FROM PAGE ONE
A8 — THE OBSERVER
THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2022
SUMMER
Continued from Page A1
Continued from Page A1
Residents of Elgin had
strong opinions. One of the
primary points of public
emphasis was about the
cost of a new police depart-
ment. According to the
Elgin City Council, the fi rst
year of operation for a new
police department was esti-
mated at $380,000 and the
cost moving forward would
vary.
“With the economy the
way it is, how can we aff ord
it? What about the city lia-
bility if something hap-
pened and someone were
to sue the city?” asked
one resident and business
owner.
Other residents pointed
out how the cost of living
and expenses were going to
continue to increase over
the years, meaning the price
of maintaining the police
department would increase.
Hylton-Shaff er and Bur-
gess seconded the senti-
ment. Hylton-Shaff er said
she was concerned with
ensuring the city does
not go bankrupt from
needing to support a police
department.
“Great people have
applied for the Elgin Police
Department, but it’s a cost
thing,” Burgess said.
In comparison, the con-
tract Sheriff Cody Bowen
off ered to the city opened
at just more than $315,000
for the fi rst year. Addi-
tionally, it had pricing laid
out and guaranteed for six
years.
Bowen explained how
he recalculated the cost to
lower the price for Elgin
in the new contract. Pre-
viously the cost was cal-
culated at the price of the
highest paid deputies on
the force. However, Bowen
changed the pricing model
to be based on lower tiers
of pay.
“I’m paying those guys
regardless of if they are
patrolling in Elgin or back
in the offi ce in La Grande,”
STREETS
Continued from Page A1
Other projects
The Gekeler Lane
project is one of three La
Grande will be tackling
over the next year. Another,
which could start as early as
July, will involve two aging
stretches of roadway on
Third Street and G Avenue.
The Third Street stretch
will run from F Avenue to I
Avenue, and the G Avenue
stretch from Second Street
to Fourth Street. A layer of
asphalt 2 inches thick will
be placed on the roadway.
The paving work on both
Third Street and G Avenue
will each take one week to
complete. The project will
be paid for with funding
from a federal Surface
Transportation Block grant.
The third project will
repair eight stretches of
roadway in La Grande that
are also in poor condition.
Repaving will take place
on Penn Avenue from Pine
to Willow streets; Jeff erson
Avenue from Second to
Walnut streets; L Avenue
from Second to First streets;
D Avenue from First to
Second streets and Fourth
to Sixth streets; Pine Street
from Jackson to X avenues;
Z Avenue from Depot to
Spruce streets; and Pioneer
Street from Palmer Avenue
north to Optimist Park.
Carpenter said the
stretches of roadway on
Willow Street, Jeff erson
Avenue, L Avenue, Fourth
Street, Pine Street, Z Avenue
and Pioneer Street are in
such bad shape that it would
not be cost eff ective to do
patchwork repairs. He said
adding a full layer of asphalt
to each of the eight sections
would cost the city less in the
long run.
This set of projects,
which will be funded by
a federal Congestion Mit-
igation and Air Quality
Improvement grant, will not
begin until 2023.
Carpenter said he is
delighted that funding is
available to do the road
projects now on the city’s
docket.
“This is an exciting
opportunity,” he said.
Isabella Crowley/The Observer
Veterans’ Memorial Pool, at Pioneer Park in La Grande, on Tuesday, June 21, 2022, has yet
to bring in crowds avoiding hot weather. The pool off ers lap swim, exercise classes and
recreational swim throughout the summer.
is far more recent — July 24, 2011.
It also looks like the region will
begin to dry out from what was an
abnormally wet spring. The National
Integrated Drought Information
System said May was the sixth wet-
test on record in Union County since
records started being kept 128 years
ago.
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 rain-
fall in La Grande during May, which
was 2.28 inches wetter than normal.
The wet spring and cool tempera-
tures have helped keep wildfi res at
bay — for now.
