LOCAL
A2 — THE OBSERVER
TODAY
On Nov. 16, 1914, the newly
created Federal Reserve Banks
opened in 12 cities.
In 1907, Oklahoma became
the 46th state of the union.
In 1933, the United States
and the Soviet Union estab-
lished diplomatic relations.
In 1945, “The Friendly Ghost,”
an animated short featuring the
debut of Casper, was released
by Paramount’s cartoon
division.
In 1961, House Speaker
Samuel T. Rayburn died in
Bonham, Texas, having served
as speaker since 1940 except for
two terms.
In 1981, the Senate con-
firmed Dr. C. Everett Koop to be
surgeon general. Oscar-winning
actor William Holden, 63, was
found dead in his Santa Monica,
California, apartment.
In 1982, an agreement was
announced in the 57th day of
a strike by National Football
League players.
In 1989, six Jesuit priests, a
housekeeper and her daughter
were slain by army troops
at the University of Central
America Jose Simeon Canas in
El Salvador.
In 1991, former Louisiana
governor Edwin Edwards won
a landslide victory in his bid to
return to office, defeating State
Rep. David Duke, a former Ku
Klux Klan leader.
In 2001, investigators found
a letter addressed to Sen. Pat-
rick Leahy, D-Vt., containing
anthrax; it was the second
letter bearing the deadly germ
known to have been sent to
Capitol Hill.
In 2004, President George W.
Bush picked National Security
Adviser Condoleezza Rice to be
his new secretary of state, suc-
ceeding Colin Powell.
In 2006, Democrats
embraced Nancy Pelosi as the
first female House speaker in
history, but then selected Steny
Hoyer as majority leader against
her wishes.
In 2018, a U.S. official said
intelligence officials had con-
cluded that Saudi Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman had
ordered the killing of journalist
Jamal Khashoggi.
One year ago: Presi-
dent-elect Joe Biden warned of
dire consequences if President
Donald Trump and his admin-
istration continued to refuse to
coordinate with his transition
team on the coronavirus pan-
demic and kept blocking brief-
ings on national security policy
issues and vaccine plans; Biden
told reporters, “More people
may die if we don’t coordi-
nate.” As officials in Nevada’s
most populous counties cer-
tified results of the election,
Trump took to Twitter with a
new attack on the vote count
that gave Biden a 33,596-vote
statewide victory. A second
experimental COVID-19 vac-
cine — this one from Moderna
Inc. — yielded extraordinarily
strong early results; Moderna
said the vaccine appeared to be
94.5% effective.
Today’s Birthdays: Actor Clu
Gulager is 93. Journalist Eliz-
abeth Drew is 86. Blues musi-
cian W.C. Clark is 82. Actor
Joanna Pettet is 79. Actor Steve
Railsback is 76. Rock musician
Mani is 59. Former MLB All-Star
pitcher Dwight Gooden is 57.
Jazz singer Diana Krall is 57.
Actor Harry Lennix is 57. Rock
musician Dave Kushner (Velvet
Revolver) is 55. Actor Lisa Bonet
is 54. Actor Tammy Lauren is 53.
R&B singer Bryan Abrams (Color
Me Badd) is 52. Actor Michael
Irby is 49. Actor Missi Pyle is 49.
Rock musician Corey McCor-
mick (Lukas Nelson & Promise of
the Real) is 45.
LOTTERY
Friday, Nov. 12, 2021
Megamillions
30-32-42-46-48
megaball: 15
megaplier: 2
Jackpot: $63 million
Lucky Lines
1-6-11-13-17-24-25-32
Jackpot: $14,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 1-5-3-0
4 p.m.: 7-8-1-4
7 p.m.: 9-7-2-3
10 p.m.: 9-8-7-7
Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021
Powerball
8-15-26-35-45
Powerball: 9
Power Play: 3
Jackpot: $180 million
Megabucks
15-18-23-24-34-36
Jackpot: $5.7 million
Lucky Lines
4-8-10-15-20-24-28-30
Jackpot: $15,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 7-4-8-7
4 p.m.: 4-0-5-1
7 p.m.: 8-7-7-0
10 p.m.: 2-4-6-3
Win for Life
10-18-20-75
Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021
Lucky Lines
3-6-11-14-19-22-25-30
Estimated jackpot: $16,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 5-2-8-9
4 p.m.: 3-2-8-3
7 p.m.: 1-9-1-9
10 p.m.: 3-6-9-9
TuESday, NOVEmBER 16, 2021
La Grande to start sewer rehabilitation
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
LA GRANDE —
A major infrastruc-
ture upgrade is set to get
underway in La Grande.
