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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 2015)
REGION Tuesday, January 6, 2015 HERMISTON Song, dance help pay swim team’s bus costs By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian Raising transportation funds used to be a dread- ed chore for the Hermiston High School swim team, but on Saturday night they man- aged to put the “fun” in fund- raising. The third annual HHS swim team variety show — featuring three hours of song and dance — helped raise the money to cover most of the team’s $5,000-a-year trans- portation costs to and from practice at Blue Mountain Community College’s indoor pool in Pendleton. Lynn Hamblin, wife of swim coach Kevin Hamblin and organizer of the talent show, said six years ago the school district told the team it couldn’t continue to cover the cost of their daily com- mute. Early fundraisers were “miserable,” she said. “This has evolved from collecting cans in the cold month of January to some- thing to give back to the community,” she said. On Saturday night a few swimmers performed on stage, but most of them pro- vided technical support and backstage help for the per- formers who donated their time to the show. Nattalie Gray, a sixth grader from Armand Larive Middle School, was one of those performers. She said before the show that she wasn’t nervous because she had plenty of performing experience at church and elsewhere. Earlier this year she sang the national anthem at a Heppner football game at Kennison Field, she said, and Representative Greg Smith (R-Heppner) was so impressed that he asked her to come sing at the Capitol during this year’s legislative session. Gray chose to sing “Brave” by Sara Bareilles. “I like it because I think it encourages people some- times to be brave,” she said. “When I sing it I think of someone who is hiding, and I sing it to them.” Misha Meyer, a fourth grader from Highland Hills Elementary, also stepped up to the plate, opening the show with the national an- Staff photo by Jade McDowell The Hermiston High School swim team boys perform a synchronized “swimming” number to wrap up the Swim Team Variety Show. Staff photo by Jade McDowell them and later performing “Try” by Colbie Caillat. “I like performing,” she said before the show. “It makes me happy.” Shortly before her, the crowd heard from Marti Plum, another Armand Lar- ive sixth grader, who sang “Human” by Christina Per- ry. She shared her secret for keeping the nerves to a min- imum during a performance: “When I’m up there sing- ing I always stare someone down in the audience,” she said. “I just pick someone.” Most of the perform- ers were returning acts, but Kodie Arnold, a Hermiston blind, said after last year’s show turned out to be such a fun event she was disap- pointed she wasn’t a part of it. This year she played “Maybe” by Allison Krauss - panied singer Claire Wilson on the piano. In the end, though, it was singer Corrina Tiboni, per- forming Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing” accompa- nied by Josh Rist, who stole for the second year in a row after the audience placed $186 worth of votes in her jar. Second place went to the Filipino Dancers, who used bamboo poles to perform a Infrastructure, airport remain high on priority list After years of neglect, municipal infrastructure will be front and center in 2015. “2015 could be the big- gest year on record for public works,” Public Works Direc- tor Bob Patterson said. Besides a capital im- provement bond that the city aims to put on the November getting the public involved in discussion on Pendleton’s aging infrastructure and oth- er issues will be key. Communication between the city and public wasn’t al- ways strong in 2014. Special public meetings to discuss a $10 million bond proposal and the future of the Blue Mountain Recovery Center were sparsely attend- ed. Public dissatisfaction boiled over in November, when residents from South- west Perkins Avenue pre- sented a petition at a meeting requesting the city address the crumbling portions of the residential