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TUESDAY EDITION
May 3, 2022
Debate set
for county
commissioner
candidates to
talk issues
Paul Anderes, Lisa Hill to
participate in event hosted by
EOU debate team May 6
By ANDREW CUTLER
The Observer
Davis Carbaugh/The Observer
VFW Post 4060 Commander Larry Forrest observes mementos hung on the wall of the VFW Post 4060 dining room on North Main Street in
Union on Friday, April 29, 2022. The members of Post 4060 are working to set up a service group to provide support to veterans not eligible for
organizations such the VFW and to civilian fi rst responders.
NEW FOCUS
VFW jump-starting member-run group open to fi rst responders and all veterans
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
U
NION — The
Veterans of Foreign
War High Valley Post
4060 is looking to get a new
service group up and running
for local first responders and
veterans.
The new group will be open to
all fi rst responders, including mili-
tary, fi refi ghters, law enforcement and
emergency medical technicians. The
group will be managed by its mem-
bers, opening the doors for assistance
and camaraderie among all those who
serve or have served their countries
and their communities, military and
civilian.
“We’ve got some veterans in the
Union and Cove area that would like to
join the VFW, but because they didn’t
serve in a confl ict they’re not eligible,”
said Ken McCormack, a member of
the VFW Post 4060, based in Union.
“We decided to start a new group that
Davis Carbaugh/The Observer
Flags representing the branches of the United States military are displayed in the dining room
of Union’s VFW Post 4060 on Friday, April 29, 2022. The organization is helping jump-start a
new group open to fi rst responders and military members who did not serve in foreign wars.
would be like the VFW or American
Legion, but is made up of all the fi rst
responders.”
The new group will allow for fi rst
responders to take part in a group very
similar to the VFW and American
Legion, while military members are
also encouraged to join. Members or
former members of the military who
did not serve in confl ict are also eli-
gible to join the group.
According to McCormack, the
members of VFW Post 4060 are
working to assist in the organizing of
the new group, and the fi rst responders
group is currently utilizing the VFW
See, VFW/Page A6
LA GRANDE — The two candidates
for Position 1 on the Union County Board
of Commissioners on Friday, May 6, will
debate issues aff ecting the county.
The event, hosted and moderated by the
Eastern Oregon University debate team, is
scheduled for 6 p.m. at Huber Auditorium on
the EOU campus.
“We thought we
could help serve
IF YOU GO
the community
What:
Union County
by giving them an
Board of Commissioners
opportunity to really
debate
meet the candidates
Where: Huber Audito-
for commissioner,”
rium, Eastern Oregon
said Isaac Insko, a
University campus, La
Grande
freshman at Eastern
When: 6 p.m., Friday,
and one of three
May 6
moderators for the
Online: The debate
debate.
will be streamed by EO
Insko said the
Alive TV.
EOU students saw
Of note: The debate
an opportunity
will feature the two can-
didates — Paul Anderes
to host a debate
and Lisa Hill — for Posi-
because none had
tion 1. The debate will
been scheduled in
be moderated by mem-
the county.
bers of the EOU debate
“We have a group
team — Isaac Insko,
of students who are
Calvin Bennett and
Abby Whitnah.
really interested in
politics and debates,
and we thought, why
not reach out to the candidates, see if they’d
be interested in attending a debate, and it
just went down the line of getting everything
scheduled,” he said.
The moderators — Insko, Calvin Bennett
and Abby Whitnah, both EOU sophomores
— plan to ask incumbent Union County
Commissioner Paul Anderes and challenger
Lisa Hill questions about issues that are
important to county residents.
“We’re still developing new questions
every day,” Insko said.
The debate will be separated into three
rounds, with the fi rst and third rounds
focusing on basic questions for the can-
didates. Anderes and Hill will have an
opportunity to respond to their opponent’s
responses and rebuttals. The second round
will be questions submitted from the candi-
dates, a “question they would like their oppo-
nent to be asked,” Insko said, adding that
Hill and Anderes will not know the ques-
tions ahead of time.
“It’s a true debate,” Insko said. “The
moderator will give the candidates an
See, Debate/Page A6
Guentert takes over as CCNO executive director
Former Wallowa County manager for
the agency takes over for longtime
leader Margaret Davidson
By RONALD BOND
Wallowa County Chieftain
LA GRANDE —
Connie Guentert knows
she has big shoes to fi ll as
the new executive director
of Community Connection
of Northeast Oregon.
Thankfully, the out-
going director, Margaret
Davidson, has been right
alongside Guentert as she
makes the transition into
the lead role in the organi-
zation, a move that became
offi cial May 1.
“Margaret has just
been a fantastic leader and
teacher,” Guentert said.
“To be able to follow in
those large shoes is a chal-
lenge, but also the founda-
tion of having her for all
this time, she’s imbued in
me those same values and
See, Guentert/Page A6
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goals that we strive for in
our agency.”
Guentert has been a
part of Community Con-
nection for 15 years, the
last eight as the county
manager in Wallowa
County.
“Matter of fact, it’s like
eight years exactly. May 1
eight years ago I took over
as county manager, eight
years later, the new execu-
tive director,” she said.
Guentert said she
has been “inspired” by
Davidson and repeatedly
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Wallowa County Chieftain, File
Connie Guentart, then the manager of Community Connection in
Wallowa County, addresses the county’s Rotary Club in November
2019. On May 1, 2022, Guentert became the new executive director
of Community Connection of Northeast Oregon, which has its
headquarters in La Grande.
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Issue 53
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