La Grande Public
Works is undertaking a
sanitary sewer rehabil-
itation project that will
replace roughly a mile of
outdated sewer mains. The
project bid was awarded at
the city council meeting
on Wednesday, Nov. 3, and
the work is slated to begin
in February.
“A lot of the main lines
in La Grande’s sanitary
sewer system are pretty
old, so you have different
materials involved,” La
Grande Public Works
Director Kyle Carpenter
said.
Planned and Engineered
Construction, Inc., a firm
based in Helena, Montana,
was awarded the bid for
the project at a price point
of $192,250. The bid is
roughly $100,000 less than
the estimates by the other
two competing companies.
According to Carpenter,
PEC’s familiarity with the
city’s infrastructure was
likely a cause for the lower
price.
“They’ve been here I
think four out of the last
five contracts,” Carpenter
said. “They’re pretty com-
fortable with how our
system works and how
clean it is.”
La Grande has roughly
The Observer
alex Wittwer/The Observer, File
Water flows from a hydrant onto Adams Avenue in La Grande during construction along Second Street
in order to relieve pressure from the lines on Wednesday, June 2, 2021. La Grande Public Works is
gearing up for a sewer rehabilitation project in February 2022 that will replace nearly a mile of
outdated sewer mains.
85 miles of sewer main
lines and has recondi-
tioned 29 miles of that
main line in the last 29
years. Some of the city’s
sewer lines have been in
place for nearly 100 years,
causing a need for repair.
“Most of the problems
we end up with aren’t the
whole pipe collapsing. It’s
smaller things that just add
cost on our daily opera-
tions,” Carpenter said.
La Grande Public
Works monitors the con-
ditions of existing pipes
through a camera surveil-
lance system. The footage
allows the staff to spot
any potential cracks, dips
or areas that may need
maintenance.
The rehabilitation
project involves a min-
imal-impact procedure
that not only avoids traffic
blockage, but saves the
city money. The proce-
dure pushes a resin sock
down through the main
and cures the inside of the
line, making a secondary
pipe within the original
pipe.
“It basically allows
us to put in a new main
without having to dig up
the road, which saves us a
ton of money,” Carpenter
said.
Carpenter estimates
the project should take
no longer than a month
to complete. Most of the
noticeable construction
work is expected to last-
about three weeks, with
the workers at PEC oper-
ating from manhole to
manhole. The project will
not cause road closures.
Carpenter noted that
the pipes being replaced
in this project have been
in use since the 1960s. He
estimated that the typ-
ical lifespan of a PVC pipe
extends well past half a
decade.
“In all likelihood they’ll
be in place for about 70
years,” Carpenter said.
Chamber director will maintain connections
Suzannah Moore-
Hemann served as
chamber director
since January 2019
By DICK MASON
The Observer
LA GRANDE —
Suzannah Moore-
Hemann’s days as execu-
tive director of the Union
County Chamber of Com-
merce are numbered, but
not her days as a hard-
working advocate for the
organization.
Moore-Hemann, who
announced in late October
that she is resigning, plans
to stay connected to the
chamber by reaching out to
it as a volunteer.
“I just want to stay
involved,” said Moore, who
will be taking a position as
assistant director of stew-
ardship and scholarship
awards at Eastern Oregon
University.
