LOCAL
A2 — THE OBSERVER
TODAY
In 1862, the New York Tribune
published an open letter by editor
Horace Greeley calling on Pres-
ident Abraham Lincoln to take
more aggressive measures to free
the slaves and end the South’s
rebellion.
In 1866, President Andrew
Johnson formally declared the Civil
War over, months after fighting
had stopped.
In 1882, Tchaikovsky’s “1812
Overture” had its premiere in
Moscow.
In 1910, a series of forest fires
swept through parts of Idaho,
Montana and Washington, killing
at least 85 people and burning
some 3 million acres.
In 1940, exiled Communist rev-
olutionary Leon Trotsky was assas-
sinated in Coyoacan, Mexico by
Ramon Mercader. (Trotsky died the
next day.)
In 1953, the Soviet Union pub-
licly acknowledged it had tested a
hydrogen bomb.
In 1955, hundreds of people
were killed in anti-French rioting in
Morocco and Algeria.
In 1964, President Lyndon B.
Johnson signed the Economic
Opportunity Act, a nearly $1 billion
anti-poverty measure.
In 1968, the Soviet Union and
other Warsaw Pact nations began
invading Czechoslovakia to crush
the “Prague Spring” liberalization
drive.
In 1986, postal employee Pat-
rick Henry Sherrill went on a
deadly rampage at a post office
in Edmond, Oklahoma, shooting
14 fellow workers to death before
killing himself.
In 1988, a cease-fire in the war
between Iraq and Iran went into
effect.
In 1989, fifty-one people died
when a pleasure boat sank in the
River Thames (tehmz) in London
after colliding with a dredger.
In 2020, accepting the Demo-
cratic presidential nomination, Joe
Biden vowed to move the nation
past the chaos of Donald Trump’s
tenure and return it to its leader-
ship role in the world; capping a
virtual convention amid the pan-
demic, Biden spoke to a largely
empty arena in Delaware. Russian
opposition leader Alexei Navalny
became ill on a flight to Moscow
from Siberia and was hospitalized
in a coma. (Navalny would spend
five months in Germany recovering
from a nerve agent poisoning that
he blamed on the Kremlin; he was
arrested after his return to Russia.)
Ten years ago: In a historic
change at one of the world’s most
exclusive golf clubs, Georgia’s
Augusta National invited former
Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice and South Carolina financier
Darla Moore to become the first
female members; both accepted.
Five years ago: Actor, comic and
longtime telethon host Jerry Lewis
died of heart disease in Las Vegas
at the age of 91.
One year ago: President Joe
Biden pledged to bring all Amer-
icans home from Afghanistan,
along with all Afghans who aided
the U.S. war effort there; his
promise came as thousands more
Americans and others seeking to
escape the Taliban struggled to
get past crushing crowds and Tal-
iban checkpoints at the airport.
Today’s Birthdays: Boxing pro-
moter Don King is 91. Former MLB
All-Star Graig Nettles is 78. Broad-
cast journalist Connie Chung is
76. Musician Jimmy Pankow (Chi-
cago) is 75. Actor Ray Wise is 75.
Actor John Noble is 74. Rock singer
Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin) is 74.
Country singer Rudy Gatlin is 70.
Singer-songwriter John Hiatt is
70. Actor-director Peter Horton is
69. TV weatherman Al Roker is 68.
Actor Jay Acovone is 67. Actor Joan
Allen is 66. Movie director David
O. Russell is 64. TV personality
Asha Blake is 61. Actor Billy Gar-
dell is 53. Rock singer Fred Durst
(Limp Bizkit) is 52. Actor Jonathan
Ke Quan is 52. Actor Misha Collins
is 48. Rock singer Monique Powell
(Save Ferris) is 47. Jazz/pop sing-
er-pianist Jamie Cullum is 43. Actor
Brant Daugherty is 37. Actor-singer
Demi Lovato is 30. Actor Christo-
pher Paul Richards is 19.
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, auguST 20, 2022
Businesses join drive for school supplies
La Grande’s
finance companies
team up to collect
school supplies
By SHANNON GOLDEN
The Observer
LA GRANDE — With
the first day of school just
around the corner, families
have started combing the
aisles for school supplies.
