REGION Thursday, November 12, 2015 East Oregonian Page 3A Hermiston schools ¿QDOL]LQJFULVLVDSS 3rovides emergency protocols, noti¿cation By SEAN HART East Oregonian Staff photo by Jade McDowell 7RLOHWWRXFKGRZQ at Victory Square Park Victory Square Park in Hermiston got a permanent restroom facility delivered Wednesday as part of the $123,000 set aside by the city for improvements to the park. Other planned improvements include increased lighting and a new roof for the picnic shelter. The city is also renovating Sunset Park and plans to turn its attention to the half acre Northside Playground on Beech Avenue next. The playground will be the main topic of discussion at the Parks and Recreation committee’s meeting Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at city hall. BOARDMAN Symphony announces free performance East Oregonian A free concert by the Willow Creek Symphony is being presented this weekend in Boardman. The program includes “Larghetto from Symphony No, 2, Op. 36” by Ludwig Van Beethoven, “The Halls of Ivy” arranged by Ralph Matesky, “French Masters Suite” arranged by Philip Gordon and “Hot Staccato” by Roger Britten. Under the direction of conductor R. Lee Friese and associate conductor Ralph Werner, the symphony will perform Sunday at 4 p.m. at Riverside High School, 210 N.E. Boardman Ave., Boardman. Also, a reception will follow the performance. The Willow Creek Symphony is the prepara- tory orchestra of the Inland Watershed Enhancement Board awards more than $6.8 million in grants Photo contributed by Salli Ketchersid The Willow Creek Symphony performs earlier this year in Irrigon. The Inland Northwest Musicians ensemble will present a free concert Sunday in Boardman. Northwest Musicians. Its members include youths and adults. Inland Northwest Musi- cians is a nonpro¿t organi- ]ation that is committed to bringing live orchestral and choral music to communities in northeastern Oregon and southeastern Washington. The organi]ation doesn’t charge for its performances, but accepts donations from audiences. For more information about the organi]ation, including how to join an ensemble, contact 541-289- 4696, inwm@machmedia. net or visit www.inland- northwestmusicians.com. BRIEFLY 6WDQ¿HOGKRVWV festival, quilt show STANFIELD — Food, fun, crafts and quilt displays are featured during the Stan¿eld Community Center Fall Festival and Quilt Show. The event is Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 225 Roosevelt Ave., Stan¿eld. There’s no admission charge. Food available for purchase include taco soup, rolls and pie. Many of the quilts on display feature Quilts of Valor projects, the program presents quilts to combat veterans. For more information, call Cheryl Tucker at 541-571-6019. Library offers 6DWXUGD\FUDIWV HERMISTON — Children in ¿fth grade and younger are invited to participate in the Saturday Craft Time at the Hermiston Public Library. Through the winter months, youths can stop by the library each Saturday between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and work on a craft project, which they can take home afterwards. The library is located at 235 E. Gladys Ave. There is no charge for participation in the craft activities. For more information, call 541-567-2882 or visit www.hermistonlibrary.us. IMAC sets annual PHHWLQJGLQQHU IXQGUDLVHU IRRIGON — The annual meeting of the Irrigon Multicultural Art Center will include a spaghetti dinner. Open to the public, the event is Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at the Skinny Bull Museum, located behind the Irrigon branch of the Bank In a crisis, Hermiston students, teachers and ¿rst responders will soon hold valuable information in the palm of their hands. Hermiston School 'istrict of¿cials are ¿nali]ing a smartphone and tablet application with the ability to immediately notify people about emergencies, Director of Operations Mike Kay said at Monday’s school board meeting. Kay said elementary staff are reviewing and re¿ning the information in the CrisisManager app, which will be rolled out to staff at the middle schools and high school before being made available to students and parents early next year. In an emergency — from a blown power trans- former to an active shooter situation — Kay said the district would be able to quickly provide accurate, up-to-date information. “If you don’t provide the information, people will make it up, and it will become fact,” he said. The app will provide different information for different user groups, Kay said. Students and parents will have access to basic information, such as evacu- ation routes and automated external de¿brillator loca- tions, as well as the ability to anonymously report bullying and harassment. Kay said staff will have access to detailed infor- mation about emergency procedures and protocols. In a panic situation, he said, a teacher would be unlikely to run back into a room to retrieve this information but could easily access it on a phone. He said they would also have the ability to quietly request assistance from an administrator. Emergency responders would also be able to use the app to pull up building maps, evacuation routes and emergency shut-offs, Kay said. School board member Maria Duron said as a parent she appreciated the focus on student safety. “You certainly don’t want to be scrambling while the event is happening,” she said. Superintendent Fred Maiocco said