November 25, 2009 02:42 pm
November 25, 2009 02:40 pm
The people of Union County wound up with more than a good thing last
year after they advised the county board of commissioners, by vote, to
purchase the land for the Mount Emily Recreation Area. The 6,000-acre
tract just a few miles north of La Grande has taken shape as a scenic
wonderland available to all outdoor recreationists, for all time.
Tons of junk left on the land over the years have been hauled away.
Steps have been taken to protect wetlands and riparian areas. Trails
for motorized and non-motorized use have been cleared, groomed and
marked.
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November 24, 2009 03:15 pm
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Somehow it doesn’t seem right that large portions of the general population, millions and millions of people who have never served, are entitled to stay home on the legal holiday known as Veterans Day.
It would be more fitting if the right to skip work that day were accorded to veterans only. The holiday would have much more meaning. For that one day, veterans would really feel special.
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November 24, 2009 03:14 pm
November 23, 2009 03:25 pm
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Bravo to Joe Davis, Dennis Wilkinson and other residents of Union
County for voicing their concerns about the proposed Antelope Ridge
Wind Farm.
Wake up, Union County! Horizon Wind is proposing to erect up to 182
windmills atop Craig Mountain. That’s three times the number of
turbines that now dot the once pristine landscape near Telocaset.
The new windmills, according to Project Manager Valerie Franklin,
would tower at least 365 feet into the air, some over 500 feet. That is
higher than a football field is long — twice the height of those in
Telocaset. That means no matter how hard Horizon Wind tries otherwise,
the windmills will be both visible and offensive from just about
anywhere in the Grande Ronde Valley.
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November 23, 2009 03:16 pm
November 23, 2009 03:14 pm
The La Grande School District is studying the possibility of presenting
a local option levy to district voters to help overcome the revenue
shortfalls the district is projecting lie ahead. The study is certainly
worth undertaking.
Although the local economy is not in the kind of position that makes
passage of any tax measure very likely, the reality is that a local
option tax might be the best opportunity to try to keep the district
whole at a fairly reasonable cost. Any tax measure right now would be a
tough sell. But when the district could be faced with the prospect of
more cuts every year, including the loss of athletics and activities, a
majority of voters might be able to be convinced that keeping local
schools whole is really in the community’s best interest — both short-
and long-term.
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November 20, 2009 03:11 pm
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Dodds, McLean, Brogoitti, Ward, Culver
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November 19, 2009 03:25 pm
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As a kid the biggest snowstorm I ever saw occurred inside a paperweight.
That was, until the winter of 1968-69. In late January, an almost continuous snowfall from a Friday through a Monday left my rural valley near Eugene buried in snow almost to the tops of the fenceposts. Many historic barns collapsed under the weight of the heavy, wet snow. Adults and kids shoveled frantically to save other barns — and houses too.
Our dog, a Norwegian Elkhorn, thought he had died and gone to Oslo. Ole dug himself a snow cave and was in Happy Land.
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November 19, 2009 03:24 pm
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Union County has a lot going it, strengths like a low crime rate, cities with lots of trees, being an educational hub, the natural beauty of the Grande Ronde Valley and so on. But as far as tourism is concerned, Union County has been a gateway to other places. That’s OK. Those other place include some of the finest tourism destinations in America, including the rugged and beautiful Wallowa Mountains, Hells Canyon, North America’s deepest gorge, and the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area, Oregon’s largest.
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Opinion 
