LOCAL
A2 — THE OBSERVER
TODAY
In 1471, King Henry VI of
England died in the Tower of
London at age 49.
In 1542, Spanish explorer
Hernando de Soto died while
searching for gold along the Mis-
sissippi River.
In 1881, Clara Barton founded
the American Red Cross.
In 1924, in a case that drew
much notoriety, 14-year-old Bobby
Franks was murdered in a “thrill
killing” carried out by University
of Chicago students Nathan Leo-
pold Jr. and Richard Loeb (Bobby’s
cousin).
In 1927, Charles A. Lindbergh
landed his Spirit of St. Louis mono-
plane near Paris, completing the
first solo airplane flight across the
Atlantic Ocean in 33-1/2 hours.
In 1932, Amelia Earhart became
the first woman to fly solo across
the Atlantic Ocean as she landed in
Northern Ireland, about 15 hours
after leaving Newfoundland.
In 1941, a German U-boat sank
the American merchant steam-
ship SS Robin Moor in the South
Atlantic after the ship’s passengers
and crew were allowed to board
lifeboats.
In 1955, Chuck Berry recorded
his first single, “Maybellene,” for
Chess Records in Chicago.
In 1972, Michelangelo’s Pieta,
on display at the Vatican, was dam-
aged by a hammer-wielding man
who shouted he was Jesus Christ.
In 1979, former San Francisco
City Supervisor Dan White was
convicted of voluntary man-
slaughter in the slayings of Mayor
George Moscone and openly gay
Supervisor Harvey Milk; outrage
over the verdict sparked rioting.
(White was sentenced to seven
years and eight months in prison;
he ended up serving five years and
took his own life in 1985.)
In 1991, former Indian Prime
Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassi-
nated during national elections by
a suicide bomber.
In 2000, death claimed actor Sir
John Gielgud at age 96 and author
Dame Barbara Cartland at age 98.
In 2020, President Donald
Trump visited a Ford Motor Co.
plant outside Detroit that had
been repurposed to manufac-
ture ventilators; he did not pub-
licly wear a face mask but said he
had worn one while out of public
view. A Michigan judge sided with
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in a chal-
lenge by Republican lawmakers to
her authority to order sweeping
restrictions during the coronavirus
outbreak.
Ten years ago: President Barack
Obama and other world leaders
meeting in Chicago locked in
place an Afghanistan exit path that
would keep their troops fighting
there for two more years.
Five years ago: President
Donald Trump, visiting Riyadh,
implored Saudi Arabia and other
Middle Eastern countries to extin-
guish “Islamic extremism” ema-
nating from the region. North
Korea fired a solid-fuel ballistic
missile, saying the test was hailed
as perfect by leader Kim Jong Un.
One year ago: Thousands of Pal-
estinians rallied after a cease-fire
took effect in the latest Gaza war;
the 11 days of fighting left more
than 250 people dead, the vast
majority Palestinians, and brought
widespread destruction to the
Gaza Strip. President Joe Biden
said there had been no shift in his
commitment to Israel’s security,
but that a two-state solution that
includes a state for Palestinians
remained “the only answer” to that
conflict.
Today’s Birthdays: R&B singer
Ron Isley (The Isley Brothers)
is 81. Musician Bill Champlin is
75. Singer Leo Sayer is 74. Actor
Carol Potter is 74. Former Sen. Al
Franken, D-Minn., is 71. Actor Mr.
T is 70. Music producer Stan Lynch
is 67. Actor Judge Reinhold is 65.
Actor-director Nick Cassavetes is
63. Actor Lisa Edelstein is 56. Actor
Fairuza Balk is 48. Actor Sunkrish
Bala is 38. Actor Ashlie Brillault is
35. Country singer Cody Johnson is
35. Actor Scott Leavenworth is 32.
Actor Sarah Ramos is 31.
CORRECTIONS
The Observer works hard to be
accurate and sincerely regrets
any errors. If you notice a
mistake in the paper, please call
541-963-3161.
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SaTuRday, May 21, 2022
Academic presentation focuses
on latest biosensor technology
EOU Professor of
Chemistry Anna
Cavinato to present
May 26
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
The Observer
LA GRANDE —
Eastern Oregon University’s
faculty academic presenta-
tion program, Colloquium,
finishes out the year with a
look at research in microflu-
idic devices and aquaculture
biosensor development.
Professor of Chem-
istry Anna Cavinato will
present Thursday, May 26,
from 4-5 p.m. in Ackerman
210 the findings from her
2021 research sabbatical in
microfluidics and the devel-
opment of an electrochem-
ical biosensor for aquacul-
ture applications. The event,
the final Colloquium of the
season, is free and open to
the public.
“The presentation will
highlight the research that I
previously did on aptamers
and then how I utilized the
aptamers for the develop-
ment of an electrochem-
ical, microfluidic sensor for
the detection of bacteria in
water,” Cavinato said.