street. Multi- ple Perkins residents said the - ter years of complaints made to staff members. Mayor Phillip Houk said he wants Pendleton to be known as a transparent city that works with its residents, and councilwoman Jane Hill said the council may need to consider new ways of com- municating to achieve those goals. Hill said that despite inter- est in their community, many Pendletonians can’t take time out of their busy lives to attend meetings or seriously study the city’s budget. On a personal level, Hill The girlfriend of a Ken- newick shooting suspect is accused of driving him to a relative’s home in Herm- iston, and later tipping him off that police knew where he was hiding. Aquarius S. Gibbs, 24, denied seeing her boyfriend allegedly shoot her child’s father on Thanksgiving eve, but told investigators she assumed it was him, court documents said. The Pasco woman has pleaded not guilty in Ben- ton County Superior Court to one felony count of - inal assistance. Her trial is scheduled March 2. Her boyfriend, Tyree Q. Houfmuse, has a Jan. 20 assault and second-degree unlawful possession of a HHS Swim Team Variety Show winner Corrina Tiboni, accompanied by Josh Rist, belts out Whitney Hous- ton’s “I Have Nothing.” Staff photo by Jade McDowell Andrea Chapman tap dances to “Mr. Pinstripe Suit” during the HHS Swim Team Variety Show. traditional Tinikling dance. The $3,700 raised by tick- treats sold at intermission will help fund the team’s journey to Pendleton for an- other year, but coach Kev- in Hamblin said the team would rather not make the commute, which means they often don’t get home until 12 or 13 hours after leaving for school in the morning. “One of these days we’re going to be up here asking for donations for a new in- door pool,” he said. ——— Contact Jade McDowell at jmcdowell@eastorego- nian.com or 541-564-4536. said she would spend more time in 2015 soliciting input from constituents. “There’s no silver bullet for improving communica- tion,” she said. According to Patterson, an ideal year would see lo- cal government and public approve designated funding for the entirety of the city’s crumbling infrastructure. But for Patterson, simply setting priorities over what needs to be addressed would be a step in the right direc- tion. Public input will be in- creasingly important in 2015, which will see a variety of is- sues come before the council outside of public works. Councilwoman Becky Marks said she would like to the Pendleton UAS Range and progress on making the venture self-sustaining. The city has invested more than a half million dol- lars into the project, which has already conducted tests but hasn’t been able to col- lect revenue while airport Federal Aviation Administra- tion regulations. Pendleton’s mayor said those issues should be solved over the course of the year. Coupling the range’s progress with potential eco- Page 3A Suspect’s girlfriend charged with helping him avoid arrest By KRISTIN M. KRAEMER Tri-City Herald PENDLETON By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian East Oregonian - ment, which means man- datory prison time if con- victed. The Nov. 26 shooting outside the Village Tavern in Kennewick left Antho- ny L. Asselin paralyzed from the chest down. One of the bullets that hit him is lodged in his spine, accord- ing to his family. Gibbs is Asselin’s for- mer girlfriend and mother to one of his children. Asselin, 29, is a father of four and a local rapper who goes by the name “Redd 100.” A witness told Kenne- wick police that Houfmuse and Asselin had a “beef” while inside the tavern and eventually took their argu- ment outside, court doc- uments said. That’s when Houfmuse shot Asselin several times without any physical provocation, doc- uments said. Houfmuse had been at the bar with Gibbs. Another witness said the friction between the men was because “Asselin thinks that (Houfmuse) fur- nishes drugs to Ms. Gibbs, which affects her parent- ing,” court documents said. After the shooting, Houfmuse got into Gibbs’ car and drove off, docu- ments said. Gibbs, who was