A2 — THE OBSERVER
TODAY
In 1812, during the War of 1812,
the First Battle of Sackets Harbor in
Lake Ontario resulted in an Amer-
ican victory as U.S. naval forces
repelled a British attack.
In 1969, Apollo 11 and its astro-
nauts, Neil Armstrong, Edwin
“Buzz” Aldrin and Michael Collins,
went into orbit around the moon.
In 1975, the Apollo and Soyuz
space capsules that were linked in
orbit for two days separated.
In 1979, the Nicaraguan cap-
ital of Managua fell to Sandinista
guerrillas, two days after President
Anastasio Somoza fled the country.
In 1980, the Moscow Summer
Olympics began, minus dozens of
nations that were boycotting the
games because of the Soviet mili-
tary intervention in Afghanistan.
In 1989, 111 people were killed
when United Air Lines Flight 232, a
DC-10 which sustained the uncon-
tained failure of its tail engine
and the loss of hydraulic systems,
crashed while making an emer-
gency landing at Sioux City, Iowa;
185 other people survived.
In 1990, baseball’s all-time hits
leader, Pete Rose, was sentenced in
Cincinnati to five months in prison
for tax evasion.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton
announced a policy allowing
homosexuals to serve in the mili-
tary under a compromise dubbed
“don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t pursue.”
In 2005, President George
W. Bush announced his choice
of federal appeals court judge
John G. Roberts Jr. to replace
Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day
O’Connor. (Roberts ended up suc-
ceeding Chief Justice William H.
Rehnquist, who died in Sept. 2005;
Samuel Alito followed O’Connor.)
In 2006, prosecutors reported
that Chicago police beat, kicked,
shocked or otherwise tortured
scores of Black suspects from the
1970s to the early 1990s to try to
extract confessions from them.
In 2014, a New York City police
officer (Daniel Pantaleo) involved
in the arrest of Eric Garner, who
died in custody two days earlier
after being placed in an apparent
chokehold, was stripped of his gun
and badge and placed on desk
duty. (Pantaleo was fired in August
2019.) Actor James Garner, 86, died
in Los Angeles.
In 2016, Republicans meeting
in Cleveland nominated Donald
Trump as their presidential stan-
dard-bearer; in brief videotaped
remarks, Trump thanked the dele-
gates, saying: “This is a movement,
but we have to go all the way.”
In 2020, President Donald
Trump refused to publicly commit
to accepting the results of the
upcoming election, telling Chris
Wallace on “Fox News Sunday” that
it was too early to make any such
guarantee.
Today’s birthdays: Actor Helen
Gallagher is 96. Singer Vikki Carr
is 82. Blues singer-musician Little
Freddie King is 82. Actor George
Dzundza is 77. International
Tennis Hall of Famer Ilie Nastase
is 76. Rock musician Brian May is
75. Rock musician Bernie Leadon
is 75. Actor Beverly Archer is 74.
Rock musician Kevin Haskins
(Love and Rockets; Bauhaus) is 62.
Movie director Atom Egoyan is 62.
Actor Campbell Scott is 61. Actor
Anthony Edwards is 60. Actor Clea
Lewis is 57. Percusssionist Evelyn
Glennie is 57. Classical singer Urs
Buhler (Il Divo) is 51. Rock musician
Jason McGerr (Death Cab for Cutie)
is 48. Actor Benedict Cumberbatch
is 46. Actor Erin Cummings is 45. TV
chef Marcela Valladolid is 44. Actor
Chris Sullivan (“This is Us”) is 42.
Actor Jared Padalecki is 40. Actor
Trai Byers is 39. Actor Kaitlin Dou-
bleday (“Nashville”) is 38.
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
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7 p.m.: 5-0-3-5
10 p.m.: 6-8-0-7
LOCAL
Democrat seeking to oust Bentz
makes stops to listen in La Grande
Candidate Joe Yetter
tours district with
goal of ‘protecting
democracy’
By SHANNON GOLDEN
The Observer
LA GRANDE— Joe
Yetter, the Democratic
nominee for Oregon’s 2nd
Congressional District,
stopped by La Grande, on
July 14, during his Eastern
Oregon tour.
Yetter is running
against incumbent Rep.
Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario, and
plans to use his trip as a
“listening tour,” learning
from the residents of
Eastern Oregon and asking
questions about their
needs.
Oregon’s 2nd Congres-
sional District, the sev-
enth-largest district in
the nation, stretches from
Medford to Ontario. Yetter
embarked on a 1,400-
mile trip to cover the large
district.
Before hosting a
town hall meeting at La
Grande’s Side A Brewing,
Yetter, a staunch supporter
of universal health care,
Shannon Golden/The Observer
Oregon Congressional District 2 Democrat candidate Joe Yetter
on Thursday, July 14, 2022, discusses issues facing Eastern Oregon
and the nation with local residents during a stop at Side A Brewing,
La Grande. Yetter is on a 1,400-mile “listening tour” of the district,
which stretches across the state from Medford to Ontario.
joined the Union County
chapter of Health Care for
All Oregon during their
stand-up event at Max
Square.
