6B — THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD
SATuRDAY, FEBRuARY 20, 2021
COFFEE BREAK
Story of wrongful conviction is shared without permission
DEAR ABBY: I’m a gay man
in my late 40s, partnered with a
man in his late 50s. There are a
lot of issues from my past that I
try hard to move beyond and let
go of. I was wrongly accused and
convicted of a crime
I didn’t commit, for
which I was sen-
tenced to life in
prison.
I sat in prison
seven years before
I was able to prove my innocence
and regain my freedom. Even
then, I was forced to accept cer-
tain requirements to keep my
freedom, regardless of being
proven innocent. Unfortunately,
I’m finding it difficult because my
partner keeps sharing my story
with people who are complete
strangers to me. When they meet
me, the first words out of their
mouths are things like: “You poor
man, I’m so sorry,” or “Wow, I
can’t believe you went through
that,” and “Man, you must be a
strong person to
have gotten through
that.”
DEAR
How do I move
ABBY
past this, if he keeps
telling people a
story that is NOT
his to tell, but mine to disclose
if I choose to do so? The shame
and embarrassment of facing this
trauma of my past on a regular
basis isn’t healthy for me. How
can I get him to understand that
he needs to stop doing it?
I’m afraid to say anything to
him about it. He dismisses my
trated I feel like giving up on
the relationship and moving on.
I’m actually stuck between a
breakup and keeping a friend-
ship. Any advice?
— UNCERTAIN IN ALABAMA
DEAR UNCERTAIN: Of
course your “guy” thinks things
are fine the way they are. They
are — for him. I’m delighted you
decided to return to college and
get your degree. By doing so,
you are taking control of your
life, which is moving in the right
direction.
Please understand that you may
not only outgrow the relationship,
but also this young man. By all
means, keep him as a friend if you
can. Be a role model if he’s able to
learn from your example, but con-
tinue to broaden your horizons.
You wrote that this is your
first relationship. If this con-
tinues, it may not be your last.
Present it to your partner in
exactly these terms. Couples
counseling may save your rela-
tionship, but only if the balance
of power is adjusted.
DEAR ABBY: I was friends
with my guy before getting into a
relationship with him seven years
ago. The problem is, I feel like we
are not growing. He is still living
with his mom, we have no plans
for the future, etc.
At least once a year, I ask him
how he views our relationship,
but I only get the same response
that things are fine the way they
are. I have now started back
in college while maintaining a
full-time job, but I’m so frus-
feelings most of the time when I
bring up things he does that upset
me.
I love this man with all of my
heart. He was one of only two
people who stood by me during
my trauma and made it possible
to prove my innocence. He was
also my “first.” My love for him
has only grown over the years,
but this issue of my story being
revealed has to stop.
— FRUSTRATED IN THE
MIDWEST
DEAR FRUSTRATED: You
not only have to speak up, but you
also have to be heard. That your
much older partner dismisses your
feelings is controlling and conde-
scending. He has no right to dis-
close VERY personal information
about you with strangers.
News of the Weird
Thousands of
cold-stunned
sea turtles being
rescued in Texas
SOUTH PADRE
ISLAND, Texas — Resi-
dents, some of whom lack
heat or basic amenities in
their own homes due to the
unusually chilly weather,
have been rescuing cold-
stunned sea turtles and
taking them to a conven-
tion center in a South Texas
resort town.
“Every 15 minutes or
less there’s another truck
or SUV that pulls up,” Ed
Caum, executive director
of the South Padre Island
Convention and Visitors
Bureau, told The Associ-
ated Press on Wednesday,
Feb. 17.
He said sometimes
people bring one or two
sea turtles, sometimes
more. “We had trailers full
(Tuesday) coming in that
had 80, 100, 50,” he said.
The South Padre Island
Convention Center started
pitching in Monday when
its neighbor, Sea Turtle
Inc., could no longer handle
the number of sea turtles
being dropped off, and
their mostly outdoor oper-
ation had lost power. He
said the convention center
itself didn’t have power or
water till early Wednesday
morning.
He says they’ve “col-
lected” more than 3,500
sea turtles so far. He said
he hesitates to use the word
rescued because “we know
we’re going to lose some.”
Caum said that
with another cold front
approaching, they don’t
know when they’ll
be able to return the
sea turtles to the water.
Frank Augstein/AP Photo, File
In this May 21, 2020 photo, Larry, the official 10 Downing
Street cat, walks outside 10 Downing Street before the na-
tionwide Clap for Carers to recognize and support National
Health Service workers and carers fighting the coronavi-
rus pandemic in London. Monday, Feb. 15, 2021, marked
the 10th anniversary of rescue cat Larry becoming Chief
Mouser to the Cabinet Office in a bid to deal with a rat
problem at 10 Downing Street.
Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald via AP
Thousands of Atlantic green sea turtles and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles suffering from cold
stun are laid out to recover Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, at the South Padre Island Convention
Center on South Padre Island, Texas.
