REGION
Thursday, July 9, 2015
HERMISTON
Don Horneck Memorial Building
at research station breaks ground
Staff, family come
out for ceremony
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
The Hermiston Agricul-
tural Research & Extension
Center broke ground on a
new building Wednesday
that will be named in
memory of the center’s
former agronomist professor
Don Horneck.
“All of us here still miss
Don,” HAREC director
Phil Hamm said. “Don will
always be missed for who
he was and what he did for
the experiment station.”
Plans for the building
were in the works before
Horneck died in the fall of
2014. Hamm said Horneck
would have worked out
of the new building’s
agronomy lab once it was
completed.
The building also will
include
insect-rearing
facilities, a tissue culture
room and various pieces
of research equipment,
including special super-
cold freezers for RNA and
DNA samples that will be
equipped with a back-up
natural gas generator for
when the power goes out.
“I won’t have to lose any
more hair worrying about
losing samples,” Hamm
said.
The $300,000 building
was paid for by public and
Staff Photo by Jade McDowell
East Oregonian
Page 3A
CRIME ROUNDUP
Milton-Freewater babysitter faces
charges of assaulting toddler
MILTON-FREEWATER — A Milton-Freewater
babysitter has pleaded not guilty to accusations she assaulted
an 18-month-old boy in her care.
Milton-Freewater Police Chief Doug Boedigheimer
reported a Walla Walla mother brought her son to the
Milton-Freewater Police Department July 2 when she found
bruises to his face and side of the head. The mother said the
toddler was not injured when she left
him with Megan Angela Elaine Hines,
22, at Hines’ residence, 1317 S. Main
St., Milton-Freewater.
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according to Boedigheimer, arrested
her and booked her into the Umatilla
County Jail, Pendleton, on charges
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fourth-degree assault and third-degree
assault. The mistreatment and third-
degree assault counts are felonies.
Hines was in court Monday to
Hines
face the initial charges, according
to Umatilla County Circuit Court records, and Umatilla
County Circuit Judge Christopher Brauer set her bail at
$20,000. Hines has a pretrial hearing Friday morning,
which is likely to be an arraignment following a grand jury
indictment.
Court records also show Hines pleaded guilty in
February 2012 to burglary. She served three years probation
for that crime.
Members of the Don Horneck family, staff of the Hermiston Agricultural Research and
Extension Center and contributors to the project work to turn over shovelfuls of sod
at a groundbreaking ceremony for the Don Horneck Memorial Building at HAREC.
Umatilla County Sheriff’s patrol on
Fourth of July nets 24 for driving drunk
“Don will always be missed for who he was of the work her husband
had done at the extension
and what he did for the experiment station.” center and was touched by
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cited 21 people and arrested three for driving under the
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A written statement from sheriff’s Sgt. Joshua Roberts
said the agency responded to only one crash during the
holiday weekend, and it was not alcohol- or drug-related and
no one was injured.
A grant from the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association
funded the “high visibility enforcement” to increase police
presence in the community and prevent deaths from
impaired drivers.
“Holiday weekends like the Fourth of July can
sometimes be deadly on our highways,” said Roberts. “I
am grateful that we had a safe holiday weekend, and that
the deputies were able to remove drivers from the street that
posed a risk to our citizens.”
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during the Umatilla County Fair/Farm City Pro Rodeo,
then Aug. 21 through Sept. 7, which includes Labor Day
weekend, and then from Sept. 14-19 for the Pendleton
Round-Up.
Roberts also reminded people to report impaired drivers
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appears to be an emergency.
the tribute.
She said her husband had
a donation, only its second been very excited about the
donation to an entity outside new building when it was in
of Washington (HAREC the planning stages.
“He was talking about
also received the commis-
VLRQ¶V¿UVWGRQDWLRQRXWVLGH the building and what was
going to be in it and how
of Washington).
Horneck’s wife Vicki great it was going to be,”
attended the groundbreaking she said.
