LOCAL
A2 — THE OBSERVER
TODAY
On Dec. 11, 1972, Apollo 17’s
lunar module landed on the moon
with astronauts Eugene Cernan
and Harrison Schmitt aboard; they
became the last two men to date
to step onto the lunar surface.
In 1816, Indiana became the
19th state.
In 1910, French inventor
Georges Claude publicly displayed
his first neon lamp, consisting of
two 38-foot-long tubes, at the
Paris Expo.
In 1936, Britain’s King Edward
VIII abdicated the throne so he
could marry American divorcee
Wallis Warfield Simpson; his
brother, Prince Albert, became
King George VI.
In 1941, Germany and Italy
declared war on the United States;
the U.S. responded in kind.
In 1946, the United Nations
International Children’s Emergency
Fund (UNICEF) was established.
In 1980, President Jimmy Carter
signed legislation creating a $1.6
billion environmental “super-
fund” to pay for cleaning up chem-
ical spills and toxic waste dumps.
“Magnum P.I.,” starring Tom Sel-
leck, premiered on CBS.
In 1997, more than 150 countries
agreed at a global warming con-
ference in Kyoto, Japan, to control
the Earth’s greenhouse gases.
In 1998, majority Republicans
on the House Judiciary Com-
mittee pushed through three arti-
cles of impeachment against Pres-
ident Bill Clinton, over Democratic
objections.
In 2001, in the first criminal
indictment stemming from 9/11,
federal prosecutors charged
Zacarias Moussaoui, a French cit-
izen of Moroccan descent, with
conspiring to murder thousands
in the suicide hijackings. (Mouss-
aoui pleaded guilty to conspiracy
in 2005 and was sentenced to life
in prison.)
In 2002, a congressional report
found that intelligence agen-
cies that were supposed to pro-
tect Americans from the Sept. 11
hijackers failed to do so because
they were poorly organized,
poorly equipped and slow to
pursue clues that might have pre-
vented the attacks.
In 2008, former Nasdaq
chairman Bernie Madoff was
arrested, accused of running a
multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme
that wiped out the life savings
of thousands of people and
wrecked charities. (Madoff died in
April 2021 while serving a 150-year
federal prison sentence.)
In 2018, a Virginia jury called
for a sentence of life in prison
plus 419 years for the man
who killed a woman when he
rammed his car into counter-
protesters at a white nationalist
rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
(James Alex Fields Jr. received
that sentence in July, 2019.)
Ten years ago: Former
military strongman Manuel
Antonio Noriega was flown from
France to Panama to face addi-
tional punishment in his home
country after spending more
than 20 years in U.S. and French
prisons for drug trafficking and
money laundering. A U.N. cli-
mate conference in Johannes-
burg, South Africa, reached a
hard-fought agreement on a far-
reaching program meant to set
a new course for the global fight
against climate change.
Five years ago: Presi-
dent-elect Donald Trump called
a recent CIA assessment of Rus-
sian hacking in the U.S. election
“ridiculous” and said he wasn’t
interested in getting daily intel-
ligence briefings, telling “Fox
News Sunday,” “I get it when I
need it.”
One year ago: The Supreme
Court rejected a lawsuit backed
by President Donald Trump to
overturn Joe Biden’s election
victory, ending a desperate
attempt to get legal issues that
were rejected by state and fed-
eral judges before the nation’s
highest court. The Food and
Drug Administration autho-
rized an emergency rollout of
the nation’s first COVID-19 vac-
cine, developed by Pfizer and
its German partner BioNTech;
the decision came as the U.S.
recorded a new daily high in the
number of coronavirus deaths,
at 3,309, and a new high in daily
confirmed infections with more
than 231,000.
Fair Lights plans in full swing
By ANN BLOOM
For EO Media Group
ENTERPRISE — The
plans for Fair Lights 2021
are in full swing, with the
same number of exhibits
expected this year as last
— 23. However, according
to new Wallowa County
Fair Board Manager Annett
Connor, the fair board is
“just starting to recruit” for
exhibits, so there could be
more, she said.
This year’s drive-thru
Fair Lights opens at 5 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 17, featuring
lighted displays at the Wal-
lowa County Fairgrounds
in Enterprise. Cars enter
through a gate off Medical
Parkway near Les Schwab,
drive around the track
to view the lighted, holi-
day-themed displays, which
are provided by area busi-
nesses and organizations,
and exit near the indoor
arena off Lyle Street. The
event runs from 5-8 p.m.
each night through Dec.
