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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 23, 2021)
INSIDE POWDER VALLEY CRUSHES ST. PAUL, ADVANCES TO FOOTBALL STATE TITLE GAME | SPORTS, A7 TUESDAY EDITION November 23, 2021 NO VEMB $1.50 ER 24– DECE MB ER 1, 202 1 WW W.G OE ASTER NO REGO N.C Join Turk Tro ey PA t ev GE ents 4 OM Sho H p lida ba o y zaa rs GE PA 9 Vis it Mu seu Tam a m G E stsli at 14 kt PA J thr ingle Jos u eph INSIDE GET READY TO JINGLE THRU JOSEPH, IN PA 8 “T Th he fo eir od an IPAs Craft Live Beer Mu tio sic pub Seating eve webs nts (ch ite f eck State off ers help to pharmacies GE Elle n Mo Sh rris the oppe Bisho is rs p/F 20 Jo fr or sep 20 Jin fi nd frie the ne are esh, h Co mm gle Th ndly Wallow else dist loca unity ru Jo art a lly mak inct sep ists an Coun Ce nte h Ho d un ty Ch ing and sour ieftai pla r. This liday iqu 19 e ce NW clea ced No year’ Bazaa gifts n Was v. 26 s ba at IPAs rly no and -27 zaa r in hing and r tak the un .” - t De be ton c. 3-4 es Ye copy lie . Ave lp -cat va Re bl • La view s of y de Gra , Be each licio us nd nd . . Or othe e, OR eg r or on yo 12 ww w.s id ea be er. co m 97 85 0 Temporary employee program not open to local pharmacies, however By JAYSON JACOBY Baker City Herald LA GRANDE — The Oregon Health Authority is off ering to pay pharmacies $35 for each dose of COVID-19 vaccine they give, a move that possibly could help pharmacies hire employees to deal with the growing workload that has resulted in long lines in La Grande and across the state. The program, which launched this month, also is intended to boost vaccination rates and to ensure that vaccines are available to all residents, said Rudy Owens, a public aff airs specialist for the Oregon Health Authority. To qualify for the payments, pharmacies must meet cer- tain standards for “vaccine equity,” including such things as off ering multilingual signing for COVID-19 vaccinations, “expanded vaccine-related coun- seling aimed at boosting vac- cine confi dence,” and “a plan for ongoing evaluation and contin- uous improvement to ensure equi- table access,” according to a fl yer from OHA. The agency’s other pro- gram more directly addresses the staffi ng shortages that have plagued pharmacies, as the state will pay temporary pharmacists to bolster workforces. However, Owens said the temporary staffi ng program is available only to independent pharmacies. Corporate-owned pharmacies, including the three in La Grande— at the Safeway, Walmart and Rite Aid stores — are not eligible for the program, Owens said. The larger chain pharmacies are eligible for the vaccine payments. Owens said OHA doesn’t have data yet on how many pharmacies have applied for the supplemental payments. He said the pharmacy staffi ng shortages have been exacerbated by the closure of more than 35 Bi-Mart pharmacies, including the one in La Grande, earlier this month. See, Help/Page A5 Alex Wittwer/The Observer Sydney Gleeson, food service manager for Community Connection of Northeast Oregon, preps a turkey at the Union County Senior Center’s kitchen on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. Thanksgiving represents one of the busiest times of the year at the senior center as more than 600 meals are prepared during the days preceding the feast. Busiest time of year Union County food service program volunteers are always welcome to help with the work load By DICK MASON INSIDE The Observer LA GRANDE — With Thanksgiving just two days away, the food service staff at the Union County Senior Center is busier than ever pre- paring such tasty items as turkey, ham, stuffi ng, cranber- ries and sweet potatoes to feed hundreds. “Thanksgiving week is always our busiest of the year,” said Sydney Gleeson, the Union County food services manager for Community Con- nection of Northeast Oregon. Gleeson said her staff pre- pares more than 600 meals during the three days before Thanksgiving, about double what it normally does during a normal Monday to Wednesday period at the senior center in La Grande. Gleeson likes the challenge of preparing addi- tional meals in a compressed time frame. “I enjoy having the oppor- tunity to do more for people in The COVID-19 pandemic is putting a crimp in plans for holiday meals in Wallowa County, Page A2 need in the community,” she said. Dianna Douglas, a volun- teer cook at the Union County Senior Center, said the greater her work load is, the happier she is. “The more people I help feed, the better I feel,” she said. The volunteer said that pre- paring meals Thanksgiving week and throughout the year is a joy. “I love to cook and feed people,” she said. “If I couldn’t do it here, I would do it out of my kitchen.” Douglas worked for Com- munity Connection’s food ser- vice center in Wallowa before moving to La Grande earlier this year. She still assists in Wallowa, going there at least twice a month to help when Alex Wittwer/The Observer Paula Webb, a member of the kitchen staff at the Union County Senior Center, cuts slices of bread for stuffi ng on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. Meals from the senior center include turkey, ham, sweet potatoes, cranberries, mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh baked bread, green bean casserole and pie. Many of the meals will be delivered through the Meals on Wheels program. the staff is shorthanded. Douglas has a fi rsthand understanding of the demands of holiday season meal prepa- ration. She was the head cook for the Wallowa Senior Center’s Thanksgiving and Christmas programs from DRIVERS NEEDED Sydney Gleeson, the Union County food services manager for Com- munity Connection of North- east Oregon, said drivers are still needed to help deliver meals on Nov. 24. Anyone who is interested in delivering meals are asked to call 541-605-5556. See, Busy/Page A5 The show goes on at the OK Theatre Historic Enterprise site being renovated By BILL BRADSHAW Wallowa County Chieftain ENTERPRISE — The show must go on. That’s Darrell Brann’s intention and his plan is to reopen Enterprise’s historic OK Theatre next spring. Right now, the building’s facade is covered with scaf- folding in anticipation of its restoration. “I’ve had people ask, ‘Are you tearing it down?’ Well, we’re tearing it back to the good stuff and then rebuilding from there,” Brann said. Inside, much of the venue has been gutted in preparation for other work, such as retail spaces, a bar, remodeling the foyer and a See, Theater/Page A5 Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain WEATHER INDEX Classified ......B2 Comics ..... B6,B7 Crossword ....B3 Dear Abby ....B8 The facade of the OK Theatre in Enterprise is undergoing a major refurbishment as part of work to restore the theater and prepare it to reopen next spring, said co-owner Darrell Brann on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. Home .............B1 Horoscope ....B3 Lottery ...........A2 Obituaries .....A3 SATURDAY Opinion .........A4 Sports ............A7 State ...............A6 Sudoku ...B6, B7 Full forecast on the back of B section Tonight Wednesday 26 LOW 42/32 Partly cloudy Mostly cloudy GRANTS HELP KEEP DENTAL CLINIC AFLOAT CONTACT US 541-963-3161 Issue 137 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