The son of a World War
II veteran and the grandson
of a World War I vet,
Yetter himself served in
the military for more than
35 years as a physician.
After years of teaching
other aspiring military
physicians, he now lives on
a farm in Azalea.
Yetter highlighted his
military medical assistance
as an example of func-
tioning government-run
health care — a cause he
hopes to champion while
in office.
Among other issues
he touched on, as a gun
owner, he said he supports
background checks for fire-
arms. He bills himself as a
“pro-choice” candidate and
he said he hopes to bol-
ster contraceptive access,
pre-conception care and
family leave options in
response to the overturning
of Roe v. Wade.
He also expressed his
support for the proposed
John Lewis Voting Rights
Advancement Act of 2021,
noting that one of his top
priorities is “protecting
democracy.” And he touted
his support for proposed
policies around climate
change and Veteran Affairs
assistance.
“The Army, the U.S.
military and the U.S. tax-
payer have basically helped
with everything for me in
my whole life,” Yetter said.
“It’s my duty to give back
as much as possible.”
Most of all, Yetter said
he recognizes the cam-
paign road is tough. The
district has not elected a
Democrat since Al Ullman
in 1981, and Bentz serves
as the sixth consecutive
Republican representa-
tive. But that doesn’t mean
Yetter will go down easily.
“Two years from now,
whether I’ll be running for
reelection or running to
defeat whoever the incum-
bent is, I’ll be back,” he
vowed.
Easement at lodge to be dedicated July 21
Parcel at head of
lake to protect
habitat, resources
MORE INFORMATION
For more information, contact
Madeline Lau, Wallowa Lake
Lodge general manager,
at 541-432-9821, or Ann
McCormack, Nez Perce Tribe,
at 208-621-3710.
Wallowa County Chieftain
WALLOWA LAKE
— A conservation ease-
ment to the Nez Perce
Tribe from Wallowa
Lake Lodge will be ded-
icated Thursday, July
21, according to a press
release.
The public ceremony
begins at 10 a.m. at the
lodge.
Since time immemorial,
Wallowa Lake has served
as the cultural heart of the
local Nez Perce Wal’wama
Band, according to the
release. The easement
encompasses the 9.22-acre
Lodge property, including
its open ground, tow-
ering old-growth trees and
riparian wetlands at the
confluence of the Upper
Wallowa River and Wal-
lowa Lake.
The Cayuse-Nez Perce
word for this special place
is Waala’amkt, “where the
braided stream disappears
beneath the water.”
The easement, acquired
in late 2020 and today
held in perpetuity by the
tribe, will ensure protec-
tion of fisheries habitat
and cultural resources by
precluding or restricting
additional development,
especially in the Aquatic
Zone A. It allows use of
the property for a variety
of activities, but does not
allow permanent structures
in protected areas (Zones
A & B). Limited construc-
tion is permitted in two
modest building envelopes
(Zone C).
The tribe and the
lodge welcome the public
to attend this long-
awaited dedication. Tribal
Talia Jean Galvin/Contributed Photo
Wallowa Lake Lodge sits on a 9.22-acre parcel at the head of
Wallowa Lake. A portion of that property will be dedicated as a
conservation easement Thursday, July 21, 2022, to the Nez Perce
Tribe. A public ceremony begins at 10 a.m.
Chairman Sam Penney
will lead the celebration to
officially dedicate the ease-
ment. Others will com-
ment on its cultural and
scientific significance and
the implications for future
management of the Wal-
lowa Lake Basin.
Eastern Oregon Legacy
Lands (Wallowology) and
Oregon State Parks worked
closely with the tribe and
the lodge to help bring
this unique partnership to
fruition.
Funding for the $1M
project includes grants
from the Collins Founda-
tion, the Healy Foundation,
the Oregon Community
Foundation, the Mur-
dock Charitable Trust, the
Meyer Memorial Trust and
the Pacific Power Foun-
dation. As well, Craft3,
a bank based in Astoria,
and the Bank of Eastern
Oregon, played critical
roles.
A private lunch will
follow the celebration.
Enterprise to receive another $221K
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
ENTERPRISE — A
second round of funding
from the federal govern-
ment is due to arrive in
August, the Enterprise City
Council found out recently.
City Administrator
Lacey McQuead said
$221,795 is expected under
the American Rescue Plan
Act of 2021.
The city received
$221,546 under the first
round of funding last
summer, McQuead said.
The council has received
a list of anticipated expen-
ditures the ARPA funds are
expected to cover. Since the
city did not know for sure
how much it would receive,
the council has yet to give
its final approval on those
expenditures.
Of the ARPA funds,
$28,000 is expected to go
to the city’s Administra-
tive Department to repave
the tennis courts, for play-
ground equipment at the
baseball field and for extra
room at Enterprise City
Hall.
The Library Depart-
ment is expected to receive
$2,500 to replace filters for
its air-purifying systems.
The Enterprise Police
Department is slated to
receive $75,000 for either
a records-management
system or a patrol vehicle.
The Enterprise Fire
Department has requested
$86,000 for a fire truck.
The Public Works
Department is to receive
$159,500 for a sweeper, a
mower and for paver.
