LOCAL
A2 — THE OBSERVER
THuRSday, dEcEmBER 16, 2021
Greif set
to retire
at end of
school year
TODAY
On Dec. 16, 1773, the Boston
Tea Party took place as Amer-
ican colonists boarded a British
ship and dumped more than 300
chests of tea into Boston Harbor
to protest tea taxes.
In 1653, Oliver Cromwell
became lord protector of
England, Scotland and Ireland.
In 1811, the first of the pow-
erful New Madrid earthquakes
struck the central Mississippi
Valley with an estimated magni-
tude of 7.7.
In 1944, the World War II
Battle of the Bulge began as
German forces launched a sur-
prise attack against Allied forces
through the Ardennes Forest in
Belgium and Luxembourg (the
Allies were eventually able to
turn the Germans back).
In 1950, President Harry S.
Truman proclaimed a national
state of emergency in order to
fight “world conquest by Com-
munist imperialism.”
In 1960, 134 people were
killed when a United Air Lines
DC-8 and a TWA Super Constella-
tion collided over New York City.
In 1982, Environmental Pro-
tection Agency head Anne M.
Gorsuch became the first Cab-
inet-level officer to be cited
for contempt of Congress for
refusing to submit documents
requested by a congressional
committee.
In 1991, the U.N. General
Assembly rescinded its 1975 res-
olution equating Zionism with
racism by a vote of 111-25.
In 2000, President-elect
George W. Bush selected Colin
Powell to become the first Afri-
can-American secretary of state.
In 2001, after nine weeks of
fighting, Afghan militia leaders
claimed control of the last
mountain bastion of Osama bin
Laden’s al-Qaida fighters, but bin
Laden himself was nowhere to
be seen.
In 2012, President Barack
Obama visited Newtown, Con-
necticut, the scene of the Sandy
Hook Elementary School mas-
sacre; after meeting privately
with victims’ families, the pres-
ident told an evening vigil he
would use “whatever power” he
had to prevent future shootings.
In 2014, Taliban gunmen
stormed a military-run school in
the northwestern Pakistan city
of Peshawar, killing at least 148
people, mostly children.
In 2019, House Democrats
laid out their impeachment
case against President Donald
Trump; a sweeping report from
the House Judiciary Committee
said Trump had “betrayed the
Nation by abusing his high office
to enlist a foreign power in cor-
rupting democratic elections.”
Boeing said it would temporarily
stop producing its grounded
737 Max jet as it struggled to
get approval from regulators to
put the plane back in the air; it
had been grounded since March
after two deadly crashes.
Ten years ago: In San Fran-
cisco, eight years of being inves-
tigated for steroid allegations
ended for home run king Barry
Bonds with a 30-day sentence to
be served at home. (Bonds never
served the sentence; his convic-
tion for obstruction of justice
was overturned.)
Five years ago: President
Barack Obama put Russia’s Vlad-
imir Putin on notice that the U.S.
could use offensive cyber muscle
to retaliate for interference in
the U.S. presidential election,
his strongest suggestion to date
that Putin had been well aware
of campaign email hacking.
John Glenn’s home state
and the nation began saying
goodbye to the beloved astro-
naut and former U.S. senator
starting with a public viewing
of his flag-draped casket inside
Ohio’s Statehouse rotunda in
Columbus.
One year ago: The first
COVID-19 vaccinations were
underway at U.S. nursing
homes, where the virus had
killed 110,000 people. Tyson
Foods said it had fired seven
top managers at its largest pork
plant after an investigation con-
firmed allegations that they had
wagered on how many workers
at the plant in Iowa would test
positive for the coronavirus.
