THE OBSERVER — A1
OREGON BAN ON REAL ESTATE ‘LOVE LETTERS’ BLOCKED BY PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION | BUSINESS
& AG LIFE, B1
THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2022
INSIDE
MAR CH
9–16 , 2022
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March 10, 2022
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INSIDE PENDLETON AIR MUSEUM — IN
P e nd
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PA GE 8
OREGON MASK MANDATE
t
PA GE 3
PA GE 6
PA GE 9
SWITCHING GEARS
Business owners say
most customers,
employees are ready
for lifting of indoor
mask mandate
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
L
A GRANDE —
A major change is
coming to businesses
across Oregon.
In the wake of COVID-19
rates showing a steady decline
in recent months, the state
is set to end its statewide
indoor mask mandate on Sat-
urday, March 12. Local busi-
nesses will be required to shift
gears again with the upcoming
change but for the most
part they see it as a positive
development.
“I think a lot of customers
are going to be really happy
with the ability to choose for
themselves,” said Liberty
O’Dell, manager of La Grande
Liquor and Smoke Shoppe.
“That will probably spur more
business.”
Businesses have perhaps
been most impacted by the
indoor mask mandate passed
down from the state govern-
ment. As of March 12, busi-
nesses will be able to decide for
themselves whether people are
required to wear masks while
indoors at their establishments.
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group
Kenneth Watson, an employee at La Grande Liquor and Smoke Shoppe, La Grande, assists a customer with a purchase on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. Beginning
March 12, businesses will be able to decide for themselves whether wearing masks inside is required.
EOU students and staff eager
to fi nally take off their masks
School’s indoor
mask mandate will
be lifted March 12
Masks off
La Grande Liquor and
Smoke Shoppe faced not only a
statewide mandate but require-
ments from the Oregon Liquor
and Cannabis Commission.
“As an agent of the state
liquor commission, we have an
agreement with them that we’ll
follow what they ask us to do
with their liquor,” O’Dell said.
“We hold that agreement to be
mutually benefi cial, so when
they ask us to do something we
follow through with that.”
The local store will now
stop policing mask usage by
customers on the premises,
but leave the decision up to
employees whether they want to
wearing a face mask. According
to O’Dell, the store encourages
customers to continue to wear
masks if they choose.
“If people still feel uncom-
By DICK MASON
The Observer
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group, File
A sign outside Bella Mercantile states masks are required to enter the store
on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022. Indoor mask mandates in Oregon will be lifted on
March 12 following an announcement by Gov. Kate Brown.
fortable about their safety, they
can wear a mask,” he said.
“We did get quite a few people
who were thankful we were
requiring masks, but we also
got way more vocal people
who were against the mask
mandate.”
HQ, a performance venue in
downtown La Grande, recently
announced upcoming in-person
events as COVID-19 numbers
decline. The venue is resuming
its weekly open mic night on
Thursdays, and the owners are
beginning to schedule concert
events for the spring. Chris Jen-
nings, the venue’s co-owner,
noted that HQ will abide by the
update to the mask mandate
LA GRANDE — Daniel
Fuchs is happy to see change
on the horizon.
Eastern Oregon University
has announced it will be lifting
its mandate for wearing masks
on campus indoors beginning
Saturday, March 12, in accor-
dance with the state’s plan. The
lifting of the mask mandate
will come about two years after
it was imposed.
“I’m excited. There is some-
thing really good about being
able to see people’s faces,”
Fuchs, a freshman at EOU,
said. “It is important to be able
to see people’s faces when
interacting with them because
it lets you see their emotions.”
Gov. Kate Brown last month
announced the current mask
requirements will expire at
11:59 p.m. March 11, citing
decreasing cases, hospital-
izations and a strategic align-
ment with the lifting of mask
mandates in Washington and
California.
Brown announced Oregon’s
accelerated timeline Feb. 28 on
the two-year anniversary of the
state’s fi rst known COVID-19
infection, saying residents must
“learn to live with the virus”
while maintaining vigilance
going forward.
EOU freshman Eli Mill-
ington is also looking forward
to being mask free because
it will make interacting with
See, EOU/Page A7
See, Masks/Page A7
COVID-19 hurts Liberty Theatre restoration
$600,000 needs to be
raised for theater
restoration project to
finally be completed
By DICK MASON
The Observer
LA GRANDE— Two years ago,
Ashley O’Toole, chair of the Lib-
erty Theatre Foundation’s board,
saw a light burning brightly on the
near horizon.
O’Toole believed that resto-
ration of the Liberty Theatre, which
started about a decade ago, would
be complete by the end of 2020.
Almost all of the funding needed to
complete the project was in place
and a building contractor and sub-
contractors were set to complete
work.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic
hit.
The pandemic stalled completion
of much of the venue’s restoration
work in part by creating supply
See, Liberty/Page A8
WEATHER
INDEX
Business ........B1
Classified ......B2
Comics ...........B5
Crossword ....B2
Dear Abby ....B6
Horoscope ....B4
Lottery ...........A2
Obituaries .....A5
SATURDAY
The original
chandelier,
now
restored,
lights up
the Liberty
Theatre on
Monday,
March 7,
2022, in
downtown
La Grande.
Opinion .........A4
Spiritual ........A6
Sports ............A9
Sudoku ..........B5
Dick Mason/The Observer
Full forecast on the back of B section
Tonight
Friday
22 LOW
49/30
Cloudy and cold
Mostly sunny
OREGONIANS SEE HOMELESSNESS AS TOP ISSUE
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Issue 30
3 sections, 32 pages
La Grande, Oregon
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