REGION
Friday, February 13, 2015
PENDLETON
Requa bronze on track
to be unveiled July 11
East Oregonian
While Don Requa the
man came to Pendleton
from Buhl, Idaho, Requa the
bronze will soon travel here
from the greater Portland
area.
A clay model of the
seven-and-a-half foot tall
bronze statue of the legend-
ary Pendleton High School
football coach is currently
on display at sculptor Rip
Caswell’s Troutdale gallery.
The model will soon be
transported to the Firebird
Bronze foundry in Boring
for bronze work, welding
and patina application.
All of this work is in an-
ticipation of unveiling the
bronze July 11 at Brown-
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Chuck Kearney, the
chairman of the Linebacker
Club’s bronze committee
and a resident of Maywood
Park, said he frequently
checks on the statue’s prog-
ress to make sure the details
are right.
Once the bronze is com-
plete, Kearney said he
and Caswell will person-
ally transport the bronze
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truck.
The Linebacker’s Club
has already raised $93,000
to fund the bronze after
receiving Pendleton City
East Oregonian
Page 3A
UMATILLA
Routine maintenance leaves
ponds below McNary Dam dry
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
Photo contributed by Caswell Gallery
A clay model of former
Pendleton High School
coach Don Requa is on
display at the Caswell
Gallery in Troutdale. It will
be used to create a bronze
statue that will be un-
veiled at Brownfield Park,
Pendleton on July 11.
Council approval in January.
Some community members
have asked the city council
to reconsider placing the
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council has taken no further
action on the matter.
Several man-made ponds
at McNary Wildlife Nature
Area along the Columbia Riv-
er east of Umatilla have been
temporarily dried out while
crews perform maintenance
upstream at McNary Dam.
Gina Baltrusch, spokes-
woman for the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers Walla
Walla District, said the ponds
are gravity-fed by water from
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is drained for annual cleaning
and repairs.
The window for in-water
work is Dec. 15 through Feb.
28, when NOAA Fisheries
says the fewest number of
endangered Columbia salm-
on and steelhead are trying to
pass. Salmon are not held in
the recreation ponds, though
there are some resident warm
water species that call the
ponds home.
The largest of these ponds
is not completely dried, Bal-
trusch said, which allows the
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Oregon Department of Fish
& Wildlife, said they have
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in the ponds during mainte-
nance at the dam.
In May, ODFW stocks the
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Low water levels in the fish ponds below the McNary Dam are due to routine
maintenance on the fish ladders at the dam.
ponds with hatchery trout for
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by. The wildlife area is open
year-round from sunrise to
sunset, and features a wide
variety of birds, mammals
and other aquatic life.
In other construction news
at the dam, crews began work
last month on a new potable
water distribution system for
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tection at the facility.
Rotschy Inc., of Vancou-
ver, Washington, was award-
ed the $3.16 million contract
to upgrade the system, which
provides water to the dam’s
powerhouse, warehouse and
west park areas. The old sys-
tem was more than 50 years
old.
Construction is expected
to continue through the year.
The public should expect
equipment on the roadways
that could temporarily affect
access to the nearby nature
and recreation trails.
The existing water sys-
tem will continue to operate
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the old system is decommis-
sioned, the old water tank
will be demolished.
———
Contact George Plaven
at gplaven@eastoregonian.
com or 541-564-4547.
BRIEFLY
Cops nabs burglar
asleep in garage
UMATILLA — Police
arrested a suspected burglar
Monday in Umatilla after
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inside another resident’s
garage on Southshore Drive.
Joseph Arthur Manning,
28, of Irrigon, was
charged with burglary,
criminal mischief,
theft and possession of
methamphetamine. Umatilla
County Sheriff Terry Rowan
said the investigation is
ongoing, and more charges
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Sheriff’s deputies
responded after the resident
reported someone broke into
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his possessions and loaded
several tools and property
into one of his vehicles.
The vehicle’s ignition and
steering column were also
damaged.
After checking inside the
second vehicle — which
was also damaged — the
resident found Manning
asleep in the seat and called
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Manning without incident,
assisted by the Umatilla city
police and Oregon State
Police.
Manning was in
possession of meth,
women’s jewelry, stolen
mail and credit cards that
were not in his name,
according to the sheriff’s
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in the process of tracking
down the victims of the
stolen mail, which had been
taken from addresses in
Hermiston, Umatilla and
Irrigon.
“We don’t know if
somebody has been
defrauded up to this point,”
Rowan said.
Manning was lodged at
the Umatilla County Jail,
Pendleton. The sheriff’s
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to be alert and lock their
homes and vehicles.
Umatilla County
patrol deputies to
get tablet tech
PENDLETON —
Umatilla County sheriff
deputies will get a
technological boost when
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The county board of
commissioners Thursday in
Pendleton gave the OK for
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$20,735 to purchase 13
tablet computers.
Sheriff’s Capt. Dave
Williamson explained
the tablets are part of the
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its new records management
system, and the tablets
would allow patrol deputies
to access dispatch and other
information.
And the county board
accepted an offer from
the Milton-Freewater
Ambulance Service Area
Health District to pay half
the cost, or $1,725.33,
for the 2011 election that
created the taxing district.
The district disputed it
owed any money because
the board of commissioners
nominated individuals to
run for the district board,
Commissioner Larry Givens
said, but the county only did
so at the request of those
who wanted the district.
County elections director
Kim Lindell said state
rules specify a special
district bears the cost of
an election. Olsen said it
was unclear if the county
informed the district board
before the election about its
responsibility to pay.
