Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 23, 2021)
INSIDE ANTLERS ESPRESSO CELEBRATES 10 YEARS IN BUSINESS | September 23, 2021 $1.50 THURSDAY EDITION EDUCATION Lett er draws resigned support BUSINESS & AG LIFE, B1 INSIDE EXPANDED EMPLOYMENT SECTION SEEKS TO LINK EMPLOYERS WITH JOB SEEKERS OSBA reminds school board members they have no choice but to follow state mandates By DICK MASON The Observer UNION COUNTY — An open letter from the Oregon School Boards Association fi rmly telling the 1,400 school board members across the state to uphold their oaths of offi ce and follow all laws, even those they disagree with, does not appear to be raising hackles locally. At least not among school board members. Robin Maille, chair of the La Grande School Board, spoke favorably of how the message in the Sept. 10 letter was conveyed. “I liked how it was worded. It gets right to the point. I’m very supportive of it,” she said. The letter — Maille signed by OSBA Executive Director Jim Green, President Maureen Wolf and Sami Al-Abdrabbuh, of the Oregon School Boards Mem- bers of Color Caucus — tar- gets school boards across the state who have directed school district employees to defy mask mandates meant to curb the spread of COVID-19. Ken Patterson, a member of the Imbler School Board, believes that most school board members are already com- mitted to fol- lowing state man- dates the letter references, even if Patterson they do not agree with them. “School boards have been put in a tough spot. They are getting mandates from the state level, which are contrary to the personal beliefs of some school board members,” he said. Patterson said it would be irresponsible for a board to encourage school dis- trict employees to defy these See, Letter/Page A5 Alex Wittwer/The Observer Madillyn Burright, 12, hunts for insects in a fi eld near the Grande Ronde River in Imbler on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. Students in Imbler’s seventh grade class spent the day along the river testing water, studying insect behavior and planting willow trees. Hands-on learning Imbler students study science in ‘magnificent laboratory’ of nature By DAVIS CARBAUGH The Observer I MBLER — Imbler stu- dents broke out their boots for a day in the river. The Grande Ronde Model Watershed partnered with Imbler teachers and local sci- entists for a day of youth engagement on the Grande Ronde River on Tuesday, Sept. 21. Seventh grade stu- dents from Imbler Middle School embraced hands-on learning in subjects such as habitat restoration, envi- ronmental conservation and entomology. “It’s a community science project that’s really meant to procure a lot of community input to try to make this work, from educators to agency sci- entists to the youth,” said Carrie Caselton Lowe, the community research program’s organizer. The grant-funded project through the Grande Ronde Model Watershed is in its pilot year and looking to continue Alex Wittwer/The Observer Carrie Caselton Lowe, community research program organizer with the Grande Ronde Model Watershed, instructs a group of Imbler seventh grade students by the Grande Ronde River on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. engaging local school districts. According to Caselton Lowe, the project is applying for three more years of additional pro- gramming following its fi rst events this fall. Making education fun The fi eld day engaged stu- dents in various aspects of con- servation on a local scale. The day-long learning event took place just outside of Imbler along the Grande Ronde River on property owned by Russ and Mary West. See, Science/Page A5 Eastern Oregon to off er marketing degree By ANDREW CUTLER The Observer LA GRANDE — Eastern Oregon Univer- sity students interested in a career in marketing have a new opportunity. The school is now off ering a bachelor’s of mar- keting degree, a change from the bachelor’s degree with a concentration in marketing the school had Henninger previously off ered. The change is eff ective with the upcoming 2021-22 school year. “Students can put on their resume, when they’re applying for a marketing INDEX Business .................B1 Classified ...............B2 Comics ....................B5 Crossword .............B3 Carpenter job, ‘Hey, I have a degree in marketing, not just a con- centration, I got the real thing,’” said Shari Car- penter, a professor of busi- ness at Eastern. “That makes a big diff erence.” Carpenter said the school recognized a need for the program to adapt with the changing times to meet the needs of employers and students. “It was always thought of WEATHER Dear Abby .............B6 Horoscope .............B3 Lottery ....................A2 Obituaries ..............A3 SATURDAY Opinion ..................A4 Records ..................A3 Spiritual Life..........A6 Sports .....................A7 BULLISH ON BULLHEADS as like selling and stuff , but the strategy part of it and understanding what moves people to make a purchase, understanding a consum- er’s needs and what moves that person, that’s the cool part about it,” she said. “So that’s why it’s really become a path up. So they can be in digital and social, create content, do Facebook posts, Instagram, those types of things for compa- Full forecast on the back of B section Tonight Friday 41 LOW 81/45 Mainly clear Mostly sunny nies, people, products.” Carpenter added that the degree will be useful for students interested in a career in data analysis, public relations and SEO management. “Promotions, adver- tising. PR is really huge, and it’s kind of an entity in itself and has a lot of oppor- tunity underneath that little See, Degree/Page A5 CONTACT US 541-963-3161 Issue 112 3 sections, 34 pages La Grande, Oregon Email story ideas to news@lagrande observer.com. More contact info on Page 4A. Online at lagrandeobserver.com
