A2 — THE OBSERVER
TODAY
In 1861, President Abraham
Lincoln ordered plans for a relief
expedition to sail to South Caroli-
na’s Fort Sumter, which was still in
the hands of Union forces despite
repeated demands by the Confed-
eracy that it be turned over.
In 1867, Britain’s Parliament
passed, and Queen Victoria signed,
the British North America Act cre-
ating the Dominion of Canada,
which came into being the fol-
lowing July.
In 1943, World War II rationing
of meat, fats and cheese began,
limiting consumers to store pur-
chases of an average of about
two pounds a week for beef, pork,
lamb and mutton using a coupon
system.
In 1951, Julius and Ethel Rosen-
berg were convicted in New York
of conspiracy to commit espionage
for the Soviet Union. (They were
executed in June 1953.)
In 1971, Army Lt. William L.
Calley Jr. was convicted of mur-
dering 22 Vietnamese civilians in
the 1968 My Lai massacre. (Calley
ended up serving three years
under house arrest.) A jury in Los
Angeles recommended the death
penalty for Charles Manson and
three female followers for the 1969
Tate-La Bianca murders. (The sen-
tences were commuted when the
California state Supreme Court
struck down the death penalty in
1972.)
In 1973, the last United States
combat troops left South Vietnam,
ending America’s direct military
involvement in the Vietnam War.
In 1974, eight Ohio National
Guardsmen were indicted on fed-
eral charges stemming from the
shooting deaths of four students at
Kent State University. (The charges
were later dismissed.)
In 1984, under cover of early
morning darkness, the Baltimore
Colts football team left its home
city of three decades and moved
to Indianapolis.
In 2002, Israeli troops stormed
Yasser Arafat’s headquarters com-
plex in the West Bank in a raid
that was launched in response to
anti-Israeli attacks that had killed
30 people in three days.
In 2010, two female suicide
bombers blew themselves up in
twin attacks on Moscow subway
stations jam-packed with rush-
hour passengers, killing at least
40 people and wounding more
than 100.
In 2020, country singer Joe
Diffie, who had a string of hits in
the 1990s, died at 61 from what a
spokesman said were complica-
tions from COVID-19.
Today’s Birthdays: Author
Judith Guest is 86. Former British
Prime Minister Sir John Major is
79. Comedian Eric Idle is 79. Com-
poser Vangelis is 79. Basketball
Hall of Famer Walt Frazier is 77.
Singer Bobby Kimball (Toto) is 75.
Actor Bud Cort is 74. Actor Brendan
Gleeson is 67. Pro and College
Football Hall of Famer Earl Camp-
bell is 67. Actor Marina Sirtis is 67.
Actor Christopher Lambert is 65.
Rock singer Perry Farrell (Porno
for Pyros; Jane’s Addiction) is 63.
Comedian-actor Amy Sedaris is 61.
Model Elle Macpherson is 59. Sen.
Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev.,
is 58. Actor Annabella Sciorra is
58. Movie director Michel Haza-
navicius is 55. Rock singer-musi-
cian John Popper (Blues Traveler)
is 55. Actor Lucy Lawless is 54.
Country singer Brady Seals is 53.
Actor Sam Hazeldine is 50. Interna-
tional Tennis Hall of Famer Jennifer
Capriati is 46. Actor Chris D’Elia
is 42. R&B singer PJ Morton is 41.
Actor Megan Hilty is 41. Pop singer
Kelly Sweet is 34.
LOTTERY
Friday, March 25, 2022
Megamillions
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1 p.m.: 7-9-1-5
4 p.m.: 1-4-6-0
7 p.m.: 2-2-0-5
10 p.m.: 8-1-0-0
Win for Life
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Sunday, March 27, 2022
Lucky Lines
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Estimated jackpot: $44,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 9-6-4-0
4 p.m.: 1-2-5-8
7 p.m.: 9-1-6-6
10 p.m.: 8-5-0-7
LOCAL
Quilting for a cause
Quilting teacher
organizes event to
raise funds for
Ukraine
Wallowa County Chieftain
The Observer
davis carbaugh/The Observer
Tracy McKenzie operates a sewing machine during a sunflower quilt class and fundraiser for Ukraine on
Saturday, March 26, 2022, in La Grande. Local quilters organized efforts to raise funds to benefit those
in need in Ukraine.
davis carbaugh/The Observer
davis carbaugh/The Observer
A pieced block guides students during a quilt
class and Ukraine fundraiser in La Grande on
Saturday, March 26, 2022. Tracy McKenzie, a
local quilting teacher, organized the event to
raise funds for those in need and to increase local
interest in quilting.
Yvonne Whitney works a sewing machine at
a quilting class and fundraiser in La Grande
on Saturday, March 26. The participants
combined efforts for a Ukraine-themed quilt,
with donation efforts going to nonprofits in
Ukraine.
“I want to be able to share. I love
quilting, for me it’s very therapeutic.”
