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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 29, 2020)
Rebranding travel ELECT DAVE C omfort In Business The Right Choice! • Honest • Dependable • Working for the People Island City Mayor Follow us on the web THURSDAY • • $1.50 October 29, 2020 Back on campus Elections Greater Idaho idea gets a vote Some LHS students return to class via new program By Dick Mason The Observer LA GRANDE — La Grande High School, for the fi rst time in seven and a half months, periodically has more stu- dents on campus than it does teachers. An increasing number of students now are able to come for on-campus instruc- tion about two hours a day several times a week because of a new program — Lim- ited In-Person Instruction. Through this program, which the La Grande School District also is conducting at La Grande Middle School, a limited number of invited students are allowed to receive on-campus instruction for core subjects including math, science, social studies, career technical education and English. Because of the coronavirus pan- demic, most LHS students though still receive almost all of their instruction from teachers via distance learning due to state rules regulations. La Grande High School social studies teacher John Lamoreau is among those delighted that students are back on campus. “It is good to be able to see students in person,” Lamoreau said. He noted in some cases he is meeting students in person for the fi rst time, ones he had known only virtually before. “I’m seeing freshmen I had never met in person,” Lamoreau said. He said communicating with students in person is a bit trickier than it was before the pandemic hit because everyone now must wear masks. This of course makes it harder to read students’ emotional responses. “I now have to look for sparkle in their eyes to tell if students are smiling,” Lam- oreau said. To protect himself from COVID-19, Lamoreau meets with his students in the school’s audiovisual auditorium because it has much better ventilation than his class- room. Lamoreau said he received permis- sion to do this because at age 69 he is at higher risk of developing complications if he contracts COVID-19. La Grande High’s Spanish teacher Anne March said some of the students she is working with in person are ones who fell behind because they have not adapted well to learning online. “They are relieved to have the chance to come in and catch up,” March said. She noted the LIPI program is pro- viding her with more opportunities to pro- vide small group instruction, which she said students are benefi ting from. March said when teaching Spanish online she focuses on reading and lis- tening skills. However, in person she concentrates on speaking and writing because it is much easier to teach these Measure starts discussion about Oregon counties joining Idaho By Sabrina Thompson The Observer UNION COUNTY — Union County voters can decide whether they want their county commis- sioners to hold public meetings to discuss shifting the Idaho border to encompass most of Oregon and form the new state of Greater Idaho. If voters pass Measure 31-101, according to the ballot measure, the Union County Board of Com- missioners will have to “meet on the second Wednesday, February, June and October to promote the interest of Union County in any negotiations regarding relo- cating the state border of Idaho to include Union County.” Commissioner Donna Bev- erage said the board has not dis- cussed moving the border. How- ever, if the measure passes, the commissioners are committed to holding the meetings. Ross Burkhart, professor of political science at Boise State University, said this is the fi rst step in what is likely to be a long process if approved. “My understanding from reading the U.S. Constitution is it is a lengthy process to change the borders of a state,” Bur- khart said. “All of the legislatures would have to agree to change the border. Oregon, Idaho and Cali- fornia state legislatures and U.S. Congress would have to agree with border changes. Starting the discussion at the county level and getting support there would be part of this lengthy process.” This measure is part of the effort to change the borders to join a portion of Oregon and Cal- ifornia with Idaho. The group, Move Oregon’s Border for a Greater Idaho, reported it would like to join the Republican-ma- jority Idaho because the state better represents the ideas and attitudes of the majority of the residents of Eastern Oregon and Northern California. See, Idaho/Page 5A Good day to our valued subscriber Jacque Lee of Summerville Dick Mason/The Observer La Grande High School social studies teacher John Lamoreau on Wednesday Oct. 28, 2020, writes seating instructions for his students to conform to social distancing rules when they are on campus. He is teaching in the school’s audiovisual auditorium, which provides better ventilation than his classroom. skills face to face. She noted, for example, that teaching writing online is diffi cult because of logistical issues including those that often arise when students send in assignments virtually. “There are roadblocks,” March said. Science teacher Brandon Galvez applauded the new program because he said he understands how diffi cult it is to do course work at home. “When students are isolated it is hard to stay motivated,” Galvez said. “When you are at home you want to relax, not work.” Galvez also noted some students do not have quiet places to study and receive online instruction because of chaotic home environments. La Grande High science teacher Pete Ridder believes many of the students he is seeing in person are leaving with the potential to do much better in his classes because of skills they are gaining. These include one student who was using a time-consuming process to download a science textbook via Google Classroom. Ridder showed the student how he could get the textbook almost instantly by bookmarking it. LHS Principal Brett Baxter said both students and teachers like the the new program. “The kids are excited to be here,” he said. “They are always smiling and teachers are lighting up when kids are in front of them.” La Grande High School has about 690 students and between 60 and 80 of them are on campus on days when the LIPI program is operating, more than double the school’s total of 32 teachers. Baxter said these faculty did not not get into teaching because they wanted to instruct online as they are doing due to COVID-19. “They did not sign up for that. That’s why having the kids here makes it all worth it,” Baxter said. Cliff Bentz discusses wildfi res, housing Candidate for Congress talks about need to ‘unite the country’ By Ronald Bond Wallowa County Chieftain ENTERPRISE — Wild- fi res did not devastate Northeast Oregon this year, but they deci- mated other portions of the 2nd Congressional District, which Cliff Bentz is seeking to repre- sent in the U.S. Congress, most notably the cities of Talent and Phoenix. Bentz, a Republican and former state representative and senator who is running to replace INDEX Business ....... 1B Classified ...... 3B Comics .......... 7B Crossword .... 4B Dear Abby .... 8B Greg Walden, sat down with the Chieftain on Tuesday, Oct. 27, one week before the general elec- tion, to discuss what has hap- pened with fi res in Oregon, and other issues pertinent to area res- idents. Bentz said a key to pro- tecting Oregonians from fi res is letting them know what the risk level is for communities around the state. “The two things that need to happen right now in this space to anybody that is even close to those fi res … is that we’ve gotta do something to tell communities who are at risk that they’re at risk and do a risk assessment of all See, Bentz/Page 5A WEATHER Horoscope .... 4B Lottery........... 2A Nation ........... 9A Northwest..... 8A Obituaries ..... 3A SATURDAY Opinion ......... 4A Spiritual ........ 6A Sudoku ......... 7B Weather ........ 8B World .......... 10A Ronald Bond/Wallowa County Chieftain Republican Cliff Bentz, who is running for Oregon Congressional Dis- trict 2, discussed housing, wildfi res and more during an interview Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020. Full forecast on the back of B section Tonight Friday 35 LOW 59/33 Mainly clear A p.m. shower LA GRANDE MAYOR’S RACE CONTACT US 541-963-3161 Issue 129 2 sections, 26 pages La Grande, Oregon Email story ideas to news@lagrande observer.com. More contact info on Page 4A. Online at lagrandeobserver.com
