REGION
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
East Oregonian
MILTON-FREEWATER
Page 3A
BOARDMAN
City’s ‘brightest diamonds’ honored Woman escapes
from the ex
who kidnapped,
assaulted her
By MARCIA AKES
For the East Oregonian
The
Community
Building
was
packed
Saturday evening for the
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Chamber of Commerce
Awards Banquet: Dazzling
Diamonds “An Evening
Filled with Brilliance.”
Man of the Year honors
went to Dr. Norman Saager,
whose list of accomplish
ments were conveyed by
Larry Anderson, last year’s
winner.
Anderson
explained
that Saager returned to
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college and his dad signed
him up for membership in
almost every organization in
town. That started his volun
teering “and he has never
been able to kick the habit.”
In 1990, Saager was named
Junior Citizen of the Year.
The owner of Broadway
Family Dental Care is
a consistent sponsor for
schools, sports teams, youth
clubs and local organizations
and events. He helped start
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town Alliance (MFDA),
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served as executive director.
“He has a passion for helping
the community ... which
is contagious for anyone
around him.”
Saager wasn’t able to
attend the event because of
family vacation.
Woman of the Year
Judy Chesnut was truly
surprised when enough
had been revealed that she
realized she was the winner.
Jennifer Anderson, last
year’s honoree, noted that
the retired school teacher
continues to mentor and
coach when needed.
Chesnut is involved in
her church as a Sunday
school teacher, youth leader,
secretary and serves on the
commission on ministry. She
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Chamber Ambassadors and
on the board of the MFDA.
Walking in the annual Crop
Walk, she helps raise funds
Saager
Lonai
Chesnut
Silva
Drury
for the hungry; and she
can be seen working at the
Muddy Frogwater Festival
as well as on various other
community projects. “She
does not just sit back and
watch others do, she leads.”
Other award winners
included:
Ben
Silva:
Junior
Citizen. Silva was recog
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he puts into the youth of the
community coaching foot
ball, wrestling and baseball.
Vivian
Jorgensen:
Golden Pioneer. Jorgensen
has been a volunteer in Boy
Scouts and Cub Scouts for
almost 50 years. She has
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volunteer, taught First Aid
classes for the Red Cross,
visits the elderly, and has
knitted hundreds of stocking
caps, lap robes and afghans
for veterans and active
military.
Charles
Robertson:
Golden
Pioneer.
The
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veteran made substantial
contributions to agriculture
in the region, coached Little
League, was a member of
the Jacycees and Masonic
Lodge, served on the
Eastside School Board and
helped repair the school
when needed.
Kathy Lonai: Educator.
Students writing in support
of the Ferndale second grade
Jorgensen
Abigail Biggs, Hill
teacher said they could
tell she really cared about
them. Years later, she still
recognizes them when they
meet somewhere. Lonai has
taught for 27 years and is a
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a student become a strong
reader helps equip them for
life.
Sadie Drury: Agri-Busi-
ness. Drury joined Seven
Hills Vineyard as their viti
culturist in 2013. Her compe
tency and leadership abilities
were quickly recognized and
she was promoted to opera
tions manager. Described as
a rare individual and vital
leader that has a vision of
something beyond what they
achieve alone, Drury makes
sure the needs of Eastern
Oregon wine growers are
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Abigail “Abi” Biggs:
Youth of the Year. Abi’s
many activities include
helping at the Special
Olympics, the Crop Walk,
community service projects,
and working on houses
for the homeless. She is a
member of the National
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Band and her church youth
group, and is active in soft
ball, basketball and soccer.
Abi was voted the 2015
Homecoming Queen by her
classmates.
Art Hill: Community
Service
Award.
Hill
Robertson
Amon
recently retired as BMCC’s
Vice President of Economic
Development, has mentored
small business owners in
Eastern Oregon for the last
15 years, and is an author.
Noting his positive attitude
and integrity, Hill was recog
nized for his support of the
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nity and volunteer help at
various local events. “Art is
one of the most dedicated
and driven individuals …
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to have on your team!”
Debbie Amon: Commu-
nity Recognition Award.
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collaboration when Blue
Mountain
Community
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1992, she went to work for
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and has helped with count
less community events.
