LOCAL
2A — THE OBSERVER
TODAY
TuESday, JunE 15, 2021
Sandy Mayor Stan Pulliam makes stop in La Grande
Today is Tuesday, June 15, the
166th day of 2021. There are 199
days left in the year.
Sandy Mayor Stan Pulliam’s
gubernatorial listening tour
stopped by Max Square on
Saturday, June 12. Former
Elgin Mayor Allan Duffy
helped organize the event.
Pulliam earlier this spring
announced he is consider-
ing a run for the state’s top
office. “As I travel the state
and visit local communities
like La Grande throughout
Oregon I continue to hear
the same thing,” Pulliam
said. “Folks are tired of Port-
land politicians thrusting
their values and beliefs onto
the rest of us. It’s time we
empower local communities
and governments, parents
and school boards to have
the power to control their
own futures.”
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT
IN HISTORY:
On June 15, 1215, England’s
King John put his seal to Magna
Carta (“the Great Charter”) at
Runnymede.
ON THIS DATE:
In 1775, the Second Conti-
nental Congress voted unan-
imously to appoint George
Washington head of the Conti-
nental Army.
In 1864, Secretary of War
Edwin M. Stanton signed an
order establishing a military
burial ground, which became
Arlington National Cemetery in
Virginia.
In 1902, the 20th Century
Limited, an express passenger
train between New York and
Chicago, began service. (The
Limited made its last run in
December 1967.)
In 1904, more than 1,000
people died when fire erupted
aboard the steamboat General
Slocum in New York’s East River.
In 1934, President Franklin D.
Roosevelt signed an act making
the National Guard part of the
U.S. Army in the event of war or
national emergency.
In 1944, American forces
began their successful invasion
of Saipan during World War II.
B-29 Superfortresses carried out
their first raids on Japan.
In 1955, the United States
and Britain signed a cooper-
ation agreement concerning
atomic information for “mutual
defence purposes.”
In 1985, the Shiite Muslim
hijackers of a TWA Boeing 727
beat and shot one of their hos-
tages, U.S. Navy diver Robert
Stethem, 23, throwing him
out of the plane to die on the
tarmac at Beirut airport.
In 1988, the baseball
romantic comedy “Bull
Durham,” starring Kevin Costner
and Susan Sarandon, was
released by Orion Pictures.
In 1991, Mount Pinatubo
in the northern Philippines
exploded in one of the big-
gest volcanic eruptions of the
20th century, killing about 800
people.
In 1996, Ella Fitzgerald, the
“first lady of song,” died in Bev-
erly Hills, California, at age 79.
In 2003, with a deadline
passed for Iraqis to hand in heavy
weapons, U.S. forces fanned out
across Iraq to seize arms and put
down potential foes.
Ten years ago: Pushing back
against congressional criti-
cism, the White House said that
President Barack Obama had
the authority to continue U.S.
military action in Libya even
without authorization from
lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Ari-
zona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords
was released from a Houston
hospital, five months after
being shot in the head during
a Tucson political event. The
Boston Bruins won the Stanley
Cup for the first time since 1972,
beating the Vancouver Canucks
4-0 in Game 7 of the finals;
angry, drunken Vancouver fans
ran wild, setting cars on fire and
looting stores.
Five years ago: The interim
police chief in Oakland, Cali-
fornia, Ben Fairow, was removed
after six days on the job by
Mayor Libby Schaaf, who said
she had lost confidence in his
ability to lead the department
amid a sex scandal in which a
number of officers allegedly
had sex with a teenage prosti-
tute. A public funeral was held
in Detroit for hockey legend
Gordie Howe, who had died five
days earlier at age 88.
LOTTERY
Friday, June 11, 2021
Megamillions
04-43-56-63-68
Megaball: 13
Megaplier: 4
Jackpot: $22 million
Lucky Lines
04-05-10-14-20-21-26-31
Jackpot: $58,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 6-2-0-6
4 p.m.: 4-8-2-1
7 p.m.: 4-3-9-3
10 p.m.: 6-1-4-8
Saturday, June 12, 2021
Powerball
08-25-34-38-41
Powerball: 10
Power Play: 3
Jackpot: $40 million
Megabucks
01-05-08-12-25-31
Jackpot: $4 million
Lucky Lines
01-08-09-16-19-22-27-30
Jackpot: $59,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 3-6-6-5
4 p.m.: 6-0-1-4
7 p.m.: 3-8-7-8
10 p.m.: 3-6-5-7
Win for Life
10-16-62-73
Sunday, June 13, 2021
Lucky Lines
04-08-09-13-17-23-28-31
Estimated jackpot: $60,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 4-0-3-7
4 p.m.: 4-5-8-7
7 p.m.: 8-3-3-9
10 p.m.: 5-8-5-2
Contributed Photo
Fairgrounds could see huge financial boost
Wallowa County Fairgrounds should get
$500K from American Rescue Plan Act
By RONALD BOND
Wallowa County Chieftain
ENTERPRISE — The
Wallowa County Fair-
grounds in Enterprise has
been in need of repairs
for years, possibly even
decades.
