Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 26, 2021)
INSIDE LA GRANDE COUPLE HOPE MARIDELL CENTER WILL SERVE AS COMMUNITY CENTERPIECE | August 26, 2021 BUSINESS, B1 $1.50 THURSDAY EDITION AUGU ST 25– SEP TEM BER 1, 202 Wa Liv tch the e ate GE r 3 1 WW W.G OEAS TER PA NO REGO N.C OM Exp C lore mu anyon ra Cit G E ls y 7 PA Liste n T Ye h s e Blu terd e GE ays 12 PA INSIDE EXPLORE PENDLETON’S UNDERGROUND, IN Ben Tour Lone gu rga Ro om ide n/East Be on Ju cky Oreg ly 1, Ra on 2021 mirez ian , du expla rin g a ins the tou r of histor the Pend y of the let on Sham Un de rock rgr Ca ound rd . E und xplore er th in Pe ground e Food bank center opens Facility receives first delivery of more than 19,000 pounds of food By DICK MASON The Observer ISLAND CITY — Oregon Food Bank truck drivers have made more than 1,000 weekly deliv- eries to Union County over the past three decades. All of the deliveries have helped improve the lives of many residents, but none were as historic as one made by an Oregon Food Bank truck driver on Monday, Aug. 23. At 11 a.m. an OFB truck driven by Willie Prevo delivered a shipment of 19,600 pounds of food, including peanut butter, hash browns, produce and milk, to the North- east Oregon Regional Food Bank’s new distribution center in Island City. It was the fi rst delivery of food made to the 8,500-square- foot center. Margaret Davidson, executive director of Com- munity Connection of Northeast Oregon, which operates the regional food bank, was elated to see the new center up and running Monday. “This is all joy. (Aug. 23) was a great day,” she said. More space, more food for those who need it The center is in the former PGG building in Island City, which Commu- nity Connection purchased and renovated. The nearly 20,000 pounds of food items deliv- ered Aug. 23 barely put a dent in the capacity of the new food distribution center, which is eight times See, Food/Page A5 Alex Wittwer/The Observer Evelyn Wallace poses for a photo in her bright orange jumpsuit at Pioneer Park on Friday, Aug. 6, 2021. Wallace was arrested in June protesting against mass incarceration in America, an issue that she holds close to her heart. Taking a stand Evelyn Wallace arrested during protest against mass incarceration in America By CARLOS FUENTES The Observer LA GRANDE — On Sunday, June 13, Evelyn Wal- lace, a La Grande resident, woke up feeling equally excited and nervous for her day. She donned her bright orange jump- suit, said bye to her husband and children as if it were any normal day, and walked into town. Her day would be far from normal. It was a warm day, and the sun was out — great weather for a protest. Wallace walked along Adams Avenue until she found the busiest intersection in town, the crossing between Adams and Island Avenue. She had nothing in her hands or her pockets, except for her identifi - cation. At about 11 a.m., Wal- lace stepped into the crosswalk. About a third of the way into the street, Wallace stopped. And then she waited. Even with drivers yelling at her and threats to run her over, she stood her ground. “I was terrifi ed, my heart was pounding, all of the voices of all of the people were like, ‘what are you trying to accom- plish?’” she said. About 30 minutes later, Wal- lace was arrested for disorderly conduct, and she spent the night at the Union County Jail. That day, Wallace was pro- testing against mass incarcer- ation in America, an issue that she holds close to her heart. This was Wallace’s fi rst time getting arrested in La Grande. According to her, it won’t be her last. “I would choose to sleep in my own bed every day for the rest of my life if I could see jus- tice done in that way, but I feel like I can’t, so I’m ready to give that up in the name of this thing that feels more important than that,” she said. A human rights crisis Wallace, a writer, has lived in La Grande for several years, but has previously lived in sev- eral diff erent states, as well as internationally. According to her, she fi rst was moved towards activism when she saw a friend die in 2016. “I essentially saw with my own eyes and heart what was real and what was true, it was one of those pivotal moments of life,” she said. “It was like I was living underneath a new direc- tive: speak truth, be truth, live truth.” Since then, Wallace has lived in various areas, spending her time writing, meditating and educating herself on various subjects and issues. One day, she realized that mass incarceration in America See, Stand/Page A5 Outdoor mask mandate will have local impact Farmers market, Celebrate La Grande among events exploring new protocols By DAVIS CARBAUGH and DICK MASON The Observer LA GRANDE — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s announcement on Tuesday, Aug. 24, that the state would restore its outdoor mask mandate in many public settings will have an impact locally. The La Grande Farmers Market plans to continue operating outdoors in the downtown area, adding new COVID-19 proto- cols. According to Market Manager Dylan Howell, patrons and vendors will be required to wear masks at all times and social dis- tancing is encouraged. “As far as the market is concerned, we’re trying to follow the state guidelines as close as possible in order to ensure vendor and cus- tomer safety,” Howell said. The outdoor mask man- date goes into eff ect Aug. 27, and Howell said the La Grande Farmers Market will start requiring masks at the market the following day. The market is held on Tuesdays and Saturdays. “We try to be as reac- INDEX Business & Ag.......B1 Classified ...............B2 Comics ....................B5 Crossword .............B2 Dear Abby .............B6 OREGON TO REQUIRE MASKS OUTDOORS IN CROWDED PUBLIC PLACES Gov. Kate Brown has expanded a mandatory mask order to include large outdoor gath- erings as well well as indoor gatherings. Page A8 tive as we can,” he said. “The plan is to start imple- menting our own require- ments for masks.” The governor’s man- date makes Oregon the fi rst state in the nation to bring Alex Wittwer/The Observer back outdoor masking Kathleen Almquist strolls through the La Grande Farmers Market on requirements, amid the Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021. The outdoor market will continue its opera- spread of the highly tions in downtown La Grande now that masks are required outdoors, See, Masks/Page A5 with patrons and vendors wearing masks and socially distancing. WEATHER Horoscope .............B2 Local........................A2 Lottery ....................A2 Obituaries ..............A3 Opinion ..................A4 SATURDAY Records ..................A3 Spiritual Life..........A6 Sports .....................A7 State ........................A8 Sudoku ...................B5 Full forecast on the back of B section Tonight Friday 50 LOW 71/41 Mostly clear Sunshine BAKER HIGH GRAD SCALES HEIGHTS CONTACT US 541-963-3161 Issue 100 3 sections, 36 pages La Grande, Oregon Email story ideas to news@lagrande observer.com. More contact info on Page 4A. Online at lagrandeobserver.com