inter- viewed Nov. 29 by detec- tives, admitted that the two men were arguing before she heard several loud pops and saw Asselin on the ground. She said Houf- muse initially was behind scene, but she took over and drove him to a Hermis- ton house, court documents said. Gibbs initially gave an incorrect address for Houfmuse’s relative, then changed the information af- ter Hermiston police looked into the location. She said Houfmuse was aware she was talking to investiga- tors, but he didn’t know she would give up his where- abouts, documents said. Detectives warned Gibbs not to tip off Houf- muse that she had revealed his location. However, authorities tried to arrest Houfmuse at that address on Dec. 1 and learned he left beforehand “in an ap- parent effort to avoid the police,” court documents said. Gibbs was a passenger in the vehicle that Houf- said. Houfmuse was arrested later that day by federal marshals at a Hermiston apartment complex. Gibbs reportedly told investigators that her boy- friend said he was “sorry for the shooting.” Gibbs is out of custody on her personal recogni- zance while awaiting trial. Houfmuse remains in the Benton County jail with bail set at $250,000. SUBMIT COMMUNITY NEWS Submit information to: community@eastoregonian. com or drop off to the attention of Tammy Malgesini at 333 E. Main St., Hermiston or Renee Struthers at 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton. Call 541-564-4539 or 541- 966-0818 with questions. “There’s no silver bullet for improving communication.” — Jane Hill, Pendleton councilwoman nomic development, Houk said the city’s investments in UAS, Barnhart Road and the airport area in general should become more clear this year. Regardless of the chal- lenges that lay ahead, many the city’s direction. “I think its going to be a great year of progress,” Hill said. ——— Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0836. 2012 NW Carden Ave. 541-276-1522 BEST STAND-UP COMEDY ON IT'S WAY TO HERMISTON! Melonville Comedy Festival January 24, 2015 Hermiston Community Center The 22nd edition of the Melonville Comedy Festival will feature three headlining stand up comedians. The comics have been seen on Last Comic Standing, HBO, Comedy Central, and on the Bob and Tom Radio Show. s $O YOU NEED HELP WITH COSTS AT THE DRUG STORE s )S YOUR MONTHLY 0ART " PAYMENT HARD TO AFFORD )F SO YOU MAY BE ABLE TO GET SOME %XTRA (ELP 4O 1UALIFY Single ,ESS THAN MONTHLY GROSS INCOME ,ESS THAN IN RESOURCES Couple ,ESS THAN MONTHLY GROSS INCOME ,ESS THAN IN RESOURCES #ALL /REGON -EDICARE 3AVINGS #ONNECT TO LEARN MORE AND APPLY Toll-free 1–855–447–0155 -ONDAYn&RIDAY AMn0- 'RQ·WOHavH\RXUEHQHILWVRQWKHWDEOH Aging and Disability Resource Connection of OR EG ON 4HIS PUBLICATION WAS PRODUCED BY THE 3TATE OF /REGON WITH lNANCIAL ASSISTANCE THROUGH A GRANT FROM THE !DMINISTRATION FOR #OMMUNITY ,IVING AND THE #ENTERS FOR -EDICARE 3ERVICES 'RANTEES UNDERTAKING PROJECTS UNDER GOVERNMENT SPONSORSHIP ARE ENCOURAGED TO EXPRESS THEIR lNDINGS 4HESE CONTENTS DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE POLICY OF THE 53 $EPARTMENT OF (EALTH AND (UMAN 3ERVICES AND THE GRANTEE SHOULD NOT ASSUME ENDORSEMENT BY THE &EDERAL 'OVERNMENT BRAD UPTON 3,ĂƐ3ďĞĞŶ3ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ3ĂƐ3Ă3ƐƚĂŶĚͲƵƉ3ĐŽŵŝĐ3ĨŽƌ3 3ϯϱ3LJĞĂƌƐ͘333,Ğ3ŚĂƐ3ĂƉƉĞĂƌĞĚ3ŝŶ3ƚŚĞ3,K3 3ŽŵĞĚLJ3&ĞƐƚŝǀĂů͕3EZW3ZĂĚŝŽ͛Ɛ3ZĞǁŝŶĚ͕3 3ĂŶĚ3ǁŝůů3ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵ3ƚŚŝƐ3ƐƉƌŝŶŐ3ǁŝƚŚ3EĞĂů3 3DĐŽLJ3ĂŶĚ3:ŽŚŶŶLJ3DĂƚŚŝƐ͘33ƌĂĚ3ŚĂƐ3 3ƐĞǀĞƌĂů3ĂůďƵŵƐ3ƚŚĂƚ3ĂƌĞ3ƉůĂLJĞĚ3ŽŶ3yD3 3^ĂƚĞůůŝƚĞ3ZĂĚŝŽ DAVID CROWE 3 /Ɛ3Ă3ĨƌĞƋƵĞŶƚ3ŐƵĞƐƚ3ŽŶ3ƚŚĞ3K34E3 3dKD3ZĂĚŝŽ3ƐŚŽǁ͕3ĂƉƉĞĂƌĞĚ3ŝŶ3ŚŝƐ3ŽǁŶ3 3ŽŵĞĚLJ3ĞŶƚƌĂů3ƐƉĞĐŝĂů͕3ĂŶĚ3ĐĂŶ3ďĞ3 3ŚĞĂƌĚ3ŽĨƚĞŶ3ŽŶ3^ĂƚĞůůŝƚĞ3ZĂĚŝŽ͘ DUANE GOAD 3/Ɛ3Ă3ĐŽŵŝĐ3ǁŚŽ3ŚĂƐ3ǁŽƌŬĞĚ3ŝŶ3ŵĂŶLJ3ŽĨ3ƚŚĞ3 ƚ 3 ŽƉ3ĐůƵďƐ3ŝŶ3ƚŚĞ3hŶŝƚĞĚ3^ƚĂƚĞƐ͘33ƵĂŶĞ3ŝƐ3ĂŶ3 3ŽƉĞŶŝŶŐ3ĂĐƚ3ƚŽ3>ĞǁŝƐ3ůĂĐŬ3ĂŶĚ3:ŝŵ3 3'ĂĨĨŝŐĂŶ͘333'ŽĂĚ3ĂůƐŽ3ŚĂƐ3ĂŶ3ĂŶŝŵĂƚĞĚ3 3ƐŚŽǁ3ŽŶ3ŽŵĞĚLJ3ĞŶƚƌĂů͘ Tickets $35 per person Doors open at 7:00, Show starts at 8:00 Tickets available at Hermiston Chamber of Commerce for more info: 541-561-7488 Special Olympics No refunds
