2A — THE OBSERVER
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2020
LOCAL/REGION
DAILY Annual Veterans Day meal adapts to pandemic
PLANNER
By Dick Mason
The Observer
TODAY
Today is Tuesday, Nov. 17,
the 322nd day of 2020. There
are 44 days left in the year.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT IN
HISTORY
On Nov. 17, 1800, Con-
gress held its fi rst session in
the partially completed U.S.
Capitol building.
ON THIS DATE
In 1558, Elizabeth I
acceded to the English
throne upon the death of
her half-sister, Queen Mary,
beginning a 44-year reign.
In 1869, the Suez Canal
opened in Egypt.
In 1889, the Union Pacifi c
Railroad Co. began direct,
daily railroad service be-
tween Chicago and Portland,
Oregon, as well as Chicago
and San Francisco.
In 1917, French sculptor
Auguste Rodin died in
Meudon at age 77.
In 1970, the Soviet Union
landed an unmanned,
remote-controlled vehicle on
the moon, the Lunokhod 1.
In 1973, President Richard
Nixon told Associated Press
editors: “People have got to
know whether or not their
president is a crook. Well,
I’m not a crook.”
In 1979, Iran’s Ayatollah
Khomeini ordered the
release of 13 Black and/or
female American hostages
being held in Tehran.
In 1997, 62 people were
killed when militants opened
fi re at a temple in Luxor,
Egypt; the attackers were
killed by police.
In 2003, Arnold
Schwarzenegger was sworn
in as the 38th governor of
California.
LOTTERY
Megabucks: $4.4 million
19-22-25-26-28-41
Mega Millions: $165 million
6-7-14-28-59—7 x2
Powerball: $168 million
7-15-18-32-45—PB-20 x2
Win for Life: Nov. 14
12-22-51-56
Pick 4: Nov. 15
• 1 p.m.: 0-0-8-5; • 4 p.m.: 0-7-9-8;
• 7 p.m.: 9-2-6-0; • 10 p.m.: 9-6-3-5
Pick 4: Nov. 14
• 1 p.m.: 5-3-5-5; • 4 p.m.: 8-6-1-7;
• 7 p.m.: 4-6-5-2; • 10 p.m.: 1-8-1-5
Pick 4: Nov. 13
• 1 p.m.: 0-9-2-4; • 4 p.m.: 3-2-8-8;
• 7 p.m.: 0-6-5-2; • 10 p.m.: 2-9-4-0
DELIVERY ISSUES?
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LA GRANDE — A
cherished local military
tradition did a temporary
about-face on Wednesday,
Nov. 11.
The COVID-19 pan-
demic led to the cancel-
lation of the annual La
Grande Veterans Day
parade. Nevertheless, the
parade’s spirit remained
alive thanks to American
Legion Auxiliary Unit 43 of
La Grande.
The auxiliary, which has
132 members, all women,
served spaghetti lunches
to veterans and the public
at the site of the Amer-
ican Legion Hall, 301 Fir
St., for at least the fi fth
straight year on Wednesday.
The auxiliary added to its
growing tradition with a
twist — serving the meals
in takeout boxes in the
parking lot of the Amer-
ican Legion Hall, another
move to meet requirements
to help stop the spread of
the virus.
The auxiliary gave out
about 80 lunches, which
featured a large helping
of spaghetti and included
garlic bread and cookies.
“Everything was home-
made,” said Maggie
LaMont, American Legion
Dick Mason/The Observer
Misty Dean, right, and Catie Johnson, members of American Legion Auxiliary Unit 43 of
La Grande, prepare takeout spaghetti lunches for veterans and the public on Veterans
Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020.
Auxiliary Unit 43 president.
Kathi Karnowski, mem-
bership chair of the unit,
said serving the meal was
a way of keeping the Vet-
erans Day parade, which
had been conducted annu-
ally for many decades, on
the forefront of people’s
minds.
“We were trying to keep
it alive for next year,” she
said.
The meals were again
free to all veterans and
members of the auxiliary.
For everyone else the cost
was $5 per meal.
The auxiliary began
serving the post-parade
lunches about fi ve years
ago. Prior to that, the meals
were cooked and prepared
under the direction of
American Legion Post 43
with help from its auxiliary.
“We took over for them
because we wanted them to
enjoy Veterans Day instead
of having to work,” Kar-
nowski said.
She said the members
of the La Grande auxiliary
have developed a remark-
able camaraderie through
projects such as the spa-
ghetti feed.
“We have become like
sisters,” she said.
Karnowski said she
would not have known
three-fourths of them if she
was not in the auxiliary.
