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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 19, 2022)
LOCAL A2 — THE OBSERVER TODAY In 1473, astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus was born in Torun, Poland. In 1807, former Vice Pres- ident Aaron Burr, accused of treason, was arrested in the Mis- sissippi Territory, in present-day Alabama. (Burr was acquitted at trial.) In 1878, Thomas Edison received a U.S. patent for “an improvement in phonograph or speaking machines.” In 1942, during World War II, President Franklin D. Roos- evelt signed Executive Order 9066, which paved the way for the relocation and internment of people of Japanese ancestry, including U.S.-born citizens. In 1945, Operation Detach- ment began during World War II as some 30,000 U.S. Marines began landing on Iwo Jima, where they commenced a suc- cessful month-long battle to seize control of the island from Japanese forces. In 1959, an agreement was signed by Britain, Turkey and Greece granting Cyprus its independence. In 1976, President Gerald R. Ford, calling the issuing of the internment order for people of Japanese ancestry in 1942 “a sad day in American history,” signed a proclamation formally confirming its termination. In 1985, the British soap opera “EastEnders” debuted on BBC Television. In 1986, the U.S. Senate approved, 83-11, the Genocide Convention, an international treaty outlawing “acts com- mitted with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group,” nearly 37 years after the pact was first submitted for ratification. In 1997, Deng Xiaoping, the last of China’s major Communist revolutionaries, died at age 92. In 2003, an Iranian military plane carrying 275 members of the elite Revolutionary Guards crashed in southeastern Iran, killing all on board. In 2019, President Donald Trump directed the Pentagon to develop plans for a new Space Force within the Air Force, accepting less than the full- fledged department he had wanted. Today’s birthdays: Singer Smokey Robinson is 82. Actor Carlin Glynn is 82. Former Sony Corp. Chairman Howard Stringer is 80. Singer Lou Christie is 79. Rock musician Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell) is 74. Actor Stephen Nichols is 71. Author Amy Tan is 70. Actor Jeff Dan- iels is 67. Rock singer-musician Dave Wakeling is 66. Talk show host Lorianne Crook is 65. Actor Ray Winstone is 65. Actor Leslie David Baker is 64. NFL Commis- sioner Roger Goodell is 63. Brit- ain’s Prince Andrew is 62. Tennis Hall of Famer Hana Mandlikova is 60. Singer Seal is 59. Actor Jes- sica Tuck is 59. Country musician Ralph McCauley (Wild Horses) is 58. Rock musician Jon Fishman (Phish) is 57. Actor Justine Bateman is 56. Actor Benicio Del Toro is 55. Actor Bellamy Young is 52. Rock musician Daniel Adair is 47. Pop singer-actor Haylie Duff is 37. Actor Ari- elle Kebbel is 37. Christian rock musician Seth Morrison (Skillet) is 34. Actor Luke Pasqualino is 32. Actor Victoria Justice is 29. Actor David Mazouz (TV: “Gotham”) is 21. Actor Millie Bobby Brown is 18. LOTTERY Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022 Megabucks 11-24-27-31-36-37 Jackpot: $1.8 million Lucky Lines 1-6-12-13-18-22-27-32 Estimated jackpot: $28,000 Powerball 22-30-40-42-48 Powerball: 16 Power Play: 2 Jackpot: $31 million Win for Life 19-39-70-75 Pick 4 1 p.m.: 3-9-2-8 4 p.m.: 4-7-2-8 7 p.m.: 1-1-5-2 10 p.m.: 1-2-2-6 Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022 Lucky Lines 4-8-10-14-17-21-27-32 Jackpot: $29,000 Pick 4 1 p.m.: 8-1-0-4 4 p.m.: 3-5-7-3 7 p.m.: 7-6-2-8 10 p.m.: 1-0-4-4 SaTuRday, FEBRuaRy 19, 2022 Finding an audience Eastern Oregon University students display artwork at Cook Memorial Library Water issue forces board to act School board declares emergency due to drainage problem in locker rooms By DAVIS CARBAUGH The Observer LA GRANDE — Eastern Oregon Univer- sity and Cook Memorial Library, La Grande, are collaborating to display student artwork to the public. The library installed the university’s fourth annual student art show at the beginning of Feb- ruary, displaying pieces from the school’s art pro- gram. The showing will remain on display at the library through March 29. “It’s great for students in the art program to have an audience that is more than just their peers,” said Susan Murrell, associate professor of art at Eastern Oregon University. The collection includes 12 pieces of art from 10 students in the art program at Eastern. The artwork comes from two classes, painting and screen printing. Art student Corrina Stadler, whose work is included in the show, helped organize the event. Murrell noted that part of the art show is learning the ins and outs of putting an exhibition together. According to Murrell, the winter months are chosen to display the art- work because it works as a bridge between terms. The art show, which was installed at the library by teen