Cavinato’s recent
research experience in
microfluidics is a continu-
ation of her previous work
in studying small artifi-
cial DNA strands, called
Eastern Oregon university/Contributed Photo
Eastern Oregon University Professor of Chemistry Anna Cavinato will present Thursday, May 26, from
4-5 p.m. in Ackerman 210 the findings from her 2021 research sabbatical in microfluidics and the
development of an electrochemical biosensor for aquaculture applications. The EOU Colloquium, the
last in this year’s series, is free and open to the public.
aptamers, and how they
can be utilized to recog-
nize a specific biomarker
that signals the presence of
the bacterium responsible
for bacterial kidney disease
in salmon. She is currently
developing a microfluid-
ic-based biosensor to detect
the presence of Renibacte-
rium salmoninarum.
“Aptamers are used as
an alternative to antibodies
in assays, and so for many
years I’ve worked on identi-
fying aptamers that bind to
an extracellular protein on
the surface of Renibacterium
salmoninarum, which causes
bacterial kidney disease in
salmon,” Cavinato said.
During her sabbat-
ical, Cavinato took part in
research at Colorado State
University under Professor
Chuck Henry studying
microfluidic platforms that
use colorimetric or electro-
chemical detection methods.
She also worked with uni-
versity graduate students
learning how to fabricate
disposable devices that
could be utilized in the
development of the bacterial
sensors.
“There was a lot of
learning involved and it
was wonderful to immerse
myself in research and be a
student all over again. It was
very exciting to be able to
learn something completely
new,” she said. “In the lab
where I was, they were
applying microfluidics to
COVID detection, so they
were very busy working
on microfluidic devices,
both electrochemical and
colorimetric.”
Work session to discuss historic district standards
Aim is to provide
clarity in
application process
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
LA GRANDE — The
La Grande City Council
and Landmarks Advisory
Commission are set to meet
for a joint session to discuss
proposed historic district
standards.
The work session will
begin at 6 p.m. Monday,
May 23, with livestreaming
available on the city’s Face-
book page.
The work session will
serve as an informal dis-
cussion between council
members and the Land-
marks Advisory regarding
an updated draft of historic
Wallowa
County
OK’s road
district
district standards following
analysis and recommen-
dations from consultants
Peter Meijer Architect and
Minor Planning & Design.
The meeting will not result
in any decisions or direct
action taken, with no vote
prior to adjournment. There
will be no public comment
section. The meeting will
serve as a conference for
council members to discuss
the draft with the planning
commission.
The city’s original
historic standards were
written in 1999, with many
of the standards phrased
as recommendations or
suggestions. The guide-
lines were changed to stan-
dardsin 2009, but a signifi-
cant amount of the verbiage
requires amending. The
update is designed to
solidify the standards and
allow for a more user-
friendly application pro-
cess for historic district
applicants.
During the February
2021 city council regular
session, the council autho-
rized the planning division
to seek out a Certified Local
Government Grant in order
to hire a consultant to gather
public input, provide recom-
mendations and take part in
the rewriting of La Grande’s
historic district standards.
The planning commis-
sion was awarded the grant
in 2022, with a projected
budget of $20,000 being
broken into $10,000 from
grant funding and $10,000
from the city.
Portland-based Peter
Meijer Architect began
the public input process in
October 2021 with a public
walking tour of the historic
district. The consultants
held public meetings, walk-
throughs and conducted
interviews with property
owners, contractors and
past historic landmarks
applicants.
The consultants’ draft
of new standards, which
city council members will
view during the work ses-
sion, includes a differen-
tiation between historic
buildings, non-historic
buildings and alleys. The
draft includes standards
for existing buildings, new
or non-historic buildings,
work visible from the street
and work not visible from
the street.
Following the work ses-
sion, the next step for the
drafted update to the his-
toric district standards will
be adoption by the city
council.
NEWS BRIEFS
La Grande Planning
Commission seeks new
volunteer members
LA GRANDE — The La
Grande Planning Commission
is looking for new volunteer
members.
The commission primarily
involves working with the city of
La Grande and the city council in
promoting the development of new
housing in La Grande — the plan-
ning commission works on codes
changes to promote this trend.
Additionally, members of the
commission work on approval of
subdivisions and land use proj-
ects in the city and conduct design
reviews.
Members also work on compre-
hensive plan amendments, zoning,
public road dedications, street
naming and ordinance adoptions
related to land use and develop-
ment issues.
Residents of La Grande or those
who live within the city’s urban
growth boundary are encouraged
to become a volunteer member of
the planning commission. Com-
mission members serve a four-year
term.
The planning commission
includes five total positions, two of
which are currently vacant. Mem-
bers are scheduled to meet one a
month on the second Tuesday of
each month at 6 p.m. in the council
chambers at La Grande City Hall.
More information on the plan-
ning commission positions and
applications to join are avail-
able on the La Grande city web-
site, www.cityoflagrande.org. La
Grande Community Development
Director Mike Boquist can also be
reached at 541-962-1307 for more
information.
Vernonia man faces charges
of strangulation, harassment
LA GRANDE — A Vernonia
man faces charges of strangulation,
felony assault, menacing, harassment
and possession of methamphetamine
after Oregon State Police arrested
him Saturday, May 14.
