INSIDE
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July 3, 2021
OUTDOORS, B1
WEEKEND EDITION
‘Everyone
would
know
Eddie’
$1.50
BACK IN BUSINESS
Eddie Cascio, ’70s
Las Vegas
personality and La
Grande resident,
dies at 80
By CARLOS FUENTES
The Observer
LA GRANDE — La
Vegas in the 1970s: booze-
fi lled casinos, dark and
grimy bars open late into
the night, and a strip lined
with celebrity showrooms
hosting stars like Dean
Martin and Frank Sinatra.
Most nights, tourists could
be found eating at restau-
rants with high-priced
steaks and countless rounds
of drinks.
But Elvis Presley? He
could be found eating at
one of his favorite restau-
rants in Las Vegas — Pizza
Roma, owned by Eddie
Cascio, a Las Vegas legend
in the 1970s.
“We would walk into
casinos, and everyone
would know Eddie,” Col-
leen Cascio, Eddie’s wife,
said. “He used to cook for
Elvis and other celebrities,
and those were fun days.
We never had to pay for
anything.”
After a decade of
attending celebrity parties
and spending most week-
ends gambling, Eddie and
Colleen Cascio moved to
Elgin in search of a quieter
life, which is exactly what
they found.
Eddie Cascio, who spent
his last years operating sev-
eral restaurants and busi-
nesses in La Grande, died
on June 17, at 80 years old.
‘He loved making
food’
Cascio was no stranger
to moving when he arrived
in Eastern Oregon. Born
on Dec. 2, 1940, in Lucca
Sicula, Sicily, Italy, Cascio
was the oldest of four chil-
dren. For the fi rst 13 years
of his life the family lived
in Italy, where he spent
his free time fi shing in the
ocean and unloading boats
for local markets.
See, Cascio/Page A5
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
Frank Tucori, owner of The Barber Shop in Pat’s Alley in La Grande, cuts Eric Valentine’s hair on Friday, July 2, 2021. Businesses around the state have been cleared
for full reopening, following nearly a year and a half of restrictions put in place by Gov. Kate Brown to curb the spread of COVID-19.
‘It’s nice seeing smiles again’
La Grande business owners gladly say goodbye to COVID-19 restrictions
By CARLOS FUENTES
The Observer
LA GRANDE — June
30 marked the fi nal day for
state-mandated COVID-19
restrictions in Oregon, meaning
no statewide mask require-
ments, limited indoor capacities,
restrictions on social gatherings
nor physical distancing.
To some business owners in
La Grande, the lifting of restric-
tions is a welcome change —
despite the 35% vaccination rate
in Union County.
“I think the restrictions were
a little over the top, but safety
wise, you gotta do what you
gotta do,” Frank Tucori, owner
of The Barber Shop in Pat’s
Alley, said. “I have to say, it’s
nice seeing smiles again.”
Tucori’s shop was forced to
close for two months last year
after COVID-19 fi rst started
spreading in the United States.
According to Tucori, less restric-
tions should help customers feel
more comfortable coming in for
a haircut.
“It was hard to keep up busi-
ness after being closed for those
months, because people were
afraid to come in,” Tucori said.
Although 53% of all Ore-
gonians are fully vaccinated,
Union County’s rate is 35% —
ranked 31st out of 36 counties.
Wallowa County is ranked 15th
with a vaccination rate of 43%.
With only a third of Union
County residents vaccinated,
some businesses are cautious
about lifting all restrictions.
“We still have our ‘mask
See, Business/Page A5
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
Carla Sorweide, owner of Hought’s 24 Flavors, serves burgers to a couple on
Thursday, July 1, 2021, in La Grande. Statewide restrictions regarding COVID-19
shutdowns were lifted entirely June 30, including mask mandates and social
distancing requirements.
Wild weather hits Union County hard
High temperatures, winds and lightning
storms strike Northeastern Oregon
By DICK MASON
The Observer
LA GRANDE — Adam
Young does not know
why he did not step com-
pletely out onto the cov-
ered front porch of his par-
ents’ home at 7:40 p.m. on
Wednesday, June 30.
All Young knows is that
he is thankful he did not.
Very thankful.
Moments after he
walked partially out of
his parents house at 1005
Y Ave., a large spruce
tree fell in front of it. The
falling tree destroyed the
home’s awning and part of
the roof. The falling tree
narrowly missed Young.
“If I had stepped out
six inches further things
would be totally diff erent,”
he said the morning of July
1 after strong winds from
a thunderstorm wreaked
havoc on a portion of
north La Grande the night
before.
Young speaks in spiri-
tual terms when discussing
what prevented him from
stepping six inches too far.
“It was an act of God,”
said Young, who lives in
Portland and is the son of
Bev and Tom Carman.
The damage to the front
of the Carmans’ home
was so extensive that Tom
See, Weather/Page A5
INDEX
Classified ...............B2
Comics ....................B5
Crossword .............B3
Dear Abby .............B6
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
Lightning strikes over the town of Imbler on Wednesday, June 30, 2021. A thunderstorm rolled through
the Grande Ronde Valley, bringing gusts of winds and extreme weather that knocked out power to
nearly 2,700 households between La Grande, Elgin and Imbler.
WEATHER
Outdoors & Rec ...B1
Horoscope .............B4
Lottery ....................A2
Obituaries ..............A3
TUESDAY
Opinion ..................A4
Records ..................A3
Sports .....................A6
Sudoku ...................B5
Full forecast on the back of B section
Tonight
Sunday
60 LOW
94/57
Clear
Sunshine and hot
WILD & SCENIC RIVERS PROPOSAL DRAWS OPPOSITION
CONTACT US
541-963-3161
Issue 77
2 sections, 12 pages
La Grande, Oregon
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