REGION
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
East Oregonian
Page 3A
PENDLETON
Chrisman adds convention center to duties
East Oregonian
Steve Chrisman, Pendle-
ton’s economic development
director and airport manager,
will soon take on the added
responsibility of managing
the Pendleton Convention
Center.
Chrisman will retain the
title of airport manager, but
shift his day-to-day operation
focus from the airport to the
convention center, according
to City Manager Robb
Corbett.
Wayne Green will take on
airield operations duties at
the Eastern Oregon Regional
Airport beginning July 1,
Corbett said, while the city
will hire an unmanned aerial
systems manager using a
grant from SOAR Oregon.
Chrisman will replace
Pat Kennedy, who has been
managing the convention
center
under
contract.
Kennedy had indicated to
the city he will retire after 20
years at the convention center.
Corbett said the city
picked Chrisman because of
his experience with conven-
tion centers in prior economic
development jobs.
This is the second time the
city has considered adding
convention center duties to
Chrisman’s plate.
Chrisman was hired as
an economic development
consultant in 2012, having
done similar work for the
Confederated Tribes of Siletz
Indians and Chinook Winds
Casino Resort in Lincoln
City.
In 2013, Kennedy retired
after 17 years of directing the
convention center full-time,
and Corbett then considered
PENDLETON
East meets west
Two courts continue
longtime tradition
BY KATHY ANEY
East Oregonian
Portland Rose Festival Princess
Melissa Ibrahim gazed at the bay horse
with a touch of trepidation.
Ibrahim and her 14 fellow princesses
had just spent most of the day Tuesday
as guests of the Pendleton Round-Up
and Happy Canyon Courts, touring the
Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, the Pend-
leton Underground and the Round-Up
& Happy Canyon Hall of Fame. They
rode in a horse-drawn limousine wagon,
pulled by two Belgians named Thomas
and Casey.
Now Ibrahim would climb on a horse
for the irst time.
The Parkrose High School senior
stood on the dirt loor of the Round-Up
Pavilion eying Hero, a 24-year-old
gelding belonging to Tamastslikt
Director Roberta Conner. Though the
quarter horse looked sedate, she was
nervous. Ibrahim had petted a horse once
as a tiny girl, but had never ridden.
“I’m a little scared,” Ibrahim admitted,
“but I want to make this connection.”
Ibrahim put one cream-colored boot
on Conner’s bended knee and stuck the
toe of her other boot into the stirrup. She
swung her leg over the saddle like a pro,
then sat stifly as Hero started walking.
Happy Canyon Princess Appollonia
Saenz rode alongside on Roanie, giving
Ibrahim advice.
Conner, who grew up with horses,
barely remembers not knowing how
to ride. She watched the pair and gave
a running commentary of how Ibrahim
was doing.
“She’s a little timid, but Hero’s taking
care of her,” she said. Then a little later,
“She’s getting more comfortable. She’s
getting the idea she’s in charge.”
Pairs of princesses rode their horses
together around the pavilion. They rode
for about an hour, then headed to a steak
dinner at the Let ‘er Buck Room.
This coming together of east and west
— this mixer of royalty from different
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Rose Festival Princess Melissa Ibrahim from Parkrose High School, right,
is all smiles as she gets instructions on how to mount her horse from
Happy Canyon Princess Appollonia Saenz on Tuesday during a riding
lesson at the Round-Up Pavilion in Pendleton.
corners of the state — is a longtime
tradition, almost as old as the Round-Up
itself. At one time, the courts came by
train. These days, the trek is less of an
ordeal, a straight shot up Interstate 84 by
bus.
The Round-Up and Happy Canyon
Courts spent Monday in Portland as
guests of the Rose Festival Court. They
were in foodie heaven as they toured
the Franz Bakery, ate lunch at the Old
Spaghetti Factory and dropped in to
the iconic Voodoo Doughnuts to meet
the owner and sample the wares. They
visited the Oregon Zoo and marveled
at the baby elephants. They were hosted
by Rotarians and were treated, well, like
royalty.
Then it was on to Pendleton.
“They showed us their town and then
they got to see ours,” said Round-Up
Queen Kylie Willis.
Willis said the girls bonded with
each other, taking care to pair up with
someone from another court. Since the
Rose Festival queen and princesses
are juniors and seniors in high school
and the Round-Up and Happy Canyon
courts are older, Willis said it was like
hanging out with younger sisters.
“We advised them about college and
whatnot,” she said.
The trip was another bonding experi-
ence for the Round-Up Court. The four
women spend almost every weekend
together and meet for jumping practice
once a week. Unlike the Rose Court
which travels together for only ive
weeks, the Round-Up Court spends a
year together.
“We’re best friends already,” Willis
said. “We mesh so well.”
The time in the pavilion on horses
was yet another bonding experience
for all. Willis and the other Eastern
Oregon royalty looked horse-savvy and
comfortable as they guided their mounts
around the pavilion. Their urban sisters
gained ground quickly. Ibrahim looked
ebullient.
“This is really nice,” she said. “My
hips were stiff at irst, but Apple told me
to loosen them. Then I was moving with
Hero and that was better.”
The two courts will meet again at the
Rose Festival Parade in June.
———
Contact Kathy Aney at kaney@
eastoregonian.com or call 541-966-
0810.
PILOT ROCK
Budget raises sewer rates for better waste system
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
Pilot Rock residents will
face higher sewer rates and
public safety fees in the
2016-17 budget. Budget
oficer and city reporter Teri
Porter said many citizens
understand the need for the
higher rates.