A huge windfall of
cash that would serve as
a major boon to getting
many of those fixes com-
pleted could be just around
the corner.
The fair board should
receive later this year
$500,000 from the Amer-
ican Rescue Plan Act
signed in March through
new District 58 Rep.
Bobby Levy, R-Echo.
“It will be used for cap-
ital projects around the
fairgrounds,” Fair Board
Chairwoman Brinda
Stanley said. “We devel-
oped a list early this year.
We have not prioritized
that list, so we’ll just work
our way down through
them and see how much
each project is going to
take. A new roof with
moisture barrier on the
roof is a high priority for
us.”
The money comes from
$240 million in ARPA
funding for the state that
was divided between Ore-
gon’s 90 state senators
and representatives to
hand out for projects in
their districts. Each sen-
ator received $4 million
and each representative
received $2 million that
they then requested to send
to those projects.
County Commissioner
Todd Nash, who also is
on the fair board, said
he brought up the fair-
grounds’ needs to sena-
tors and representatives —
including Levy — when
he learned of the project
money they had to dole
out.
“When I first heard
about that and was on the
phone with a senator or
representative, I did men-
tion to them that the Wal-
lowa County Fairgrounds
would be a nice place to
put it,” he said. “Didn’t
hear anything back from
Sen. (Bill) Hansell. It was
about a week later that
Rep. Levy decided to do
that. We weren’t petitioned
to say, ‘Where would you
like this?’ It kinda came
out of left field and caught
us flat-footed a little bit.”
Nash said he was
thrilled by the prospect of
the fair board receiving
such a boost to help restore
the dilapidated grounds.
“I still believe that is
the heart and soul of our
community,” he said. “It’s
where we gather not only
for fair, (but) for events,
for funerals, for gradua-
tion parties, you name it.
The Cloverleaf Hall has
the largest indoor space in
Wallowa County.”
Laundry list of repairs
needed
Many of the build-
ings at the grounds need
varying levels of repair,
with the total cost esti-
mated at around $647,000.
Grants and fundraisers
have been used through
the years to help fund
upkeep, and Stanley, who
has been on the board
since 2010 and been the
chairwoman most of that
time, said there is an
effort to get some repairs
done annually.
“We try every year to
have money in our budget
to conquer some project
on our fair,” she said,
pointing to the grand-
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
Above, a new roof on the show barn is high on the wish list of im-
provements at the Wallowa County Fairgrounds with about a
half-million dollars expected in federal aid.
stands as an asset that
recently were upgraded.
Even so, Stanley
admitted that, “We
struggle to support our
fairgrounds. This is going
to be much needed.”
Nash rattled off a
laundry list of restoration
tasks that need to be done.
“Right now, the indoor
area is in pretty tough
shape. It needs a new
roof. That was one of the
top priorities,” he said.
“There’s quite a few
things with Cloverleaf
Hall itself, the primary
one being the furnace.
There is an outside chance
we’re going to get money
to do that. But all of the
buildings, the arena itself,
the outdoor arena — the
footing gets complaints
every year from horses
slipping.
“The arena infrastruc-
ture, there with old panels
and rotted posts. There
is just a myriad of things
there that need help with.
Outdoor livestock facili-
ties are in need of repair.”
Bringing restrooms
to Americans with Dis-
abilities Act standards,
upgrading the snack bar
and more are also on the
list.
Stanley said she
believes the grandstands
are the oldest structure on
the grounds, and added
the beef and sheep barns
were constructed in the
1940s.
“I’m hoping at our fair
board meeting we’ll pri-
oritize our projects so we
know what is No. 1,” she
said.
It’s uncertain exactly
when the funds would
be provided to the board.
According to EO Media
Group reporter Gary
Warner, the money would
be in an “as of yet undes-
ignated bill” and would
be part of the 2021-23
budget, but won’t be made
official until the final day
of the legislative ses-
sion, which will be, at the
latest, June 27. The budget
goes into effect July 1.
Stanley said she hopes
the money is in hand so
that work can begin later
this fall before the snow
flies. Work would then
resume in 2022.
If the funding does
indeed come through, “it
means a facility that is
more rentable and more
ready for events (in) our
community which is
important to all of us,”
Stanley said. “That’s the
main thing.
“It will, for our commu-
nity, be huge.”
NEWS BRIEFS
ATV crash injures one
person June 13
STARKEY — One person was
injured in a morning ATV crash
on Sunday, June 13, in the Starkey
Experimental Forest about three
miles northwest of Highway 244.
The individual, a state employee,
was hurt after failing to negotiate a
curve. The injuries are not believed
to be life-threatening, according to
La Grande Fire Department Capt.
Robert Tibbetts.
The crash occurred at about
8:30 a.m. The victim was transported
by ambulance to Grande Ronde
Hospital.
