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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 2020)
RECORDS AND MORE SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2020 OBITUARIES COMMUNITY Briefs Parks & Rec expands after-school hours for Thanksgiving week LA GRANDE — The city of La Grande’s Park and Rec Department’s after school program is offering extra hours the week of Thanks- giving, due to schools being closed for the holiday. An extra day has been added to the week of Nov. 23-25. Hours on Monday, Tues- day and Wednesday will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (early drop- off offered at 7:45 a.m.). Cost is $84 per child. Meals are not provided, so please send your child with a lunch. Spots are limited and pre-registration is required. Register at https://lagrande- parks.org/program/31636/ parks-and-rec-extended-after- school-child-care-fall-2020. For more information, contact McKayla Rollins, recreation supervisor, at 541-962-1352 or mrollins@ cityofl agrande.org. Rimfi re silhouette shoots offered on fi rst Sunday of the month LA GRANDE — Beginning Dec. 6, the La Grande Rifl e and Pistol Club will be host- ing a .22 rimfi re silhouette shoot every fi rst Sunday of the month through April at the club’s river range on Highway 244 (I-84 exit 252, then 3 miles west on the Ukiah-Hilgard Highway). The monthly events are open to the public and begin at 9 a.m. Entry fee is $5. Eye and ear protection is required. Rifl es or pistols, with no restrictions on sights. For more information, call Gary at 541-786-0809, go to www. lgrpc.com or visit the club’s Facebook page. Tommy G. West 1935-2020 • Formerly of La Grande Tommy Gerald West, 85, formerly of La Grande, died Nov. 10 at his residence in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A memorial graveside ser- vice will be held in the spring of 2021 at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Baker City. Tommy was born June 13, 1935, in Sudan, Texas, to Roy and Thelma (Tate) West. He grad- uated from Sudan High School. After high school, Tommy joined the U.S. Army and served for fi ve years before sep- aration at the rank of spe- cialist. His time on active duty included 16 months in Korea. He spent the next 30 years working as a highway engineer for the Oregon Department of Transporta- tion, retiring in 1995. In 1960, Tommy mar- ried Carol J. Williams in El Paso, Texas. They had two sons together, Brian and Tracey. Tommy lived in La Grande for 47 years, only recently moving to Albu- querque to live with his son Brian. Tommy was a VFW life- time member. He enjoyed bingo at the Union County Senior Center in La Grande and Wildhorse as well as playing slot machine games on his tablet. He also enjoyed doing crossword puzzles and word jumbles from the newspaper. Surviving relatives include his sons and daugh- ters-in-law, Brian and Dawn West of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Tracey and Nancy West of Redding, California; brother and sis- ter-in-law, Gary and Gale West of Denver, Colorado; and fi ve grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Carol West. Highlighting the missing and murdered Menus Union County Senior Center takeout lunch menu Pick up 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 1504 N. Albany St., La Grande. For delivery, call 541-963-7532 before 10 a.m. Age 60+, $3 suggest- ed donation; all others, $5. Public is welcome. Inquire about family meals and prepackaged sides. NOV. 23-27 Monday: chicken tenders, potato salad, cucumber salad, fresh fruit, dessert. Tuesday: fi sh & chips, coleslaw, baked beans, fresh fruit, dessert. Wednesday: Thanksgiv- ing dinner: turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy, dressing, cranberry sauce, green beans, rolls, pie. Thursday & Friday: closed for Thanksgiving. CHANGE Continued from Page 1A offi cials in designing strate- gies to combat the spread of COVID-19. During the spring, he noted, the state required counties to submit detailed plans for approval before moving into Phase 1, which relaxed some of the restric- tions on businesses, church services and other activi- ties the governor imposed in March at the outset of the pandemic. That approach “is totally ignored now,” he contended, and rather than planning that acknowledges the dif- ferent effects the virus has had in rural Oregon, state offi cials switched to a “one- size-fi ts-all” strategy — including the two-week statewide freeze in effect from Nov. 18 through Dec. 2. He conceded one refer- ence in the letter about rural communities slowing the spread of COVID-19 has been overtaken by subse- quent trends in new cases. “Clearly the situation seems to continue to esca- late, and the numbers in most of the (legislative) dis- tricts are pretty darn high, which is unfortunate,” he said. Nonetheless, Findley stood by his belief that statewide restrictions such as the two-week freeze fail to refl ect the differences between rural and urban areas. Wheeler County, for instance, has reported only one COVID-19 case during the pandemic. Three other counties in Findley’s dis- trict have had fewer than 100 cases — Lake, with 82 THE OBSERVER — 3A University of Alaska, Fair- banks, as assistant dean of students, becoming dean of students in 