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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 2020)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2020 THE OBSERVER — 5A STUDENTS Continued from Page 1A front of a video camera. The educator said during the two-hour Wednesday sessions he never has his students use Chromebooks or computers. Instead, he has them read books, do hands-on activities such as science projects and use paper and pencil. He said he wants to give students a break from the screen because they are on them four days a week while he provides online instruction. Hendrickson said his students appear excited to be back at school. Tory Weimer, also a fi fth-grade teacher at Island City, sec- onds this observation, noting some in his morning session have said they want to stay on for the afternoon period. “They enjoy socializing and learning,” Weimer said. He surmised that many probably have not been in such a big group of their peers since last spring because of COVID-19. Weimer, like Hen- drickson, said it is a delight to see many of his stu- dents in person for the fi rst Baker County Sheriff’s Offi ce/Contributed Photo The Baker County Sheriff’s Offi ce seized 11 horses Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020, from a property near Richland. Herd of neglected horses rescued Dick Mason/The Observer Island City Elementary fi fth-grade teacher Darren Hendrickson leads the fi rst cohort of the students in his class to the front of their school Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020, to meet their parents for pick up following the conclusion of their morning session. time, noting that computers screen out something vital. “They do not let their personalities come through,” Weimer said. The fi fth-grade teacher said it is easier to teach his students in person because it allows him to more quickly identify students who need extra attention. He said if a student asks for extra help virtually it can be effectively pro- vided, but sometimes chil- dren who need help during distance learning do not ask for it because they do not realize they need it. This is less of a problem MILL Continued from Page 1A said if the plywood plant closes, the school district will do everything it can to support the students’ fam- ilies affected by the shut- down, including taking steps to make sure the fam- ilies receive all the govern- ment and community ser- vices available to them. The educator said she would work closely with Union County CARE Coordinator Sherlyn Roberts, whom Greif credits with having a remarkable knowledge of how to access services for families who need to assistance. Greif, who grew up in Elgin, said rumors that the plywood plant was closing have circulated for years. “It seems like for- ever that people have been saying it would be shut down,” she said. Kathy Rysdam, who works at Elgin Electric, said such rumors have come and gone, and they always turned out to be false. “I hope we survive this time also,” Rysdam said, adding that she is “opti- mistic that they can all sit down and work something out to keep it open.” Saving the plywood plant would boost not only Elgin but all of Union County, according to Elgin Mayor Allan Duffy, who noted the MASKS Continued from Page 1A Union County added one new case Friday, bringing its total to 465 just a day after reporting six new cases. (For more on that, see page 2A.) The OHA’s Friday report announced COVID-19 claimed three more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 649. “We all need to aggres- sively adhere to the face covering guidance and always wear a mask,” OHA senior health adviser Dr. Shimi Sharief said in the press release. “We know everyone is tired and we all wish this would go away, but the reality is this disease is spreading in Oregon and it’s on all of us to protect ourselves and each other.” The new guidelines also state a face shield alone is not suffi cient protection and should not be used as a sub- stitute for a mask in most instances. “It is recommended that wearing a face shield alone be limited to situa- tions when wearing a mask or face covering is not fea- sible, such as when a person has a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask or face cov- ering, when people need to see mouth and tongue motions in order to commu- nicate (e.g., for communi- Dick Mason/The Observer The Boise Cascade plywood plant in Elgin, which opened in 1964, may close Jan. 1, 2021, at least temporarily. Boise Cascade employees live throughout the Grande Ronde Valley. “A closure would have an impact all over the county,” Duffy said. “It is not just an Elgin issue — it is a coun- ty-wide issue.” Duffy said he is working with state Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, and state Rep. Greg Barreto, R-Cove, in the effort to prevent the mill shutdown. He said he hopes they can assist in resolving the DEQ issue. “Boise Cascade is a major employer,” Duffy said. “Everybody is con- cerned about the jobs (that could be lost).” The mayor said Boise Cascade is a company that has a history of reaching out to the community. “It is a great community partner,” he said. Much of the problem the Elgin plant faces is con- nected to an order from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality regarding the use of waste- water in the Elgin facility. Boise Cascade fi led a law- suit in August over the issue. It did so after the DEQ told Boise Cascade to limit its water use in Elgin due to the presence of dioxins, which are toxic chemical compounds that are harmful to health. Hansell said the water in question is from runoffs and is used to sprinkle logs to prevent them