REGION Tuesday, November 17, 2015 IRRIGON East Oregonian Page 3A MISSION Authorities search Youth get animated one frame at a time for missing man By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian Grant aims to grow rural entrepreneurs By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian A new state grant could help foster more innovation in rural Oregon’s economy. Business Oregon will use the Rural Entrepreneurship 'evelopment Grant to invest $250,000 in helping public agencies and nonpro¿ts in rural Oregon expand programs that are designed to increase entrepreneurship in their communities. Governor .ate Brown announced the new grant Monday. “Oregon doesn’t thrive unless all communities have access to expanded economic opportunity,” she said in a statement. “Seeding the talented entrepreneurs of rural Oregon is a smart develop- ment tool that ensures every corner of the state can take part in our growing economy.” The grant is part of Busi- ness Oregon’s “Grow Our Own” campaign. Heather Stafford, assistant director for innovation and entrepreneur- ship, said the strategy is based on the fact that more than 70 percent of new job creation comes from companies already based in Oregon. Stafford said the state has found that many of its strategies for increasing entrepreneurship in the urban areas doesn’t translate well to the rural areas, which is why Business Oregon is turning its attention to the less populated counties. “There are a lot of activities going on out in the rural areas that are really interesting but are underfunded,” she said. The Rural Entrepreneur- ship 'evelopment Grant will not go to the entrepre- neurs directly, but rather to programs to help them. Those services can include helping ¿nd investors, establishing a mentor program, re¿ning investor presentations and hosting trainings and other educational events. Stafford said the $250,000 available for 2016 will likely be split between three or four entities. The goal isn’t to start something from scratch and sustain it, but to ¿nd some- thing that works well, test it out on a more ¿nancially-sup- ported scale, and then base grants for the 2017 cycle on implementing that successful strategy across the state. “We’re looking for orga- nizations that have some trac- tion, that are already supported by the community,” she said. According to the grant application materials, “This economic gardening strategy, which seeks to promote economic opportunity and achieve widely shared pros- perity among all residents of the state of Oregon, will guide the state’s economic development investments and strategic initiatives over the next biennium and beyond.” Stafford said Business Oregon knows the state government doesn’t have all the answers, especially when it comes to the rural parts of the state. “We’re really looking for some creative solutions, and that really comes from the ¿eld,” she said. To share those solutions, participation in the grant will include a “ rural entrepreneur showcase” in which the nonpro¿ts and government agencies receiving the grant will be highlighted, along with the entrepreneurs they have assisted. Business Oregon de¿nes an entrepreneur as a business that is less than two years old, has fewer than 10 employees and creates or adds value to a product that has the potential for national or international competition. Grant applications are due 'ec. 18 at noon. The maximum award is $150,000. Materials for the grant can be found online at www. oregon4biz.com/Innovate-&- Create/RE'-Grant. Elsa Rogers of Pendleton molded clay around an aluminum armature she wrought to resemble a doll. The 10-year-old girl already gave the puppet a face and long, thick rows of hair and a back story: “She’s a huntress-warrior lady,” Elsa said. Elsa with nine other girls and nine boys — ages 8 to mid-teens — all crafted simple puppets Saturday at a stop motion anima- tion workshop at Crow’s Shadow Institute for the Arts on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. A team from Laika Entertainmet Inc., the Hillsboro-based stop-motion animation studio with three feature ¿lms under its belt — “Coraline” in 2009, “Para- Norman” in 2012 and “The Boxtrolls” in 2014 — taught the hands-on experience that included the youth getting to make their own brief stop-motion movies. Stop-motion animation aims to make objects look like they move on their own. Achieving that illusion takes buckets of patience and time. 9ideo or ¿lm runs at 24 frames per second