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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 2020)
RECORDS AND MORE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2020 COMMUNITY Meetings • UNION — The Union City Council will meet Monday, Oct. 26, at city hall. A work session will begin at 6 p.m. followed by a special meeting at 7 p.m. Topics to be dis- cussed at the work session include the city’s water rates study. A resolution will be dis- cussed at the special meeting. Briefs RSVP by Wednesday for next Cove senior lunch COVE — The Cove senior meal program now is offer- ing takeout lunches on the fi rst and third Tuesday of the month. Due to the coronavi- rus pandemic, meals will be available for pick up in front of Founders Hall instead of being served inside. The lunch will be handed out from noon to 12:30 p.m. Enter the driveway in front of the Ascension Founders Hall on Church Street from the north. The menu for Nov. 3 is spaghetti with meat sauce, peas and carrots, side salad and French bread with choc- olate cake for dessert. There is a $5 charge per meal. Call Imie Bristow at 541-568-4545 by Oct. 28 to order your meal. Information scavenger hunt includes prizes LA GRANDE — “Info Quest: Trick or Treatment” — an information scavenger hunt sponsored by Union County Health Care for All Oregon — begins Monday, Oct. 26. The free activity is for all ages and begins and ends at Cook Memorial Library, La Grande. Pick up an entry form at the library’s front desk, visit the fi ve businesses listed on the form, then return it to the library by Saturday, Oct. 31. Participants will learn facts and win prizes. No purchase is necessary. The library, 2006 Fourth St., is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10- 11 a.m. for older adults and at-risk patrons and 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for all patrons. On Wednesdays, it’s open noon to 7:30 p.m. for all patrons. Free online talk reveals Halloween’s ‘Haunted History’ LA GRANDE — Cook Memorial Library is hosting “Halloween: A Haunted History,” a free online talk by paranormal investigator Dustin Pari, who will shed some light on the spooky shadows of Halloween his- Dustin tory and lore. Pari The one-hour program begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28. Part of SyFy television’s Ghost Hunters and Ghost Hunters International, Pari has trav- eled the world looking for answers and expanding his understanding of the unseen realm. To register, use the link at www.cookmemorial- library.org or call the library at 541-962-1339. The Zoom information will be sent to registered participants prior to the event. Menus Union County Senior Center takeout lunches Pick up 11:30 a.m. to 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. Public is welcome. Inquire about family meals and prepackaged sides. OCT. 26-30 Monday: cabbage roll, cottage cheese, fruit, rolls, dessert. Tuesday: fi sh and chips, baked beans, coleslaw, rolls, dessert, Wednesday: beef, red potatoes, vegetable salad, spinach salad, fruit salad, rolls. Thursday: chicken stir fry with peanut sauce, rice, sal- ad greens, bread, dessert. Friday: sausage and kraut hoagie, potato salad, fruit garnish, Halloween treats. Children’s free takeout breakfast & lunch menu Pick up 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Central, Green- wood or Island City elemen- tary schools, La Grande. Free breakfast and lunch for anyone age 18 and younger. Fresh vegetables, seasonal fruit and 1% milk daily. OCT. 26-27 Monday: BREAKFAST: mini pancakes, apple juice; LUNCH: crispy chicken tenders, whole-grain roll, breakfast potatoes, red peppers. Tuesday: BREAKFAST: oatmeal chocolate chip breakfast bar, canned fruit; LUNCH: corn dog, Califor- nia-blend veggies, coleslaw. Wednesday-Friday: no school, no meals served. THE OBSERVER — 3A 4-H sewing club reaches out to wildfi re victims By Dick Mason The Observer UNION — The works of 11 members of the Stitch Witches 4-H Club are comforting the victims of the devastating fi res in Western Oregon last month. The youths recently fi n- ished sewing and stitching 110 pillowcases for the victims of the fi res. The pillowcases, made from a variety of decorative fabrics donated by com- munity members, were sent to Western Oregon on Monday, Oct. 19. They went to Bear Creek Quilting Company in Leb- anon, which has given them to fi re victims. The youths who helped make the pillowcases included Maylie Eby. “I always love helping others and I knew this was for a good cause. It was very rewarding,” Eby said. Other members of the club