from cracking. He said dioxins are nat- urally occurring and the levels increase when there are fi res. Hansell said fi res in the Elgin area in recent years may be why dioxin levels are up in the water. The DEQ granted a permit in 2018 for use of cating with children in cer- tain developmental stages or people with hearing impairments) and when an individual is speaking to an audience for a short period of time and clear communi- cation is otherwise not pos- sible,” according to the six- page guidance. Tim Heider, public information offi cer for the Oregon Health Authority, said the most recent man- date does not specifi cally address mask wearing in a private living setting or while outside and not close to other people. However, the mandate does state masks should be worn out- doors when 6 feet of dis- tance cannot be maintained. “All persons when vis- iting a business, an indoor or outdoor space open to the public or a public or pri- vate workplace are required to wear a mask, face cov- ering or face shield,” the mandate states. All previous guidelines for wearing masks still apply. Union County Chamber of Commerce Director Suzannah Moore-Hemann said local businesses are encouraged to follow the new mandates to ensure businesses stay open, but the chamber understands the frustration of added rules. “Our local busi- nesses have been working extremely hard to do what they can to remain open,” Moore-Hemann said. “We recognize and empathize how frustrating guidelines can be; however, we also continue to promote taking all precautions so our county can stay open. The worst case for the sustain- ability of our business envi- ronment would be having another shutdown.” She said the chamber is serving as representa- tion on regional and state economic recovery efforts, including advocating for guidelines for increased capacities, especially as the weather is shifting to no longer be suitable for out- door accommodation. “We, along with so many, are ready to get ‘back to normal’ where we make sure we have ‘keys and wallet’ when we leave our houses, not ‘keys, wallet and mask’ in order to go anywhere — but, in order to do our part to support our local businesses, keeping masks on helps keep our businesses open,” she said. For now, anyone older than 5 is required to wear a mask when going into a public space or private business. Exceptions for wearing a face covering include while eating or drinking and when a person needs to verify identity such as at a bank or air- port, where a mask can be removed for a short period of time. when students are learning on-site. Scott Carpenter, the La Grande School District’s director of educational pro- grams, said beginning Nov. 4, the district plans to have the fourth- and fi fth-grade program in place at all its elementary schools. water at the Elgin plant. Boise Cascade spokesperson Lisa Chapman said there is no evidence that use of the water, as the permit allows, has caused or contributed to an environmental or human health hazard. She said sam- ples from the water contain low levels of dioxins. Boise Cascade and the DEQ are now in negotia- tions to resolve this issue. Hansell said Barreto “has been a key player” in helping conduct the negoti- ations, and representatives from both parties have said negotiations are going well. “I’m actually fairly optimistic,” Hansell said, regarding the two sides reaching a resolution. By Chris Collins Baker City Herald BAKER CITY — The Baker County Sheriff’s Offi ce is investigating a report of animal neglect involving 11 horses on private property about 3 miles west of Richland. Offi cers executed a search warrant at 41577 Dry Gulch Road about 7 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020, and seized the 11 horses, which were moved to temporary placements, a sheriff’s offi ce Facebook post stated. The property is owned by Charles Pickett, according to county records. No arrests have been made. Ashley McClay, sher- iff’s offi ce spokeswoman, La GRANDE AUTO REPAIR 975-2000 www.lagrandeautorepair.com MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE Joe Horst said Wednesday she could not confi rm who the horses belong to, who was supposed to be caring for them or other details because the investigation is ongoing. The sheriff’s offi ce began seeking foster placements for the horses Tuesday and by Wednesday had found temporary homes for all 11 horses, McClay said. She expressed appre- ciation to those who vol- unteered to help with the animals. Johnson Family Fruits Pumpkin Patch Thousands of pumpkins to choose from! Highway 82 - 4 mi. North of Imbler (Follow Signs) Great family fun! ACDelcoTSS Open 8am - 6pm VOTE FOR EXPERIENCE & A SAFER FUTURE INTEGRITY • TRANSPARENCY • HARD WORK EXPERIENCED • VETERAN • PRO 2ND AMENDMENT Freedom, Liberty, Justice...Bill Miller Cares!! 2020 UNION Candidate Name COUNTY DPSST SHERIFF Number CANDIDATE Military Service QUALIFICATIONS CHART College Degree William L. Miller Cody M. Bowen 37647 50531 USAF None EOU-BS None OREGON DPSST CRIMINAL JUSTICE CERTIFICATIONS Police Officer YES YES Basic Police Officer YES NO Intermediate Police Officer YES NO Advanced Police Officer YES NO Supervisory Corrections YES NO Officer-Basic Parole & Probation YES NO Officer-Basic Total DPSST 1,237.50 Training Hours 2,429.80 To view complete training records go to Oregon Criminal Justice Information Records Inquiry System (CJIRIS) http://www.oregon.gov/dpsst/sc/pages/iris.aspx Look me up on Facebook: Bill Miller For Union County Sheriff Email me: billmillerforucsheriff@gmail.com Paid for by Committee to elect Bill Miller, Sheriff. Jared Rogers - Treasurer, 73001 Palmer Junction Rd., Elgin, OR 978827