1974 and retiring as vice chancellor, emeritus of student affairs in 1992. In 1999 Harris moved to La Grande to become vice president for student affairs at Eastern Oregon Univer- sity until his second retire- ment in 2003. On May 19, 2002, Harris married Mary- Ellen LaBerge. In July 2016 they moved to Buckley, Washington. Harris loved baseball and the Tampa Bay Rays. He played one year in the minor leagues for the Pirates organization and then was assistant coach for baseball in college for the Florida Gators. Harris coached youth league baseball and hockey, served as president of the Fairbanks Youth Hockey Association and served on the Goldpanners board of directors. He was active in To leave an online con- dolence for the family, go to www.colestributecenter. com. Harris W. Shelton Jr. 1943-2020 • Formerly of La Grande Dr. Harris White Shelton Jr., 77, of Buckley, Wash- ington, and formerly of La Grande, died Nov. 10 in Tacoma, Washington. Harris was born July 1, 1943, in Saint Austin, Texas, to Harris White Sr. and Ruth (O’Leary) Shelton. His name at birth was Jerry, which was changed to Harris at 6 months of age when his father was killed in World War II. His mother, Ruth, later married James Pope, who raised him. Harris earned a BA from the University of Florida, a MA from the University of South Florida and a PhD from Florida State. In 1971, he accepted a position at the UAF Nanooks Hockey and was inducted to the UAF Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010. Harris also loved playing golf, telling stories, laughing and loving people. He was a member of the Kiwanis and the Elks, both in Alaska and La Grande, and was a past exalted ruler. He was a member of Rotary and volunteered for Meals on Wheels. Surviving relatives include his wife, Mary- Ellen; children, Kristin and Patrick; stepchil- dren, Becky, Brad and Allan Warren; and nine grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to a local charity of choice. Patricia A. Madsen La Grande Patricia A. Madsen, 86, of La Grande, died Nov. 19 at a local care facility. Arrangements are by Love- land Funeral Chapel & Cre- matory, La Grande. PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT WEDNESDAY, NOV. 18 5:10 a.m. — A caller reported a suspicious person on the 800 block of Adams Avenue, La Grande. Police responded but did not fi nd anyone suspicious. 1:01 p.m. — The Union County Sheriff’s Offi ce received a report of a recent burglary at Buffalo Peak Golf Course, 1224 E. Fulton St., Union. A deputy took information and will follow up. 3:26 p.m. — La Grande police received a report of a possible sex crime. 6:54 p.m. — An Elgin resident reported the theft of an iPhone. A Union County sheriff’s deputy responded, retrieved the phone and returned it to the owner. THURSDAY, NOV. 19 6:48 a.m. — La Grande police on the 800 block of Jefferson Avenue arrested a 14-year-old male for second-degree theft and unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle. 9:58 a.m. — La Grande police received a report from Second Street of animal abuse. The animal enforcement offi cer responded and took information. 10:25 a.m. — The Union County Sheriff’s Offi ce responded to the 900 block of North First Street, Union, on a report of a burglary in prog- ress. Deputies arrived and found new homeowners were moving in. 5:33 p.m. — La Grande police received a report of a disturbance at Max Square. Police arrived, determined this was an argument and separated the parties. 8:45 p.m. — La Grande police received a request for contact regarding sus- picious circumstances on the 2300 block of Q Avenue. An offi cer made contact and determined a subject was suffering from mental illness. BIRTHS GRANDE RONDE HOSPITAL Sabrina Thompson/The Observer Red dresses hang from trees at Eastern Oregon University on Monday, Nov. 16, 2020, to raise awareness about mur- dered and missing indigenous women and children. Mem- bers of the Native American Program at the La Grande university put the dresses on display as part of Native American Heritage Month. The dresses will remain hang- ing until the end of November. cases as of Thursday, Nov. 19; Harney, with 78; and Grant, with 74. Bobby Levy, the Repub- lican representative-elect for Oregon House District 58, said she added her sig- nature because she believes the individual differences of counties should be taken into account. “Hospitalizations in the metro (area) shouldn’t auto- matically mean that our rural communities suffer the consequences. Our chil- dren need to be in school full time. Our churches need to be open to attend. State business needs to open back up and serve the communities they have left behind,” Levy said. Levy signed the letter before the governor’s freeze took effect and said on Thursday her feelings about the COVID-19 lockdown have not changed. “We all are doing our best to help keep our com- munities safe and fi nan- cially afl oat — but shutting down businesses, schools and churches that have no correlation to outbreaks is not the answer. I want to make sure that HD58 and the rest of Oregon has a fi ghting chance to survive this pandemic. Physically, fi scally and mentally,” Levy said. Levy in January will succeed three-term state Rep. Greg Barreto, R-Cove. Barreto, who did not