LOTTERY
Monday, Dec. 13, 2021
Megabucks
4-7-16-18-27-33
Estimated jackpot: $7 million
Lucky Lines
1-6-10-15-19-23-27-30
Estimated jackpot: $45,000
Win for Life
5-15-31-72
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 0-1-1-6
4 p.m.: 0-3-7-7
7 p.m.: 0-4-5-5
10 p.m.: 0-2-1-5
Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021
Mega Millions
33-35-44-55-69
mega Ball: 20
megaplier: 3
Estimated jackpot: $160
million
Lucky Lines
3-8-10-14-19-22-26-32
Estimated jackpot: $46,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 8-8-2-1
4 p.m.: 3-6-2-3
7 p.m.: 9-9-5-5
10 p.m.: 9-2-0-4
Elgin superintendent has
worked for the school
district for 29 years
By DICK MASON
The Observer
davis carbaugh/The Observer
A rental truck bearing Washington plates sits on the railroad tracks near North Powder on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021. The truck
crashed off Interstate 84 and the driver of the vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene. It was unclear what caused the crash,
according to police.
Early-morning crash kills one
Driver killed in
vehicle accident
on Interstate 84
By DICK MASON and
DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
NORTH POWDER —
The driver of a full-sized
Dodge pickup pulling
a camper died in a sin-
gle-vehicle accident on
the south edge of North
Powder early Wednesday,
Dec. 15.
The driver, an adult
male, was killed when
the pickup he was driving
went off the left west-
bound lane of Interstate
84 and down an embank-
ment. The pickup and the
camper came to rest on
Union Pacific Railroad
tracks. The accident was
reported at 6:29 a.m. to
the Baker County 911 dis-
patch center.
According to Oregon
State Police Sgt. Dave
Aydelotte, the driver was
deceased by the time first
responders arrived. The
victim was not ejected
from his truck, said
Senior Trooper Greg
Retherford.
The vehicle in the
fatal accident had no pas-
sengers. The pickup the
man was driving was
an Enterprise rental and
had Washington license
plates. The camper also
had at least one Wash-
ington license plate.
A Life Flight heli-
copter was dispatched
to the scene but turned
around immediately after
reaching North Powder
because the driver did not
survive the crash.
“It flew in and circled
the area but it did not set
down,” Retherford said.
The identity of the
driver was not released
as of press time, pending
the notification of the next
of kin.
In addition to OSP,
those responding to the
crash site included the
La Grande Fire Depart-
ment, the Union County
Sheriff’s Office and Union
Pacific Railroad.
Retherford said a La
Grande Fire Department
vehicle got stuck on the
railroad tracks while a
train was coming toward
it about a quarter mile
west of the accident scene.
Fortunately, the railroad
was contacted and the
train, which was moving
slowly, was able to stop
with plenty of distance to
spare — but not before
causing some concern.
“It was a little nerve-
racking for a while,” Reth-
erford said.
The cause of the acci-
dent remains under inves-
tigation. According
to Aydelotte, Oregon
requires a local medical
examiner to investigate
the cause and manner of
death when the death is
unattended.
“At this point in time
we just don’t know,” he
said.
Aydelotte said no
estimate of the vehi-
cle’s speed has been
determined.
The accident blocked
both active rail lines until
approximately 8:45 a.m.,
when one of the lines was
cleared. The crash did not
close I-84 and no other
vehicles were involved.
Santa Mall returns for another year
Annual event
provides children
opportunity to buy
gifts for family
By DICK MASON
The Observer
LA GRANDE —
Children will again
have the opportunity
to experience the joy
of Christmas giving,
starting Friday, Dec. 17.
Young holiday shop-
pers on Dec. 17 and Dec.
18 will be flocking to the
Riveria Activity Center,
2609 N. Second St., La
Grande, for the annual
Santa Mall. The event is
open to the public but its
main focus is on giving
all children, including
those from lower income
families, the opportunity
to buy gifts for family
members.
The Santa Mall will
be open from 1-7 p.m.
on Friday, Dec. 17, and
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on
MORE INFORMATION
For details on getting Santa Bucks for a child or serving as a vendor,
call or text 541-975–0353.
