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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