LOCAL
A2 — THE OBSERVER
TODAY
Today is Saturday, Aug. 14,
the 226th day of 2021. There are
139 days left in the year.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT
IN HISTORY
On August 14, 1935, Pres-
ident Franklin D. Roosevelt
signed the Social Security Act
into law.
ON THIS DATE
In 1848, the Oregon Territory
was created.
In 1941, President Franklin
D. Roosevelt and British Prime
Minister Winston Churchill
issued the Atlantic Charter, a
statement of principles that
renounced aggression.
In 1945, President Harry S.
Truman announced that Japan
had surrendered uncondition-
ally, ending World War II.
In 1948, the Summer Olym-
pics in London ended; they
were the first Olympic games
held since 1936.
In 1973, U.S. bombing of
Cambodia came to a halt.
In 1975, the cult classic movie
musical “The Rocky Horror Pic-
ture Show,” starring Tim Curry,
Susan Sarandon and Barry Bost-
wick, had its world premiere in
London.
In 1980, workers went on
strike at the Lenin Shipyard in
Gdansk, Poland, in a job action
that resulted in creation of the
Solidarity labor movement.
In 1992, the White House
announced that the Pentagon
would begin emergency airlifts
of food to Somalia to alleviate
mass deaths by starvation.
In 1995, Shannon Faulkner
officially became the first
female cadet in the history of
The Citadel, South Carolina’s
state military college. (How-
ever, Faulkner quit the school
less than a week later, citing the
stress of her court fight, and
her isolation among the male
cadets.)
In 1997, Timothy McVeigh
was formally sentenced to
death for the Oklahoma City
bombing. (McVeigh was exe-
cuted by lethal injection in
2001.)
In 2009, Charles Manson
follower Lynette “Squeaky”
Fromme, 60, convicted of trying
to assassinate President Gerald
Ford in 1975, was released
from a Texas prison hospital
after more than three decades
behind bars.
In 2015, the Stars and Stripes
rose over the newly reopened
U.S. Embassy in Cuba after a
half century of often-hostile
relations; U.S. Secretary of State
John Kerry celebrated the day,
but also made an extraordi-
nary, nationally broadcast call
for democratic change on the
island.
Ten years ago: Syria used
gunboats for the first time
to crush the uprising against
Bashar Assad’s regime, ham-
mering parts of the Mediterra-
nean coastal city of Latakia after
thousands marched there to
demand the president’s ouster.
Keegan Bradley won the PGA
Championship after staging a
comeback to force a three-hole
playoff and beat Jason Dufner.
Five years ago: At the Rio
Olympics, U.S. swimmer Ryan
Lochte and three teammates
reported being robbed at gun-
point; police later said the men
were not robbed, and instead
vandalized a gas station bath-
room. Usain Bolt of Jamaica
became the first person to win
three straight Olympic 100-
meter titles, blowing down the
straightaway in 9.81 seconds.
One year ago: India’s coro-
navirus death toll overtook
Britain’s to become the fourth-
highest in the world after
another single-day record
increase in cases. New Jersey
Gov. Phil Murphy said the state
would move to a nearly all-mail
election in November, following
the model it used in its July
primary. Former Illinois Gov.
James Thompson, the state’s
longest-serving chief execu-
tive, died at the age of 84. The
U.N. Security Council resound-
ingly defeated a U.S. resolution
to indefinitely extend the U.N.
arms embargo on Iran.
LOTTERY
Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021
Megabucks
9-16-26-36-40-47
Jackpot: $1.7 million
Lucky Lines
2-5-11-13-18-23-28-31
Estimated jackpot: $55,000
Powerball
12-18-20-29-30
Powerball: 16
Power Play: 3
Jackpot: $258 million
Win for Life
16-17-31-68
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 3-4-1-0
4 p.m.: 1-7-1-4
7 p.m.: 7-6-6-8
10 p.m.: 3-5-8-1
Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021
Lucky Lines
2-7-10-16-18-22-28-30
Jackpot: $56,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 5-0-3-6
4 p.m.: 1-3-1-6
7 p.m.: 1-8-1-5
10 p.m.: 8-2-1-6
SaTuRday, auguST 14, 2021
Union School Board adopts
plan for COVID-19 protocols
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
UNION — Union
School Board members
had their backs against the
wall during the board’s
monthly meeting.
Faced with government
mask mandates that yield
potential fines to the dis-
trict and a group of par-
ents against the mandate,
there was little room for
compromise.
The board met for
its monthly meeting on
Wednesday, Aug. 11, to
adopt its Ready Schools,
Safe Learners Plan for
the 2021-22 school year.
Attended by parents and
community members
against the recent state-
wide mask mandates, the
meeting provided a give-
and-take between two
groups both in support
of what they believe is
best for kids in the school
district.
