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SUDDEN FLIGHT OF THE GROUSE CAN SPOOK EVEN THE MOST SEASONED HUNTER |
October 16, 2021
OUTDOORS & REC, B1
WEEKEND EDITION
$1.50
Local
farmer
leaves a
legacy
Dale Johnson embraced
family bonds, work
ethic prior to tragic
farming accident
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
LA GRANDE — A tragic end
did not defi ne a local farmer’s
impact on those around him.
Dale Johnson of La Grande
died on Friday, Oct. 1, due to
an ill-fated farming accident in
Imbler. The 58-year-old is remem-
bered by those who knew him as
a family man with a strong work
ethic and a positive outlook toward
those he encountered in life.
“A lot of people cared for my
dad, as did I,” said
Daniel Johnson, one
of Dale Johnson’s
three children who
spoke on behalf of
the Johnson family.
Daniel Johnson,
Johnson
a deputy with the
Union County Sheriff ’s Offi ce,
noted that his father’s impact far
outmeasured his 5-foot-8-inch,
135-pound stature. While Daniel
Johnson and his brother, Eric, are
much larger in physical compo-
sure than their father, the weight
of his infl uence on their lives was
tremendous.
“I’ve always been proud to call
him my father,” Daniel Johnson
said. “He was proud of his chil-
dren and proud of his grandchil-
dren. He was just a wonderful
man.”
Dale Johnson was a farmer
for nearly the entirety of his life,
growing up in the business and
carrying that passion into his fi nal
days. Born in Colorado, he moved
to the area in his childhood and
attended Island City Elementary
School, La Grande Middle School
and La Grande High School. He
worked for Bingaman Farms in
Imbler for roughly the past 16
years.
“It was a tragic accident that
you wouldn’t wish on anybody,”
his son Daniel said. “He has
always been a hard worker and a
devoted farmer.”
Daniel Johnson noted that
farming is not always the most
lucrative business, but that
the Johnson family felt rich
See Johnson, Page A5
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
Brett Baxter, principal of La Grande High School, helps stack wood on Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021, at the woodlot belonging to Neighbors Together of Union
County in La Grande, a nonprofi t volunteer organization that provides free fi rewood in the winter. Seniors with the La Grande High School spent the day vol-
unteering to help with projects, including Grande Ronde Hospital, Pioneer Park and Mount Emily Recreation Area.
Giving back
La Grande High School seniors complete service projects across the community
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
LA GRANDE — It was a
snowy, wet morning, but that
did not stop the La Grande
High School Class of 2022
from giving back to the
community.
The high school students
participated in a senior day of
service on Wednesday, Oct.
13, a tradition that dates back
roughly eight years. The class
split into groups to conduct
various service projects across
the area throughout the day.
“The experience of service
to others is a critical thing to
be a part of,” La Grande High
School Principal Brett Baxter
said. “I’m proud of them and
think they did a great job.”
The seniors met at the high
school in the morning and took
buses to various areas in the
community. Projects included
trail cleanup and renovations
at Mount Emily Recreational
Area, cleanup along the Island
City strip, assistance to the fi eld
renovations at Pioneer Park and
chopping wood to be donated
to families. Groups also per-
formed landscape work at
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
Tyrus Riness, a senior at La Grande High School, prepares to split a large wood round on Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021, at
Neighbors Together of Union County’s woodlot. The senior class volunteered across town to help nonprofi ts such as
this one that provides free fi rewood in the winter to those who need it.
Island City Elementary School,
La Grande Middle School and
Grande Ronde Hospital.
“It’s making a big diff er-
ence to the organizations where
we’re serving,” La Grande lan-
guage arts teacher Shauna
Hendrickson told the group of
students.
One particular crew of
roughly 10 students chopped
wood at Neighbors Together
of Union County, a nonprofi t
organization that supplies fi re-
wood to lower-income fami-
lies during the winter months.
See, Service/Page A5
Educators applaud rule change for substitutes
Relaxed standards
meant to ease
teacher shortage
By DICK MASON
The Observer
UNION COUNTY
— Local educators are
expressing qualifi ed sup-
port for the Oregon Teacher
Standards and Practices
Commission’s recent deci-
sion to temporarily relax
the state’s standards for
substitute teachers.
The TSPC’s decision
means educators no longer
need a bachelor’s degree to
work as substitute teachers
in Oregon. The emergency
rule the TSPC put in place
was made to help school
districts deal with a state-
wide shortage of substitute
teachers and expires March
31, 2022. It pertains only to
people sponsored by a school
district and allows them to
work only in that district.
North Powder School
INDEX
Classified ...............B2
Comics ....................B5
Crossword .............B2
Dear Abby .............B6
District Superintendent
Lance Dixon supports
TSPC’s move because it
will make it more likely
that students throughout the
state will be able to con-
tinue receiving in-person
instruction instead of being
taught online via school dis-
tricts’ Comprehensive Dis-
tance Learning programs.
“Whatever it takes to
keep kids in school is better
than CDL,” he said.
See, Rule/Page A5
WEATHER
outdoors & Rec ....B1
Horoscope .............B4
Lottery ....................A2
Obituaries ..............A3
TUESDAY
Opinion ..................A4
Records ..................A3
Sports .....................A9
State ........................A7
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
Christie Neilson, a substitute teacher at La Grande High School, takes
roll during a class Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021. Neilson has been working
as a substitute teacher for nine years.
Full forecast on the back of B section
Tonight
Sunday
47 LOW
67/38
Clear
Becoming cloudy
ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK, AND THE WORLD’S YOUR TACO
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Issue 122
2 sections, 16 pages
La Grande, Oregon
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