Saturday, Dec. 18. Santa
will be at the event on
Saturday and will pose
for photographs with
children throughout his
visit, according to Santa
Mall Director Dawn
Hayes.
Thirty-five vendors
have signed up for the
Santa Mall, and open-
ings still are available.
All children will receive
Santa Bucks to use as
currency to purchase
items from the vendors.
The Santa Mall pro-
gram, in its 26th year,
has about $5,000 in
money for Santa Bucks,
its highest total ever,
Hayes said. The money
was raised from spon-
sors, individuals dona-
tions and money paid by
this year’s vendor fees.
To date, almost 300
children have been pro-
vided Santa Bucks,
and the Santa Mall has
enough available for
another 100 children,
Hayes said.
Hayes has volun-
teered at the Santa Mall
for the past eight years,
and in the last six has
co-directed it with Shelia
Evans, who died Oct. 9
of natural causes. Evans
was 52 years old. Hayes
said memories of Evans
will burn bright at this
year’s Santa Mall.
“It was her passion,”
she said.
Hayes said the loss
of Evans is leaving a
big void because of the
volume of responsibili-
ties she shouldered.
“Sheila took on so
much,” she said.
Hayes is grateful for
individuals stepping up
to assist her this year,
including Amy Horn,
who she describes as her
top assistant. Horn is an
advertising representa-
tive for The Observer.
Masks will not be
required at the Santa
Mall, Hayes said. She
said that anyone meeting
with a vendor not
wearing a mask will be
able to request the indi-
vidual wear one.
Hayes said helping
run the Santa Mall is one
of the joys of her life.
“It is a labor of love,”
she said.
Hayes said the oppor-
tunity to help put smiles
on the faces of children
makes it all worth it.
Items at the Santa
Mall include toys,
clothing, crafts, blan-
kets, homemade goods
and home decor items.
Hayes said the Santa
Mall is also a good place
for adults to do their
Christmas shopping.
“There are shopping
opportunities for every-
body,” she said.
NEWS BRIEFS
OHA reports one new
death, 28 new COVID-19
cases in Union County
SALEM — The Oregon Health
Authority released its latest
COVID-19 update on Wednesday,
Dec. 15, which showed 28 new
cases and one new death in Union
County. Wallowa County added
one new case on the report.
A 67-year-old-man from Union
County who tested positive on
Nov. 23 died on Dec. 9 at Grande
Ronde Hospital. The man report-
edly had underlying conditions.
The 28 cases is the highest
single day mark over the last 30
days and brings the county’s total
to 3,465 since the start of the pan-
demic. Wallowa County stands at
768 cases. Union County’s death
toll is up to 58.
Across Oregon, 883 new con-
firmed and presumptive cases
were reported — the state’s case
count since the beginning of
COVID-19 is up to 402,436. The
report showed 49 new deaths in
Oregon, which brought the death
toll to 5,469.
There are currently 382
patients hospitalized with
COVID-19, which is a decrease
of 26 patients from yesterday’s
report. There are 59 open adult
ICU beds out of 685 in the state
and 272 available adult non-ICU
beds out of 4,143.
The seven-day running
average of vaccine doses per day
in Oregon is currently 21,820.
NEOEDD seeks website
redesign proposals
ENTERPRISE — The North-
east Oregon Economic Develop-
ment District is seeking proposals
to redesign its website in 2022,
according to a press release.
A copy of the detailed request
for proposals can be found on the
NEOEDD website, www.neoedd.
org (see the Upcoming Events page).
Questions from contractors will
be accepted until Jan. 21. Proposals
must be submitted by Jan. 28.
The RFP includes the district’s
background, website redesign goals
and scope of work, RFP process and
project timeline, proposal submis-
sion instructions and details of the
contractor selection process. The
RFP also gives examples of website
components the organization likes
and a site map draft.
