UNION — The Blue Mountain Old-Time Fiddlers will perform at 6 p.m. April 8 in the S.E. Miller gym, 540 S. Main St., Union.

The event is sponsored by the Union High School FFA, who will be selling refreshments. The evening will also include door prizes and dancing. Admission at the door is $5, $4 for card holders; age 12 and younger get in free.

OSU Extension Gardening class covers berries, grapes

The OSU Extension Master Gardener Program is offering an interesting variety of classes open to community members for only $5 per class.

The next class is “Growing Berries and Grapes,” presented by Neil Bell, OSU Extension Horticulturist. The class will be held April 11 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the conference room at the OSU Extension office, 10507 N. McAlister Road, Island City. For more information and to RSVP call the OSU Union County Extension office at 541-963-1010.

Parents invited to check out Grande Ronde Academy

Grande Ronde Academy Christian School will be having a kindergarten/first grade Roundup Spaghetti Dinner at 6 p.m. today. There will also be a kindergarten open enrollment tour at 1:30 p.m. April 10. Parents interested in enrolling their children for the upcoming 2017-2018 school year are encouraged to come and visit.

Grande Ronde Academy offers an interdenominational Christian education to students in kindergarten through eighth grade and is located at 507B Palmer in La Grande (in the Valley Fellowship building). For more information, contact the school at 541-975-1147 or visit www.granderonde-academy.org.

Island City will be flushing hydrants

The City of Island City will be conducting hydrant flushing Mondays through Fridays from April 10 to April 21, according to a press release from the city.

The flushing is necessary to ensure adequate water volume and pressure for fire suppression and to detect any potential problems in the water system. The city cautions that if discoloration or sediment is noticed in the water, an outside faucet or a cold-water bathtub faucet should be run until the discoloration or sediment clears. Residents are also advised to check for discoloration prior to washing clothes.

For more information call 541-963-5017.

Friends of Union FFA meet Monday

UNION — The annual Friends of Union FFA meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. April 10 in the Union High School ag classroom. The meeting is for current and prospective members. Anyone interested in supporting ag science and the FFA program is invited to attend. Finger foods and beverages will be served. For more information, call Val Stockhoff at 541-562-5873.

Free presentations focus on saving for the future

Staff from the Oregon College Savings Plan and newly created Oregon ABLE Savings Plan will host a pair of presentations April 11 in La Grande to share how residents can save for college and disability expenses. Both free informational presentations will be held in Room 301 of the Hoke Union Building on the EOU campus.

“College Savings 101” begins at 6 p.m. and will give tips on how families can save for higher education using the Oregon College Savings Plan, a state program that offers tax advantages and lower investing fees than found in the private sector. For more on this presentation, call John Valey at 503-431-7928.

At 7 p.m., “ABC’s of ABLE” will explain the new Oregon ABLE Savings Plan, which allows for people with disabilities to save money without losing government benefits such as Medicaid and Social Security. The program, which was just launched in December, is designed to defray some of the costs of living with a disability and help those experiencing disabilities reach their financial goals. Contact Kaellen Hessel at 503-373-1903 or oregon.529@ost.state.or.us for more information.

The presentations have been scheduled as part of National Financial Literacy Month, dedicated to teaching Americans about healthy financial habits.

Cove City Council holds work session, special meeting

COVE — The Cove City Council will hold a work session and a special council meeting beginning at 6 p.m. April 11 at Cove City Hall, 504 Alder. The council will be discussing renewing the Hydro Electric Energy Sales Agreement and the U.S. Cellular ground lease.

Upper Grande Ronde Watershed stakeholders to meet

Union County will be hosting a Stakeholders Place-Based Integrated Water Resource Planning meeting for the Upper Grande Ronde River Watershed on April 12 at 5 p.m. at the Blue Mountain Conference Center, 404 12th St., La Grande. For more information contact Union County Planning Director Scott Hartell at 541-963-1014 or shartell@union-county.org, or visit these websites: www.oregon.gov/OWRD/pages/water_resources_development_program.aspx and www.union-county.org/planning/place- based-integrated- water-resources- planning.

March was warm and wet, says NOAA

According to preliminary data received by NOAA’s National Weather Service in Pendleton, temperatures at La Grande averaged warmer than normal during the month of March.

The average temperature was 43 degrees, 2.2 degrees above normal. High temperatures averaged 52.2 degrees, 1 degree above normal. The highest was 65 degrees on the 19th. Low temperatures averaged 33.7 degrees, 3.3 degrees above normal. The lowest was 25 degrees on the 6th. There were 13 days with the low temperature below 32 degrees.

Precipitation totaled 3.25 inches during March, 1.79 inches above normal. Measurable precipitation, at least .01 inch, was received on 18 days with the heaviest, 0.43 inches, reported on the 30th. The only snowfall totaled 1 inch, reported on the 7th.

Precipitation this year has reached 6.34 inches, 2.11 inches above normal. Since October, the water year precipitation at La Grande has been 12.18 inches, 2.97 inches above normal.

The highest wind gust was 38 mph, which occurred on the 11th.

The outlook for April from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center calls for near normal temperatures and near normal precipitation. Normal highs for La Grande rise from 55 degrees at the start of April to 62 degrees at the end of April. Normal lows rise from 33 degrees to 38 degrees. The 30-year normal precipitation is 1.58 inches.

This was the second wettest March on record. The wettest was in 1983, with a total of 3.36 inches.