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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (March 10, 2022)
A2 — THE OBSERVER TODAY In 1496, Christopher Columbus concluded his second visit to the Western Hemisphere as he left His- paniola for Spain. In 1785, Thomas Jefferson was appointed America’s minister to France, succeeding Benjamin Franklin. In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln assigned Ulysses S. Grant, who had just received his com- mission as lieutenant-general, to the command of the Armies of the United States. In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell’s assistant, Thomas Watson, heard Bell say over his experimental tele- phone: “Mr. Watson — come here — I want to see you” from the next room of Bell’s Boston laboratory. In 1906, about 1,100 miners in northern France were killed by a coal-dust explosion. In 1913, former slave, aboli- tionist and Underground Railroad “conductor” Harriet Tubman died in Auburn, New York; she was in her 90s. In 1965, Neil Simon’s play “The Odd Couple,” starring Walter Mat- thau and Art Carney, opened on Broadway. In 1985, Konstantin U. Chernenko, who was the Soviet Union’s leader for 13 months, died at age 73; he was succeeded by Mikhail Gorbachev. In 1988, pop singer Andy Gibb died in Oxford, England, at age 30 of heart inflammation. In 2015, breaking her silence in the face of a growing controversy over her use of a private email address and server, Hillary Rodham Clinton conceded that she should have used government email as secretary of state but insisted she had not violated any federal laws or Obama administration rules. In 2019, a Boeing 737 Max 8 oper- ated by Ethiopian Airlines crashed shortly after taking off from the capital, Addis Ababa, killing all 157 people on board; the crash was sim- ilar to one in October 2018 in which a 737 Max 8 flown by Indonesia’s Lion Air plunged into the Java Sea minutes after takeoff, killing all 189 people on the plane. (The aircraft would be grounded worldwide after the two disasters, bringing fierce criticism to Boeing over the design and rollout of the jetliner.) In 2020, clusters of the corona- virus swelled on both U.S. coasts, with more than 70 cases linked to a biotech conference in Boston and infections turning up at 10 nursing homes in the Seattle area. Mem- bers of a choir in Washington state gathered for a rehearsal that was later found to have been a super- spreader event. (Experts said the public health investigation that fol- lowed was key in concluding that the virus was spreading through the air.) Today’s Birthdays: Bluegrass/ country singer-musician Norman Blake is 84. Actor Chuck Norris is 82. Playwright David Rabe is 82. Singer Dean Torrence (Jan and Dean) is 82. Actor Katharine Houghton (Film: “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?”) is 80. Rock musician Tom Scholz (Boston) is 75. TV personality/businesswoman Barbara Corcoran (TV: “Shark Tank”) is 73. Actor Shannon Tweed is 65. Actor Sharon Stone is 64. Magician Lance Burton is 62. Actor Jasmine Guy is 60. Rock musician Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam) is 59. Music producer Rick Rubin is 59. Britain’s Prince Edward is 58. Rock singer Edie Brickell is 56. Actor Stephen Mailer is 56. Actor Paget Brewster is 53. Actor Jon Hamm is 51. Rap- per-producer Timbaland is 50. Rock musician Jerry Horton (Papa Roach) is 47. Singer Robin Thicke is 45. Olympic gold medal gym- nast Shannon Miller is 45. Country singer Carrie Underwood is 39. Actor Olivia Wilde is 38. CORRECTION The Page A2 story “Measure to discuss Oregon’s border back on May ballot,” pub- lished Tuesday, March 8, misstated when Mea- sure 32-007 would be on the ballot in Wallowa County. Provided sup- porters gather enough signatures, it will be on the ballot in November. LOTTERY Monday, March 7, 2022 Megabucks 13-17-31-35-39-47 Estimated jackpot: $2.6 million Lucky Lines 1-7-11-16-19-23-27-29 Estimated jackpot: $24,000 Win for Life 3-21-49-68 Pick 4 1 p.m.: 6-2-7-7 4 p.m.: 4-0-8-5 7 p.m.: 2-2-7-7 10 p.m.: 1-3-2-6 Tuesday, March 8, 2022 Mega Millions 7-18-38-58-64 Mega Ball: 24 Megaplier: 3 Estimated jackpot: $20 million Lucky Lines 2-7-9-14-20-23-26-31 Estimated jackpot: $25,000 Pick 4 1 p.m.: 7-7-0-6 4 p.m.: 7-8-7-0 7 p.m.: 6-2-8-3 10 p.m.: 2-2-9-2 LOCAL Sidewalk project under fire Joseph Chamber of Commerce resists timing of downtown sidewalk plans THuRSday, MaRcH 10, 2022 County flustered with state Wallowa County commissioners voice frustration with legislation By BILL BRADSHAW Wallowa County Chieftain By BILL BRADSHAW JOSEPH — A planned project on Joseph’s Main Street drew objections from the Joseph Chamber of Commerce in a letter submitted to the Joseph City Council. The Oregon Depart- ment of Transportation is planning to install ramps to upgrade sidewalks in compliance with the Americans with Disabil- ities Act beginning this summer. The issue has been discussed at council meetings for months. In the letter submitted by Jude Graham of the chamber, it was stated that the chamber is con- cerned that ODOT is not giving due consideration to Joseph’s downtown that will be adversely impacted by construction scheduled to take place during the peak