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April 23, 2022
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WEEKEND EDITION
VA plan
calls
for big
changes
SPORTS, B1
Going
G
H I O
LD
Hog Wild Days
returns in Island
City aft er COVID-
induced absence
W
Recommendations call for
reduction of services to
Walla Walla VA center
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
and JOHN TILLMAN
EO Media Group
WASHINGTON — Oregon U.S.
Sen. Ron Wyden this week said
he plans to personally contact the
Department of Veterans Aff airs
regarding recommendations to
reduce services at the Jonathan M.
Wainwright Memorial VA Medical
Center in Walla Walla.
The VA in mid-March released
a report from the Asset and Infra-
structure Review Commission to
modernize and realign the VA health
care system. According to the Walla
Walla Union-Bulletin, the report is in
response to the 2018’s MISSION Act,
also known as the Veteran Commu-
nity Care Act.
After site visits, listening ses-
sions and data gathering around the
country, the AIR Commission listed
among its recommendations that
the Walla Walla VA reduce services
to primary care and mental health,
which could result in the facility
being reclassifi ed as a communi-
ty-based outpatient clinic, known
better as a CBOC, rather than a full
medical center, according to the
Walla Walla UB.
At a virtual town hall for Union
County residents on Wednesday,
April 20, Wyden addressed several
concerns related to veteran health
care in Eastern Oregon. Key points
included slow hiring processes, travel
pay, diffi culties at call centers across
VA clinics and attaining health care
services outside of the VA.
Wyden noted he has been hearing
often from veterans on similar issues
and said he will be reaching out to
the VA himself for an explanation
and how to address the four major
concerns brought up at the meeting
and potential changes to the Walla
Walla medical center.
“Vets have earned the benefi ts
because of their extraordinary ser-
vice,” Wyden said. “The vets com-
mitted their lives to our country
and now I’m going to make sure we
make our commitment to them really
clear.”
A market analysis showed veteran
enrollment in VISN 20, the service
region centered by the Walla Walla
VA, is predicted to increase
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group, File
The Hog Wild Days piggy train
visits the Union County Fair on
Friday, Aug. 6, 2021.
By DICK MASON • The Observer
I
SLAND CITY — A
cherished tradition is set
to return in Island City.
Island City’s annual Hog Wild
Days celebration is coming back
after being shut down in 2020 and
2021 due to the COVID-19 pan-
demic, which has subsided dramati-
cally in Northeastern Oregon.
This year’s Hog Wild Days cel-
ebration will run from Friday, June
3, to Sunday, June 5.
“We are bringing it back to
life this year,” said John Tolan, a
member of the Island City Lions
Club, which will again be putting
on Hog Wild Days.
Dale De Long, who served as
mayor of Island City for 24 years
through 2016, was delighted to hear
the news.
“It means a lot. It is a tradition,”
De Long said. “When something
that has been successful returns,
it has a big impact. It is a big
positive.”
This year’s event will start
around 6 p.m. June 3 with a bar-
becue at Island City’s Fred Beeman
Park, on McAlister Road adjacent
to Island City Elementary School.
In the past the barbecue was con-
ducted in the school’s gym but the
gym will not be available this year,
Tolan said.
The Observer, File
Ty Vanlith of Island City gets into character as he prepares to ride with the big boys in the
2005 Hog Wild Days parade in Island City. Bikers were collecting stuff ed animals to donate to
children’s hospitals, fi re and police departments and other organizations to pass on to kids
who could use a furry friend in trying times.
Activities on June 4 will kick off
with a breakfast at the La Grande
Rural Fire Department’s hall from
6-11 a.m. The La Grande Rural Fire
Department traditionally serves a
community breakfast on the Sat-
urday morning of Hog Wild Days.
The event is a fundraiser for the
La Grande Rural Fire Department.
Money raised at the breakfast is
used for community projects such
as the department’s Shop With a
Firefighter program for children
and Thanksgiving and Christmas
food baskets for families.
Activities will continue Saturday
morning with the annual Hog Wild
Days Parade at 11 a.m. Tolan said
the parade will again be an excel-
lent opportunity for new businesses
See, Hog Wild/Page A7
See, VA/Page A7
Oregon wolf population growth slows, mortalities rise
By GEORGE PLAVEN
Capital Press
SALEM — Oregon’s wolf pop-
ulation increased by just two indi-
viduals in 2021, according to the
state Department of Fish and Wild-
life, while the number of wolf
deaths was the highest yet in a
single year.
ODFW released its annual wolf
report on Tuesday, April 19, doc-
umenting 175 wolves compared to
173 in 2020. The count is a min-
imum estimate based on veri-
fi ed evidence, such as wolf sight-
ings, tracks and remote camera
photographs.
A total of 26 wolves died
in 2021, including 21 killed by
humans. Of those, four were hit
by vehicles, eight were illegally
poisoned, one was legally shot
by a rancher on private property
and another eight were killed by
ODFW after habitually preying on
livestock.
Roblyn Brown, ODFW wolf
program coordinator, said last
year’s rise in mortalities “certainly
played a role” in the latest popula-
tion survey remaining mostly fl at.
“Despite this, we are confi -
dent in the continued health of the
See, Wolves/Page A7
WEATHER
INDEX
Classified ......B2
Comics ...........B5
Crossword ....B2
Dear Abby ....B6
Horoscope ....B4
Local...............A2
Lottery ...........A2
Obituaries .....A5
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife/Contributed Photo
Opinion .........A4
Outdoors ......B1
Sports ............A9
Sudoku ..........B5
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife released its annual wolf report on Tuesday,
April 19, 2022, documenting 175 wolves compared to 173 in 2020. The count is a
minimum estimate based on verifi ed evidence, such as wolf sightings, tracks and
remote camera photographs.
Full forecast on the back of B section
Tonight
Sunday
33 LOW
65/39
Mainly clear
Milder
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Issue 49
2 sections, 16 pages
La Grande, Oregon
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