LOCAL
2A — THE OBSERVER
TODAY
Today is Thursday, June 17,
the 168th day of 2021. There are
197 days left in the year.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT
IN HISTORY:
On June 17, 1994, after
leading police on a slow-speed
chase on Southern California
freeways, O.J. Simpson was
arrested and charged with
murder in the slayings of his
ex-wife, Nicole, and her friend,
Ronald Goldman. (Simpson was
later acquitted in a criminal trial
but held liable in a civil trial.)
ON THIS DATE:
In 1775, the Revolutionary
War Battle of Bunker Hill
resulted in a costly victory for
the British, who suffered heavy
losses.
In 1885, the Statue of Lib-
erty arrived in New York Harbor
aboard the French ship Isere.
In 1933, the “Kansas City Mas-
sacre” took place outside Union
Station in Kansas City, Mo., as a
group of gunmen attacked law
enforcement officers escorting
federal prisoner Frank Nash;
four of the officers were killed,
along with Nash.
In 1963, the U.S. Supreme
Court, in Abington (Pa.) School
District v. Schempp, struck
down, 8-1, rules requiring the
recitation of the Lord’s Prayer
or reading of Biblical verses in
public schools.
In 1967, China successfully
tested its first thermonuclear
(hydrogen) bomb.
In 1972, President Richard
Nixon’s eventual downfall
began with the arrest of five
burglars inside the Democratic
headquarters in Washington,
D.C.’s Watergate complex.
In 1986, President Ronald
Reagan announced the retire-
ment of Chief Justice Warren
Burger, who was succeeded by
William Rehnquist.
In 2009, President Barack
Obama extended some ben-
efits to same-sex partners of
federal employees. Nevada
Sen. John Ensign resigned
from the GOP leadership a day
after admitting an affair with a
former campaign staffer.
In 2012, Rodney King, 47,
whose 1991 videotaped beating
by Los Angeles police sparked
widespread outrage and who
struggled with addiction and
repeated arrests, died in Rialto,
California, in an apparent acci-
dental drowning.
In 2013, the U.S. Supreme
Court ruled 7-2 that states can’t
demand proof of citizenship
from people registering to vote
in federal elections.
In 2015, nine people were
shot to death in a historic
African-American church in
Charleston, South Carolina; sus-
pect Dylann Roof was arrested
the following morning. (Roof
was convicted of federal hate
crimes and sentenced to death;
he later pleaded guilty to state
murder charges and was sen-
tenced to life in prison without
parole.)
In 2019, Iran announced that
it was breaking compliance
with the international accord
that kept it from making nuclear
weapons; the announcement
meant that Iran could soon
start to enrich uranium to just a
step away from weapons-grade
levels. The Trump administra-
tion followed Iran’s announce-
ment by ordering 1,000 more
troops to the Middle East.
Ten years ago: The United
Nations endorsed the rights of
gay, lesbian and transgender
people for the first time ever,
passing a resolution hailed as
historic by the U.S. and other
backers and decried by some
African and Muslim countries. .
Five years ago: President
Barack Obama, his wife and
their daughters traveled to
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
in New Mexico as part of a long
Father’s Day weekend that was
also designed to draw attention
to America’s natural wonders.
One year ago: Prosecutors
in Atlanta brought murder
charges against white police
officer Garrett Rolfe in the
fatal shooting of a Black man,
Rayshard Brook.
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THuRSday, JunE 17, 2021
Veterans continue Flag Day tradition
Nearly 50
American flags
retired during Flag
Day ceremony
Riverfest car show
highlights the
weekend festivities
By DICK MASON
The Observer
UNION — The scene,
for those who looked
closely, was a study in
contrast.
About 50 aging Amer-
ican flags were being
retired during a ceremony
conducted in Union by
members of VFW High
Valley Post 4060 and
American Legion Post 43
the morning of Monday,
June 14. The flags were
tattered, torn and soiled
but the veterans firing a
blank-shot rifle volley in
honor of them were attired
impeccably in military
dress uniforms.
The men, joined by a
number of other veterans,
were conducting a retire-
ment ceremony for used
flags, one of many con-
ducted throughout the
United States as part of an
annual Flag Day tradition.
“We do it because of
a sense of respect for our
flags and country,” said
John Craig, finance officer
and past commander of La
Grande American Legion
Post 43.
The retired flags
had flown many places
including cemeteries, post
By DICK MASON
The Observer
alex Wittwer/The Observer
Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Union pose for a photo after they — along with American
Legion Post 43 — finished ceremoniously burning aging American flags at the VFW building in Union
on Tuesday, June 15, 2021.
offices and the homes of
veterans.
“A lot of us own our
own flag poles,” said
Larry Forrest, commander
of VFW High Valley Post
4060.