tourist season. “At present, your con- stituents, due to the lack of open meetings, have not had adequate time to thoroughly review pro- posed site plans and Wallowa County Chieftain Wallowa county chieftain, File The Oregon Department of Transportation is planning to install ramps in downtown Joseph to up- grade sidewalks in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act beginning in the summer of 2022. The city’s chamber of commerce is concerned about the impact of the construction on tourism. understand the ODOT proposal,” the letter stated. “Nor has there been sufficient oppor- tunity to communicate directly with ODOT to completely develop an understanding of all the aspects and segments of the ODOT project.” The chamber also fears ODOT is not taking into consideration the time frame necessary to accomplish the project without hindering tourism events downtown. “They do not offer any concessions to mediate the impacts which may well be more than what we had bar- gained for,” the letter stated, adding that the ODOT schedule is at the peak time for tourism events. The letter said the chamber does not want to eliminate the sidewalk project, but wants to work with the city council to postpone it to present con- cerns and liability issues before ODOT breaks ground. Launching a social media and newspaper cam- paign is proposed to solicit public support of the city council to act on behalf of the citizenry and business community. Pro-Tem Administrator Brock Eckstein said after the meeting that there have been three public hearings on the ODOT project in the past six months. “The only solution brought to the hearings is to either cancel it, which absolutely can’t happen unless the city wants to accept all liability for ADA discrepancies, or to kick the can down the road more years, which we then run the risk of ODOT either pulling out altogether or just doing it their way,” he said. La Grande Gun Show returns 2022 event dedicated to memory of Shelia Evans By ALEX WITTWER ENTERPRISE — Dis- appointment over Oregon’s rural-urban divide was the order of the day Wednesday, March 2, as the Wallowa County Board of Commis- sioners reviewed the recent legislative session. “Well, the (legislative) session’s winding down and, as usual, we lost just about everything we were going for strongly,” Com- missioner Todd Nash said. Ag overtime In noting the impending passage of the ag overtime bill, Nash commended state Rep. Bobby Levy for her efforts to see it stopped. “Rep. Levy gave one of the top three impassioned efforts to sway the over- time (bill), but failed in that,” Nash said. “We have pushed really hard to get an exemp- tion for livestock. Livestock don’t know the constraints of time and the industry, in gen- eral, has some extremely long hours, but in a lot of cases it’s a lifestyle rather than a job.” Commission Chairwoman Susan Roberts agreed. “The sad thing is in lis- tening to the testimony, you have lots of producers who hire these folks that will, those folks depend on that overtime to make up that income,” she said. “They’re OK with six days a week or so. Now we’re going to limit them to 40 hours and that’s all you get. It’s going to harden their lives.” EO Media Group Wolf compensation LA GRANDE — The La Grande Gun Show, hosted by the Island City Lions Club, is returning for the first time since the pandemic. “We’re excited to have a gun show. We haven’t had one since 2019,” said Kayla Hansen, the director for the event. The two-day gun show will run from Saturday, March 12, to Sunday, March 13, and will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat- urday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at the Blue Moun- tain Conference Center, 404 12th St., La Grande. Lunch and breakfast will be served, as well as bever- ages provided by PepsiCo. Hansen is taking over for her mom, Shelia Evans, who passed away last year. Evans was the president of the Island City Lions Club and had organized the gun show after the death of the event’s founder, Mike Voss. “She didn’t have a chance to do it again,” Hansen said. “She loved helping anything in the The Observer, File The Blue Mountain Conference Center, La Grande, will host the 2022 La Grande Gun Show Saturday, March 12, and Sunday, March 13, 2022. community and bringing the community mem- bers together, and she was super outgoing and she was always so busy. This and Hog Wild Days were her biggest events.” The gun show will be dedicated to Evans. Hansen said that a slideshow fea- turing Evans will be shown at the Lions table, along with pictures and posters on display. For Hansen, orga- nizing the event gives her a chance to follow in her mother’s footsteps, though she said it has been hard. “It’s been extremely dif- ficult. I only helped her a little bit with it,” she said. “And so, not only trying to figure out how to run a gun show — and there’s so many rules — she had such a reach with the commu- nity and was so invested in it, that it was easy for her to find the sponsors and the vendors and volunteers.” Community support has been strong, though, according to Hansen. Sim Shot, the simulated gun range on Island Avenue, donated a $300 gift card for the raffle. Caddie Ink, a