LOCAL
2A — THE OBSERVER
TODAY
Today is Thursday, May 27, the
147th day of 2021. There are 218
days left in the year.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT IN
HISTORY:
On May 27, 1941, the British
Royal Navy sank the German battle-
ship Bismarck off France with a loss
of some 2,000 lives, three days after
the Bismarck sank the HMS Hood
with the loss of more than 1,400
lives. amid rising world tensions,
President Franklin d. Roosevelt
proclaimed an “unlimited national
emergency” during a radio address
from the White House.
ON THIS DATE:
In 1861, Chief Justice Roger
Taney, sitting as a federal circuit
court judge in Baltimore, ruled that
President abraham Lincoln lacked
the authority to suspend the writ of
habeas corpus (Lincoln disregarded
the ruling).
In 1896, 255 people were killed
when a tornado struck St. Louis,
Missouri, and East St. Louis, Illinois.
In 1933, the Chicago World’s Fair,
celebrating “a Century of Progress,”
officially opened. Walt disney’s
academy award-winning animated
short “The Three Little Pigs” was first
released.
In 1935, the u.S. Supreme Court,
in Schechter Poultry Corp. v. united
States, unanimously struck down
the National Industrial Recovery
act, a key component of President
Franklin d. Roosevelt’s “New deal”
legislative program.
In 1937, the newly completed
Golden Gate Bridge connecting
San Francisco and Marin County,
California, was opened to pedestrian
traffic (vehicles began crossing the
next day).
In 1942, doris “dorie” Miller, a
cook aboard the uSS West Virginia,
became the first african-ameri-
can to receive the Navy Cross for
displaying “extraordinary courage
and disregard for his own personal
safety” during Japan’s attack on Pearl
Harbor.
In 1964, independent India’s first
prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru,
died.
In 1968, the u.S. Supreme Court,
in united States v. O’Brien, upheld
the conviction of david O’Brien for
destroying his draft card outside a
Boston courthouse, ruling that the
act was not protected by freedom
of speech.
In 1993, five people were killed
in a bombing at the uffizi museum
of art in Florence, Italy; some three
dozen paintings were ruined or
damaged.
In 1994, Nobel Prize-winning
author alexander Solzhenitsyn
returned to Russia to the emotional
cheers of thousands after spending
two decades in exile.
In 1998, Michael Fortier, the
government’s star witness in the
Oklahoma City bombing case, was
sentenced to 12 years in prison after
apologizing for not warning anyone
about the deadly plot. (Fortier was
freed in January 2006.)
In 2018, LeBron James reached
his eighth straight NBa Finals as
the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the
Boston Celtics 87-79 in Game 7 of
the semifinals.
Ten years ago: astronauts Mike
Fincke and Gregory Chamitoff made
history as the final spacewalkers of
NaSa’s 30-year shuttle program,
completing construction of the
International Space Station with the
smooth addition of an extension
pole. President Barack Obama, visit-
ing Poland, honored the memories
of those slain in the Warsaw Ghetto
uprising against Nazis. Gil Scott-Her-
on, 62, widely considered one of
the godfathers of rap music, died in
New york. actor Jeff Conaway died
at a hospital in Encino, California; he
was 60.
Five years ago: President Barack
Obama became the first american
chief executive to visit Hiroshima,
the city where the u.S. dropped the
first atomic bomb during World War
II, declaring it a fitting place to sum-
mon people everywhere to embrace
the vision of a world without nuclear
weapons.
