LOCAL
A2 — THE OBSERVER
TODAY
In 1649, the Maryland Toleration
Act, providing for freedom of wor-
ship for all Christians, was passed
by the Maryland assembly.
In 1836, an army of Texans led
by Sam Houston defeated the
Mexicans at San Jacinto, assuring
Texas independence.
In 1910, author Samuel Lang-
horne Clemens, better known as
Mark Twain, died in Redding, Con-
necticut, at age 74.
In 1926, Britain’s Queen Eliz-
abeth II was born in Mayfair,
London; she was the fi rst child of
The Duke and Duchess of York,
who later became King George VI
and the Queen Mother.
In 1930, fi re broke out inside the
overcrowded Ohio Penitentiary in
Columbus, killing 332 inmates.
In 1975, with Communist forces
closing in, South Vietnamese Pres-
ident Nguyen Van Thieu resigned
after nearly 10 years in offi ce and
fl ed the country.
In 1976, clinical trials of the
swine fl u vaccine began in Wash-
ington, D.C.
In 1980, Rosie Ruiz was the fi rst
woman to cross the fi nish line at
the Boston Marathon; however,
she was later exposed as a fraud.
(Canadian Jacqueline Gareau was
named the actual winner of the
women’s race.)
In 1998, astronomers
announced in Washington that
they had discovered possible signs
of a new family of planets orbiting
a star 220 light-years away, the
clearest evidence to date of worlds
forming beyond our solar system.
In 2015, an Egyptian criminal
court sentenced ousted Islamist
President Mohammed Morsi to 20
years in prison over the killing of
protesters in 2012. (Morsi collapsed
and died during trial on espionage
charges in June 2019.)
In 2016, Prince, one of the most
inventive and infl uential musicians
of modern times, was found dead
at his home in suburban Minneap-
olis; he was 57.
In 2018, Barbara Bush was
remembered as the “fi rst lady of
the Greatest Generation” during
a funeral in Houston attended by
four former U.S. presidents and
hundreds of others. Actor Verne
Troyer, best known for his role as
“Mini-Me” in the “Austin Powers”
movies, died in Los Angeles at the
age of 49; a coroner later ruled that
the death was suicide by alcohol
intoxication.
In 2020, researchers reported
that a malaria drug that had been
widely touted by President Donald
Trump for treating the coronavirus
showed no benefi t in large study
of its use in U.S. veterans hospitals.
Ten years ago: Charles W.
“Chuck” Colson, 80, described
as the “evil genius” of the Nixon
administration who served seven
months in prison for a Water-
gate-related conviction, then
spent the next 35 years ministering
to prison inmates, died in northern
Virginia.
Five years ago: A San Francisco
power outage blamed on the mas-
sive failure of a circuit breaker that
sparked a fi re at a power substa-
tion stranded people in eleva-
tors and left tens of thousands in
the dark.
One year ago: A Black man,
Andrew Brown Jr., was shot and
killed by sheriff ’s deputies in North
Carolina while they were serving
drug-related warrants at his home
in Elizabeth City. (A prosecutor
cleared the deputies, saying they
were justifi ed because Brown had
struck a deputy with his car while
ignoring commands to show his
hands and get out of the vehicle.)
President Joe Biden announced
new employer tax credits and
other steps to encourage people
who were reluctant to be inocu-
lated to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Today’s Birthdays: Britain’s
Queen Elizabeth II is 96. Actor-co-
median-writer Elaine May is 90.
Anti-death penalty activist Sister
Helen Prejean is 83. Singer-mu-
sician Iggy Pop is 75. Actor Patti
LuPone is 73. Actor Tony Danza
is 71. Actor James Morrison is 68.
Actor Andie MacDowell is 64. Rock
singer Robert Smith (The Cure) is
63. Rock musician Michael Timmins
(Cowboy Junkies) is 63. Actor-di-
rector John Cameron Mitchell is
59. Actor Rob Riggle is 52. Come-
dian Nicole Sullivan is 52. Football
player-turned-actor Brian White is
49. Former NFL quarterback Tony
Romo is 42.
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THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022
IN BRIEF
CHIEF JOSEPH DAYS
Missing Enterprise
man found dead in
submerged vehicle
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
The queen and her court: The newly crowned 2022 Chief Joseph Days Rodeo Queen Maggie Zacharias, center, poses with her
court, Princess Bailey Vernam, left, and Princess Mia Salerno. The three were honored Saturday, April 16, 2022, during a dinner and
program at the Thunder Room of the Harley Tucker Arena in Joseph.
Rodeo names 2022 queen
Joseph’s Maggie Zacharias has previously
served as queen of Elgin Stampede
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
JOSEPH — Maggie
Zacharias was crowned
queen of the 2022 Chief
Joseph Days Rodeo
during the dinner and
program held Saturday,
April 16, at the Thunder
Room of the Harley
Tucker Arena in Joseph.
