2021: YEAR in REVIEW
C5 — THE OBSERVER
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021
NON-COVID:
Continued from Page C4
HEAT WAVE — RECORD
HIGH TEMPS, FIRE AND
FIREWORKS BANS
LA GRANDE — How’s
the weather? If you were in the
Pacifi c Northwest during the
summer, the answer would have
been, “It’s hot.”
Beginning June 26, North-
eastern Oregon experienced one
of the most historic and unprece-
dented heat waves to ever hit the
region.
During the height of the heat
wave, La Grande broke fi ve con-
secutive daily record highs,
from June 28 to July 2, and ulti-
mately tied the daily record on
July 3. For La Grande, the hottest
temperature recorded was 108
degrees on June 30 and July 1.
The reading of 108 degrees also
broke the record for the highest
monthly temperature recorded in
June and tied the monthly record
high for July originally set in
2002.
Additionally, the mark tied the
record for the all-time maximum
temperature recorded in 2002.
The high temps and dry con-
ditions prompted the city of La
Grande on Tuesday, June 29, to
ban fi reworks and outdoor recre-
ational fi res, just days before the
Independence Day holiday.
“I know it’s upsetting to some
people or probably frustrating,
but I just feel like it’s the right
thing,” La Grande Fire Chief
Emmitt Cornford said.
WALLOWA COUNTY
WILDFIRES
ENTERPRISE — The Elbow
Creek Fire cost more than $25
million to suppress, according to
a spokesperson for the Umatilla
National Forest.
“Our records show the cost-to-
date is $25.3 million,” said Darcy
Weseman, public aff airs offi cer
for the forest.
The fi re started on the after-
noon of Thursday, July 15, in an
area along the Grande Ronde
River near Troy. The fi re ended
up burning nearly 23,000 acres in
northern Wallowa County. More
than 1,000 fi refi ghters were mus-
tered to fi ght the blaze in steep
terrain as it covered the region
with smoke for weeks. As of
Aug. 2, the fi re was 95% con-
tained, and it was extinguished
not long after.
Weseman said the cause of the
blaze was still under investiga-
tion. It was speculated the cause
could have been human-related
or that it was a “sleeper” — a
smoldering tree from lightning
strikes about a week earlier.
POISONED WOLVES
LA GRANDE — In early
February, Oregon State Police
investigators were alerted that a
wolf fi tted with a tracking collar
had stopped moving near Mount
Harris, about 10 miles northeast
of La Grande in Union County.
They found the entirety of the
Catherine Pack, three males and
two females, dead along with a
nearby dead magpie, according
to state police. The animals were
sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service Forensics Lab in Ashland
LA GRANDE CRIME AND
HOMELESSNESS
Umatilla National Forest/Contributed Photo
The Elbow Creek Fire, shown from the air, started Thursday, July 15, 2021, west of Troy, according to David Weaver with
the Oregon Department of Forestry. By July 16 it had grown to an estimated 9,000 acres and caused area evacuations.
for testing.
About a month later, wild-
life offi cials again contacted state
police to report concerns about
a collared wolf in the same area
of Union County. Another search
turned up a dead female wolf and
another dead magpie and a dead
skunk. Again, all the animals
were sent to the lab for testing.
By April, the toxicology tests
confi rmed 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 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 confi rmed
diff erent types of poison, but
investigators believe the young
female’s death may be related to
the six earlier poisonings.
To date, conservation groups
have off ered nearly $50,000
for information that leads to a
conviction.
MERA FIRE BREAK WORK
AND LOGGING
LA GRANDE — The odds
of a catastrophic fi re someday
striking the Grande Ronde Valley
were reduced in 2021 by the cre-
ation of a pair of two major fi re-
breaks in the Mount Emily Rec-
reation Area.
The largest of the two fi re-
breaks is 6 miles long on
MERA’s Mainline Trail, which
runs north-south starting from
the recreation site’s parking lot
off of Fox Hill Road. The fi re-
break was created by Reedco
Forestry, a company contracted
by Union County.
The second fi rebreak was
along Forest Service Road 3120.
Gary Wright of Gary Wright
Contracting in Union created that
break, which is about a mile long
and runs on the western edge of
MERA.
The fi rebreaks cost a com-
bined total of $200,000. A federal
National Fire Plan grant, which
Union County received via the
Oregon Department of Forestry,
covered much of the funding.
The grant reimbursed Union
County for a major portion of its
cost of building the fi rebreaks.
The trunks of all trees in the
fi rebreaks are at least 10 feet
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
Empty chairs line McKenzie Theatre in Loso Hall on Wednesday, June 16, 2021.
The historic performance hall on the Eastern Oregon University campus in La
Grande had been under renovations since July 2020.
apart and their crowns a signifi -
cant distance away.
The distances make it much
less likely for a fi re to spread
from tree to tree.
“They will break the con-
tinuity of fuel,” Jamie Knight,
a spokesperson for the Oregon
Department of Forestry, told The
Observer in a Feb. 4 article.
