TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2020
HALLOWEEN
Continued from Page 1A
encourages people to think
through how they will cel-
ebrate and consider how to
keep virus spread low in the
community.
“If we are going to par-
ticipate in high-risk activi-
ties, then we really need to
take precautions seriously,”
Brogoitti said. “Maybe think
about creating a new tradi-
tion and fi nding a new way
to celebrate, in a safe way,
that you might really love.”
Some people are plan-
ning on trick-or-treating or
passing out candy, but with
COVID-19 safe alternatives.
Elgin resident Tiffany Rose
is putting a table in her yard
with candy bags and hand
sanitizer available.
“I will make sure to have
clean hands and a wear a
face mask while I’m putting
bags together,” Rose said.
“It may sound like overkill.
But I want our neighborhood
kiddos to have something to
enjoy.”
Another Elgin resident,
Dellyne Trumbull, is doing a
candy stick graveyard, dec-
orating her front lawn with
bagged candy on sticks.
“So the families feel safer
with less interaction, and
the kids still get to enjoy
their trick-or-treating time,”
Trumbull said.
The La Grande Main
Street Downtown can-
celed its annual Halloween
party. However, the organi-
zation is holding its annual
Halloween costume con-
test online and will provide
more details on its social
media platforms. And the
La Grande Parks and Rec-
reation Department, mean-
while, is holding with a
drive-thru trick-or-treating
event 4-6 p.m. on Halloween
at Riverside Park.
In addition, some busi-
nesses in Union County are
determined to fi nd safe ways
THE OBSERVER — 5A
to celebrate Halloween.
The local chapter of
the Oregon Subaru Club
is hosting a trunk-or-treat
event outside of Kehr Chi-
ropractic, 1802 Fourth St.,
Suite A, La Grande. Alex
Kehr, son of Jason Kehr,
who owns the business, is
a member of the group and
said the Subaru enthusiasts
had planned to participate
in the downtown festivities.
With that event canceled,
Kehr said the group decided
to hold the trunk-or-treat to
give children a chance to
celebrate Halloween.
“I thought it could be a
cool idea,” he said, but did
not comment on how the
event will protect against
spreading coronavirus.
Several parents are plan-
ning on taking their chil-
dren trick-or-treating door
to door. Elgin resident Valyn
Phelps said she is taking
her two children, who are 5
and 2, trick-or-treating and
passing out candy as she tra-
ditionally has.
“I do think it will be
different,” Phelps said. “I
believe that some people
will not participate due to
COVID, due to them being
at high risk, or just not
wanting to get sick. But as
far as us taking our kids
around, it all depends on
how others participate as
well. We will respect others’
wishes as to how they want
or don’t want to hand out
candy.”
Oregon Health Authority
recommends if you are
gathering for a Halloween
party, keep the guest list
below 10 people and avoid
spending a long time with
members outside of your
household. OHA also rec-
ommends if you are partici-
pating in festivities to main-
tain social distancing and
warned that Halloween cos-
tume masks do not provide
adequate protection from
spreading or contacting the
virus.
DEQ fi nes Joseph over wastewater treatment plant
By Bill Bradhsaw
Wallowa County Chieftain
JOSEPH — The city of
Joseph is one of 35 jurisdic-
tions or companies fi ned for
alleged violations of state
Department of Environ-
mental Quality standards,
according to a press release
Thursday, Oct. 22.
The city has been fi ned
$2,250 for violations con-
nected with its wastewater
treatment plant.
City Administrator Larry
Braden said Thursday the
fi ne is mainly because the
city, in its effort to come
up with a new facilities
plan, ran into issues with
property acquisition and
was unable to fi nd another
20-acre parcel of land for a
settling pond as required by
the DEQ.
“We kind of got up
against a brick wall,”
Braden said. “We couldn’t
fi nd a 20-acre plot anyone
would sell.”
He said that forced the
city to rework its master
plan for sewage treatment
and thus missed a DEQ
deadline, leading to the fi ne.
