A2 — THE OBSERVER
TODAY
Today is Tuesday, Aug. 24,
the 236th day of 2021. There are
129 days left in the year.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT
IN HISTORY
On August 24, 1814, during
the War of 1812, British forces
invaded Washington, D.C., set-
ting fire to the Capitol and the
White House, as well as other
public buildings.
ON THIS DATE
In A.D. 79, Mount Vesuvius
erupted, burying the Roman
cities of Pompeii and Hercula-
neum in volcanic ash; an esti-
mated 20,000 people died.
In 1932, Amelia Earhart
embarked on a 19-hour flight
from Los Angeles to Newark,
New Jersey, making her the first
woman to fly solo, non-stop,
from coast to coast.
In 1954, President Dwight D.
Eisenhower signed the Commu-
nist Control Act, outlawing the
Communist Party in the U.S.
In 1968, France became
the world’s fifth thermonu-
clear power as it exploded a
hydrogen bomb in the South
Pacific.
In 1981, Mark David
Chapman was sentenced in
New York to 20 years to life
in prison for murdering John
Lennon. (Chapman remains
imprisoned.)
In 1989, Baseball Commis-
sioner A. Bartlett Giamatti
banned Pete Rose from the
game for betting on his own
team, the Cincinnati Reds.
In 1992, Hurricane Andrew
smashed into Florida, causing
$30 billion in damage; 43 U.S.
deaths were blamed on the
storm.
In 2001, Tom Green, a
Mormon fundamentalist with
five wives and 30 children, was
sentenced by a court in Provo,
Utah, to five years in prison for
his conviction on four counts of
bigamy and one count of failure
to pay child support.
In 2008, on the final day
of the Beijing Games, Kobe
Bryant hit two 3-pointers in a
big fourth quarter to help the
United States defeat Spain 118-
107 and win the men’s basket-
ball gold medal for the first time
since 2000.
In 2019, police in Aurora, Col-
orado, responding to a report
of a suspicious person, used
a chokehold to subdue Elijah
McClain, a 23-year-old Black
man; he suffered cardiac arrest
on the way to the hospital and
was later declared brain dead
and taken off life support.
(Three officers were placed on
leave but returned to the force
after prosecutors found insuffi-
cient evidence to charge them.)
Ten years ago: A defiant
Moammar Gadhafi vowed from
hiding to fight on “until vic-
tory or martyrdom” and called
on residents of the Libyan cap-
ital and loyal tribesmen across
his North African nation to free
Tripoli from the “devils and trai-
tors” who had overrun it.
Five years ago: A 6.2 magni-
tude earthquake reduced three
central Italian towns to rubble
and killed nearly 300 people.
One year ago: Anger over the
shooting of a Black man, Jacob
Blake, by police spilled into the
streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin
for a second night. Authorities
in Portland, Oregon, said pro-
testers set fire to a police union
headquarters building. Citing
“significant errors” in jury selec-
tion, California’s Supreme Court
overturned the death sentence
for Scott Peterson but let his
murder conviction stand in the
killing of his pregnant wife.
LOCAL
Cove offers a well-mannered race Ex-school
Contestants brave soggy conditions at Cherry Fair polite pie-eating contest
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
COVE — It was a battle
of etiquette at the Cove
Cherry Fair polite pie-
eating contest.
Contestants braved the
wet conditions to take part
in one of the more unique
competitions at the annual
Cherry Fair on Saturday,
Aug. 21. During the festi-
val’s full day of vendors,
yard sales, live music and
other festivities, the cherry
pie eaters competed for the
title of most polite.
“It’s good pie,” contes-
tant Stephen Hendrickson
said. “I really want to
exhibit what I practice and
put to value in life, but the
pie is also delicious.”
The polite pie-eating
event preceded the hands-
free pie-eating contest and
the cherry pit-spitting con-
test. The objective was for
the approximately 20 con-
testants of varying ages to
finish their slices of pie,
not the quickest, but in the
most polite manner. Those
taking part pulled out all
the stops in order to be the
most courteous.
