The Observer, established in 1896, is a newspaper that serves Union

Union County, Oregon

Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. The county is named for the town of Union, which is located within its boundaries; in 2010, the county population was 25,748. The county seat is La Grande.-History:Union County...

 and Wallowa

Wallowa County, Oregon

Wallowa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. According to Oregon Geographic Names, the origins of the county's name are uncertain, with the most likely explanation being that it is derived from the Nez Perce term for a...

 counties in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

. Its headquarters are in La Grande

La Grande, Oregon

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 12,327 people, 5,124 households, and 2,982 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,833.5 people per square mile . There were 5,483 housing units at an average density of 1,260.3 per square mile...

, the county seat of Union County. The Observer circulates every day except Sunday to more than 14,000 people. It is owned by the Bend

Bend, Oregon

Bend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States, and the principal city of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, and, despite its modest size, is the de facto metropolis of the region, owing to the low population...

-based Western Communications

Western Communications

Western Communications, Inc. is an American newspaper publisher serving the states of Oregon and California. The family-owned company is based in Bend, Oregon and was founded by Robert W. Chandler...

, a family-owned company that also owns newspapers in Baker City

Baker City, Oregon

Baker City is a city in and the county seat of Baker County, Oregon, United States. It was named after Edward D. Baker. The population was 9,828 at the 2010 census.-History:...

, Brookings

Brookings, Oregon

Brookings is a city in Curry County, Oregon, United States. It was named after John E. Brookings, president of the Brookings Lumber and Box Company, which founded the city in 1908. As of the 2010 census the population was 6,336. The total population of the Brookings area is over 13,000, which...

, and Redmond

Redmond, Oregon

Redmond is a city in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. Incorporated on July 6, 1910, the city is located on the eastern side of Oregon's Cascade Range, in the High Desert, and is considered the geographical heart of Central Oregon...

, and in Crescent City

Crescent City, California

Crescent City is the county seat and only incorporated city in Del Norte County, California. Named for the crescent-shaped stretch of sandy beach south of the city, Crescent City had a total population of 7,643 in the 2010 census, up from 4,006 in the 2000 census...

 and Sonora, California

Sonora, California

Sonora is the county seat of Tuolumne County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,903, up from 4,423 at the 2000 census. Sonora is the only incorporated community in Tuolumne County.-Geography:...

.

Staff and management

The Observer has 38 employees, three of which are based in Enterprise

Enterprise, Oregon

Enterprise is a city in and the county seat of Wallowa County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,895 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 1,940 in 2007.- History :...

; its publisher is Ron Horton, its editor is Ted Kramer, and its directors of production, circulation, and advertising are (respectively) Frank Everidge, Steve DeVore, and Mike Waltman.

History

Prompted by a school board decision at La Grande High School

La Grande High School

La Grande High School is a public high school in La Grande, Oregon, United States.-Academics:In 2008, 81% of the school's seniors received their high school diploma. Of 197 students, 159 graduated, 29 dropped out, and 9 are still in high school....

 to end plans for a production of Picasso at the Lapin Agile

Picasso at the Lapin Agile

Picasso at the Lapin Agile is a play written by Steve Martin in 1993. It features the characters of Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso, who meet at a bar called the Lapin Agile in Montmartre, Paris...

, playwright Steve Martin

Steve Martin

Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....

 wrote a letter to The Observer about the controversy, saying that he "could understand how some parents might object to certain lines if they were to be delivered by a 16- or 17-year-old" but he "believe[d] that the spirit of the play and its endorsement of the arts and sciences are appropriate for young eyes and minds"; in order to "prevent the play from acquiring a reputation it does not deserve" he offered to "finance a non-profit, off-high school campus production ... so that individuals, outside the jurisdiction of the school board but within the guarantees of freedom of expression

Freedom of speech in the United States

Freedom of speech in the United States is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and by many state constitutions and state and federal laws, with the exception of obscenity, defamation, incitement to riot, and fighting words, as well as harassment, privileged...

provided by the Constitution of the United States, can determine whether they will or will not see the play, even if they are under 18."