Business AgLife
B
Thursday, November 12, 2020
The Observer & Baker City Herald
Business & Agriculture
Handmade Holidays
HAPPENINGS
Maker’s Market hopes to boost local artists
Group files appeals in Boardman
to Hemingway contested case
LA GRANDE — The Stop B2H Coa-
lition and 26 petitioners filed appeals Nov.
6 on Idaho Power’s site application for the
Boardman to Hemingway transmission line.
The coalition in a press release Tuesday,
Nov. 10, reported the group appealed
directly to the Oregon Energy Facility
Siting Council to highlight more than “130
separate issues of noncompliance with gov-
ernment laws and regulations” concerning
the project to build a 500 kilovolt power line
from Boardman to southwestern Idaho.
The group also requested “the same full
party status granted to Idaho Power and the
removal of limits on specific issues raised
in the state’s contested case proceeding” for
the project, according to the press release.
Stop B2H member and petitioner Kathy
Andrew of La Grande in the press release
cited the “massive negative impact to Ore-
gonians on our environment and wildlife
from the B2H transmission line” as the
reason for the degree and passion of partici-
pation in the contested case proceedings.
According to the release, 14 more indi-
vidual petitioners opposed to the B2H have
standing in the case but did not appeal their
limited party status.
An administrative law judge on Oct. 29
rejected or limited the party status of all
of the 53 original petitioners except Idaho
Power and the DOE. The judge also reduced
the number of issues to 70. Petitioners then
had a week to argue for reinstatement of
denied issues and for full party status. The
group stated they need that to “provide
accountability and oversight in the energy
facility siting process, vital to EFSC’s pur-
pose of protecting Oregon’s environment
and public safety.”
EFSC will make decisions on the appeals
at its Nov. 19-20 meeting remotely over
Zoom.
— The Observer
Family of man killed in mill
accident files lawsuit
KLAMATH FALLS — The family of a
Klamath Falls man who died while working
at the Columbia Forest Products mill has filed
a wrongful death lawsuit.
The mother of Francis “Frankie” Crispin,
Kay Moyette, is suing the mill for nearly
$5.5 million after Crispen fell into a vat of
scalding, corrosive liquid on Nov. 17, 2017,
while repairing an electrical cord. The com-
plaint alleges Columbia failed to install the
proper safety equipment that could have pre-
vented Crispen’s death, The Herald and News
reported.
The family filed the lawsuit last week in
Multnomah County.
An OSHA investigation into his death
completed in May 2018 led to $17,500 in fines
for Columbia after finding safety violations,
including holes in the vat cover and not pro-
viding safer access to the area. Columbia has
since installed improved guardrails around
the vat, according to the OSHA report.
The Associated Press sent an email to the
company seeking comment on the lawsuit.
The complaint states Crispen’s family has
incurred economic losses of almost $3 mil-
lion, including from funeral expenses and
loss of income, and noneconomic losses
totaling $2.5 million.
Crispen was an apprentice electrician and
was on his way to taking the test to become a
journeyman.
— Associated Press
Groups fight to keep gray wolf
protections for most of U.S.
BILLINGS, Mont.— Wildlife advocates
and environmental groups have announced
that they are challenging the removal of fed-
eral protections for gray wolves across most
of the U.S.
Two coalitions of groups filed formal
notices over the past several days that they
plan to sue the U.S. Interior Department in
federal court unless protections are restored.
The notices are required as a precursor to
lawsuits brought under the Endangered Spe-
cies Act.
The Trump administration recently final-
ized a decision that ends longstanding federal
safeguards for gray wolves in the Lower 48
states except for a small population of Mex-
ican gray wolves in the Southwest.
The move puts states and tribes in charge
of overseeing the predators and could allow
hunting to resume in Michigan, Minnesota
and Wisconsin.
