ALSO: NEW TRAIN RIDE
BLACKSMITHING BOND
ARTS AND LEISURE MAGAZINE
SERVING UNION AND WALLOWA COUNTIES SINCE 1896
Four school days restored in Union • District's budget picture improves
Groups testitv about wildfires • some worry endangered species are creating worse fires By Andrew Clevenger Wescom News Service
WA..'JHINGTON - With the memory of the devastating wildfires in Colorado still smoldering, members of the House Natural Resources Committee debated
Tuesday whether RELATED STORIES, 12A families' economic federal policies are security- and they making megafires worse. destroy old-growth habitat and "As we hold this hearing, 28 endangered species." major fires are burning in 12 states, The current interpretation of the adding to 3.9 million acres that Endangered Species Act means have already burned this year," said habitats for at-risk animals are committee Chairman Doc Hastlargely left untouched, he said. ings, R-Wash., noting that wildfires When the U.S. Forest Service or the normally consume an average of Bureau of Land Management do 3.7 million acres a year. "These fires try to thin out forests, enviromnendestroy lives, homes, farms and tallawsuits often block any fuel
reduction, he said. "Irorrically, some of these lawsuits aimed at 'saving' forests have resulted in their actual destruction, where once old-growth, critical habitat forests now resemble the moon's surface after fires," he said. Rep. Ed Markey, D- Mass., pushed back hard against the argument that lawsuits were preventing federal fire-prevention efforts. See Fires I Page 6A
By Dick Mason The Observer
The Union School District's academic year is set to remain intact in 2012-13. The Union School Board, which adopted a 2012-13 budget in June calling for up to four school days to be cut, has voted to add these days back. The days will be restored because the district's budget picture has improved. "I'm happy. This is a win for everybody," said Union School District Superintendent Jon St. Germaine. Union's financial status is better because a high school English teacher recently resigned to take a position in another school district. The Union School District will hire a half time instructor to replace the English teacher. No high school classes will be cut because of this move. The money the district will save by hiring a part time teacher will be used to pay for the four school days which would have been cut. Each school day costs the Union School District about $10,000. Had the Union School District cut four days, teachers would have seen their salaries fall by an average of$1,200 in 2012-13. St. Germaine strongly encouraged the school board to add the days back. He did so after making a commitment to the district's staff; telling them he would make adding the school days back a priority ifthe school district's budget picture improved. The addition of the school days reduces the total cuts the district will be making in 2012-13 to about $200,000. The cuts are necessary because of reduced state funding and falling enrollment. The reductions, approved by the board earlier, call for 3.5 teaching and non-teaching positions to be cut. The budget also calls for the high school wrestling program to be reduced to club status. This will save the district $8,000. The wrestling program will have a volunteer head coach. The budget also calls for reductions in expenditures for textbooks, computer leases, utilities, science computers, maintenance equipment and computer software. This will save the district about $52,000.
INDEX Business ........ 1B Classified ....... 58 Comics ...... ..... 4B Crossw ord ..... 78 Dear Abby ... 128
Brad M osher I ObseNer photos
Vicki Wilson gets some help from Vietnam Veterans M oving Wall Memorial staff member Kate Jones of North Powde r as she makes a rubbing of her uncle's name Monday, shortly before the wall was packed up to be taken back to its base in Michigan.
Wall leaves, memory of those who gave ultimate sacrifice remains By Dick Mason The Observer
The written record indicates that about 4,000 people visited the Vietnan1 Veterans Moving Wall Memorial at the La Grande Gun Club between Thursday and Monday afternoon. The actual number is far higher than anyone will ever know, a partial testament to the emotional wellspring the wall touches. Eleanor Blankenship of Cove, a member ofthe High Valley Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4060 Auxiliary, knows this well. Blankenship said a number of Vietnam veterans who lost buddies in battle could not come into a tent at the La Grande Gun Club to sign a register book after seeing the Moving Wall. "It was too emotional for them," said Blankenship, the coordinator of volunteers at the five-day tribute to the 58,267 Vietnam veterans listed on the wall, all of who lost their lives in the Vietnam war or are still listed as missing in action. The Moving Wall and the names of
WEATHER Ho roscope ..... 7B Lottery............ 2A Movies ........... 2A Obituaries ... ... 6A Opinio n .......... 4A
Record ........... 6A Sports ............ 8A Sudoku ........ ..4B Wallowa Life 14A Wonderword ... 48
FRIDAY IN OUTDOORS
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Moving tribute
those inscribed on it, were saluted a final time Monday afternoon at the La Grande Gun Club. The closing ceremony featured a rendition of"I'm Proud to Be an American," by Jardin Lineback of Union; a benediction by Kenney Faulkner, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran and a chaplain; comments by master of ceremonies Ken McCormack, commander of High Valley Post 4060; the playing of'I'aps; a gun salute; and an address by Coast Guard veteran Steve Neumann of La Grande. Neun1ann spoke about the Coast Guard's contribution to the Vietnan1 War effort. He said the Coast Guard patrolled 1,200 miles of coastline in Asia, helped destroy enemy supply lines, peifonned countless successful rescue missions and much more. ''Lifesavers at heart, they (the members ofthe C'Alast Guard) never left that behind when they went on support missions in combat," said Neumann, who served in the Coast Guardfrom1970 to 1974. Neumann said that about 8,000 members of the Coast Guard See Wall I Page 3A
Full forecast on the back of B section
Tonight
Thursday
51
88/55
LOW
Mostly clear
Sunny to partly cloudy
THE BUSINESS ON BARN OWLS
John DeWitt ofWhite Plains, Mich., gets some assistance Monday loading panels of the Vietnam Veterans Moving Wa II Memorial from Gary Bruch, right, of La Grande.
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Issue 133 3 sections, 42 pages La Grande, Oregon
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