“We’ve been relatively wet, so
that’s going to put it off ,” Nierenberg
said of fi re season. “These warmer
temperatures are going to help us dry
out, so we are still, I would think,
probably by mid to late July, going to
start having fi re problems.”
Our Quality Is Timeless.
This Price Isn’t!
Miracle-Ear Quality
For $895. Why Wait?
Hearing is believing! Right now, for a very limited
time, you can get a fully digital, genuine Miracle-Ear ®
hearing aid for less than $900. This is one of our
smallest, most discreet hearing solutions. Complete
with Miracle-Ear sound quality, custom fitting and a
comprehensive service and warranty program.
Experience the
Brand America Trusts.
Once in a while I come across a product
I think is excellent, and my Miracle-Ear
hearing aids are one of those things.
Save on one of our
smallest custom digital
hearing aids!
Offer Ends July 1
At Miracle-Ear, we’ve been helping people hear
better** for over 65 years. So when you visit any one
of our 1200 locations across America, you’re sure to
receive the friendly, professional service and the
personalized hearing solutions we’re famous for.
Getting Started.
It’s Free and Easy.
At Miracle-Ear, we make our process comfortable and
convenient. We also offer you a variety of valuable
services–at no charge.
Now Only
Services include:
FREE Ear Canal Inspections †
A miniature camera “tours”
your ear canal. You may not
have a hearing loss, it may be
nothing more than earwax.
$895!
HURRY! Offer ends 7/1/22
Valid on model Audiotone ® Pro CIC
Valid at participating Miracle-Ear locations only. Limit one coupon per
purchase. May not be combined with other offers and does not apply
to prior sales. Cash value 1/20 cent. Offer Expires 7/1/22.
(Exp. Date)
FREE Hearing Test †
A complete hearing test that
reveals where you need
hearing help. Recommended
annually.
~ OR ~
Another Great Way to Save
Make Your Appointment Today!
BUY 1 GET 1
50% Off
Schedule Your Appointment for a free In-Store
Demonstration of our NEWEST Miracle-Ear ®
Hearing Aids - Hear the difference for Yourself!
OUR LOWEST PRICE ON
Save on our full line of digital hearing solutions.
Don’t miss out on this amazing offer.
OPEN FIT
Hurry offer ends 7/1/22
Good only from participating Miracle-Ear ® representatives. One coupon per purchase. No other offers
or discounts apply. Discount does not apply to prior sales. Offer valid on ME-5, ME-4, ME-3, ME-2
Solutions. Cannot combine with any other offers. Cash value 1/20 cent. Offer expires 7/1/22
(Exp.
Date)
7/1/22.
TECHNO LOG Y
TM
TRY
THE
MEEASY
2
TRY
THE
MEEASY™
2 OPEN
Mention Code:
20JunSink
Mention
Code:
22JunSink
LA GRANDE
111 Elm Street
La Grande, OR 97850
541-605-2109
BAKER CITY
2021 Washington Ave.
Baker City, OR 97814
541-239-3782
ENTERPRISE
113-1/2 Front E. Main St.
Enterprise, OR 97828
541-239-3877
LIM
during the day while work
is being done. Traffi c will be
diverted to Fourth and 16th
streets during the closures.
The repair work will
involve a grinding inlay
process. A layer of pave-
ment will be ground down
and the ground-out asphalt
removed. Next, a new layer
of asphalt will be installed
to restore the structural
strength of the roadway.
Carpenter said it would be
much easier to simply place
a new layer of asphalt over
the portion of Gekeler Lane.
This cannot be done, though,
he said, because it would
result in the roadway having
an uneven surface, in some
cases rising above the curb
running along it, and would
impede water drainage.
The grinding inlay work
will be done on the 400-yard
portion of C Avenue from
Fourth Street to B Avenue
and the 800-yard portion of
Gekeler Lane running from
B Avenue to Aries Lane. The
Gekeler Lane project should
take about a week, Carpenter
said.
the sheriff said. “So I’m
fi nding ways to absorb that
cost in my budget and not
passing that onto you.”
