Congressman to visit Vale
Greg Walden will stop at elementary school Thursday
By Larry Meyer
Argus Observer
Wednesday, February 20, 2008 11:05 AM PST
VALE — Congressman Greg Walden, R-Oregon, will visit Vale from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., Thursday.
Walden, who represents voters in the sprawling Second Congressional District, will stop by Vale Elementary School as part of a four-day, eight-county, swing through Eastern and south-central Oregon that will include the opening of a new congressional district office in La Grande.
In the announcement issued Monday, Andrew Whelan, Walden’s spokesperson, said during the school visit the lawmaker will observe a pilot program which furnished 45 laptop computers to Vale sixth-grade students, and training for teachers and students.
This pilot program was provided through the Malheur Education Service District, which was one of three ESDs selected by the Oregon Department of Education to pilot a laptop computer initiative.
Vale School District Superintendent Matt Hawley and elementary school principal Darlene McConnell will meet with Walden before the tour at 10 a.m.
Walden began his trip today with a stop in Pendleton at Blue Mountain Community College, to discuss the Diesel Technologies Program and tour the diesel labs. His next stop was at La Grande where he officially opened his new Eastern Oregon District office with a ribbon cutting and lunch celebration with community and business leaders.
This will be the first Second District office in Eastern Oregon — the other two are situated in Medford and Bend — and will be staffed by Colby Marshall, a Harney County native who has worked for Walden for more than six years. Marshall has been Walden’s point man on natural resources and energy.
After opening the office, Walden will hold his first meeting there, discussing Eastern Oregon University’s repositioning plan with interim President Dixie Lund. The congressman’s senior staff in Washington, D.C. will participate in the meeting via video conference.
Tonight the congressman will meet with the Baker County Farm Bureau, and Oregon Farm Bureau President Barry Bushe to discuss various issues surrounding the Farm Bill. Walden led an effort in the House to extend the cutoff day for drought assistance.
Following his stop in the Malheur County Thursday, Walden will go on to Grant, Harney, Lake and Klamath counties.
Friday morning, Walden will be hosting a major meeting at 8 a.m. (PST) at the Harney County Senior Center, Burns, between federal agencies, local leaders, ranching and farming groups and law enforcement to discuss what is being done in the aftermath of last year’s Egley Complex meeting.
Following that meeting, Walden will meet with the High Desert Partnership board, federal agency officials and local elected leaders to discuss the organization’s ongoing efforts to work cooperatively to head off potential federal land management conflicts at the local level.