Zacharias, the
daughter of Luke and
Merilee Zacharias,
served previously as
queen for the Elgin
Stampede. She also has
been active in FFA at
Joseph Charter School.
The decision for her
over competitors Bailey
Vernam and Mia Salerno
was close, said CJD
Offi ce Manager Miranda
Tickner.
“It was a diff erence
of about two points,”
Tickner said.
Vernam is the
daughter of Shannon
Vernam, of Enterprise.
She has previous rodeo
royalty experience as
a princess of the Elgin
Stampede.
Salerno, the daughter
of Damian and Kristan
Salerno, of Joseph, is in
her fi rst experience as a
member of a rodeo court.
The three have been
competing since they
were announced as this
year’s court last fall.
Tickner said the girls
compete in several cate-
gories, including writing,
public speaking and
ticket sales.
In fact, as CJD Board
President Terry Jones
noted when he announced
the winner, the girls set
a record in ticket sales.
They sold $122,190
worth, he said.
Tickner said the
amount, while a record,
was a bit skewed because
the organization raised
prices this year.
“We raised ticket
prices, but it’s tough to
say,” she said. “We don’t
believe we’ve broken over
$100,000 before.”
When Jones
announced that she had
won, Zacharias displayed
a look of surprise or
shock, accompanied by
applause from Vernam,
Salerno and the crowd.
Zacharias and her
court were escorted to the
stage by men considered
important in their lives.
Zacharias was escorted
by her dad, Vernam by
her grandfather, Dave
Vernam, and Salerno by
her dad.
The outgoing court
of Casidee Harrod, Bri-
anna Micka and Des-
tiny Wecks was on hand
to crown the new court.
They served the unique
function of two years on
the court — all as queens
— since the 2020 Chief
Joseph Days was canceled
because of the corona-
virus pandemic.
This year’s Chief
Joseph Days will be July
26-31. The new court
expects to serve just the
usual one-year term.
“We’re super pleased
with the girls and we’re
very excited for them,”
Tickner said.
Marshalls named CJD grand marshals
Wallowa County Chieftain
JOSEPH — Tim and
Shelley Marshall were
named grand marshals
of the 2022 Chief Joseph
Days Rodeo during a
program and dinner Sat-
urday, April 16, in the
Thunder Room of the
Harley Tucker Arena
in Joseph.
According to a press
release issued about
their selection as CJD
grand marshals, the Mar-
shalls have been Wal-
lowa County residents for
more than 40 years. They
raised two daughters
who both graduated from
Joseph High School.
Shelley started as a
volunteer for the CJD
Queen Coronation dinner
in 1990, with Tim’s help.
They spent many hours
creating decorations,
props and making the
dinner a fun and festive
event, the release stated.
In 1998, Shelley turned
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
Shelley and Tim Marshall were named grand marshals of the
2022 Chief Joseph Days Rodeo during a program Saturday,
April 16, 2022, at the Thunder Room of the Harley Tucker Arena
in Joseph.
over the reins of the dinner
to help in the hospitality
room, where the couple
spent 23 years. During
that time, the room grew
from a simple tent that
served cold cuts and soft
drinks to a large building
that is now known to cow-
boys and cowgirls as one
of the best of its kind in
the Northwest. There,
an average of 400 CJD
contestants are served
meals and the Marshalls
are there from sunup to
sundown.
“Shelley kept everyone
who volunteered on their
toes,” the release said.
“Her energy and dedi-
cation were unmatched;
keeping up with her was
not for the faint of heart.”
Tim was master of
the grill and had his
own dedicated bar-
becue area behind the
hospitality room.
“Whether he liked it
or not, he continually had
a steady stream of visi-
tors stopping in to com-
pliment his cooking, have
an ice-cold beer and steal
a small bite of amazing
food straight off the
grill,” the release stated.
The Marshalls were
awarded the coveted
Justin Boot Commit-
teeman of the Year
Award, which only goes
to 125 people a year
nationwide. Shelley was a
CJD committee member
for 19 years.
The couple offi cially
hung up their hats in
2020.
Union County school principals to shift positions
By DICK MASON
The Observer
LA GRANDE — Dawn
Guentert’s education career
is about to come full circle.
Guentert, the principal
of Greenwood Elementary
School in La Grande, has
been named the next prin-
cipal of Elgin High School.
The Elgin School Dis-
trict is where Guentert
started her career as an
educator 24 years ago. She
hopes to serve as EHS’s
principal until she retires.
“I’m going to end my
career where I started it. I
could not have passed this
opportunity up,” said Guen-
tert, who taught science in the
Elgin School District’s junior
high and senior high grades
for six years altogether before
taking a position in the Uma-
tilla School District.
She will be succeeded
at Greenwood by Jennifer
Melendez, currently Central
Elementary School’s assis-
tant principal. “I’m really
excited about the opportu-
nity,” Melendez said.
