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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 2020)
2A — THE OBSERVER Daily Planner Fear of old epidemic delayed 1928 build Dick Mason TODAY The Observer Today is Tuesday, Oct. 13, the 287th day of 2020. There are 79 days left in the year. LA GRANDE —Unlike today, 92 years ago the res- idents of La Grande were talking about the echoes of a past epidemic. Here is why: Inlow Hall, Eastern Oregon Univer- sity’s first building, is sit- uated over an old pioneer cemetery. In 1928, after excavation work started, a crew uncov- ered skeletal remains of pio- neers. The pioneers were believed to have died in an epidemic that struck the Grande Ronde Valley in the TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT On Oct. 13, 1775, the United States Navy had its origins as the Continental Congress ordered the con- struction of a naval fleet. ON THIS DATE In A.D. 54, Roman Emper- or Claudius I died, poisoned apparently at the behest of his wife, Agrippina. In 1792, the cornerstone of the executive mansion, later known as the White House, was laid by President George Washington during a ceremony in the District of Columbia. In 1932, President Herbert Hoover and Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes laid the cornerstone for the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington. In 1960, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon held the third televised debate of their presidential campaign. In 1972, a Uruguayan chartered flight carrying 45 people crashed in the Andes; survivors resorted to feeding off the remains of some of the dead in order to stay alive until they were rescued more than two months later. In 1974, longtime televi- sion host Ed Sullivan died in New York City at age 73. In 1999, the Senate rejected the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, with 48 senators voting in favor and 51 against. In 2000, South Korean President Kim Dae-jung was named winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2016, Bob Dylan was named winner of the Nobel prize in literature. LOTTERY Megabucks: $2.9 million 1-10-16-30-38-45 Mega Millions: $60 million 5-11-25-27-64—13 x2 Powerball: $62 million 5-18-23-40-50—PB-18 x3 Win for Life: Oct. 10 5-24-49-75 Pick 4: Oct. 11 • 1 p.m.: 0-9-5-4; • 4 p.m.: 3-2-1-1 • 7 p.m.: 7-2-0-8; • 10 p.m.: 3-5-3-3 Pick 4: Oct. 10 • 1 p.m.: 3-4-9-3; • 4 p.m.: 5-6-6-2 • 7 p.m.: 8-5-5-6; • 10 p.m.: 6-0-4-0 Pick 4: Oct. 9 • 1 p.m.: 2-3-9-5; • 4 p.m.: 7-4-3-1 • 7 p.m.: 0-4-5-1; • 10 p.m.: 1-7-9-8 DELIVERY ISSUES? If you have any problems receiving your Observer, please call 541-963-3161. Dick Mason/The Observer Inlow Hall, Eastern Oregon University’s first building, stands over an old pioneer cemetery. East Oregonian UMATILLA COUNTY — State Rep. Greg Smith and state Sen. Bill Hansell are facing some unusual circumstances in their reelec- tion bids — a Democratic challenge. Hansell, who rep- resents Senate Hansell District 29 from his home in Athena, hasn’t faced a Democrat since he was first elected Smith in 2012. This will be Smith’s first gen- eral election opponent since the Heppner busi- ness owner ran for District 57 in 2010. Although Demo- crats are contesting these heavily Republican seats, neither Irrigon contractor Roland Ruhe, who’s run- ning against Smith, nor Joseph retiree Mildred O’Callaghan, Hansell’s opponent, returned requests for comment by the East Oregonian’s dead- line on the afternoon of Oct. 9. While there may not be another cap-and-trade bill, the environment promises to come up again as a per- tinent topic after wildfires across the state displaced thousands of residents and caused air quality to drop to dangerous levels. Hansell said the Leg- islature should review its forest management policy, but he thought state, tribal and private forests were better maintained com- pared to federal forests. He added that the state should 1870s, according to a pre- sentation given on May 15, 2000, by Rebecca Farrester, then a student at Eastern. The type of epidemic is not known but it is known there were outbreaks of diph- theria in the Grande Ronde Valley in the 1870s. The construction workers feared in 1928 they would contract what- ever disease had swept through the valley if they touched the bones of those who had died from it. The men refused to continue working. “They staged a sit-down strike,” Farrester said. The construction workers refused to change their minds. Finally state officials gave in and changed construction plans, eliminating the need for additional excavation work for Inlow Hall, which was completed in 1929. Eastern was initially named Eastern Oregon Normal School. People were first buried in the cemetery Farrester spoke of in the 1860s. The graveyard was La