LOTTERY
Megabucks: $3.1
million
6-13-15-19-20-33
Powerball: $218 million
3-19-27-37-40 — PB
8 x2
Mega Millions: $20
million
14-21-31-34-54 — MB
11 x3
Win for Life: May 24
1-2-29-43
Pick 4: May 25
• 1 p.m.: 7-1-8-9
• 4 p.m.: 6-0-7-0
• 7 p.m.: 4-5-9-7
• 10 p.m.: 3-0-9-0
Pick 4: May 24
• 1 p.m.: 9-2-3-2
• 4 p.m.: 4-0-7-1
• 7 p.m.: 0-1-6-9
• 10 p.m.: 6-0-8-0
Pick 4: May 23
• 1 p.m.: 7-4-3-0
• 4 p.m.: 5-5-3-2
• 7 p.m.: 0-5-3-9
• 10 p.m.: 1-0-1-7
THuRSday, May 27, 2021
Summer program set for students in Cove
By DICK MASON
The Observer
COVE — No camp-
fires will be burning on
Cove Elementary School’s
campus this summer yet
it may have a summer
camp-like
atmosphere.
The school
will be the
site of a new
School Enrich-
ment Pro-
Pettit
gram for
children in kindergarten
through fifth grade, one in
which students will dis-
cover that learning about
math, science and art can
be as enjoyable as roasting
marshmallows.
“It will be more like
a summer camp than a
school,” Cove School
School District Superinten-
dent Earl Pettit said.
Each day, students will
participate in organized
physical activities and
engage in free reading or
artistic activities of their
choosing. Students will
also complete a Science,
Technology, Engineering,
Artistic and Math program
task aligned with the mis-
sion and goals of the school.
The titles of the daily
activities to be conducted,
including “Storage Wars”
and “Pumpkin Chuckin’,”
offer hints of the fun stu-
dents may have on their
horizons. Storage Wars
will challenge students to
see how much they can fit
into a space, and Pumpkin
Chuckin’ will have students
simulate firing pumpkins
with catapults while using
cotton balls.
The free program will be
open to all children now in
kindergarten through fifth
grade in the Cove School
District. Cove teachers
Lacey Baird and Tricia
Tucker will lead the ses-
sions. Baird will run the
program for children in kin-
dergarten through second
grade and Tucker will lead
students in grades 3 to 5.
Children will not receive
grades for the work they do
with the Summer Enrich-
ment Program.
Three 10-day units
are available for students
to sign up for. The units
will be Young Olym-
pians, which will run June
14-29; Fall into Fun, June
30 to July 15; and Leop-
ards Give Back, July 19
through Aug. 3.
Children will learn
about community service
in Leopards Give Back.
The Young Olympians pro-
gram will teach participants
using an athletic theme
— for example, they will
build miniature bobsleds in
which Ping-Pong balls will
represent the riders. Fall
into Fun, Pettit said, will
have an artistic theme.
Sessions will run from
8:30-11:30 a.m. Monday
through Thursday from
June 14 to Aug. 3.
Parents can enroll
their children in one, two
or all three of the units,
depending upon available
space. Each unit has space
for 20 children in both the
K-2 and 3-5 grade divisions.
MORE
INFORMATION
additional information is available
at the Cove School district’s web-
site at www.cove.k12.or.us.
The program will be
funded by an $85,000
grant the Cove School
District was awarded by
the state and will be sim-
ilar to an after-school pro-
gram Cove Elementary
School will launch this
fall, which will be paid for
with money from the Cove
School District’s general
fund.
“This grant allows the
school to essentially start
the after-school program
early as a summer enrich-
ment program,” Pettit said.
Forest officials caution visitors ahead of holiday weekend
Some roads, trails, campgrounds remain
closed or impassable due to snowfall
By BRYCE DOLE
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — As
outdoor enthusiasts pre-
pare to head to the moun-
tains this Memorial Day
weekend, Umatilla National
Forest officials are cau-
tioning that some roads,
trails and campgrounds
remain closed or impass-
able due to late-season
snowfall.
A press release from the
Umatilla National Forest
said some shaded areas and
cutbacks on mountain roads
may still have dense snow-
drifts that vehicles cannot
pass, and “most” trails for
hiking and cars have yet to
be maintained. Some roads
damaged during flooding
events in February and
May 2020 remain closed.
Officials are now
working to prepare camp-
sites and recreational areas
at lower elevations for hol-
iday weekend visitors, the
press release said.
