NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
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Thursday, May 20, 2021
Youths engage with science, technology, engineering and math
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
LA GRANDE — Local youths
tuned up their interest in science,
technology, engineering and math
with participation in STEM Week,
May 8-16.
The Greater Oregon STEM Hub
at Eastern Oregon University put
together local events as part of the
statewide seventh annual STEM
Week to provide rural families with
learning opportunities. Executive
Director David Melville leads the GO
STEM Hub after years of experience
with educational outreach projects
through environmental education
centers and grant-funded projects.
The GO STEM hub worked with a
network of 13 other hubs across the
state to put on STEM Week.
“We’re able to pull resources and
support from STEM hubs in the west-
ern part of the state as well as central
and here in Eastern Oregon,” Melville
said. “It’s a great way to spread state-
wide awareness and to celebrate all
things STEM.”
Through events such as STEM
Week, GO STEM carries out its
mission of fostering value in science,
technology, engineering and math
among the youth in the community
and creating avenues for careers in
the field.
GO STEM Hub Program Coordi-
nator Donna Rainboth described an
in-person event in which children in
the La Grande School District worked
on a reverse engineering project.
From taking apart sewing machines
to gaming controllers, the activity
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
Young bug catcher Walker Barnes leads the charge on Friday, May 14, 2021, at Pete’s Pond in La Grande, to col-
lect some insects as part of a STEM Week event.
encouraged students to think outside
the box in a number of ways.
“It’s just great to watch the kids
be engaged,” Rainboth said. “It was
lunchtime and nobody wanted to
stop.”
Third grade students in Jenn
Forrester’s class at Central Elemen-
tary in La Grande presented their
results and findings in a slide show at
the end of the week.
According to Forrester, the classes
are practicing COVID-19 protocols
by having the children work individu-
ally or socially distanced, as opposed
to the group work of previous years.
“It prepares them for jobs that
might not even exist yet,” Forrester
said. “They can use these skills across
all subjects.”
ReMake Learning Days Across
America also funded several local
events throughout Oregon to enlist
caregivers, parents and children in
Forecast for Pendleton Area
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STEM activities. Meghan Ballard
hosted two such events, on May 11
and May 14, in La Grande.
One was a visit to Pete’s Pond on
Miller Drive, where Ballard and Boy
Scout Troop 515 planted native trees
and shrubs with the goal of strength-
ening the water quality and stimulat-
ing the local ecosystem.
“For young learners, and all ages
really, getting that hands-on experi-
ence really helps cement the concepts
Oregon Legislature passes bill to
recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day
By SAM STITES
Oregon Public Broadcasting
A shower in spots
this afternoon
Cloudy and cool
with a shower
A couple of
showers possible
Breezy in the
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Breezy in the
afternoon
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
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Pendleton 50/35
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24 hours ending 3 p.m.
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Enterprise
59/43
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PRECIPITATION
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Lake
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Aberdeen
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Tacoma
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Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2021
Sunrise today
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Moonset today
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8:25 p.m.
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NATIONAL EXTREMES
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 104° in El Centro, Calif. Low 26° in Kalispell, Mont.
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
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SALEM — The state of
Oregon will recognize the
second Monday in October as
Indigenous Peoples’ Day in a
new bill passed this week by
the Oregon Legislature.
Beginning with Monday,
Oct. 12, Oregon will recog-
nize that Christopher Colum-
bus’s “discovery” of the
Americas is historically inac-
curate and unworthy of cele-
bration due to his voyage
opening the door to “heinous
crimes against humanity.”
House Bill 2526 passed the
Oregon Senate on Tuesday,
May 18, with a vote of 22-7. It
was approved by a 50-5 vote
of the House late last month.
The bill, which was
brought forth by the Legis-
lature’s only Indigenous
lawmakers, Rep. Tawna
Sanchez, D-Portland, and
Rep. Teresa Alonso-Leon,
D-Woodburn, aims to set the
record straight on the histori-
cal representation of Colum-
bus and join 10 other states
in recognizing the significant
contributions that Native
Americans have made to the
U.S., and more specifically the
contributions of Oregon’s nine
federally recognized tribes to
the culture of this state.
“Back in 1937 Columbus
Day became a federal holi-
day. While Oregon does not
formally observe Columbus
Day as a state holiday, it has
been celebrated nationwide
since 1971,” Sen. Majority
Leader Rob Wagner said.
“The state of Oregon will
become the 11th state to
formally recognize Indige-
nous Peoples’ Day. Our Indig-
enous people, language and
cultures contribute incredi-
ble richness and vitality to the
tapestry of the place we now
call Oregon. It is time that
we honor those contributions
with formal recognition.”