Grande’s lone cemetery until 1878. By 1900 the cemetery was no longer in use. OTEC’s vehicle auction coming up For more information, contact OTEC purchasing manager Todd Nice at 541-524-2844. News Briefs Local woman grows 55-pound squash Sabrina Thompson The Observer LA GRANDE — When Mary McCracken of La Grande went out to harvest her garden Monday, Oct. 12, she got a big surprise. She discov- ered some of the squash she had planted had grown larger than she intended. Much larger. The largest of the plants measures 51 inches long and weighs 55 pounds. She also harvested two more large squashes, a long squash measuring 36 inches and 40 pounds, and a 36-pound round one with a nearly 48-inch circumference. McCracken said she has not decided yet what she will do with the giant vegetables. “I would love to turn it into a fundraiser of some kind, so if anyone has any ideas they should reach out to me,” McCracken said. McCracken planted the jumbo pink banana squashes at her house in the spring along with pep- pers, tomatoes, berries and corn. For McCracken, planting these vegeta- bles and fruit is a form of therapy. She said when COVID-19 regulations required people to stay at home, she had to decide if Sabrina Thompson/The Observer La Grande resident Mary McCracken poses Monday, Oct. 12, 2020, with her 51-inch, 55-pound jumbo pink banana squash, and her second and third largest har- vests of the season. McCracken said she did not intend to grow such large vegetables and hopes to find a way to turn them into a charitable donation. she should spend her time gardening or cleaning the house. “Given the choice, I’ll pick gardening,” she said. Growing the squash so large was not inten- tional, McCracken said. However, she is happy and excited with how big they grew by the time she picked them. She said she likes to grow her own food GOP incumbents discuss challenges, and their plans for next term By Antonio Sierra TuESday, OcTOBER 13, 2020 LOCAL/REGION be focused on working with the federal govern- ment to improve forest management. Hansell compared leg- islating to a football team playing on offense and defense. On the offensive side, Hansell said he plans to work on bills that tackle issues relating to sexual abuse and domestic vio- lence. On defense, Hansell plans to stay vigilant on any bills that may hurt the agriculture industry and work to reverse the Oregon Department of Corrections’ decision to end its contract with Blue Mountain Community College and other com- munity colleges to run its adult education programs. Hansell expressed pride in the bills he passed with bipartisan support and the capital projects he helped bring to his dis- trict, but his optimism was tempered by a legis- lative career spent in the minority. “I’m not at the table where a lot of these deci- sions are made,” he said. Walkouts were the defining moments of some of the two previous ses- sions as GOP legislators left Salem to prevent the passage of a cap-and-trade bill favored by Democrats. Neither Smith nor Hansell anticipated another walkout in 2021, although both admitted they hadn’t anticipated the previous walkouts either. During his 10th term in the Oregon Legisla- ture, Smith received an increased level of scru- tiny from media across the state. Willamette Week said Smith “may be the best compensated lawmaker in Salem,” highlighting con- nections between his day job as an economic devel- opment specialist and the projects he approves as a legislator. The Malheur Enterprise investigated the public contracts he holds through his personal com- pany, including his role as the director of the Malheur County Economic Devel- opment Department Smith said he drew attention to his nonleg- islative work because of his willingness to declare potential conflicts of interest on the House floor. “I don’t know how much more transparent I can be,” he said. Smith said he has a bigger target on his back because of his seniority and his close relationship to House Speaker Tina Kotek and Senate Presi- dent Peter Courtney, who are both Democrats. Smith said he’s able to leverage those relation- ships into projects back in his district, pointing to funding for a new Head Start facility in Boardman. Smith continues to sit on the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, which will be responsible for tackling a budget with a COVID-19-shaped hole in it. While recent budget projections have appeared rosier than expected, Smith said those numbers were inflated by federal stimulus money. He said he anticipates legislators will have to make cuts, reprioritize funding, and even explore new sources of revenue, which could include new taxes. more than buying from the market because she doesn’t totally trust the agriculture industry. She said all of the food she