The break in continuity of fuel
means the fi rebreaks will help
stop the advancement of fi res
from the Mount Emily area into
the Grande Ronde Valley and
blazes moving in the opposite
direction.
The 400-foot-wide fi rebreaks
also will help stop the fi res
advancing in the crowns of trees.
Sean Chambers, Union Coun-
ty’s parks coordinator, said the
intent of this step is to keep fi res
on the ground where they can be
controlled.
Much of the timber cut down
in the process of creating the fi re-
breaks was sold by Union County
to mills. Wood materials not suit-
able for mills were made avail-
able to the public in slash piles.
Everyone who purchased a $10
permit could get fi ve cords of
wood from early October through
the end of November, according
to Union County’s website.
EOU PROJECTS:
FIELDHOUSE, LOSO HALL
LA GRANDE — The past
year has been a productive one
for Eastern Oregon Univer-
sity building construction and
renovation.
The renovation of Loso Hall
was completed in the spring.
Many of the improvements focus
on boosting accessibility to Loso
Hall’s two theaters — McKenzie
and Schwarz.
McKenzie Theatre now has an
elevator the physically challenged
can take to the upper level of its
fi rst tier of seating. This gives
people who normally only get to
see performances at stage level a
chance to view productions from
a higher perspective.
Those with mobility issues
can now watch performances at
one of six sites that accommodate
wheelchairs and their compan-
ions. Creating space for viewing
sites within the venue’s regular
seating area was a heavyweight
task.
“We had to remove 40,000
pounds of concrete,” Jon Fowler
told The Observer in its Feb. 25
edition.
Fowler is project superinten-
dent for Kirby Nagelhout Con-
struction, the general contractor
for the Loso Hall remodeling,
which cost $5.5 million and was
funded by the sale of state bonds.
At Schwarz Theatre, acces-
sibility also received a dramatic
boost, where the stage now is
level with the fl oor. Previously
the seating area was sloped and
above the stage.
Renovation work in Schwarz
Theatre also included the addi-
tion of a motorized turntable
stage that can rotate to alter sets
during performances.
On the athletic front the
framework for Eastern’s fi rst-
ever fi eldhouse was installed
and much of the siding work was
done in 2021. The siding work
should be done by early January,
said John Garlitz, Eastern’s phys-
ical plant director.
LA GRANDE — Near the
conclusion of 2021, concerns over
homelessness and a rise in crim-
inal activities at Max Square and
in downtown La Grande became
a discussion topic among busi-
ness owners and city entities
alike.
A letter from downtown busi-
ness owners and comments from
councilor John Bozarth brought
the issue to light, prompting La
Grande Police Chief Gary Bell
to write a letter addressing the
concerns and opening a dialogue
with the community.
“I think it’s appropriate to
share that our mission at the
police department is to ethically
protect the lives, property and
quality of life of the La Grande
community to the best of our
ability, while respecting the con-
stitutional rights of all persons,”
Bell said in the statement.
The conversation continued
with community members in
early December as the city hosted
an open forum on the topic. Bell
was joined by City Manager
Robert Strope, Parks and Rec-
reation Coordinator Stu Spence,
Economic Development Director
Timothy Bishop and CHD
Mental Health Director Aaron
Grigg.
Bell pointed out tactics that
law enforcement and the city
have conducted to limit loitering
and vandalism downtown, but
also noted several roadblocks
facing the police department.
Measure 110 and recent court
cases have impacted the way that
law enforcement can address
homelessness in cities.
The open conversation with
business owners took place at
Brother Bear Cafe on Adams
Avenue and saw a crowd of about
15 business owners in atten-
dance. Many in attendance spoke
of observing drug usage at Max
Square and of cars being vandal-
ized or stolen.
Ideas ranged on how to
address the rise in homelessness
over the last several years, but the
overall consensus was the need
for continued communication on
the issue between law enforce-
ment and local businesses. Grigg
also detailed how CHD goes
about providing resources to
homeless individuals and what
possible solutions can exist from
a mental health standpoint.
“I can assure you that this
is felt collectively and we’re
working on it,” Bell said at the
November city council meeting.
“We need public engagement and
I think part of that is the educa-
tion component so that our down-
town, our business owners and
people are aware that it’s not just
going unattended.”
From our family to yours...
As we reflect on Christmas and the approaching
new year, we thank you all for your trust and
continued support. May you enjoy a happy
and healthy holiday season.
1508 Fourth Street
La Grande
BE SAFE! Please don’t drink and drive!
La Grande Office
1207 Adams Ave.
541-663-9000
www.johnjhoward.com
NON-COVID TOP STORIES
“Once the siding is up, work
on the interior can start,” Garlitz
said.
He said the fi eldhouse, which
will cost $9 million, should be
ready for use by students and ath-
letic team practices by the start of
fall term in 2022.
Once completed, the fi eld
house will be the largest building
of its kind at any college or uni-
versity in Oregon, Washington
and Idaho that is not a NCAA
Division I school, said Ben
Welch, EOU’s head men’s and
women’s track and fi eld coach.