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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 2020)
E XPERIENCED TO L EAD HHHHHHHHHHHHHHH The Rest of the Story In Outdoors Write Me In! For a Safer Future Paid for by committee to elect Bill Miller for Sheriff. Weekend Edition SATURDAY-MONDAY • October 24, 2020 Good day to our valued subscriber Carol Dixon of Island City • $1.50 Oregon issues stricter mask mandates Masks required for all employees and visitors at all workplaces, indoors and outside By Sabrina Thompson The Observer SALEM — The Oregon Health Authority’s latest face covering guidelines require masks, face coverings or face shields in all workplaces, indoor public spaces, outdoor businesses and in out- door public spaces when physical distancing of at least 6 feet is not possible. The OHA issued the stricter mandates Monday, Oct. 19. Carrie Brogoitti, public health adminis- trator for the Center for Human Development, La Grande, said the new guidance refl ects the most recent understanding of transmis- sion and how to best use face cov- erings to reduce the spread of the virus. “Because COVID-19 is new, we continue to learn about how it spreads,” Brogoitti said. “In the absence of a vaccine and reliable treatment, face coverings along with other preventive measures are the best tools we have for lim- iting the spread of COVID-19 in our community.” The newest updates add spe- cifi cs for when people must wear a mask, including at outdoor mar- kets, schools and outdoor facili- ties. The mandate also specifi es that at all workplaces, indoor and outside, employees and visitors must wear a mask except when it is not possible, such as while swimming. The mandate came as Ore- gon’s COVID-19 cases con- tinued to spike, with the OHA on Friday, Oct. 23, reporting 550 new confi rmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, a new one-day record. “Preliminary data show this increase is due to continued wide- spread community transmission resulting in small clusters and out- breaks across the state,” the state health agency reported in a press release. See, Students/Page 5A State Sen. Bill Hansell hopeful Boise Cascade, DEQ can reach resolution to prevent mill’s closure ELGIN — Despite the presence of familiar rumors, Elgin residents received a jolt this week when they learned their town’s 56-year-old Boise Cascade plywood plant soon could close. Boise Cascade announced in a news release Wednesday, Oct. 21, that it may reduce employee hours or close the Elgin plant temporarily beginning Jan. 1, 2021. The Dick Mason/The Observer An employee at the Boise Cascade plywood plant in Elgin operates an excavator Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020. The plant employs 230 people. Boise Cascade earlier this week an- nounced it could reduce employees’ hours or temporari- ly close the plant in January. 1964. It employed 270 people during its initial year, according to Observer archives. VanCleave herself has worked at the plywood plant. She said she worked a graveyard shift for a year. Brad Warren, who grew up in Elgin and now lives in Bend, said he fears if the plywood plant does close in January, it will mark a per- INDEX Classified ...... 2B Comics .......... 5B Crossword .... 3B Dear Abby .... 6B manent end. “I think if they shut down the local plant, it won’t be reopened,” said Warren, who was visiting Elgin on Thursday. Warren said his father worked at the Boise Cas- cade plant for 31 years. He is worried that many people who are employed at the plant now may have to move out of the commu- WEATHER Horoscope .... 3B Letters ........... 4A Lottery........... 2A Nation ........... 8A TUESDAY Obituaries ..... 3A Opinion ......... 4A Outdoors ...... 1B Sports ........... 7A FILM FEST FOLLOW-UP The Observer See, Mill/Page 5A Community voices concern potential changes are due to a lack of logs because of wildfi res as well as an order from the Oregon Department of Environ- mental Quality regarding the use of wastewater at the Elgin facility. The plant employs 230 people. “It could be scary for a little town. I don’t know what is going to happen. A lot of people depend on it,” said Felicity Hicks, 26, who works at Elgin Auto Parts. Hicks, who grew up in Elgin, said there was talk around town that the ply- wood plant would close. “I don’t think people saw it coming this fast,” added Hicks, whose father and grandfather have worked at the plywood plant. Kim VanCleave, the Elgin School District’s food service supervisor, echoed this sentiment. “It is sad. (The plant) is so important to a lot of people,” she said. “Half the town (it seems) have worked there.” Boise Cascade opened its Elgin mill on July 16, By Dick Mason nity to fi nd work. Suzannah Moore- Hemann, executive director of the Union County Chamber of Commerce, also is highly concerned about the announcement of a possible closure. “I was shocked and saddened when I heard about it,” said Moore- Hemann. “Boise Cascade is a great supporter of the community.” She said the impact of the job losses would be compounded by the timing of possible layoffs, which could occur in the heart of the winter season when heating bills are the highest. In years past, a large percentage of the Elgin plant’s employees had school-age sons and daugh- ters, according to Dianne Greif, superintendent of the Elgin School District. “Fifteen to 20 years ago it was at least one third. Today it is much less,” she said. The superintendent Dick Mason/The Observer The Observer More students on-site in Island City ISLAND CITY — To walk on to Island City Ele- mentary School’s campus on Wednesdays is to almost step back back in time seven months to the pre COVID-19 era. The reason: fourth and fi fth graders are back at Island City Elementary, if only for one day a week. This means all of the school’s students now attend school on campus each Wednesday just as they did before mid-March when the COVID-19 pan- demic forced the state to close all school campuses. The restriction remained in effect in the La Grande School District through Oct. 5. At that point, the changing state COVID-19 rules allowed the school district to provide on-site instruction to students in kindergarten through third grade. At Island City, fourth and fi fth graders now can attend school on-site for two hours on Wednes- days because it meets the requirements for the phasing in of a new school district program, providing state COVID-19 restrictions are in place. Island City is the fi rst elementary school in the district to open its campus to fourth- and fi fth-grade students one day a week. The students are sepa- rated into two groups, each cohort attending a two-hour session every Wednesday, either from 8-10 a.m. or from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fifth-grade teacher Darren Hendrickson said it is a delight to be able to teach his students in person again. “It is so great to have them back,” said Hen- drickson, who had had to teach his students exclu- sively online until the new program started about two weeks ago. “It is a lot dif- ferent seeing them in the virtual world instead of the real world.” He said when you can see students in person it helps build relationships, which leads to a better learning environment. “I get more done in two hours (in an on-site session) than I do in two to three days online,” Hendrickson said. He said one of the frus- trating aspects of teaching online is he cannot always see all of his students. Sometimes there are tech- nical issues, and Hen- drickson said some students are shy and avoid being in See, Masks/Page 5A Vapor trails through the air Thursday morning, Oct. 22, at Boise Cascade’s plywood plant in Elgin. The wood products company has announced it could reduce workers’ hours or even close the plant, at least temporarily, in January. By Dick Mason INSIDE In-depth look at latest developments in school sports, Page 7A. Full forecast on the back of B section Tonight Sunday 17 LOW 35/11 Mainly clear Sunlit and cold CONTACT US 541-963-3161 Issue 127 4 sections, 62 pages La Grande, Oregon Email story ideas to news@lagrande observer.com. More contact info on Page 4A. Online at lagrandeobserver.com