Bowen was transparent
about wanting a six-year
contract to protect and pro-
vide job security for his
deputies.
The council seemed
torn on the contract. Coun-
cilor Steve Gresham was
worried about the length
of time Elgin would be
locked into the contract
and reminded everyone the
sheriff also was an elected
position. Burgess countered
by saying the length of the
contract worked in their
favor for that very reason
— a new sheriff would
not be able to come in and
change the pricing.
Residents also were con-
cerned with how long it
would take to get a new
police department up and
running. The current con-
tract with the sheriff ’s offi ce
ends July 1, which would
have left Elgin without cov-
erage until it hired and
trained a new police force.
“That is insane. And
with gas prices being the
way it is, we’re on the brink
of civil unrest,” said one
resident.
The fi nal concern was
about personnel coverage
and response times. Cur-
rently, the sheriff ’s offi ce
provides three deputies for
Elgin. A new police depart-
ment would start with a
chief and one offi cer.
“We’d be going down to
one offi cer, with more to do
than one guy can do,” one
man in the crowd said.
Only one resident in
attendance spoke in favor
of creating an Elgin Police
Department.
“How much protec-
tion do you have with the
county?” he asked.
Once the public com-
ment portion of the session
ended, the council unani-
mously voted to move for-
ward with the new contract
to retain the services of
the Union County Sheriff ’s
Offi ce.
IT
TY
ELGIN
ED
N
Dick Mason//The Observer, File
Morris Capers, a Union County Sheriff ’s deputy, makes a call on his
radio on Friday, May 20, 2022, while on patrol in Elgin.
and tied the monthly record high for
July originally set in 2002.
Additionally, the 108-degree
mark tied the record for the all-time
maximum temperature originally
recorded in 2002.
“Last year was a bump away from
the normal patterns,” Ann Adams,
a National Weather Service assis-
tant forecaster, said. “We had a
larger, stronger, dry-air mass over the
Northwest and it stayed put last year.
It persisted over our area and heated
up the entire West. We just happened
to be under the deepest part of that
ridge.”
Weather that warm is not expected
in the area in the near future, but
temperatures are defi nitely going to
be on the increase.
“It looks like later this week, it
will warm up,” Nierenberg said on
Tuesday, June 21. “The 8-14-day out-
look is calling for above normal tem-
peratures and below normal precipi-
tation into the last part of June, fi rst
part of July. I would think La Grande
would probably hit 90 at some point
in the next couple of weeks.”
There is still time to set a new
record for the latest day on the cal-
endar that the fi rst 90 degree day
comes to Wallowa or Union counties.
In Wallowa County, the latest occur-
rence is July 30, 1907. Union County’s
WARR
A
It’s incredibly discreet.
Save up to 30% off our full line of open fit technology.
Perfect for active lifestyles
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Noisy restaurants
Plays, movies, recitals
Conversation in the car
Cards & board games
Recreation around water
Talking while exercising
And that’s just the start!
PLUS RECEIVE THIS
HEARING AID CHARGER
FREE WITH PURCHASE
• Stays charged all day long
• No more hearing aid batteries.
Offered on LI RIC
100% INVISIBLE
Don’t be fooled by the small size.
The Miracle-Ear Mirage TM features
amazingly advanced and powerful
micro-technology, all wrapped up
in our tiniest hearing aid ever!
So Little Can Do So Much!
*Audiotone ® Pro not included **Hearing aids do not restore natural hearing. Individual experiences vary depending on severity of hearing loss, accuracy of evaluation, proper fit and ability to adapt to amplification.†Our hearing test and video otoscopic inspection are
always free. Hearing test is an audiometric test to determine proper amplification needs only. These are not medical exams or diagnoses nor are they intended to replace a physician’s care. If you suspect a medical problem, please seek treatment from your doctor. Hearing
Aids must be returned within 30 days after delivery for a 100% refund.
SPECIAL FINANCING AVAILABLE • SEE STORE FOR DETAILS