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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 14, 2015)
REGION Wednesday, January 14, 2015 BRIEFLY PGE brings exhibit to SAGE Center BOARDMAN — Portland General Electric is debuting a new exhibit at the SAGE Center in Boardman that shows how the utility generates and distributes electricity. The exhibit was fully funded by PGE and installed Jan. 7 after more than a year working with the museum. Visitors can also learn how electricity demand is balanced, and the amount of energy it takes to power just one household outlet. “We hope visitors to the exhibit walk away with a better sense of what it takes to provide reliable, affordable, responsibly generated power to residential, business and industrial utility customers everywhere,” said Brad Jenkins, PGE’s general manager of diversi ed plants. Kalie Davis, SAGE Center manager, said the exhibit adds another hands- on learning opportunity to the museum’s repertoire. “Portland General Electric is a wonderful asset to Morrow County,” Davis said. “We are excited to partner with PGE to tell their diverse power generation stories as well as the impact PGE has on our community.” The SAGE Center is located at 101 Olson Road, and can be reached at 541- 481-7243. School seeks books for student reading event HERMISTON — Books are needed for an exchange that is planned as part of the Family Reading Night at Sunset Elementary School in Hermiston. Joyce Barak, Title One teacher, is requesting new or gently used books, both hardback and paperback, to be dropped off at the school of ce prior to the Jan. 23 event. Books can be left Monday through Friday from 7:20 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 300 E. Catherine Ave., Hermiston. The books will be distributed to Sunset students to help support reading. The Family Reading Night is Friday, Jan. 23 from 6-7:30 p.m. at the school. Students will have an opportunity to visit several classrooms set up with themes, including Hawaii, space, the beach, sports, and stories around the camp re. In addition, students can take Accelerated Reading quizzes in the library and parents can sign up for Home Connect. Home Connect is a feature of the Accelerated Reader program that allows parents to view the results of their student’s progress in the AR program. For more information about the donation of books or Home Connect, call Sunset Elementary School at 541-667-6700. Hermiston Relay for Life kicks off 2015 event H HERMISTON — Relay for Life of Hermiston is kicking off its annual fundraising event for the American Cancer Society. The public is encouraged to meet the event leadership team and maybe go home with a door prize or silent auction item. Also, a potato bar is available by donation. The kickoff event is Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Armand Larive Middle School, 1497 S.W. Ninth St., Hermiston. The summer Relay for Page 3A HERMISTON Life event is Friday, June 26, also at Armand Larive. For more information, contact Heather Farnworth, American Cancer Society staff partner, at 509-783- 1574, heather.farnworth@ cancer.org or visit www. relayforlife.org. Knights serve Pro-Life breakfast PENDLETON — The annual Pro-Life Breakfast bene ts Pregnancy Care Services and Pendleton Right to Life. Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, the meal is Sunday from 9-11:30 a.m. at the parish hall at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 800 S.E. Court Ave., Pendleton. The cost is $5 per person or $20 for a family. The menu features pancakes, ham, eggs, coffee and juice. The nonpro t Pregnancy Care Services operates in Pendleton and Hermiston to provide counseling, education and baby care products to new and expectant mothers. Pendleton Right to Life is a nondenominational group that provides multi-media information regarding pro-life activities. For more information, contact Dennis Hull at 541-969-7136 or dmhull@ charter.net. Community invited to MLK Day walk HERMISTON — A peace walk and ceremony will mark Martin Luther King day in Hermiston on Monday. The annual event, sponsored by the Black International Awareness Club, is open to the com- munity. It will start at noon at the Hermiston United Methodist Church, 191 E. Gladys Avenue. Participants will walk to city hall for the national anthem and an address by city of cials, then walk a loop around downtown Hermiston before ending back at the church for a ceremony honoring the civil rights leader. Brandon Clay will give the keynote address and Eddie de la Cruz will give the closing remarks. Music will be provided by the Morning Star Youth Choir and St. John’s Little Angels. There also will be an open microphone for people wishing to speak about their own experienc- es and what the day means to them. Snacks will be provided after the ceremony, which is expected to end around 2 p.m. Contact John Carbage, 541-701-7073 for more information. Clubs set sign dedication HERMISTON — A celebration of service clubs in Hermiston features the dedication of a sign erected across from the Hermiston Conference Center. The ceremony is planned Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 1:15 p.m. at the site, located across from 415 S. Highway 395, Hermiston. Afterward, refreshments will be served at the conference center. The effort is a joint project of Altrusa International of Hermiston and the Hermiston Rotary Club. ——— 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. r t h d a y , B r o d y i B L e p y What an e ! a p awesome little man you are becoming! Have yourself a super fun 4 th th birthday celebration! As always, you are in our thoughts & prayers. East Oregonian Love, Grandpa & Grandma Powell New council takes on Ridgeway vacation By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian Discussion on the future of West Ridgeway Avenue was delayed once again during Hermiston’s city council meeting Monday night, but the issue may be coming closer to a resolution. In December the council asked staff to draw up an ordinance that would give the south 15 feet of a stretch of Ridgeway near Highway 395 to the private proper- ty owner to the south, despite threat of a lawsuit from adjacent property owner Rhonda Sallee if the city went forward with vacating any part of the street. After meeting in executive session Monday night, however, the council instead voted to have staff present the