Temperatures in the area
on Wednesday afternoon
were in the 40s. He said it
may be Saturday — when
temperatures are expected
to reach the low 60s —
before the turtles can be
released back into the Gulf.
He said with power
returned they have been
able to bring the convention
center’s temperature to 60
degrees.
“We’re trying to do
the best we can to save as
many turtles as possible,”
he said.
recruited by then-Prime
Minister David Cameron to
deal with a pack of rats seen
scuttling close to the British
leader’s official residence,
and entered Downing Street
on Feb. 15, 2011.
The former stray,
adopted from London’s
Battersea Dogs and Cats
Home, was given the title
Chief Mouser to the Cab-
inet Office, an unofficial
pest control post. He was
the first cat to hold the rat-
catching portfolio since
the retirement of Hum-
phrey in 1997, and has loy-
ally served three prime
ministers.
But it seems like yes-
terday that Larry was just
another cat — as opposed
to a media superstar —
said Lindsey Quinlan,
the head of cattery of
Battersea.
“Throughout his time
at No.10, Larry has proven
UK’s chief mouser
celebrates 10 years
on the prowl
LONDON — Larry the
cat, a four-legged inhabitant
of London’s 10 Downing
St., marked a decade as
Britain’s mouse-catcher in
chief on Monday, Feb. 15.
The tabby cat was
weather
| Go to AccuWeather.com
himself to not only be a
brilliant ambassador for
Battersea but also demon-
strated to millions of
people around the world
how incredible rescue cats
are,’’ she said. “His rags
to riches tale is yet more
proof of why all animals
deserve a second chance
— one minute they may
be an overlooked stray on
the streets, the next they
could become one of the
nation’s beloved political
figures, with fans around
the world.”
Larry, who has met a
number of world leaders,
has been largely unfriendly
to men but took a liking
to former U.S. President
Barack Obama. When
former President Donald
Trump visited in 2019,
Larry took a nap under his
car.
His grip on the public
imagination is clear —
AROUND OREGON AND THE REGION
Astoria
Longview
43/50
Kennewick
42/50
St. Helens
43/51
37/47
37/47
42/51
42/53
Condon
TONIGHT
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
Showers of rain
and snow
Milder; rain at
night
Colder; a p.m.
fl urry
A shower in the
afternoon
41 31
39 24
40 21
Eugene
3
1
3
41/50
47 30
39 27
41 24
3
0
3
La Grande
30 41 33
Comfort Index™
Enterprise
0
0
0
25 40 27
Comfort Index™
0
35 23
34 22
8
0
2
ALMANAC
THURSDAY EXTREMES
TEMPERATURES Baker City La Grande Elgin
NATION (for the 48 contiguous states)
High Thursday
Low Thursday
High: 90°
Low: -37°
Wettest: 3.19”
34°
15°
34°
10°
34°
19°
PRECIPITATION (inches)
Thursday
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Normal year to date
0.03
0.31
0.37
0.68
1.17
0.03
2.70
0.71
3.74
2.34
Trace
3.80
1.50
8.11
4.67
AGRICULTURAL INFO.
HAY INFORMATION SUNDAY
Lowest relative humidity
Afternoon wind
Hours of sunshine
Evapotranspiration
45%
SSW at 6 to 12 mph
2.0
0.06
RESERVOIR STORAGE (through midnight Friday)
Phillips Reservoir
Unity Reservoir
Owyhee Reservoir
McKay Reservoir
Wallowa Lake
Thief Valley Reservoir
9% of capacity
50% of capacity
50% of capacity
46% of capacity
39% of capacity
96% of capacity
STREAM FLOWS (through midnight Thursday)
Grande Ronde at Troy
1520 cfs
Thief Valley Reservoir near North Powder
59 cfs
Burnt River near Unity
11 cfs
Umatilla River near Gibbon
106 cfs
Minam River at Minam
N.A.
Powder River near Richland
72 cfs
Immokalee, Fla.
Ely, Minn.
Walterboro, S.C.
OREGON
High: 52°
Low: 4°
Wettest: 0.74”
North Bend
Meacham
Florence
WEATHER HISTORY
Heavy snow hit the Midwest on Feb. 20,
1898. Racine, Wis., received 30 inches of
snow. Milwaukee had drifts as high as
15 feet.
SUN & MOON
SAT.
Sunrise
Sunset
Moonrise
Moonset
SUN.
6:46 a.m. 6:44 a.m.
5:27 p.m. 5:28 p.m.
11:01 a.m. 11:39 a.m.
1:51 a.m. 2:53 a.m.
