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TUESDAY EDITION
June 21, 2022
Spring showers linger after 6th wett est May on record
By ISABELLA CROWLEY
The Observer
LA GRANDE — A rainy
spring makes for the sixth wettest
May on record in Union County
over the past 128 years, according
to the National Integrated Drought
Information System.
The National Weather Service,
who partners with cooperative
observers like the Oregon Depart-
ment of Forestry to measure rain
levels, reported 5.44 inches of
rainfall in La Grande during May,
which was 2.28 inches wetter than
normal.
The rainfall was consis-
tent across Eastern Oregon
with similar numbers reported
by the National Weather Ser-
vice for Union and Cove in May.
There was 4.05 and 5.44 inches
of rainfall in Union and Cove,
respectively.
The National Weather Service
also partners with the Community
Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow
Network — a grassroots volun-
teer network of backyard weather
observers — to measure precipita-
tion in local communities without
cooperative observers. A volun-
teer recorded 2.52 inches of rain in
Elgin for May.
The spring rains have not been
record breaking though. The
wettest recorded May in Union
County was in 1998, when a total
of 6.1 inches of rain fell, according
to USAFacts, a nonprofi t and non-
partisan civic initiative that aims
to make government data easy to
access and understand.
Across the region, rainfall
was closer to normal the pre-
vious month — 2.06 inches in
La Grande, 1.6 inches in Union
and 2.12 inches in Cove in April,
according to the National Weather
Service.
It remains to be seen how
June will compare to normal,
but during the fi rst 14 days of the
month there was 2.18 inches of
rain in La Grande. In the same
time frame, Union experienced 2.6
inches and Cove 4.41 inches.
Despite the heavy rains across
Union County, the National Inte-
grated Drought Information
System indicates that southern
parts of the county are abnormally
See, Showers/Page A6
EASTERN OREGON
ECONOMIC SUMMIT
‘One side
can’t do it
on its own’
Legislators at summit
praise bipartisanship
By ERICK PETERSON
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — Unity
became a common theme
at the 2022 Eastern Oregon
Economic Summit in
Hermiston.
Participants, especially
speakers, mentioned the
value of togetherness and
praised past examples of
people joining forces.
The summit was
Thursday, June 16,
and Friday, June 17, in
Hermiston.
“I’m happy,” Rep. Bobby
Levy, R-Echo, said when it
was her turn to speak.
This moment came
during the state legislator
panel on June 17. Promoted
as a “wrap-up of the legis-
lative session,” there was
little policy discussed at the
panel. Instead, 11 state sen-
ators and representatives
spoke of something else on
their mind — the impor-
tance of friendly relation-
ships in government.
Levy is the president of
the Eastern Oregon Wom-
en’s Coalition, which
organized the summit.
Expressing her happiness
for the event, she stated she
enjoys everyone who was
with her on the panel.
The panel was a mix
of Republicans and Dem-
ocrats. Levy declared she
was glad to be working
with, and spending time
with, all her colleagues on
See, Summit/Page A6
Stu Spence,
left, the city of La
Grande Parks and
Recreation director,
and Ronnie Allen, a
local historian, on
Friday, June 17,
2022, examine an
Oregon Trail stone
marker that was put
up by Ezra Meeker in
1906 on Walnut
Street in La Grande.
EZRA MEEKER’S OREGON
TRAIL TIME CAPSULE
TO BE OPENED JUNE 23
BACK
IN TIME
Story and photos by DICK MASON • The Observer
A GRANDE — Ezra Meeker,
the famous pioneer who
spent the later part of his life
memorializing the Oregon Trail
and reviving memories of it as sto-
ryteller, may have one more tale to
share.
People opening a time cap-
sule Meeker left in La Grande in
1906 could discover a note or mes-
sage from the frontiersman that
he wanted people to see in the
future. The time capsule is set to be
L
opened at 110 Walnut St. at 1 p.m.
on Thursday, June 23. The event
will be at the site of a stone Oregon
Trail marker Meeker dedicated on
April 10, 1906, one which had inte-
rior space at its base for a time cap-
sule. Little is known about what the
time capsule may contain.
“The only thing we know is that
it may have the dedication speech
the mayor of La Grande gave,” said
See, Capsule/Page A6
This stone marker on Walnut Street, shown on Sunday, June 19,
2022, was put up by Ezra Meeker in 1906 to indicate where the
Oregon Trail passed through La Grande. The marker contains a
time capsule that will be opened on June 23.
Renovations underway in
historic downtown building
By ISABELLA CROWLEY
The Observer
Isabella Crowley/The Observer
Old arched windowframes were revealed during renovations at La
Grande’s former Elks Lodge, at 1124 Washington St., shown here on
Friday, May 27, 2022. Plans include restoring these windows.
WEATHER
INDEX
Classified ......B2
Comics ...........B7
Crossword ....B3
Dear Abby ....B8
LA GRANDE — A La Grande couple
will off er a preview of the historic down-
town building they are revitalizing during
open houses set for this summer.
Jeanne and David Williamson pur-
chased the building — the former Elks
Lodge — on the corner of Washington
Avenue and Depot Street last August.
Home .............B1
Horoscope ....B3
Local...............A2
Lottery ...........A2
Obituaries .....A5
Opinion .........A4
Sports ............A7
Sudoku ..........B7
Full forecast on the back of B section
Tonight
Wednesday
52 LOW
82/51
Clear
Sunny
“We’ve got a lot of long-term plans for
the building,” Jeanne Williamson said.
The building most recently housed the
Maridell Center, which featured activities
such as roller skating, arcade games and
laser tag.
Renovations have been underway since
last year.
The fi rst fl oor will be home to
See, Renovations/Page A6
CONTACT US
541-963-3161
Issue 74
2 sections, 16 pages
La Grande, Oregon
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