“I think this year has
been a lot for all of us,”
Union School District
Superintendent Carter
Wells told the crowd.
That sentiment rang
true in the Union School
District athletic facility, as
approximately 50 people
attended the meeting in
favor of making masks
optional. The audience
expressed a desire to
return to normal, while
the board weighed the
repercussions and safety
risks.
During the work ses-
sion prior to the regular
meeting, board member
Dennis Falk announced
his resignation amid
the mask controversy
and exited the building.
He encouraged a strike
against the government
Community voices
opposition to mask
mandates
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
davis Carbaugh/The Observer
Demonstrators display signs before the Union School Board’s meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021.
Approximately 50 people gathered to attend the meeting, with some objecting to the statewide mask
requirement in schools.
mandates as he walked
out.
Demonstrators met out-
side before the meeting
and raised their con-
cerns during the public
comment portion of the
meeting.
“We’re hurting our kids
in a way that will be hard
to recover from,” said one
concerned citizen.
Just when the pan-
demic seemed to be
going away, a spike in
COVID-19 cases has
brought back mask man-
dates and protocols across
the state. In accordance
with Gov. Kate Brown’s
directive mandating mask
usage for students this
fall, the Union School
Board adopted its safety
plan and will require
masks in indoor settings.
The board members
attempted to level with
the audience, noting the
potential fines and loss
of teaching licenses are
obstacles that need to be
avoided. Failure to imple-
ment the mask mandate
can result in a $500 fine
per student and teachers
can lose their license for
lack of enforcing the rule.
School board member Joc-
elyn Jones stated that stu-
dents in classrooms with
masks on is a better alter-
native to online schooling.
“I truly believe that the
best place for kids is in
the classroom,” she said.
About 10 people in
attendance spoke during
the meeting, explaining
various reasons they were
opposed to the mask
mandates. Blake Bars,
a member of the Union
County Freedom Alli-
ance who organized the
demonstration, questioned
the governor’s authority
to pass down these man-
dates and voiced what he
viewed as constitutional
violations.
Another parent in
attendance stated that par-
ents know what is best
for their children, not the
government.
A brief back-and-forth
between school board offi-
cials and audience mem-
bers outside of the public
comment period cre-
ated a tense moment in
the meeting. Several in
the audience walked out
as board member Macey
Clark attempted to calm
the situation.
Despite the opposition
from those in attendance,
the Union School Board
voted unanimously to
adopt the plan.
School board meetings
in La Grande on Aug. 4
and in Imbler Aug. 12 also
drew protests against the
mask mandate.
Heat wave to end after weekend
Slightly cooler
weather in forecast
for first of the week
By DICK MASON
The Observer
LA GRANDE — The
heat wave Northeastern
Oregon is experiencing
is projected to peak Sat-
urday, Aug. 14, and end
almost abruptly Aug. 16.
The National Weather
Service’s forecast is based
upon the projected move-
ment of a high pressure
system responsible for
the current heat wave,
one expected to remain in
Imbler
board
approves
guidelines
for 2021-22
place through Aug. 15.
“A new weather system
should be moving in,” said
Vincent Papol, a meteo-
rologist with the National
Weather Service’s office in
Pendleton.
The National Weather
Service’s forecast calls
for high temperatures of
99 degrees on Aug. 14,
98 degrees Aug. 15 and
88 degrees Aug. 16 in La
Grande. The highs for
Enterprise are forecast to
be 94 degrees Aug. 14 and
Aug. 15 and 85 on Aug.
16.
La Grande and Enter-
prise are expected to con-
tinue to have cooler tem-
peratures in the coming
week. La Grande should
have a high on Aug. 17 of
80, followed by highs of
82 on Aug. 18 and 86 on
Aug. 19, according to the
National Weather Service.
Enterprise’s high on
Aug. 17 is projected to be
77 and should be followed
by highs of 78 on Aug. 18
and 81 on Aug. 19.
The heat wave North-
eastern Oregon is now
experiencing started on
Aug. 11 after the present
high pressure system
moved in from the Pacific
Ocean. The high pressure
system has been keeping
warm air in the region.
The high pressure
system has also been trap-
ping smoke from wild-
fires from throughout the
Northwest and Northern
California, creating hazy
conditions in the Grande
Ronde and Wallowa val-
leys. This smoke should
be leaving the region as
the new weather system
comes in.
“It will scour it out,”
Papol said.
Clearing out smoke will
have a positive impact on
local air quality. The web-
site +IQAir, an air quality
monitoring website, is pro-
jecting that La Grande and
Enterprise will have mod-
erate air quality levels on
Aug. 14 and Aug. 15 and
good levels on Aug. 16.
NEWS BRIEFS
Lost hiker rescued near
Moss Springs
COVE — A lost hiker in the
Moss Springs area was rescued by
Union County Search and Rescue
this past Sunday, Aug. 8.
