Tuesday, March 23, 2021
The OBserVer — 5A
TRAINING
Continued from Page 1A
Pendleton police officer
Cass Clark and K-9 Bali, as
well as Union County sher-
iff’s deputy Dane Jensen
and K-9 Molly, were in
attendance. Other adjacent
counties — Morrow and
Baker — join the training
sessions when time permits.
The departments enlist
the aid of two nonprofit
organizations that spe-
cialize in training working
dogs — Howling Creek and
Working Dogs Oregon.
The latter was started in
2014 to train service dogs
for veterans and psychiatric
patients.
“Our original goal was
to educate businesses on
what they can and can’t do
(regarding service dogs),”
Campbell said. “And then
K-9 Mick in Portland
was killed, and that got
us thinking about the law
enforcement side.”
Mick, a German-born
shepherd, was only a month
into his career when he
was shot and killed while
attempting to apprehend a
alex Wittwer/The Observer
Pendleton police officer cass clark with police dog Bali train to find a sus-
pect saturday, March 20, 2021, at the training compound in Pendleton.
Pendleton police received Bali as part of a scholarship through the non-
profit Working dogs Oregon.
alex Wittwer/The Observer
union county sheriff’s deputy dane Jensen (left) with Pendleton police officer cass clark and K-9 Bali train sat-
urday, March 20, 2021, at a compound in Pendleton. The joint training helps officers, deputies and K-9s practice
real-world scenarios as a team.
burglary suspect on April
16, 2017. His handler,
officer Jeffrey Dorn of Port-
land Police, also was shot
but suffered non-life threat-
ening injuries.
In Pendleton last week,
as the dogs were unleashed
from the patrol vehicles —
one at a time to keep chaos
GUIDELINES
The state’s largest dis-
trict, Portland Public
Continued from Page 1A
Schools, will maintain 6
feet of distancing as they
guidance from the U.S.
reopen after spring break,
Centers for Disease Con- said district spokes-
trol and Prevention.
woman Karen Werstein.
Oregon schools are
The district struck a deal
now allowed, on a vol-
with the teacher’s union
untary basis, to provide
based on that figure
3 feet of physical dis-
and reducing it would
tancing between stu-
require another round of
dents “under certain
negotiations.
conditions.”
The ODE announce-
ment
Just a
week ago,
reads,
on Monday,
“These
March 15,
changes
the state
may take
announced
place over
the safety
the next
rules for
several
reopening
weeks
would be
in some
relaxed,
of our
but left
schools
the 6-feet-
as every
spacing
school
— Oregon Department
require-
district
of Education in an
ment
will need
announcement Monday,
unchanged.
time to
March 22
School
plan and
districts
adjust to
have been
these new
struggling with planning
requirements.”
Indirectly acknowl-
for returning students
edging the fast pace of
to schools amid rapidly
changes districts have
changing mandates and
guidelines from the state. been facing, state Edu-
cation Department
Some have struck deals
Director Colt Gill said
with staff unions based
“This shift will take time
on earlier guidelines and
to digest, partner with
would have to reopen
staff, and integrate in
union negotiations if the
many schools and dis-
district wants to reduce
tricts. I know our educa-
the spacing requirement.
The 6 feet of dis-
tors have spent countless
tance and 35 square
hours over the last year
feet per person that had
stretching to implement
been required meant that
different learning models
only about half of a stu-
and safety protocols.”
dent body could fit in a
Nonetheless, Gill said
school at once when they some districts may want
reopened.
to rejigger their hybrid
Schools announced
plans or even consider
arrangements for stu-
going back to completely
dents to be in buildings
on-site instruction.
in shifts in a model called
Under the new plans,
hybrid education. Stu-
elementary schools must
dents would continue
maintain the 3 feet of dis-
tancing and staff and stu-
remote learning when
dents must be at least 6
they were not in school
buildings. But the Oregon feet apart “to the max-
Department of Education imum extent possible.”
Middle and high
said the new distancing
schools have to keep the
guidelines announced
3 feet of distance unless
Monday, March 22, are
COVID-19 case rates
voluntary.
“This new physical
reach certain levels in the
distancing allowance is
county.
a local decision. Schools
Gov. Kate Brown said
may maintain 6 feet and,
in the announcement,
under certain conditions,
“With the new recom-
mendations for phys-
must maintain 6 feet —
ical distancing from the
such as when students
from different classrooms CDC, I know I join stu-
dents, parents and edu-
are passing in hallways
between periods, or when cators across Oregon
in welcoming the news
students are eating,” the
that months of scien-
announcement reads.
Other pandemic safety
tific research clearly
precautions such as
demonstrates the risk of
wearing masks were
COVID-19 transmission
not changed.
is low in schools.”
“This new
physical
distancing
allowance
is a local
decision.”
to a minimum — they made
their way around greeting
handlers, trainers and vol-
unteers who had come in
order to serve as bite or
tracking targets. Bali, the
K-9 with Pendleton police,
jumped up to greet his
former trainer Robbins just
moments after his release
from officer Clark’s police
vehicle.
Robbins had set up an
interview station for the
handlers and their dogs
inside the warehouse — a
way to bolster social media
presence with quick one-
on-one interviews that give
insight into the life of K-9
MUSICAL
Continued from Page 1A
actors from Union, Wal-
lowa, Baker and Umatilla
counties, plus Walla Walla
County in Washington.
