INSIDE
EASTERN WHEELWORKS MARKS FIRST YEAR OF OPERATIONS | BUSINESS & AG LIFE, B1
March 31, 2022
$1.50
THURSDAY EDITION
MARCH
INSIDE FIND NEW CHALLENGES AT MODERN BOARD GAME NIGHT IN
30–APR
IL 6, 2022
See
First Frid
ay
art sho
ws
PAG E 4
Join
Fishtra
p
Firesid
e
PAG
E 7
Wat
PAG E 15
WWW. GOEAS
TERNO
REGON
.COM
Tr y a
new ch
alleng
e at
M od
Boar e d rn
Game
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group
Children swing in unison on a set of swings at Riverside Park on
Tuesday, March 29, 2022. The La Grande Parks and Recreation
Department has released its master plan detailing all the upgrades
it wants to accomplish, including improvements at Riverside Park.
Planning ahead
City of La Grande
eyes future projects
in parks master plan
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
Among the variety of projects planned
throughout the next fi ve years, the
main focus points include connectivity
A GRANDE — Local authorities
between parks, accessibility for disabled
have high hopes for the future of
individuals, youth and teen programs,
La Grande’s parks. After nearly
more trails in town and the need for an
a year of gathering public input, the La
indoor recreation space.
Grande Parks and Recreation
“I think they put together a
Department is planning out
really solid plan that was well-
improvements and new project
thought-out,” said La Grande City
proposals in its Parks Master
Manager Robert Strope.
Plan.
An immediate project in the
The layout of future projects
plan is improving the playgrounds
serves as a guide for the next fi ve
at Riverside Park, which is slated
fi scal years, giving the city an
for the 2023-24 fi scal year — the
Strope
outline in place to acquire funds.
projected capital cost estimate is
“The purpose is mainly to
$125,000. Other proposed proj-
keep us organized and on track
ects in La Grande’s parks include
as a staff and as a parks and rec-
addding restrooms at various parks,
reation advisory commission, so
increasing walkability between
we have solid goals and objec-
parks, improving youth programs
tives to keep things moving,” said
and planting more trees and plants.
Stu Spence, La Grande’s Parks
Spence
Public input plays key role
and Recreation director.
A key part of the formation of the
The 2022-27 parks master plan is
parks master plan was gathering public
the fi rst of its kind in La Grande, laying
input, which took place primarily from
out goals and objectives for the parks
the summer of 2021 through early spring
and recreation department and its advi-
sory commission. With a set of goals and of 2022.
The Parks and Recreation Depart-
plans that are vetted by local public input
ment conducted online and paper sur-
and city approval, grant writing and
veys, gauging needs and wants of the
funding will be much smoother for the
community. The department collected
department in years to come.
The Observer
L
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group
Kids enjoy the wooden playground structures at Riverside Park on Tuesday, March 29, 2022. The
La Grande Parks and Recreation’s new fi ve-year master plan includes improving the playgrounds
at the park.
491 survey responses, 411 of which were
marked as residents of La Grande, and
throughout the fall of 2021 a number of
focus groups.
“We did a series of surveys and focus
groups and were able to engage quite a few
community members and determine the
priorities of the community,” Spence said.
“I was thrilled with the number of
responses we got,” Strope said. “There’s
See, Parks/Page A7
Cold night in the canyon
Editor’s Note: This is the
second of a two-part feature.
Part one ran in The Observer
in print and online Tuesday,
March 29.
By KATHY ANEY
East Oregonian
PILOT ROCK — Braydon
Postma and Cody Watson lay
on their backs on a bed of cold
river rock on July 1, 2021.
Postma had a broken leg,
pelvis and arm. Watson’s leg
was shattered.
The two men and their
friend Kyler Carter had fallen
about 50 feet from a swim-
ming hole above a waterfall
and landed in the shallow,
rocky creek bed below. As
dusk turned to dark, they
talked. Their rescue, they real-
ized, was not assured.
Carter, with injuries to his
lungs and the loss of his eye-
glasses, had gone for help.
“Cody and I didn’t know if
Kyler had internal injuries or
See, Rescue/Page A7
WEATHER
INDEX
Business ........B1
Classified ......B2
Comics ...........B5
Crossword ....B2
something,” Postma said. “As
much faith as we had in him
to do it, we didn’t know if he’d
make it.”
The men, not able to move
and separated by the creek,
realized their situation was
dire. They concentrated on
what was important.
“We talked about family,”
Postma said. “We said we
loved each other. Cody talked
a lot about how he loved his
Dear Abby ....B6
Horoscope ....B3
Lottery ...........A2
Obituaries .....A5
SATURDAY
Opinion .........A4
Spiritual ........A6
Sports ............A8
Sudoku ..........B5
Mary Otteson/Contributed Photo
Longtime friends, from left, Cody Watson, Braydon Postma
and Kyler Carter pose for a photo after Watson and Carter
surprised Postma at his boot camp graduation in January
2019.
Full forecast on the back of B section
Tonight
Friday
28 LOW
58/35
Partly cloudy
Milder
MEMORIES IN AN OLD FISHING CREEL
CONTACT US
541-963-3161
Issue 39
3 sections, 30 pages
La Grande, Oregon
Email story ideas
to news@lagrande
observer.com.
More contact info
on Page A4.
Online at lagrandeobserver.com