who assisted with the pillowcase project were Shelby Burgess, Karly Burgess, Raegan Hanna, Whitley Gunderson, Karlee Patterson, Hannah Zamora, Holden Sipe, Heidi Moran, Jill Moran and Aubrey Bisenius. Eastern Oregon University/Contributed Photo Eastern Oregon University President Tom Insko speaks to students in the Urban-Rural Ambassadors Summer Institute in 2018. Real-life stories, communities made for the stage Sherry Nantz/Contributed Photo Maylie Eby of the Stitch Witches 4-H Club of Union dis- plays one of the pillowcases the club made for Western Oregon fi re victims. Sherry Nantz, Lori Ritter and Roxanne Graves cut out the fabric for the youths. The leaders of the Union County Sewing and Quilting club’s co-leaders are Nantz, Regina Kruse and Quinn Hanna. Joanne Johnson of Bear Creek Quilting Company said she was delighted to receive the pillowcases and they have been distributed to fi re victims. “This is great,” Johnson said. The pillowcases are among 1,400 Bear Creek Quilting Company has received from donors and distributed to fi re victims. Perfection made possible at schools in Wallowa, Joseph Ronald Bond Wallowa County Chieftain WALLOWA — Perfec- tion is starting to become a theme in the Wallowa School District. For the second year in a row, Wallowa had a 100% on-time graduation rate in the latest Adapted At-A- Glance school and district profi les, which the Oregon Department of Educa- tion recently released. The graduation rates are from the 2018-19 year, according to the ODE, though other data on the report is from 2019-20. The ODE report listed the grad rate at “greater than 95%” but Wallowa Superintendent Tammy Jones said the rate was perfect. The rate also was perfect in 2019-20, giving the school a fl awless three- year run. Wallowa wasn’t the only school to have a spot- less on-time rate. Joseph also had a 100% gradu- ation rate, according to Superintendent Lance Homan, in 2018-19 and 2019-20. All three of Wallowa County’s main school dis- tricts, in fact, were well above the state average, which was 80%. Joseph Charter School’s on-time rate increased from 93% to 100%. Enterprise High School’s rate of 90% was also above the state bench- mark, though it was down from the previous year, which was 97%. “That is the highlight — on-time graduation,” Wallowa Superintendent Tammy Jones said. “And I think the other piece … they highlight the on-time graduation for the dif- ferent ethnic groups. We don’t have enough num- bers in most of the areas, but the students that are free and reduced lunch (or) that are in poverty. They are 100%.” Wallowa’s two-year fl awless graduation run followed a year where the graduation rate was 88%, but Jones noted in such a small graduating class one student can drastically impact the numbers. The community size, though, makes it more possible for students to succeed. “Every kid counts, but I think what happens in these small communities … our rates are higher because of our size,” Jones said. “If you have 10 kids or 18 kids, then you know the kids, you know the families and you have a relationship with them.” The teacher retention rate — 86% and 72% for Wallowa Elementary and Wallowa High schools, respectively — also plays an important role, Jones said. “Getting staff to stay, administrators to stay, for a long time is important,” she said. “If we’re looking for how do we improve our culture to ensure all students are learning at high levels, the more we’re together and we can learn and grow as a staff, the better the kids will do.” Joseph’s graduation rate not only was perfect, but JCS reported a high teach- er-retention rate of 95%. Enterprise was at the same level when it came to keeping teachers, with EHS having a retention rate of 95% and the ele- mentary school a touch higher at 96%. PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT WEDNESDAY, OCT. 21 wanted to pursue charges. 9:04 a.m. — La Grande police responded to the 2300 block of Adams Avenue on a report of a person walking in traffi c. Offi cers checked the area but did not fi nd the individual. 10:28 a.m. — A caller report- ed possible animal neglect on the 2000 block of Cove Avenue, La Grande. Dispatch informed the animal enforcement offi cer. 12:01 p.m. — La Grande po- lice responded to the 500 block of Sixth Street and took a report for criminal mistreatment. 1:56 p.m. — A caller reported a dog might be in distress on the 10700 block of Island Avenue, Island City. The animal enforcement offi cer made contact. 4:07 p.m. — La Grande police received a report of a possible sex crime. 