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Grant money available for downtown building renovation

The City of La Grande Main Street Program is looking for downtown building owners interested in doing a renovation or restoration project this summer.

The city has up to $14,167 in grants to assist, according to Community and Economic Development Director Charlie Mitchell.

“While we have a limited amount of funding right now, we anticipate launching our own local facade grant program this summer, meaning that we’ll have funding to do many more downtown building renovation projects in the near future,” Mitchell said.

 

Farmers market gears up for May 16 opener

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CONVERTED ANTIQUE: La Grande resident Ken Bruce, center, bought and restored an antique two-wheeled cart, then donated it the Union County Chamber of Commerce to display at local events. The cart will be set up as an information center at the La Grande Farmers Market this year. Others in the picture include farmers market members Karl Sutton, Kathleen Evergreen and Randy Moore (left), and, (right) farmers market member Darci Jones, Rona Lindsey of the chamber and Janet Rose Marie, farmers market manager. The Observer/BILL RAUTENSTRAUCH
Sometime after the official start March 20, signs of spring slowly start popping up one at a time. In La Grande, one of the surest signs is the annual kickoff of the farmers market.

Preparations for another year are pretty much complete, so mark Saturday, May 16, on your calendar. That day, the market returns for another season.

The market is many things, but mainly it’s a chance to buy local produce from local growers, said Janet Rose Marie, a La Grande resident who is stepping in as manager this year.

 

La Grande Main Street program recipient of $6,667 grant

The Oregon Main Street Program, a program provided by Oregon Economic and Community Development Department, has awarded a grant of $6,667 to the City of La Grande’s Main Street program for facade and building improvements within the downtown revitalization area.

A total of $100,000 in awards has been given to 11 Oregon Main Street communities that were selected into the program on September 26, 2008.

The award is intended to help La Grande address some of the most important priorities in its downtown that will help preserve heritage assets, stimulate the local economy, encourage additional public or private reinvestment and help implement local work plans.

 

Unified community will bolster Union's strength's, economic health, report says

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attractive historic district: Historic architecture along a “walkable” downtown is listed is a business strength in a recent Northeast Oregon Economic Development assessment. Photo/AMBER GLAZE
A little cooperation will go a long way toward improving economic development for the city of Union, according to a report released recently by the Northeast Oregon Economic Development District.

The report, written for NEOEDD by  Portland-based downtown development specialist Vicki Dugger, says that citizens need to be more united if they are to take advantage of the city’s many strengths.

And since the report appeared last month, people do seem to be working together in fresh and constructive ways, said Lisa Dawson, executive director of NEOEDD.

 

New grain silos taking shape in Alicel

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MEN AT WORK: Workers from Swaggert Brothers Construction were busy last week on the new silos being built at the Pendleton Grain Growers Alicel shipping facility. The project, which also includes extension of the rail siding, got under way in January and is expected to be complete in July. The Observer/BILL RAUTENSTRAUCH
As construction crews add major upgrades to the Pendleton Grain Growers shipping facility at Alicel, local agriculture is in for a big boost.

Crews have already begun work on two new silos that have the capacity for storing 755,000 bushels of grain. In addition, the rail spur at the facility will be extended a quarter-mile, making room for more cars.

Backers of the project say loading time will be cut in half, efficiency will be vastly improved and local grain producers will realize savings on their shipping costs.

 

Second annual Entrepreneur Day on tap at EOU

A group of Eastern Oregon legislators have teamed up to promote the second annual Entrepreneur Day at Eastern Oregon University April 24.

The event will be held at EOU’s Badgley Hall, One University Blvd, in La Grande. It runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and includes a special awards ceremony luncheon.

The day is designed to help existing small business owners and those who want to start a new business venture, said state Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner.

 

Agri-tourism: 'Helps the farmer stay on the farm, and keep the farm in the family'

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agri-tourism confab: During a break at the agri-tourism summit, Ron Jensen of Stange Manor (seated, left) talks with Rich McDaniel, owner of Rich’s Portable Cabins in North Powder. McDaniel builds log-cabin style studio homes mounted on trailers. Observer photo/BILL RAUTENSTRAUCH
ISLAND CITY — Union County Tourism’s campaign to build and bolster agri-tourism in the local area continued April 1 with a summit meeting at the Ag Service Center of McAlister Road.

About 20 people attended, picking up practical advice from panelists about adding a visitor or tourism component to an agricultural operation.

“I think it was very good meeting,” La Grande farmer Jon Bruck said during a break. “Something like this gets people thinking about the options.”

 

Promoting Fair Trade - Crafts from developing countries offered to local shoppers

Read more...People in Third World countries have many of the same hopes, dreams and ambitions folks in more developed nations have. Certainly they want a secure home, enough to eat, a good education, a chance to better themselves.

Kelly McGee, owner of Marie Josephine — A Mercantile Company, at 1304 Adams Ave., helps by offering handcrafted “Fair Trade” items made in places as far away as India and Peru.

“It’s important to me, because I feel like I’m helping out in the way I know how, by buying and selling,” McGee said.

 

Employment office has new look

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A PLACE FOR LEARNING: Worksource Oregon Office Manager Debbie Gargalis shows off a newly added training room where job seekers can brush up on computer skills. Observer photo/BILL RAUTENSTRAUCH
The Oregon Employment Department last Tuesday unveiled extensive remodeling at the offices at 1901 Adams Ave. Nobody was happier with the end product than Regional Manager Tom Erhardt.

“I’m very pleased. The layout is conducive to good customer service,” Erhardt said as a large crowd of well-wishers came through the doors for an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony arranged by the Union County Chamber of Commerce.

The ability to deliver good customer service is especially important during a recession that has left nearly 15 percent of Union County workers without jobs.

 

Council mulls: Should Local incentives be offered to developing businesses?

During a La Grande City Council work session Monday at City Hall, everybody agreed an enterprise zone is a good way to support developing businesses. But a big question remained.

Should local incentives, above and beyond state-mandated tax breaks, be continued?

“The big issue is local incentives,” Community and Economic Development Director Charlie Mitchell told the council. “The staff recommendation is to take them out, and that raises some philosophical and political issues.”

 
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