Union County Search and Rescue
partnered with the Oregon Depart-
ment of Forestry to use a fire recon
aircraft in the search for the missing
person.
Search and Rescue volunteer
Willy Crippen began the pursuit and
aided the search teams in locating
the hiker. Butler Aircraft, a company
that contracts with ODF and other
government agencies, operated the
flight.
According to Union County
Search and Rescue member Fred
Hawkins, the lost hiker was able to
hike high enough to get cell service
and alert friends that she needed
assistance. The two friends were
unable to find the hiker, so Search
and Rescue teams were contacted.
The woman was found in the
Moss Springs area, a campground
and set of trails within the Wal-
lowa-Whitman National Forest just
above Cove. Hawkins reported that
the woman got lost on Saturday
afternoon around 1:30 p.m. and was
eventually found at 3:30 p.m. on
Sunday. The hiker had camping gear
with her, which she used for shelter
through the night.
ODF heard the information
regarding the missing person and
Multiple-vehicle crash in La Grande
andrew Cutler/The Observer
Police and medical personnel responded to the scene of a DUII-related crash Friday, Aug.
13, 2021, in La Grande. The crash occurred shortly before noon at the intersection of Wash-
ington Avenue and Cherry Street, temporarily closing that portion of Washington Avenue.
A Ford-350 pickup was westbound on Washington Avenue when it careened off of three
parked, unoccupied vehicles before colliding with a Subaru Outback stopped at the inter-
section on Cherry Street. The collision knocked the Subaru Outback and its two occupants
up over the curb onto the street easement and a portion of the sidewalk. The driver of the
Ford-350, Michael Warner of North Powder, was arrested and lodged in the Union County
Jail for DUII. Warner and two occupants of the Subaru sustained minor injuries, but no one
was transported by ambulance. La Grande Police, Oregon State Police and La Grande Fire
responded to the incident. According to La Grande Police, the investigation remains ongo-
ing and additional charges may be filed.
offered their assistance before
heading back to work on fire recon.
Seven crew members and two civil-
ians combined efforts to find the
hiker.
According to Union County
Search and Rescue, the hiker was
able to make her way to the rescue
teams before any harm occurred.
— The Observer
IMBLER — It was a
familiar refrain Thursday,
Aug. 12, during the Imbler
School Board meeting.
“I hear what you’re
saying,” Imbler’s interim
superintendent Doug Hislop
routinely and calmly told a
gymnasium full of parents
and community members
voicing opposition to the
recent school mask mandate
handed down by Gov. Kate
Brown.
While board members
attempted to level with
a frustrated crowd, little
ground was made as the
they faced a decision on
the mandate. The school
board ultimately passed its
Opening of School Guide-
lines for the 2021-22 school
year, requiring students
to wear masks in indoor
settings.
“I don’t want to throw
our teachers under the bus,”
board member Ken Pat-
terson said. “We’re in a
really tough spot.”
The “tough spot” is the
potential fines and loss of
licenses handed down from
the state for violating the
mandate. Schools can be
fined $500 for each student
not wearing a mask, while
teachers who do not enforce
the mandate can potentially
lose their teaching license.
The school board’s spe-
cial meeting opened with
public comments, with
approximately 10 individ-
uals approaching the micro-
phone to speak. Several had
recently spoken out during
school board meetings in La
Grande and Union. Some
Imbler parents also voiced
concerns and some even
announced they would not
be sending their kids to
school next year if masks
were required.
Union School District
Superintendent Carter
Wells took the micro-
phone, just one day after
fielding public comments
at the Union School Board
meeting. Wells voiced his
personal dislike of wearing
masks, but emphasized that
the community should sup-
port and trust Hislop and
the board in doing what
they can to protect teachers
and students.
Following the open
comment section, several
board members expressed
their concerns and opposi-
tions to the mandate rule.
Board member Jason Beck
encouraged the commu-
nity to oppose the mandate
and suggested that lawyers
could get involved to get
around the ruling.
This section of the
meeting started a lengthy
public discussion in which
members of the crowd
spoke their opinions,
with some walking out
in apparent disgust after
saying their part. Hislop
and other board members
answered questions and
concerns, but little progress
was made.
“We have to take a
stand,” one parent said
during the discussion. “If
we don’t now, who will?”
The major concern of the
board members was the loss
of license for teachers and
fines that could be imposed
on the school. An Imbler
teacher in the audience
stood and said she feared
losing her job and facing
the repercussions that could
come if the district did not
follow the mask mandate.
Board members tried to
appease individuals in the
crowd, but common ground
was not to be found. Ulti-
mately, the Imbler School
Board passed the mask
guidelines, drawing a
large walkout from most in
attendance.