Amon has received awards
and accolades for the many
facets of her support and has
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appreciation of her support
to them.
Julie Culjak was recog
nized for her service with
the President’s Award from
Chamber President Gina
Hartzheim.
The ceremony ended with
Susan Daniels winning the
prize of the evening, a 1/3
carat diamond.
HEPPNER
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
A Boardman woman
escaped a man that
kidnapped, strangled and
assaulted her this weekend,
according to Morrow
County
Sheriff
Ken
Matlack.
The suspect,
Travis
Lane
Thomas,
44,
pleaded
not
guilty Monday in
Morrow County
Circuit Court to
11 counts: four
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kidnapping; two Thomas
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assault;
and
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menacing and strangulation.
A caller on Saturday
morning at 7:35 asked law
enforcement to pick up a
woman outside his home on
Hill Top Lane, Boardman,
according to a written
statement from the Morrow
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The woman, the caller
stated, was an assault victim
“covered in blood and only
wearing a coat.”
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Matt Clinard and Morrow
County sheriff’s deputy
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police on the scene, and
the Boardman Ambulance
took Heather Payne to
Good Shepherd Medical
Center, Hermiston. There
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the hospital transferred her
to Kadlec Regional Medical
Center, Richland, Wash
ington, due to a serious head
injury.
Matlack said she had
bleeding in her brain from
the assault, and Kadlec
treated her and sent her back
to Good Shepherd, which
expected to release her early
Students sew blankets for children’s hospital
By KATHY ANEY
East Oregonian
BRIEFLY
Kennewick woman dies in 395 wreck
Whoever thinks mathema
ticians only ponder formulas,
factors and probabilities
doesn’t know Troy Morgan.
Morgan, who teaches
math at Heppner Senior High
School, also has a heart for
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Portland’s Doernbecher Chil
dren’s Hospital. He recently
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the medical center’s young
patients.
In Morgan’s plan, students
would sew blankets for seri
ously ill or hurt children at
Doernbecher in an effort to
make them feel warm, cozy
and loved. The children take
the blankets with them when
they leave the hospital.
During two “Mathathon”
sewing sessions, students
learned to stitch together two
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sides, turn the blanket inside
out and stitch the edges using
sewing machines brought
to school by community
members.
“Even people who had
never seen a sewing machine
were able to make a blanket
and make a difference,” said
senior Patrick Collins, who
sewed before basketball
practice.
Pam Norton and Pat
Doherty tutored the students
in how to use a sewing
machine. To make it less
daunting for some kids,
Norton likened the sewing
machine pedal to that of a
farm vehicle.
“The pedal is just like a
gas pedal on a tractor,” she
told them. “Just ease into it.”
Contributed photo
Heppner students pose with some of the blankets they made for children at
Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.
After getting them started,
she and Doherty just stood
back and let them go.
“It was pure joy seeing
these kids,” Norton said.
“They knew they were doing
it for a good cause.”
Collins, who had no
prior sewing experience,
admitted, “I was a little
out of my comfort zone.”
Soon, however, under the
guidance of the experienced
seamstresses, he had his
sewing machine humming.
Collins and fellow football
and basketball teammate
C.J. Kindle shared a machine
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between them.
Senior Wes Putman,
another of Collins’ team
mates, said he has always
relied on his mom for any
sewing. He approached the
sewing machine with trepi
dation.
“I’d never touched one
before,” said Putman, who
completed two blankets.
Putman and Collins were
among 60 students who cut,
pinned and sewed 35 blan
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joined other blankets and
quilts sewn by community
members for a total of 57.
“I was ecstatic,” Morgan
said. “I would have been
happy with 10. My goal was
20.”
Morgan made the blan
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attention to measuring
and calculations. As the
students sewed away on their
machines, Morgan admitted
to a lump in his throat.
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graders and big football
players who had just won the
state championship,” he said.
“It tugged at my heart.”
Morgan said some local
children have stayed at Doer
nbecher in the past.
“Those kids still have
their blankets,” Morgan said.
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students have made blan
kets. In past years, students
raised funds. In 2012, they
raised $4,800 and, in 2013,
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respite, instead of raising
money, Morgan instigated
the blanket making, along
with asking for donations
of school supplies, toys and
games.