“Our first focus is
to address hazard tree
removal and other safety
issues before our camp-
grounds can open to the
public,” said Forest Rec-
reation Program Manager
Shane Dittlinger.
Some campgrounds will
be open during the holiday
weekend with services like
“clean-up and start-up” lim-
ited, the press release said.
“Our seasonal work-
force is still coming on so
we’re working really hard
with the limited number of
employees we do have on
staff,” added Dittlinger.
Campgrounds that will
be open for the holiday
weekend include Alder
Thicket, Bear Wallow,
Big Creek Meadows, Big
Springs, Bull Prairie Lake,
Coalmine Hill, Drift Fence,
Driftwood, Divide Well,
Fairview, Frazier, Forest
Boundary, Gold Dredge,
Ladybug, Lane Creek,
Panjab, North Fork John
Day, Oriental, Pataha, Pen-
land Lake, Tollbridge,
Tucannon, Welch Creek
and Winom.
Campgrounds that
remain closed include
Godman, Jubilee Lake,
Mottet, Midway, Misery,
Olive Lake, Target
Meadows, Teal Spring,
Umatilla Forks, Wickiup,
Woodward and Woodland.
Forest officials are urging
visitors to contact their
local ranger district before
heading to the mountains
umatilla National Forest/Contributed Photo
Umatilla National Forest officials are working to prepare campsites and recreational areas at lower eleva-
tions for Memorial Day weekend visitors.
to confirm where they plan
to travel is open and acces-
sible. Officials are also
warning visitors to refrain
from driving on wet or
unstable ground and to keep
an eye out for “pull-offs in
rocky, well-drained areas,”
the press release said.
Visitors are reminded
to be cautious while main-
taining a campfire and to
never leave one unattended.
They should also pack extra
United Way hosts virtual singing
competition for Blue Mountain region
Winner to receive
$2,500, other prizes
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
WALLA WALLA —
United Way of the Blue
Mountains is hosting
the Sing United Clash of
Blue Mountain Beats, its
inaugural fundraiser and
singing competition for
local bands and musicians.
The head-to-head com-
petition is being held vir-
tually across Walla Walla,
Columbia, Umatilla,
Morrow, Baker, Union,
Wallowa, Grant, Harney
and Malheur counties. The
winner of the competi-
tion will receive $2,500 in
addition to a private photo-
shoot, a ticket to the 2021
Pendleton Round-Up and
an opportunity to perform
a local live show.
Viewers can vote online
for their favorite acts by
donating to United Way;
every one dollar donated
counts as a vote. Proceeds
from the voting will ben-
efit United Way of the Blue
Mountains, whose mission
is to create a thriving com-
munity for all.
The competition con-
sists of 22 registered con-
testants competing in a
bracket-style tournament
for first prize. Contes-
tants have already started
their matchups and the
winner will be crowned
by mid-June, according
to United Way of the Blue
Mountains.
“Seeing people be able
to support not just United
Way but also supporting
local artists and their
aspirations is so heart-
warming,” said Monica
Boyle, director of develop-
ment of United Way of the
Blue Mountains.
According to Boyle,
votes have been counted
across the country from
regions as far as Florida
and Alaska. Families and
friends of the musicians
have chipped in to help
the acts advance in the
competition.
United Way of the Blue
Mountains is located out
of Washington but seeks
to spread into the North-
eastern Oregon area.
“It’s amazing to see the
support United Way is able
to pull,” Boyle said. “We’re
really excited to begin
growing our footprint in the
Eastern Oregon region.”
Rental, utilities assistance available
The Observer
SALEM — Qualified
renters are now able to
submit applications to the
Oregon Emergency Rental
Assistance Program for
funding to pay rent, rent
arrears, future rent and
certain home utility costs,
according to a press release.
The program will dis-
tribute $204 million to
renters who have experi-
enced financial hardship
due to the coronavirus pan-
demic and are at risk of
homelessness or housing
instability.