for motion to appear normal to us. Thus, stop-motion animators move puppets and objects a mere fraction per frame for each second of video. Zech Cyr, 14, is a member of the youth council for the Confederated Umatilla tribes. He said as a youth leader he likes to participate in these kinds of events, but he also saw the workshop as an opportunity to try something new, and making even a small-scale Àick was enticing. Georgina Hayns headed Staff photo by Phil Wright Zech Cry, 14, adjusts a character for a short video during the stop-motion anima- tion workshop Saturday at Crow’s Shadow Institute for the Arts on the Umatilla Indian Reservation near Pendleton. Animator Brian Hensen films and captures the images to a computer. up the Laika team. She is the creative supervisor of the company’s puppet lab. Joining her were Molly Light from the art department, animator Brian Hensen, who directed and shot the little movies, and puppet painter Josh Storey, who grew up in Pendleton. Hayns said Laika has 65 puppet makers, but that is just part of a larger effort to bring the characters to life on the screen. Behind one puppet are 20 to 30 artists and craftspeople, she said, and creating a feature ¿lm takes Laika about two and a half years with 300-400 people working on 150-180 puppets. Hayns said the team just ¿nished the last puppet for Laika’s fourth ¿lm, “.ubo and the Two Strings,” due out in August 2016. Each of Laika’s movies cost about $60 million to make. So far, each has been a ¿nancial success, and most critics liked the movies. .arl 'avis is the exec- utive director of Crow’s Shadow. He said “the Pendleton connection” was a key reason Laika brought the workshop to Crow’s Shadow. Renowned local painter James Lavadour is co-founder of Crow’s Shadow and friends with Storey, Laika’s lead puppet painter who grew up in Pend- leton. They chatted about the possibility of a workshop on the reservation, and Hayns said Laika had success holding the workshop on the Warm Springs Indian Reser- vation. 'avis said one thing led to the next, Laika sent out its team and Crow’s Shadow put them up for a couple of nights and provided the workshop space. Crow’s Shadow has a reputation for its artist-in-res- idence program and its bi-annual monotype and monoprint marathon. 'avis said the animation workshop is a step outside what the institute usually provides, but it is refreshing to offer an activity for children. “It’s part of our mission to foster those things, but we don’t have a lot of opportu- nity for that,” he said. Parents and guardians there Saturday said they were happy this came to Eastern Oregon. Amy Rogers of Pendleton brought her two daughters, who are fans of “The Boxtrolls” and saw it in a cinema. “To be exposed to this anywhere is fantastic,” Rogers said, “but for them to come out here — we wouldn’t miss it for the world.” BRIEFLY Sherwood Heights vandalized over weekend PEN'LETON — Sherwood Heights Elementary School was vandalized over the weekend, according to local of¿cials. Pendleton School 'istrict Assistant Superintendent Tricia Mooney said a vandal spray-painted graf¿ti on the exterior of the building and broke a window. The school district has since painted over the graf¿ti and replaced the window at the elementary school. The district reported the vandalism to the police department and will work with authorities if they identify a suspect. Students and staff at Sherwood Heights will move into a new facility in Fall 2016. The district reported in a written statement one vehicle partially blocking the southbound lane, so ¿re¿ghters provided medical help and traf¿c control. A Walla Walla couple was in the Chevrolet, and the 28-year-old woman passenger received treatment at St. Anthony Hospital, Pendleton. Nowaski also went to the hospital, where staff treated and released him. Then state police took Nowaski to the Umatilla County Jail, Pendleton, and booked him on charges of driving under the inÀuence of intoxicants, reckless driving and two counts of recklessly endangering another. Police investigating Pilot Rock deer poaching PILOT ROC. — Oregon State Police is seeking the public’s help to ¿nd the poacher or poachers that slaughtered two deer near Pilot Rock. A caller Friday at 1:45 p.m. told state police in Pendleton she saw a dead deer with the head removed in a ¿eld on East Birch Creek Road just east of Pilot Rock. She said the deer had not been there in the morning. The agency’s media report stated a necropsy revealed the