But with July’s consum-
er-price index of 8.5%, how
will back-to-school shop-
ping fare against a nearly
four-decade high pace of
price increases?
According to a July
survey by the National
Retail Foundation and
Prosper Insights & Ana-
lytics, more than one-third
of consumers said they
are cutting back on other
spending to cover costs for
the upcoming school year.
Financial businesses in
La Grande are turning to
supply drives as a way to
support local families and
schools. From colored pen-
cils to backpacks, local
credit unions, banks and
mortgage offices are asking
the community to donate
whatever they can.
“Anything is better than
nothing,” said Corri Kle-
baum, sales manager at
Shannon golden/The Observer
The school supply donation bin at Horizon Credit Union is filled to
the brim with notebooks, pencils and backpacks on Aug. 17, 2022.
Adams Avenue’s Finance
for America Mortgage.
“Even if we can help a
couple of families it’s worth
it.”
Klebaum and her assis-
tant, Andi Warn, are
teaming up with Re/Max
Real Estate Team — their
next-door neighbors on
Adams Avenue — to col-
lect Walmart gift cards
and other school supplies
for the upcoming school
year. They will be col-
lecting donations through
Wednesday, Aug. 24.
According to Klebaum,
the gift cards will go to
foster families in the area,
while coloring utensils,
backpacks, lunch sacks
and pails will help bolster
supplies in local school
districts.
George Mendoza, super-
intendent of La Grande
School District, said that
while the district works to
support those who might
not have the funds to pay
for yearly supplies and fees,
donations can be a useful
way to offset need.
He said donated sup-
plies — from colored
pencils and notebooks
to tissues and backpacks
— help fill resource gaps
and allow schools to focus
on supporting students
in other ways, like pro-
viding free lunches and
social-emotional support.
He said that when stu-
dents’ needs are met, they
focus and learn better.
“I’m always thankful
that we get donations,”
Mendoza said.
This year, there are sev-
eral supply drives that have
taken place around town.
P1FCU wrapped up its
“Stuff the Bus” event at the
beginning of August, and
the Bank of Eastern Oregon
just finished a three-week
drive. Horizon Credit
Union is also accepting
supply donations at its 209
Depot St. location through
the end of the month.
“Our community is
really generous,” said
Diana Burry, the branch
manager at Horizon Credit
Union.
Burry noted that the
credit union has held its
supply drive for several
years, and that commu-
nity members are contin-
uously supportive in pro-
viding donations. Horizon’s
drive will continue through
August.
Horizon Credit Union is
accepting cash donations or
school supplies, including
pencils, coloring uten-
sils, notebooks, backpacks,
paper and more.
If you are interested
in participating in these
supply drives, please drop
off donations at Finance for
America Mortgage,
Re/Max and Horizon
Credit Union.
Early arrival of $1 million from state
gives fairgrounds project a boost
Funding will help
effort to get water,
sewer infrastructure
project started
By DICK MASON
The Observer
LA GRANDE —
It’s always encouraging
to receive a large sum
of money earlier than
anticipated.
Those leading the effort
to raise $3 million for the
Union County Fairgrounds
water and wastewater infra-
structure project know this
feeling firsthand after the
Union County Board of
Commissioners voted unan-
imously on Wednesday,
Aug. 17, to pass Resolution
2022-19, authorizing the
county to accept $1 mil-
lion in funding from the
state for the Union County
Fair for infrastructure
improvement.
The $1 million is being
provided through House
Bill 5202, which the Leg-
islature approved in March
and Gov. Kate Brown
signed into law on April 4.
Union County Commis-
sioner Matt Scarfo said he
and others in the county
anticipated that Union
County would receive the
$1 million in 2023 since
it often takes about a year
to get money from the
state after it is approved.
Scarfo is delighted that the
funding arrived faster than
expected.
“A check in the bank is
better than a check in the
mail,” he said.
Union County Com-
missioner Donna Beverage
is pleased with the early
arrival of the $1 million.
“It is really a positive
thing. It shows that local
fairs are a priority for the
state,” she said.
