Usually, of course, the staff at The Observer prefers to report the news, but we’re pleased to report some news of our own: We’re in the middle of moving from our location at 911 Jefferson Ave. to 1112 Adams Ave., in the heart of La Grande’s downtown.
The building on Jefferson Avenue used to house Commercial Tire, and it’s served us well since we moved in at the start of the pandemic. But it’s become too big for our current needs, and so the office space on Adams seemed like a better fit. The plan is for us to begin operations in the new office sometime around Oct. 28.
Mapquest tells me that the difference between our current location and the new office works out to be about a quarter-mile. So you might be thinking that, well, a short move has to be relatively easy. But that’s not always the case. One of my household moves covered about a quarter-mile, and I still have boxes of unknown contents stashed in my garage, nearly four years later.
In the Observer’s case, we’re moving to a smaller location — which means that we don’t have as much storage space. And news operations tend to collect (and hang onto) a lot of stuff. We’re finding other homes for the stuff we know is valuable, such as our bound volumes of old editions and our microfilm archives.
But a lot of the other material we’re sorting through is — how to phrase this delicately? — somewhat less valuable. So Observer staff members —in addition to all of their other duties — are going through the Jefferson Avenue location with a sharp eye and a surprising willingness to pry open yet another box (so many boxes!) to find out whether its contents are something that must be saved.
Watch our Facebook page for events such as a garage sale at the Jefferson Avenue location at the end of October. And we’re planning a number of get-acquainted events at the Adams Avenue location beginning in November; keep an eye on our Facebook page and our website at lagrandeobserver.com for details about those.
In the meantime, if you run across one of our staff members sometime during the next couple of weeks, and they seem to be distracted or possibly muttering something like “So … so many boxes,” be gentle.
Speaking of our website, here’s a reminder: Although the printed edition of the East Oregonian that subscribers receive in the mail each week features the Observer’s best stories, it doesn’t have enough room for all of our stories. For our full news report, you need to keep an eye on our website, lagrandeobserver.com.
In the meantime, here are some recent stories from the Observer that you might have missed — and some stories that we’re still working on. (And remember that not all of our stories are printed in the East Oregonian: Some appear only on the Observer’s website, lagrandeobserver.com.)
• In addition to all the other races on the Nov. 5 ballot, La Grande voters will face a measure that would change to the city’s charter. Reporter Isabella Crowley explains the measure in this story.
• “Breakup Season,” the independent drama that was filmed in La Grande, returns to La Grande next week as a highlight of the Eastern Oregon Film Festival. And the movie will be rolling out into theaters in a limited release in November. I’m working on a story about the latest news surrounding the movie.
• Crowley and I sat down last week for in-depth interviews with the two candidates for Union County sheriff, incumbent Cody Bowen and challenger Shane Rollins. With ballots arriving in mailboxes next week, you’ll want to read what the candidates said before you vote.
• Reporter Dick Mason is working on similar interviews with the two candidates for the Union County Board of Commissioners, Mark Simmons and Jake Seavert.
• In Elgin, the Jewel Theater’s production of Stephen Sondheim’s masterful musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” continues through October. You’ll want to read Jennifer Colton’s preview story before you go.
Remember that subscribers to the Observer can access all of the EO Media Group’s other Eastern Oregon websites at no additional charge, including the East Oregonian, the Hermiston Herald, the Baker City Herald, the Wallowa County Chieftain and the Blue Mountain Eagle.
To access the EO Media Group’s other Eastern Oregon websites:
• Simply register your account on every site you wish to read with the same email address and password you currently use.
• Once you’ve registered, enter your username and password to enjoy the full range of content on that news site.
• You should not have to login again unless you log out, clear history or experience software updates.
• Save your password when prompted by your browser and if you are inadvertently logged out, your browser can fill in your login and password for you. (Only use this option on your personal digital devices.)
To view the latest e-Editions, be sure to register your account and sign in to www.eastoregonian.com.
Sign up for e-newsletters from each website by going to the “Email lists” link on your account dashboard for each site.
If you have questions or need assistance, please contact us at 800-781-3214 or email support@eomediagroup.com.
If you have comments, questions or story ideas for the Observer, send an email to editor@lagrandeobserver.com. It may take me a few days to get back to you, but I try to answer all the emails I receive.
If you have questions about the East Oregonian’s printed edition, or want to pass along a story idea, send an email to this address: editor@eastoregonian.com.
Finally, of course, thank you to all of our subscribers. We simply would be unable to do this vital work without your support.
Mike McInally is the associate editor of the La Grande Observer and the editor of the Wallowa County Chieftain.
Photo: This location at 1112 Adams Ave. will be the new office of the La Grande Observer.
