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LA GRANDE COUPLE HOPE MARIDELL CENTER WILL SERVE AS COMMUNITY CENTERPIECE |
August 26, 2021
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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
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