LOCAL
A2 — THE OBSERVER
TODAY
In 1775, the Continental Army,
forerunner of the United States
Army, was created.
In 1777, the Second Continental
Congress approved the design of
the original American flag.
In 1846, a group of U.S. set-
tlers in Sonoma proclaimed the
Republic of California.
In 1911, the British ocean liner
RMS Olympic set out on its maiden
voyage for New York, arriving one
week later. (The ship’s captain was
Edward John Smith, who went
on to command the ill-fated RMS
Titanic the following year.)
In 1919, John Alcock and Arthur
Whitten Brown embarked on the
first non-stop flight across the
Atlantic Ocean. (Flying a Vickers
Vimy biplane bomber, they took
off from St. Johns, Newfoundland,
Canada, and arrived 16-1/2 hours
later in Clifden, Ireland.)
In 1940, German troops entered
Paris during World War II; the same
day, the Nazis began transporting
prisoners to the Auschwitz concen-
tration camp in German-occupied
Poland.
In 1943, the U.S. Supreme Court,
in West Virginia State Board of Edu-
cation v. Barnette, ruled 6-3 that
public school students could not
be forced to salute the flag of the
United States.
In 1954, President Dwight D.
Eisenhower signed a measure
adding the phrase “under God” to
the Pledge of Allegiance.
In 1967, California Gov. Ronald
Reagan signed a bill liberalizing his
state’s abortion law.
In 1972, the Environmental Pro-
tection Agency ordered a ban on
domestic use of the pesticide DDT,
to take effect at year’s end.
In 1982, Argentine forces surren-
dered to British troops on the dis-
puted Falkland Islands.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton
nominated Judge Ruth Bader Gins-
burg to serve on the U.S. Supreme
Court.
In 2005, Michelle Wie, 15,
became the first female player to
qualify for an adult male U.S. Golf
Association championship, tying
for first place in a 36-hole U.S.
Amateur Public Links sectional
qualifying tournament.
Ten years ago: In dueling
speeches in the battleground state
of Ohio, Republican presidential
candidate Mitt Romney, speaking
in Cincinnati, described the Obama
administration as the very “enemy”
of people who create jobs; Presi-
dent Barack Obama, going second
in Cleveland, asked the nation to
buy into his vision for four more
years or face a return to the reces-
sion-era “mistakes of the past.”
Five years ago: A rifle-wielding
gunman opened fire on Repub-
lican lawmakers at a congressional
baseball practice in Alexandria,
Virginia, wounding House Whip
Steve Scalise and several others;
the assailant died in a battle with
police.
One year ago: Joe Biden used
his first appearance as president
at the NATO summit in Brussels to
call on Russian President Vladimir
Putin to step back from provoca-
tive actions targeting the U.S. and
allies.
Today’s birthdays: Actor Marla
Gibbs is 91. Former President
Donald Trump is 76. Singer Janet
Lennon (The Lennon Sisters) is 76.
Rock musician Barry Melton is 75.
Actor Will Patton is 68. Olympic
gold medal speed skater Eric
Heiden is 64. Jazz musician Marcus
Miller is 63. Singer Boy George
is 61. Actor Yasmine Bleeth is 54.
International Tennis Hall of Famer
Steffi Graf is 53. Actor Sullivan
Stapleton is 45. Actor Torrance
Coombs is 39.
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.