services librarian Celine Vandervlugt, serves as a showcase for IMBLER By DICK MASON The Observer Photos by alex Wittwer/EO Media Group “Floating,” by Corrina Stadler, above, and “Island in the Pond,” by Kendrick Johnson, below, hang among other artwork by Eastern Oregon University students on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022, at Cook Memorial Library, La Grande. The annual EOU student art show, on display through March 29, is free and open to the public. students’ work from the previous term. “We jumped at the chance to work with Celine,” Murrell said. “It’s advantageous for us to have displays of local art in our community.” The art classes com- bine a mix of experience levels, from beginners to more accomplished. Murrell said the screen printing class combines elements of drawing and photography as well as using image-editing software. The program typically sees a mix of art majors and non art majors. “I think it’s very accessible to a wide variety of skill sets and interests,” she said. “It’s a good class for stu- dents who might not have as strong of a drawing background.” The artwork is dis- played throughout the main lobby area of Cook Memorial Library, 2006 Fourth St. Murrell noted that the EOU student art show at the library accomplishes two things. “It’s nice for (art stu- dents) to have a more general audience,” she said, “and it allows the community to see what is going on in the art program.” Snow forecast for Presidents Day Weekend Snowfall will be significant in mountain areas near Meacham, Tollgate By DICK MASON The Observer LA GRANDE — A snow-filled Presidents Day Weekend is in the forecast for some Northeastern Oregon residents. The National Weather Service is projecting significant snowfall will hit portions of the region this weekend. The forecast says that from Saturday, Feb. 19, through Tuesday, Feb. 22, Tollgate will receive 12-18 inches of snow and Meacham will get 6-8 inches. Snowfall in the Grande Ronde and Wallowa valleys should be much lighter. La Grande and Joseph are projected to receive only 1-2 inches of snow during the same period. The snowfall will be provided by a northerly weather system moving south. “It will be coming in from the Gulf of Alaska,” said Rob Brooks, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, Pendleton. Brooks said the high pres- sure system over Northeastern Oregon, which had been keeping storms out of the region for about a week, is changing position, allowing a cold front to “dive in.” The meteorologist said snow levels will drop from the 5,000-to-3,500-foot range the evening of Feb. 19 and to the 2,500-to-1,500-foot category early on the morning of Feb. 20. Snow is likely in La Grande the evening of Feb. 19, there is a 70% likelihood of more during the morning and afternoon of Feb. 20. The possibility of snow showers in La Grande will be 40% the evening of Feb. 20 and for much of Presidents Day, Monday, Feb. 21. The likelihood of snow in Enterprise will be 30% the eve- ning of Feb. 19, 50% most of the day on Feb. 20, 30% the eve- ning of Feb. 20 and 30% on Feb. 21, according to the National Weather Service. The weather in La Grande and Enterprise throughout the weekend and into next week will often be chilly and sometimes will drop into single digits. Low temperatures in La Grande are expected to be 33 degrees on Feb. 19, 27 degrees on Feb. 20, 13 degrees on Feb. 21 and 6 degrees on Feb. 22. Enterprise’s low tem- peratures are forecast to be 24 degrees on Feb. 19, 17 degrees on Feb. 20, 4 degrees on Feb. 21 and minus 4 degrees on Feb. 22. High temperatures for La Grande are expected to be 48 degrees on Feb. 19, 37 degrees on Feb. 20, 31 degrees on Feb. 21 and 21 degrees on Feb. 22. The National Weather Service is pro- jecting that Enterprise’s high tem- peratures will be 41 degrees on Feb. 19, 31 degrees on Feb. 20, 26 degrees on Feb. 21 and 17 degrees on Feb. 22. NEWS BRIEFS Enterprise set to distribute ARPA funds ENTERPRISE — The city of Enterprise is getting ready to dole out the more than $443,000 it has received under the federal Amer- ican Rescue Plan Act distributed because of the COVID-19 pan- demic, the council resolved at its meeting Monday, Feb. 14. The council passed a resolu- tion to disperse the funds to sev- eral departments, according to city Administrator Lacey McQuead. She explained the city has place- holders for the money in the gen- eral fund, the water fund and the sewer fund during the 2021-22 budget season. Also, McQuead said the coun- cil’s prior ARPA Committee rec- ommended in June to spend $32,794.87 for new Toughbook Computers for all Enterprise Police officers, as well as mounting brackets for the vehicles and docking stations for the offices and a new server. She also said the ARPA Com- mittee will send out an email in the next couple of weeks asking city department managers to submit requests for the use