the safety and security of the students is of utmost importance, and the new technology will allow the district to better communicate with students during an emer- gency. “We want students to have this,” he said. “Instead of ¿ghting the smartphone thing, I’m saying embrace it, acknowledge it.” of Eastern Oregon, 230 S. First St. The meal costs $6 per person. The group hopes to preserve the old Irrigon High School building and create a regional art venue. For more information, call Donna at 541-922-3197 or Peggy at 541-567-3806. %UHDNIDVWEHQH¿WV VFKRODUVKLSIXQG PENDLETON — An upcoming all-you-can-eat breakfast will raise money for the Masonic Scholarship Fund. The Paul Gorham Memorial Scholarship Breakfast is Sunday from 8 a.m. to noon at Pendleton Masonic Lodge No. 52, 1350 N.W. Carden Ave. The cost is $6 for adults and $4 for children 6-12. Also, call-in orders are welcome. The scholarship fund was created in memory of Paul Gorham, a member who taught in the Pendleton School District for more than 30 years. Graduating seniors from Pendleton, Pilot Rock and Nixyaawii high schools are eligible to apply for the scholarships. For more information, call the lodge at 541-276- 3760. Free training focuses on IEP SURFHVV HERMISTON — A pair of trainings — including one in Spanish — will assist families with children receiving special education services. Understanding the IEP and It Starts with a Dream provide information about the individual education plan (IEP) process and person-centered planning. The free training is offered Monday, Nov. 16 at Hermiston Center for School Readiness, 502 W. Standard Ave. The ¿rst session from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. is presented in Spanish and will have English interpretation. The session from 5:30-8 p.m. is provided in English. For more information, contact 503-786-6082, 888-988-3228 or registration@factoregon.org. HHS AP language DQGZULWLQJGHEDWH SODQQHG HERMISTON — Hermiston High School’s Advanced Placement Language & Writing students will show the skills they accrued during the summer at a public policy debate from 6-8 p.m. Nov. 17 in the HHS auditorium. The public is invited to attend as the top four teams from both AP classes compete. The panel of judges will include the HHS speech coach, an HHS language arts teacher, an HHS administrator, Superintendent Fred Maiocco, a school board member and two community members. The debates will be recorded for students to watch, and the winning teams will have their names memoriali]ed on a plaque. HHS AP language teacher Beth Anderson said the competition will give “academic stars a place to shine.” Clothing store SDUWQHUVZLWK YWCA WALLA WALLA — Shoppers at Walla Walla Clothing Co. are encouraged to donate new or gently used coats or sweaters during this weekend’s Warm Up For Winter sales event and Charity Coat Drive. Customers who make a donation will be entered into a drawing for a $100 gift card to the store. The clothing donations will be given to the YWCA in Walla Walla. The event continues through Sunday at Walla Walla Clothing Co., 103 E. Main St. For more information, contact 509-525-4783 or info@wallawallaclothing. com. ——— 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. Funding includes salmon license plate dollars By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board recently awarded more than $6.8 million in grants to support ¿sh, wildlife and water quality projects statewide. Twenty-three proposals received funding in the Mid-Columbia and Eastern Oregon regions, focused largely on improving ¿sh habitat, weed management, removing irrigation diver- sions, and protecting sage grouse land. Funding for the projects comes from three primary sources: the Oregon Lottery, salmon license plate revenue and Federal 3aci¿c Coastal Salmon Recovery funds. OWEB awards grants to local orga- ni]ations, such as tribes and watershed councils, which design and carry out the work. “These investments will improve habitat for sage grouse, coho salmon, steelhead and other species, while also improving water quality and supporting the local natural resources economy,” said OWEB Executive Director Meta Loftsgaarden in a prepared statement. The grants were announced during OWEB’s board meeting Oct. 27-28. Four projects in particular were selected to receive a portion of salmon license plate dollars — $62,500 each — including the Oxbow Dredge Mining Restoration in Grant County. That project, spear- headed by the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, will improve ¿sh habitat by reconnecting the Middle Fork John Day River to its Àoodplain and planting riparian vegetation along the stream banks. The average total grant si]e for the two regions was $96,938. Money went to projects in Gilliam, Wheeler, Union, Grant, Wallowa, Harney and Malheur counties. OWEB is a state agency that provides grants to help Oregonians take care of local streams, rivers, wetlands and natural areas. For more information, visit www.oregon.gov/oweb. A Drama Adapted By From The Film By James W. Rodgers Frank Capra BY PERMISSION OF DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY November 13, 14, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, December 4, 5 ltww.org | 1130 E. Sumach Directed by Robert G Randall and Cheryl Sutlick Produced by Barb McKinney For more information or questions, please call Barbara McKinney at (509) 520-3006