———
ceremony along with several
Contact Jade McDowell
other representatives of the
Horneck family. She said at jmcdowell@eastorego-
the family was very proud nian.com or 541-564-4536.
— Phil Hamm, HAREC director
private donations. Hamm
said about a third of the
money came from private
sources, including many
local growers.
“We’ve gotten tremen-
dous support,” he said.
Hamm said it was a
mark of how important the
station’s research is to the
region that the Washington
Potato Commission made
HERMISTON
City ready for 10th annual Funfest this weekend
By SEAN HART
EO Media Group
From the roar of chainsaw sculptors
to revved-up lawn mower dragsters, the
sounds of Funfest will echo through
downtown Hermiston this weekend.
The 10th annual event provides
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including local musicians and enter-
tainment, a variety of vendors and lots
of children’s activities. The event is
Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on
Main Street, Hermiston.
“We’re excited about having an event
that brings the families out, and there’s
something really for everybody,” said
Debbie Pedro, Hermiston Chamber
of Commerce executive director.
“That’s what Funfest is really all about:
bringing out the community together and
providing a fun day.”
To start the day, the Hermiston Rotary
Club will serve breakfast from 7:30-9:30
a.m. In addition, Pedro said “all kinds of
great eats” will be available throughout
the festival.
East Main Street will be blocked
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Street, with vendors, games and an
entertainment stage lining Main Street.
Kid’s activities include a bounce house
Milton-Freewater man gets 70 months
in prison for armed robbery
Staff photo by Tammy Malgesini
Main Street features family-friendly activities during Funfest. In its 10th
year, the festival is Saturday in downtown Hermiston.
and face painting. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.,
a hands-on exhibit from the Oregon
Museum of Science and Industry is
available inside Victory Baptist Church.
Pedro said OMSI and the Outlaw
Lawn Dragsters draw lots of people to
the festival. Also, chainsaw wood carvers
create sculptures in front of spectators.
For a chance to take home a unique piece
of art, be sure to attend the auction just
after 2 p.m.
The music alone, Pedro said, is worth
a trip downtown. Entertainment includes
Jacob Looper, Dallin Puzey, Dakota
Brown and a mariachi band.
For more information, visit www.
hermistonchamber.com or call 541-567-
6151.
MILTON-FREEWATER — A 26-year-old Milton-Free-
water man pleaded guilty to armed robbery in a deal that
netted him almost six years in prison.
Christopher Nathaniel Murphy admitted in Umatilla
County Circuit Court on June 29 to robbing the First Stop
Mart, 85713 Highway 11, Milton-Freewater, the night of
July 10, 2014. He pleaded guilty to second-degree robbery
and a judge sentenced him to 70 months in state prison.
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store the night of the crime, according to a written statement
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ment and the Walla Walla Police Department. A Umatilla
County sheriff’s sergeant and a deputy conducted the
initial investigation and gathered evidence, including DNA
samples from clothing the suspect left near the store.
The Oregon State Police crime lab in March determined
the DNA matched Murphy’s, the statement said. And
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from Murphy, who was in the Umatilla County Jail,
Pendleton, on other matters.
The DNA evidence led to charges of second-degree
robbery, menacing, and second-degree theft. The plea deal
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in a dismissal of the menacing and theft II charges.
Murphy also must pay restitution to the victim and serve
three years of post-prison supervision.
BRIEFLY
Car show revs up
with Cool Rides
HERMISTON — A short
jaunt from Hermiston’s
Funfest activities, the Cool
Rides car show revs up at
McKenzie Park
In its 20th year, the
Hermiston Classics Car
Club’s show offers a trip
down memory lane as
people from throughout the
region display their cars. The
event, which runs Saturday
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., also
features vendors, entertain-
ment and lots of shade.
