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OREGON UNION COUNTY
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• Oregon counties short of money for road departments, according to AOC study Higher
By Ted Shorack
costs
WesCom News Service
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Tim Mustoe/TheObserver
Protesters hold signs and stand on the parameter line of the proposed new courthouse to show it can fit along with the Shelter From the Storm Advocacy Center Sunday. Musicians led the group in song. Demonstrators are hoping for coexistence of the new courthouse and shelter building on the county campus.
• Supporters measure perimeter of new courthouse to show it will fit with Shelter From the Storm By Kelly Ducote The Observer
More than 75 people turned out Sunday afternoon to show their support for coexistence of a Union County courthouse and Shelter From the Storm. Demonstrators held what they called a"perimeter party" to show that the Shelter From the Storm building and a new courthouse can fit on the same block with the Union County Law Enforcement Building. Union County, which is the recipient of a $2 million allocation from the state for construction of a new circuit court building, plans to raze the SFS advocacy center in order to site the new courthouse on its footprint. Shelter supporters, though, say there is room for both buildings and demonstrated that the new courthouse could physically fit on the block Sunday afternoon. "My goal is to show in total validity the icourtl building can go there," said Maxine Hines, a SFS supporter and contractor who has come up with several site plans to fit both buildings. Hinessaid aparking garage could be built underneath the proposed court-
County road departments C o unty road couldbe strapped forcash departments over the next five years with- are also outincreased staterevenue. faced with Declining federal funds incr eases to and increasedcostsmean d iesel fuel Oregon counties need an ad- and material ditional $505 million per year costs. to fill a budget gap, according The cost to a new study. of asphalt Conducted by a road ceme n t has program within the Associa- t r i pled over tion of Oregon Counties, the t h e past study found that revenue dec a de. and expenditureforecastsfor the next five years show that county road departments will be 54 percent short annually of what they need. Looking ahead to the 2015 SeeStudy / Page 5A
REAL PEOPLE
Tim Mustoe/TheObserver
Verda Rose Lilly looks over alternative plans for the construction of the new courthouse. A coexist rally was held at Shelter From the Storm Sunday. house to make up for a lack of parking on the county campus. Others said they believe money left over from the under budget construction could go toward this option. Originally estimated to cost $3.1 million, the bid for construction came in at $2.4 million for the court facility.
The event also included an open house at the SFS advocacy center where those attending heard from shelter supporters and board members about their hope for coexistence. SFS board member MaryEllen SeeRally / Page 5A
Eric Avissar/The Observer
Jim Bauer enjoys shooting Sunday at the Cove Sportsman Club. Though blind, Bauer is a competitive trapshooter.
Doing the thing he loves By EricAvissar The Observer
E llmayaddchildcarecentertocamyus • Facility could be operational as soon as next fall, school oficial says
EASTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY
students with young children often ask EOU offrcials. Does Eastern provide child care? The answer for decades has By Dick Mason The Observer been no but that may soon It is the first question prospec- change — as early as next fall. tive Eastern Oregon University Interim EOU President Jay
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EDNESDAY •000
Kenton is taking a serious look at addinga child care centerat Eastern. 'This has been talked about for a long time. Studies have shown there is a need for a child care center," Kenton said. The president believes a child carecentercould help boostoncampus enrollment. "A lot of students are taking
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online classes because they can't afford or find child care," Kenton sald The EOU president is looking into the possibility of having Eastern build a child care center on campus that would be run by a private licensed child care provider. Kenton believes it may be SeeEOU / Page 5A
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Issue 147 3 sections, 20 pages La Grande, Oregon
XMAS SHOW OPENS ATELGIN OPERA HOUSE •000
Though he is legally blind, Jim Bauer does not let his vision issues stop him from trap shooting, the sport he loves. Bauer said the first time he went trap shooting with his dog in 1990, he made a fool of himself. "Ishotata roosterthree times, and left three perfect holes in the sky," Bauer said. "My doglooked at me as if to say,'Ifyou can't shoot any better, give me the gun."' Since then, Bauer has continued to improve in spite of his eyesight limitations. On eight occasions, Bauer qualified for the Oregon SeeBauer / Page 5A
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