LOTTERY
Friday, June 10, 2022
Megamillions
3-12-14-18-32
Megaball: 4
Megaplier: 5
Jackpot: $247 million
Lucky Lines
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Jackpot: $59,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 1-7-2-0
4 p.m.: 5-5-7-9
7 p.m.: 0-7-0-6
10 p.m.: 4-9-7-3
Saturday, June 11, 2022
Powerball
18-20-26-53-69
Powerball: 5
Power Play: 2
Jackpot: $243 million
Megabucks
5-12-13-18-37-42
Jackpot: $2 million
Lucky Lines
2-7-9-13-18-22-25-30
Jackpot: $60,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 5-5-7-5
4 p.m.: 2-8-8-7
7 p.m.: 7-5-3-5
10 p.m.: 7-3-2-4
Win for Life
4-13-14-37
Sunday, June 12, 2022
Lucky Lines
3-5-10-15-18-24-27-29
Estimated jackpot: $61,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 9-6-5-0
4 p.m.: 4-5-5-1
7 p.m.: 2-4-6-7
10 p.m.: 6-4-1-9
TuESday, JunE 14, 2022
Refurbished Elgin pool ‘just like new’
Project funded
through a $150,000
loan, will be repaid
over next five years
By TRISH YERGES
For The Observer
ELGIN — The Jessie
and Lee McDonald Memo-
rial Pool at the Elgin Com-
munity Center is getting
its first major overhaul
since it was built in 1970,
a makeover finished just
in time to open for swim
lessons, community open
swimming and “Jessie
Day” on Wednesday, June
22.
Scott Ludwig, a spokes-
person for the Elgin Com-
munity Center’s board of
directors, said the refur-
bishing job has made
the pool “just like new.”
The project was funded
through a $150,000 loan
from Community Bank
and will be repaid through
the tax base over the next
five years. A June budget
meeting by the board will
finalize the expenditures
for the year and records
will be made public.
Mid America Pool Ren-
ovation Inc. is completing
the work on the pool.
“The pool is getting a
full replacement, and the
deck is being resurfaced
with a nonskid texture.
This material does not get
as hot as concrete in the
sun,” Ludwig said.
The pool interior is
being resurfaced with
Inter-Glass, which has
a 25-year warranty for
materials and installation.
Compared to paint, plaster,
Scott Ludwig/Contributed Photo
The Jessie and Lee McDonald Memorial Pool at the Elgin Community Center, shown here mid-
renovation, is getting its first major overhaul since it was built in 1970, a makeover finished just in time
to open for swim lessons, community open swimming and Jessie Day on Wednesday, June 22, 2022.
vinyl, PVC membranes
or fiberglass products,
Inter-Glass has long-term
cost benefits. Inter-Glass
is engineered to become
part of the pool structure,
adding flexural and ten-
sile strength. Two key ben-
efits of Inter-Glass are its
ability to repair cracks
and its resistance to pool
chemicals. Inter-Glass
is an inert surface, so it
requires less pool chemi-
cals to maintain the water
quality, which saves time
and money.
A hydrostatic valve
was installed in the floor
of the pool to alleviate
ground pressure, reducing
the force of ground water
against the pool and fur-
thering its potential
lifespan, Ludwig said.
A set of curved concrete
steps with a large, sturdy
center handrail were
installed, as well as a new
slide, all state approved.
“We have patched it
together here and there in the
past, but this is a total refur-
bishment,” Ludwig said.
“The loan that the Commu-
nity Center board took out
to fund this is budgeted into
our capital improvements.
It was an expensive project,
but it’s well worth getting the
pool fixed because after so
many years, things start to
deteriorate.”
Ludwig, who knew
Jessie McDonald person-
ally, said McDonald never
learned how to swim, and
she thought it was essen-
tial for all kids to learn.
McDonald served on the
Elgin City Council when
she worked to get the
pool completed in 1970.
She wanted it used and
maintained.
Her husband, Lee,
died in October 2008,
and shortly thereafter she
was diagnosed with lung
cancer. The pool was offi-
cially named after Jessie
and Lee McDonald in
July 2009, just prior to her
death on Aug. 18, 2009.
“Since then we have
honored her on her
birthday every June 22,
which we call Jessie Day,”
Ludwig said. “There is
free swim admission to
the pool for kids and citi-
zens of Elgin 1-5 p.m. that
day. There will be a light
snack available for kids,
and some outdoor activi-
ties will be set up like vol-
leyball, badminton, sack
racing and cornhole.”