Another $20,000 is
earmarked to go to busi-
nesses in the city in answer
to their applications for
assistance.
Local residents have
requested $10,000 to help
with bills through Commu-
nity Connection.
Another $29,924.51 is
expected to go into the gen-
eral fund for community
projects under Opportunity
Funds.
Of previously allo-
cated funds, $32,416.87
remains available and is
expected to go to the police
department.
The council also con-
sidered a request from the
Enterprise High School
coaching staff for funding
to replace the current back-
stop at the baseball field.
Jim Nave, who spoke on
behalf of the coaching staff,
said the current backstop
is unsafe and it has been
many years since improve-
ments to it were completed.
McQuead said she
understood the school was
asking for $30,286, as
reflected by a quote sub-
mitted. She also suggested
that Nave submit a quote
to replace the dugout and
look into any other funding
available.
The council agreed to
table the matter until
Aug. 8 and will discuss it
further then.
IN BRIEF
Firefighters contain shed
fire July 16 on Starr Lane
ments and the Oregon Department of
Forestry responded to the fire.
UNION COUNTY — A shed fire
on Starr Lane between La Grande and
Imbler on Saturday, July 16, caused
damage but no one was injured.
The fire started late in the after-
noon. A house near the burning shed
was never threatened, according
to the La Grande Rural Fire
Department.
Firefighters from the La Grande, La
Grande Rural and Imbler fire depart-
No one injured in La Grande
fire on Spruce Street
LA GRANDE — No injuries
were reported in a late-afternoon fire
on North Spruce Street just south of
Riverside Park on Friday, July 15.
The fire was reported at about
5 p.m. and started among a pile of
household items outside a home.
A U-Haul trailer nearby was dam-
aged by the blaze, according to Craig
Kretschmer, chief of the La Grande
Rural Fire Department.
Nine firefighters from the La
Grande Rural and the La Grande Fire
departments quickly extinguished the
fire. The cause of the blaze is under
investigation.
Traffic control at the Spruce Street
site was provided during and after
the fire by the La Grande Police
Department and the Union County
Sheriff’s Office.
— The Observer
TuESday, July 19, 2022
Drivers
urged to
use caution
on I-84
Meacham-Kamela
project should be
complete by fall
By DICK MASON
The Observer
MEACHAM — People
driving between the Kamela
and Meacham exits on Inter-
state 84 this summer are
experiencing a little bit of
what it was like to make
the journey more than five
decades ago.
The only roadway
between La Grande and
Pendleton then was the two-
lane Highway 30, a far cry
from Interstate 84, which
has at least two eastbound
and two westbound lanes.
Today, however, a portion
of Interstate 84 is virtually a
two-lane highway between
Meacham and Kamela due
to restoration work by the
Oregon Department of
Transportation being con-
ducted on the freeway.
Presently, a portion of
the freeway between Mea-
cham and Kamela, which
normally is only a west-
bound section, is now a two-
lane roadway with vehicles
going opposite directions in
each lane to allow the adja-
cent two lanes of eastbound
freeway next to them to be
restored.
Cones have been installed
to divide the two lanes of
traffic. The speed limit is
being reduced from 70 to
50 mph in the work zone of
the project to protect trav-
elers and those working at
the site.
Motorists are being
urged to drive with extra
caution while this work,
which is expected to con-
tinue through early fall, is
conducted.
ODOT spokesperson
Tom Strandberg is encour-
aging people planning on
going through this section
of the I-84 to leave ear-
lier than normal to allow
for more time to reach their
destination so they are not
tempted to rush through the
construction zone, where
extreme caution is needed.
“People make bad deci-
sions when they are in a
hurry,” Strandberg said.
The Oregon State Police,
working in cooperation with
ODOT, have an increased
presence in the work zone
to discourage people from
speeding through it.
The two-year, $39 million
Meacham-Kamela project
started in 2021. Oregon
Department of Transporta-
tion crews restored roadway
in the westbound and east-
bound lanes of I-84 for 3-1/2
miles east of Meacham
before shutting down for the
winter. ODOT is on pace to
restore the remaining miles
of freeway for the project by
early fall, Strandberg said.
The repaving work is nec-
essary because severe winter
weather and heavy use of tire
chains have rutted the road-
way’s asphalt surface.
“Puddles of water can
form in the ruts,” Strandberg
said.
The puddles can cause
vehicles to lose control, he
said, and when they freeze
they create even more haz-
ardous conditions. Pre-
venting such conditions
from occurring is an objec-
tive of ODOT this summer.
“Ruts are dangerous,”
Strandberg said. “We
want to keep the pavement
smooth.”
The westbound and east-
bound lanes for slow traffic,
now made of asphalt, are
being rebuilt with con-
crete, and the fast lanes are
receiving new asphalt.
Strandberg said con-
crete, which is longer-lasting
than asphalt, is the best fit
for the slow lanes because
they have such heavy truck
traffic. Concrete is more
expensive than asphalt but
the extra cost is worth it.
“Asphalt lasts 10 to 15
years but concrete can last at
least 35 years,” Strandberg
said.