— Tracy McKenzie, quilting instructor and owner of
Essentially Loved Quilts
those funds going to orga-
nizations with boots on the
ground in Ukraine. Indi-
viduals could also donate a
block that would go toward
the larger finished quilt,
which McKenzie plans to
raffle off to raise funds. She
stated that the funds will
likely go to either Samar-
itan’s Purse or Healing
Hands Foundation.
McKenzie noted that
different quilt styles
require more time and
effort in the production
process. The quilts are
compiled of a variety of
cut and sewn shapes, with
some of the pieces only
about an inch long.
“I want to be able to
share,” McKenzie said. “I
love quilting, for me it’s
very therapeutic.”
With quilting some-
times considered a dying
art, McKenzie is hoping to
bring back that interest in
La Grande.
“We have so many
amazing quilters here,” she
said. “To get our commu-
nity into a position where
we can share our beauty
with each other would be an
amazing thing.”
Dry weather forecast for Grande Ronde, Wallowa valleys
National Weather
Service says wet
weather could
return April 4
By DICK MASON
The Observer
LA GRANDE — Dry
conditions and moderate
temperatures are in the
forecast for the Grande
Ronde and Wallowa val-
leys over the next five days.
The forecast from the
National Weather Ser-
vice says that La Grande
DA’s office
completes
security
upgrades
By BILL BRADSHAW
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
LA GRANDE — Local
quilters are putting their fin-
gers to use for a cause.
Tracy McKenzie, a La
Grande resident, hosted a
sunflower quilting class on
Saturday, March 26, with
the funds benefiting those
in need in Ukraine. The
fundraiser helped raise
awareness and donations
for Ukraine, while McK-
enzie also hopes to grow
interest in quilting in the
community.
“My mind just ran and
it became a fundraiser for
Ukraine,” McKenzie said.
“Hopefully we can get some
help for all that is going on.”
McKenzie began quilting
three years ago, when she
moved to La Grande. She is
the owner of an online store
called Essentially Loved
Quilts and teaches classes
for all skill levels. Satur-
day’s fundraiser was aimed
toward beginners, with
three basic quilt-piecing
techniques being taught to
those in attendance.
The quilting fundraiser
took place at the La Grande
Church of the Nazarene,
with local quilters com-
bining their efforts to make
a Ukraine-themed pattern.
McKenzie came up with
the idea for a Ukraine fund-
raiser when one of her stu-
dents was very interested
in the idea of working on a
sunflower-themed quilt. The
student discovered the sun-
flower is the national flower
of Ukraine, inspiring the
fundraiser.
The event required a
$20 class fee, with half
TuESday, MaRcH 29, 2022
and Enterprise will have
no rain or snow from
Wednesday, March 30,
through April 3. Joe Sol-
omon, a meteorologist for
the National Weather Ser-
vice in Pendleton, said the
dry streak could come to
an end on April 4, when
the forecast calls for rain in
both the Grande Ronde and
Wallowa valleys.
The National Weather
Service is projecting tem-
peratures ranging from
25-56 degrees in La
Grande and Enterprise in
the upcoming days.
“The high tempera-
tures may be slightly above
normal and the low tem-
peratures will be average
for this time of year,” Sol-
omon said.
High temperatures in La
Grande are expected to be
56 degrees on March 30,
51 degrees on March 31,
47 degrees on April 1, 54
degrees on April 2, and 56
degrees on April 3.
Enterprise’s high tem-
peratures should be just
below La Grande’s each
day of the same five-day
period, according to the
National Weather Service.
Enterprise is projected to
have highs of 50 degrees
on March 30, 46 degrees
on March 31, 42 degrees
on April 1, 48 degrees on
April 2, and 51 degrees on
April 3.
The National Weather
Service is forecasting that
La Grande will have low
temperatures of 37 degrees
on March 30, 32 degrees
on March 31, 30 degrees
on April 1, 32 degrees on
April 2, and 36 degrees on
April 3.
Enterprise’s daily lows
are projected to be 28
degrees on March 30, 25
degrees on March 31, 23
degrees on April 1, 25
degrees on April 2, and 29
degrees on April 3.
NEWS BRIEFS
Webinar on Value Added
Producer Grant Program is
March 31
ENTERPRISE — A free webinar
on the application process for the
Value Added Producer Grant Pro-
gram will be held from 3-4 p.m.
Thursday, March 31, according to a
press release.
The U.S. Department of Agri-
culture Rural Development is put-
ting on the webinar and is currently
accepting applications for the pro-
gram, which provides grants to
develop new products from raw agri-
cultural products or to expand mar-
keting opportunities for value-added
products.
Farmers, ranchers and owners
of producer-based rural small busi-
nesses in Oregon that plan to apply
for the program this year are urged
to participate in the webinar to learn
more about the application process.
To register online and for full
webinar details, go to https://
register.gotowebinar.com/
register/6743351414362308111.
Community Connection to
host public forum
LA GRANDE — Community
Connection of Northeast Oregon
is looking to gather community
feedback.
