HIGH SCHOOL GIRLSSOCCER PREVIEW IN SPORTS, 9A
LA GRANDE GIRLS SOCCERTEAM AIMSTO BOUNCE BACK FROM LASTYEAR'S STATETITLE GAME HEARTBREAK IN HEALTH 5. FITNESS, 6C IN OUTDOORS 5.REC, 1C
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WALLO WACOUNTYRESIDENT ~ " ' TAKESKAYAKINGTOTHEEXTREME
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THE SERVING UNION AND WALLOWA COUNTIES SINCE 1896 I
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UNION COUNTY URBAN RENEWAL AGENCY
• $500,000 loan approved • Lo an can convert to • Agre e ment stipulates for Market Place Family g r a nt if certain criteria are construction timeline, job : :met over next decade Foods in 4-3 decision creation and more
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• Mike Becker Construction wins bid to construct new Union County Courthouse Kelly Ducote tt i
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The Observer
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Tim Mustoe/TheObserver
Urban Renewal Agency member Jerry Sebestyen takes notes as the agency hears public testimony regarding the decision to loan applicants $500,000 for the establishment of a downtown grocery store.
• Urban Renewal Agency votes to help fund establishment of Market Place Family Foods funded in the past. Agency member Gary Lillard, who was born and raised in La Grande, said he went back In its first major deviation from Urban Renewal project funding programs, the La Grande and forth on the issue but ultimately voted to Urban RenewalAgency on Wednesday night fund it, noting that he has seen La Grande lose votedtofund up to $500,0000 forthe establish- energy and diversity over the years when it ment of a downtown grocery. comes to business. "I think this is the type of project we need The move is unprecedented in its amount. Projects funded with the help of the URA are to generate that sort of ienergyl again. Is it typically capped at $75,000, but the Urban Re- guaranteed? Certainly not," he said."There is newal plan allows for funding in excess of that risk involved, but I think this is the type of thing Urban Renewal is intended to do and does preson a case by case basis. Prior to the Wednesday night vote, those in ent considerable potential to the community." favoroffunding theprojectsaid the projectis The night was not without excitement. Just one that fits the spirit of Urban Renewal as beforediscussion ofthegrocery storeproject well or better than many projects the URA has SeeGrocery / Page 5A By Kelly Ducote
The Observer
Speakout TODAY'S QUESTION Did the La Grande Urban Renewal Agency make the right choice to help fund a grocery store in downtown La Grande? SOUND OFF Comment online at www.lagrandeobserver. com
Union County Commissioners on Wednesday awardedthebid forconstruction ofa new courthouse to Mike Becker General Contractor. The county received three proposals for the design-build construction after issuing a request for proposals at the end of May. "Ireviewed each proposalto verify thatall required documents had been submitted and that all other requirements had been met," said Shelley Burgess, Union County administrativeoffi cer,in a staffreport."The costinformation was separated from the remainder of the submissions and kept confidential." An addendum to the original RFP was issued indicating that those submitting proposalsshould keep costfi gures separate to ensure cost would not influence the scoring of the proposals. In a written statement to the commissioners, Judge Russ West said he, Judge Brian Dretke, Union County Trial Court Administrator Michelle Leonard and Richie Mentgen, the court's information technology specialist, reviewedthethree design proposals.
owe liked Mike Becker's proposal the best," he wrote.owe were delighted with Option 1.
Option 1includes a set of 8 columns befitting of a courthouse. We hope we can find the original columns fiom the old courthouse to use." That option also includes a replica of the SeeCourthouse / Page 5A
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Citizens skeptical of decision, city's protection
Riots not a
• Concerns raised aboutsum ofm oney, lien position
concern here
By Kelly Ducote The Observer
The decision to help fund a downtown grocery store did not come without plenty of public comment ahead of the Wednesday night vote. With the funding now approved, skeptics have concerns about the project and what it means for the future of La Grande. Steve Joseph, an outspoken critic of the Urban Renewal program, spoke at Wednesday night's meeting and Thursday said that the meeting did not
assuage his fears. Joseph said a second position lien and lack of personal guaranteesmakes the project little more than "an Urban Renewal'Field of Dreams."' "Build it and they will come," he said. Joseph said he would have likedtoseethe city provide promissory note conditions, the trust deed and an appraisal basevalue oftheproperty, which formerly housed Blockbuster Video. "The amountofmoney that is being loaned for exterior iworkl only is way over what Tim Mustoe/TheObserver it has been for what they've Steve Josephaddresses the La Grande Urban Renewal done for any other building in AgencyWednesday night. Joseph has a number of conLa Grande," he said."They're cerns about the decision to help fund a grocery store to SeeConcerns / Page 5A the tune of $500,000.
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ONDAY I SPORT L H S VOLLEYBALL AIMS FOR STATE RUN •000
Ferguson, Mo., has had its fair share of the news the last few weeks with the officerinvolved shooting of an unarmed black man earlier this month. Since the shooting, riots have broken out, protests have arisen and police officers have been physically attacked because of the controversialshooting. While La Grande may never Harv e y see the racially charged incident like the one in Ferguson, the potential risk of a hostile situation is unnerving. Police Chief Brian Harvey said he's not worried about that happening here because he has faith in the group of citizens he's come to know. SeeFerguson / Page 5A
CONTACT US
Fu l l forecast on the back of B section •
By Cherise Kaechele The Observer
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541-963-3161 Issue 101 3 sections, 28 pages La Grande, Oregon
Email story ideas to newsC~lagrande observer.com. More contact info on Page 4A.
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