Wildlife area to enhance elk habitat
Public access to all
portions of wildlife
area will remain open
The Observer
NORTH POWDER —
The Oregon Department
of Fish and Wildlife will
begin forest management
activities on the North
Powder tract of Elkhorn
Wildlife Area this summer
to enhance habitat for elk,
deer and other wildlife
species.
Public access to all por-
tions of the wildlife area
will remain open during
the project, including the
Anthony Creek Camp-
ground. Operations will
occur Monday through
Friday and continue
throughout the field season.
Completion is expected by
Dec. 31, 2022.
Visitors should be
aware of increased vehicle
activity, tree falling and
Baker City Herald, File
Rocky Mountain elk eat alfalfa hay during a past winter at
the Elkhorn Wildlife Area feeding site west of North Powder.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will begin forest
management activities at the Elkhorn Wildlife Area in the summer
of 2022 to enhance habitat for elk, deer and other wildlife species.
log truck traffic and are
advised to use extra cau-
tion when recreating
around active project units.
Work being done at Elk-
horn is part of the East
Face Project, a joint collab-
orative with the U.S. Forest
Service, Natural Resource
Conservation Service and
Oregon Department of
Forestry. The project was
identified as an oppor-
tunity to address forest
health, protect state, pri-
vate and federal forestlands
from potential catastrophic
fire while enhancing hab-
itat for elk and other
wildlife.
Taking place about
9 miles west of North
Powder, project work is
focused within the Rogers
Creek watershed and
north of the wildlife area
headquarters. As part of
the project, ODFW will
treat approximately 414
acres of ponderosa pine
and mixed-conifer forest
habitat through mechan-
ical thinning, fuels reduc-
tion and selective tree
harvest.
Operations will pro-
vide increased forage pro-
duction for deer and elk,
create snags and cavity
habitat while also pro-
tecting Oregon Conserva-
tion Strategy habitats such
as aspen woodlands and
ponderosa pine forest.
ODFW’s wildlife area
staff are responsible for
the management, opera-
tion and maintenance of
the property. The Elkhorn
Wildlife Area is part of a
working landscape where
livestock grazing and
timber harvest assist with
habitat management goals.
EOU, union reach tentative contract agreement
School to recognize
union members’
response to pandemic
with bonuses
The Observer
LA GRANDE —
Eastern Oregon Univer-
sity and the Associated
Academic Professionals
Union, which represents
the school’s library and
teaching faculty, reached
a tentative agreement to a
new four-year contract.
During a Wednesday,
June 8, bargaining ses-
sion, the school and AAP
reached common ground
on salary, health care pre-
miums, faculty develop-
ment and travel. The uni-
versity also worked to
recognize union members’
response to the institu-
tional disruption caused
by COVID-19 with a pan-
demic bonus.
“I want to acknowledge
the spirit of collaboration
and cooperation exercised
dick Mason/The Observer, File
Eastern Oregon University and the Associated Academic
Professionals Union, which represents the school’s library and
teaching faculty, reached a tentative agreement Wednesday, June
8, 2022, to a new four-year contract.
by both sides throughout
the negotiation process,”
President Tom Insko said.
“This agreement recog-
nizes the tremendous role
our faculty members play
in the success of our stu-
dents and the vitality of
our university.”
Under the agree-
ment, in the first year, all
ranks will receive a 3%
increase to base salary,
step increases of 1%,
base salary increases for
selected ranks to help
meet recruiting and reten-
tion goals and a one-time
recognition payment of
$1,050 for excellence in
responding to the pan-
demic. In years two to
four, ranks will receive
variable salary increases
based on consumer price
increases and achieve-
ment of student enrollment
goals, and a 1% annual
step increase.
Along with salary
increases, union members
will see health care insur-
ance premium sharing at
95% for EOU and 5% for
faculty over the life of the
contract. The agreement
also includes fortified
funding for faculty schol-
arly development and asso-
ciated travel.
