2A — THE OBSERVER
Today in
History
Today is Thursday, March
18, the 77th day of 2021.
There are 288 days left in
the year.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT IN
HISTORY:
On March 18, 1963,
the U.S. Supreme Court,
in Gideon v. Wainwright,
ruled unanimously that
state courts were required
to provide legal counsel to
criminal defendants who
could not afford to hire an
attorney on their own.
ON THIS DATE:
In 1910, the first filmed
adaptation of Mary Shelley’s
novel “Frankenstein,” a silent
short produced by Thomas
Edison’s New York movie
studio, was released.
In 1925, the Tri-State
Tornado struck Missouri,
Illinois and Indiana, resulting
in some 700 deaths.
In 1937, in America’s worst
school disaster, nearly 300
people, most of them chil-
dren, were killed in a natural
gas explosion at a school in
Rusk County, Texas.
In 1940, Adolf Hitler and
Benito Mussolini met at the
Brenner Pass, where the
Italian dictator agreed to
join Germany’s war against
France and Britain.
In 1942, President Franklin
D. Roosevelt signed an exec-
utive order authorizing the
War Relocation Authority,
which was put in charge of
interning Japanese-Amer-
icans.
In 1965, the first space-
walk took place as Soviet
cosmonaut Alexei Leonov
went outside his Voskhod 2
capsule, secured by a tether.
In 1974, most of the Arab
oil-producing nations ended
their 5-month-old embargo
against the United States
that had been sparked by
American support for Israel
in the Yom Kippur War.
In 1996, rejecting an
insanity defense, a jury in
Dedham, Massachusetts,
convicted John C. Salvi III of
murdering two women in
attacks at two Boston-area
abortion clinics in December
1994. (Salvi later committed
suicide in his prison cell.)
In 2017, Chuck Berry, rock
‘n’ roll’s founding guitar hero
and storyteller who defined
the music’s joy and rebel-
lion, died at his home west
of St. Louis at age 90.
Riverfest to rev up in June in Elgin
By DICK MASON
The Observer
ELGIN — One of
Elgin’s most popular annual
events will rev up again
this spring after a one-year
hiatus.
Riverfest, an event cel-
ebrating Elgin, was can-
celed in 2020 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic but is
set to return June 19.
“We are very excited,”
said Kathy Oliver, president
of the Elgin Lions Club,
which puts on the annual
event.
The centerpiece of Riv-
erfest will again be its car
show, to be conducted on a
field near the Elgin Com-
munity Center. The car
show is annually one of
the first to be conducted
in Northeast Oregon and
draws at least 70 vehicles a
year.
Oliver said it will be
easy to hold the event at
this site and meet social
distancing standards for
The Observer, File
Cars, including this classic, cruised the highway into Elgin
for the 2008 RiverFest car show. The event was on hiatus
in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the Elgin Li-
ons Club is bringing it back for June 2021.
COVID-19. She explained
the field is spacious enough
that vehicles can be at
least 6 feet apart from one
another. The car show also
will have signs reminding
people to practice social
distancing.
The car show, as in
past years, likely will fea-
By DICK MASON
The Observer
LA GRANDE — One of
La Grande’s leading phil-
anthropic organizations is
breaking with tradition in
an effort to extend a greater
hand of assistance to the
Union County community.
ESA Delta Epsilon
Sorority No. 2566 has tra-
ditionally conducted one
major annual fundraiser,
the Holiday Market, a sale
of Christmas items in late
fall at the Blue Mountain
Conference Center. The
sorority, though, is now
set to add a second major
fundraiser, plus move its
Christmas-season event to
a new location. The soror-
ity’s new fundraiser will
be conducted each spring
at the Union County Fair-
grounds 4-H building.
The initial event will be
conducted May 1.
“I’m optimistic. We are
pretty excited about it,”
said Mary Ellen Taal, a
long-serving member of the
Delta Epsilon Sorority.
Taal said many ven-
dors have expressed
interest in taking part in
the new fundraiser and
the 4-H building will pro-
vide enough space to meet
COVID-19 social dis-
tancing standards.
The sorority’s Christmas
season fundraiser, which
had been conducted at the
Blue Mountain Conference
Center for about 15 years,
also will take place in the
4-H building at the Union
County Fairgrounds. Taal
said the change in venue
is because the sorority
is moving its Christmas
season fundraiser from late
November to the first Sat-
Judge agrees gathering was essential to tribal family’s well-being
as an investigator for the
CTUIR Department of
MISSION — Seven-
Children and Family Ser-
vices, testified the Patrick
teen people cited for vio-
lating COVID-19 social
residence is a “certified
gathering restrictions
foster home.”
A Facebook photo,
during a 2020 Easter day
which spurred the inves-
feast were found not guilty
tigation and subsequent
on Tuesday, March 9, by
citations, showed at least
Associate Tribal Judge
one child and an adult
Dave Gallaher.
The ruling followed a
who had a “protection
90-minute civil hearing in
order against him,” Bar-
nett said, adding he told
tribal court on the Confed-
erated Tribes of the Uma-
Patrick such gatherings
tilla Indian Reservation
“can’t continue if you
near Pendleton.
want to keep your
The tribes’
certification as a
board of trustees
foster home.”