MOON PHASES
Full
Feb 27
Last
Mar 5
New
Mar 13
First
Mar 21
28/37
25/42
31/48
Beaver Marsh
39/53
39/51
Silver Lake
Jordan Valley
21/36
Paisley
24/45
27/44
Frenchglen
23/41
Medford
24/45
City
Astoria
Bend
Boise
Brookings
Burns
Coos Bay
Corvallis
Council
Elgin
Eugene
Hermiston
Hood River
Imnaha
John Day
Joseph
Kennewick
Klamath Falls
Lakeview
Hi/Lo/W
50/47/r
51/34/r
38/29/sf
51/39/c
41/25/c
51/42/c
50/45/r
32/28/sn
41/35/r
50/46/r
53/46/c
47/45/r
41/33/sf
42/25/c
39/26/sn
49/44/c
45/25/pc
39/22/pc
Hi/Lo/W
48/41/sh
57/29/c
45/32/pc
55/41/pc
47/29/c
54/41/c
54/36/c
39/29/c
46/30/c
56/38/c
58/40/pc
52/39/sh
47/31/c
49/27/c
45/26/c
58/35/pc
51/28/pc
44/27/pc
23/45
25/45
Lakeview
18/39
McDermitt
21/37
RECREATION FORECAST SUNDAY
REGIONAL CITIES
MON.
Grand View
Arock
25/45
Klamath Falls
Shown is Sunday’s weather. Temperatures are Saturday night’s lows and Sunday’s highs.
SUN.
Diamond
24/41
Fields
36/52
40/51
Boise
24/38
38/54
Brookings
24/41
25/43
Chiloquin
Grants Pass
Juntura
22/41
25/41
20/40
Roseburg
Ontario
24/40
Burns
Brothers
34/46
Coos Bay
Huntington
21/38
32/51
Oakridge
18/32
23/39
Seneca
Bend
Elkton
Council
26/37
John Day
29/51
Sisters
Florence
Powers
27/36
Baker City
Redmond
43/49
44/51
Halfway
Granite
40/50
Newport
43/51
Comfort Index takes into account how the weather will feel based on a combination of factors. A rating of 10 feels
very comfortable while a rating of 0 feels very uncomfortable.
29/45
34/44
40/50
40/51
45 28
0
Corvallis
Enterprise
25/40
30/41
Monument
35/47
Idanha
Salem
Partly to mostly
cloudy
3
Elgin
31/41
La Grande
31/41
Maupin
Comfort Index™
35/45
Pendleton
The Dalles
Portland
Newberg
Lewiston
32/42
Hood River
35/46
TIllamook
26 37 29
Forecasts and graphics provided
by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2021
Walla Walla
36/49
Vancouver
40/51
43/52
Baker City
prime minister moving
Jack Russell cross Dilyn
into Downing Street, Larry
remained in office.
Reports of his rodent-
killing abilities vary. Larry
became known for his occa-
sional scraps with neigh-
boring cats — especially
Palmerston, chief mouser
to the Foreign Office across
the street — and fondness
for sleep. Palmerston has
retired to the country, so
things have been a bit qui-
eter of late.
These days Larry, now
14, often is seen by photog-
raphers patrolling his turf.
Visitors to the building
can sometimes find him
napping on a ledge above
a radiator or sleeping on
a floor, where dignitaries
occasionally have to step
over him. At the heart
of government, he special-
izes in power naps.
— Associated Press
and political leaders know
better than to ignore that
popularity. The tomcat was
a sentimental topic of con-
versation in Cameron’s final
appearance in Parliament
as prime minister when he
said he wanted to quash a
rumor that — perish the
thought — he didn’t like
Larry.
And just to prove it, he
whipped out evidence: a
picture of Larry lying on
his lap.
“He belongs to the house
and the staff love him very
much — as do I,” he said
at the time, explaining why
he wasn’t taking Larry with
him after leaving office.
After the December 2019
election, rumors swirled
that Larry might be headed
for retirement with the news
the new prime minister,
Boris Johnson, was a dog
man.
However, despite the
City
Lewiston
Longview
Meacham
Medford
Newport
Olympia
Ontario
Pasco
Pendleton
Portland
Powers
Redmond
Roseburg
Salem
Spokane
The Dalles
Ukiah
Walla Walla
SUN.
MON.
Hi/Lo/W
42/39/c
50/48/r
41/32/r
52/34/c
49/46/r
50/47/r
40/25/c
49/43/c
46/44/c
51/48/r
53/40/c
51/31/c
51/38/c
50/46/r
39/38/sf
47/42/r
40/33/sf
45/42/r
Hi/Lo/W
47/36/pc
52/40/sh
46/29/c
59/39/c
50/42/sh
52/38/sh
42/27/c
57/36/pc
51/36/c
54/39/sh
59/37/c
56/30/c
60/38/c
52/37/sh
46/33/c
52/38/r
44/26/c
51/36/c
Weather(W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain,
sf-snow fl urries, sn-snow, i-ice
ANTHONY LAKES
PHILLIPS LAKE
A bit of snow
Rain/snow shower
26
25
38
31
MT. EMILY REC.
BROWNLEE RES.
A little snow
Cloudy, fl urries
34
29
38
30
EAGLE CAP WILD.
EMIGRANT ST. PARK
A little snow
A p.m. shower
28
25
38
34
WALLOWA LAKE
MCKAY RESERVOIR
A little a.m. snow
A morning shower
39
26
46
42
THIEF VALLEY RES.
RED BRIDGE ST. PARK
Cloudy, fl urries
Rain and snow
37
29
41
33