Moore-Hemann said she
is looking forward to doing
things like helping with the
chamber’s ambassador and
education programs and its
annual awards banquets for
the business community
and those working in agri-
culture. She is eager for
the chamber to again start
putting on banquets after
they were canceled in 2020
and 2021 because of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
“They were our chances
to say thank you to the
community,” she said.
EOU Board
of Trustees
meets in
person for
first time
this year
whose grass seed is sold in
many European countries.
“We have so many busi-
nesses here with interna-
tional platforms,” she said.
Moore-Hemann’s
responsibilities, in her
new position at the univer-
sity, will include helping
raise funds for the EOU
Foundation, making sure
donors and contributors
receive the recognition
they deserve and awarding
alex Wittwer/The Observer, File scholarships funded by the
Union County Chamber of Commerce Director Suzannah foundation.
Moore-Hemann, who announced in late October 2021 she will
“A lot of my focus will
resign to take a position at Eastern Oregon University, plans to stay be on building relation-
connected to the chamber by reaching out to it as a volunteer.
ships with individuals and
families,” she said.
Moore-Hemann is no
The decision to step
about how this was how
stranger to EOU — she
down as chamber director
it used to be years ago for
has earned three degrees
is one she agonized over.
their families,” she said.
from the university and has
“It was hard because I
Moore-Hemann is
served on the EOU Foun-
love the chamber and the
also pleased with the suc-
dation’s board of trustees.
cess of the chamber’s new
direction it is going in,”
At Eastern she will also
Shop Hop program, which
she said.
be teaching some business
rewards residents for vis-
Moore-Hemann has
classes, including one on
served as chamber director iting a wider range of par-
ticipating businesses.
portfolio and resume devel-
since January 2019.
opment. Moore-Hemann
“It helps businesses
She will continue as its
will be working with fac-
director through the end of make new connections,”
ulty members who had
she said.
December before starting
been her professors.
Moore-Hemann
to work full-time at EOU.
“I never would have
oversaw the launch of a
Projects Moore-
imagined that I would
new chamber website, one
Hemann has helped spear-
head during her tenure as
someday be working
she is pleased with.
chamber director include
alongside the people who
“It is easy to navigate
revitalizing its holiday dec- and does a wonderful job
taught me,” she said.
oration contest for busi-
“It will be a very cool
of showcasing the busi-
nesses and residents. Par-
nesses of this region,” she
feeling.”
ticipation in the program
said.
Moore-Hemann
has increased significantly
The chamber director
believes she will always
in the past two years, and
said that another of the
look back fondly on her
tours in Union County
favorite parts of her job
three years as chamber
are now conducted that
has been learning about
director.
allow people to see the top
the inner workings of the
“Every day I had a nev-
er-ending opportunity to
entries.
broad range of businesses
“I have heard some
in Union County, including help make this a better
place,” she said.
people talk nostalgically
Blue Mountain Seeds,
NEWS BRIEFS
Fatal crash closes
Interstate 84 early Monday
LA GRANDE — A man driving
a semitrailer was killed in a one-ve-
hicle crash Monday, Nov. 15, on
Interstate 84 just west of La Grande.
The driver, who was eastbound,
died when he was ejected from his
vehicle after he failed to negotiate a
curve between the Oregon Depart-
ment of Transportation weigh station,
about 2 miles west of La Grande, and
Exit 259. After the driver failed to
negotiate the curve his trailer flipped,
causing his truck to also flip and
eject him, according to Oregon State
Police Sgt. Grant Jackson.
The driver died at the scene,
according to Oregon State Police,
which has not identified the victim.
The crash occurred at 4:25 a.m.
and the interstate was closed at
5 a.m., according to ODOT. Inter-
state 84 was reopened at 1:30 p.m.
Jackson said the victim was not
wearing a seatbelt. The driver had no
passengers. Jackson said that speed
may have been a factor in the crash.
The crash closed the eastbound
lanes of traffic on Interstate 84
between La Grande and Exit 216,
6 miles east of Pendleton.
Diesel fuel from the truck
involved leaked during the crash.
