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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2015)
REGION Tuesday, December 1, 2015 East Oregonian PENDLETON Page 3A HERMISTON Round-Up court ready to ride Man arrested for bomb hoax By KATHY ANEY East Oregonian The brand-new Pendleton Round-Up Court was working on a massive case of writer’s cramp. Queen Kylie Willis and her four princesses signed 200 Round-Up posters Saturday with black Sharpies. This was their ¿rst of¿cial duty. Princess Marlene Bodmer looked up from the task and couldn’t contain a happy smile. “You guys,” exclaimed Bodmer, “this has been our dream, right, ever since we were little.” Bodmer likely wasn’t talking about her impending case of writer’s cramp, but rather of the chance to repre- sent the Pendleton Round-Up as royalty. Her fellow princess, Makenzi Hughes, Ashley Moore and Eliza Wagner, all nodded in agreement. Wagner, a freshman at Oregon State University, said she will check off a major item on her bucket list this year. “This is all I ever wanted to do ever since I saw my ¿rst run-in,” she said. “I’ve been around the Pendleton Round-Up since I was born.” The run-in, as Round-Up a¿cionados know, begins with a cannon blast before each day’s rodeo action. One by one, court members enter the area in silence, jumping the rail twice, and then together racing around the dirt track. It’s poetry in motion, plus the tiniest bit of alarm as the crowd worries about riders crashing to the turf. Though court members By SEAN HART East Oregonian A Hermiston man was arrested Monday morning after an investigation into a bomb hoax. Hermiston Police Depart- ment of¿cers arrested David U. Ponce, 23, Hermiston, and charged him with possession of a hoax destructive device and ¿rst-degree disor- Ponce derly conduct. He was lodged in the Umatilla County Jail on $10,000 bail. At about 6:25 a.m., Hermiston Police Department of¿cers were dispatched to 217 East Beebe Avenue for a report of a purported bomb inside a garbage can, according to a press release from Police Chief Jason Edmiston. Of¿cers arrived on scene and met with an employee from Sanitary Disposal who found a cardboard box with the words “this is a bomb” written on it inside an open garbage can that was scheduled for collec- tion, the release states. Of¿cers interviewed Ponce, who admitted his Staff photo by Kathy Aney Kylee Jensen, 2015 Pendleton Round-Up queen, gives this year’s court advice and encouragement during Saturday’s introduction breakfast at the home of Doug Corey. are expert horsewomen, occasional mishaps occur. Queen Kylie Willis, 21, experienced the run-in last year as a princess. “The sound of the cannon going off gave me a chill every time,” she said. The poster signing session followed an introduction breakfast at the Adams home of Round-Up veterinarian and former director Doug Corey. The ¿ve young women met for the ¿rst time. “Each knew of their own selection, but not of the others until they met together this morning,” said Randy Thomas, Round-Up director in charge of publicity. During a breakfast of ham, fruit and eggs, the still-subdued princesses quietly accepted praise from Round-Up Presi- dent Bill Levy, who said, “We were extremely impressed by their interviews.” The court members opened gifts. By the end, each had a pile of them ² vests, of¿cial earrings, badges, toiletry kits and jewelry boxes. After the speeches and gift presentations, outgoing queen Kylee Jensen smiled at the group of royalty. “At this moment, they’re all really excited,” Jensen said. “They’re taking it all in.” Before the rodeo in September, the court will have plenty of time to bond. Last year’s group, Jensen said, traveled about 8,500 miles to parades, rodeos and other events, including Cheyenne, Reno and Calgary rodeos. Jensen promised long days, but urged the new princesses to “savor every moment.” “I learned to appreciate every opportunity I was given,” she said. Jensen’s successor plans to do the same during her second year on the court. The Enter- prise native, the ¿rst Wallowa County royalty as far as she knows, said she’s come to the Round-Up since she was a young girl. When her cousin, Paige Bailey, rode on the court in 2010, Willis thought about applying to become a court member. “The ¿rst time I saw her jump the fence,” Willis said, “I thought, ‘I want to do that.’” She predicted a year to remember for the new prin- cesses. “They might be a little overwhelmed right now, but I can see the excitement in their eyes,” Willis said. “I’m excited to start this wonderful journey with them.” CTUIR postpones swearing-in ceremony to check complaints East Oregonian PENDLETON The swearing-in cere- mony for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Board of Trustees and General Council was postponed Monday while the tribal election commission handles a complaint. According to a CTUIR press release, board candidate Ellen Taylor ¿led a complaint with the commission shortly after the Nov. 17 election for the tribes’ governing body. Taylor’s complaint alleges absentee ballots weren’t counted because of errors committed by the commission and the U.S. Postal Service. The commission held a hearing Nov. 26 to review the complaint and extended Tree festival shares bounty with relief nursery By TAMMY MALGESINI