of the ARPA funds. In another matter, Angela Mart, president of the Wallowa Moun- tains Bicycle Club, said she and the club’s vice president, Zeb Burke, are doubtful that there is suffi- cient room for their proposed pump track in the previously considered area next to the city park. Mart and Burke had taken measurements of the land needed for the track before coming to that conclusion. McQuead said Mart planned to meet with Public Works Super- visor Shawn Young to look at a possible location by the city well on the corner of Fourth Street and the road that goes to the Ant Flat Landfill. McQuead said Mart and Young discussed the possibility Feb. 15 and Mart was going to dis- cuss it further with Burke. Wallowa City Council fills vacant seat WALLOWA — The Wallowa City Council is back up to full strength, now that Paul Doherty was appointed to fill a vacancy at the council’s meeting Tuesday, Feb. 15, Mayor Gary Hulse said. Doherty replaces long-time Councilman and Council President Joe Town, who retired Nov. 16 for health reasons. Hulse said Doherty will serve until the November election, at which time he can opt to run for a permanent seat on the council. In another matter, the council heard an update on the new Wallowa Memo- rial Hospital clinic Hulse planned for the city. Dan McCarthy, of the Wal- lowa County Healthcare District, showed plans for the clinic and gave an approximate time line for its completion. Hulse said the council had pre- viously vacated a portion of Ninth Street to allow the clinic to refur- bish the old Fox Archery building and add onto it for the clinic. It is to be located at the intersection of Highway 82 and the truck route through town. McCarthy told the council it is hoped to have the clinic up and running in August or September, Hulse said. — EO Media Group IMBLER — The Imbler School Board declared an emer- gency on Tuesday, Feb. 15, to help it address a water drainage problem in the boys and girls locker rooms at Imbler High School. Emergency status will reduce the time needed for the school district to hire a contractor to cor- rect the problem, according to interim Imbler School District Superintendent Doug Hislop. “It will expe- dite the process,” Hislop said. The drainage problem has forced the school district to prohibit the use of the showers in the “I don’t locker rooms want it throughout the school to be a year. Hislop said the lack problem of access to Randy showers pres- ents a potential Waite has health issue for athletes such to deal as wrestlers. with.” Hislop said that when Doug Hislop, wrestlers are interim working out Imbler School on or com- peting on mats District superintendent they can pick up bacteria or other contam- inants that could lead to health issues if the athletes do not have an opportunity to wash them- selves by showering after prac- ticing or competing. So far this has not been a problem this season but Hislop fears that it could become an issue if wrestlers continue to not be able to shower. Hislop noted that IHS’s mats are regularly sanitized but he said that contaminants could still be an issue because sometimes people walk on mats with their shoes on, which can soil mats. The drainage problem in the locker rooms is caused because portions of the concrete floors, which were installed when IHS’s building was constructed in 1977, are sinking. This floors are not level and as a result when stu- dents take showers much of the water does not go down a drain but rather flows over to a wall. Hislop noted that over time, a wall that is always moist can develop mold. Hislop, who is also IHS’s wrestling coach, is hopeful that the Imbler School District’s insur- ance company will cover the cost of renovations, which would allow water from showers to again drain properly. Imbler School Board member Ken Patterson said pipes, flooring and more may have to be replaced as part of the renovation work. “It could be a major rebuild,” he said. Patterson is also hopeful the school district’s insurance com- pany will cover the cost of the work. If not, Patterson said, money from the school district’s capital improvement fund will have to be taken to pay for the repair work. Patterson said ide- ally he would like the district to be able to use money from the capital improvement fund for the construction of new school struc- tures. However, he said the dis- trict may have no choice but to spend use capital improvement fund money on the locker room project because of its importance. Hislop, who is completing a one-year stint as the Imbler School District’s interim super- intendent, wants to have the problem taken care of before his successor, Randy Waite, succeeds him on July 1. Waite, assistant principal at Phoenix High School in Jackson County, was named Imbler’s next superintendent on Tuesday, Feb. 15. “I don’t want it to be a problem Randy Waite has to deal with,” Hislop said.