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By Cherise Kaechele

By Kelly Ducote

The Observer

Green Apothecary is now in the hands of the state, as ownersawaitpermit approval. Not much has happened since June 2 when Michael Boquist, La Grande city planner, held a public hearing asking for public comment on an ordinance regulating Boquist th e only approved medical marijuana dispensary in La Grande Randy Lindsey and Rona Lindsey requested a building permit for Green Apothecary, a medical marijuana dispensary in May. Since receiving the approval from the city, the dispensaryhaschanged sites from Jefferson Avenue to 1709 Adams Ave. According to the for sale sign in the front yard, though, the sale is still pending. However, Andy Lilly, who owns the listing and is the owner of Lilly's Real Estate, said there's nothing wrong, and hehopes to closethe sale this week. 'There are a few things to do before we close," Lilly said. aWe're waiting for the city to give us the business occupancy, and we're trying to put together some contract work beforethe sale closes." However, Boquist said, as far as the city is concerned, it's out of the city's hands and in the hands of the state. "Unless they need additional permits and I don't know if they will or not, they will now need to get their permitsapproved from SeePermit / Page5A

Shelter From the Storm advocates are hoping to open a community dialogue this week with a town hall meeting. Residents involved with the ad hoc groups Save Our Shelter and Concerned Community Members for a Family Justice Center will hold a panel discussion and question and answer session at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Community Room of Cook Memorial Library.

Chris Baxter/TheObserver

Boise Cascade millwrights Dave Fuzi, right, and James Cox adjust the height of a motor in preparation for replacing a sanding head on the No. 2 sander at the Island City particle board plant.

awe've been working hard

to pull this together and to educatepeople,"said Jeri Watson, a member of the family justice group. The town hall meeting is intended to educate the public about Shelter From the Storm, which faces a September eviction following a unanimous March decision by the Union County Board of Commissioners to site a new county courthouse on the footprint of the shelter building. Shelter supporters have protested the decision, asking commissioners to find a way to build a new court facility in a way that does not interrupt shelter functions. Commissioners have stood by the decision, saying the $2 million in funding for the court facility is an unprecedented move by the state, and that the funding could be in jeopardy if the county does not move to construct the courthouse within the state's tight deadline. Shelter supporterssay thedomestic violence resource's services will be negatively impacted if SeeMeeting / Page5A

SIGNS REMAIN OUT FOR MANY COMPANIES • Despite 6.6 percent unemployment rate, Union County employers struggling to fill open positions

grew uphere leave after graduating from high school. "People tend to move out iafter high

school)," King said.

By CheriseKaechele and Dick Mason The Observer

The numbers paint a perplexing picture. At 6.6 percent, the unemployment rate in Union County is dramatically better than it was at the height of the Great Recession, but it is still 2.1 percent higher than it was just before the economic downturn hit. Despite thehigher joblessrate, several major employers in Union County are having trouble filling positions. Outdoors RV Manufacturing just outside Island City and Northwood Manufacturing of La Grande, which both produce recreational vehicles, are among them. aWe could add 20 to 30 people iat both plants) right away if they were available," Ward King, the chief operating officer for Outdoors RV and Northwood Manufacturing, said. The payforthesejobsstartsat about $10 an hour but an employee

Chris Baxter/TheObserver

Gary Krantz, a La Grande School District custodian, cleans a floor at Central Elementary School on Thursday. The school district has had difficulty filling custodial positions. can make up to $13 an hour within a month and receive benefits, King said. He believes Outdoor RV and Northwood Manufacturing cannot meet its labor needs because many people who

King believes that if more of an effort was made toconvince peopleto stay here after high school the labor pool would deepen. A shortage of affordable housing, King said, is another factor that is making it difficult for Outdoors RV and Northwood Manufacturing, which are owned by Ron and Sherry Nash, to hire as many people as they would like. "It is tough to find housing," King sald. Boise Cascade, the wood products corporation which has plants in La Grande, Island City and Elgin, is also having difficulty filling some positions. The firm is finding it difficult to fill open positions for electricians and millwrights. "It is very frustrating,a Steve Lyon, the local human resources manager for Boise Cascade, said. Lyon said that Boise Cascade has had two millwright positions open for more than 500 days, an electrician SeeJobs / Page5A

ou ic ar son's n esen ent ar no es~ By Jonathan J. Cooper

OREGON

The Associated Press

SALEM — Oregon's gubernatorial candidates agree to five debates. Republicans owned the Independent Party primary. And we now know the full slate ofballot measures for November. Here's a look at some of the week's more interesting developments in Oregon politics:

Independent Party primary State Rep. Dennis Richardson, R-Central Point, won the Independent Party's nominationforgovernor,grabbing a prize that Gov. John Kitzhaber won four years ago. In fact, Republicans as a group did much better than Democrats this year.

INDEX Classified.......4B Home.............1B Comics...........3B Horoscope.....5B Community...BA Letters............4A Crossword.....5B Lottery............3A Dear Abby .....BB Record ...........3A

WE A T H E R Obituaries......3A

Richardson Kitzhaber

"As a group, the Republicansappeared toinvest more time and resources into this election than did the Democrats," said Sal Peralta, Independent Party secretary.

Fu l l forecast on the back of B section

Tonight

Tuesday

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57 bOW

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state...............7A sudoku ..........3B

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Partly sunny

On the ballot, candidates can be identified with multiple parties. So in addition to the REP initials that designate Richardson as a Republican, he'll get three more: IND. Most unalliated and Independent voters lean strongly to one party or the other,so politicalobservers consider the value of the Independent Party nod to

be marginal. But candidates like any advantage they can get, and being able to call themselves "Independent" on the ballot certainly can't hurt.

Five more debates Kitzhaber and Richardson, have agreedto fi vem ore debatesbefore theNovember election. The pair squared off more

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Issue 90 2 sections, 20 pages La Grande, Oregon

EDNESDAY I SPORTS LEGENDSREADY FOR STATE TOURNAMENT •000 •000

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than a week ago in a debate sponsored by the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association. Last week, Kitzhaber's campaign manager, Mike Marshall, proposed five additional meetings — two in Portland, and one each in Eugene, Medford and Bend. Richardson campaign manager Charlie Pearce See Oregon / Page5A

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