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East Oregonian
CAPECO: Since November the
program has fed roughly 200 people
Continued from 1A
ering healthy, nutritious food
to “frontier” communities
as far as Spray and Mitchell.
Since November the program
has fed roughly 200 people
each month and distributed
15,615 pounds of food. The
grant money helps pay for
Garcia, who not only picks up
donations but makes delivery
runs across the four counties.
Rural distribution sites
include Ukiah, Pilot Rock,
Heppner, Spray, Mitchell,
Fossil, Condon, Arlington,
Irrigon and Boardman. The
route can sometimes take
Garcia 300-plus miles round
trip, but he’s not complaining.
“I really enjoy my runs,”
he said. “You wouldn’t
believe the look on people’s
faces when I pull up.”
Donations can come
to CAPECO one of three
ways: from local farms, food
processors or the Pendleton
River Walk Garden; from the
Oregon Food Bank network;
or from grocery stores that
participate in the statewide
Fresh Alliance program.
That includes Grocery Outlet
in Pendleton, Wal-Mart in
Pendleton and Hermiston and
Safeway in Pendleton, Herm-
iston and Milton-Freewater.
Garcia does Fresh Alliance
pick-ups three times per
week, meticulously sorting
and weighing every box of
food on a small scale in the
back of the van. When he
inishes, he writes each store
a voucher that they can ile for
a tax credit.
Based on his schedule and
the amount of food he collects,
Garcia then delivers to one
of 17 food pantries within
CAPECO’s region or sets up
his own farmers market-style
tailgate when the pantries
aren’t open. That’s the best
part of the job, he said.
“A lot of people are on
ixed incomes,” Garcia said.
“It’s just seeing the people’s
faces when you give them
stuff.”
Paula Hall, community
services
and
housing
director for CAPECO, said
they prioritize food safety
irst and foremost in the
Rural Produce Project. The
temperature inside the van is
strictly monitored, and Fresh
Alliance products must be
distributed within a certain
number of days to ensure they
are safe to eat — for example,
most meats can be distributed
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Volunteer Larry Chvilicek places a box of goods from
the Rural Produce Program into the storage area at the
St. Mary’s Outreach during on Wednesday in Pendleton.
Stamp Out Hunger this Saturday
The largest single-day food drive in the country is set
for Saturday.
CAPECO is encouraging communities to participate
in Stamp Out Hunger, sponsored by the National Associa-
tion of Letter Carriers. Anyone can take part by collecting
nonperishable food items and leaving them in a bag near
their mailbox. A letter carrier or volunteer will pick up the
donation and make sure it arrives at CAPECO. Donations
not picked up by letter carriers can be dropped off at any
post ofice by Wednesday, May 18.
The goal is to raise 1.3 million pounds in Oregon and
Clark County, Washington. Some items on the “most
wanted” list include: shelf-stable milk; high-protein
foods such as canned meats or dried beans; canned
fruits and vegetables; whole-grain itmes such as brown
rice and whole wheat pasta; soups, chilies and stews;
fruit and vegetable juice; and unsaturated cooking oils.
Unacceptable items include: anything in unlabeled cans;
glass containers; perishable items; homemade items;
noncommercial packaged goods; alcohol, mixes or soda;
and anything that’s already been opened or used.
Stamp Out Hunger was created in 1993, and has
collected more than 1 billion pounds of food across the
country since its inception.
within 90 days of their sell-by
date, so long as they are kept
frozen. That time frame goes
down to just ive days for
milk, three days for salsa and
one day for pre-made salads.
Hall said it makes good
business sense for stores to
participate in Fresh Alliance,
not only for the tax write-off
but to save money on dumping
fees. Safeway alone estimates
it saves about a half-million
dollars every year by reducing
its waste. Plus, it’s a win-win
for hungry families, Hall said.
“It’s food that’s going to
the most vulnerable of our
population,” she said. “The
more we can support our most
vulnerable populations, the
stronger we are.”
Families in “frontier”
communities can also have
access to food that might
not be available in their
local markets, like fresh bok
choy or nappa cabbage. The
distributions are free, which
Hall said helps them stretch
their budgets and gives them
healthy food to feed their kids.
“We really wanted to
target our efforts to making
sure those folks had access to
healthy, nutritious food,” Hall
said.
Hall said they would
not be able to maintain the
program without support
from the Oregon Community
Foundation and Fresh Alli-
ance. Those programs have
allowed them to expand Rural
Produce and ensure they’re
reaching out to all communi-
ties at least two or three times
every month.
“It costs a lot of money to
get food out to those commu-
nities,” Hall said. “All of
those pieces came together.”
———
Contact George Plaven at
gplaven@eastoregonian.com
or 541-966-0825.
