A2 — THE OBSERVER
TODAY
On Jan. 11, 1908, Presi-
dent Theodore Roosevelt pro-
claimed the Grand Canyon
National Monument (it became
a national park in 1919).
In 1861, Alabama became the
fourth state to withdraw from
the Union.
In 1913, the first enclosed
sedan-type automobile, a
Hudson, went on display at the
13th National Automobile Show
in New York.
In 1927, the creation of the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts
and Sciences was proposed
during a dinner of Hollywood
luminaries at the Ambassador
Hotel in Los Angeles.
In 1935, aviator Amelia Ear-
hart began an 18-hour trip from
Honolulu to Oakland, California,
that made her the first person
to fly solo across any part of the
Pacific Ocean.
In 1943, the United States
and Britain signed treaties relin-
quishing extraterritorial rights
in China.
In 1963, the Beatles’ single
“Please Please Me” (B side
“Ask Me Why”) was released in
Britain by Parlophone.
In 1964, U.S. Surgeon General
Luther Terry issued “Smoking
and Health,” a report that con-
cluded that “cigarette smoking
contributes substantially to
mortality from certain spe-
cific diseases and to the overall
death rate.”
In 1978, two Soviet cosmo-
nauts aboard the Soyuz 27 cap-
sule linked up with the Salyut
6 orbiting space station, where
the Soyuz 26 capsule was
already docked.
In 1989, nine days before
leaving the White House, Pres-
ident Ronald Reagan bade the
nation farewell in a prime-time
address, saying of his eight
years in office: “We meant to
change a nation and instead we
changed a world.”
In 2003, calling the death
penalty process “arbitrary
and capricious, and therefore
immoral,” Illinois Gov. George
Ryan commuted the sentences
of 167 condemned inmates,
clearing his state’s death row
two days before leaving office.
In 2010, Mark McGwire
admitted to The Associated
Press that he’d used steroids
and human growth hormone
when he broke baseball’s home
run record in 1998.
In 2020, health authorities
in the central Chinese city of
Wuhan reported the first death
from what had been identified
as a new type of coronavirus;
the patient was a 61-year-old
man who’d been a frequent
customer at a food market
linked to the majority of cases
there.
Today’s Birthdays: Former
Canadian Prime Minister Jean
Chrétien is 88. Actor Mitchell
Ryan is 88. Movie director Joel
Zwick is 80. Country singer
Naomi Judd is 76. World Golf
Hall of Famer Ben Crenshaw is
70. Singer Robert Earl Keen is
66. Actor Phyllis Logan is 66.
Musician Vicki Peterson (The
Bangles) is 64. Actor Kim Coles
is 60. Actor Jason Connery is
59. Former child actor Dawn
Lyn (TV: “My Three Sons”) is 59.
Rock musician Tom Dumont
(No Doubt) is 54. Movie director
Malcolm D. Lee is 52. Singer
Mary J. Blige is 51. Musician
Tom Rowlands (The Chem-
ical Brothers) is 51. Actor Marc
Blucas is 50. Actor Amanda Peet
is 50. Actor Rockmond Dunbar
is 49. Actor Aja Naomi King is
37. Actor Kristolyn Lloyd is 37.
Reality TV star Jason Wahler is
35. Pop singer Cody Simpson
is 25.
