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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 8, 2015)
REGION Tuesday, September 8, 2015 East Oregonian Page 3A :HWZHHNHQGKHOSVOLIWZLOG¿UHHYDFXDWLRQV QLQJVSDUNHG ¿UHV WKDW HYHQWXDOO\ merged into larger infernos, feeding on bone-dry forests and whipped Evacuations have been lifted by high, unpredictable winds. Both around the Canyon Creek and also destroyed dozens of structures, *UL]]O\ %HDU ZLOG¿UHV LQ (DVWHUQ including 43 homes in Canyon Oregon as rain and snow helped &UHHNDQG¿YHPRUHLQWKH*UL]]O\ dampen their intensity over the Bear Complex. The Canyon Creek Complex has weekend. The Grant County Sheriff’s charred more than 110,000 acres 2I¿FH OLIWHG DOO HYDFXDWLRQ OHYHOV south of John Day, and continues to for the Canyon Creek Complex burn east into the Strawberry Moun- on Monday, including all of tain Wilderness in the Malheur Strawberry Road and all of Prairie National Forest. At 75,000 acres, City. Meanwhile, evacuations were the Grizzly Bear Complex started in lifted Saturday on the Grizzly Bear the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness Complex after seven inches of snow before threatening the small commu- fell over Godman Campground in nity of Troy in Wallowa County, the Umatilla National Forest near near the Oregon-Washington border. )LUH RI¿FHUV LQ HDFK FDPS VDLG Dayton, Washington. Both blazes started as small light- the weekend’s wet weather helped By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian crews reinforce containment lines around communities, which allowed them to lift evacuations and begin demobilizing resources. The Canyon Creek Complex is now 85 percent contained. Fire lines are secure along the north, VRXWKDQGZHVWÀDQNVRIWKHEOD]H while rapellers work to protect Slide Creek and Strawberry Lake in the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness. The wilderness area remains closed to the public. 'HEELH:LONLQV¿UHLQIRUPDWLRQ RI¿FHURQWKH*UL]]O\%HDU&RPSOH[ VDLGWKH¿UHLVSHUFHQWFRQWDLQHG but still burning actively in the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness. Containment lines should hold up DORQJ WKH ¿UH¶V VRXWKHUQ SHULPHWHU Wilkins said. A smaller Type 3 management team took over operations of the ¿UH RQ 0RQGD\ DQG DQRWKHU National Guard soldiers deployed to the area have been sent home. The remaining crews hope to transition to patrol duty by Friday, Wilkins said. Though wetter, cooler weather KDV WHPSRUDULO\ KHOSHG ¿UH¿JKWHUV during mop-up activities, Wilkins said it would take seven straight GD\V RI UDLQ WR WUXO\ GRXVH WKH ¿UH and buck drought conditions in the forest. The extended forecast calls for warmer days ahead, which should quickly dry out larger fuels capable of burning for a long time. “With the extended drought we’ve had in the inland Northwest, those fuels are just so dry,” Wilkins Semi tips on Paterson Ferry Road Staff photo by Jade McDowell FISH: Proposal meant to lower rate bass prey on salmon, steelhead cited an ODFW study from Continued from 1A 1999 that concluded small- might open the doors to a mouth bass are not major potential cottage industry. predators of spring chinook “We’re very concerned and steelhead smolts in the about what’s the writing on John Day, since the bass are the wall here,” Johnson said. not particularly active when ODFW has said the smolts migrate in colder proposal is meant to lower water. the rate at which bass prey on On the other hand, native salmon and steelhead northern pikeminnow prey smolts, especially in the John on smolts year round, Day River where rising water Fleming said, and bass have temperatures have lured actually helped decrease smallmouth bass higher into pikeminnow numbers in the the watershed. river. But Steve Fleming, of “I just don’t see the 0DK+DK2XW¿WWHUVLQ)RVVLO science supporting this deci- sion-making,” Fleming said. Fleming, who has guided ¿VKLQJ WULSV RQ WKH -RKQ Day for 27 years, said the vote to remove bag limits on ZDUPZDWHU¿VKZDVWKRXJKW- less. He doesn’t expect his business to suffer, though he VDLG WKH ¿VKHU\ DORQJ ZLWK rural communities, will all be impacted. “The word will get out WKDW\RXFDQ¶W¿QGDQ\ZKHUH WR ¿VK RQ WKH -RKQ 'D\ unless you have a boat,” he VDLG ³7KH VXPPHU WUDI¿F will die down.” The new rules are part of an effort to simplify ZDUPZDWHUDQGWURXW¿VKLQJ regulations statewide. Other changes adopted by the Fish & Wildlife Commission include eliminating the April trout opener and removing bag limits on non-native brown and brook trout in streams, with a few excep- tions. Johnson said Oregon B.A.S.S. will work with RWKHU JURXSV WR ¿JXUH RXW what their options are moving forward. “Needless to say, it’s very frustrating,” he said. POW WOW: All of the participants received prizes in the non-competitive dances Staff photo by Kathy Aney Lewis Allen, 7, dances during the 5th Annual Kidz Pow Wow on Saturday at the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute. September 10 th , 2015 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm Stillman Park (SE Byers and 4 th ) Adults: $ 7.00 4-12: $ 4.00 Kids under 4 FREE Eggs, Pancakes, Ham, Coffee, & Juice Entertainment Drawings Door Prize Sponsored by: Main Street Side Saddlers Pendleton, OR The Rivoli Restoration Coalition recognizes and thanks the Wildhorse Foundation for their support of the Rivoli Coalition Architectural and Engineering Project! EO file photo Weston-McEwen band instructor Rob McIntyre stands in front of the Gem Theatre in Athena in March 2015. He has been a driving force in the resto- ration of the theater. Theatre renovation JHWV¿QDQFLDOERRVW Old movie house fell silent in 1968 East Oregonian ATHENA – The effort to renovate Athena’s old Gem Theatre got a boost recently with the awarding of three grants totaling $244,000. Volunteers are bringing the dusty time capsule, shuttered in 1968, back to life as a space for movies, plays and school functions, as well as streaming concerts and other perfor- mances. A museum inside will feature vintage Hodaka motorcycles, once assem- bled in Athena. The Meyer Memorial Trust, founded by the late Fred G. Meyer who built a chain of retail stores throughout the Northwest, has awarded $200,000. The theater received another $35,000 from The Collins Foundation, founded by the family of E.S. Collins to give greater expression to humanitarian endeavors in Oregon. Another $9,000 was awarded by Trust Management Services, which emphasizes educa- tion, community service, culture, youth activities and historical preservation. The project to renovate the old movie house kicked into high gear earlier this year funded by commu- nity donations and two $200,000 grants from the Ford Family Foundation and the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. So far, volunteers have replaced an outside brick wall, gutted the theater and replaced the saloon’s façade, along with various other tasks. The renovated theater will include some of the original balcony seats. HERMISTON Hansell town hall set for Sept. 21 HERMISTON — The Hermiston Chamber of Commerce is hosting a town hall with Sen. Bill Hansell (R-Athena) on Monday, Sept. 21. The senator will be on hand from 9-10 a.m. at Nookies Restaurant, 125 N. First St. in Hermiston, to discuss “the good, the bad and the ugly” of the 2015 legislative session. He will also provide an overview of bills passed, discuss his goals for WKHQH[WOHJLVODWLYHVHVVLRQDQG¿HOG Hansell questions from the audience. PATIENT APPRECIATION EVENT Please join us at Community Park September 10th from 4-6pm for a BBQ Dinner catered by Dickey’s Compliments of Dr. Hibbert! No Ticket Required Admit One Tribal elder Tessie Williams had commenced Franklin, of Tamastslikt, the gathering with a prayer sported a neon pink shirt in which she had lifted up with the words, “5th Annual “our precious children.” Kidz Pow Wow.” After She watched the powwow each age group danced, wrapped in a Pendleton she helped award prizes to blanket and nodding her all who participated in the head at the beat produced by non-competitive dances. The the drummers. idea, she said, was to provide “The drummers are a pressure-free venue to wonderful,” she said. “The allow children, native or kids are wonderful.” non-native up to age 12, Randy Minthorn sat at to experience powwow. a table with a microphone, :KHQ$OH[¶VJURXS¿QLVKHG acting as emcee. (age 0 through 4), each He praised the parents dancer received a backpack and others who had made the containing something home- gathering a priority. made. “We are here supporting Franklin grinned as she our children,” Minthorn watched the dancers, some- said. “This is big medicine times taking out her phone to to our people. To pass on this shoot video. knowledge in contemporary “It’s amazing to see them times is important.” out there,” she said. “They’re ——— so excited. It makes all the Contact Kathy Aney at stress of planning so worth kaney@eastoregonian.com it.” or call 541-966-0810. Continued from 1A ATHENA Admit One An overturned semitruck blocks Paterson Ferry Road parallel to milepost 177 on Interstate 84 after the driver lost control while driving westbound on Monday shortly before 10 a.m., spilling his load of corn meal on the road and blocking traffic for several hours. The driver was uninjured. said. “It’s hard to imagine them being any drier.” State and county roads remain FORVHG DURXQG WKH ¿UH DUHD WR SURWHFW ¿UH¿JKWHUV DV ZHOO DV WKH public. Roads are closed north of the Grande Ronde River from the Umatilla National Forest boundary to the Oregon-Washington border; north of the state line to Washington Highway 129; west of Highway 129 to the intersection at Highway 100; and north again to the national forest boundary. For more information about ZLOG¿UHV LQ 2UHJRQ YLVLW ZZZ inciweb.nwcg.gov. ——— Contact George Plaven at gplaven@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0825. Free box of hearing aid batteries with new aid purchase! Certified, Licensed Audiologist Here for you! Monday - Thursday 8 AM - 5 PM 2237 SW Court, Pendleton, OR 97801 541-276-5053 www.renataanderson.com