Many of the actors, almost
all age 18 and younger, have
not been together at filming
sessions because of social
distancing rules.
“The cast will never be
together at one time for
the production,” Hale said.
“It is the first time I have
directed a production in
which the full cast can’t
come together.”
Cast members are
meeting in small groups for
rehearsals before coming to
the Elgin Opera House for
filming sessions.
“They are all doing such
a tremendous job. I am so
proud of them,” Hale said.
Hale also said he is
receiving a big boost from
his directing staff — assis-
tant director Caitlin Mar-
shall, choreographer Abi-
gail Hale, music and sound
director Becky Chelson,
costumer Maureen O’Brien,
stage manager Shelby Kea-
liher, cheer coach Jes-
sica Dearinger, scene art-
ists Beth Wasley and Tess
Cahill, and Brent Clapp,
who is managing the
filming and editing process.
“Our staff is incredible,”
Hale said.
This is the first time
almost all of the cast and
many of the staff have
been involved in a film
production.
Actors moving from
stage productions to film
must learn that they have to
be more subtle because they
no longer must speak loud
enough for everyone in the
alex Wittwer/The Observer
director Terry hale, along with members of the video, sound and lighting crew, discuss operations before re-
hearsal in the elgin Opera house on Friday, March 19, 2021.
theater to hear them, Hale
said. He noted everyone
has a microphone on during
the filming process, so
speaking too loudly can
cause recording issues.
Hale said the need for
perfection is greater in film
productions.
“Mistakes that are not
obvious in theater come
through on film,” the
director said.
Cast member Ian Califf
said he is enjoying learning
about cinematic style, but
he will miss performing for
a live audience.
“I get a spark from the
audience,” Califf said.
Fellow actor Hunter
Adams shares this
sentiment.
“Now I have to create
my own energy,” Adams
said.
Cast member Joseph
Hale noted even though the
full cast is never gathering
at once, he still feels a con-
Continued from Page 1A
there’s 5,000 gallons of
water ready to go.”
The all-volunteer
department consists of
20 locals, serves an area
of 172 square miles and
receives funding for oper-
ations from its taxing
district.
The project for the new
building cost a little more
than $1 million.
The department paid a
good chunk of that with
its own building fund,
Thompson said, which it
had been adding to for a
number of years. Grants
from local and regional
organizations also helped
cover the tab, as did dona-
tions from numerous busi-
Phil Wright/The Observer
The North Powder rural Fire Protection district’s new fire station at 710 e
st., North Powder, is ready for service saturday, March 20, 2021.
nesses and residents.
Martin stressed this was
key to the money end of
the project.
“That was a big part of
the process with trying not
to increase the tax rate for
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nection to all the members.
Blake Rasmussen, one of
the cast’s adult actors, said
he is enjoying the chance to
learn about film acting.
“It is super fun with a
different vibe,” said Ras-
mussen, who plays the role
of a coach.
Rasmussen said he found
that in film acting it is
more important to be on an
even kilter and there is less
opportunity for spontaneity.
Rasmussen said when per-
forming on stage he some-
times adds impromptu lines
and gestures in response to
the audiences.
Misty Hines, who has
played many on-stage roles
in the past, said the “High
School Musical Jr.” film
experience will help cast
members in the future when
they return to stage acting.
“It will give us so many
new experiences to draw
upon,” said Hines, who
plays the role of a detention
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experience for the dogs,
but the suit works well for
quickly rotating volunteers
through the training.
Molly was the first
up, taking direction from
Jensen before darting
off toward where Camp-
bell hid. The two offi-
cers approached with fin-
ger-guns drawn. Campbell’s
acting was convincing,
playing a scared fugitive
while Molly barked at the
same man she had warmly
greeted moments prior.
units. Afterward, it was
time to train.
Darin Campbell, owner
of Working Dogs Oregon,
was the first to don the bite
suit before heading out to
hide in the compound. The
dense padding made him
waddle like an 1980s arcade
bad guy through the gravel.
The comically large suits
serve to protect the vol-
unteers and trainers from
serious injury. Other imple-
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installing interior walls.
Martin said the children
of firefighters chipped in,
often with the cleanup.
“They’ve really been
a big part of this also,”
he said, adding that get-
ting youth involved has the
benefit of piquing interest
in the next generation of
firefighters for the North
Powder Rural Fire Protec-
tion District.
Bob Middleton came
over from Haines to check
out the building.
“It’s a beautiful
facility,” he said.
Middleton said he retired
a year ago from the Haines
Rural Fire Protection Dis-
trict, and as he surveyed the
scene from the second floor,
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the district,” he said.
A general contractor
oversaw the construction
of the building, and the
department’s own mem-
bers shouldered their
share of work, including
room teacher in the musical.
Hines said she is
delighted to have the oppor-
tunity to be acting again
after the pandemic shut
down local productions.
“I so missed my theater
family,” she said.
Filming of “High School
Musical Jr.” will continue
for about another month,
after which production
work will be completed.
The Elgin Opera House
production will be shown
online from April 24 to
May 2. All showings will
be at 7:30 p.m. except for
May 2, which will start at
4:30 p.m. Information on
purchasing tickets is avail-
able at elginoperahouse.
com/box-office.
Hale said those watching
should not be late because
viewers will not be able to
rewind or pause the show.
“It will start and run
just like a live show at the
Opera House,” he said.
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