While Wagner expressed
that he felt this type of honor
was long overdue, Sen.
Minority Leader Fred Girod
rose to speak against the bill.
Girod said while this is a
tough bill to vote no on, he
felt it unnecessary to “trash”
Columbus in the process.
“I happen to like history.
That was a very brave individ-
ual that got in a boat to prove
a theory that the world was
round, and I just don’t think
you needed to do that,” Girod
said. “I wanted to remove
that part of this bill, and that
wasn’t done. Therefore, I’m
going to vote no.”
Girod was joined by five of
his Republican colleagues in
voting against the bill, includ-
ing Dallas Heard and Dennis
Linthicum, who have been
voting no on all bills in protest
of the closure of the Capitol
to the public this legislative
session.
However, four Republi-
cans — Sens. Dick Anderson,
Tim Knopp, Bill Kennemer
and Bill Hansell — did join
all 18 Democrats in voting to
approve the bill.
The bill now heads to Gov.
Kate Brown’s desk for her
signature.
SUN AND MOON
Klamath Falls
-10s
in their brain,” Ballard said. “Being
able to see it visually and learn about
it through talking and discussions
while seeing your peers do it helps
out a lot.”
The local scouts planted upward
of 20 trees and shrubs, including
Oregon’s state flower, the Oregon
grape. GO STEM Hub and Plant-
works in Cove donated the plants for
the event.
On May 14, a younger crowd gath-
ered to take part in an aquatic insect
and water quality survey at Pete’s
Pond. The preschoolers in attendance
sampled for macroinvertebrates in the
pond and created arts and crafts.
While COVID-19 limited the
scope of in-person events, the
largely virtual STEM Week went on
smoothly throughout Oregon.
“We’ve really focused on being
able to provide the resources we
would have done in person,” Melville
said. “We are holding sessions and
different events in person, but making
sure that we’re following protocols
and providing those opportunities
online as well.”
Among the online resources, GO
STEM Hub purchased the license
for an online showing of “Picture a
Scientist,” a 2020 Tribeca Film Festi-
val selection that documents a new
age of women in STEM exploration
and careers.
“I hope they find that they can
enjoy science, math and engineering,”
Rainboth said of those who partici-
pated in STEM Week. “Experiencing
what they’re good at leads to critical
thinking, problem solving and career
connections.”
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E AST O REGONIAN
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First wolf kill of livestock
confirmed in Grant County
JOHN DAY — A Grant County rancher
became the first in the rural Eastern Oregon
county to lose livestock to a confirmed wolf
depredation.
An Oregon Department of Fish and Wild-
life report confirmed wolves killed a cow in
the early morning hours of May 8 within the
Northside area of known wolf activity.
“The location of injuries and severity of
trauma was similar to other confirmed wolf
attack injuries on cattle,” the report stated.
The report noted that multiple bite marks and
severe muscle trauma were present on the
upper thighs of both hind legs, groin and left
elbow.
ODFW investigated five cow carcasses
at a ranch in Fox Valley. While the report
confirmed one of the cows had been killed by
wolves, ODFW officials deemed another death
as a “probable” wolf attack and two as “possi-
ble” wolf attacks. The cause of the fifth death
“is unknown, but was not wolf-related,” the
report stated.
In the killing that was determined as “prob-
able,” the report stated trauma to the hind legs
and elbows was similar to other confirmed wolf
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attacks. However, the report said the “severity
and size” of the wounds did not have signifi-
cant bite marks and scrapes like those of a wolf.
“The scrape marks and associated trauma to
the front right elbow indicate a predator attack
but lack evidence to conclude wolf,” the report
read. The report noted that, because wolves
killed livestock in the same pasture, wildlife
officials determined that wolves could have
killed that one.
The report stated the “possible” cases
lacked evidence of a wolf attack. However, due
to a lack of a carcass to test, they could not rule
out the likelihood of a wolf attack.
Rancher Roy Vardenaga said his grand-
children found five dead cows on a 400-acre
pasture on the east side of Highway 395.
“I’ve never had anything like this happen
before,” he said.
ODFW identified the Northside wildlife
unit and Long Creek as an area of known wolf
activity on April 21. According to the agency,
a breeding male and female of the Northside
wolves bred for the first time last year.
A breeding pair is an adult male and an adult
female with at least two pups who survived to
Dec. 31 the year of their birth, and a pack is four
or more wolves traveling together in winter.
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