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TUESDAY EDITION
May 11, 2021
COVID-19
Classics on stage
Case counts
slow in
some parts
of Eastern
Oregon
Chekhov plays
offer challenge
Local actors play opposites at
Elgin Opera House production
By GARY A. WARNER
Oregon Capital Bureau
SALEM — Eastern Oregon
showed a mixed set of results
under the latest weekly
COVID-19 risk level numbers
released by the Oregon Health
Authority on Monday, May 10.
Because of the wide diff er-
ence in population, a smaller
county’s numbers can often show
wide swings based on small sam-
ples. OHA has often put counties
in lower levels than the statistics
might indicate because of under-
lying information.
Umatilla County — cate-
gorized as a large county —
dropped nearly 10 points to 136.2
cases per 100,000, a rate that
would rank it as moderate risk.
The only downside was an uptick
in the percent of positive cases to
5.5% in the new reporting period,
up from 5% reported last week.
Baker County’s statistics were
trending down but remained
high compared to other areas in
the state. The county showed a
decline in cases to 47 and a drop
in cases per 100,000 to 277.9 from
360.7 in the previous report. The
positive infection rate is 9&, down
from 10.6% in the last report.
Union County held the line for
the most part on cases. It showed
a small uptick in positive test
rates, to 2.7% from 2%, but its
case numbers were almost iden-
tical to the last reporting period.
Cases and rates are up in Wal-
lowa and Gilliam counties, but the
small population leaves their risk
level status to be announced May
11 more up in the air than other
counties in the region.
Grant County, a hot spot in
recent weeks, showed an overall
decline in cases, but reported pos-
itive cases were up to 10% —
twice the level that OHA says
is needed to keep cases from
rebounding sharply.
The offi cial announcement on
any changes in risk levels — and
restrictions in each county — will
not be announced by Gov. Kate
Brown until Tuesday, May 11.
But some of the numbers
showed clear indicators of what to
expect.
Overall, they show a slight
decline COVID-19 cases over the
past two weeks, compared to last
week’s report.
The state reported 10,755 new
cases over the two-week period,
See, Cases/Page 5A
By DICK MASON
The Observer
Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors,”
with performance July 23-24, July 30-31 and
Aug. 6-7. But the fi nal performances of Aug.
13-14 will shift to La Grande, where Max
Square will serve as the stage. The Elgin
Opera House will announce performance
times later.
“The Comedy of Errors” is about the
misadventures of two sets of identical twins.
It was one of Shakespeare’s shortest works
and one of his earliest, for it was fi rst per-
formed 1594.
ELGIN — The art of role reversal takes
the stage this month at the Elgin Opera
House.
Union Country actors Victoria Ingram,
Caiti Burke and Cody Wyld Flower are fea-
tured in “Love Is a Scandal: An Evening of
Anton Chekhov One Acts” beginning this
weekend, performing two one-act plays by
the Russian playwright — “The Bear: A
Joke in One Act, or The Boor” and “The
Proposal.”
“The Boor” is about two people who hate
each other but fall in love, and “The Pro-
posal” is about two people about to get mar-
ried who fi nd they can’t stand each other.
The same actors portray the opposite char-
acters in the two plays.
“It is a challenge every actor enjoys,”
director Grant Turner said. “You don’t want
to do the same thing over and over.”
Flower said “The Boor” calls for particu-
larly intense acting.
“I hope I am dripping with sweat after-
ward, otherwise something will be wrong,”
he said.
Chekhov wrote both one-act plays in the
late 1880s. “The Boor” premiered on stage
in 1888, and “The Proposal” was fi rst per-
formed in 1890.
Prior to each of the live one-act produc-
tions at the Elgin Opera House, a three-
minute recording by renowned English actor
Michael Pennington will be played. Pen-
nington will be heard reading passages of
Chekhov short stories that are similar to the
two plays. The readings are meant to help
set the mood for the performances.
Social distancing rules will be in
eff ect for the productions because of the
COVID-19 pandemic. This means the
capacity for each production will be 70
people in the Elgin Opera House’s theater,
which can seat 250.
Flower said he is looking forward to per-
forming again before a live audience after
See, Shakespeare/Page 5A
See, Chekhov/Page 5A
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
Grant Turner (right) looks on during a rehearsal of Anton Chekhov’s “The Bear: A Joke in One Act, or The Boor,”
on Sunday, May 9, 2021. Turner, who serves as the associate artistic director of the Elgin Opera House, says the
theater plans to construct an outdoor stage this summer to host Shakespeare plays.