Collins said he wasn’t
surprised when his math
teacher pitched the blanket
idea to students and local
seamstresses.
“Mr. Morgan is always
looking for some way to help
somebody else,” Collins said.
“He wanted to get the
whole community together
for the blanket project,”
Putman said. “It took off.”
Morgan
and
some
students planning on going
into medicine will deliver
the blankets and supplies
to Doernbecher in the near
future.
———
Contact Kathy Aney at
kaney@eastoregonian.com
or call 541-966-0810.
BUCKAROO BOOSTER CLUB
FUNDRAISER
TimeWise Repair
Volu-Firm Set
this week.
Matlack said Payne was
staying alone in a friend’s
recreational vehicle in the
West Glen Edition of south
east Boardman. Thomas was
at his motor home at 70072
Kunze Road on the same
property where Payne was.
Saturday around
sunrise, Matlack
said,
Thomas
kidnapped Payne
and forced her into
his home. The two
were previously
in a relationship
and
Morrow
County records
show Thomas has
domestic violence
convictions
in
2015 for menacing and
assaulting her.
Thomas bound Payne’s
feet and hands, the sheriff
said, then assaulted and
strangled her.
Thomas stepped out
around 7:30 a.m. but told
Payne he would be right
back.
Matlack said Payne
broke her bonds, grabbed
her coat and left out a
window. She made it about
100 yards before getting
help from residents on Hill
Top Lane.
Members of the sheriff’s
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tried to contact Thomas at
his home, Matlack said, but
he did not answer the door.
So sheriff’s detective Brian
Snyder obtained a search
warrant.
Matlack said Thomas
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clothes and sitting on the
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the home, and he did not put
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Circuit
Judge
Eva
Temple set bail Monday
for Thomas at $100,000.
He remains in the Umatilla
County Jail, Pendleton.
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LAND & SEA DINNER & AUCTION
Over $40,000 in auction items up for bid!
Wednesday, February 24 th • $ 25 per person
Dinner 5:30-7:00 pm • Auction 6:30 pm
Pendleton Convention Center
Limited to first 500 tickets sold
PILOT ROCK — Alexxyss L. Therwhanger, 20, was
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afternoon on Highway 395 south of Pilot Rock, according
to Oregon State Police.
At approximately 4 p.m., the Kennewick woman was
driving a 1998 Buick Century sedan when it failed to nego
tiate a left hand curve in the roadway. The Buick, which
was traveling northbound, crossed over into the southbound
lane and collided with a 1994 Lincoln Continental.
Francis (Frank) Charles Wimberley, 60, of Prairie City,
the driver of the Lincoln Continental, was transported
to Kadlec Regional Medical Center, Richland, by air
ambulance with serious injuries. A passenger in Wimber
ley’s vehicle, Donnetta Marie Kulis, 54, of Prairie City
was transported by ambulance to St. Anthony Hospital,
Pendleton, also with serious injuries.
Highway 395 was closed for approximately an hour
and a half. Contributing factors of the crash are still being
investigated.
OSP was assisted by Pendleton Fire and Ambulance
Department, the Pilot Rock Quick Response Team, the
Pilot Rock Police Department, Oregon Department of
Transportation and Pendleton Life Flight.
TRCI inmate hospitalized after assault
UMATILLA — An inmate at Two Rivers Correctional
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after an altercation with another inmate.
Hermiston Fire & Emergency Services responded to a
report of “trauma” at TRCI at 12:40 p.m. Sunday.
Oregon State Police are investigating the Sunday
incident as an assault between two inmates. One inmate
suffered serious injuries and was transported by helicopter.
Inmate names and additional information has not yet
been released due to the ongoing investigation.
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• 1 - 3-4 lb.
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Ground Beef
Sampler Box
$
100
(Reg. $125)
Tickets available at Big John’s Pizza, Pendleton Athletic, PHS Main
Office, Dave’s Chevron and any Booster Board Member.
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ELECTRIC
COMPANY
D.A. DAVIDSON & CO. • GORDON’S ELECTRIC INC.
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541-567-2011
253 W. Hermiston Ave., Hermiston