The Oregon Housing
and Community Services
is coordinating with local
administrators to emphasize
an equitable approach in the
processing of applications
and distribution of funds.
This partnership helps
ensure OERAP makes the
greatest local impact.
Relief resources will be
distributed to renters who
meet the following federal
eligibility requirements:
• Have income less
than 80% of Area Median
Income.
• Have an individual
in the household who has
qualified for unemployment
benefits or experienced
a reduction in household
income, incurred significant
costs or experienced other
financial hardship due to
the coronavirus pandemic.
• Demonstrates a risk of
experiencing homelessness
or housing instability.
Federal guidance
requires that grantees pri-
oritize households with
incomes less than 50%
AMI and households with
one or more members who
have been unemployed for
at least 90 days.
For more information
about the program visit
OregonRentalAssistance.
org.
For assistance con-
tact your local Commu-
nity Connection of North-
east Oregon Inc. office. In
Wallowa County call 541-
426-3840, in Baker County
call 541-523-6591, in Grant
County call 541-575-2949
or in Union County call
541-963-7532.
food, water, clothing and
emergency supplies and let
people know where they’re
going and when they hope
to be back, as cellphone
service in the mountains is
limited.
Motorists should obtain
a Motorized Vehicle Use
Map before heading to the
mountains to ride all-ter-
rain vehicles, the press
release said.
Visitors are required to
pay a nightly fee of between
$8 and $24, with fees added
for additional vehicles at a
given campsite.
Reservations can now
be made for campsites at
Bull Prairie Lake, Jubilee
Lake, North Fork John Day
and Olive Lake. All other
campsites in the Umatilla
National Forest are avail-
able on a first-come, first-
served basis, according to
the press release.
LOCAL BRIEFING
Merkley schedules
virtual town hall for
Wallowa County
PORTLAND — Ore-
gon’s U.S. Sen. Jeff
Merkley will hold
a virtual town hall
meeting Tuesday, June
1, for Wallowa County,
according to a press
release from the sena-
tor’s office.
Merkley
will use the
town hall as
an oppor-
tunity to
update Wal-
Merkley
lowa County
residents on
his work in Washington,
D.C. Merkley will be
answering questions
directly from the public
in attendance and taking
suggestions on issues
facing Oregon and the
U.S.
“The ideas and prior-
ities I hear in town halls
inform the solutions that
I fight to get into federal
law,” Merkley said.
Merkley joined the
U.S. Senate in 2009 and
has held a town hall
meeting in each of Ore-
gon’s 36 counties every
year. The June 1 Wal-
lowa County town hall
marks his 20th town hall
this year.
Merkley also serves
on the Senate’s Appro-
priations, Environmental
and Public Works,
Budget, and Foreign
Relations committees.
The meeting will
begin at 11 a.m. and
can be joined using the
Zoom platform. People
who want to attend
can email TownHall@
merkley.senate.gov with
the name of their county
in the subject line to
obtain the Zoom link.
Business classes and
tech support being
offered at NEOEDD
ENTERPRISE —
Technical support for
business owners in Wal-
lowa and Union coun-
ties is being offered on a
first-come, first-served
basis through the North-
east Oregon Economic
Development District,
according to a press
release from NEOEDD
Executive Director Lisa
Dawson.
The services will be
available through June.
The funding comes
from Business Oregon,
the Ignite Center for
Entrepreneurship, the city
of La Grande Economic
Development Department
and the NEOEDD.
They have contracted
with subject matter
experts to provide assis-
tance with branding and
logos, social media mar-
keting, website support,
bookkeeping, accounting
consult, business plan-
ning, video advertise-
ment, classes in Excel
or Quickbooks and
other services to small
businesses.
Any small business
looking to improve its
business image, social
media marketing, web-
site, bookkeeping or
business plan is urged to
apply.
Apply at https://
tinyurl.com/
NEOEDDbusinessclasses.
Applications will be
reviewed and applicants
connected to a service
provider.
— EO Media Group