“Our paths would not
have crossed,” she said.
The path Unit 43 has cut
in Union County runs deep,
for it was granted its charter
in 1923.
Karnowski said being
able to provide grab-and-go
meals to veterans was ful-
fi lling Wednesday, but she
liked it better when the
lunches were served and
shared in the Legion Hall.
The auxiliary member
explained she enjoyed get-
ting more of an opportunity
to talk to the veterans there.
She added that dining at
the Legion Hall gives vet-
erans — especially those
who have no family mem-
bers here — a time and
place to tell stories and
share their histories with
others.
Still, she said Wednes-
day’s event was one to
cherish.
“Everybody did a good
job,” she said, “and it was
such a fun event.”
Train whistle triggered wild celebration at end of WWI
By Dick Mason
The Observer
LA GRANDE — Train
whistles are rarely heard
today in La Grande after its
state-approved quiet zone
took effect Dec. 27, 2019.
The relative sounds
of silence at La Grande’s
Union Pacifi c Railroad
depot today are a stark
contrast to the evening
of Nov. 11, 1918. That is
when train operators at La
Grande’s depot led what
was undoubtedly one of
the loudest celebrations in
this community’s history
— triggered by the signing
of the Armistice, ending
World War I.
The celebration started
at 7 p.m., 16 hours after
the Armistice became offi -
cial. Up until that point,
things had been quiet as
word spread of the peace
agreement.
“When news fi rst
trickled over the wires it
may have been surprising
to some that there was no
wild outburst. There was
just a great big thankful
spirit of rejoicing born
which grew and grew and
grew and throbbed in the
thankful tidings of the
atmosphere during the day
as the tidal wave spread
from person to person,” a
story in the Nov. 12, 1918,
Observer stated.
A little past 7 p.m., this
pent-up exuberance was
released in La Grande’s
freight yard as a locomo-
tive whistle started the cel-
ebration. Another locomo-
tive whistle sounded and
then many others. Suddenly
the town was “in a fervor of
excitement,” according to
The Observer article.
Soon the streets
were fi lled with people,
including those from
nearby communities and
the “evening was given
up in unpremeditated
rejoicing.” The magni-
tude of the celebration was
uncommon.
“Probably no such other
joyous festival will ever
be witnessed … until our
boys have landed safe at
home again,” The Observer
stated.
It was not known who
to give credit for the
celebration.
“That is rather immate-
rial, but at any rate the whis-
tles have blown and the way
cleared for the celebration
as a result of the enterprise
and a number of patriotic
and foremost citizens,” The
Observer reported.
At least 15 million
people lost their lives in
World War I, including
more than 110,000
Americans.
And at least 15 offi -
cers and enlisted men from
Union County died while
serving in the Armed
Forces during World War I,
according information from
the website geneologytrails.
com. This total was 17 for
Wallowa County and 34 in
Baker County.
The celebration of the
end of the war was damp-
ened only by the remem-
brance of the men who
wouldn’t be coming home.
Electric car chargers popping
up around Wallowa County
By Katy Nesbitt
For the Wallowa County Chieftain
Elgin Rural Fire Protection District/Contributed Photo
Flames burst from the windows of a vacant home Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020, that burned
outside Elgin.
Elgin house fi re under investigation
Authorities working
to determine cause
By Kaleb Lay
The Observer
ELGIN — A fi re Sat-
urday, Nov. 14, burned
through a vacant struc-
ture off Highway 82 out-
side Elgin. The blaze drew
resources from Elgin,
Imbler and Island City’s
rural fi re departments.
Kevin Silvernail, chief
of the Elgin Rural Fire
Department, confi rmed no
one was inside and there
were no injuries.
“We put it out,” Sil-
vernail said. “We had it
knocked down within about
a half an hour (and) we
had about two-and-a-half
hours of mopping up and
investigating.”
The Elgin Rural Fire
Protection received the
call of the fi re at 9:35 a.m.
Saturday and responded
shortly thereafter. More
than a dozen fi refi ghters,
three fi re engines and
three water tenders were
deployed to the scene.
Silvernail said law
enforcement had character-
ized the circumstances sur-
rounding the fi re as “suspi-
cious,” but the cause proved
to be undeterminable, as the
damage from the fi re left
little evidence.
The Union County Sher-
iff’s Offi ce reported a
deputy is investigating the
fi re alongside the Oregon
State Police Arson Unit,
but the sheriff’s offi ce did
not characterize the case or
comment further.
ENTERPRISE — Elec-
tric vehicle chargers are
popping up around Wal-
lowa County making it
easier to own a zero emis-
sion, low-energy and low
cost car in rural Eastern
Oregon.