buck was shot twice and the head removed. “The rest of the animal,” according to the report, “was left there to waste.” Of¿cers found a second road kill buck with its antlers removed west of the ¿rst one. State police asked anyone with information about the slayings to contact senior trooper 'ain Gardner at 541-561-7425. Information that leads to an arrest could result in a reward from the Oregon Hunters Association’s Turn-In-Poachers — or TIP — program. PRESENTS Pendleton man jailed after drunk driving crash PEN'LETON — A Pendleton man landed in jail Friday night for driving drunk and crashing into a vehicle. Oregon State Police reported Jason .err Nowaski, 32, was southbound on Highway 11 at about 8 p.m. in a Jeep Wrangler when he did not make a curve near milepost 15, over-corrected and slammed into a Chevrolet pickup ahead of him. Both vehicles rolled at least once. The East Umatilla County Rural Fire Protection 'istrict responded at 8:05 p.m. to assist with the crash. Friday Night Dinner November 20 • 5:30 pm Prime Rib - $20 Chicken Fettuccine - $15 • Complete Salad Bar • Roasted Baby Red Potatoes • Steamed Vegetables • Dessert Proceeds to benefit Pendleton Elks’ Charities Pendleton Elks Lodge #288 14 SE 3rd, Pendleton 541-969-2765 • 541-276-3882 24 TH ANNUAL mer’s, Matlack said Getman has no other serious medical problems and is not a danger Morrow County authorities to himself. “He just gets confused searched into the night for a missing 78-year-old Irrigon when he can’t ¿nd his way,” man with Alzheimer’s disease Matlack said. “He tends who walked away from home to start walking, and will keep walking until he can’t early Monday morning. John Getman was last anymore.” This isn’t the ¿rst time seen possibly at Frederickson Farming near Boardman Getman has walked away between 1:30-2 p.m., from home. According to the according to Sheriff .en sheriff’s of¿ce, there was a previous incident Matlack. Getman where he left and was seen earlier in was later picked up the day by a mail by a truck driver. carrier walking Getman is west on Washington described as a white Lane in Irrigon, then male, 6 feet tall, 190 again by the U.S. pounds with short Fish & Wildlife gray hair, brown Service in a parking eyes and no facial area at the Umatilla hair. He was last National Wildlife Getman seen wearing a Refuge. Getman lives in Irrigon brown Carhartt jacket, brown with his sister, who reported plaid shirt, blue jeans and him missing at about 10:50 sneakers. About 15 of¿cers searched a.m. He is not familiar with for Getman during the day, the local area, Matlack said. A search party consisting which phased down to about of the sheriff’s of¿ce, three patrols after dark. Boardman police and the Matlack said he will call for Boardman and Irrigon rural additional help if there are ¿re departments spent most of more con¿rmed sightings. Temperatures in Irrigon Monday looking for Getman. Matlack said they found are expected to dip to 44 footprints near McCormack degrees with a 60 percent Slough along the Columbia chance of rain, according to River 4-5 miles west of the National Weather Service. Irrigon, and focused primarily A high wind warning is also in effect for the area for Tuesday, on driving the nearby roads. The sheriff’s of¿ce with gusts up to 60 mph. Matlack said crews will received several potential sightings during the afternoon continue to look for Getman and evening, though Matlack until they ¿nd him. Anyone said the tip from Frederickson with information should call Farming was their strongest the Morrow County Sheriff’s lead. Frederickson Farming Of¿ce at 541-676-5317. ——— owns farmland from the Port Contact George Plaven at of Morrow industrial park gplaven@eastoregonian.com east to Paterson Ferry Road. Apart from having Alzhei- or 541-966-0825. By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian F R I D AY DECEMBER 4 2015 PENDLETON CONVENTION CENTER TICKETS ARE $30 EVENING CELEBRATION | 6:00 PM • Heavy hors d’oeuvres • Live and silent auctions • Mingle with community members and enjoy the festivities! FAMILY DAY | 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM • Free admission thanks to Wildhorse Resort & Casino • Lunch with Santa and his elves • Make ornaments and playdough • Letters to Santa For more information, please contact St. Anthony Hospital Foundation at (541) 966-0528 A L L P R O C E E D S B E N E F I T T H E P I O N E E R R E L I E F N U R S E RY | $5 off ticket price if you bring diapers or wipes