The move Guentert will
cessful. Grief agreed to stay
be making is fi lled with
on as superintendent in the
irony on several fronts. Not 2022-2023 school year to
only will she be returning
give the board more time to
to where she started
fi nd her successor.
her career, she will
Guentert said she
also be succeeding
is looking forward to
an educator she
working under Greif.
worked closely with
“We have skill
during her fi rst stint
sets which comple-
there, Dianne Greif,
ment each other,”
who is also superin-
Guentert said.
Melendez
“Together we can
tendent of the Elgin
fi nd solutions to fi t
School District.
Greif taught math
everybody.”
at EHS when Guen-
Greif credits
Guentert with being
tert was a science
teacher there two
a skilled educator.
“She is a phenom-
decades ago.
enal teacher,” Greif
“We were always
Greif
working on projects
said.
together,” Guentert
Guentert began
serving as Green-
said.
wood’s principal 10
Greif announced
months ago, taking
in December 2021
the position after
that she would retire
working as principal
as principal of EHS
of Clara Brownell
and as superintendent
Guentert
Middle School in
of the Elgin School
Umatilla for three years.
District. The Elgin School
Guentert said she has
Board later asked Greif to
modify her retirement plans enjoyed her time at Green-
wood immensely.
when its search for a new
superintendent was unsuc-
“I have loved the experi-
ence, especially all the hugs
and love from the children,”
she said.
Melendez has been Cen-
tral’s assistant principal for
10 months and previously
worked for the Franklin
Pierce School District in
Tacoma, Washington, for
three years where she was an
instructional coach for two
years and the dean of stu-
dents at Elmhurst Elemen-
tary School for one year.
She said Central’s prin-
cipal, Monica West, has
helped prepare her for
the position. “Monica has
been an excellent mentor,”
Melendez said.
Teresa Dowdy, Central’s
counselor, speaks highly of
Melendez, noting that she
genuinely loves children,
is patient and is a good
listener.
“She defi nitely will be
missed here. Greenwood
will be lucky to have her,”
Dowdy said.
Melendez and Guentert
will both begin their posi-
tions at their new schools
on Friday, July 1.
WALLOWA LAKE —
A 26-year-old Enterprise
man was found dead in
his vehicle — which had
been recovered from Wal-
lowa Lake — on Friday,
April 15.
The body of Devin
Nelson Woempner-
Velarde was found in
the passenger area of a
gold-colored 1999 Toyota
Camry, according to a
Wallowa County Sheriff ’s
Offi ce press release.
Woempner-Velarde —
and his vehicle — had
been reported missing
since April 11.
The Camry’s location
was reported to Wallowa
County dispatch shortly
after noon on April 15. A
caller reported the vehicle
was in the lake at Wal-
lowa Lake State Park off
the boat ramp, the sher-
iff ’s offi ce reported. The
Wallowa County Sheriff ’s
Offi ce and Oregon State
Police responded, and,
with the help of state park
staff and an underwater
camera, found the vehicle
submerged roughly 40 feet
from the boat ramp.
Wallowa County Sheriff
Joel Fish said it appears
Woempner-Velarde drove
off the ramp, and likely
before April 15. The boat
ramp was “covered with
snow” that was reported
as not having tracks in
it when the vehicle was
located.
“The ignition was on
and the car was in drive,”
Fish said. “It looks like he
drove off .”
The sheriff added
that the cause of death,
“appears to be drowning,
(but) the medical examiner
hasn’t fi nished a death cer-
tifi cate yet.”
Fish said park rangers
reported seeing a gold-
colored car at the park
April 11 or April 12, but
were not certain if it was
Woempner-Velarde’s
vehicle.
More members of
WCSO, along with the
Umatilla County Sheriff ’s
Offi ce, responded to help
remove the vehicle from
the lake with the use of a
tow truck. Joseph Fire and
Wallowa Memorial Hos-
pital EMS also responded.
Jones to serve
as interim
superintendent
WALLOWA — Tammy
Jones will stay at the Wal-
lowa School
District fol-
lowing her
retirement as
superinten-
dent, though
in a slightly
diff erent
Jones
capacity.
The Wal-
lowa School Board voted
Thursday, April 14, to
approve of Jones holding
the seat she is retiring from
on an interim basis. Jones
is slated to wrap up her
second year as superinten-
dent, though it is her 37th
year in education, a press
release from the school said.
Keeping Jones on as
the interim superintendent
allows the school board
“to start out the search
strong in the fall for a per-
manent superintendent to
replace Superintendent
Jones,” the statement from
the school said.
Additionally, the board
approved the hiring of
Sara Hayes as the junior
high/high school prin-
cipal. Hayes has 13 years
of educational experience,
including eight years in
administrative roles.
Her prior experience
includes being a Head
Start teacher in Wallowa,
a range of positions in
Early Childhood Educa-
tion, practicum for sev-
enth through 12th grades
at Joseph and Wallowa
and interim principal at
Wallowa.
“She’s been fi lling in
on Mondays for the last
six weeks,” Jones said of
Hayes’ interim status.
— EO Media Group