like to con-
centrate on making my commu-
nity a better place.”
Spence has leadership expe-
rience through her positions on
numerous nonprofi t boards and
has helped write grants and plan
major events. Her role as the Safe
Communities Coalition coordi-
nator gives her the opportunity to
work with community partners
on several projects that assist res-
idents across Union County with
their needs.
WEATHER
Dear Abby .... 8B
Horoscope .... 5B
Letters ........... 4A
Lottery........... 2A
SATURDAY
Obituaries ..... 3A
Opinion ......... 4A
Spiritual ........ 6A
Sudoku ......... 7B
Spence said she aims to bring
the residents together, foster gov-
ernment transparency and help
clean up the community.
“The advantage of being a
small town is that we have the
opportunity to get to know our
neighbors as a tight-knit commu-
nity,” she said. “Unfortunately,
we don’t always take advantage
of that. I believe we can bring
people together to accomplish
great things. With goals come the
need for resources, and a small
town struggles with revenue
and budget. It will be necessary
to conservatively prioritize and
carefully plan our revenues and
expenditures.”
Spence said she hopes as
mayor her role would provide
new energy and growth in the
community.
Friday
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83/44
Mainly clear
Partly sunny
SEPTEMBER’S COVID CASES
Comfort, a longtime resident
of Union County, came to La
Grande in 1979 with his family.
In 2011, he and his wife built a
home in Island City. Now, Com-
fort said, he wants to help his
neighbors through COVID-19
and beyond the pandemic.
“Being the mayor during these
upside-down times is of para-
mount importance,” Comfort
said. “Coronavirus has touched
all aspects of Island City, and I
believe I can assist the staff and
the community to stay safe and
also productive.”
Comfort joined the Island
City Budget Committee in 2018.
He also is the assistant coach for
La Grande’s American Legion
Baseball program, which he said
See, Mayors/Page 5A
Full forecast on the back of B section
Tonight
David Comfort
CONTACT US
541-963-3161
Issue 117
3 sections, 18 pages
La Grande, Oregon
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