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.
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