run for reelection, signed the letter for a fundamental reason. “I read it and I agreed with it,” he said. The state representa- tive said he objects to how the governor’s mandates are “carte blanche” for all counties despite their dif- ferences. He described Brown’s measures as unnec- essarily draconian. He said the governor should not be focusing on COVID-19 rates but rather at the number of hospitaliza- tions and those requiring respirators. Barreto also said rather than issuing strict orders, Brown should be asking people to take individual responsibility and providing guidelines for them to follow to reduce COVID-19 rates. Seeking a seat at the table Union County Commis- sioner Donna Beverage said the start of the freeze was the right time to send the letter. She said all the Eastern Oregon counties want is a seat at the table when the state is determining actions to reduce COVID-19 rates. She said she believes county commissioners and local health department offi cials should be involved with dis- cussions with the state. “We all want to be safe and to make sure that we do not lose people to depres- sion or suicide or have people lose businesses,” Beverage said. She said the gover- nor’s offi ce in the past told Eastern Oregon offi cials what to do about COVID- 19, but in recent days the governor’s staff has become more receptive to the needs of Eastern Oregon counties. “Now it is giving us a chance to give more input,” said Beverage, who was reelected to a second-term in May. Paul Anderes, chair of the Union County Board of Commissioners, said he hoped the letter opens lines BALTENSPERGER: To Casey Brown and Andy Baltensperger, of La Grande, a son, Kit Andrew Balten- sperger, Nov. 3 at 8:57 p.m. Grandparents are Cari Riedlin, Kit Brown, and Brad and Vickie Baltensperger. JOHNSON: To Mandy Johnson and Cole Johnson, of La Grande, a daughter, Harper Rose Johnson, Nov. 5 at 5:05 p.m. KING: To Kayla Ann Hansen and Robert Lee King, of La Grande, a son, Bohdi King, Oct. 28 at 8:20 a.m. Grand- parents are Shelia and Will Evans, April and Jason King, and Judy and Steve Morton. LAURICELLA: To Rachelle Gorham and Wayne Lauricella, of Elgin, a son, Camdyn Lane Lauricella, Nov. 4 at 8:15 a.m. LAYTON: To Angela Marie Willison and Eric Evan Layton, of La Grande, a son, Everett Layton, Oct. 18 at 2:48 a.m. of communication between the governor’s offi ce and Eastern Oregon. Anderes, too, said he wants represen- tatives of Eastern Oregon counties to be at the table with the governor’s staff when considering what to do. “We want them to let us in on decision making rather than having the state make decisions with a wide blanket,” he said. Anderes said he also senses Brown and her staff are beginning to listen more to Eastern Oregon offi - cials, a change the fi rst-term Union County commis- sioner said is encouraging. still wants them to be enforceable.” Susan Roberts, the other Wallowa County commis- sioner to sign the letter, said she signed to encourage Brown to talk with local leaders rather than at them. She also said noted that decisions that would work for Wallowa County wouldn’t necessarily work for Multnomah. “We are different out here. We are never given the ability to make the deci- sion (for ourselves),” Rob- erts said, adding that the pandemic is exacerbating the problem of Salem over- looking Eastern Oregon. Some wanted to move faster Pressing on to reach the governor Wallowa County Com- missioner Todd Nash said many who signed the letter hoped to get it to the gov- ernor sooner. “There were a number of us who wanted to send this letter some time ago, but felt like there was a decision made not to send it prior to the election and make it a political stand,” Nash said. He said he visited with the governor a little Wednesday night, Nov. 18. “She’s not ready, at this point, to drop the matrix and just have them be guidelines,” he said. “She As for the meaning behind a more ominous statement in the letter — “the future of our state’s survival is at risk” — Nash said it refers to businesses that could have to shutter for good and the “broad- reaching” impact of that move. “If you shut down a restaurant, the high-end steaks that would be served there have an impact on the beef industry,” he said. “It has a cascading effect and a tremendous amount of dollars that it impacts. We’ve made it through so far, and I won’t speak for everybody, but some people won’t recover from this fi nancially.” Roberts added she isn’t confi dent the letter will bring about change or dis- cussion but said the com- missioners intend to con- tinue working for a solution. “We’ll work through all the channels we nor- mally work through and keep working,” she said. “We keep moving, we keep trying different avenues and methodologies to reach the governor or any of her staff.” — La Grande Observer reporter Dick Mason, East Oregonian reporter Bryce Dole, Wallowa County Chieftain editor Ronald Bond, Baker City Herald editor Jason Jacoby and Hermiston Herald editor Jade McDowell contributed to this report. FAMILY OWNED La GRANDE AUTO REPAIR 975-2000 www.lagrandeautorepair.com MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE Joe Horst ACDelcoTSS 215 Elm Street La Grande (541) 963-5440 northwestfurnitureandmattress.com