Thursday, May 12, 2016
ROUND-UP: Chief Burke has participated
in the Happy Canyon Night Show since birth
Continued from 1A
the early Round-Up courts
to establish the traditional
look for the 75th Anniver-
sary in 1985. This tradition
lives on. While serving
as Round-Up publicity
director, Doug created a
sponsorship program tailor-
made for the Round-Up,
which does not allow arena
advertising. He worked to
acquire sponsors, set up a
sponsor tent, and created
a means to provide signs
outside the arena. The
program has brought in
millions of dollars to both
Round-Up and Happy
Canyon.
Doug spent numerous
hours developing and
expanding the concerts held
annually during Round-Up
and Happy Canyon week,
including booking acts,
building stages, and coor-
dinating with the bands.
He was instrumental in
bringing the U.S. Bank
PBR Classic to Pendleton.
Doug continues to serve
on the PBR committee
and is on-site veteri-
narian during the rodeo.
Recognized as one of the
foremost authorities on
animal welfare throughout
the United States, Doug
is chairman of the PRCA
Livestock
Welfare
Committee, chairman of the
WPRA Equine Drugs and
Medications committee and
chairman of the Unwanted
Horse Coalition for the
American Horse Council.
For his efforts, Doug was
elected to the Pro Rodeo
Hall of Fame in 2007.
a title given to him in 1988.
The Pendleton High
School graduate served in
the United States Army
and then returned to earn
a degree in education
at Eastern Oregon State
College in La Grande. He
taught school for several
years in various locations in
Oregon.
EO ile photo
Confederated Tribes of
the Umatilla Indian Res-
ervation Chief Bill Burke
has participated in the
Happy Canyon Night
Show since birth.
Contributed photo
J.D. Yates has won the
steer roping at the Pend-
leton Round-Up three
times and the all-around
in 1994.
J.D. Yates
Yates, who competes in
the roping events, qualiied
for his irst National Finals
Rodeo at 15. The Colorado
cowboy is a familiar face at
the Pendleton Round-Up.
He won steer roping in
1991, 1994 and 2001. He
claimed the all-around title
in 1994, reserve all-around
honors in 2013 and senior
steer roping in 2014. He has
21 NFR appearances and
10 at the Senior National
Finals Rodeo. Yates has
also won 37 world titles and
several Super Horse titles
as a professional horseman
with the American Quarter
Horse Association.
Since winning his irst
Round-Up buckle, Yates
claims it’s the only one
he wears. He continues to
compete in rodeos and show
horses. He trains horses at
home in Pueblo with his
son, parents and sister.
Smokey
Smokey, a 32-year-old
gelding raised by the Evans
family, is this year’s animal
inductee. The horse began
his connection with the
Pendleton Round-Up at
Contributed photo
Smokey, 32, has per- the age of two by sorting
formed many duties for stock. As Smokey matured,
the Round-Up and Hap- he moved on to serve other
Chief Bill Burke
py Canyon, including roles, including carrying
Chief Burke is a member carrying the lag for the a lag in the famous
of the Walla Walla and grand entry, riding in the Round-Up grand entry, a
Cayuse tribes. Burke has parade and acting in sev- princess, saddles for cham-
participated in the Happy eral rolls during the night pions and numerous grand
Canyon Night Show since show. He is now retired. marshals and Hall of Fame
inductees. In the Happy
birth, with his mother
carrying him through the show as an infant. Canyon arena, he performed in the stage-
Later, he performed numerous other roles. coach robbery, rescue scene, pony express
He has a collection of Happy Canyon and quadrille. Smokey is now retired and
programs from years past, including one lives a life of leisure near Pendleton with
that lists him as a cast member at age Steve and JoAnne McGee.
———
7. Burke continues an active role in the
Contact Kathy Aney at kaney@eastore-
Round-Up as Chief of the Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, gonian.com or 541-966-0810.
PENDLETON: Sets aside $10K each year for assistance
Continued from 1A
this break, you have to go and
have counseling,’” Councilor
Becky Marks said.
Marks said the current
assistance program was
underutilized because many
retirees and low-income resi-
dents were too proud to seek
help in-person. Although, the
city sets aside $10,000 each
year for utility assistance,
Helping Hand used less than
half of that amount during the
last iscal year.
To avoid such situations,
Councilor Tom Young said
customers could be given
the option to submit proof
of income documents like
Tax Form 1040 to determine
eligibility.
Councilor Paul Chalmers
cautioned against the city
getting too involved in resi-
dents’ personal choices.
“Government shouldn’t
have to dictate personal
choice for people to partici-
pate in programs or not,” he
said. “That’s not the function
of government.”
Councilor John Brenne
said the city should do away
with middlemen like Helping
Hand and CAPECO and
handle an assistance program
in-house. But other city
council members argued
that could open sensitive
information to public records
requests and require screening
and processing duties fall to
city staff.
There’s still much to be
determined before the city
makes any changes to its
assistance program.
Patterson said it would be
dificult to apply a discount
to apartments or trailer parks
where water and sewer is
supplied through a single
meter to multiple units.
In an interview after the
meeting, Patterson said the
council will also have to decide
what the income qualiications
will be. Patterson said he will
meet with City Manager Robb
Corbett to reine the proposal
and present it to the council.
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