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BPA rate hike too much for this economy

Oregon Trail Electric members might need to brace themselves for an increase in electricity rates later this year. The Bonneville Power Administration served notice in February that, for the first time in six years, it would likely need to increase its wholesale power rates in the new fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.
 

Shutting adult school a blow to valley

In a time when there needs to be expanded educational opportunities, not reduced opportunities, it was sad to learn about the pending demise of the popular Cove Community School Collaboration.


The school will shut down at the end of spring classes after six years of service. It provided hands-on opportunities for students of any age from all of Union County in a truly astounding array of subjects. Lifelong learners learned everything from building dry wall to food and wine pairing, from welding to jazz music. There were life-enriching classes in building violins, caring for horses and dealing with insomnia. The variety of classes and the quality of instructors was truly astounding. It’s a credit to Coordinator Patti McLelland and others, who managed and supported the school.

 

Elgin reads to succeed

With the state figuring that one in four Oregon adults is functionally illiterate, it’s important to do all we can to reverse that trend in the future. Elgin is doing just that. The northern Union County city has taken the reading bull by the horns.

The strategy is multi-pronged. The Early Reading Intervention Program, Read to Succeed, the 90 Percent Reading Program and full-day kindergarten classes are helping young students in Elgin get a jump on academic success. Kindergartners there are on average far exceeding national reading levels for students of that age.
 

A chance to weigh in on chickens and rabbits

It’s been said that birds of a feather flock together. Maybe that’s why such a large crowd was on hand at a recent planning commission work session where ownership of chickens and rabbits inside the city limits was discussed.


Attendance at public meetings on such weighty matters as school bond measures or enterprise zones is never so high. But chickens and rabbits? Now, there’s a subject that hits people right in the gut.

 

An investment in the community

The partnership between Eastern Oregon University and the community it serves was strengthened considerably last month when the EOU Foundation announced it invested a half million dollars in four local banks.

This was a wise move for a number of reasons. Foremost, the university has taken an important step toward supporting the local economy. Money invested in local lending institutions is used for local development, which translates into business start-ups, business expansion and retention, job creation and more.

Also, the investments are secure. From all reports, local banks did not engage in the sub-prime lending that led to the current severe recession. Solid, respectable lending practices have helped keep them stable. They’re a good place to keep money these days.
 

Keep public budget notices accessible

Another effort is under way in the Oregon Legislature to chip away at existing laws that require public entities to publish legal notices where the public can actually access them — in newspapers. HB 2828 would allow municipalities to publish budget summaries on websites.

The proposal is exactly the kind of slippery slope we were referring to a few weeks ago when we wrote about another bill, HB 2393. That bill would allow county sheriffs to post sales or auctions of property on a website rather than in a newspaper of general circulation where the transaction is occurring.
 

Sad to see longtime employer Fleetwood close

Amid all the talk of economic stimulus and pending recovery from the recession, Union County looks to be drowning. The manufacturing sector is awash in job losses.
 
A monster tidal wave hit last week, when Fleetwood Enterprises announced the permanent closure of its La Grande travel trailer plant.

It’s bad enough that 150 family-wage jobs were swept away in the flood. It’s worse that the losses will likely push the local unemployment rate above 15 percent for March. And it’s terrible that this recession is so deep, so severe, it spelled finis for a local business enterprise everyone thought would be around forever.
 

EOU men’s basketball shines in Missouri

What a difference a few years make. Quinn Coliseum has gone from a relatively sedate venue for watching college basketball to earning the delightful moniker Looney Bin. And this miraculous transformation has taken just four short years.

If you’re not already on the bandwagon, here’s a brief look at the history that got us to this point. Many local basketball fans remember the suffering and gnashing of teeth involved as the Mountaineers reeled to a 4-22 record in head coach Ryan Looney’s first year at the helm, 2004-05.
 

Congress should stop automatic pay raises

You wouldn’t know the economy was in the toilet by watching the high rollers on Capitol Hill. Once again, members of Congress have papered their already fat pockets with a hefty pay raise. While many management teams grimly face the gut-wrenching realities of downsizing and mandatory days off without pay, or pay freezes, while millions of Americans hunker in unemployment lines, while companies drop like iron-poor flies, Congress has accepted yet another automatic pay raise.

To do so, of course, is not news. No matter what their performance, Congress invariably gives itself a big raise. And it’s not like they’re hurting for money or benefits. Their latest pay raise of $4,700 took effect in January. Now congressional salaries are $174,000 a year — and that doesn’t count some of the best perks this side of Mars.
 

Welcome, FFAers, to La Grande

With about 2,200 people expected in town Friday through Monday for the State FFA Convention, La Grande is happy to roll out the red carpet. It’s a big, big event. The motel rooms will be full, and restaurants will be working overtime to serve our guests from all corners of the Beaver State.

La Grande does have experience hosting a state FFA convention. The last time La Grande had the honor was in 1998, and the city did a good enough job that it was invited to host the convention again. That’s a feather in the city’s cap.
 
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