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THURSDAY EDITION
December 23, 2021
NOTE TO READERS
Due to the postal holiday, we will not
publish a paper on Saturday, Dec. 25,
but have included comics for Dec. 25
in today’s paper. We will publish our
next edition on Tuesday, Dec. 28.
Optimism
abounds
after recent
storms
Substantial snowfalls
boost anticipation of
snowy, wet, cold winter
By KATY NESBITT
For EO Media Group
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
PENDLETON — After a rel-
atively dry autumn, the days
leading up to the winter solstice
fi nally brought the prediction of a
La Nina year to fruition.
According to the National
Weather Service website, there is
a 95% chance that La Nina condi-
tions are favored to continue in the
Northern Hemisphere until April.
The oceanservice.noaa.
gov website defi nes La Nina as
weather occurrences aff ected by
stronger than average trade winds
that push more warm water toward
Asia. Off the West Coast of the
Americas, upwelling increases,
bringing cold, nutrient-rich water
to the surface. These cold waters
in the Pacifi c Ocean push the jet
stream northward and tend to lead
to drought in the Southern U.S.
and heavy rains and fl ooding in
the Pacifi c Northwest and Canada.
During a La Nina year, winter
temperatures are warmer than
normal in the Southern U.S. and
cooler than normal in the Northern
U.S. La Nina can also lead to a
more severe hurricane season.
For Northeastern Oregon, the
National Weather Service’s Cli-
mate Predication Center reports
the region should expect a 50%
to 60% chance of above-av-
erage snowfall and a 50% to 60%
chance of lower-than-average
temperatures.
Recent snowfalls have boosted
the anticipation of a snowy, wet
and cold winter. A look around the
region’s snow sensors reveals the
current conditions for the Blue and
Wallowa mountains.
High Ridge, in the Blue Moun-
tains east of Pendleton, sits at
4,920 feet. Measurements on
See, Snow/Page A5
Dean Varney closes the door on his delivery truck — serial number 9202882 — at the United States Post Offi ce on Washington Avenue in La Grande on
Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021. Varney is retiring and will make his last delivery on Christmas Eve.
ONE LAST DELIVERY
Dedicated USPS
postman Dean
Varney to retire
on Christmas Eve
By DICK MASON
The Observer
L
A GRANDE — Dean Varney does
not know which home on his La
Grande route will be the last one he
will deliver mail to on Christmas
Eve.
But Varney, a U.S. Postal Service letter
carrier, does know this — it will be a
delivery to remember.
Varney will make his fi nal delivery
on Friday, Dec. 24, likely around 4 p.m.
after delivering to the homes, apartments
and business on his west La Grande route,
which runs from Pioneer Park south to the
vicinity of Grande Ronde Hospital.
“It will be at the end of an emotional
day,” he said.
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
See, Delivery/Page A5
Dean Varney sorts through packages, scanning them in before placing them inside his delivery truck
at the United States Post Offi ce in La Grande on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021.
Holiday essentials
Hospital employees
continue their work
from the front lines
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
LA GRANDE — While most
families are sitting by the fi re
exchanging gifts on Christmas
morning, some of the most
important jobs still need to be
done.
A select group of employees at
Grande Ronde Hospital keep the
hospital up and running during
the holidays, making sure essen-
tial jobs are still in operation
in case of emergency. While it
may not always be ideal to work
on the holidays, local hospital
workers commit to keeping the
community safe.
“Most people that work the
holidays have a real giving spirit,
I think,” said Karen Schatzlein,
a medical technologist in the
Grande Ronde Hospital lab. “It’s
a great team eff ort, even between
the lab and the nurses and the
doctors.”
Around this time of year,
some departments at Grande
Ronde Hospital use a rotating
schedule for who works on the
holidays, while some rely on vol-
unteers. Schatzlein has worked
at the hospital for more than
four years and has worked every
Christmas.
WEATHER
INDEX
Business ............ B1
Classified .......... B2
Comics ............... B6
Crossword ........ B2
See, Hospital/Page A5
Dear Abby ........ B8
Horoscope ........ B2
Lottery ............... A2
Obituaries ......... A3
Opinion ............. A4
Spiritual Life .... A6
Sports ..............A11
Sudoku .............. B6
Abigail Stonebreaker/Contributed Photo
Registered nurse Misty McClure walks down a decorated hallway in Grande
Ronde Hospital’s Family Birthing Center on Monday, Dec. 20, 2021. Many hospital
employees volunteer to work on the holidays to accommodate coworkers and
keep the hospital fully staff ed.
Full forecast on the back of B section
Tonight
Friday
28 LOW
35/23
Snow, 1-2”
A.M. snow, 1-2”
Online at lagrandeobserver.com
CONTACT US
541-963-3161
Issue 150
3 sections, 40 pages
La Grande, Oregon
Email story ideas
to news@lagrande
observer.com.
More contact info
on Page A4.
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