THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020
THE OBSERVER — 5A
PARKING
“I’m hopeful that (developers) will
voluntarily build more parking, but
the city can’t require it.”
Continued from Page 1A
The goal of HB 2001,
Boquist said, was to create
opportunities for cities
across the state to develop
more affordable housing
by limiting their ability
to restrict the building of
duplexes in single-family
residential zones.
Boquist said a shortage
of parking isn’t necessarily
inevitable. While the city
no longer will be able to
require duplexes to have
more than two parking
spaces per structure, that
doesn’t mean they won’t
have them anyway.
“Most of our devel-
opers have a pretty good
idea what the needs are
of their tenants, and they
try to build the house as
well as the parking and all
— Mike Boquist, La Grande Community Development
Director
Morning traffi c moves past parked vehicles Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020, on N Avenue, La
Grande. State mandates won’t allow the city to require extra off-street parking spaces at
duplexes, causing some to worry about a potential parking shortage.
the other stuff to accom-
modate what their ten-
ants needs are,” he said.
“I’m hopeful that they will
voluntarily build more
parking, but the city can’t
require it.”
What La Grande already
does have is a shortage of
affordable housing. In 2018,
26% of households in the
city qualifi ed as “severely
rent burdened,” meaning
more than one in four
households were spending
50% or more of their
income on housing.
Median household
income in La Grande is
a meager $40,750, less
than the median income in
Union County of $46,228
and well below the state
median income of $56,119,
according to the city’s 2019
Housing Needs Analysis.
The analysis also found
39.3% of La Grande’s
households in 2017 earned
less than $29,999 per year.
At the highest end of that
spectrum, a family renting
a home at $1,250 per
month would be spending
half of their income on
housing, leaving an equal
monthly budget to pay for
everything else, from
food and transportation to
medical expenses.
stances the two busiest days
of the year are always the
day before Christmas and
Thanksgiving. The busiest
day of the week is usually
Friday. Royal said business
on Friday has gotten partic-
ularly brisk since Safeway
stores started $5 Friday
sales.
He recalled checkers
years ago had to punch in
codes for specifi c vegetable
and fruit items. Checkers
had to memorize about 100
codes, one for each fruit
and vegetable product.
“They couldn’t be hired
until they memorized those
codes,” he said, noting
everyone who applied
proved capable of doing
this.
Royal has had multiple
long-term employees during
his tenure at Safeway
and credited this to how
the company treats its
employees.
“We are a big family,”
he said.
Those who worked many
years under Royal include
Judy Johnston, who retired
several years ago after 38
years at Safeway and at
least 15 under Royal.
“He was a great boss. He
is fair with his employees.
He is No. 1 in my book,”
Johnston said.
She said Royal main-
tained a calm and pleasant
demeanor regardless of how
stressful the situation.
“I never saw him get
mad at anyone. Even though
he has 10,000 things going
on at once, he is always
pleasant,” Johnston said.
Dave Girrard, who was
named the manager of the
La Grande Safeway’s fuel
station earlier this year, also
said Royal, who hired him,
is great to work for. Gir-
rard, like Johnston, said
Royal created an upbeat
working environment.
“He has a bright per-
sonality, which rubs off on
people,” Girrard said.
Krantz credited Royal
with being a classic leader
by example.
“He won’t ask you to do
anything he wouldn’t do
himself,” she said.
Krantz also said she
appreciates the respect
Royal shows for his
employees.
“He treats everyone the
way you would want to be
treated,” she said.
Royal and his wife, Gay-
lene, who will retire from
her position with Bi-Mart in
March 2021, plan to stay in
La Grande and are looking
forward to spending more
time with their son and
daughter, who live in the
Portland area.
Gordon Royal said he
and Gaylene will be for-
ever thankful for the oppor-
tunities the people of the
Grande Ronde Valley have
provided them, especially
as they raised their family.
“We owe so much to this
community,” he said.
Kaleb Lay/The Observer
ROYAL
Continued from Page 1A
“He is just a great
person,” Krantz said.
She noted it is unusual
for someone to have worked
as the manager of one
Safeway store as long as
Royal has. This and his
commitment to public ser-
vice allowed him to develop
deep roots in the Grande
Ronde Valley.
“He is a huge part of the
community,” Krantz said.
Royal’s contributions,
which include a stint as
president of the La Grande
Optimist Club, have earned
him recognition. This was
evident about six years ago
when the Union County
Fair named Royal the grand
marshal of its parade.
Royal said he sought to
remain put because of his
family. He explained he
grew up in Pendleton and
liked the stability of living
in one town as a youth.
Royal said because he so
enjoyed this he wanted to
give his children, Corey
and Jessica, the same
opportunity.
“I never wanted to leave
La Grande,” he said.
RELIEF
Continued from Page 1A
The Union County Busi-
ness Assistance Grant Pro-
gram guidelines state that
only those businesses with
30 or fewer employees can
apply.
“We wanted to focus on
small businesses. That is
what the state asked us to
do,” Beverage said.
Anderes, chair of the
board of commissioners,
said he wishes more of this
funding was available.