East Oregonian EO file photo People look at the “Christmas at Grandma´s” tree during Family Day at a past Festival of Trees at the Pendleton Convention Center. therapeutic program for kids at risk for abuse and neglect, was noti¿ed this past March it wouldn’t receive an expected grant from the United Way. The partnership with St. Anthony, Ceniga said, will further enable the organi- zation to provide services to more families. They will receive use of the building at no charge, she said. “It’s about twice as big. It’s much nicer and it’s newer,” Ceniga said about the new location. The organization also has a Clothes Closet, which provides new and gently used clothing items to relief nursery families for children ages 0-6. In addition, a supply of certain hygiene and house- hold items are made available to the program’s families. Diapers and baby wipes are provided by Pioneer Relief Nursery programs. Also, families may occasionally receive an emergency supply of diapers and wipes. To learn more about the relief nursery, including ways to provide help, visit www. pioneerreliefnursery.net or call 541-215-1017. For more information or tickets for the Festival of Trees gala celebration, call 541-966-0528. ——— the hearing to Thursday, Dec. 3 to gather more information. Taylor wrote a letter to the board Nov. 30 to request members postpone Tues- day’s swearing-in cere- mony until the complaint was resolved. The board granted her request, but didn’t set a date for a new ceremony. Taylor was one of 13 candidates vying for four at-large seats on the board. Taylor’s 229 votes were good for sixth place, 36 votes behind incumbent Armand Minthorn, the candidate with the lowest number of votes to make the cut. If the commission rules against Taylor, the tribal election code grants her the right to ¿le for a judicial review of the decision. PRESENTS 2012 NW Carden Ave. 541-276-1522 FREE FRIDAY MEDICARE MADNESS Medicare Open Enrollment Oct. 15 - Dec. 7 Join us for this FREE event! FREE Medicare Counseling & Information from trained SHIBA volunteers. December 4th Trained volunteers are available in the SHIBA office all year round, call for an individual appointment. GSMC conference rooms 5 & 6 (by the GS Cafeteria) *Bring a list of all the medications you take. For information call (541) 667-3507 or email shiba@gshealth.org 24 TH ANNUAL The St. Anthony Hospital Foundation is sharing the joy of the holiday season with Pioneer Relief Nursery. Money raised during the Festival of Trees will be donated to the Pendleton nonpro¿t organization. The relief nursery seeks to stop the cycle of child abuse and neglect through early intervention, education and essential support services. Barb Ceniga, executive director, said the money will be used to remodel the Wee Care Center, where the relief nursery will be moving, hopefully by spring. In its 24th year, the festi- val’s theme is In a Different Light. An appropriate title, as the festival is moving its gala celebration to Friday evening. The Family Fun Day remains on Saturday. Both events are held at the Pendleton Conven- tion Center, 1601 Westgate. The festivities begin Friday at 6 p.m. with tree viewing, hors d’ oeuvres, music and beverages. Tickets are $30 per person. The silent auction runs throughout the evening. The large live trees, which are intricately decorated with a theme and include a bounty of related gifts, will be auctioned off at 7 p.m. In addition a number of smaller trees, but also decorated, will go to the highest bidder. The Family Fun Day provides families with four hours of activities and enter- tainment. In addition, the live trees will be on display and available for viewing. Family day is Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thanks to the spon- sorship of Wildhorse Resort & Casino, there is no admis- sion charge to participate in all the spectacular activities planned for the family event. In addition to photos with Santa Claus (which will be emailed), a number of local businesses and agencies are sponsoring booths and tables that include nearly a dozen holiday-themed crafts and activities. Kids, along with their parents, can create memories and decorations for their home and Christmas tree. In addition, munchies will be available for purchase during Family Fun Day at Rudolph’s Cafe. The relief nursery, which provides respite care and a involvement in trying to play a joke on a relative. He even admitted to contacting the garbage truck driver and alerting him about the box. “For all the contact we have had over the years with Mr. Ponce (29 arrests and 62 citations) we would hope some common sense would come into his decision making on what is acceptable behavior and what is not,” Edmiston said in the release. “Clearly that was not the case today.” The police department requested assistance from the Oregon State Police bomb squad to thoroughly examine the cardboard box. A beer bottle was found inside the box. Of¿cers were tied up on the inves- tigation for about three hours. “In this day and age of reckless behavior, we will err on the side of caution each and every time,” Edmiston said. “We absolutely appreciate the support and expertise the Oregon State Police provided us.” 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 of ticket price if you bring diapers or wipes
