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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (June 3, 2016)
REGION Friday, June 3, 2016 East Oregonian Page 3A PENDLETON Fire season begins Relay ights cancer one step at a time in Central Oregon Youngman to serve as East Oregonian Survivor Ambassador Wildire season begins Friday in the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Central Oregon District, which includes nearly all of Grant County, as well as portions of Wheeler and southern Morrow counties. District ire managers say forest fuels are drying at a rapid pace, with more warm and dry weather in the forecast. With the implementation of ire season, some burning permits issued earlier in the spring may no longer be valid, and industrial slash burning won’t be allowed on ODF land. Logging companies will need to have ire tools, water and watchmen on hand By TAMMY MALGESINI East Oregonian A familiar face will welcome participants during the upcoming Pendleton Relay for Life. Serving as Survivor Ambassador, Kathryn Youngman will speak during the opening ceremonies Friday, June 17 at 6 p.m. at Sunridge Middle School, 700 S.W. Runnion Ave., Pendleton. Survivors, as well as those currently ighting the disease, are invited to a special survivor dinner prepared by McKay Creek Estates. The meal will be served at the conclusion of the opening ceremonies. A fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, the event runs all night — representing that cancer never sleeps. It concludes with closing ceremonies Saturday, June 18 at 7 a.m. People will hit the track throughout the evening and night. There will be some themed laps featuring every- thing from glow-in-the-dark items, going backwards and lashlights to poker and noise makers. In addition, team encampments will offer a variety of activities to raise additional money for the cause. People are invited to come out and participate — either all night or for just a few hours. “We would like the community to take part in it, and embrace it as their own,” said Gert Hawthorne, a longtime Relay for Life volunteer. Virgil Bates has partic- ipated as both a survivor and as a way to honor his brother, David Taylor, who died from pancreatic cancer. The Mission man said the Staff photo by Tammy Malgesini Members of Team Top to Bottom set up their encampment during a past Pendleton Relay for Life. This year’s event kicks off Friday, June 17 at 6 p.m. at Sunridge Middle School. HERMISTON Relay for Life STARTS: Friday, June 17; 6 p.m. ENDS: Saturday, June 18; 7 a.m. WHERE: Sunridge Mid- dle School, Pendleton INFO: www.facebook. com/PdtRelay EO ile photo Pendleton High School Spanish teacher Kathryn Young- man will serve as the Survivor Ambassador during the Friday, June 17 opening ceremonies of Pendleton Re- lay for Life at Sunridge Middle School. event is a great opportunity to provide encouragement to others. It helps people know they aren’t alone, Bates said. A moving tribute to those who have lost their ight against cancer takes place at 9 p.m. The Luminaria Cere- mony features glowing bags along the track, a speaker, music and a silent lap. It offers a time of relection and honoring those who died from the disease. Karen Malcolm, a past chairwoman for the event, also ights the disease as an American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network volunteer. She said people don’t always agree on everything, but Relay for Life joins the community in a common cause. “We stand together in the ight against cancer,” Malcolm said on the event’s Facebook page. “See you at the track!” For more information, call Gert Hawthorne at 541-215- 9767, Carol Preston at 541-379-6294 or visit www. facebook.com/PdtRelay. ——— Contact Community Editor Tammy Malgesini at tmalgesini@eastoregonian. com or 541-564-4539 EOU Commencement set for June 11 More than 700 bachelor’s degrees to be conferred Photo contributed by Hermiston Fire & Emergency Services Hermiston ireighters work to extinguish a ire at Columbia Basin Onion southwest of Hermiston on Wednesday afternoon. Onion shed ire caused $1.2 million in damage East Oregonian A ire that consumed an onion shed outside Herm- iston Wednesday afternoon caused an estimated $1.2 million in damage to the building, according to Hermiston Fire & Emer- gency Services Chief Scott Stanton. Stanton said that estimate does not include a pickup truck, tools and a piece of machinery that were also inside the building at the time. About 45 ireighters were on scene at Columbia Basin Spreaders’ Westland Road location for more than two hours Wednesday after the blaze started about 3:30 p.m. One person was injured in the blaze, and was lown to a Portland burn unit for treatment. The cause is under investigation. BRIEFLY By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian Approximately 456 students will participate in Eastern Oregon University’s formal commencement ceremony Saturday, June 11 in La Grande. The event will be held outdoors at Community Stadium, beginning at 10 a.m. No tickets are required to attend, and seating will be available on a irst-come, irst-serve basis. Free parking will be available all day at lots on campus, excluding reserved spaces. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown will deliver the keynote address, which will focus on college accessibility and affordability. Also scheduled to speak is EOU President’s Scholar Cassie Gray-Jeffries, of La Grande, who is completing her bach- elor’s degree with a double major in anthropology and history. Shahayla Ononaiye, of Kuna, Idaho, will perform the National Anthem, and Haley Hill, of Eagle, Idaho, will sing the Alma Mater. Ononaiye will receive degrees in music and busi- ness administration, while Hill is completing her degree in English and writing. For the 2015-16 academic year, EOU will confer more than 700 bachelor’s degrees, about 85 master’s degrees and nine associate degrees. Tim Seydel, EOU’s vice president for university for ire suppression when working in the area, while recreationists are reminded to exercise campire safety. Sky lanterns, tracer ammu- nition and exploding targets are all banned during ire season. Human-caused ires accounted for 60 percent of all ires during the 2015 ire season, which was higher than the 10-year average, according to District Forester Mike Shaw. “We can’t predict when and how many lightning ires we will get, but we can reduce the number of human starts by being smart and deliberate in our actions,” Shaw said. More information is available at www.odfcen- traloregon.com. Hermiston book club discusses hidden girls of Afghanistan HERMISTON — A book by an investigative reporter about girls in Afghanistan being forced to live as boys prior to puberty will be discussed in the Hermiston Public Library’s book club. Bookminders meets Wednesday, June 8 at 11:30 a.m. at The Pheasant Bar & Grill, 149 E. Main St., Hermiston. Everyone is welcome to attend. Jenny Nordberg wrote “The Underground Girls of Kabul” after learning about the secret practice of bacha posh, where mothers disguise their daughters as sons due to the treatment of females in Afghanistan. For more about the book club, call 541-567-2882. Contributed photo Eastern Oregon University will hold its formal commencement ceremony on June 11. “Our new president ... has been doing great, and our board is doing great.” — Tim Seydel, vice president for university advancement advancement, said recent graduating classes have been inlated given an increase in college enrollment around the time of the recession. Looking ahead, Seydel said administrators expect those numbers will decline in the coming years. However, new President Tom Insko and the university’s board of trustees have their sights set on boosting on-campus enrollment by as much as 20 percent year over year. According to a recent article in the Oregonian, full-time on-campus enroll- ment dipped to 1,190 last fall — a 28 percent decline from 2003 — amid “rampant leadership turnover.” But Seydel said Insko’s arrival, along with the new board, is helping EOU to ind its footing. Retention rates are expected to be 71 to 72 percent for students returning to campus next fall, which already shows an increase. “Our new president ... has been doing great, and our board is doing great,” Seydel said. Other activities related to this year’s EOU Commence- ment include the Oregon Health & Science Univer- sity’s School of Nursing Convocation and Awards Ceremony, which will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, June 10 in McKenzie Theater in Loso Hall. The annual Student Awards Ceremony will be held later that same day, at 1:30 p.m., also in McKenzie Theater, where 36 awards will be presented. That evening, at 5 p.m., is a celebration for off-campus graduates and their families in the Gilbert Center, located adjacent to Ackerman Hall. More information and detailed schedules can be found online at www.eou. edu/commencement. ——— Contact George Plaven at gplaven@eastoregonian. com or 541-966-0825. SUBMIT COMMUNITY NEWS Submit information to: community@eastoregonian.com or drop off to the attention of Tammy Malgesini at 333 E. Main St., Hermiston or Renee Struthers at 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton. Call 541-564-4539 or 541-966-0818 with questions. “We wish you a Great Summer!” H ibbert D ental 1100 Southgate, Suite 3 Pendleton, OR 97801 www.hibbertdental.com • 541-612-3707 Enjoy the Jazz sounds of Brass Fire June 4th, 2016 7 pm - 10 pm In the Red Lion Lounge 304 SE Nye Pendleton 541-276-6111 Goathead Roundup pays for puncturevine June 18, 25 PENDLETON — Pendleton on Wheels is on a mission to reduce the amount of puncturevine, also known as goatheads, in the area. The pesky weed lattens the tires of bicycles, gets caught in puppy paws and can make choir boys swear. Even the scientiic name sounds bad — Tribulus terrestris. The Goathead Roundup will pay people $5 for each 30-gallon bag illed with puncturevine weed and its root. It’s important to get the root to help prevent re-growth. People can drop off bags of puncturevine Saturday, June 18 and Saturday, June 25 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Pendleton Parks & Recreation/Olney Cemetery Facilities Department, 865 Tutuilla Road, Pendleton. For more information, contact Doug Webb at stormwebb@hotmail.com. Need Shade or Outdoor Living Space? W e’ve Got YOU covered! Paio Covers Pergolas · Sunrooms Retractable Awnings FREE estimates! Screen Rooms 541-720-0772 Handrail · Sun/Solar Visit our showroom: Shades & More! 102 E Columbia Dr. License License #188965 #188965 Kennewick, WA 99336 www.mybackyardbydesign.com Todd Tennant Business Health Farm Life Todd Tennant 541/276-2302 • 800/225-2521 The Stratton Agency Pendleton / Hermiston • stratton-insurance.com One Responsible Source Agent