A hazmat crew was called in from
Baker City to clean up the fuel.
In addition to the OSP, the La
Grande Fire Department and the
Oregon Department Transportation
responded to the crash.
Meat shoot takes place
Nov. 21 in Wallowa
WALLOWA — The annual meat
shoot at the Wallowa Rod and Gun
Club is set for 9 a.m. Sunday, Nov.
21, at the club’s site on Lower Dia-
mond Lane in Wallowa.
The event will have games for
nonshooters. Breakfast and lunch
will be available, and meat prizes
will be awarded. Novices are encour-
aged by organizers to attended the
event.
For more information, call
Randal at 541-886-3245 or John at
541-886-8802.
Wallowa County
commissioners meet Nov. 22
ENTERPRISE — The regular
meeting of the Wallowa County
Board of Commissioners that would
normally be Wednesday, Nov. 17,
will be put off until Monday, Nov. 22,
according to a press release.
The meeting, which begins at
9 a.m. at the courthouse, is delayed
because of a scheduling conflict.
The meeting is open to the public.
To attend by Zoom, visit https://
us02web.zoom.us/j/83569798511?
And join with meeting ID 835 6979
8511 and passcode 747220.
— EO Media Group
LA GRANDE — After
18 months of remote and
hybrid meetings, Eastern
Oregon University’s Board
of Trustees returned to the
Dixie Lund Boardroom on
Wednesday, Nov. 10, for its
first in-person meeting of
the 2021 academic year.
The meeting agenda
had trustees reviewing
new degree programs, dis-
cussing enrollment strate-
gies, learning about several
new grants and gifts and
receiving updates on state-
wide issues.
The trustees learned that
fall enrollment met expec-
tations, seeing only a slight
downturn overall. The total
student head count is down
just 1%, and student credit
hours saw a decrease of
3.5%. Online enrollments
continue to trend upward.
EOU President Tom Insko
said declining community
college enrollments have
impacted the number of
transfer students looking to
earn a bachelor’s degree on
campus or online at EOU,
and he noted that uncer-
tainty about the economic
future and lingering effects
of COVID-19 are contrib-
uting to a smaller incoming
freshman class.
“Low-income, first-gen-
eration and diverse students
have lost their systems for
connecting to higher edu-
cation,” Insko said. “The
inability to connect with
counselors, advocates and
support services at the high
school level has led to a
lack of transition to colleges
and universities.”
Shared priorities
Trustees welcomed Ben
Cannon, executive director
of Oregon’s Higher Educa-
tion Coordinating Commis-
sion, who highlighted prog-
ress on Oregon’s Student
Success Bill, which aims to
improve support for under-
represented students. The
HECC is providing research
on rural students with
hopes the data will help
influence 2023 legislation.
“From a HECC stand-
point this really represents a
great opportunity,” Cannon
said.
The board also received
an update on the Transfer
Bill (HB 233) and the ways
it will remove barriers to
students who bring credits
from prior institutions.
EOU has representatives
on a newly created state
council to develop pathways
for transferring credits
between universities.
DEIA reshapes staffing
EOU’s 2020 Diver-
sity, Equity, Inclusion
and Access Strategic Plan
seeks to improve resources
and connection while
addressing systemic bar-
riers to success. The uni-
versity plans to rename
and reconfigure the Stu-
dent Diversity and Inclu-
sion Department to wrap
around Student Affairs,
Academic Affairs, Human
Resources and the Diversity
Committee.
A new director and
an assistant director of
Diversity, Inclusion and
Belonging will guide diver-
sity initiatives alongside
two new staff members, a
resources advocate and a
student support specialist.
Fieldhouse gift
EOU’s new fieldhouse
has taken shape over the
last several months on the
eastern side of campus. The
project is well underway
and is expected to be com-
pleted in spring 2022. An
$800,000 gift to the EOU
Foundation from long-
time professor Dr. Jean
Neely and her sister, Janice,
will support the facility,
including a new Human
Health and Performance
classroom, lab and offices.