“The AAP bargaining
team is pleased to have
completed contract nego-
tiations with EOU,” Vice
President of Bargaining
Kevin Walker said. “This
will provide EOU faculty
with a fair contract and the
university with the ability
to budget for faculty sal-
aries for the next four
years. We recognize the
professionalism and cour-
tesy shown to AAP during
these negotiations and
thank the administration
bargaining team for their
hard work and flexibility.”
AAP members will
review and vote on rati-
fying the contract in mid-
June. Pending union rati-
fication, the contract will
run from July 1, 2022,
through June 30, 2026.
IN BRIEF
Ziply Fiber announces
expansion in Union
UNION — Gig-speed
fiber is ready to debut in
Union.
Ziply Fiber announced
on Friday, June 10, that its
ultra-high-speed, 100%
fiber-optic network is now
ready for service in the
Union County community,
enabling its popular “gig-
speed” service and industry
leading 5-gig and 2-gig res-
idential services to serve
more than 1,000 addresses
throughout the city,
according to a press release
from the internet provider.
“Today, we are proud
to make Union our newest
multi-gig city, bringing the
fastest residential internet to
the homes and businesses
throughout this beautiful
city,” said Harold Zeitz, chief
executive officer of Ziply
Fiber. “With today’s launch,
we are bringing transforma-
tive connectivity to com-
munities that need it most.
We look forward to con-
tinuing our work of bridging
the digital divide across the
Northwest.”
The work in Union is part
of Ziply Fiber’s commitment
to invest more than $500
million to build an advanced,
100% fiber-optic network
to both suburban and rural
communities across the
Northwest that have been
underserved when it comes
to internet access.
In 2021, Ziply Fiber
launched a drive to make its
fiber-optic internet service
available to everyone who
wants it in La Grande, Enter-
prise, Cove, Elgin, Imbler
and Joseph.
The company has been
actively building fiber
across the Northwest since
June 2020 and has plans
to build and deploy new
fiber-optic cables, local
hubs, new offices and new
hardware to run the net-
work as part of hundreds of
additional projects across
its 250,000-square-mile
footprint.
Ziply Fiber is headquar-
tered in Kirkland, Wash-
ington, and has major offices
in Beaverton, Everett, Wash-
ington, and Hayden, Idaho.
‘Grounded and
Cured’ Marine vet
to tell his story
ENTERPRISE — A
retired F-18 pilot from
the U.S. Marine Corps
who was grounded after a
cancer diagnosis, cured and
returned to duty will tell
his story twice next week at
gatherings in Enterprise.
Lt. Col. David “T-Bone”
Trombly, USMC-ret., is
coming to Enterprise at
the invitation of Cross the
Divide for a “Warrior Spir-
itual Health Seminar”
Tuesday and Wednesday,
June 21-22.
He is the author of
“Grounded and Cured,”
his testimony of how he
was diagnosed with cancer,
which led to his being
grounded from flight status.
He then was cured and
returned to flight status,
which he attributes to God’s
healing. The book is about
his battle with cancer and
his walk in faith.
Tromly will speak from
6-7:30 p.m. June 21 at the
Enterprise Veterans of For-
eign Wars hall, 800 N.
River St. He also will join
the men’s Bible study the
next day at 6:30 a.m. at
the Enterprise Christian
Church, just outside of town
on the Joseph Highway.
Wallowa County
Tram Party date
moved to June 23
JOSEPH — The Wal-
lowa County Chamber
of Commerce moved its
Tram Party back a week to
Thursday, June 23, due to
increased snowfall.
With snow sticking for
longer than expected to the
top of Mount Howard, the
Tram Team has advised that
the party be postponed until
later in the month.
The special event for
chamber members will now
take place June 23 at 4 p.m. at
the Wallowa Lake Tramway.
— EO Media Group