LOTTERY
Friday, Jan. 7, 2022
Megamillions
7-29-43-56-57
Megaball: 6
Megaplier: 3
Jackpot: $300 million
Lucky Lines
2-6-9-15-19-23-28-31
Jackpot: $70,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 5-0-9-8
4 p.m.: 1-5-0-1
7 p.m.: 5-4-9-1
10 p.m.: 8-8-8-3
Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022
Powerball
20-21-36-60-65
Powerball: 13
Power Play: 10
Jackpot: $27 million
Megabucks
2-6-15-22-43-46
Jackpot: $8.1 million
Lucky Lines
3-6-12-15-18-23-26-30
Jackpot: $71,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 7-6-5-7
4 p.m.: 0-4-3-6
7 p.m.: 8-4-8-3
10 p.m.: 1-3-3-6
Win for Life
10-11-16-55
Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022
Lucky Lines
1-7-10-13-18-22-27-32
Estimated jackpot: $72,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 4-5-9-6
4 p.m.: 4-4-1-7
7 p.m.: 8-4-9-2
10 p.m.: 4-4-7-9
TuESday, JanuaRy 11, 2022
LOCAL
Cold, but dry, weather is here
A high pressure
system will be
keeping snowstorms
out of the region
La Grande School
Board to consider
putting $6 million
bond on May ballot
By DICK MASON
The Observer
LA GRANDE — No
snowstorms are on the
horizon for the Grande
Ronde and Wallowa val-
leys, but the thick snow that
arrived in late December
and early January will
not be leaving in the near
future.
The National Weather
Service office in Pendleton
is forecasting that tempera-
tures from Tuesday, Jan.
11, through Saturday, Jan.
15, in the Grande Ronde
and Wallowa valleys will
remain cold and there will
be little if any snow.
The only possible pre-
cipitation is snow that
may fall in the mountains
surrounding the Grande
Ronde Valley on the eve-
ning of Jan. 12, according
to Ann Adams, a forecaster
with the National Weather
Service, Pendleton.
No storms are expected
to roll through North-
eastern Oregon for at least
the next five days because
of a high pressure system
over it.
“A high pressure system
By DICK MASON
The Observer
alex Wittwer/The Observer, File
A snowplow-equipped ATV clears Jefferson Avenue in front of the La Grande Union Pacific train station on
Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021. The National Weather Service office in Pendleton is forecasting that temperatures
from Tuesday, Jan. 11, through Saturday, Jan. 15, in the Grande Ronde and Wallowa valleys will remain cold
and there will be little if any new snow.
is shunting moisture away
from the inland North-
west,” Adams said.
Little of the snow
present will likely melt
this week, with tempera-
tures expected to not climb
past 40 degrees in either La
Grande or Joseph.
The highs in La Grande
and Joseph are expected
to be similar throughout
Jan. 11-15. La Grande’s
highs are projected to be
35 degrees on Jan. 11, 38
degrees on Jan. 12, 36
degrees on Jan. 14 and 37
degrees on Jan. 15. The
forecast for Joseph’s highs
are 35 degrees on Jan. 11,
39 degrees on Jan. 12, 38
degrees on Jan. 14 and
37 degrees on Jan. 15,
according to the National
Weather Service.
The low temperatures
will diverge in La Grande
and Joseph in the coming
days, with Joseph being
significantly colder. La
Grande’s average low tem-
perature from Jan. 11-15 is
forecast to be 24.2 degrees
and Joseph’s is projected to
be 21.6 degrees. One reason
for the difference, Adams
said, is the elevation differ-
ence between the two com-
munities. Joseph’s eleva-
tion is 4,190 feet, while La
Grande’s is 2,785 feet.
La Grande’s low tem-
peratures are forecast to
be 27 degrees on Jan. 11,
30 degrees on Jan. 12,
25 degrees on Jan. 13, 24
degrees on Jan. 14 and 26
degrees on Jan. 15. Joseph’s
low temperatures are pro-
jected to be 24 degrees on
Jan. 11, 23 degrees on Jan.
12, 22 degrees on Jan. 13,
20 degrees on Jan. 14 and
19 degrees on Jan. 15.
Umatilla National Forest continues flood repairs
Access to roads,
trails in South Fork
Walla Walla
watershed restored
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — The
Umatilla National Forest
reported its staff con-
tinues to repair roads and
trails damaged in the 2020
floods.
According to a press
release Thursday, Jan. 6,
from the Umatilla National
Forest, staff has restored
access to Forest Service
Road 32, two trails within
the South Fork Walla Walla
watershed and Forest Ser-
vice Road 54.
The Umatilla National
Forest experienced two
separate floods during
2020. The first event
occurred region-wide on
Feb. 6, 2020, impacting
numerous communities in
Northeastern Oregon and
Southeastern Washington.