Hendrickson, the
winner of the “most ador-
able pie eater” category,
relished the chance to
The Observer
alex Wittwer/The Observer
Stephen Hendrickson reacts as contest facilitator John Silveira asks the audience to applaud for Hen-
drickson’s performance in the polite pie-eating contest. Hendrickson won “most adorable pie-eater”
during the event at the Cove Cherry Fair on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021.
enjoy the sportsmanship
of the contest. With a rain-
storm delaying the start of
the event, the competitors
gave their best effort to
remain amiable.
“The conditions were
tough,” Hendrickson
said. “We have some
wet bottoms, but I’m not
complaining.”
Several high school
students elevated their
politeness, handing out
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
UNION COUNTY — It
has been a tumultuous end
to the summer for the coun-
ty’s school boards.
Following a statewide
mask mandate from Gov.
Kate Brown in late July,
school boards in the area
faced mixed reviews from
parents and staff. On top of
the mask mandate, Brown
announced Thursday, Aug.
19, that teachers and staff
will be required to receive
the COVID-19 vaccine by
Oct. 18.
School boards in the
county all expressed the
notion that their backs
are against the wall, with
potential repercussions
coming from not following
the recent mandates. Vio-
lation of the mask mandate
can result in a $500 fine per
student not wearing a mask,
while teachers who do not
enforce the protocol can
lose their teaching license.
The La Grande School
Board was one of the first
to meet and discuss the
mandates, drawing a crowd
of several hundred at the
Central Elementary School
gymnasium on Aug. 4.
With a large outcry from
community members, the
La Grande School Board
decision preceded a number
of tense meetings across the
county.
Among all the school
districts, the potential
for teachers losing their
jobs was a major concern.
North Powder School Dis-
trict Superintendent Lance
Dixon noted that the dis-
trict’s decision was based
heavily on being consci-
entious toward the jobs
of teachers. He noted that
upward of 90% of the
teachers in North Powder
School District are already
vaccinated. As far as mask
mandates go, Dixon plans
to meet once a month to
look at the back-to-school
plan and make any changes
necessary as COVID-19
can you do?”
At the conclusion of the
contest, youngster Cayden
Sandberg was named most
refined pie eater, and Arie
Tromp van Holst was
awarded best dressed.
“The pie is absolutely
wonderful,” contestant
Scott Stevenson said. “It’s
a combination of all parts
of the experience, from the
nature of the pie itself to
the wonderful company.”
numbers fluctuate.
Elgin Superintendent
Dianne Greif echoed a sim-
ilar sentiment, noting that
their plans are subject to
change based on state man-
dates. Elgin is moving for-
ward with the district’s plan
to require masks this school
year, but Greif was uncer-
tain if the new vaccine
mandate will impact the
protocols in the future.
Cove School Dis-
trict Superintendent Earl
Pettit noted that the dis-
trict’s efforts to continue
in-person schooling last
year has made it easier for
students and parents to get
behind the mandates this
year. Pettit emphasized that
Cove’s decision was made
on a local basis, and that the
in-person learning experi-
ence is the district’s the top
priority.
Pettit also stated there
was outcry against the
mandates this past year,
which the district plans to
deal with by working with
the families to come up
with a solution. The super-
intendent is confident that
the biggest battles were
fought last year and that
the school community will
come together to keep the
focus on the kids and their
education.
Union and Imbler school
districts both decided to
move forward with the
state’s mask mandate amid
mixed feedback from par-
ents and community mem-
bers. Imbler Superintendent
Doug Hislop gave a number
of suggestions to avoid
mask usage to appease the
community’s reaction, but
ultimately the school board
chose to require masks.
The mindset among
school board members
and teachers is a feeling of
being between a rock and a
hard place. Even with sev-
eral board members voicing
their own personal oppo-
sition to the mandate, fol-
lowing the state’s mask
mandate is unavoidable,
and the repercussions could
prove detrimental to the
school districts.