Flags flown on poles
are among the most
vulnerable to damage
because they may be fre-
quently exposed to wind.
“The way the wind
blows around here it does
not take long for a flag to
get tattered,” Forrest said.
All of the flags retired
were burned at the conclu-
sion of the retirement cer-
emony while adhering to
the U.S. Flag Code.
Veterans with VFW
High Valley Post 4060
and American Legion Post
43 collect tattered, torn
and soiled flags each year
for the June 14 retirement
ceremony. Anyone with
American flags that need
to be retired is encour-
aged to give them to VFW
High Valley Post 4060
and American Legion Post
43 since this guarantees
they will be treated with
care as they are retired.
“Do not throw them
away,” said Bob Kennon,
second vice commander
of American Legion Post
43.
VFW High Valley
Post 4060 and American
Legion Post 43 conducted
separate retirement cere-
monies for many years on
Flag Day before joining
six years ago. One reason
for the change is that a
number of local veterans
belong to both service
organizations.
“We have a lot of dual
members,” Kennon said.
Flag Day’s story,
according to americash-
isotry.gov, dates back at
least to 1916 when Pres-
ident Woodrow Wilson
issued a presidential proc-
lamation establishing a
national Flag Day
on June 14.
Island City adopts $2.9M budget for 2021-22
That’s up more
than $343K from
previous year
By DICK MASON
The Observer
ISLAND CITY —
Buoyed by conservative
budgeting and COVID-19
relief funding, the 2021-22
budget picture for Island
City looks solid.
The Island City City
Council voted Monday,
June 14, to adopt a total
budget of more than
$2.9 million, up over
$343,000 from the cur-
rent year’s spending plan.
The budget will allow
the city to maintain all of
Elgin
event
returns
its programs
and staff,
according to
Island City
Recorder
Karen
Howton
Howton.
The
spending plan was adopted
following a budget hearing
nobody spoke at.
The budget includes
$221,000 in American
Rescue Plan Act funding,
the COVID-19 pan-
demic relief bill Congress
passed earlier this year.
Island City will be able
to spend the money for
items and projects related
to COVID-19. Spending
the American Rescue
Plan Act funding will not
be easy, Howton said,
because of the extensive
federal government rules
and regulations that must
be adhered to.
Howton said the city’s
solid budget picture
reflects conservative bud-
geting in recent years.
“We have really been
cutting a lot of fat out of
the budget,” she said.
The beneficial impact
of the cuts is now
becoming apparent.
“It has taken a few years
to come to light, but we are
now seeing the headway
we are making,” Howton
said.
Island City’s expenses
have not been heightened
significantly during the
pandemic. One reason is
that a limited amount of
personal protection equip-
ment has been required.
Major {span}personal pro-
tective equipment{/span}
purchases were not needed
because the city has a
small staff and works in an
office building that allows
employees to easily stay at
least 6 feet apart and meet
other social distancing
standards, Howton said.
The city’s COVID-19
expenses included costs
for equipment to allow
city council meetings to be
conducted online through
Zoom. The city used a por-
tion of $50,000 in Corona-
virus Aid, Relief and Eco-
nomic Security Act funds
it qualified for in the spring
of 2020 to pay for the
equipment.
NEWS BRIEFS
Fire crews battling blaze
near Ukiah
UKIAH — Firefighters responded
to the North Fork John Day River
area for a report of a fire on Monday,
June 14, according to a press release
from the Oregon Department of
Forestry.
The Bone Canyon Fire, which
is 12 miles southwest of Ukiah, is
about 99 acres in size, fire managers
reported on June 15. There are no
evacuations and no structures are
threatened at this time.
The fire is burning on steep slopes
and rugged terrain in grass, brush
and timber. The cause of the fire is
lightning that passed through the
area on June 13.
The terrain and strong, gusty
winds associated with the passing
cold front hampered efforts by fire-
fighters on the ground. Four sin-
gle-engine airtankers, three heli-
copters and one air attack aircraft
assisted ground resources June 14
with the fire.
Additional resources are
responding June 15 to assist Pend-
leton ODF firefighters, including
two Interagency Hotshot crews, two
Oregon Department of Corrections
crews, one Oregon Youth Authority
crew, one Umatilla National Forest
crew, two Oregon Youth Authority
engines and one Oregon Department
of Forestry engine.
Motorcycle crash near
La Grande injures woman
LA GRANDE — A Colorado
woman was injured Sunday, June
13, near La Grande, when the three-
wheeled motorcycle she was driving
crashed and ejected her.
Oregon State Police reported the
crash occurred at approximately
1:25 p.m. on the eastbound side of
Interstate 84 near milepost 273.
OdF/Contributed Photo
Fire crews are battling the Bone Canyon
Fire, which is 12 miles southwest of Ukiah
and about 99 acres in size, according to fire
managers. There are no evacuations and no
structures are threatened at this time.