However, there
issued the “stay
was no further dis-
home” resolution
cussion of foster
in March 2020.
children during
Violation of the
the trial.
resolution carried
Chairwoman
a potential sen-
tence of a year in
Kat Brigham,
— Kat Brigham, chairwoman of the Tribes
jail or a maximum
speaking on her
of the Umatilla Indian Reservation board of
fine of $5,000.
own and not for
trustees
However, the
the full tribe’s
17 were cited as a
Board of Trustees,
civil matter rather
said the restric-
tions in the resolution
gathering was a “family
than arrested on crim-
inal charges, tribal prose-
were never meant to
religious observance”
that was “essential to
cutor Kyle Daley told the
punish people for their
the spiritual and cultural
court before anyone gave
religious beliefs.
She said the Patrick
well-being of the family.”
testimony.
Toby Patrick, a CTUIR
Gallaher’s ruling said
gathering was investi-
member, hosted a First
gated and resulted in cita-
the tribes, represented by
tions because of “other
Foods celebration on April Daley, presented no evi-
dence a family religious
concerns” apparent in the
26, 2020, with more than
observance is a “nonessen- Facebook photo.
two dozen family mem-
bers at his home on the
tial gathering.”
Brigham acknowl-
edged that many families,
“In the absence of evi-
reservation.
First Foods include
dence on a material ele-
including her own, had
ment of the violation, the
water, salmon, deer and
ceremonies at home.
“The resolution didn’t
Court is left to speculate
elk, roots and berries.
Patrick, who was rep-
stop that. It just asked
as to what is meant by
resented by Robert Klahn, ‘essential,’ and ‘essential’
people to be careful of
and his longtime partner,
to whom? Such guesswork numbers,” she said. “We
Julia Johnson, a Warm
didn’t have a lot of infor-
and speculation may not
Springs tribal member,
be the basis of a finding of mation at the time, other
than the need for social
appeared in tribal court
guilt,” Gallaher wrote in
distancing, washing your
while the others appeared
his ruling.
by telephone.
Under questioning from hands and wearing masks.
Gallaher’s ruling hinged Daley, Tony Barnett, who
We just wanted people
on the question of whether
at the time of the feast was to take seriously being
Patrick’s family feast was
careful, being safe and
a member of the Uma-
tilla Tribal Police working being healthy.”
an “essential” event.
For the East Oregonian
ture vehicles from as far
away as Boise, Idaho,
and Seattle, Oliver said.
She said that in past years
almost all participants have
driven the vehicles to the
show instead of hauling
them on trailers.
“We have few trailer
queens,” she said.
Oliver and her hus-
band, Steve Oliver, again
will have their cars dis-
played in the show. Her car
will be a 1972 Volkswagen,
and his will be a 1965 Ford
Thunderbird.
The car show is one of a
limited number conducted
on grass fields instead of
asphalt lots or streets. Kathy
Oliver said this makes it
more popular because it
allows it to be conducted
in a cooler environment.
Car show visitors and par-
ticipants enjoy having the
show in a field instead of on
pavement.
“People enjoy strolling
in the grass,’’ she said,
noting that pavement gets
hot and is “hard on the tires
and hard on people.”
Old agricultural equip-
ment again will be on dis-
play near the car show,
including a steam-pow-
ered tractor. Many
farmers in the late 1800s
and early 1900s used
steam-powered tractors.
Members of the Elgin
Fire Department return as
well to Riverfest to serve
the Firemen’s Breakfast.
Traditionally the break-
fast has been served indoors
but this year it likely will be
outdoors to make it easier
to meet social distancing
standards.
A quilt show also could
again be held in Elgin High
School’s gym. The Lions
Club will make a final
decision on that later this
month, Oliver said.
Even with the quilt
show, Riverfest will be
smaller this year to allow
for social distancing
standards.
“There will be fewer
activities and it will not be
as long,” Oliver said.
She expects that River-
fest will be back to normal
in 2022, if the pandemic is
over by then.
“By next year it will be
in full swing,” Oliver said.
Sorority adds new fundraiser event, set May 1
Family not guilty of violating
‘stay home’ resolution
By WIL PHINNEY
THuRSday, MaRcH 18, 2021
LOCAL/REGION
The BOT resolution
prohibited “nonessential
tribal, longhouse, social
and recreational gather-
ings of individuals out-
side of a home or place
of residence (parties, cel-
ebrations or other sim-
ilar gatherings)” regard-
less of size, “if a distance
of at least 6 feet between
individuals cannot be
maintained.”
According to the ver-
dict and judgment, Patrick
presented evidence the
“We just wanted people
to take seriously being
careful, being safe and
being healthy.”
urday in December. It would
be impossible to have the
Christmas season fund-
raiser in the Blue Mountain
Conference Center on the
first Saturday in December
because that is when Sorop-
timist International of La
Grande holds its annual Fes-
tival of Trees event.