26. Fair Lights 2021 is
free, though donations are
appreciated.
The first 100 cars on
opening night will each
receive a goody bag of
donated merchandise. And
Santa Claus will be there to
help celebrate the return of
the event.
Details are still being
Wallowa county chieftain, File
A message of hope from the Enterprise Seventh-day Adventist
Church was the theme of a Christmas display Friday, Dec. 18, 2020,
at the Wallowa County Fairgrounds for the opening night of Fair
Lights 2020. A similar series of displays at the fairgrounds opens
Friday, Dec. 17, 2021.
finalized, but according to
Connor some things being
considered for inclusion in
this year’s event are a pop-
corn stand and roasted
chestnuts. Last year, due to
the COVID-19 pandemic,
a local provider had some
chestnuts left over from
a canceled order and was
able to provide the chest-
nuts. It is unknown if that
is the case this year.
There is a contingency
plan for inclement weather.
“If the weather is
bad, we will have walk-
throughs, if we can’t drive
through,” she said.
Connor, who started as
fair board office manager
Sept. 21, said she wants
people to “just come and
enjoy.” She added, “The
fair board enjoyed meeting
the community when they
were there passing out
goody bags last year.”
She came to the fair
board position from the
Education Service District
in Pendleton, where she
worked as an internet tech-
nology server analyst. She
said she wanted to get out
of IT, had relatives in Wal-
lowa County, “and (the job)
seemed like a perfect fit for
me.” She said she had been
the secretary for the Oregon
Hunters Association and the
fair board position “seemed
like a lot of what I was
doing for them. It was me
getting back to my roots.”
Connor admits the
biggest challenge of the
job has been “wrapping
my head around all the
fair activities and what’s
involved in it. It’s a lot in
a part-time job.” She said
what she has enjoyed the
most is “getting to know
the OSU Extension people.
They’re so welcoming.
They’re fun and I’m
enjoying every minute.”
Connor is quick to give
kudos to her predecessor,
Tera Elliott, who accepted
a position at the Wallowa
County Courthouse.
“Tera has been
amazing,” said Connor.
Elliott has been avail-
able for training and ques-
tions during the transition.
Connor said she has big
shoes to fill, and it will take
her awhile to fill them.
“She’ll be missed,”
Connor said of Elliot. “The
courthouse is lucky to have
her.”
Applications for display
space for Fair Lights 2021
are still being accepted and
can be picked up at the fair
office, 668 NW First St. in
Enterprise. For more infor-
mation contact Connor at
541-426-4097. Applications
will be accepted as long as
space is available.
City officials address downtown concerns
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
LA GRANDE — La
Grande officials will
address safety concerns
during an upcoming infor-
mational meeting with
downtown business owners
and discuss the city’s plan
moving forward.
The meeting comes
in the wake of concerns
expressed about loitering at
Max Square and reports of
vandalism and trespassing.
Taking part in the
meeting will be La Grande
Police Chief Gary Bell,
Parks and Recreation
Director Stu Spence,
Economic Development
Director Timothy Bishop,
Center for Human Devel-
opment Mental Health
Director Aaron Grigg and
La Grande City Manager
Robert Strope. The city
officials will be joined by
local business and property
owners in the downtown
area.
According to Strope,
the meeting will include
the city’s steps taken to
address the issue and a
chance for feedback and
ideas from downtown
merchants.
A group of 18 individ-
uals wrote a letter to Bell
expressing their concerns
about the situation at Max
Square and activities hap-
pening downtown they
deemed unsafe, which
was further discussed at
a La Grande City Council
meeting last month. Coun-
cilor John Bozarth raised
the issue, calling the gath-
ering an “eyesore for the
community.”
Bell wrote a letter to
downtown merchants on
Nov. 29, which responded
to the concerns and
described ways the police
department is striving
to address the issue. The
letter included details on
a variety of efforts the
department has undertaken
to improve the safety in
downtown La Grande, as
well as some of the hurdles
law enforcement is facing
in doing so.
Following the discus-
sion at the city council
meeting in November,
Bell met with Strope and
Spence to plan possible
routes the city can take in
responding to the issue.
