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

HONORING ARLIE: Arlie Gordon teaches fourth-grader Wyatt Duncan how to “witch” graves in the fall of 2004, during the first outreach program at the Union Victorian Cemetery. Gordon, who died in March, worked as a caretaker at the cemetery for 11 1/2 years. - Photo/DONNA PATTERSON

His devoted service will soon be memorialized on the very grounds he maintained, thanks to a decision by the Union Cemetery Maintenance District Board.

At a special meeting March 21, the board moved to open a fund to install a water fountain in the cemetery in Gordon’s honor.

“Arlie was a unique character who had become synonymous with the Union Victorian Cemetery,” said Board Chairman Donna Patterson.

Enterprise Planning Commission Chair Marc Stauffer gives the reasons why he is among the majority of commissioners who have resigned their posts in response to new state ethics requirements being imposed on small volunteer government bodies. - The Observer/GARY FLETCHER

Recently, the entire Elgin Planning Commission resigned in protest.

The La Grande School Board will remain in its superintendent search mode another two months.

The board decided Wednesday to conduct a second search for a new superintendent.

The board made its decision about a week after it lost its top choice for superintendent, Richard Molitor of Central Washington, to a Central Oregon school district. Molitor was named superintendent of the Madras-based Jefferson County School District March 25.

COVE — With Mayor Richard Thew absent, Cove City Councilor James Lundy presided over the council’s monthly meeting Tuesday evening.

As expected, part of the discussion focused on new state ethics requirements that have generated much controversy and confusion recently — even prompting the entire Elgin Planning Commission to resign.

speaking of global warming: Secretary of State Bill Bradbury delivers a multi-media presentation on the issue of global warming to an audience at Eastern Oregon University Tuesday night. - The Observer/CHRIS BAXTER

At least when it comes to global warming.

Bill Bradbury, Oregon’s secretary of state, is convinced of it.

Bradbury told an audience at EOU Tuesday night that each of the remaining major presidential candidates — presumptive Republican nominee John McCain and Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton — are strong advocates of policies that address global warming.

IMBLER — The Imbler Rural Fire District received a new interface engine March 14 and will retire its 37-year-old engine permanently.

“The engine was ordered through General Fire and manufactured in South Dakota,” said Laura Gow, a firefighter and emergency medical technician with the department.

She also wrote the application for the FEMA grant, which awarded the department $255,000 toward the purchase of the engine. 

WALKING THE PATH: Grounds coordinator and Scotsman, Alan Johnston, strolls the hand-cut trail winding through the hillside garden above Grande Ronde Hospital where more than 10,000 daffodils are planted. - The Observer/MARDI FORD

“The Canadian thistle up here was taller than me,” says Alan Johnston, the hospital’s grounds coordinator. “They told me to create a greenway and plant lots of flowers. And then they basically turned me loose.”

One of the first things he did was to remove the “Please don’t pick the flowers” signs — a telling gesture.

George Kraus

For one of the few times in the past 25 years Kraus did not conduct an Easter church service. Still it may have been the most thrilling Easter of Kraus’ life.

Kraus attended a service in his church for the first time since being injured in a car accident Feb. 1 near Alicel.

Photo/JOYCE OSTERLOH

Born and raised in Wallowa County, Vixen is building a legacy in the place she loves best, doing what she does best and feels most passionately about.

Flames Under Control: A training coordinator operates the control panel that arms and ignites controlled propane fires and liquid smoke inside the mobile fire training unit. The training classes were conducted by George A. Jamieson of Pendleton and Jason McKinnon of Baker City. - Submitted photo

The certified maintenance training classes were conducted by regional training coordinators George A. Jamieson of Pendleton and Jason McKinnon of Baker City. Jamieson, who has 44 years of firefighting training, and McKinnon, who has 15 years in the fire service, are among six regional trainers in Oregon.