Matt King, Renewable
Energy Program Man-
ager at Community Solu-
tions, Inc., said new elec-
tric vehicle chargers were
paid for through grants and
most are available to the
public.
Pacifi c Power grants
for electric vehicle proj-
ects are to non-residen-
tial customers, like Wal-
lowa Resources and its
subsidiary, Community
Solutions.
In Oregon funding
awards can cover up to
100% of the eligible costs
of studying, planning, pro-
moting or deploying elec-
tric transportation tech-
nology and projects.
“Wallowa Resources/
CSI managed the electric
vehicle grant that funded
70% of the cost of those
chargers,” King said.
Katy Nesbitt/For the Wallowa
County Chieftain
Electric vehicle chargers
are popping up all over
Wallowa County, such as
this one in front of the
Doug McDaniels Stew-
ardship Center in Enter-
prise.
Chargers funded, in
part, by Pacifi c Power are
at Mt. View Motel and RV
Park, Five Peaks RV Park,
the Bronze Antler Bed
and Breakfast in Joseph,
Wallowa Lake State Park
and Park by the River in
the Wallowa Lake village
and Wallowa Resources
and Enterprise Electric in
Enterprise.
Forth Mobility Fund
of Portland funded work-
place chargers at Moon-
shine Glass and Wallowa
County Fairgrounds Clo-
verleaf Hall.
The Fund’s philan-
thropic mission is to
demonstrate how electric
vehicles and other smart
transportation choices can
improve environmental
quality and strengthen the
economy.
King said the city of
Joseph is considering
installing a charger at the
city lot on the Imnaha
Highway.
“I think we now have
more chargers than elec-
tric vehicles in the county,”
King said.
Electric vehicle char-
gers benefi t visitors, as
well, who may travel hun-
dreds of miles and want
the security of a map of
available outlets.
“We can tell people,
‘Come visit Wallowa
County with your elec-
tric car — we are open
for business,’” King said.
“While your car charges
at Enterprise Electric, you
can have a beer at Ter-
minal Gravity.”
DOC accepts less-than-ideal off er from community colleges
By Antonio Sierra
East Oregonian
SALEM — Blue Moun-
tain Community College,
Pendleton, and several other
community colleges seem-
ingly saved their prison
education programs from
the chopping block. But
it could come at a steep
expense.
On Thursday, Nov. 12,
the Oregon Department of
Corrections sent out word
to stakeholders that it was
accepting an offer from the
Oregon Community Col-
leges Association to retain
contracted adult education
services within the state
prison system.
But BMCC President
Dennis Bailey-Fougnier said
the deal still would result
in cuts at Blue Mountain’s
Corrections Education pro-
gram, which offers GED
classes and other adult edu-
cation courses at Eastern
Oregon Correctional Insti-
tution in Pendleton, Two
Rivers Correctional Institu-
tion in Umatilla and Powder
River Correctional Facility
in Baker City.
Bailey-Fougnier said the
association, negotiating on
behalf of BMCC and fi ve
other community colleges
across the state, gave the
department three options.
The state prison system
chose Option 1, which
would reduce BMCC’s allo-
cation from $3 million per
year to about $1.25 million
annually. Bailey-Fougnier
said the deal would result in
cutting 8-9 positions from
the 27 staff that work for
the program, among other
service reductions.
The other two options
represented proposals with
higher funding amounts
and were considered more
feasible by the colleges.
Bailey-Fougnier said
both sides will meet again
this week and his hope is
the colleges will be able
to negotiate further and
hammer out other details on
working conditions, class
sizes and how the new con-
tract will be administered.
The Department of Cor-
rections accepting an offer
made by the state’s com-
munity colleges represents
a change in tactics from the
state’s prison system.
DOC told community
colleges over the summer
that it intended to end its
contracts with them in favor
of moving the majority of
its educational programs
in-house, a move repre-
sentatives said would save
the department money and
offer more consistency to
inmates across the system.
Even as the colleges
made some concessions,
the department rejected an
October offer and made
plans to move ahead with
transitioning education
operations internally.
State Sen. Bill Hansell,
R-Athena, and Sen. Michael
Dembrow, a Portland Dem-
ocrat who chairs the Senate
Committee on Educa-
tion, met with representa-
tives from the corrections
department and the col-
leges. Dembrow and Bai-
ley-Fougnier credited the
meeting with breaking
the ice, leading to DOC
accepting the Nov. 6 offer.
But the ball is back in the
colleges’ court as BMCC
looks to avoid further cuts
in a year where it’s already
laid off several employees.