Gray wolves have recovered from near
extinction in parts of the country with thou-
sands now roaming the northern Rocky
Mountains and western Great Lakes region
and growing numbers of the animals in the
Pacific Northwest. But they remain absent
from much of their historical range and wild-
life advocates have said protections still
are needed. Colorado wildlife officials say
they are planning to reintroduce wolves in
the state in coming years under a voter-ap-
proved ballot initiative.
— Associated Press
By Kaleb Lay
The Observer
LA GRANDE — The hol-
iday season has long been a
staple of American life. With it
comes the comfort of familiar
habits — tree lightings,
parades, religious services,
taking the kids to see Santa —
but perhaps none are so loved
or so lucrative as that most
precious of holiday traditions:
Shopping.
Americans love to shop. For
evidence, look no further than
the U.S. Census Bureau, which
reported retail sales in the
United States surpassed $19
billion in December 2018.
But with the coronavirus
pandemic disrupting brick-
and-mortar shopping and
small-market art scenes, some
are urging shoppers to do their
holiday gift-buying locally this
year.
That’s where Art Center
East’s Handmade Holidays
comes in, the La Grande hol-
iday market featuring local
artisans.
“Artists have taken such
a hit during the pandemic,
from loss of revenue due to
restricted farmers markets and
cancelled art fairs, to loss of
opportunities to earn income
through teaching or exhib-
iting,” said Darcy Dolge,
Art Center East’s executive
director. “When Union County
went into Phase 2, we decided
to go forward with Handmade
Holidays, an important sales
opportunity for working art-
ists in our community.”
Handmade Holidays, a
more than decade-old tradi-
tion at Art Center East, is set
to go forward in spite of the
COVID-19 situation — with
some modifications.
The number of vendors for
this year’s Handmade Hol-
Sabrina Thompson/The Observer, File
Art Center East, La Grande, is hosting its 12th annual Handmade Holidays event Friday and Sat-
urday, Nov. 13-14, 2020, in support of local artists.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Handmade Holidays
WHEN: Friday, Nov. 13, 4-8 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 14, 9 a.m. to
3 p.m.
WHERE: Art Center East, 1006 Penn Ave., La Grande.
COST: Free.
TIP: RSVP at artcentereast.org to reserve a time slot for your visit, as
there will be limited entry due to COVID-19.
idays has been cut by about
30% to allow for better dis-
tancing, and shoppers will be
required to practice proper
social distancing and mask
wearing. No more than 50
people will be allowed into the
event at one time to comply
with the two-week pause Gov.
Kate Brown implemented ear-
lier this week.
“It is going to feel a little
different than previous years,”
said Jennifer Durr, Art Center
East’s program assistant.
“There will be a lot less min-
gling and hanging out, but
we hope that the quality of
goods available will still bring
in shoppers, giving local art-
ists a much needed economic
boost.”
Shoppers can expect to find
an array of hand-crafted goods
for sale, including artwork,
ceramics, jewelry, glass and
wood products, screenprints
and leather creations, all made
by local artists.
Sarah West, communica-
tions outreach coordinator for
Art Center East, estimated
as many as 70% of featured
artists were based in Union
County. All are from Eastern
Oregon.
Handmade Holidays will
take place Friday, Nov. 13,
4-8 p.m. and Saturday, Nov.
14, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Art
Center East, 1006 Penn Ave.,
La Grande. Entry is free.
Those planning to attend
are strongly encouraged to
RSVP at artcentereast.org to
reserve a time slot for their
visit, as the 50-person capacity
limit could lead to lines out-
side the building.
Oregon researchers win
$2 million in specialty
crop block grants
By Sierra Dawn McClain
Capital Press
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftai
The crew at Moonlight Graphics in Joseph looks over some of
primary artist Chuck Barrett’s work. From left are owners Pam
and Chuck Garrett, printer John Jordan and new managers Ali
Garrett and Scott Westrick. The elder Garretts are turning over
operation of their business to daughter Ali and her boyfriend,
Westrick.
Next generation ready
at Moonlight Graphics
By Bill Bradshaw
Wallowa County Chieftain
JOSEPH — A new gener-
ation is taking over the oper-
ation of an old favorite in
Joseph.