Bradley Alan Olson, 42, was
arrested on two outstanding warrants
charging him with a total of two
counts of strangulation; one count
of possession of between 2 and less
than 10 grams of methamphetamine;
fourth-degree assault, a Class C
felony; menacing; and harassment.
None of the charges were related
to anything the arresting OSP trooper
observed, according to state police.
Olson was arrested after state
police received a report of a man who
abandoned a motorcycle on Inter-
state 84 near a westbound off-ramp
east of La Grande. State police con-
tacted Olson, who had walked to the
Flying J Travel Center, and then did
an investigation and discovered the
warrants for his arrest.
OSP took Olson into custody
without incident and booked him into
the Union County Jail, La Grande,
and bail was set at $69,000.
Olson’s motorcycle was not towed
but a family member was contacted
to arrange for its recovery.
Island City man killed in
motorcycle crash
BAKER CITY — An Island City
man died when he lost control of
the motorcycle he was riding while
exiting Interstate 84 in Baker City on
Tuesday, May 17.
John Dale Atwood, 73, was pro-
nounced dead at the scene.
The accident happened around
4:24 p.m., according to an Oregon
State Police report.
Atwood was riding westbound
on the freeway when he took the
offramp at Exit 304, the Campbell
Street interchange.
“For unknown reasons,” Atwood
lost control of the 2011 Harley-Da-
vidson and crashed into a guardrail,
according to the OSP report. He was
thrown from the motorcycle, which
continued down the offramp.
Union County accepting
applications for funding
events, attractions
LA GRANDE — Union County is
currently accepting applications for
funding community events or attrac-
tions designed to increase economic
growth and impact tourism within
Union County.
Funding for the program is avail-
able through county-collected tran-
sient tax funds.
Applications are being accepted
for the fiscal year ending June 30, as
well as for the upcoming fiscal year
of July 1 through June 30, 2023. This
application period will be the only
available opportunity to apply for
these funds for events and attractions
held through June 30, 2023.
This program is administered by
the Union County Administrative
Office with funding recommenda-
tions provided by the Transient Tax
Advisory Committee. Final approval
of awards will be made by the Union
County Board of Commissioners.
Applications are available on the
county website, www.union-county.
org, or may be picked up at the County
Administrative Office at 1106 K Ave.,
La Grande. Completed applications
will be accepted at the county office
through Friday, June 10, at 4 p.m.
— The Observer
ENTERPRISE — The
Wallowa County Board
of Commissioners voted
Wednesday, May 18, to take
advantage of a new law
approved by the Oregon
Legislature that allows
counties to direct the state
Department of Revenue to
deposit money that ordi-
narily would go into the
county Road Fund into
the Road Service District
instead.
The funds in question
are Secure Rural Schools
money under which 25%
is apportioned to schools
— the Education Service
District — and 75% to the
Road Department. It comes
from federal funds received
as payment in lieu of taxes
counties have received
since the federal govern-
ment changed its policy on
timber harvest in the 1990s
and came up with a formula
to replace the timber money
on federal lands within
counties.
“It dropped the stumpage
fee to almost nothing,”
Board Chairwoman Susan
Roberts said of the policy
changes. “It went from $3
million to about $50,000.
So they came up with this
formula, this Secure Rural
Schools that went through,
that would pay for trees
they weren’t cutting any-
more, which took away
almost all the income. Then
they decided that formula
would give it to places
that weren’t getting huge
amounts of money. They
did it on a population basis,
too. Although Wallowa
County has a lot more fed-
eral land than (for example)
Union County, they get
more money because they
have a bigger population.
It’s convoluted.”
Commissioner John
Hillock agreed.
“It’s very convoluted,”
he said. “Lane County gets
the most in the whole state
because they’ve got more
people, although we may
have more acres (of federal
timberland).”
Commissioner Todd
Nash said the whole “con-
voluted” problem could’ve
been avoided.
“We could’ve foregone
all of this by just having
an agreement with the feds
that they no longer subtract
that payment, but they’re
not willing to do that,” he
said. “We’ve got to jump
through the hoops to make
it happen.”
Hillock said he believes
no other Oregon counties
have yet taken advantage of
the new law. He noted that
counties in other states have
set up road service districts
for the SRS money.
“That’s because their
state allows it and ours did
not, but now it does,” Rob-
erts said.
The matter must first go
before voters. The commis-
sioners and their legal team
have work to do before put-
ting it on the November
ballot. This elicited concern
from the commissioners.
“It’s going to be one of
those things that is going to
be really difficult for people
to understand,” Nash said.
“The bottom line is we’ll
have a half million dollars
in our general fund that
we didn’t have before, and
it doesn’t do harm to our
Road Department. It’s a
win.”
Roberts said that under
the new district — for
which the commissioners
would be the board —
nothing would change in
how the Road Department
operates or is funded.
“What it’s going to do
is put a little more than a
half million dollars (in PILT
money) in the general fund,
which will allow us to fully
staff the sheriff’s office and
that would continue each
year rather than us losing
half of that money due to
that formula,” Roberts said.