“I know that businesses
Dick Mason/The Observer
Gordon Royal, manager of the La Grande Safeway, talks
with Matthew McCormick, left, and Madison Postles at the
store’s fuel station on Dec. 5, 2020. McCormick and Postles
are fuel station attendants. Royal is retiring Saturday, Dec.
12, after working 40 years for Safeway.
Royal began working
for Safeway in 1981 at the
Pendleton store as the man-
ager of the camera depart-
ment, which back then
sold microwave ovens and
other electronics. He left to
take a position with Safe-
way’s Redmond store. His
fi rst stint at the La Grande
Safeway was in 1989, when
he worked under manager
Nick Ruberti and later Bill
McLeod.
Royal next entered Safe-
way’s management training
program and then served
as an assistant manager at
Safeway stores in Enter-
prise, Madras, The Dalles
and Pendleton before
becoming the manager of
La Grande’s Safeway in
September 1996.
A lot has changed in
the grocery store busi-
ness since Royal began
his career, but a number
of things have not. He said
regardless of the circum-
are suffering. My concern is
that (the help being offered)
is not enough,” Anderes
said. “While it is helpful it
may not be enough to save
some businesses.”
Businesses that qualify
for the full $10,000 will be
those that were forced to
close completely under both
of Gov. Kate Brown’s exec-
utive orders in March and
November. Businesses hurt
to a lesser extent by one or
both executive orders also
will be eligible for grant
funding if they can show
their sales dropped at least
25% over any one-month
period between March 1
and Nov. 30 due to COVID-
19. The drop would have
to be at least 25% greater
than their sales for the same
month in 2019.
Anderes said the county
may or may not be able
to give out the maximum
amount allowed under the
Union County Business
Assistance Grant Program
guidelines because of lim-
ited resources.
“It will depend on how
many apply,” Anderes said.
For information on the
grant application process,
call 541-963-1001.
STORAGE BUILDINGS
www.CountrysideSheds.com
Happy Holidays!
(541) 663-0246
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10505 N. McAlister Road
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RENT to OWN
starting at
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Northeast Oregon Directory of Churches
Services
This Week
GRACE COMMUNITY
LUTHERAN CHURCH
The Place
62848 Philynda Loop in Island City
“We are called to Serve”
Sunday School for all ages - 9:00 am
Sunday Worship 10:00 am
Phone: 541-568-4230
grace.lutherancove@gmail.com
LA GRANDE UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH
“OPEN HEARTS, OPEN MINDS, OPEN DOORS”
1612 4th Street – 963-2498
Pastor Taylor Gould
For service information go to
www.lagrandeumc.org
Imbler
Christian
Church
440 Ruckman, Imbler 534-2201
www.imblercc@gmail.com
Sunday Services
9:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
Sunday School
Worship Service
Zion Lutheran
Church
(an ELCA church)
902 Fourth Street,
La Grande, OR
(541) 963-5998
9:00 am - Worship
10:00 am - Fellowship & Refreshments
10:30 am - Classes
Pastor: Roberta Smythe
www.zionlagrande.org
Cove United
Methodist Church
1708 Jasper St., Cove, OR
North Powder
United
Methodist Church
First Christian
Church
(Disciples of Christ)
901 Penn Avenue 963-2623
lgdisciples@gmail.com
390 E. St., North Powder, OR
JOIN US... Catch the Spirit!
Worship
10:00 a.m.
Worship: 9:00 a.m. Cove
Worship: 10:00 a.m. N. Powder ~Join us at The Lord’s Table~
Amazing Grace
Fellowship
1316 T St., La Grande, OR
541-568-4567
Sunday 10:30 a.m.
2 Cor 12:9 My Grace is
sufficient for you.
SUMMERVILLE
BAPTIST CHURCH
Sunday Services:
Sunday School & Adult Bible Classes
9:45AM
Children’s Church & Worship Service
11:00AM
Family Worship Service
6:00PM
Wednesday:
Prayer Mtg, Children’s Bible Club, Youth
Group 7:00PM
A church for your whole family
IS 40:31
Visit us at summervillebaptistchurch.org
La Grande Seventh-day
Adventist Church
1531 S. Main St.
Union
541-562-5531
A Place where hope is found in Jesus
Join us in Fellowship & Worship
Saturday 11am
2702 Adams Avenue, La Grande
963-4018
lagrandeor.adventistchurch.org
Learning for Today and Eternity
Little Friends
Christian Preschool/Childcare 963-6390
La Grande Adventist Christian School
K-8th Grade 963-6203
www.UnionBaptistOregon.org
109 18th Street • 963-3402
Sunday School 9:15 a.m.
Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m.
Sunday Morning Worship
Service 11:00 am
Sunday School at 9:45 a.m.
Birthing, Building and Being
the Body of Christ
FIRST LANDMARK
MISSIONARY BAPTIST
CHURCH
1812 1st St. La Grande
Pastor Dave Tierce • 541-605-0215
We use the King James Version Bible
Sunday School - 10:00 am
Worship 11:00 am
Sunday Evening Bible Study - 3:00 pm (Effective June 10)
Wednesday Evening - 6:30 pm
“Where you can find TRUTH according to the scriptures”
www.flmbclagrande.com