Taal said moving the
holiday season fund-
raiser to the first Saturday
of December will help it
raise money because more
people are in the Christmas
shopping spirit once
December arrives. She
added many people also
have money for gifts then,
because many have just
gotten paid after the first of
the month.
This means the Delta
Epsilon Sorority fundraiser
and a portion of the Festival
of Trees event both will be
conducted on the first Sat-
urday in December. Taal
said she believes people
will enjoy having the
opportunity to attend both
popular Christmas season
events on the same day.
She noted the times of both
events will not overlap too
much.
Taal has been a member
of the sorority for 26 years.
She is its third-longest
serving active member
behind Gay Zander, who
is assisting her with fund-
raising changes, and
Valdene Gould. Zander has
been a member at least 40
years, and Gould for close
to 60.
No. 2566 was founded
between 50 and 60 years
ago. Its Christmas season
fundraiser was conducted
in late November at the old
Central Elementary School
News Briefs
at 402 K Ave., La Grande,
for about three decades
until the Blue Mountain
Conference Center opened
about 15 years ago. The
sorority made its move
to the conference center
because of the additional
space it provided.
The sorority traditionally
raises about $2,000 for the
community. These funds go
to organizations, programs
and individuals, including
the Union County Special
Olympics, foster care pro-
grams, the Santa Mall and
families in emergency sit-
uations. Delta Epsilon also
sponsors a number of com-
munity events, including the
Union County Fair Parade,
Taal said.
Being able to help her
community as a member of
Delta Epsilon, Taal said, “is
a very fulfilling endeavor.”
Hansell appointed
to serve on State
Fair Council
SALEM — Oregon
Sen. Bill Hansell has an
additional job.
Senate President
Peter Courtney recently
appointed the Repub-
lican from Athena to serve
on the Oregon State Fair
Council, according to a
press release.
“I am excited and
honored to have been
appointed to the State Fair
Council, formerly called
the State Fair Board,”
Hansell said. “I look for-
ward to ensuring state
and county fairs will be
enjoyed by countless more
Oregonians in the future.”
The Oregon State
Fair Council is a state
of Oregon Public Cor-
poration. The governor
appoints 11 of its members,
and the Senate president
and House speaker appoint
one member each.
“I want to thank Senate
President Peter Courtney
for the appointment. I look
forward to serving on the
council,” Hansell said.
“The Oregon State Fair has
been held since the early
days of statehood, and
along with county fairs,
are critical sources of eco-
nomic vitality and cultural
celebration.”
The Union County
Fair welcomed the
appointment.
“Bill Hansell has done
great things for this com-
munity,” said Jamie Jo
Haddock, president of the
Union County Fair Board.
“I’m glad to have him on
and I will be glad to work
with him.”
EOU No. 3 on list
of Oregon colleges
COVID-19 cases
SALEM — A New
York Times review of
COVID-19 cases published
March 2 shows 3,189 cases
of the disease linked to
Oregon colleges since Feb-
Oregon State Fair/Contributed Photo, File
Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, competes in the Oregon
Legislative Goat Milking Showdown at the 150th Oregon
State Fair on Sept. 4, 2015. He is a two-time winner of the
contest and in 2021 is serving on the State Fair Council.
ruary 2020. The University
of Oregon had the highest
reported positive test count
at 1,479. Oregon State is
second at 787 cases and
Eastern Oregon University
was third at 111 cases.
The Times put an
asterisk next to Oregon
Health & Science Uni-
versity in Portland, which
reported 335 cases early in
the pandemic. The campus
includes a medical center
and other facilities that
serve the community.
The review compiled
535,000 cases at more
than 1,900 colleges and
universities.
New program
offers more
preschool options
PENDLETON — The
Oregon Department of
Education’s Early Learning
Division has a new grant to
help children ages 3 and 4
to attend quality preschool
programs before entering
kindergarten.
Preschool Promise is a
model for a publicly funded,
high-quality preschool
system, according to a press
release from the InterMoun-
tain Education Service Dis-
trict. It leverages local and
culturally relevant early
child care and education
programs and makes them
available to children living
at 200% of the poverty level
(for example, a family of
four making $53,000 or less
per year).
According to Michelle
Gomez, coordinated
enrollment specialist at
the Blue Mountain Early
Learning Hub, the purpose
of Preschool Promise pro-
grams is to create an inclu-
sive, welcoming environ-
ment for all children and
families.
There are 11 Preschool
Promise locations in the
Blue Mountain Early
Learning Hub region of
Morrow, Umatilla and
Union counties. Gomez
said some of these pro-
grams are home-based and
some are more traditional
preschool classrooms.
To qualify for Preschool
Promise programs, chil-
dren must be 3 to 4 years
old on or before Sept. 1
of the program year and
they must live in Oregon.
The annual or previous
12 months income of the
child’s family must be at
or below 200% of the fed-
eral poverty line. Children
in foster care are automati-
cally eligible.
For more information
and to sign up for Pre-
school Promise, visit www.
BlueMountainKids.org
or email Contact@Blue-
MountainKids.org.
— EO Media Group