With school set to start
in the coming weeks, the
COVID-19 numbers across
the country will continue to
play a part in how the coun-
ty’s students receive their
education.
Temps to remain cooler than average
The Observer
Friday, Aug. 20, 2021
Megamillions
41-43-51-57-70
Megaball: 1
Megaplier: 2
Jackpot: $270 million
Lucky Lines
1-7-12-13-18-21-28-30
Jackpot: $64,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 5-5-4-6
4 p.m.: 9-4-8-1
7 p.m.: 6-3-3-3
10 p.m.: 8-8-9-0
Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021
Powerball
16-28-36-39-59
Powerball: 4
Power Play: 2
Jackpot: $293 million
Megabucks
1-18-19-21-39-44
Jackpot: $2.1 million
Lucky Lines
4-6-9-15-19-22-25-30
Jackpot: $65,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 3-7-8-9
4 p.m.: 2-8-3-3
7 p.m.: 4-4-3-6
10 p.m.: 9-5-9-8
Win for Life
8-9-13-45
Sunday, Aug. 22, 2021
Lucky Lines
1-18-10-14-19-22-28-29
Estimated jackpot: $66,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 4-7-1-0
4 p.m.: 3-9-4-0
7 p.m.: 3-8-4-9
10 p.m.: 0-7-1-1
plates and silverware to
the other contestants. The
onlooking judges made
note of those efforts while
other contestants con-
versed and got to know
one another. Despite their
efforts, the group finished
as runner-ups in every
category.
“We got robbed, but
we’ll get it next time,”
Ryan Jackson said. “At
the end of the day, what
Local school boards between rock and hard place
Union County
school boards
prepare back-to-
school plans amid
COVID-19 spike
leaders
mixed on
mandates
By DICK MASON
By DICK MASON
LOTTERY
TuESday, auguST 24, 2021
LA GRANDE — Relatively cool
weather is in the forecast for Union
and Wallowa counties over the next
three days.
The National Weather Service is
forecasting highs in La Grande of
78 degrees on Tuesday, Aug. 24, fol-
lowed by 79 degrees on Aug. 25 and
76 degrees on Aug. 26.
All of the forecast highs are sol-
idly below the averages for this time
of year in La Grande. The average
high on Aug. 24 is 83.6 degrees, the
average for Aug. 25 is 83 degrees
and the average for Aug. 26 is 84.3
degrees, according to the National
Weather Service.
The low temperatures forecast
for La Grande is 49 degrees on Aug.
24, 51 degrees on Aug. 25 and 50
degrees on Aug. 26. The average
low temperature is 49 degrees in La
Grande for Aug. 24, 51 degrees on
Aug. 25 and 50 degrees on Aug. 26.
The forecast highs for Enter-
prise are 75 degrees on Aug. 24, 76
degrees on Aug. 25 and 73 degrees
on Aug. 26. The projected low tem-
peratures for Enterprise are 40
degrees on Aug. 24, 41 degrees on
Aug. 25 and 76 degrees on Aug. 26.
The cool weather is due to a low
pressure system over Northeastern
Oregon that is drawing in colder air
from the east Pacific Ocean, said
Rob Brooks, a meteorologist with
the National Weather Service in
Pendleton.
Smoke from wildfires is expected
to continue to be blown out of the
region by winds that are predicted to
continue sweeping over Northeastern
Oregon the next few days.
“They are helping to scour the
smoke out,” Brooks said.
The meteorologist stressed there
is no guarantee that new smoke from
wildfires won’t be blown into this
corner of the state over the next three
days due to the unpredictable nature
of fire activity.
“We can not forecast wildfires,”
he said.
IQAir, a website that monitors air
quality, is projecting that La Grande
and Enterprise will have good air
quality on Aug. 24 and Aug. 25.
NEWS BRIEFS
Union County reports 78
new COVID-19 cases over
the weekend
LA GRANDE —Union County
had 78 new cases of COVID-19
that came in over the weekend, the
Oregon Health Authority reported
Monday, Aug. 23, bringing the coun-
ty’s overall total to 2,180. There were
no new deaths reported by the OHA,
with the county total of COVID-19
related deaths currently at 30.