The city council met
Tuesday night at 7 p.m. and
the budget hearing was the
main agenda item. About 30
minutes later, the meeting
was done.
The 2016-17 budget tops
$1.9 million with a general
fund of $672,679. Almost
56 percent of the general
fund goes to the city’s three-
member police department.
Pilot Rock in 2010 created
a $6 per month surcharge to
help fund police, but for the
past few years it has been $3
a month because the depart-
ment has lacked a full staff.
New Pilot Rock Police
Chief Bill Caldera, though,
aims to fully staff the
department by July, so the
city proposes bumping the
surcharge to $3.50.
Porter said during budget
meetings there was talk
of a higher increase, and
eventually the city will have
to charge the full $6. But
the city saved a lot last year
due to reduced stafing and
carried that over to keep the
fee low in the short term.
Pilot Rock and other small
communities will also pay
more to the Umatilla County
Sheriff’s Ofice to provide
dispatch services.
The county wants Pilot
Rock to pay $20,000 for
services, but Caldera made a
deal for the city to pay $9,000
in the upcoming iscal year
and then $3,000 more per
year until the city reaches
$20,000.
And Pilot Rock’s $5.2
million project to improve
its aging wastewater lagoon
system is driving up sewer
rates. Without the upgrades,
though, the city would face
repercussions from the
Oregon Department of Envi-
ronmental Quality.
Funding for the project
is coming from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture,
which will provide a $1.4
million grant and loan the
rest of the money at an
interest rate of 1.875 percent.
That rate requires the city to
raise sewer rates to $39.52
per month.
The city started rate hikes
last year, with a $10-a-month
bump. This year it will go
up another $7 to a monthly
charge of $35, and in 2018
it will jump up $5 more a
month to hit the $40 mark.
Budget documents show
the city will allocate $21
of the $35 monthly sewer
fee toward regular sewer
operations and maintenance
and $14 toward the lagoon
upgrade. Porter said the city
is putting as much money
as it can into a reserve
fund to pay off the loan as
soon as possible.
The council will vote on
adopting the budget when it
meets June 21.
giving Kennedy’s responsi-
bilities to Chrisman.
Instead, Corbett gave
Chrisman the dual role of
economic
development
director/airport
manager
following former airport
manager Larry Dalrymple’s
retirement while Kennedy
stayed on under contract.
With Chrisman set to
oversee the airport, the
convention center and the
city’s economic development
efforts, Corbett said he
is aware of concerns that
Chrisman will be stretched
too thin.
Despite those concerns,
Corbett has conidence
Chrisman will be able to
manage his new responsibil-
ities.
Chrisman did not return
multiple
requests
for
comment.
Keys named BMCC
Hermiston director
By JENNIFER COLTON
East Oregonian
After seven years with
Eastern Oregon University,
Jacelyn Keys will move to
Blue Mountain Community
College this summer as the
director of BMCC Herm-
iston.
Keys will step
into the role full-
time on July 1,
replacing Harvey
Franklin, who will
retire at the end
of this academic
year.
“We are very
excited to have Keys
Jacelyn join us
at BMCC. She brings with
her a solid background
in instruction, a history
of supporting students in
reaching their goals, and
a tremendous amount of
enthusiasm to the job,”
BMCC president Cam Preus
said Tuesday. “She will join
a great team committed
to serving the Hermiston
community and students of
BMCC.”
Born and raised in
Eastern Oregon, Keys
attended Central Oregon
Community College in
Bend, where she fell in love
with the community college
setting. Two
master’s
degrees later, Keys is inally
returning to a community
college.
“I’m really excited to
take over this role and
to start working with the
community,” Keys said.
The Hermiston center
serves the western half
of BMCC’s district and
includes an annual student
count of more than 5,000
— about 20 percent of the
college’s total enrollment.
Keys said she sees that
enrollment
continuing
to grow and position the
school to meet the needs
of businesses, students and
community members.
“I think my focus for the
irst chunk of time is listening
to people and asking what
they need from
BMCC,”
Keys
said. “I will then
take that infor-
mation back to
leadership and see
what BMCC can
do to meet those
needs.”
Although
Keys will be
new to BMCC,
she is already familiar
with the Eastern Oregon
Higher Education Center.
Keys is currently the EOU
Hermiston Center director
as well as an advisor for the
La Grande-based college
who splits time between
Pendleton and Hermiston.
Familiar with ongoing
programs, Keys hopes to
continue efforts to bring a
more collegiate feel to the
Hermiston campus and
to continue working with
EOU to expand offerings at
the Eastern Oregon Higher
Education Center.
“I think (EOU) is at a
good point now with our
partnership with BMCC so
someone else can step in and
continue the work to make
sure students have options
for the four-year degrees that
the west end of the county
needs,” Keys said, adding
that goal includes expansion
in face-to-face classes with
EOU faculty.
———
Contact Jennifer Colton
at jcolton@eastoregonian.
com or 541-564-4534.
Rivoli Theater receives grant
PENDLETON — The Oregon Community Foundation
announced Tuesday that the Rivoli Coalition was the
recipient of a $15,000 grant.
The grant will go toward construction drawings and
engineering cost estimates for the restoration of the historic
Rivoli Theater in Pendleton.
The nonproit coalition is currently in the planning
stages of the restoration, which will turn the former movie
theater into a performing arts center.
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