Activities start at
McKenzie Park Friday
evening with a poker run
and barbecue for those
showing cars. From 7-9
p.m., everyone is invited to
Hermiston’s Music in the
Park, which features car club
member Rusty Roe and his
group, the Outsiders. The
group will also crank out the
tunes during Saturday’s car
show.
For more information
about the car show, call
car club president Gordon
Blankenship at 541-571-
5206 or visit www.hermis-
tonclassicscarclub.com.
McKenzie Park
offers Friday night
activities
HERMISTON —
Hermiston’s Music in the
Park program rocks this
at 2 p.m. For those interested
in relaxing by the lake,
free camping is available
Saturday night.
For more information,
visit www.facebook.com/
IndianLakeCampground
or contact leighpinkham-
johnston@ctuir.org. For
directions, including GPS
coordinates, visit www.
campindianlake.com.
Staff photo by Tammy Malgesini
A 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 owned by Jerry Fisher
glistens in the sun during the 2014 Cool Rides car
show. This year’s event is Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4
p.m. at McKenzie Park in Hermiston.
Friday as the Cool Rides car
show gets ready to roll.
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series features Hermiston
Classics Car Club member
Rusty Roe and his band,
The Outsiders. The music
runs Friday from 7-9 p.m. at
McKenzie Park, 320 S. First
St., Hermiston. There’s no
admission charge.
The Brass Fire Band
performs Friday, July 17 and
Latin Fusion is scheduled for
Friday, July 24.
The activity switches
gears July 31 with Movies in
the Park, which also includes
Aug. 7 and Aug. 21 shows.
For more information,
call Hermiston Parks &
Recreation at 541-667-5018
or visit www.facebook.com/
hermistonrec.
Indian Lake hosts
family day
PILOT ROCK — A full
day of family fun features
group presentations, activities
and a free lunch this weekend
at Indian Lake.
The Indian Lake Family
Fun Day is Saturday from
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Indian
Lake, located 19 miles south
of Pilot Rock off East Birch
Creek Road.
Family Fun Day
presentations include: 9 a.m.,
Pendleton Bird Club; 10 a.m.,
National Weather Service;
11 a.m., American Indian
Science and Engineering
Society; and 1 p.m., LIGO
Hanford Observatory. The
free lunch is from noon to 1
p.m. and arts and crafts starts
Recreation
department stages
drama camp
HERMISTON — For
youth interested in expressing
their creativity, Hermiston
Parks & Recreation has just
the activity for you.
Developing your acting
skills, as well as working on
designing a mini-play for a
community performance,
are featured in an upcoming
drama camp.
Open to students who just
completed third grade up to
age 17, the drama camp runs
July 20-24 from 3-5 p.m. at
the Hermiston Conference
Center, 415 S. Highway 395.
The cost is $40 for residents
and $50 for non-residents.
Participants need to register
by Thursday, July 16.
For more
information, visit www.
hermistonrecreation.com. To
register, call 541-667-5018
or stop by the recreation
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Hermiston.
Pulp to Paper
creates cool art
Display features
Bujak’s photos
PENDLETON — A
hands-on process that
transforms old scraps into
cool art paper for collage,
cards and scrapbooking is
featured in a youth class at
Pendleton Center for the
Arts.
Pulp to Paper is Saturday,
July 18 from 2-4 p.m. at 214
N. Main St. The cost is $15
for members and $20 for
non-members. The materials
fee is $5.
Participants will make a
mushy pulp, play with it and
then turn it into something
awesome.
For more information
or to register, call 541-278-
9201.
PENDLETON — The
landscape photography of
John Bujak is featured this
month in a display at the
Pendleton Public Library.
The public is invited
to the artist’s reception
Tuesday, July 14 at 5:30 p.m.
at 502 S.W. Dorion Ave.,
Pendleton.
To view some of Bujak’s
work, visit www.facebook.
com/john.bujak1. For more
information about library
exhibits, call 541-966-0380.
———
Submit information to:
community@eastoregonian.
com. Call 541-564-4539
or 541-966-0818 with
questions.