A touch of the Bard in the evening
Outdoor production set of Shakespeare’s ‘The Comedy of Errors’
By DICK MASON
The Observer
ELGIN — Shakespeare said all the
world’s a stage, and locals will have the
opportunity this summer in Elgin to see the
curtains rise on the poet and playwright’s
works.
An outdoor, 30-foot stage north of the
Elgin Opera House and south of the Elgin
Train Depot is set to be assembled. It will
serve as the site of summer evening Shake-
speare performances, said Grant Turner, the
associate artistic director of the Elgin Opera
House.
The evening performances, Turner said,
may become known as “Shakespeare at
Sunset.”
“We want to create something which will
be a destination,” Turner said.
Island City Elementary School is
donating the stage, and set-up work, which
will involve the connecting of four plat-
forms, starts soon.
The outdoor site will lack seating.
Instead, audience members will watch from
the greenery of the adjoining lawn.
The fi rst production on the stage will be
ELGIN OPERA HOUSE
PERFORMANCES
• “The Bear: A Joke in One Act, or The Boor” and “The Pro-
posal” — May 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 and 29. Performances start
at 7:30 p.m.
• “The Comedy of Errors” — July 23-24, July 30-31, Aug.
6-7 in Elgin and Aug. 13-14 in La Grande. Times to be
announced later.
• For information on purchasing tickets, call 541-663-
6324 or visit the Elgin Opera House’s website, elginopera-
house.com.
Search for missing woman ends with recovery of body
The Observer
MEACHAM — The search in
the Meacham area for a missing
Idaho woman ended Saturday
afternoon, May 8, with the
recovery of her body.
The Umatilla County Sheriff ’s
Offi ce in a press release reported
searchers at approximately 1 p.m.
notifi ed the incident command
post of fi nding the body of Deb-
orah “Deb” Hendrichs on the
east side of Interstate 84 south of
Meacham near milepost 238.
Hendrichs, 56, of Star, Idaho,
went missing Jan. 11 at about
5 p.m. just outside Meacham,
where her car, a black Toyota
RAV4, ran out of gas at a bridge
entrance.
The eff ort on Saturday
involved numerous agencies and
organizations, including sheriff ’s
offi ce personnel from Umatilla,
Union, Wallowa, Baker, Gilliam
and Grant counties, Oregon State
Police, Delmar Aerospace Cor-
poration and others.
Early on in the search,
according to the press release,
K-9 teams located a wallet and
other items matching those in the
search plan. The wallet contained
identifi cation belonging to Hen-
INDEX
Classified ...............4B
Comics ....................7B
Crossword .............4B
Dear Abby .............8B
Home ......................1B
Umatilla County Sheriff ’s Offi ce/Contributed Photo
Personnel from numerous Eastern Oregon sheriff ’s offi ces and other organizations meet for a briefi ng Saturday morning, May 8,
2021, near Meacham before beginning the search for Deborah Hendrichs, 56, of Star, Idaho, who has been missing since Jan. 11. The
Umatilla County Sheriff ’s Offi ce a little after 4 p.m. the same day reported searchers found Hendrichs’ body.
drichs. A team of law enforce-
ment offi cers then secured that
scene while drone and K-9 teams
worked nearby areas.
“Shortly afterward, the call
came in that a body had been
found by a K-9 team,” the press
release stated. “At that time,
all search teams were notifi ed
WEATHER
Horoscope .............4B
Letters ....................4A
Local/Region ........2A
Lottery ....................3A
Nation.....................7A
THURSDAY
Obituaries ..............3A
Opinion ..................4A
Sports .....................8A
State ........................6A
Sudoku ...................7B
to return to incident command
post. Family members have been
notifi ed.”
Oregon State Police, the
Umatilla County Sheriff ’s Offi ce
and other searchers responded
to the scene for recovery of the
body.
“This operation involved
Full forecast on the back of B section
Tonight
Wednesday
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Partly cloudy
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NURSING PROGRAM AND TELEHEALTH
detailed planning and execution,
which resulted in a successful
end to help bring closure for the
family and loved ones,” the press
release said. “We would like to
express our sincere condolences
to the family of Deb Hendrichs.
It has been our privilege to help
bring her home.”
CONTACT US
541-963-3161
Issue 54
2 sections, 16 pages
La Grande, Oregon
Email story ideas
to news@lagrande
observer.com.
More contact info
on Page 4A.
Online at lagrandeobserver.com