Joyce Ann Vanleur was driving the
three-wheeled vehicle with Carol and
David Hoeflein, both 70 and of La
Grande, traveling behind her.
The trooper arrived at the crash
and found Vanleur injured on the
ground next to the motorcycle.
The Hoefleins reported the motor-
cycle was going 70 mph when it
crashed and Vanleur was wearing a
helmet, according to OSP. They said
the motorcycle swerved right, then
left before it exited the road, over-
turned and ejected Vanleur.
Medics arrived, treated the victim
and took her to Grande Ronde Hos-
pital, La Grande.
OSP in recent weeks has
responded to several crashes on I-84,
including on June 7 at 3:15 a.m. when
a Ford F150 pickup crashed on the
westbound side in the same area as
the motorcycle crashed.
Carl A. Adair, 44, of Salem, drove
off the shoulder, overcorrected,
crossed the freeway and rolled
the pickup onto its top. Adair was
injured, OSP reported, and an ambu-
lance took him to Grande Ronde
Hospital. State police also reported
he may have fallen asleep.
An illegal U-turn on the freeway
led to a two-vehicle crash June 1.
According to state police, Shane
E. Savage, 46, of Snowflake, Ari-
zona, was driving a Honda Pass-
port eastbound in a right-turn only
lane when he decided to return to the
Flying J Travel Center, La Grande.
He made a U-turn, state police
reported, right into the path of a car.
Everett told the trooper at the
scene that his driver’s license
expired in 2016. The trooper cited
Everett for the illegal U-turn,
no driver’s license and driving
uninsured.
Excavator topples, operator
suffers injuries in wreck
LOSTINE — An excavator oper-
ator suffered a broken clavicle and
other minor injuries Sunday, June 13,
when the machine he operated top-
pled down a steep embankment on
the outskirts of Lostine.
The Joseph Fire Department
responded to a mutual aid call at
3:30 p.m. that day for the wreck.
“The operator was digging out a
new road and went over the edge,”
according to the fire department,
“riding the excavator until it stopped
in some trees.”
The Wallowa County Sheriff’s
Office, Lostine Fire Department
and other agencies also responded.
Rescue personnel established a rope
rescue system and made swift work
of getting to the operator. The ambu-
lance from Enterprise brought the
man to an air ambulance, which flew
him to a hospital in Lewiston, Idaho.
— The Observer
ELGIN — Riverfest is
set to roll again in Elgin this
weekend after a one-year
hiatus.
An annual event cele-
brating Elgin, Riverfest is
set to return Saturday, June
19 after being canceled in
2020 due to the COVID-19
pandemic.
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.
Steve Oliver, of the Elgin
Lions Club, said 23 people
have entered vehicles in the
car show, more than normal
four days before the show.
“Most of the people who
enter come the day of the
show,” he said.
Oliver said entries in car
shows around the North-
west are on the rise in
the past month compared
to 2019, the last year car
shows were really held. He
said this may indicate more
people are anxious to get
out and participate in activ-
ities after being forced to
stay home for much of 2020
due to the pandemic.
Oliver and his wife,
Kathy, president of the
Elgin Lions Club, will again
have cars displayed in the
show. His car will be a 1965
Ford Thunderbird and hers
a 1972 Volkswagen.
Another attraction to the
car show is an Oldsmobile
Tornado from five decades
ago whose owner lives in
Echo.
“You don’t see that many
around,” Oliver said.
The car show is one of a
limited number conducted
on grass fields instead
of asphalt lots or streets.
Oliver said this makes it
more popular because it
allows it to be conducted in
a cooler environment. Car
show visitors, he said, and
participants enjoy having
the show in a field instead
of on pavement.
Oliver is encouraging
attendees to bring cano-
pies to protect themselves
from the sun and heat. The
National Weather Service is
forecasting sunny and clear
skies on June 19 in Elgin
and a high temperature of
89 degrees.
Kathy Oliver said it will
be easy to hold the event
at the site and meet social
distancing standards for
COVID-19. She said 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 will
open at 9 a.m., following
the start of the Firemen’s
Breakfast at 7 a.m. The
Elgin Fire Department
will serve the breakfast,
which will be served out-
doors adjacent to its station
through 11 a.m.
A quilt show will be
held in Elgin High School’s
gym starting at 9 a.m. A
new event this year will be
an art show in the Elgin
Opera House which will
begin in the morning.
The Elgin Museum is
another site that will also
be open in conjunction with
Riverfest. Visitors will also
have a chance to visit an
old restored jail outside the
museum. The structure is
one of Elgin’s earliest jails,
which the Elgin Museum
and Historical Society reno-
vated more than a year ago.
Visitors to Riverfest will
also have a chance to go
to many local yard sales.
Copies of a yard sale map
will be provided.