Chuck and Pam Garrett
have owned and operated
Moonlight Graphics since
1989. The couple is retiring
and turning over day-to-day
operations to their Wal-
lowa County born-and-bred
daughter, Ali Garrett, and her
boyfriend, Scott Westrick.
“We’re going to do a little
traveling and some projects at
home,” Pam said.
But Chuck and Pam won’t
be totally absent.
“We’ll retain ownership, at
least for the first year, and turn
it over to Ali to run,” Chuck
said. “We’re going to help part
time over the next year.”
“I’m not,” Pam quickly said
in jest. “Well, yeah, I’ll help.
We’ve got to train them.”
The shop primarily pro-
duces silkscreen artwork to go
on T-shirts.
“Basically, it’s just on tex-
tiles,” Chuck said. “I also do
web design, but I don’t know
if they’re going to go in that
direction or not.”
Ali is well trained to
follow in her father’s artistic
footsteps.
“I’m going to be doing
mainly the artwork,” she said.
“I went to art school, and my
dad has been teaching me all
about the process. We’re all
going to be doing the retail
end of the storefront.”
At present, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, the
store is open by appointment
only, which probably will con-
tinue until at least the first of
the year.
Scott, who will be working
largely behind the scenes
doing the bookkeeping and
logistics, said he hopes to see
that change soon.
“We hope to have the front
open at least a couple days a
week in the new year,” he said.
Chuck agreed.
“We hope to be back open
See, Graphics/Page 6B
SALEM. — USDA this
month awarded Oregon
nearly $2 million in funding
through the Specialty Crop
Block Grant Program, which
will fund 14 innovative proj-
ects statewide.
Experts say the grants
could make Oregon’s fruits,
vegetables, tree nuts and
nursery industries more
competitive.
This year’s projects
include fascinating research,
educational opportuni-
ties and marketing cam-
paigns, according to Oregon
Department of Agriculture
Director Alexis Taylor.
“Oregon has a long his-
tory of creative and innova-
tive Specialty Crop Block
Grant projects and this year
is no exception,” Taylor said
in a statement.
Over the past nine years,
according to grant program
coordinator Gabrielle Red-
head, Oregon has received
about $18 million, which has
fueled nearly 200 projects.
This year’s awardees include
nonprofits, for-profits, gov-
ernment bodies, colleges
and universities.
ODA itself snagged
$124,214 for a project
intended to increase
industry awareness and
compliance with regulations
related to seed production,
sale and export. ODA and
partners will develop educa-
tional materials about seed
laws, record-keeping and
labeling to help growers.
ODA also received
$103,112 for a project that
is supposed to connect spe-
cialty crop growers with at
least 250 small- to medi-
um-sized food companies
that buy Oregon specialty
crops.
Friends of Zenger Farms,
a not-for-profit urban farm,
received $166,073 to expand
Oregon’s CSA market with a
special focus on connecting
CSA farmers with low-in-
come consumers.
The Gorge Grown Food
Network will use $66,000 to
increase marketing and dis-
tribution of specialty crops
in five counties and on the
Warm Springs Reservation.
With its $95,566 award,
Growing Gardens, a non-
profit, will expand gar-
dening opportunities for
adult and juvenile inmates at
16 Oregon correctional insti-
tutions. The program was
designed to provide inmates
with healthful food and job
credentials to help them suc-
ceed when they re-enter
society.
The Oregon Blueberry
Commission received
$175,000, which it plans
to use to promote Oregon
blueberries in Vietnam,
the Philippines and Singa-
pore. Experts say Vietnam
especially stands poised to
become the Oregon blue-
berry industry’s largest
Asian customer.
Oregon Farm to School
and School Garden Network
will use $92,043 to help pro-
ducers interested in selling
produce to schools and to
expand an online, search-
able directory so schools
can easily find fruit and veg-
etable producers to work
with.
With $175,000, Oregon
Processed Vegetable Com-
mission will develop better
crop production practices
See, Grants/Page 6B