LOCAL
A2 — THE OBSERVER
TODAY
In 1493, Italian explorer Christo-
pher Columbus arrived back in the
Spanish harbor of Palos de la Fron-
tera, two months after concluding
his first voyage to the Western
Hemisphere.
In 1820, Maine became the 23rd
state.
In 1917, Czar Nicholas II abdi-
cated in favor of his brother, Grand
Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, who
declined the crown, marking the
end of imperial rule in Russia.
In 1919, members of the Amer-
ican Expeditionary Force from
World War I convened in Paris for
a three-day meeting to found the
American Legion.
In 1944, during World War II,
Allied bombers again raided Ger-
man-held Monte Cassino.
In 1965, President Lyndon B.
Johnson, addressing a joint session
of Congress, called for new legis-
lation to guarantee every Ameri-
can’s right to vote; the result was
passage of the Voting Rights Act
of 1965.
In 1972, “The Godfather,” Francis
Ford Coppola’s epic gangster
movie based on the Mario Puzo
novel and starring Marlon Brando
and Al Pacino, premiered in New
York.
In 1977, the situation comedy
“Three’s Company,” starring John
Ritter, Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne
Somers, premiered on ABC-TV.
In 2005, former WorldCom chief
Bernard Ebbers was convicted
in New York of engineering the
largest corporate fraud in U.S. his-
tory. (He was later sentenced to 25
years in prison.)
In 2011, the Syrian civil war had
its beginnings with Arab Spring
protests across the region that
turned into an armed insurgency
and eventually became a full-
blown conflict.
In 2019, a gunman killed 51
people at two mosques in Christ-
church, New Zealand, streaming
the massacre live on Facebook.
(Brenton Tarrant, an Australian
white supremacist, was sentenced
to life in prison without parole
after pleading guilty to 51 counts
of murder and other charges.)
In 2020, the Federal Reserve
took massive emergency action
to help the economy withstand
the coronavirus by slashing its
benchmark interest rate to near
zero and saying it would buy $700
billion in treasury and mortgage
bonds. After initially trying to keep
schools open, New York City Mayor
Bill de Blasio said the nation’s
largest public school system would
close in hopes of curbing the
spread of the coronavirus.
Today’s Birthdays: Actor Judd
Hirsch is 87. Jazz musician Charles
Lloyd is 84. Rock musician Phil Lesh
is 82. Singer Mike Love (The Beach
Boys) is 81. Rock singer-musician
Sly Stone is 79. Rock singer-musi-
cian Howard Scott (War; Lowrider
Band) is 76. Rock singer Ry Cooder
is 75. Actor Frances Conroy is 69.
Actor Craig Wasson is 68. Rock
singer Dee Snider (Twisted Sister)
is 67. Actor Joaquim de Almeida is
65. Actor Park Overall is 65. Movie
director Renny Harlin is 63. Model
Fabio is 61. Singer Terence Trent
D’Arby (AKA Sananda Maitreya)
is 60. Rock singer Bret Michaels
(Poison) is 59. R&B singer Rock-
well is 58. Actor Chris Bruno is 56.
Actor Kim Raver is 55. Rock singer
Mark McGrath (Sugar Ray) is 54.
Rock musician Mark Hoppus is
50. Country singer-musician Matt
Thomas (Parmalee) is 48. Actor
Eva Longoria is 47. Rapper-musi-
cian will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas) is
47. Rock DJ Joseph Hahn (Linkin
Park) is 45. Rapper Young Buck is
41. Actor Sean Biggerstaff is 39.
Actor Kellan Lutz is 37. Actor Caitlin
Wachs is 33.
LOTTERY
Friday, March 11, 2022
Megamillions
24-28-39-44-66
Megaball: 25
Megaplier: 3
Jackpot: $22 million
Lucky Lines
3-6-11-16-20-23-26-31
Jackpot: $28,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 9-4-1-0
4 p.m.: 4-0-1-7
7 p.m.: 1-9-4-7
10 p.m.: 0-7-8-4
Saturday, March 12, 2022
Powerball
19-20-37-39-61
Powerball: 8
Power Play: 2
Jackpot: $112 million
Megabucks
12-27-33-34-40-41
Jackpot: $2.8 million
Lucky Lines
2-7-10-16-18-21-27-32
Jackpot: $29,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 5-5-2-5
4 p.m.: 8-0-5-5
7 p.m.: 8-1-7-7
10 p.m.: 2-8-4-2
Win for Life
30-37-52-64
Sunday, March 13, 2022
Lucky Lines
2-5-9-14-20-24-26-31
Estimated jackpot: $30,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 8-5-5-0
4 p.m.: 7-9-9-4
7 p.m.: 3-4-2-1
10 p.m.: 4-0-2-2
TuESday, MaRcH 15, 2022
Demonstrators fill Max Square in support of Ukraine
Fairgrounds,
History Center
allocated
funding
Wallowa County to
receive combined $1.5
million for upgrades
By RONALD BOND
Wallowa County Chieftain
Photos by alex Wittwer/EO Media Group
Six-year-old Josephine Yielding, above, holds up a sign in
support of Ukraine during a demonstration in protest of
the Russian invasion of Ukraine at Max Square, La Grande,
on Saturday, March 12, 2022. Nearly 100 residents came
out to support Ukraine. The event featured La Grande
Mayor Steve Clements, Union County Commissioner
Paul Anderes and musician Al “Too Loud” MacLeod. More
than $2,300 was raised during the two-hour event and will
be donated to organizations that are working to get much
needed food and medical supplies into Ukraine.