tattoo parlor in Island City, donated a $300 gift card as well for the raffle. Money raised from the event goes back to the community through the Island City Lions Club, Hansen said, with ser- vices such as eye exams and hearing aids, as well as Thanksgiving and Christmas food boxes and gifts for local families. Attendance to the gun show has been strong in previous years, with as many as 1,500 attendees perusing the firearm selec- tions. Hansen said that she expects a smaller turnout this year due to the pan- demic. She said the ven- dors and sponsors have been very supportive during the difficulties in organizing the gun show. “It’s been a challenge for sure,” Hansen said, “and then there’s the mem- ories that come along with doing the things she did.” NEWS BRIEFS Hill to challenge Anderes for Union County Board of Commissioners position LA GRANDE — The Union County political front was relatively quiet as the 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, filing deadline approached for this spring’s local elections. Just one candidate filed for one of the three positions up for election on the May 17 ballot. Lisa Hill, of La Grande, filed on March 8 to run for Position 1 on the Union County Board of Com- missioners. Hill, a retired Oregon Department of Transportation employee, will challenge incum- bent Paul Anderes. A retired edu- cator, Anderes was elected in 2018 and is completing his first term on the Union County Board of Commissioners. Position 3 on the Union County Board of Commissioners is also up for election. Incumbent Matt Scarfo, a La Grande business owner, is the lone person to file for the position. Scarfo, elected in 2018, is also com- pleting his first term on the board of commissioners. The position of Union County District Attorney is also up for elec- tion. Incumbent Kelsie McDaniel is the only candidate who filed by the deadline for the position, according to the Oregon Secretary of State’s website. New president named for Saint Alphonsus-Baker City BAKER CITY — Dina Ellwanger, president of Saint Alphonsus Medical Center-Ontario, will add the Baker City hospital to her list of Ellwanger responsibilities. Ellwanger will replace Priscilla Lynn, president and chief nursing officer at Saint Alphonsus in Baker City, who is ending her four-year tenure on Lynn May 6. “Priscilla has spent many years of dedicated service to Saint Alphonsus Health System, and it is with mixed emotions that we bid her farewell and wish Priscilla well in her new endeavors,” Odette Bolano, president and CEO of Saint Alphonsus Health System, said in a press release. “Dina knows Baker City well and will be a valuable leader as we continue meeting the health care needs for the community.” Ellwanger has been president and chief nursing supervisor at the Ontario hospital since August 2020. She served as chief nursing officer at the Baker City hospital from 2010-14. During Lynn’s tenure, Saint Alphonsus-Baker City was named one of the top 100 critical access hospitals for five straight years, 2017-2021. She oversaw a major remodeling of the emergency department, outpa- tient rehabilitation services and The Cafe. Saint Alphonsus Medical Cen- ter-Baker City is a 25-bed, critical access, acute care hospital. The hospital was founded by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia in 1897 and became part of the Saint Alphonsus Health System in 2010. — EO Media Group Nash noted another loss for rural communities — a bill aimed at compensating livestock producers for wolf predation. “The wolf compensation we lost on as well,” he said. “Millions of dollars were dis- tributed throughout the state. We had substantial losses this year, more than ever across the state, and Wallowa County was no exception. The really illegitimate environmental community that has no impact whatsoever stood up once again and opposed this and our liberal, downtown Port- land legislators bought into it and opposed it and at the end of the day we didn’t get funded on that.” Nash saw that as a prime example of the rural-urban divide. “Wolf compensation was one of those that a Demo- crat from Portland said, ‘No, I don’t want that.’ And it got taken off,” he said. Roberts said those kinds of things happen because the Democrats — the largely urban party — dominate the Legislature and thus hold the chairmanships on most committees. “If they don’t want to hear it, they don’t,” she said. “It’s statewide and it’s very frustrating. They live on the other side of the state and they think that we’re stupid because we choose to live out here in the sticks, even though we try and impress upon them we’re not as stupid as they might think. We like it out here in the sticks. We could go on forever.” Commissioner John Hillock agreed. “Even though in Portland they talk about the urban- rural divide, it’s a bigger deal than what you might think,” he said. “We were at one meeting when I was going to commissioners’ college and one lady asked if we had libraries out here. I had to go cool off a commissioner from one county because he was about to blow a cork. That’s the mentality you get. … My response to her was, ‘And guess what, we have internet, too.’ She didn’t think we had internet.”