According to Strope, the
letter from Bell was a
means of raising aware-
ness as the issue will be an
ongoing discussion with
the community moving
IF YOU GO
What: Informational meeting
on downtown safety
Where: Brother Bear Cafe,
1009 Adams Ave., La Grande
When: 6 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 14
In attendance: La Grande
Police Chief Gary Bell, Parks
and Recreation Director Stu
Spence, Economic Develop-
ment Director Timothy Bishop,
Center for Human Develop-
ment Mental Health Director
Aaron Grigg and La Grande
City Manager Robert Strope
forward. This week’s
meeting will give the city
an idea of next steps that
can be taken regarding the
recent public concern.
Bell and the police
department encourage
residents to contact law
enforcement if they witness
any criminal violations.
La Grande district’s COVID-19 numbers remain low
By DICK MASON
The Observer
LA GRANDE— The
La Grande School Dis-
trict’s COVID-19 infection
rate remains in the single
digits.
The school district’s
latest weekly statis-
tics show that nine stu-
dents missed school
during the week of Nov.
29-Dec. 3 because of pos-
itive COVID-19 tests,
COVID-19 symptoms or
close contact with those
who have COVID-19. That
number was up four from
Thanksgiving week, Nov.
22-23 when five students
missed school because of
COVID-19. The increase,
though, may reflect the fact
that there were just two
days of school the week of
Thanksgiving, while there
were four the week of Nov.
29-Dec. 3. Most of the La
Grande School District’s
weeks have five class days.
The school district’s
recent COVID-19 num-
bers are down dramatically
from the week of Oct. 11-15
when 57 students were out
because of COVID-19 and a
far cry from mid-September
when 123 students and staff
were out during one week.
The school district’s Nov.
29-Dec. 3 statistics indicate
that no staff members were
absent during the week due
to positive COVID-19 tests,
symptoms of the disease or
close contact with someone
who has it. This marks the
eighth week in a row that
the La Grande School Dis-
trict did not have any staff
out due to COVID-19.
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SaTuRday, dEcEmBER 11, 2021
The district’s latest sta-
tistics, based on reports to
school district nurses, show
that two students were out
the week after Thanks-
giving due to testing pos-
itive for COVID-19. Both
students were from La
Grande High School.
Four students missed
class that week because of
close contact to an indi-
vidual who had tested pos-
itive for COVID-19. Two
of the students were from
Island City Elementary and
two were from La Grande
High School. Three stu-
dents, one at Central Ele-
mentary and two at Green-
wood Elementary, missed
school because of primary
COVID-19 symptoms.
The school district’s con-
tinuing low numbers mean
the district will be able to
remain in the low-risk cat-
egory under the rules of its
2021 Communicable Dis-
ease plan. The school dis-
trict moved into the low-risk
category from the moder-
ate-risk category about a
month ago.
Being in the low-risk cat-
egory means schools can
continue conducting assem-
blies and concerts that can
be attended by parents
and community members,
more volunteers can work
in the school district and,
in some instances, children
in different grades can have
recess at the same time at
elementary schools.
The school district
still must adhere to state
COVID-19 safety rules,
including wearing masks
and practicing social
distancing.
NEWS BRIEFS
OHA reports six new
COVID-19 cases in
Union County
SALEM — In the Oregon Health
Authority’s daily COVID-19 report on
Thursday, Dec. 9, Union County tal-
lied six new positive cases. In Wallowa
County, one new case was reported.
The report increased Union Coun-
ty’s total case count to 3,434 since
the start of the pandemic. Wallowa
County has totaled 767 positive cases.
Across the state, 901 new con-
firmed and presumptive COVID-19
cases were included in the daily report.
OHA indicated that 38 new deaths
were reported, which brought Ore-
gon’s death toll to 5,356. The new
cases increased the state’s total to
399,361 since the pandemic began.
OHA’s latest breakthrough report
indicated that 6,496 (69.4%) of the
reported COVID-19 cases between
Nov. 28 and Dec. 4 were among
unvaccinated individuals. There were
1,989 (30.6%) breakout cases in that
same time frame. According to OHA,
there have been 47,687 total break-
through cases in Oregon.