8:56 p.m. — A La Grande police offi cer responded to the 1500 block of Adams Avenue and assisted a person experi- encing mental illness. 9:18 p.m. — A La Grande caller reported someone infl ict- ed self-harm. A Union County sheriff’s deputy responded. The subject of the call went to Grande Ronde Hospital, La Grande. 11:44 p.m. — La Grande po- lice responded to the 100 block of Fir Street for neighbors fi ght- ing and playing loud music. The people told the offi cer there was an altercation earlier, but no one THURSDAY, OCT. 22 4:15 a.m. — A caller at Eastern Oregon University, 1 University Blvd., La Grande, reported the theft of a vehicle. A La Grande police offi cer made contact and will follow up. 10:36 a.m. — A La Grande resident reported possible ha- rassment. Police responded and warned a person for stalking. 1:04 p.m. — Law enforce- ment received a report of a gun purchase denial at a business at La Grande Town Center, 2212 Island Ave., La Grande. 8:09 p.m. — A caller reported a disturbance on the 400 block of East Dearborn Street, Union. A deputy responded and sepa- rated the parties involved. 10:18 p.m. — A La Grande caller reported menacing. Law enforcement responded and will follow up. REV Center project seeks to connect urban and rural Oregonians The Observer LA GRANDE — The Rural Engagement and Vitality Center — a pro- gram Eastern Oregon University and Wallowa Resources started in Jan- uary — has embarked on a project to connect rural and urban Oregonians. The REV Center inte- grates community and campus life in multiple ways, including intern- ships and off-campus employment. The center in a press release Monday, Oct. 19, announced it hired two students to assist with a theater project bridging urban and rural communities. “The mission of the REV Center is to connect EOU faculty and students with the regional commu- nity through meaningful projects,” REV Center Program Manager Julie Keniry said in the press release. The REV Center part- nered with Sarah and Jack Greenman, who created the Urban/Rural Theatre Project. Based on a series of statewide interviews, conducted with help from EOU student interns, the project will showcase sim- ilarities and differences between urban and rural Oregonians and their com- munities. The project is a year in, and the inter- viewing process soon will commence. “We think there’s a lot more that connects us than divides us … but there’s a lot that divides us, and it needs to be spoken about and talked about. We believe in the power of telling someone’s ver- batim story as a bridge for authentic commu- nity building,” playwright Sarah Greenman said in the release. The stories, lifted directly from interview transcripts with real Ore- gonians, will be per- formed in a theater-like setting. Greenman said she hopes to show- case what it means to come from a specifi c community. “We are on a mission to unearth various sto- ries from all over the state about how our place in the state informs how we work, how we feel, how we relate — it’s how we build our families, how we run our businesses, and we are hoping to have a much larger conversation statewide about what it means to be in community with each other,” she said. The project will high- light struggles and per- spectives that come with living in rural or urban environments and build a solid foundation for com- munication between the differing communities. The project is set to be completed in two years. OBITUARIES James E. Thompson Cove James E. Thompson, 79, of Cove, died Oct. 23 at his residence. Arrangements are by Loveland Funeral Chapel & Crematory. Walter E. Blackman La Grande Walter E. Blackman, 72, of La Grande, died Oct. 23 at his residence. Arrangements are by Loveland Funeral Chapel & Crematory. Please follow guide- lines regarding face cov- erings and social dis- tancing at all services. Oct. 24 — TER- RENCE HUFFMAN: 2 p.m. graveside service, Summerville Cemetery (casual dress preferred); potluck follows. — Calendar cour- tesy of Loveland Funeral Chapel, La Grande Corrine Dutto For City Council Computer Repair Fast & Reliable Chromebooks (starting @ $ 139) Windows 10 Laptops (starting @ $ 299) Desktops $ 399 • All in Ones $ 499 New gaming towers $ 935 New monitors - 24”/ $ 169 27”/ $ 199 New Printers (starting @ $ 159) TEXT TO REQUEST PHOTOS Dale Bogardus 541-297-5831 www.outstandingcomputerrepair.com To preserve our quality of life • Keep our POOL open for all • Preserve our LIBRARY services • Maintain funding for our POLICE • Provide excellent FIRE/EMS service • Support our LOCAL BUSINESSES Paid for by committee to elect Corrine Dutto