details of a proposed settlement agree- ment during its Jan. 26 meeting. They did not elaborate on the details of the agreement. The executive session took place af- ter new city councilor Doug Smith was sworn in along with incumbents Jackie Myers, Lori Davis and Clara Beas Fitz- gerald. In other business, the council voted to accept a $2 million Community De- velopment Block Grant for the building of a new senior center. City manager Byron Smith said a site for the new center has not yet been of- cially selected, but possible locations listed on the grant application include property on Second Street near Sun- set Elementary, the former Goodwill building on Hermiston Avenue, a piece of property behind the Hermiston Con- ference Center and the former Sherrell Chevrolet property on Main Street. Councilor Rod Hardin said it was nice that the grant was so exible, al- lowing Hermiston to build a senior cen- ter that best ts its needs. “This is kind of an exciting one to get,” he said. Staff photo by Jade McDowell Lori Davis, Jackie Myers, Clara Beas Fitzgerald and Doug Smith are sworn in as city councilors by city attorney Gary Luisi. The council also authorized the issu- ance of bonds for the outfall project that forms the last piece of its new waste- water treatment plant. Finance director Amy Palmer said the winning bid for the project came in $1 million under projections, but she was still asking for authorization of up to the full $2.5 million to be on the safe side in case of unforeseen costs. Finally, the city council authorized Smith to sign an agreement with Two Rivers Correctional Institution to use inmate work crews for city projects. “This really helps extend our bud- get,” Byron Smith said. He said the city had used work crews in the past without incident for projects like repainting the public library. Now he wants to restart the practice with a pilot program this summer that would have inmates doing projects like land- scaping and weeding. New city councilor Doug Smith, a former law enforcement of cer, said he knew from experience that inmates al- lowed out on work crews considered the opportunity to leave the prison for a few hours a reward and only well-behaved inmates were trusted to do so. “We’re not going to be having sex offenders and other potentially danger- ous individuals out in the community,” he said. City manager Smith said he was “very comfortable” with the supervi- sion and other components put into the contract with TRCI. He said the city still plans to hire the same amount of sea- sonal laborers; the inmates would be a way to get more projects done while not spending signi cantly more money. ——— Contact Jade McDowell at jmcdow- ell@eastoregonian.com or 541-564- 4536. HERMISTON 2014-2015 educators of the year Ten teachers were honored at Hermiston School District’s 2014- 2015 Educators of the Year on Tuesday night. One teacher from each of the district’s schools, as well as a district-level employee and alterna- tive education employee, were given the award at the beginning of Tues- day’s school board meet- ing. They will also be recognized by the com- munity at the Greater Hermiston Area Chamber of Commerce’s Distin- guished Citizen Awards banquet on Feb. 4. Susan Thurman Fourth Grade Highland Hills Elementary 19 years Susan Scheibner Sunset Elemen- tary Second Grade 25 years SuAnne Fitzgerald West Park Ele- mentary Fifth Grade 14 years Josh Browning Hermiston High School Language Arts 6 years Chelsea Bergstrom Armand Larive Middle School Math 5 years Joe Thornton Alternative Educa- tion Teacher 15 years Cathy Duffy Special Programs Teacher 22 years Linda Mruk Desert View Ele- mentary Kindergarten 9 years Ibbet Velasquez Rocky Heights Elementary First Grade 6 years Tracy Hodges Sandstone Middle School ELL teacher 6 years Four arrested in Irrigon for breaking into RVs By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian Four suspects were arrest- ed Saturday night in Irrigon on a slew of charges after they were caught breaking into recreational vehicles at Chris- tine’s Mini Storage on High- way 730. Morrow County Under- sheriff Steve Myren said dep- uties on patrol rst noticed a suspicious vehicle parked near the storage business at approximately 6:30 p.m.. The of cers were joined by Or- egon State Police and, upon further investigation, found someone had forced their way into the RV area by cutting a hole in the security fence. A total of nine vehicles were burglarized, Myren said, and two of the suspects — Noah Daley Weatherford and Sheri Leigh May — were found inside one of the RVs. Those arrested were: Weatherford, 38, charged with seven counts felony bur- glary; misdemeanor trespass- ing; misdemeanor criminal mischief and violating parole. May, 33, charged with nine counts of felony burglary; nine counts of felony criminal mischief; misdemeanor crim- STUDENT OF THE WEEK Adrian Romero I RRIGON H IGH S CHOOL Adrian is a multi-faceted young man who brings pride, integrity, and determination to everything he does. He is a stellar athlete and excels at basketball. He was voted 2A State Player of the Year for the 2013-14 basketball season and was a part of Irrigon High School’s State Championship team that year. Adrian has shown leadership and camaraderie on and off the basketball court. He volunteers to referee youth basketball games and serves as treasurer for our school’s chapter of the Key Club. In addition, Adrian maintains excellent grades and he has been on our Honor Roll every quarter of his high school career. Proudly Sponsored by Pr o pe r t ie s - H er mist on , L LC PATTI BURRES, Broker 541-571-5888 • pattiburres@eoni.com www.amwestprop.com inal mischief; misdemeanor trespassing; simple assault; possession of methamphet- amine and supplying contra- band. Truman Lloyd Chamber- lin, 18, charged with seven counts of felony burglary; misdemeanor trespassing; misdemeanor criminal mis- chief and possession of bur- glary tools. Cylie Laylani Hepton, 22, charged with seven counts of felony burglary; misdemean- or trespassing; misdemeanor criminal mischief; possession of burglary tools; possession of methamphetamine; pro- viding false information to a police of cer and violating probation. All four were booked into the Umatilla County Jail, Pendleton. The investigation is ongoing, Myren said. ——— Contact George Plaven at gplaven@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4547.
