In a world tortured with uncertainty and anxiety this weekend we will all take a collective breath and enjoy our families and some time off from work but we should not forget that the Memorial Day holiday is very much about commemorating those who have come before us.

Many of us will walk among the silent headstones that adorn our local cemeteries and place flowers upon the final resting places of our loved ones. We will also mark the day with a recognition of the sacrifice and service so many young men and women made over the course of our great history to make our own freedom possible.

For sure, after the weekend passes, many of us will move forward and the memories of those who died in the service of our great nation will fade into the background. We should, though, ensure those memories don’t fade completely away. Instead, we must always recall the great sacrifices made by those who chose to serve their county in a time of peril and remember their commitment and that they gave all so our great nation can prosper.

I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend and I also hope none of us forget the true meaning of Memorial Day.

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If you missed one or more issues of The Observer this week, here are a couple of items you might have missed.

Reporter Dick Mason took a look at the efforts the Elgin School District has taken to review art throughout the district. The push is helping lead an art renaissance in the school district, where all elementary school students receive art instruction at least once a week and art classes are taught daily at the high school.

Reporter Davis Carbaugh reported on the former student-run radio station at Eastern Oregon University — KEOL — is being revitalized to host a new medium, podcasts. After the radio station was disbanded in 2021, the space will now serve as a hub for creative talk shows for students, faculty and staff across campus.

I should also mention this is Davis’ final week in Union County. He is heading back east to Philadelphia to return to school. We greatly appreciate all of his hard work and wish him the best of luck.

With Davis leaving we have hired a new reporter, Isabella Crowley, to take over. Isabella lives in La Grande and has hit the ground running so far. I am excited to watch her grow into the position.

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As always, I want to take this opportunity to thank our subscribers for their support. We can’t do this work without you.