The Dec. 9 report stated there are
currently 404 patients hospitalized
with COVID-19 in the state, which
is an increase of seven patients from
the previous report. Out of 682 adult
ICU beds in Oregon, 56 are currently
available. There are 247 open adult
non-ICU beds out of 4,171.
Oregon’s seven-day running
average of vaccine doses per day
stands at 23,668.
Baker man accused
of burglary
BAKER CITY — A Baker City
man is accused of first-degree bur-
glary, a Class A felony, and multiple
misdemeanor charges for a Nov. 8
incident in Baker City.
Juan Pablo Burgos, 60, was
arrested Dec. 3 in Baker City, the
day after a Baker County grand jury
indicted him.
Burgos remains in the Baker
County Jail on $15,000 bail. He could
be released by posting 10% of the bail
amount.
According to the indictment,
Burgos on Nov. 8 entered a Baker
City dwelling, damaged property and
subjected the woman living there to
“offensive physical contact.”
He is charged with two counts of
first-degree burglary and one count
each of first-degree criminal tres-
passing, second-degree criminal mis-
chief and harassment.
Burgos is scheduled to enter a plea
to the charges on Dec. 27 at 1:30 p.m.
in Baker County Circuit Court.
—— EO Media Group
Reward
for info on
poisoned
wolves now
nearly $43K
By KALE WILLIAMS
The Oregonian
LA GRANDE — Con-
servation groups are offering
a $42,977 reward for infor-
mation that leads to a convic-
tion after at least eight wolves
were poisoned in Eastern
Oregon earlier this year.
Three groups — Wolves
of the Rockies, Trap Free
Montana and The 06 Legacy
Project — added an addi-
tional $10,000 to the existing
reward Monday, Dec. 6. An
additional $6,977 in reward
money from the Greater
Hells Canyon Council,
Humane Society of the
United States and private
donations was announced
Dec. 7.
“We were heartbroken
to hear of these horrific and
inhumane killings, and con-
demn in the strongest terms
this atrocity,” Marc Cooke,
president of Wolves of the
Rockies, said in a statement,
adding that the poisonings
were the result of escalating
tensions between wolves and
ranchers. “But this slaughter
did not occur in a vacuum.
We hope to see those respon-
sible for the illegal killings
brought to justice.”
In early February, Oregon
State Police investigators
were alerted that a wolf fitted
with a tracking collar had
stopped moving near Mount
Harris, about 10 miles north-
east of La Grande in Union
County.
They found the entirety
of the Catherine Pack, three
males and two females, dead
along with a dead magpie
that was found near the
wolves, according to state
police. The wolves were sent
to the U.S. Fish and Wild-
life Service Forensics Lab in
Ashland for testing.
About a month later, wild-
life officials again contacted
state police to report con-
cerns about a collared wolf
in the same area of Union
County. Another search
turned up a dead female
wolf along with another dead
magpie and a dead skunk.
Again, all the animals were
sent to the lab for testing.
By April, the toxicology
tests confirmed all six wolves
had been poisoned.
Two more wolves would
be poisoned in the months to
come. Later in April, another
male wolf, this one from the
Five Points Pack, was found
dead near the town of Elgin.
In July, a young female wolf
was found dead northeast
of La Grande, state troopers
said. That animal had
recently dispersed from the
Keating Pack.
Testing on both confirmed
different types of poison,
but investigators believe the
young female’s death may
be related to the six earlier
poisonings.
Tension between wolf
advocates and ranchers,
whose livestock has some-
times been preyed upon by
the canids, has festered in
Oregon since the animals
began repopulating the state
in the early 2000s. Debates
on how best to resolve con-
flict have grown contentious
at times.
Six wolves from the
Lookout Mountain Pack, in
Baker County, were killed by
the state earlier this year after
repeated attacks on livestock
in the area.
Last year, federal pro-
tections for wolves under
the Endangered Species Act
were rescinded by the Trump
administration, though advo-
cates for the animals have
sued to have the animal’s
protected status reinstated.
Previously, eight conser-
vation groups — the Center
for Biological Diversity, Cas-
cadia Wildlands, Defenders
of Wildlife, The Humane
Society of the United States,
Northeast Oregon Ecosys-
tems, Oregon Wild, Pred-
ator Defense and WildEarth
Guardians — had offered a
$26,000 reward for informa-
tion on the case.