Late artist gets her due
Art Center East’s Co-op Gallery
renamed in memory of Sue Orlaske
By DICK MASON
The Observer
LA GRANDE — Sue
Orlaske made countless
contributions to North-
eastern Oregon’s world
of art over a span of more
than two decades.
Orlaske’s contribu-
tions will never be for-
gotten and Art Center
East, of La Grande, made
sure of it on the evening
of Friday,
March 11.
The late
artist was
saluted by
Art Center
East when it
announced
Orlaske
at a recep-
tion that its Co-op Gal-
lery was being renamed
in Orlaske’s honor. The
step is being taken after
Orlaske won an election
for the renaming. Orlaske
was one of four Union
County artists who were
posthumously nominated
to become the gallery’s
namesake.
Orlaske’s husband,
Mitch Wolgamott, of
Summerville, who
attended the March 11
reception, said the honor
would have meant much
to his wife.
“She would have been
absolutely thrilled,” he
said.
A biologist who had
no formal art training
but had a lifelong interest
in art, Orlaske became
a full-time artist in the
1990s when she moved
to Union County. She
produced ceramic art
as well as two-dimen-
sional art. Her themes
often included abstract
and representational nat-
ural elements — Eastern
Oregon landscapes, ani-
mals and plants.
She became well
known in the region for
the quality of her work
and for her willingness
to help and teach others,
Wolgamott said.
“She touched so many
lives,” her husband said.
She was a member
and actively involved
with three art co-ops —
alex Wittwer/EO Media Group, File
Art Center East rests in the summer heat Tuesday, July 6, 2021.
The nonprofit organization announced at a reception Friday,
March 11, 2022, that its Co-op Gallery will be renamed in honor of
the late Sue Orlaske, one of four Union County artists who were
posthumously nominated to become the gallery’s namesake. The
gallery gives local and regional artists the opportunity to plan,
hang and publicize their own show, host an opening reception
and sell their artwork.
Art Center East, Forest
Grove’s Valley Art and
Baker City’s Crossroads.
Orlaske, who died
Oct. 22, 2021, at age 72,
won several regional art
awards and was a fea-
tured artist on Oregon
Public Broadcasting’s
Oregon Art Beat. Her
work has been carried
by several galleries in
Oregon and Southern
Washington.
Orlaske won an elec-
tion over a field with
three other candidates
— Dennis “Craig”
Canoy, an art teacher and
painter; Kat Galloway,
an Eastern Oregon Uni-
versity art instructor who
also taught children; and
Tom Madden, a poet and
EOU writing and jour-
nalism professor.
The election, during
which people could vote
online or in person,
lasted for more than a
month and concluded
March 10.
Baker County man might be unable to attend sex crimes trial
Baker City Herald
BAKER COUNTY
— A Baker County man
arrested more than two
years ago on multiple
charges of sex crimes
might not physically be
able to attend his trial in
May.
Bill David Gonyer,
75, is undergoing treat-
ment for cancer. Gonyer’s
attorney, Damien Yer-
vasi of Baker City, wrote
in an email to the Baker
City Herald on Thursday,
March 10, that “it’s hard
to tell at this point”
whether Gonyer could
participate.
“It all depends on how
he’s doing between now
and then,” Yervasi wrote.
Baker County District
Attorney Greg Baxter said
he will be prepared for a
trial in May, but that he’s
aware of Gonyer’s medical
situation.
Gonyer, who lived on
Stices Gulch Road about
12 miles south of Baker
City, was initially arrested
Dec. 28, 2019, in Ada
County, Idaho, where he
was receiving medical
care. He was extradited
to Baker County in early
January 2020 and was
held at the Baker County
Jail until December 2020,
when Judge Thomas
B. Powers approved a
motion from Yervasi to
grant Gonyer a condi-
tional release so he could
get medical treatment at
the Boise VA Hospital and
other facilities.
State court records
show Gonyer faces 41
counts in all, including
nine for child pornog-
raphy, five of first-de-
gree sexual abuse and
five of felon in posses-
sion of a firearm. Fif-
teen of the charges carry
mandatory minimum
sentences upon convic-
tion in Oregon.
Gonyer in 1999 pleaded
guilty in Clackamas
County to one count of
first-degree sexual abuse
involving a girl younger
than 14, according to
court documents. He
received a prison sentence
in that case of six years,
three months.