eats is locally sourced, including meat. “I like to know where my food is from, where it has been and what has happened to it,” McCracken said. “Plus it keeps the money in the valley.” BAKER CITY — Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative announced in a press release it has five vehicles for sale in its annual surplus auction at the cooperative’s Baker City headquarters. The five vehicles will be available for viewing Oct. 22 and 23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at OTEC’s head- quarters at 4005 23rd St. (enter through OTEC’s gate on Pocahontas Road). Members also can view the vehicles and download bid sheets at www.otec.coop/ annual-auction. Bid sheets also will be available at the viewing. The cooperative will require social distancing and mask wearing at the viewings. People inter- ested can submit sealed bids at the time of the viewing or drop them in one of OTEC’s secure dropbox locations at each of the four district offices. Bids are due no later than 5 p.m Oct. 26. The cooperative will notify successful bidders no later than 5 p.m. Oct. 27. OTEC will accept only cash, cashier’s check or money order, and payment is due at the time win- ners take possession of the vehicle. All vehicles need to be off OTEC property no later than 5 p.m. Oct. 30. Baker City Council to name finalists for city manager job BAKER CITY — The Baker City Council will announce Tuesday, Oct. 13, the names of finalists to replace the retiring Fred Warner Jr. as city manager. Councilors interviewed five candidates, from an original list of 14 appli- cants, during meetings this Monday and Tuesday. Councilors interviewed two candidates on Monday and three others on Tuesday in Zoom meetings. Mayor Loran Joseph said he expects councilors to invite two to four can- didates to visit Baker City and meet citizens and coun- cilors, including the people who are elected Nov. 3. Six of the seven seats on the Council are on the ballot, and among the 13 candi- dates for those seats are three incumbents. Although the current Council plans to pick the new manager, as few as one of those seven, and as many as four, if all three incum- bents are re-elected, will remain on the Council when it convenes for the first time in January 2021. — EO Media Group Dayville’s almost 100-year- old campus getting a facelift DAYVILLE — Day- ville School is getting upgrades. The new school year brought many projects to improve, renovate and add to the school, thanks to the help of grants and a bond measure passed in 2019. Dayville Superin- tendent Kathryn Hed- rick said some of the work includes a new roof on the main building, ADA access to the main building and across the campus and a seismic upgrade to the gym. “We are so excited and pleased with the upgrades and improvements and are so grateful to the Dayville community for putting its trust in us by passing the bond measure back in May 2019,” Hedrick said. Residents of Dayville in May 2019 approved a $700,000 bond, which received a $700,000 match from the Oregon School Capital Improve- ment Program for $1.4 million in improvements. Hedrick said the school’s roof and awnings are almost finished with some work left for the installation of the new ADA-access sidewalks and entries. An ADA-ac- cessible restroom attached to a modular for the early learning center was installed. She said they are in the middle of the electrical upgrades project in the elementary school. Hedrick said she hopes the bond measure repairs and renovation projects will be completed by Oct. 16 with possible land- scaping done later. Once Blue Mountain Eagle/Contributed Photo Dayville’s school is undergoing some much needed ren- ovations. Dayville Superintendent Kathryn Hedrick said repairs to the school’s roof and awnings are almost fin- ished. finished, the school will begin the seismic upgrade for the gym. A Business Oregon grant of $2 million is covering the cost of the seismic upgrades. The new career technical edu- cation classroom will be a smaller standalone space built alongside the current shop. Hedrick said some of the improvements, such as fixing the drainage for the kitchen or elec- trical upgrades, are not as obvious but will enhance safety. The new lighting improves the learning environment, she said. Hedrick said the board deserves credit for being such prudent stewards and protecting the com- munity’s investment in a nearly 100-year-old campus. She said the school’s maintenance coordinator Lonnie Dickens has been invaluable in his exper- tise with great help from Scott Spencer, the custo- dial assistant. CB Construction has been working on the improvements, and the Dayville School Board recently named CB Con- struction as the general manager/construction manager for the seismic upgrades to the gym.
