l IN OUTSKIRTS: STAMPEDE NAMES GRAND MARSHAL, 7A A L SO INSIDE: AREA SENIORS GRADUATE, 12A
SERVING UNION AND WALLOWA COUNTIES SINCE 1896
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• Dry winter could mean fireseason getsstarted earlier in Northeast Oregon ve
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The Northeast Oregon District is responsible for providing fire protection on about 1.9 million acres of mostly private and some public rangeland in Umatilla, Union, Baker, Wallowa, Grant, Malheur and Morrow counties.
LA GRANDE
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Budget adoptionon tap for council
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Woman a reluctant
parade grand marshal • l Georgia Wilson says she's only one member ofa"do-it-yourself" community By Katy Nesbitt The Observer
Katy Nesbitt/The Observer
Georgia Wilson was named grand marshal forWallowa's Independence Day parade.
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Droughtconditionsin Eastern Oregon are affecting more than just the region's farms and fish; it could mean another early start to wildfire season on public and private lands. With barely any remaining snowpack, forests are drying out weeks ahead of schedule and crews have already responded to several humancausedfires outin the woods. Mitch Williams, wildland protectionsupervisorfor the Oregon Department of Forestry in La Grande, said the district usually enters fire season around July 4. But unless June brings rainand lots of it — he said this year figures to be longer and hotter for local firefighters. "Our powers that be are looking at us to have an above-average fire season," See Fire / Page 5A
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The Associated Press
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WALLOWA — You might say Georgia Wilson is a reluctant grand marshal. When she was chosen to lead Wallowa's Independence Day F ull forecast on the back of B section
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REAL PEOPLE parade, she said,she declined,at first. "I said, 'No thanks,' but then I needed a favor from the city council, so I said, 'OKa' The favor? To paint a city building next to her house on Main Street. "It used to be a mill office. Now it's used by those who do tremendous See Wilson / Page 5A
• La Grande City Also on taP Council set to adopt The council budget that funds will also award new police oficer contracts for By Kelly Ducote The Observer
The La Grande City Council is slated to adopt the city's 2015-16 budget Wednesday night. All told, the funds total a
$35.8 million budget that includes funding for an additional police officer position. In late April, the La Grande Budget Committee See Council / Page 5A
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Issue 65 2 sections, 20 pages La Grande, Oregon
WEDNESDAY IN GO! 37TH HQG WILD DAYS STARTS FRIDAY
towing and impound services for the La Grande Police Department.
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