For more information, contact
Lisa Dawson, district executive
director, at 541-426-3598, ext. 1, or
by email at lisadawson@neoedd.org.
Anthony Lakes ski area
will open Dec. 18
NORTH POWDER — With
another 8 inches of snow falling
overnight Monday, Dec. 13, the ski
area at Anthony Lakes Mountain
Resort will open for the season on
Saturday, Dec. 18.
Anthony Lakes reported a base
of 22 inches on Dec. 14, with 19
inches of snow falling in the past
three days.
The resort, in the Elkhorn
Mountains about 44 miles south-
east of La Grande, will be open
daily through Jan. 2, 2022, except
Christmas Day. The ski area will
close at 1 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
Unlike last winter, the lodge
will be open this year, although
face coverings are required
indoors.
More information, including
daily snow updates, are available at
www.anthonylakes.com.
— The Observer
ELGIN — Elgin School Dis-
trict Superintendent Dianne Greif,
to the dismay of her school board,
will soon do what she had initially
planned to do in 2020 — begin her
retirement.
Greif has decided step down
as superintendent on
June 30, 2022.
“I want to spend
more time with my
family,” she told the
Elgin School Board on
Monday, Dec. 13.
Greif
Greif initially
intended to retire in July of 2020
but moved her retirement plans
back because of the COVID-19
pandemic. The superintendent said
that she wanted to use her expe-
rience to help the school district
overcome the uncommon chal-
lenges posed by the pandemic,
which hit Oregon in March of 2020.
“I did not feel that it would be
the right time to leave,” she said.
The Elgin School Board voted
4-1 to accept Greif’s resignation
during its regularly scheduled
meeting on Dec. 13. School board
member Rod Spikes voted against
accepting her resignation.
“She has done a great job for
us,” he said.
Greif has been Elgin’s super-
intendent the past 6-1/2 years and
has worked 29 years for the Elgin
School District. She has done
double duty throughout her stint as
superintendent, serving as principal
of Stella Mayfield School her first
four years as superintendent and
principal of Elgin High School the
past 2-1/2 years.
Spikes said Greif is particularly
needed now because of the work
she does as principal of Elgin High
School. He said a skilled adminis-
trator like Greif is needed to guide
the school, which has many new
staff members.
“She is such a good leader,”
he said. “She is always on top of
things.”
Greif began her career with
the school district as a substitute
kitchen staff worker and a substi-
tute playground supervisor. She
later taught third grade and middle
school math at Stella Mayfield
School for 17 years. She was named
principal of Stella Mayfield School
nine years ago.
Elgin School Board member
Randy Laber, who like Spikes
is upset that Greif is leaving,
credits her with a diverse range of
skills, including grant writing and
communication.
“She is a woman of many
capes,” he said.
Laber credits Greif with always
stepping forward when needed.
“If something needs to done, she
is on it,” he said.
Greif said that she feels good
about the position the Elgin School
District is in. She said it is on stable
ground financially, has teachers
who are doing an excellent job and
its students are doing well in terms
of academic achievement.
The superintendent, a 1979
Elgin High School graduate and a
graduate of Eastern Oregon Uni-
versity, said she never imagined
when she started working as a
kitchen substitute and substitute
playground supervisor that she
someday would take the reins of the
district.
“When I started, all I wanted to
do was to become a teacher,” she
said.
Greif began pursuing a career
as administrator in an effort to pro-
vide stability for the school dis-
trict. Grief said during her 17-year
teaching career she had nine princi-
pals, noting that the instability hurt
the school and she wanted to pro-
vide the continuity it needed.
Greif said her career with the
Elgin School District, despite
the challenges faced during the
COVID-19 pandemic, has been
rewarding.
“My years with the school dis-
trict have been spectacular,” she
said.
Greif said she will available to
help the school district as long as it
needs her until a new superinten-
dent is in place.
“I’m not going to just walk walk
away when help is still needed,”
she said.