2A — THE OBSERVER
Today in
History
Today is Tuesday, Feb.
23, the 54th day of 2021.
There are 311 days left in
the year.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT IN
HISTORY:
On Feb. 23, 1836, the
siege of the Alamo began in
San Antonio, Texas.
ON THIS DATE:
In 1861, President-elect
Abraham Lincoln arrived
secretly in Washington to
take office, following word
of a possible assassination
plot in Baltimore.
In 1870, Mississippi was
readmitted to the Union.
In 1903, President Theo-
dore Roosevelt signed an
agreement with Cuba to
lease the area around Guan-
tanamo Bay to the United
States.
In 1942, the first shelling
of the U.S. mainland during
World War II occurred as a
Japanese submarine fired
on an oil refinery near Santa
Barbara, California, causing
little damage.
In 1945, during World War
II, U.S. Marines on Iwo Jima
captured Mount Suribachi,
where they raised two
American flags (the second
flag-raising was captured in
the iconic Associated Press
photograph.)
In 1954, the first mass in-
oculation of schoolchildren
against polio using the Salk
vaccine began in Pittsburgh
as some 5,000 students
were vaccinated.
In 1965, film comedian
Stan Laurel, 74, died in San-
ta Monica, California.
In 1981, an attempted
coup began in Spain as 200
members of the Civil Guard
invaded Parliament, taking
lawmakers hostage. (How-
ever, the attempt collapsed
18 hours later.)
In 1995, the Dow Jones
industrial average closed
above the 4,000 mark for the
first time, ending the day at
4,003.33.
In 1998, 42 people were
killed, some 2,600 homes
and businesses damaged or
destroyed, by tornadoes in
central Florida.
In 2007, a Mississippi
grand jury refused to bring
any new charges in the 1955
slaying of Emmett Till, the
Black teenager who was
beaten and shot after being
accused of whistling at a
white woman, declining to
indict the woman, Carolyn
Bryant Donham, for man-
slaughter.
Ten years ago: In a major
policy reversal, the Obama
administration said it would
no longer defend the con-
stitutionality of the Defense
of Marriage Act, a federal
law banning recognition of
same-sex marriage.
Five years ago: Donald
Trump won the Nevada
Republican caucuses.
TuESday, FEBRuaRy 23, 2021
LOCAL/REGION
Book boxes a hit at Cook Memorial Library
By DICK MASON
The Observer
LA GRANDE — Cook
Memorial Library in La
Grande remains closed
to the public due to the
COVD-19 pandemic, but its
staff continues opening new
literary worlds for readers.
The library is getting
materials to patrons with
the help of creative new ser-
vices, such as subscription
book boxes.
The free program, which
Cook Memorial started in
December, proved popular,
with openings filling up in
little more time than it takes
to read a page-turning Ste-
phen King thriller.
Just ask Celine
Vandervlugt, the teen ser-
vices librarian at Cook
Memorial. She said the
response surprised her
when library patrons
had their first opportu-
nity to register online in
December.
“I could not believe how
fast people signed up. All
of our openings were filled
within 24 hours,” she said.
Vandervlugt is in charge
of the teen portion of the
subscription book box pro-
gram. The teen and adult
divisions each have room
for 12 participants, just
like the children’s divi-
sion, which is the program’s
newest offering.
Everyone registering
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
Celine Vandervlugt, teen services librarian at Cook Memorial Library, La Grande, stands
Friday, Feb. 19, 2021, among dozens of paper bags containing craft supplies. The kits are
a new service the library is working, alongside its popular subscription box program for
adults, teens and children.
must first fill out a question-
naire that helps library staff
members determine what
books will be included. The
questionnaire asks readers
to choose the genres they
like and to name at least
three books and authors
they enjoy reading, topics
they want to read about and
more.
The library staff provide
adults and teens age 13-18
one or two books to read
in two separate months.
Readers in the children’s
category will receive addi-
tional books because they
take less time to read. All
books must be returned
within three weeks, just
like any volume the library
loans out, said Rose Pea-
cock, who is the director of
Cook Memorial’s book box
program for adults.
Staff place the volumes in
boxes along with an assort-
ment of items that include
trinkets, tea, play dough and
rubber stress balls.
“We call it swag,”
EOU set to add two degrees
By DICK MASON
The Observer
LA GRANDE — Eastern
Oregon University plans to offer
degrees in agricultural entrepre-
neurship and in special education
pending state approval.