Wallowa County had 16 new cases
of COVID-19, and is currently at 348
since the start of the pandemic. More
than 100 of those cases have come
during the month of August.
Statewide, there were 4,701 new
cases and 24 deaths reported over
the weekend, according to the OHA.
Hospitalizations also continued
to rise, with 937 patients hospital-
ized, including 253 in intensive care
units. In Region 9, which includes
Union and Wallowa counties, there
were 25 patients hospitalized due to
COVID-19 at the last report.
Morgan Lake Park
to reopen Tuesday
LA GRANDE — Morgan Lake
Park is set to reopen Tuesday, Aug.
24, after the Oregon Department of
Forestry announced fire restrictions
have slightly decreased, La Grande
Parks and Recreation announced.
The ODF on Monday, Aug. 23,
reduced the regulated-use closure
restrictions on forestlands protected
by the Northeast Oregon District.
This was done due to moderating
weather and seasonal temperatures.
Morgan Lake’s reopening doesn’t
mean a full lifting of restrictions, as
the fire ban is still in place. Day-use
and camping will be allowed, but
with propane stoves only. For more
information, call 541-962-1348.
— The Observer
UNION COUNTY —
Five former members of
school boards in Union
County have differing views
on Gov. Kate Brown’s
school mask mandate.
The governor’s man-
date, now in effect, requires
students at all schools in
Oregon to wear masks
almost all of the time they
are indoors at school as a
safety precaution during
the current spike in cases
of COVID-19. The man-
date took full effect on
Thursday, Aug. 12, and
since that point school dis-
tricts not complying with
the mandate can be fined
$500 per violation.
Michael Frasier, who
served on the La Grande
School Board from 2007
to 2015, does not hesitate
when asked about the mask
mandate.
“If I were on the board
I would vote to mask up,”
said Frasier, a retired LHS
choir teacher.
Frasier said some people
think that because school
boards have local control
that they can do almost
anything with regard to
their school district. This is
far from true since school
boards must adhere to state
mandates. The La Grande
School Board, at its Aug.
4 meeting, voted to follow
Brown’s mask mandate, a
move Frasier lauded.
“The La Grande School
Board made the right deci-
sion,” he said.
Bud Scoubes, a former
member of the Elgin School
Board, is not a a supporter
of the mask mandate.
“I think it should be a
parental decision,” said
Scoubes, who served on
the Elgin School Board for
about 20 years before step-
ping down about a decade
ago.
Scoubes believes that
putting a mandate in place
was the wrong thing to
do.
“There will be many,
many unforeseen ramifica-
tions with this mandate,”
he said.
Steve Oliver, who pre-
viously was a member
of the Union-Baker Edu-
cation Service Board,
shares a belief similar to
Scoubes regarding the mask
mandate.
“I think it should be up
to the parents,” said Oliver,
who served as Union
County Sheriff for about 12
years through early 2005.
Oliver believes Brown
is overstepping her bounds
by imposing the mask
mandate.
Former Cove School
Board member Meg Moore
also opposes the mask man-
date. Moore believes school
districts should decide if
masks are required because
they could tailor their
COVID-19 safety rules
to conform to their mask
policy. For example, if a
district were free to make
masks optional and did so,
it might keep students in
smaller cohorts during the
school day.
Moore, who drives
a school bus for Mid
Columbia Bus Company in
the Cove School District,
served on the school board
for five years though about
2015.
Matt McElligott, who
served on the North Powder
School Board for eight
years through mid-2017,
is another foe of the mask
mandate.
“I am definitely against
it,” he said.
McElligott said sci-
ence points to the negative
impacts of mask wearing,
physically and mentally.
McElligott also said he
believes that requiring chil-
dren to wear masks could
harm their development by
inhibiting them during for-
mative years when they
should feel free to venture
out and explore.