PFLAG Union County is holding an Anti-Valentine’s Day party tonight from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in celebration of asexual awareness week. The event will be held at Art Center East,1006 Penn Ave., La Grande. Costumes may be worn.

Pizza and drinks will be provided. Party-goers may bring snacks and candy if they wish. Decorating will begin at 4 p.m., and all are welcome to come early and help.

Harvest Festival’s contest yields prizes

ISLAND CITY – A Harvest Festival will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday in the Grocery Outlet parking lot. Activities will include free piggy train rides, a candy giveaway and a coloring contest. Cash prizes will be awarded for three age groups, donated by Grocery Outlet. Winners will be notified Wednesday.

In addition, Apple Eye Care will be donating toothbrushes and there will be displays by Pioneer West and Thunder RV. Each family that gets a quote on a Pioneer West tractor will be given free pumpkins for the kids. The event is also sponsored by the Island City Lions.

Rebekah Lodge’s bazaar is Saturday

SUMMERVILLE – Jewel Rebekah Lodge No. 96 is hosting its annual old-fashioned bazaar from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Odd Fellows IOOF Lodge Hall in Summerville. There will be games and activities as well as homemade goodies and craft items for sale. Lunch will include homemade chicken and noodles, sandwiches, salads, pies and beverages. Raffle tickets for a cedar chest and a handmade queen-size quilt will be sold, with the winning tickets drawn at 2 p.m.

Auditions held for Thornton Wilder classic

LOSTINE – Auditions for MidValley Theatre Company’s spring 2016 production of “Our Town” will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday at the theater in the old Lostine School gymnasium. Scripts will be available for auditioners, and all roles are open. Roles are available for 15 men and nine women of varying ages and for three to 10 young men and young women.

“Our Town” is a true ensemble piece and typifies the values and happenings of a small town called Grover’s Corners near the turn of the last century. MidValley is producing the American classic by Thornton Wilder in conjunction with Fishtrap as part of 2016’s Big Read.

Rehearsals will begin Jan. 4 and performance dates are set for the middle two weeks of February. For more information, contact Director Kate Loftus at 541-569-2302.

Oil transport safety is topic of discussion

How to prevent and/or prepare for an oil train blast in La Grande will be the topic of discussion from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday in the community room of the Cook Memorial Library. Sponsored by Oregon Rural Action, the session is free and open to all.

Trains loaded with volatile crude oil travel on a Union Pacific rail line through the Grande Ronde Valley. The crude oil is being shipped in outdated tank cars widely known to be easily ruptured during a derailment. The goal of the meeting is to develop workable solutions and organize for measures to reduce the hazards of oil train traffic.

Cattlemen plan December dinner

ISLAND CITY – Union County Cattlemen will have a business meeting at 7 p.m. Monday at the Ag Service Center in Island City. Final plans for the Dec. 12 annual dinner will be discussed. The meeting is open to the public.

Potential septic project is focus of meeting

IMBLER – The Imbler School District will meet with the City of Imbler for a joint work session at 7 p.m. Monday at the Imbler City Hall. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss a patron survey regarding a potential septic project.

Dementia group meets Wednesday

The Wildflower Lodge Dementia Support Group will meet at noon Wednesday. The topic will be how to simplify communication for loved ones with dementia. The support group meets on the first and third Wednesday of every month. Free lunch is provided, and RSVP is appreciated.

To RSVP or for more information, call the Wildflower Lodge at 541-605-2164.

Free ag safety seminar slated

SAIF is hosting a free ag safety seminar from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. For 20 years, SAIF Corporation has presented free, half-day agricultural safety seminars all across the state in an effort to reduce the number of injuries in this industry. Designed primarily for people working in agriculture, the seminars are open to anyone with an interest in agricultural safety. Employers with small agricultural businesses who attend the seminar will meet OSHA’s instructional requirement, one of four requirements that exempt small agricultural establishments from random OSHA inspections.

Seating is limited and early registration is required. Registration can be completed at www.saif.com/agseminar or 800-285-8525. Approximately one week before the seminar participants will be notified of the seminar’s location.

Vets to participate in Veterans Day Panel

WALLA WALLA, WASH. – The Walla Walla VA will hold an event from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Nov. 6 with the theme: “Do You Know Your Local Veterans?”

The event will feature a panel of local veterans representing all areas serviced by the clinic, including Carole Halvorson of La Grande. There will also be an archeological display available, courtesy of the Fort Walla Walla Museum. Congressional staff have been invited and the community is encouraged to attend.

County commissioners to discuss wolves

ENTERPRISE – The Wallowa County Board of Commissioners will hold a regular session at 9 a.m. Monday in the main floor conference room of the Wallowa County Courthouse. On the agenda is a discussion on the marijuana opt-out, a letter to delist the gray wolf and a presentation by Marc Stauffer for the Small Business Development Center.

Scores unchangedon national tests

PORTLAND – Oregon fourth- and eighth-graders performed about as well as they did two years ago on a national math and reading test, even as nationwide scores dipped, according to results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress released Wednesday.

On math and fourth-grade reading, Oregon students performed about as well as their peers nationally.

On eighth-grade reading, Oregon’s scores were above the national average. Only four states had scores in that category statistically higher than Oregon’s.

None of the differences between Oregon’s 2013 and 2015 scores was statistically significant.

“I am pleased to see our students continuing to perform at or above the national average on this assessment,” said Salam Noor, Oregon’s top school official. “Our strong eighth-grade reading results are particularly encouraging.”

– The Associated Press/Observer staff