The flooding was the result
of heavy snowfall followed
by increased temperatures
and significant rainfall.
Floods on the Uma-
tilla National Forest caused
extensive damage to 14
roads and trail systems
surrounding the Uma-
tilla, South Fork Walla
Walla and Little Tucannon
rivers, requiring long-term
temporary closures until
the completion of critical
repairs.
The second flood event
occurred on May 21, 2020,
causing significant damage
to Forest Service Road
54 along Pearson Creek,
approximately 10 miles
southeast of Pilot Rock.
The North Fork John Day
Ranger District tempo-
rarily closed 13 miles of
the road following the
flood due to significant
washouts.
The Umatilla National
Forest made significant
progress restoring access
to these areas, incremen-
tally reopening roads and
trails after work was com-
pleted, the press release
stated, reopening most
roads and trails that were
damaged. But the fol-
lowing closures remain
in place due to signif-
icant washouts, debris
slides, hazard trees, bridge
damage and ongoing repair
work.
• Forest Service Road
32: Closed at the Forest
boundary near Corporation
Guard Station to where
the road turns south away
from waterways toward
Ruckel Junction at the
southern end of the North
Fork Umatilla Wilderness
(approximately 9 miles).
• South Fork Walla
Walla Trails: Two trails
remain closed within the
South Fork Walla Walla
watershed (Burnt Cabin
Trail No. 3226 and a seg-
ment of the South Fork
Walla Walla Trail No. 3225
between the private cabins
and Harris Park).
• Forest Service Road
54: Closed at mile point
4.5 from East Birch Creek
Road, within the Uma-
tilla National Forest, to the
installed gate just east of
the intersection of Forest
Service roads 54 and 5411.
The Umatilla National
Forest in 2022 is focusing
repair efforts on these
remaining roads and
trails, according to the
press release. Forest staff
is working with the Fed-
eral Highway Administra-
tion for emergency relief
for federally owned roads,
with the aim of attaining
financing to continue res-
toration work for quali-
fying Forest Service roads
affected by the floods when
funds become available.
Forest staff or the Fed-
eral Highway Administra-
tion will complete analysis
of hydrology and fish-
eries impacts prior to com-
pleting any work.
The Umatilla National
Forest anticipates a por-
tion of Forest Service Road
32 to reopen to the public
in 2022 from the national
forest boundary at Lick
Creek to the bridge near
Umatilla Forks camp-
ground. A portion of the
campground also will
reopen. Environmental
analysis and repair work
will focus on the signif-
icant damage upstream
from the bridge.
The press release also
reported the Great Amer-
ican Outdoors Act funding
is covering the work to
replace the damaged bridge
on the Burnt Cabin Trail.
Forest Service staff antic-
ipates this trail to reopen
following completion of
that work.
The Forest Service
also is working with the
Bureau of Land Manage-
ment to identify options
for repairing the segment
of South Fork Walla Walla
Trail No. 3225 that remains
damaged. Staff also
could complete additional
repairs on roads within
the Tucannon Water-
shed based on input and
funding from the Federal
Highway Administration.
And, according to the press
release, Forest Service staff
will complete comprehen-
sive assessments of damage
on the remaining portions
of Forest Service Road 54
to develop further repair
plans for the next phase of
work on this road.
County denies amendment to airport zoning law
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
ENTERPRISE — An
amendment to a county
ordinance that would have
expanded permitted uses
on land adjacent to airports
in the county was denied
Wednesday, Jan. 5, by the
Wallowa County Board of
Commissioners.
The move came on a 2-1
vote, with Commissioner
John Hillock voting against
denying the amendment at
the conclusion of a public
hearing on creating an air-
port adjacent zone held
after the board’s regular
meeting.
County Planning
Director Franz Goebel read
a report from the county
Planning Commission in
which the planners rec-
ommended denial of the
amendment.