NEWS BRIEFS
mation, will be provided
closer to March 30.
“Hearing from Orego-
nians across the state is
LA GRANDE — U.S.
critical to doing my job.
Sen. Jeff Merkley,
In these uncertain times,
D-Oregon, will touch on
it’s more important than
his work in Washington,
ever to hear directly from
D.C., and answer ques-
folks,” Merkley said. “The
tions later this
ideas and priori-
ties I hear about in
month at an online
town halls inform
town hall geared
the solutions that
toward constituents
I fight to get into
in Union County.
federal law, like
The meeting
the projects for
will be Wednesday,
Oregon passing into
March 30, via
Merkley
law this weekend
Zoom and confer-
ence call, according to a
to fight wildfire smoke,
press release issued by
invest in infrastructure
Merkley’s office. Addi-
and jobs, and address
tional details, such as
housing shortages. I look
times and Zoom infor-
forward to these discus-
Merkley town hall
planned for
Union County
sions — whether they’re
in person, online, on
mobile devices, or on the
telephone — about how
we can strengthen our
state and our nation.”
Since joining the
Senate in 2009, Merkley
has held a town hall for
each of Oregon’s 36 coun-
ties every year.
County to focus on
transient room tax
during meeting
LA GRANDE — The
Union County Board of
Commissioners will meet
Wednesday, March 16.
The meeting will start
at 9 a.m. in the board’s
meeting room, 1106 K Ave.,
La Grande. The meeting
will be open for public
attendance.
Union County’s tran-
sient room tax program
will be one of the sub-
jects discussed at the
meeting.
To listen to the
meeting by phone dial
253-215-8782 or 301-715-
8592. The meeting ID
number is 814 2000 6863.
The link for watching
the meeting online via
Zoom is www.us02web.
zoom.us/j/81420006863.
Written comments
for the meeting may be
submitted via email to
amoore@union-county.
org by 5 p.m. March 15.
— The Observer
ENTERPRISE — Two
Wallowa County entities
are in line to receive a com-
bined $1.5 million for infra-
structure that will provide
funding needed to further
improvements.
House Bill 5202, which
passed a vote of the Oregon
Legislature on Friday, March
4, will allocate $1 mil-
lion to the Wallowa County
Fair from its general fund
for “fairgrounds infrastruc-
ture,” according to the text of
the bill. It is one of 15 coun-
ties in Oregon set to receive
at least that amount for their
fairgrounds.
Additionally, the Wallowa
History Center is slated to
receive $500,000 to “support
the restoration of the Bear-
Sleds Ranger District Com-
pound,” according to text
from the bill.
The bill passed the House
41-16 on March 4, and the
Senate later that day, 23-2.
The money for HB 5202
can come from lottery funds,
American Rescue Plan Act
funds or the general fund,
according to Ann Rava, staff
member for Sen. Bill Hansell.
General fund dollars are pri-
marily from tax revenue.
Rava noted that given the
bill contains an emergency
clause, it “becomes effective
upon passage, so as soon as
it is signed by the governor
they can start distributing
the funds.” However, she
said in an email to the Chief-
tain that how long it actually
takes for the funds to arrive is
uncertain.
Both Hansell and Rep.
Bobby Levy voted in favor
of the legislation, which now
heads to Gov. Kate Brown’s
desk.
Wallowa County Commis-
sioner Todd Nash, who is also
a member of the fair board,
said he was excited about the
funding.
“Our deferred maintenance
on the fairground is substan-
tial,” he said. “The newest
building we have was built in
the late ‘60s … the Cloverleaf
Hall. To make some upgrades,
to replace some things and
do some long-needed main-
tenance (is) really important,
and that million dollars is
going to go a long way to
helping do that.”
The county recently
received $500,000 in funding
from Levy’s portion of ARPA
funding, which also was allo-
cated for the fairgrounds.
Nash said the money from
the general fund would be
much less restrictive than
ARPA funding — the only
major restriction being that it
is dedicated to infrastructure.
“The million has very few
strings attached to it,” he said.
He added it will be “pretty
easy” to find ways to use the
added resources.
“We have some plans, and
we are going to go through
a process. This is all pretty
new to us,” he said. “We’ll go
before the fair board and we’ll
start to identify those places
we’ll spend the money.”
David Weaver, president
of the board for the Wal-
lowa History Center, said the
money will primarily go into
converting the warehouse at
the four-building complex into
an interpretive center.
“For the $500,000, all of
(it) is basically is going to go
toward getting that warehouse
up and running, including us
kicking off our capital cam-
paign for more,” he said.
Weaver said more — as
much as another $500,000,
though he said that was a
guess — will be needed
between renovation and
adding exhibits to complete
the interpretive center.
“By the time we get our
exhibits in, it’s going to take
all the $500,000 and then
some,” he said. “We (do)
have a line on a contractor
who specializes in historic
restoration.”