>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

Chief Justice Paul De Muniz

Paul De Muniz, chief justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, paid a visit to La Grande Wednesday afternoon to discuss the condition of the county’s facility, which he said represents an endemic problem around the state and beyond.

He addressed a group of county and city officials, including representatives from the courthouse.

The La Grande Farmers Market had more than music, produce and socializing this past Saturday: A high-profile politician paid a visit, as well.

Jeff Merkley, a candidate for the U.S. Senate in this fall’s election, was campaigning in town on his “100 Cities for Change” tour. La Grande was the 66th he’s visited.

Merkley, speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives, is challenging incumbent Sen. Gordon Smith, a Pendleton-born Republican who has served since 1997.

La Grande will become a part of the Oregon Main Street Program, according to a decision Wednesday night by the city council.

During its regular monthly session at City Hall, the council gave City Manager Robert Strope the go-ahead to apply for membership in the state-run program, which provides cities with training, technical assistance and grants for downtown revitalization.

Alice Alexander displays some of the cherries that she helps process at the Cove cherry shed. - Photos/AMBER GLAZE

She will be honored during the Cherry Fair Parade that begins at 10 a.m. Saturday.

“They’ve tried to get me to do if for years, so I said fine I will get it over with,” Alexander said humbly.

She has lived in Cove all of her life. Raised on a 50-acre fruit farm on Love Lane, the family grew cherries, prunes, apples and pears.

LOSTINE — Details are still being formulated, but a gathering is planned Sept. 7 as a tribute to Roark Schwanenberg.

Schwanenberg, of Lostine, was the command pilot who died when his Sikorsky S-6N Fire King helicopter crashed Aug. 5 in a remote Northern California forest.

Participation in the Oregon Main Street Program and a draft action plan from the Substance Abuse Advisory Commission headline a jam-packed agenda for Wednesday’s La Grande City Council meeting.

Following up on a series of work sessions and meetings, the council will make formal decision on whether to participate in the Main Street Program, and also whether to accept the draft action plan dealing with the community’s substance abuse problems.

ELGIN — The City of Elgin will hold a three-day community workshop Tuesday through Thursday to develop a new vision and plan for Elgin’s historic rail station and downtown.

City planners have partnered with Otak Inc., a consultant team from Portland, and the Oregon Department of Transportation to take a closer look at the opportunities to build a depot and improve the attractiveness and functionality of the Elgin rail station.

“The city is working on finishing up the ODOT transit planning grant we received,” Mayor Carmen Gentry said. “The grant helps the city identify what facilities we are going to need to support the depot and what developments we will need like roads and parking.”

ISLAND CITY — An Island City farmer narrowly escaped serious injury Sunday when the combine he was operating inexplicably burst into flames.

About 4 p.m., Roben Arnoldus was running the combine in a 70-acre wheat field near Island City just south of the Boise Cascade particleboard plant. The machine caught fire without warning, Arnoldus said.

“It was a raging inferno in seconds. I barely got out,” he said.

Jaci Weishaar of La Grande has been training two mustang yearlings for the past few months and will head to Reno this week with her charges to compete in the Extreme Mustang Makeover, which is part of the Aug. 16-18 Western States Wild Horse and Burro Expo. Photo/AMBER GLAZE

She was accepted as one of four trainers in Oregon to train two wild mustang horses. The competition is called the Extreme Mustang Makeover’s Mission 007: Yearling Edition and takes place during the Western States Wild Horse and Burro Expo in Reno Aug. 16-18.

Rory Renfroe of Alta Planning and Design, a Portland consulting firm, discusses the components of a 20-year bicycle and pedestrian plan for Joseph at the community open house at the Joseph Community Center Wednesday. Photo/JOYCE OSTERLOH

Alta Planning and Design, a consulting firm from Portland, facilitated the meeting and solicited input from those present on their needs and wants for improved pedestrian access to Main Street and for increased bicycle use within the urban growth boundaries of the city of Joseph.