“This is the second offi-
cial hearing as required for
an official amendment,”
Goebel said. “The first
was before the Planning
Board set
to decide
on bond
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
Wallowa County Planning Director Franz Goebel reads from a report
on possible rezoning of land near county airports he presented to
the Board of Commissioners at a public hearing Wednesday, Jan. 5,
2022. The commissioners rejected the rezoning resolution 2-1.
Commission. In summary,
their recommendation to
the Board of Commis-
sioners was to deny the
application.”
In voting against denial
of the amendment, Hillock
said there is still informa-
tion needed to determine
how best to accomplish it.
“We need to do more
research on this,” he said.
The request for the new
zone was submitted by
S&Z Properties LLC, rep-
resented by local attorney
Rahn Hostetter.
Goebel said there have
been multiple hearings on
the amendment after which
it was continued several
times to gather more infor-
mation, including from
the Oregon Department of
Aviation. He said both the
ODA and the city of Enter-
prise have been opposed to
the amendment.
He said the amend-
ment would have applied
not only to the commer-
cial airports in Enterprise
and Joseph but to private
landing strips on private
land in the county.
“The application was to
create a new zone type that
could be applied (for) by
a landowner near an air-
port,” Goebel said. “The
primary point of conten-
tion is that in their appli-
cation, they included a
residential element for
apartments and condos
near an airport, and that’s
contrary to what the
Oregon Department of
Aviation believes is an
allowable business.”
Goebel said that at this
point, there has been no
direction from the com-
missioners to rework the
proposed amendment to
address objectionable ele-
ments of it. It could be
done, if S&Z Properties
wishes to appeal it.
LA GRANDE — The
La Grande School Board is
set to make a decision that
could have a major impact
on the school district’s
future.
The board, when it meets
at 7 p.m. on Wednesday,
Jan. 12, at Willow School,
1305 N. Willow St., will
vote on a resolution that
would ask voters to approve
a $6 million bond in May
for the construction of a
new academic and athletic
center.
The vote will come late
in the meeting after resi-
dents have an opportunity
to give input on the pro-
posed bond.
The board will make
its decision after recently
receiving the results of a
late 2021 survey conducted
by the school district.
“We have had good
responses. They have
helped us move forward,”
said Robin Maille, chair
of the La Grande School
Board.
Passage of the proposed
$6 million bond would not
raise the total school taxes
paid by property owners
because of the recent refi-
nancing of the 20-year
$31.5 million bond voters
approved in 2014 for capital
construction and mainte-
nance, Maille said.
The refinancing of the
2014 bond will drop what
taxpayers are now paying
from $1.93 to $1.65 per
$1,000 of assessed value
beginning in July, the same
time charges for the $6 mil-
lion bond levy would kick
in. The rate per $1,000 of
assessed value for the new
bond would be 24 cents.
Money from the bond
would pay for the construc-
tion of a multi-use aca-
demic and athletic center
next to the La Grande
Middle School, where the
Annex building is now. The
building would include two
gyms and two classrooms
that would be used for a
variety of classes, including
health, science and tech-
nology. The building would
be a pre-engineered metal
structure that would be
available for public use and
would meet Americans with
Disabilities Act standards,
which the current Annex
building does not.
The school district’s
aging Annex building,
which has a gym and is
about 10 feet north of La
Grande Middle School, is
more than eight decades old.
The Annex building and the
school district’s adjacent
maintenance, facilities and
grounds structure — which
is at least 100 years old —
would both be torn down if
a bond is approved. The dis-
trict’s maintenance, facil-
ities and grounds services
would likely be moved to a
structure the school would
obtain on Adams Avenue.
Time is of the essence for
the La Grande School Dis-
trict because in December
2021 it was awarded a $4
million Oregon School Cap-
ital Improvement Matching
grant from the state for the
building of the academic
and athletic center. The
school district will receive
the $4 million grant only if
voters approve the $6 mil-
lion bond. Voters would
have to approve the bond
in May because this was
the election date specified
by the school district in its
application for the Oregon
School Capital Improve-
ment Matching grant.
If voters do not approve
a bond in the May election,
the school district will lose
the $4 million OSCIM grant
and would then have to go
through the application pro-
cess again.