Braden said given the
DEQ’s intention to “exercise
reasonable enforcement dis-
cretion” in light of hardships
caused by the COVID-19
pandemic, the department
will likely look upon the
fi ne as paid in-kind with the
approximately $3 million
the city will spend on its
new sewage treatment plant,
set to be online in 2023.
“We’re not in violation
currently,” Braden said.
“We’re compliant.”
He also said that the
DEQ is getting more restric-
tive on older treatment
plants, such as Joseph’s,
which is more than 20 years
old. He said the new master
plan for sewage treatment
also will eliminate dis-
charging treated effl uent
into nearby streams.
Blue Mountain Wildlife/Contributed Photo
This x-ray of a dead Cooper’s hawk from Haines shows
the path a projectile took through the bird, which died.
Blue Mountain Wildlife, Pendleton, reported receiving this
hawk and two red-tailed hawks the week of Oct. 19 that all
suffered gunshot wounds.
Wildlife center recieves
3 hawks with gunshots
The Observer
PENDLETON — Blue
Mountain Wildlife, the wild-
life rehabilitation center
near Pendleton, reported
receiving three hawks for
gunshot wounds the week
of Oct. 19., including a dead
Cooper’s hawk from Haines.
State and federal laws
protect raptors and other
native birds that are not
game fowl. The Cooper’s
hawk had fractures of the
right humerus and scapula,
according to Lynn Tomp-
kins, Blue Mountain Wild-
life’s executive director.
“We suspected the cause
was gunshot, but there were
no metal fragments vis-
ible on an x-ray,” Tomp-
kins wrote, “and we found
only one wound on the right
shoulder”
A necropsy confi rmed
the hawk was shot — likely
with non-lead ammunition,
which does not fragment
like lead. There was a small
entrance wound on the left
side of the back, according
to the report, and the wound
channel went under the
spine, through the right
scapula and humerus and
exited at the shoulder.
The second was a red-
tailed hawk from Wapato,
Washington, that suffered
multiple fractures. An x-ray
revealed six shotgun pellets
inside the bird.
“When the accompa-
nying damage in the right
wrist, elbow and hip were
considered,” according to
the update, “euthanasia was
the most humane option.”
The third bird was a red-
tailed hawk from Eltopia,
Washington. X-rays showed
14 pellets or pellet fragments
inside the hawk, which is
undergoing treatment for
multiple fractures, including
in the left wing. The hawks
also appears to be blind in
his left eye and may have
suffered hearing damage.
The raptor also shows signs
of lead poisoning from
eating prey that had been
shot with lead ammunition.
The fractures in the
wing could heal, Tomkins
reported, but the hawk will
need further evaluation.
Requires a new line and Smartphone postpaid plan, port-in, credit approval, qualifi ed Smartphone purchase and comes via monthly bill credit on a 30-mo. RIC. Taxes, fees, and additional restrictions apply.
Things we want you to know: New consumer or small business (25 lines or less) required. Tax due at sale. A Regulatory Cost Recovery Fee applies; this is not a tax or gov’t-required charge. Additional fees, taxes,
terms, conditions and coverage areas may apply and vary by plan, service and phone. Credit approval required. Offers valid at participating locations only and cannot be combined. See store or uscellular.com for details.
OFFER DETAILS: Purchase an iPhone 12, 12 Pro or 12 Max via 0% APR, $0 down, 30-mo. Retail Installment Contract (RIC) and receive a $829 bill credit divided into 30 monthly credits. Bill credit applied within 3 bill cycles
and ends when balance is paid. Line must remain in good standing with required price plan for entire 30-mo. RIC. In the event of cancellation of Service, customer will be responsible for the entire RIC balance. Kansas
Customers: In areas in which UScellular receives support from the Federal Universal Service Fund, all reasonable requests for service must be met. Unresolved questions concerning services availability can be directed to
the Kansas Corporation Commission Offi ce of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at 1-800-662-0027. Limited time offer. While supplies last. Trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
Offers valid at participating locations only and cannot be combined. See store or uscellular.com for details. ©2020 UScellular