Givens said he was
wiling to accept the
district’s offer so the county
could move past this.
Commissioner Bill Elfering,
who participated via phone,
said this was a special
circumstance that does not
set a precedent.
Lindell also said from
now on, the county needs
to explain in writing why a
district would foot the bill.
HSD hosts K-8
college prep night
HERMISTON — The
Hermiston School District
is giving students in
elementary and middle
school a chance to jumpstart
their college and career
plans at its second annual
K-8 College and Career
Family Night.
The event will be at
Armand Larive Middle
School from 5-7 p.m. on
Feb. 19. Families will be
able to ask questions and
explore booths on colleges,
technical schools, career
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other post-secondary
possibilities.
Contact Michelle
Jensen at 541-667-6400 or
michelle.jensen@hermiston.
k12.or.us for more
information.
Good Sam Club
looking for new
members
PENDLETON — The
Blue Mountain Good Sams
will be holding their regular
meeting at The Saddle
Restaurant and Lounge
Saturday.
A luncheon will start at
12:30 p.m. with the meeting
immediately following at
1 p.m. Good Sam member
Louis Pulley said the
organization is looking for
young recruits to add to
their ranks.
The Blue Mountain
Good Sams are one of 43
Good Sam Club charitable
organizations in Oregon.
At the local level, the
Blue Mountain Good Sams
are known for recycling
cans during Round-Up week
and donating the proceeds to
charity.
Pulley said the recycling
efforts have raised more
than $30,000 for the
Doernbecher Children’s
Hospital Foundation.
Catholic Daughters
raise money in style
HERMISTON —
Clothing from local stores
will be showcased as the
Catholic Daughters of the
Americas Our Lady of
Angels Court No. 1692
hosts its annual Valentine’s
Day Luncheon and Style
Show.
Featuring a salad
luncheon, the doors open
Saturday at 11:30 a.m. in the
church’s parish hall, 565 W.
Hermiston Ave., Hermiston.
The cost is $8 for adults and
$5 for children 10 and under.
Tickets can be purchased in
advance or at the door.
The public is welcome
to attend. The event also
includes door prizes.
Proceeds form the
luncheon and style show
go toward the group’s
scholarship fund. The 2014
event raised $1,000 for
the Catholic Daughter’s
Marilyn Harris Memorial
Scholarship, which is
awarded each spring to two
graduating seniors.
For tickets or more
information, call Kristi
Smalley at 541-567-1546.
Harris Park
accepts applications
for camp hosts
MILTON-FREEWATER
— Harris Park, located 15
miles outside of Milton-
Freewater on the South
Fork Walla Walla River, is
accepting applications for
camp hosts for the 2015
season that begins April 1.
Camp hosts are provided
with a place to park an
RV, including water and
electrical hookups. Duties
include basic campground
cleanup and customer
service. A background check
is required.
For more information,
contact Ginette Hensley at
the Umatilla County Public
Works Department at 541-
278-5460.
First Draft shifts
to Wednesday for
February
PENDLETON — A pair
of Walla Walla authors are
the featured writers during
this month’s First Draft
Writers’ Series.
Jennifer Boyden and Scott
Elliott will each read from
their new work Wednesday,
Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. at Pendleton
Center for the Arts, 214 N.
Main St. Organizers note the
event is on a Wednesday this
month, rather than the typical
third Thursday due to other
scheduling at the arts center.
The event is free and open to
the public.
Boyden is the author of
two books of poetry. She is
a former PEN Northwest
Wilderness Writing resident,
and lived for a year on a
remote homestead near the
Rogue National Wild and
Scenic River where she
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drunk bears and talk to
boulders. She currently
teaches at Eastern Oregon
University and Whitman
College.
Elliott is the author of
“Coiled in the Heart,” a
Booksense 76 and a Library
of Congress One-Book One-
Community selection, and
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the 2014 Washington State
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and essays have appeared
in multiple publications. He
is an associate professor of
creative writing and English
at Whitman College.
The featured readers
will be followed by a short
question and answer session
and then an open mic,
providing local writers an
opportunity to read from
their works.
For more information, call
541-278-9201.
FFA fundraiser
features ‘Dryland’
BOARDMAN — A
screening of “Dryland” will
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Ione, Heppner and Morrow
County FFA chapters.
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Sunday, Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. as
the SAGE Center, 101 Olson
Road, Boardman. The cost is
$15, which includes dessert.
The movie, which has been
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festivals, focuses on a small
town in rural America that is
struggling for survival.
Proceeds from the
event will assist in sending
students to the National FFA
Convention in October in
Louisville, Kentucky.
For more information
about the fundraiser,
contact erin.heideman@
ione.k12.or.us. For more
about the movie, visit www.
drylandmovie.net.
———
Briefs are compiled
from staff and wire reports,
and press releases. Email
press releases to news@
eastoregonian.com
Save the Date SATURDAY, FEB. 14
M AKE Y OUR R ESERVATIONS T ODAY !
Bleu Cheese Topped Sirloin
Fire Roasted Salmon with Pineapple Salsa
Live Music AT 10:00 P IN THE SALOON
WHISKY BARREL ROCKER
F R E E
SALOON OPENS AT 4 PM
DINNER
BEGINNING AT 5 PM
-
N O
C O V E R
R E S E R VAT I O N S
541.278.1100
H AMLEY S TEAK H OUSE
COURT & MAIN • DOWNTOWN PENDLETON