The Observer 01-06-16

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Communityicerink opensup, tIA Mobile disc jockey spinstunes, 18 SERVING UNION AND WALLOWA CO U N T IES SINCE 1896

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WII.III.IFEREFIGEOCCIIPIEII NEARBIRNS

• Protesters say they will go home when they get what they want from government

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t,~ttii.. in a decades-long fight over public lands in the West. "Itisourgoaltogetthe BURNS — A leader of the small, armed group ofpeople logger back to logging,the occupying a remote national r a n cher back to ranching," wildlif epreserve in Oregon said the son ofNevada said Tuesday they will go rancher Cliven Bundy, who home when a plan is in place was involved in a high-profile b I ,;Q"',-. arbitrary ttse of to turn over management of 2 0 14 standoff with the govS r" narsrer pr (,ptttrpf 3'"c' OP F resuoc tb b o n e federal lands to locals. ernment over grazing rights. Ammon Bundytold report- The younger Bundy's antiers at the Malheur National g o vernment group is critical Wildlife Refuge that rancho ff ederal land stewardship, Rick Bowmer/TtteAssoctatedPress ers, loggers and farmers but e n v ironmentalists and Jon Ritzheimer, of Arizona, a member of the group occupying should have control of federal others say U.S. officials the Malheur NationalWildlife Refuge headquarters, adjusts a land — a common refrain SeeStandoff / Page 5A sign Tuesday near Burns.

• How an arson led to an armed standoff with the feds

By Rebecca Boone

By Dylan J. Darling

The Associated Press

WesCom News Setvtce

BURNS — Before taking over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters, Ammon Bundy and other militants were drawn to Burns by an arson case involving a Harney County ranching family. Butit was not the convictions of Dwight Hammond, 73, and his son, Steven, 46, that became the flashpoint. Rather, it was the Hammonds being sentenced to prison a second time in October. As rumbling about the case grew last month, Billy Williams, the acting US.Attorney in Oregon, sent a statement to the Burns Times-Herald, addressing the residents of Harney County. SeeArson / Page5A

argues moves into new kindergcaten complex against limits By Dick Mason, The Observer

The La Grande School District's new full day kinderga-rten program is gaining momentum. The program took a leap forward Monday when the new kindergarten complex at Greenwood Elementary School opened for its first day ofclasses Some of Gree.nwood's kindergarten students reacted almost with Christmas Day excitement.

• Cove legislator doesn't favor term limits for county commissioners

"Oh my gosh, it was fun for the them.They were pretty pumped," said Megan Sherer, one of Greenwood's two kindergarten teachers. Greenwood's 43 kindergartners walked into a new complex that featurestwo spacious classrooms with expansive windows, cozy reading nooks, restrooms designed forkindergartners,low-standing

The Observer

By Cherise Kaechele drinking fountains, a hallway with wall mirrors perfectly sized and situated for children, and Internet connections. The reading nooks next to windows and the drinking fountains are among the complex's most popular features among kindergartners, said Greenwood kindergarten teacher Elizabeth Gregory.

The kindergarten complex was constructed with money from the $31.85 million bond for maintenance and capital construction La Grande School District voters approved in 2014. The Greenwood project isthe fi rstbuilding structure completed with money from the bond. The school's kindergartners

previously were based in two classroomson theeastsideofthe school. Students had been taught there since the start of the school year. The La Grande School Districtis in its firstyear of offering full-day kindergarten. It had offered halfday kindergarten since 1989. This SeeSchool / Page5A

While the Union County Citizens for Good Government is nearly haifway to its goal of collecting 627 Union County voter signatures, one signature likely not to be collectedisthatofOregon state Rep. Greg Barreto. The group is hoping to get a ballotmeasure in the May primaries to Barreto limit a county commissioner's term to eight years, or two terms. Barreto has two arguments against this measure: It doesn't take into account the learning curve, and votersalready have theoption of voting commissioners out if they are unhappy with their performance. "A few years ago, I would ihave been) right on board with term limits," Barreto said, but his opinion has changed since stepping into his position as state representative for House District 58. Now he knows that"four years isn't long enough to learn." Ifhe had to put a limit on terms, he said 12 years would be enough. "I think that's long enough, especially when it's a citizen legislature. That's enough time to give back to the state and let someone else have a turn — fresh eyeballs," he said."But ask me again in four to six years, and I may have a different opinion." SeeLimits / Page5A

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KindergartnfTo y , Heideman sit4 i downto read neyr a student storag area in the ne i kindergarten cla room at Greenwood Elementa SchoolTuesday morning.

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INDEX

WE A T H E R

Business........1B Horoscope.....4B Sports ............7A Classified.......4B Lottery............2A State.............10A Comics...........3B Obituaries......3A Sudoku ..........3B Crossword.....4B Opinion..........4A Wallowa Life..BA Dear Abby .....BB Record ...........3A Wonderword... 3B

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Tonight

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25 Low

38/27

Partlycloudy

Partlysunny

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Issue 3 3 sections, 26 pages La Grande, Oregon

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