The EOU Board of Trustees on
Thursday, Feb. 18, approved the
two new degree programs. Ore-
gon’s Higher Education Coor-
dinating Commission and the
Northwest Commission on Col-
leges and Universities must give
their approvals before Eastern can
add the degree offerings.
Tim Seydel, Eastern’s vice
president for University Advance-
ment, said he believes there is an
excellent chance both degree pro-
grams will be in place when fall
term begins in late September
2021.
“We are excited,” Seydel said.
Seydel said the agricultural
entrepreneurship degree program
would give students the in-depth
understanding of business man-
agement, public policy, science
and technology and agriculture
they need to work in the agricul-
ture-related business and industry
fields. He said companies such
as Boise Cascade, Woodgrain
and Lamb Weston are among the
regional firms looking for stu-
dents with skills the agricultural
entrepreneurship program would
develop.
Students would receive their
degree from the Eastern’s College
of Business.
The special education degree
would address a shortage of spe-
cial education teachers in rural
Oregon, Seydel said. The degree
would allow students to earn in
four years all the credits they need
to become licensed special edu-
cation teachers. Eastern students
now need more than four years to
become qualified to teach special
education.
Seydel said both proposed
degrees would fill important voids
in Eastern Oregon and showcase
how EOU is directly meeting the
needs of the region.
Vandervlugt said.
Readers get to keep the
boxes and their swag, but
they must return all of the
books.
Vandervlugt said the
subscription book box pro-
gram is an extension of
what the library’s staff has
been doing for years before
COVID-19 pandemic closed
the library to public entry.
“Finding books people
enjoy is what we nor-
mally get to do in person,”
Vandervlugt said.
The written responses
from participants in the pro-
gram has been encouraging.
Vandervlugt recalled one
book box recipient who said
the new book they were
introduced to was now one
of their “all time favorite
books.”
The next book box
sign-up for teens and adults
begins April 1. Everyone
selected to receive a book
box in April will be new,
Vandervlugt said. The
library will announce the
next sign-up period for chil-
dren later.
Carrie Bushman, chil-
dren’s services librarian,
said the book box pro-
gram also is a great way for
the library’s staff to keep
its connections with loyal
patrons.
“We don’t want them
to forget we are here,” she
said.
Bushman has been with
the library for two decades
and noted her position has
allowed her to see children
grow up in the community
while coming regularly to
the library.
Everyone must have a
Cook Memorial Library
card to be eligible for a
book box.
Additional informa-
tion on the program is
available at www.cook-
memoriallibrary.org/
Pages/Index/182862/
Union County treasurer to retire
By DICK MASON
The Observer
LA GRANDE — The Union
County Board of Commissioners
is starting a search for a new
treasurer.
The commissioners are
seeking a successor for Donna
Marshall, who has announced she
will retire at the end of March.
Marshall has served as trea-
surer since 2005, after first being
elected in 2004.
Marshall was reelected to a
fourth four-year term in 2020.
The county board is accepting
applications for the post now.
Whoever the board selects will
serve until early January 2023
because the county plans to
hold an election for the post in
November 2022 for a full four-
year term.
Marshall has worked for Union
County since 1991 after joining
its public works department.
She became Union County’s
accounting manager in 1998.
Union County Commissioner
Donna Beverage spoke highly of
Marshall’s work.
“We think she did an awe-
some job and wish her well on her
retirement,” Beverage said.
Paul Anderes, chair of the
Union County Board of Commis-
sioners, echoed this sentiment.
Anderes said he wanted to thank
Marshall for “the incredible work
she has done for so many years.”
Marshall moved to La Grande
in 1970, graduated from La
Grande High School in 1971 and
later attended Eastern Oregon
University. Marshall worked at
Grande Ronde Hospital, Union-
Wallowa-Baker Federal Credit
Union and Boise Cascade before
beginning work with Union Coun-
ty’s public works department.
People interested in the
treasurer’s position should
submit a letter of interest and
resume to the Union County
Administrative Office,
1106 K Ave., La Grande 97850,
or email it to sburgess@union-
county.org by Friday, March 5.
Fundraiser brings in six figures for integrated care center
By RONALD BOND
Wallowa County Chieftain
ENTERPRISE — The
Hearts for Health Integrated
Care Center construction
campaign recently picked
up a huge financial boost.
A virtual live fund-
raiser for the care facility,
which took place Feb. 6,
raised more than $221,000,
the second-most raised in
annual fundraising for the
building — a partnership
between the Wallowa Valley
Center for Wellness and
Winding Waters Clinic —
which is under construction
in Enterprise and set to be
completed late this summer.