The organization is set to host a
public meeting for the community
members to provide input and ask
questions regarding needs and gaps
in the community. The meeting is
open for any Union County residents
to attend, with the goal of Commu-
nity Connection gathering comments
and feedback on how to improve ser-
vices for low-income individuals.
The organization focuses on pro-
viding assistance for low-income
individuals, senior citizens, children
and those with disabilities.
The event will take place at the
Union County Senior Center, 1504
N. Albany St., La Grande, on Friday,
April 1. The open forum begins at
6 p.m. Snacks will be served at the
event and a drawing will be held for
gift cards.
For more information, Commu-
nity Connection can be reached at
541-963-3186.
La Grande man arrested
after brandishing knife
LA GRANDE — A La Grande
man, who allegedly had been
aggressively waving a knife in the
parking lot of a La Grande busi-
ness on Island Avenue, was arrested
Sunday, March 27.
Charles Michael Gohn, 26, was
arrested by the La Grande Police
Department on charges of second-de-
gree disorderly conduct and sec-
ond-degree criminal trespassing.
Gohn was lodged in the Union
County Jail.
Gohn was arrested around 6 p.m.
while he was walking toward Inter-
state 84 after police had received a
report that two men, including one
with a knife, had been yelling at each
other outside the Island Avenue busi-
ness. The man with the knife was
reportedly waving it aggressively
and was also talking to himself,
according to police.
Prior to officers arriving, the two
separated and Gohn began walking
along Island Avenue toward the inter-
state. Gohn still had the knife in his
hand when law enforcement offi-
cers contacted him on Island Avenue
under the I-84 overpass. Although
he initially refused to drop the knife,
officers were able to effectively
de-escalate the situation and Gohn
eventually complied and dropped the
knife.
In the interest of public safety,
traffic was stopped on Island Avenue
briefly when officers were contacting
Gohn and until he was safely taken
into custody.
Gohn was previously prohibited
from being on the business’ prop-
erty, stemming from an incident
in December 2021. An investiga-
tion determined the other man in the
parking lot of the business mentioned
in initial reports did not contribute to
the disturbance. He was being yelled
at by Gohn, according to police.
The La Grande Police Depart-
ment handled the incident with help
from the Oregon State Police and the
Union County Sheriff’s Office.
The La Grande Police Department
is continuing its investigation into the
incident and police said more charges
may be filed later.
— EO Media Group
ENTERPRISE — The
Wallowa County District
Attorney’s Office recently
completed a security
upgrade to enable better
services to the public,
while also improving the
safety of employees, cli-
ents and the victims they
serve.
The DA’s office also
encompasses the coun-
ty’s Victims’ Assistance
Program and Child Sup-
port Enforcement Program
and works with a variety
of people from all walks
of life.
“It allows people to be
more safe while working in
and doing business in the
office,” District Attorney
Rebecca Frolander said.
“Now we have doors
that are more difficult to
breach.”
A new bullet-resistant
security window makes
it so the public no longer
has to call ahead for an
appointment, she said.
“It allows us to serve
members of the public in
the hallway,” Frolander
said. “It also is more con-
venient in the office.”
Formerly, the office
had to have a locked-door
policy.
“That was the only way
we could address secu-
rity issues,” she said. “It
was very inconvenient.
With our new ballistic
pass-through window, we
can deal with the public
directly at the time they
are seeking assistance.”
The security upgrades
cost $31,290.54, Frolander
said. That was up from an
initial estimate of $26,848
that didn’t take into con-
sideration a higher pre-
vailing wage or the cost
of the building permit or
shipping of materials.
“Through a combina-
tion of funding sources
including the Victims of
Crime Act funds adminis-
tered through the Oregon
Crime Victims and Sur-
vivor Services Division,
the Oregon Department of
Justice which authorizes
reimbursement funds for
costs related to Child Sup-
port Enforcement, a grant
from the Wildhorse Foun-
dation to improve public
safety and the support
of the Wallowa County
Board of Commissioners,
the District Attorney’s
Office was able to accom-
plish this project,” a press
release stated.
Frolander said the orig-
inal VOCA grant was
expanded by $10,000 to
address COVID pandem-
ic-related issues, and the
grant covered $17,640.76 of
the total project, including
the door for the Victims’
Assistance Program, and
the bullet-resistant pass-
through window, the
building permit, half of
the shipping expenses and
the closed-circuit camera
system.
The Wildhorse Founda-
tion was asked for a grant
to pay for 1-1/3 of the bul-
let-resistant doors and it
came through with $7,955.
The DOJ reimbursed the
county $4,504.43, for
two-thirds of the cost of
the door that is the main
access to the Child Sup-
port Enforcement Office,
and two-thirds of one
quarter of the shipping
costs. However, Frolander
said, her office had to take
another $1,190.35 out of its
general budget to complete
the project.
The upgrades were
completed March 3 by
Cody Aschenbrenner
and his team from Silver
Lining Construction.
Working in phases begin-
ning in September, the
workers were regularly
plagued by delays, pri-
marily caused by shipping
of materials and the need
to work around scheduled
trials.