The campaign to raise
the almost $3 million
needed for the project is
now about halfway toward
its objective. Scarfo is
hoping that the Oregon
Legislative Emergency
Board will allocate a por-
tion of the remaining
money needed when it
meets later this year.
“I will push for this
funding,” he said.
The water and sewer
infrastructure the Union
County Fair Board hopes
to get installed would con-
nect the fairgrounds with
the city of La Grande’s
water and sewer systems,
allowing more perma-
nent restrooms to be added
at the fairgrounds. Pres-
ently, the fairgrounds have
just one set of flushing toi-
lets. This means that por-
table restrooms have to be
brought in for events, cre-
ating a situation that is
far from ideal, said Deb
Cornford, a member of the
Union County Fair Board.
Cornford said the link
to the city of La Grande’s
water system is needed
because the well fair-
grounds’ well is failing.
“It is not dependable,”
she said.
To date, $1.52 mil-
lion has been raised for
the project. Cornford said
the arrival of $1 million
from the state is giving the
project momentum.
“We are definitely
moving forward,” she said.
Suspect pleads not guilty in Island City car chase case
Two other suspects expected
to plea later this month
By ISABELLA CROWLEY
The Observer
LA GRANDE — One of the three
suspects arrested in connection with
a high-speed car chase in July out
of Island City pleaded not guilty on
Wednesday, Aug. 17, in Union County
Circuit Court to all charges against
him.
Demus Montez was charged
with attempted murder, first-degree
attempted robbery, unlawful use of
a weapon, possession of a firearm
as a felon, criminal mischief, reck-
less endangering and misdemeanor
fleeing.
Out of the three suspects, Montez
was the only one who did not have his
hearing plea date rescheduled to later
in the month. He is represented by his
court appointed counsel — La Grande
attorney J. Logan Joseph.
Montez, Jessica Spalinger and
Ashtin Romine were arrested during
July in connection to a burglary at
Muzzleloader’s and More and sub-
sequent car chase out of Island City.
According to law enforcement, the
trio fled from the parking lot in a
car driven by Spalinger, injuring the
business owner’s daughter, Randi
Shafer. They were pursued in a high-
speed chase where shots were fired at
Oregon State Police. The chase ended
in Elgin with all three suspects fleeing
on foot into the underbrush near
Indian Creek.
Spalinger and Romine were both
taken into custody on July 17 and
Montez was arrested on July 19.
Romine was arrested for reckless
endangering and for misdemeanor and
felony fleeing, while Spalinger is in
jail for first-degree assault, hit-and-run
with injury, recklessly endangering
and misdemeanor fleeing from police.
Both Spalinger and Romine’s plea
hearings have been pushed to later
in August. Spalinger is represented
by court appointed counsel — La
Grande attorney James Schaeffer.
She is scheduled to appear in court
on Aug. 23 to enter a plea to the
charges against her. According to the
Union County Circuit Court schedule,
Schaeffer also will be motioning for
Spalinger’s release.
Romine will be in court the fol-
lowing day for his plea hearing.
Romine, who is represented by court
appointed counsel Kathleen Dunn of
Canyon City, has waived his right to
have his case brought to trial within
60 days of arrest.
Montez will be back in court on
Sept. 14 for a status check.
WALLOWA — The Wallowa City
Council got started Tuesday, Aug. 16,
on what it needs to do to help the city
recover from the Aug. 11 hailstorm
when it met in regular session at City
Hall.
“I was talking about how we were
working on trying to get funding and
other help,” Mayor Gary Hulse said.
He said the council agreed to have
a Zoom meeting Aug. 29 with various
stakeholders, such as those in govern-
ment agencies or others who can pro-
vide assistance.
“Anybody who can assist us in get-
ting money,” Hulse said.
He said that after the Zoom
meeting, the council will hold a
meeting to inform the public what it
learned.
in helping field calls both offering help
and requesting it, was sick, so that’s
slowing things down a bit.
“Everybody was worn out and
tired, I know that,” Hulse said.
Man arrested in connection
with La Grande woman’s
death after wrong-way crash
PENDLETON — Law enforce-
ment booked a Washington state man
in the Umatilla County Jail, Pendleton,
on Wednesday, Aug. 17, in connection
with the death of a La Grande woman.