Cherry fruit fly
expected to emerge
LA GRANDE — The Oregon
State University Extension Service in
Union County is warning cherry tree
owners of the impending emergence
of the first adult western cherry fruit
flies in the county.
The release said the fly was
expected to appear Monday, June 14,
and 50% of the adult fly population
should appear by June 27.
Initial spray applications will need
to be made within the first week after
emergence and then follow-up sprays
are needed for season-long control,
according to the release, and one
spray application does not provide
season-long cherry fruit fly control.
Adults mature and begin laying
eggs in the fruit. After about seven
to 10 days, the eggs hatch into larvae
which feed on the fruit for two to
three weeks. At this time, larvae
emerge from the fruit, drop to the
soil to pupate and over-winter until
this time next year.
People who have cherry trees
should either spray their own trees
or hire a commercial applicator to
spray trees. Those who opt to spray
their own trees should make sure the
insecticide they use is labeled for use
on fruit/cherry trees. Always read
and follow label directions for safe
pesticide use, frequency of applica-
tion and pre-harvest intervals.
At this time, Ridley Pest Control
is offering local cherry tree spraying
services.
Wallowa County hosting
Oregon State Grange
Convention
ENTERPRISE — The Oregon
State Grange is holding its 148th-an-
nual State Grange Convention in
Enterprise from Saturday, June
19, through Thursday, June 24,
according to a press release.
The meetings will be at the Wal-
lowa County Fairgrounds, 668 N.W.
First St., Enterprise, with a kickoff
banquet and talent show on June 19
at the Enterprise Christian Church,
85035 Joseph Highway, Enterprise.
Grange members from throughout
Oregon will be in attendance, the
release said.
The Grange, officially known as
the Order of Patrons of Husbandry,
is a fraternal organization with a rich
history and an important community
presence in the United States. The
Grange has its roots in agricultural
traditions and today serves the needs
of communities across the country.
The Oregon State Grange began in
1873.
The Oregon State Grange is
divided into six districts that rotate
hosting the state convention. Dis-
trict 6 is comprised of the eastern 10
counties of Oregon. With recognition
of the importance of rodeos in the
area, District 6 chose the theme of
“Get Your Kicks in District 6.”
— The Observer
WALLOWA COUNTY
New
look and
a new
name
Newsletter is now
called Wallowa
Quarterly
By RONALD BOND
Wallowa County Chieftain
WALLOWA — For
years, the Wallowa History
Center produced a news-
letter that shared informa-
tion about the past of the
town.
It now has a completely
new look — and a new
name.
The Wallowa Quar-
terly made its debut earlier
this year. The glossy-paper
magazine is an expansion
of the efforts made by his-
tory center Director Mary
Ann Burrows, and still
includes many of her latest
finds for the center.
“Mary Ann turned out
the first newsletter. Mem-
bership was only $5 a year,
but members weren’t really
getting anything, they were
just giving,” said Mark
Highberger, the magazine’s
editor and publisher. “We
wanted to be able to spread
the word that we were pro-
viding this service.”
The first newsletter Bur-
rows produced came out
in 2003, two years after
the center was formed, and
contained old photos and
other information she col-
lected for the center.
“It was a four-page pho-
tocopy one that was mailed
out to members,” High-
berger said. “The news-
letter just started to evolve,
but was always between
four to eight pages, off a
photocopier.”
In all, 39 editions of the
newsletter were produced
over the last 18 years. But
with the 20th anniversary
of the center approaching,
there was a feeling that it
was time for more.
After some studying to
find the right printing com-
pany, the newsletter was
transformed.
“The first one came
out in March, and we just
received from the printer
yesterday the second
copy,” Highberger said
during a Thursday, May 27,
interview.
It’s at least double the
size of the newsletter. The
first edition of the Quar-
terly — the 40th overall —
was 16 pages, and edition
No. 41 was expanded to 20
pages. Inside, it consists of
photographs, maps, stories
and more.
“It depends on one,
what catches my interest,
but two, what Mary Ann
gives me,” Highberger said
of deciding on the content.
“Not very much time goes
by, and she’ll come up with
a gem.
“That will lead to a
story, depending on how
much material I can get on
it. The history center has
a digital online archive of
all the historical newspa-
pers. It goes back to the
1870s.”
The latest edition has a
piece about a now-defunct
town that once stood north
of Lostine.
“The current one has
a lead story about a town
called Evans,” Highberger
said.
Burrows said she was
more than pleased with the
effort Highberger put into
the Quarterly.
“I think it’s wonderful.
I’m very pleased with
the Quarterly,” she said.
“And we have had great
response for it, too. Mark
is such a good writer. We
worked together earlier, he
printed some little books.
I really like it. I think it’s
wonderful.”
The cost of a member-
ship has doubled — $10
now as opposed to $5, but
that includes getting the
Quarterly delivered four
times a year. The maga-
zine itself sells for $10.