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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 20, 2016)
A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016 COMMUNITY Scalper strikes out swinging for the cheap seats A pair of $20 bills were pulsating in my pocket as a young man demanded his money back. The 20-something guy was a ticket scalper out- side Turner Field in At- lanta — and I had just played him. My frustration with scalpers had been brew- ing within. A longtime baseball fan, I was look- ing forward to attending the 1998 All-Star Game in Denver. However, due to the antics of tick- et scalpers, my husband and I couldn’t get de- state law made it illegal to cent-priced tickets. Evi- sell tickets for more than face value. They of- dently, that disap- ten held signs that pointment gave me said, “Need tick- the resolve to put ets.” one over on the un- Part of the perk suspecting Atlanta of purchasing re- scalper a few years served tickets on later. the official Atlanta Scalpers obtain Braves website was tickets — or even Tammy Malgesini receiving a couple make counterfeit INSIDE MY of cheap seat tickets ones — with the SHOES for any game. They purpose of making a profit by selling them had no cash value print- for ridiculous prices. At ed on them, but I later the time, they tried not to figured they were worth draw attention to them- maybe $5 each. I told the dude I had selves because Georgia tickets, good for any game. He obviously didn’t listen, glanced at them and offered me $20 each. We never stopped walking — the conversa- tion and transaction was on the fly as John and I continued toward the sta- dium. I shoved the $40 into my pocket and the guy turned back the other way. Then half a block later I could faintly hear, “Hey lady.” I kept walking — there were lots of ladies on the sidewalk. Then louder, “Hey lady, I don’t want these tickets.” Soon, the guy caught up to us and said he want- ed his money back. He said the tickets weren’t for that day’s game. I remind- ed him I said upfront they were good for any game and he made the deal. He quietly protest- ed and continued to fol- low us. Little did this guy know, I wasn’t eas- ily intimidated. Back in the day, I wouldn’t give up my Pepsi and Pizza Rolls to a knife-wielding dude outside a 7-Eleven in north Portland — but that’s a story for another column. Holding my hand, John quickened our pace and we soon disappeared into the crowd at the stadium — leaving the guy in our dust. I had just scammed a scalper — and I didn’t feel bad about it. ——— Tammy Malgesini is the community editor. Her column, Inside my Shoes, includes general musings about life. Contact her at tmalgesini@eastore- gonian.com or 541-564- 4539. )estiYal highlights worlG culture anG ¿ne arts Pendleton, as well as pre- sentations on the Oregon Blue Mountain Commu- Humanities Conserva- nity College’s 18th annual tion Project and the recent Arts and Culture Festival standoff in Malheur County highlights world culture over federal land rights. DQGWKH¿QHDUWV International “there” Free and open to com- features include a presenta- munity members, the event tion by Selena Hutchins, a began Monday and runs Bosnian refugee who will through Thursday in Pend- share her experiences, and leton and Hermiston. This Dr. Sascha McKeon, who year’s theme focuses on will discuss the Zika virus. The festival also in- “Here and There,” an un- derstanding of culture from cludes banned books read- ERWK WKH 3DFL¿F 1RUWKZHVW ings, poetry and music col- laborations and a reader’s and around the world. “Here” events focus on theater presentation on an the culture of the Confeder- original screenplay about ated Tribes of the Umatilla spying and conspiracy the- Indian Reservation through ories. During the festival, a free salmon dinner and powwow Wednesday in the Betty Feves Memori- By JENNIFER COLTON al Gallery is extending its Wednesday hours from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The cur- rent exhibit is “Shadows of the West.” For more information, visit www.bluecc.edu/Aan- dC. Schedule of Events: HERMISTON •All presentations in Room 134, Eastern Oregon Higher Education Center, unless otherwise noted. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20 10 a.m. - Dr. Fred Brown, An- imals & Urban Landscapes 11a.m. - Karen Nicksich, children’s author “The Time of My Life” on grieving for lost pets. Also present, Maddie the Therapy Dog 12 p.m. - Food & Entertainment 1 p.m. - Wendy Willis, “A World without Secrets: Pri- vacy and Expectations in the United States” 2 p.m. - Smoke & Mir- rors Literary Group, banned books readings THURSDAY, APRIL 21 9 a.m. - Devin McK- eon, Code: The Secret Language of Machines 10 a.m. - Lisa Naas Cook, “To Busy to Rest: Boundaries and Balance in a Nonstop World” 10 a.m. - Russ Burtner, pres- ents on Visual Analytics 11 a.m. - Dr. Sascha McKeon, Zika Virus 12 p.m. - Food & Mu- sic with Dr. Marga- ret Mayer & Friends 1 p.m. - Selena Hutchins, Big Fish vid- eo producer from Seattle 2 p.m. - Patrick Weatherly, poetry & music collabora- tion PENDLETON •All presentations in the Bob Clapp Theatre unless otherwise noted: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20 9 a.m. - Selena Hutchins, a Bosnian refugee 10 a.m. - Dr. Sascha McKeon, Zika Virus 11 a.m. - Wendy Willis, “A World without Se- crets: Privacy and Ex- pectations in the United States” 12 p.m. - Lisa Naas Cook, “To Busy to Rest: Boundaries and Bal- ance in a Nonstop World” 1 p.m. - Anna King, NPR journalist on Mal- heur-The Standoff 4-6 p.m. - Free salmon din- ner at the Student Union. 6-8 p.m. Powwow at the McCrae Activity Center (MAC). THURSDAY, APRIL 21 7 p.m. - A College Com- munity Theatre reader’s theatre presentation of original screenplay by Joshua King, “No One Knows Nothing” W o n i f b y l a n d . T w o i f b y s e a . 2016 Polaris® RZR® S 900 ATV 2016 Polaris® Sportsman® 450 ATV Cash Drawings Every Saturday in April & May! Drawings every 30 minutes, 10am – 8pm Grand Prize Drawings April 30 & May 28 Drawings are 1pm, 4pm, 8pm. Cash prizes are based on card level. Promotion runs April 2 – May 28. Management reserves all rights to alter, suspend or withdraw promotions/offers at any time. 650.6769.BA.3.14 Staff Writer CASINO • HOTEL • GOLF • CINEPLEX • RV • MUSEUM • DINING • TRAVEL PLAZA 800.654.9453 • PENDLETON, OR • I-84, EXIT 216, wildhorseresort.com Owned and operated by CTUIR