Kari Lindeman, 49, was killed when
the Ford Fiesta she was driving col-
lided with a Dodge 3500 pickup driven
by Gabriel Velasquez, 55, of Kenne-
wick, Washington, who was traveling
in the wrong direction in the eastbound
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
ENTERPRISE — Wal-
lowa County voters will have
the chance to decide whether
or not they want psilocybin
distribution and use legal in
unincorporated areas of the
county, now that the county
commissioners have agreed
to put it on the November
ballot.
The commissioners held
the second of two required
public hearings Wednesday,
Aug. 17, when three people
showed up in person and
one via Zoom. The three at
the meeting all were against
banning psilocybin and the
one on Zoom did not express
an opinion but was seeking
information.
The commissioners held
the first hearing on the issue
Aug. 3, at which Dr. Renee
Grandi provided medical
information on psilocybin
therapy.
“Dr. (Renee) Grandi came
in last time and gave a lot
of good information for us,”
commission Chairwoman
Susan Roberts said.
But, she emphasized, the
government had stopped
serious research on psilo-
cybin several years ago, “and
they’re just now starting up
again.”
She emphasized that the
ballot issue will not make it
impossible to ever have psi-
locybin therapy, if research
should definitively show the
drug is helpful. But that’s not
the case yet, she said.
“I think what people are
saying is they’d like to have
more time on that research,”
Roberts said.
Personal experience
Matt Kurtz, of Joseph,
one of the three who attended
the hearing in person, said
psilocybin therapy helped
eliminate depression and sui-
cidal tendencies he struggled
with from childhood.
“It ended up changing my
life. Eight years later now,
I do not have a single bout
of depression,” Kurtz said.
“Medically, it worked for me;
it changed my life and that’s
why I had to show up today
and speak to you guys.”
He agreed psilocybin has
its down side.
“Is it a drug that can be
used to get high? Absolutely.
But there’s a lot of drugs
around that allow people to
do that,” he said. “Psilocybin
is quite different. If you want
to take that every day in a
high dose … you’re not going
to want it. It’s an animal. It’s
powerful stuff, I will grant
that. But it can be powerfully
used in really positive ways.
I think allowing it to be in a
more regulated therapy set-
ting is a great thing.”
Kurtz said he didn’t have
a facility available. He took
psilocybin at home on his
family’s ranch.
“I was alone and it was a
little bit scary,” he said. “But
it changed my life. I would
love for folks to have the
opportunity to change their
lives.”
Not arrogant
IN BRIEF
Wallowa council gets started
He said city Administrator Carolyn
on recovery after hail storm Harshfield, who has been instrumental
Wallowa
County
voters to
decide
on ban
lane near milepost 216, 5 miles east of
Pendleton, according to the investiga-
tion conducted by Oregon State Police.
Lindeman died at the scene, OSP
reported. Velasquez suffered serious
injuries. An emergency helicopter flew
him to Providence St. Mary Medical
Center, Walla Walla, Washington.
Velasquez has been charged with
first- and second-degree manslaughter,
driving under the influence, reck-
less driving and six counts of reck-
lessly endangering another person.
He has been appointed counsel by the
court and is represented by Pendleton
attorney Craig Russell.
According to court documents, Vel-
asquez pleaded not guilty on all the
charges against him. He is scheduled
to appear in court for a pre-trial confer-
ence on Aug. 31.
— EO Media Group
Kurtz and Rusty Hogg
recommended a couple doc-
umentaries Netflix has on
psilocybin.
But Roberts said she’s
watched the documentaries
and has become informed
about the drug.
“Everybody assumes
we’re arrogant and we hav-
en’t done that and that’s not
true,” she said.
A Vietnam-era veteran,
Roberts also said she had
acquaintances who’ve bene-
fited from psilocybin.
“One thing I want to point
out is it’s not arrogance on
our part,” she said. “We rep-
resent all the people in the
county and I understand
your feelings. Having served
in Vietnam in the Marine
Corps, I also had a lot of
friends who used it.”