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May 1, 2021
OUTDOORS & REC, 1B
WEEKEND EDITION
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Planting 100 trees a year
La Grande continues
tradition of growing
its urban forest
Cove School
Board election
has one
contested race
By ALEX WITTWER
The Observer
LA GRANDE — The city
of La Grande’s urban for-
ester Teresa Gustafson said her
favorite trees are the Ginkgos
that sit along Washington
Avenue. During fall months
they turn golden and shower
the street with their petals.
“Our goal is to plant 100
shade trees every year in the
city,” Gustafson said.
The numerous trees, she also
explained, make La Grande
a vibrant place to live, with
cooler streets and homes, hab-
itat for wildlife, cleaner air and
water and other benefi ts.
The city celebrated its
31st year as a Tree City USA
member on Arbor Day, Friday,
April 30. Last year, La Grande
won a Growth Award for the
29th consecutive year, one of
only a handful of cities to do so
nationwide. The city hopes to
win the award once again this
year.
Among the colorful fl ow-
ering peach and plum trees
that bloom in spring, the city
is host to two Oregon Heritage
Trees. Those are trees the Her-
itage Tree Committee, under
the Oregon Travel Information
Council, deem as worthy of
state recognition.
One of the earliest pioneers
to the area, James Baker, hap-
pened across the treeless plain
and began planting in the mid-
19th century. The Baker black
locust tree at Eastern Oregon
University is one of the sur-
viving trees that he planted
during his stay. The tree stood
above the grave of Baker’s
wife, Elizabeth. Trees that
tell a story are one criteria for
earning the honor, according to
the Heritage Tree Committee’s
website.
Gustafson said the black
locust may be the oldest
planted tree in La Grande at
136 years old.
Incumbent Andy
Lindsey faces challenge
from Chris Thew
By DICK MASON
The Observer
COVE — Two men, both
optimistic about the Cove School
District’s future, are vying for
an opportunity to help guide
the school district the next four
years.
Chris Thew, an athletic
trainer, is challenging incumbent
Andy Lindsey, a civil engineer,
in a race for Position 1 on the
Cove School Board. This is the
only contested school board race
this year in the Cove
School District.
Lindsey, who
works for Anderson
Perry & Associ-
ates Inc., is com-
pleting his fi fth year
Lindsey
on the school board.
He said he decided
to seek reelection
because he wants to
help the school dis-
trict keep moving in
the right direction.
Thew
“Our cur-
rent school board works very
well together,” Lindsey said.
“Together, we can help the
school district make great
strides.”
He said the school district is
doing well in terms of academic
achievement and is on solid
ground fi nancially. This was evi-
dent when the school district was
able to build a new $1.8 million
dining hall, completed in March
2020, with funds from the dis-
trict’s capital construction fund,
which it had been putting money
in for years.
“It is fantastic that we were
able to build it without taking on
any debt,” Lindsey said.
If voters send him back to the
board, Lindsey said he would
pursue grants to help the district
chart its future course.
“I want to help the school dis-
trict determine its long-term
direction,” he said.
The board likely will be
taking related steps, such as
evaluating the Cove Elemen-
tary School building that was
built at least eight decades ago.
Lindsey said the board, looking
See, Trees/Page 5A
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
The Baker black locust tree stands about 180 feet tall outside Hunt Hall at Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, and is possibly
the oldest tree planted in town. James Baker planted the tree in the mid-19th century to commemorate the death of his wife,
Elizabeth.
Gun restrictions advance in House
Rep. Bobby Levy says
bill criminalizes law-
abiding citizens, won’t
curb gun violence
See, Cove/Page 5A
OREGON GUN
RESTRICTIONS BILL
•Senate Bill 554 passed 34-24 with no
Republican support.
•Requires keeping trigger or cable locks
on gun and storing guns in a locked con-
tainer or in a gun room.
•An off ense is a Class C violation unless
someone under age 18 obtains access,
then it is a Class A violation.
•Bars estimated 300,000 holders of
Oregon concealed-handgun licenses from
bringing fi rearms into some public places.
•Raises initial fi ling fees for con-
cealed-handgun licenses from $50 to
$100, and for renewals, from $50 to $75.
By PETER WONG
Oregon Capital Bureau
SALEM — The Oregon
House, on a largely party-line
vote, approved a bill that com-
bines storage requirements for
fi rearms with a narrower ban on
guns in some public places.
The 34-24 vote on Thursday,
April 29, sends the revamped
Senate Bill 554 back to the
Senate, which can vote to accept
the changes — and send it to
Gov. Kate Brown — or reject it
and force a joint panel to nego-
tiate the diff erences.
Support came exclusively
from Democrats. Three of the 37
Democrats voted no: Paul Evans
INDEX
Classified ...............2B
Comics ....................5B
Crossword .............2B
Dear Abby .............6B
E.J. Harris/East Oregonian, File
A selection of rifl es lines the wall in April 2018 in the sporting goods section of the D&B
Supply in Pendleton. The Oregon House on Thursday, April 29, 2021, approved a bill
that combines storage requirements for fi rearms with a narrower ban on guns in some
public places.
of Monmouth, David Gomberg of
Otis and Mark Meek of Oregon
City.
Opposition came largely
WEATHER
Outdoors ...............1b
Horoscope .............4B
Letters ....................4A
Lottery ....................3A
TUESDAY
Obituaries ..............3A
Opinion ..................4A
Sports .....................6A
Sudoku ...................5B
EOU DIGITAL ARTISTS SHOW
from Republicans, mostly from
rural areas. Exceptions were
from Clackamas County, where
both Democratic Rep. Meek and
Full forecast on the back of B section
Tonight
Sunday
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Patchy clouds
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Republican Leader Christine
Drazan of Canby spoke against
it. No Republicans voted for it.
“This is a misguided pro-
posal that will do nothing to
aff ect gun violence in our state
while criminalizing our most
See, Guns/Page 5A
CONTACT US
541-963-3161
Issue 50
2 sections, 12 pages
La Grande, Oregon
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Online at lagrandeobserver.com