It was the fourth such
fundraiser — though the
first virtual one — and was
surpassed in giving only by
the inaugural fundraising
event, according to Tosca
Rawls, Wallowa Valley
Center for Wellness public
relations and development
director.
“The first year, we actu-
ally raised $324,000, which
was surprising,” Rawls said.
“It was the first year Center
for Wellness had done any
public fundraising.”
The previous three years
the event was at the Wal-
lowa Lake Lodge, and last
year only brought in about
$55,000. Rawls attributed
two changes to the fund-
raising boost this year.
“Going virtual allowed
us to reach more people
during an event,” she said.
“When we were in the
lodge in person ... we had
84 guests. This year we
were not limited to the size
of a location. Virtually, you
could join from anywhere
as long as you had internet.
I believe that is one piece.”
The second reason for
the boost, Rawls said, was
the community backing for
the center, especially during
the pandemic.
“They really believe
in this project,” she said.
“They believe in the inte-
grated care model that
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
Fundraising for the still-unfinished Hearts for Health Inte-
grated Care Center, a partnership between the Wallowa
Valley Center for Wellness and Winding Waters Clinic,
brought in more than $221,000 on Feb. 6, 2021. The center
is scheduled to be finished this summer.
will take place in the new
building. I believe that
during the event we told
a compelling story. We
were able to create a video
for people to watch that
(showed) the integrated care
model.”
The 97-minute event
included the story of Wal-
lowa County resident Kim-
berly Botts, who shared her
struggle with substance and
alcohol abuse and triumphs
gained through the inte-
grated care model.
The integrated care
center will offer a wide
range of care options,
including everything from
behavioral and mental
health and substance abuse
services to dental, medical
and nutritional care.
The construction costs
of the center is expected to
come in at about $8 million.
Floods called unlikely after snow blankets Blue Mountains
By BRYCE DOLE
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — After
last week’s winter storms
covered Northeast Oregon
in snow, followed by sun-
shine and warmer tempera-
tures early in the week,
many Umatilla County res-
idents rightfully grew wary
wondering if snowmelt
could lead to floods.
“We’ll see small rises in
the rivers and the streams,”
said Marilyn Lohman, a
hydrologist for the National
Weather Service in Pend-
leton. “But they aren’t
expected to be anywhere
near any flood stages at this
time.”
Snowpack levels in the
Blue Mountains are nearing
normal levels for this time
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Snow blankets the banks of the Umatilla River in Pendle-
ton on Friday, Feb. 19, 2021. The National Weather Service
reports floods in Umatilla County are unlikely after recent
heavy snow in the Blue Mountains.
of year after the hillsides
were blasted with snow
last week, according to
Lohman. But the snow, for
the large part, was a dry
snow due to the cold front,
making conditions less con-
ducive to flooding.
“The snow that fell
was more powdery, which
means it had a lower water
content,” Lohman said.
Short-term conditions
over the next two weeks
are also looking opti-
mistic, Lohman said, with
occasional weather sys-
tems forecast to bring light
precipitation. Through
March, the weather service
is expecting cooler than
normal temperatures and
seasonal precipitation.
However, conditions can
change daily, Lohman said.
The weather service is con-
tinuing to monitor for signs
of possible floods, and resi-
dents who may be at risk of
flooding events should keep
a watchful eye and con-
sider preparing themselves
in case conditions suddenly
shift.
“It’s that time of year to
keep abreast of the changes
in the weather,” Lohman
said. “Maybe stay up-to-
date on changing conditions
and make sure that you are
prepared. If something were
to happen, what would you
do? Maybe start thinking
ahead.”
Last week, Lohman and
a group of officials from
Umatilla and Walla Walla
counties met to discuss the
conditions and prepare for
the possibility of future
floods.
Among those attending
were county and city offi-
cials as well as those
from law enforcement,
the National Weather Ser-
vice, the Bureau of Land
Management, the Army
Corps of Engineers, and
the Confederated Tribes
of the Umatilla Indian
Reservation.
“I really sympathize
with all these folks that
have gone through last
year’s (flood) and are still
dealing with it, and then
we get 17 inches of snow,
and they think — where
in the world is that going
to go?” said Umatilla
County Commissioner Dan
Dorran, who attended the
meeting on behalf of the
commissioners.
Officials plan to hold
weekly briefings throughout
the winter and early spring
to be more proactive and
plan for possible floods.