THE OBSERVER — A1
EASTERN OREGON WOMEN’S LACROSSE TEAM CONTINUES TO BUILD UP PROGRAM | SPORTS,
A7
TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2022
INSIDE
$1.50
TUESDAY EDITION
March 15, 2022
Live shows
return to
La Grande
HQ gears up for regular
slate of live events for
the first time since 2021
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
LA GRANDE — Live music
events are coming back to La
Grande.
Live event venue HQ is gearing
up toward holding a regular schedule
of live events for the fi rst time since
last summer. Described as a cre-
ative media studio and live event
venue, HQ is set to host a slew of
spring concerts and weekly events as
COVID-19 numbers remain low in
Union County.
“I think as a community we’re
still hiding in our caves a little, so
I’m really encouraging people to kind
of step through that veil of uncom-
fortability and come out to some
shows,” HQ co-owner Chris Jen-
nings said.
HQ, 112 Depot St., this month
resumed its weekly open mic night,
held on most Thursdays from
7-10 p.m. Admission to the open
stage is free, and all are welcome to
take part. Acts can include music,
comedy, spoken word and anything
in between.
“We’re going to get our open
stages rolling,” Jennings said. “We’re
trying to get people back out and
comfortable with each other, around
music and jokes and the open stage.”
After lacking a regular slate of
concert events since last summer, HQ
will be bringing regional and local
talent onto its stage. The co-owners
at HQ have one show scheduled for
March and a couple in April so far.
The fi rst big event coming to
La Grande is Portland band Horse
Feathers, with Nick Delfs opening.
The show is scheduled for March
24 — tickets are $12 online (www.
lagrandehq.com/tickets) and $15 at
the door. The venue will serve bev-
erages at its in-house bar during the
events.
“We hope people can get out to
that show, not only for their own
well-being, but as a way to get back
in and support downtown culture and
engagement with music,” Jennings
said.
In early April, Klamath Falls
artist Arthur Buezo will return to La
Grande after visiting the venue last
spring. Tylor and the Train Robbers
are scheduled for mid-April, and HQ
is continuing to schedule visiting art-
ists moving into spring and summer
months.
In the wake of Oregon dropping
its statewide mandate on March 12,
HQ is allowing attendees to make
their own choice regarding mask
Jillian Nelson digs in
for a squat on Saturday,
March 12, 2022, during
the Wildcat Lifting
Club’s competition
at La Grande Middle
School. Nelson earned
second-place in the
girls lifting contest.
Alex Wittwer/
EO Media Group
Raising the bar
La Grande Middle School students sharpen weightlift ing
skills, sportsmanship through Wildcat Lift ing Club
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
L
A GRANDE — The La
Grande Middle School
Wildcat Lifting Club is
pushing the limits and setting
personal bests.
La Grande Middle School
students on Saturday, March
12, competed admirably in
their winter weightlifting
event for the new lifting club.
The group encourages middle
school students of all sizes and
skill levels to learn weight-
lifting techniques, while cre-
ating a camaraderie between
teammates.
“Everyone on the team is
super supportive,” eighth-
grader Jillian Nelson said.
“Even if you don’t get it, they
still cheer you on.”
La Grande Middle School
history teacher Nico Veloz
Espinola started the Wildcat
Lifting Club this school year.
A student-teacher through
Eastern Oregon University,
Veloz Espinola saw an oppor-
tunity for a competitive lifting
group at the middle school.
“When I got here I saw that
they had lifting equipment,
but no lifting going on,” Veloz
Espinola said.
Veloz Espinola, a power-
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group
Jaiden Wall competes in the La Grande Middle School Wildcat Lifting Club’s winter competition in the LMS gym on
Saturday, March 12, 2022.
can take that general fi tness
and make it a little competi-
tive and a little more than just a
workout group.”
Boys and girls compete
side-by-side through in-house
competitions at the La Grande
Middle School gymnasium,
using a scoring system that
lifter himself, has competed in
lifting events and felt a desire
to help young athletes learn the
ropes of the sport.
“I thought it would be a
really cool opportunity to teach
these kids some general fi t-
ness,” he said. “With my expe-
rience with competitions, we
compiles weight, age and
gender. The system, which is
called a DOTS score, allows
individuals of diff erent size to
compete against each other in
a way that takes into account
each individual performance.
See, Club/Page A6
See, Shows/Page A6
Local legislator makes off er on Vale newspaper
By ANTONIO SIERRA
state representative for Dis-
trict 57 and the Malheur
County economic devel-
VALE — Greg Smith’s
opment director, that he
off er to buy the Mal-
intended to publish an edi-
heur Enterprise came in a
torial critical of Smith and
postscript.
asked him for comment.
Smith
An email exchange
“I’m preparing an edito-
between Smith and Les Zaitz, the
rial for next week about the Mal-
publisher and editor of the small
heur County Court’s management
weekly newspaper in Vale, over an
of your company’s contract,” he
wrote. “You will, in part, get a pass
editorial led to an off er to take the
because you can’t be blamed by
Enterprise off the market.
taxpayers for getting what you can
According to the email chain
obtained by the East Oregonian,
See, Paper/Page A6
Zaitz wrote to inform Smith, the
East Oregonian
East Oregonian, File
Les Zaitz works in 2018 at his newspaper, the Malheur Enterprise in Vale. He put the
paper up for sale in early 2022, and Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner, a frequent subject of
the Enterprise’s investigative work, in an email to Zaitz off ered to buy the paper. Zaitz,
however, is not selling to Smith.
WEATHER
INDEX
Classified ......B2
Comics ...........B5
Crossword ....B2
Dear Abby ....B6
Home .............B1
Horoscope ....B4
Local...............A2
Lottery ...........A2
THURSDAY
Obituaries .....A5
Opinion .........A4
Sports ............A7
Sudoku ..........B5
Full forecast on the back of B section
Tonight
Wednesday
35 LOW
48/27
An evening
shower
Cloudy, a shower
OREGON JOB GROWTH STEADY
CONTACT US
541-963-3161
Issue 32
2 sections, 14 pages
La Grande, Oregon
Email story ideas
to news@lagrande
observer.com.
More contact info
on Page A4.
Online at lagrandeobserver.com