REGION
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
East Oregonian
PENDLETON
Grass fi re narrowly misses homes
Monmouth boy drowns
in John Day River
By WILL DENNER
East Oregonian
EO Media Group
A grassy hillside caught fi re north of
the Interstate 84 overpass on Highway
11 in Pendleton Monday evening,
forcing a few residents to evacuate.
Smoke fi lled the homes of Nancy
Nash and her mother, Iris Campbell,
who live on Southeast Sixth Street.
Firefi ghters instructed them to leave
their homes, though the fi re didn’t
reach the structures.
“I’ve never (seen) it do this,” said
Nash, who has lived in the house for
eight years. “This is kind of scary.”
Firefi ghters responded to a 9-1-1 call
about the fi re at 5:32 p.m., according
to Pendleton Fire Chief Mike Ciraulo.
Ciraulo commended the quick response
time of local agencies.
“Had it been another minute,”
Ciraulo said, “We would’ve been
mopping up two homes.”
Neighbor Pete Tadao fi rst saw the
fi re near a public staircase that connects
Southeast Sixth Street at the top of the
hill with Highway 11 below. Fearing
the fi re would spread to his home on
Sixth Street, Tadao drove down to
Highway 11 to get a better view. Tadao
estimated that the fi re came within fi ve
to 10 feet of the staircase.
Authorities recovered
the body of a Monmouth
teen who drowned in the
John Day River Sunday
near Spray.
The body of Cody Lane
Watson, 16, was recovered
from the river near mile
post 82 on Highway 19/207
at about 10 a.m. Monday,
Wheeler County Sheriff’s
Offi ce
Chief
Deputy
Michael Boyd reported.
At about noon Sunday,
Wheeler County deputies
responded to a report that
Watson had disappeared
beneath the surface of the
river while swimming
with friends about 8
miles west of Spray. They
were assisted by Wheeler
County Search and Rescue,
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
A Pendleton fi refi ghter watches as fl ames burn through a fi eld near S.E.
6th Street on Monday in Pendleton.
Pendleton Police and ODOT briefl y
blocked Highway 11 northbound, but
reopened the road once the fi re was
contained.
In addition to Pendleton Fire
Department, the fi re departments of
Pilot Rock, Confederated Tribes of
the Umatilla Indian Reservation and
Bureau of Indian Affairs responded
to the call. Ciraulo said the fi re was
contained within an hour of the
response.
As temperatures continue to rise,
Ciraulo urged citizens to be cautious
and when necessary alert the Fire
Department of potential hazards.
“We need people to be ever-vigilant”
Ciraulo said.
UMATILLA
Landing Days builds community bond
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
Umatilla Landing Days
was a little smaller than
usual on Saturday, but
Umatilla residents in atten-
dance didn’t seem to mind.
The annual event, which
celebrates
Umatilla’s
history each summer, was
originally scaled down to
just the fi reworks show
after a struggle to fi nd
enough volunteers, but
later the parade, afternoon
entertainment, food, games
and an evening concert
were all added back in. The
only major components that
ended up missing were the
craft vendors and tours of
Old Town.
Leah
Garza,
who
attended Landing Days
when she was a child and
was back again for the
fi rst time in years, said the
important thing wasn’t
so much the event, it was
the excuse for community
members to mingle.
“We don’t have too
many events every year in
Umatilla, so it’s good to
do something to bring the
community together,” she
Staff photo by Jade McDowell
Umatilla High School cheerleaders and alumni perform
during Umatilla Landing Days on Saturday.
said.
Candelario Escovado, a
single dad who was taking a
break in the shade watching
his three children in a
bouncy house, said he was
just happy for something to
keep the kids entertained.
“There’s nothing to do
but the library and the river,
and we heard about this, so
here we are,” he said.
Nancy and Jeremy Evans,
who have lived in Umatilla
for about eight years, were
enjoying teriyaki chicken
kabobs in the shade on
Saturday afternoon. They
said they used to run a
Fourth of July celebration
in Idaho, and the event fell
apart after they left because
no one was willing to step
up. So they understand that
sometimes events have to
be changed when volunteer
levels falter.
That’s no reason the
show shouldn’t go on,
however, Nancy said.
“I think it’s worth having
because it gets a lot of
people out with their chil-
dren, and I know it’s hard
to get people outside,” she
said.
Jeremy said they enjoyed
the small-town celebration
after previously attending
parades in Las Vegas,
where it was sometimes an
eight-hour ordeal to travel
downtown, fi nd parking,
watch the three-hour parade
and then fi ght wall-to-wall
traffi c getting back home.
“We come (to Landing
Days) when we can, just
because we like to be outside
and watch the people and
the boats,” Nancy said.
Jennifer Wylie, Umatilla
Chamber of Commerce
president, said organizers
were thrilled with the
weather, which featured
cloudless blue skies and
temperatures in the eighties.
“It’s just a fun event
overall, and people love the
fi reworks,” she said.
The afternoon featured
entertainers from around
the region, including the
Round-Up City Cloggers,
Umatilla High School
cheerleaders and young
Hermiston dancers Daytona
Tracy and Phillip Mecum.
———
Contact Jade McDowell
at jmcdowell@eastorego-
nian.com or 541-564-4536.
HERMISTON
Relay brings people together for cancer research
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
It’s a rare person whose
life doesn’t end up being
affected by cancer in one
way or another.
It’s no surprise, then, that
people of all ages and walks
of life came together at the
Umatilla County Fairgrounds
on Saturday for Hermiston’s
20th annual Relay for Life
to raise money for cancer
research.
Some of them were survi-
vors, some had lost a loved
one to the disease, some were
caregivers and some came in
support of friends and family.
But they all had one goal in
mind: beat cancer.
“I have friends that 20
years ago would have died,
but research has made all the
difference,” said Jan Evans,
who has been involved with
Relay for Life for the past 21
years after surviving breast
cancer. It was her sixteenth
year running the silent
auction, which featured more
than 350 items donated by
the community.
Evans said she partici-
pates in part out of gratitude
that she managed to survive
a disease that takes hundreds
of thousands of lives in the
U.S. each year. She said
she would likely retire from
being in charge of the auction
next year but it wouldn’t stop
her from continuing to be
involved with Relay for Life
in other ways.
Kristy Gifford said she
also came to the fairgrounds
on Saturday to help support
the research that could save
lives in the future. She had
traveled from Independence,
Oregon, to join a team of
friends and family in remem-
Staff photo by Jade McDowell
Cancer survivors enter the opening ceremony for the
Hermiston Relay for Life on Saturday at the Umatilla
County Fairgrounds.
brance of her brother-in-law
Dennis Wade, who died
three years ago of pancreatic
cancer. Her husband is a
cancer survivor.
“For people facing the
battle, it’s not easy,” she said.
“It’s those dreaded words.
But they’re always coming
out with new research.”
Beyond supporting new
cancer research, Relay
for Life also provides an
opportunity for survivors,
current cancer patients and
caregivers to make new
friends who understand what
they are going through.
Heidi Howard was at
Relay for Life with her son
and nephew for that very
reason, after having a brain
tumor removed about a year
ago. She said it was her
fi rst time at the event, and
she was looking forward to
understanding what it was
all about and meeting other
local cancer survivors.
“I love all of the support for
everyone,” she said. “I even
noticed some co-workers
here. ... My surgery was out
of Seattle so I didn’t get to
know many people around
here.”
This
year’s
grand
marshals were Lou Ann
and Bryan Wolfe. Lou Ann
faced breast cancer a couple
of years ago after being one
of the Hermiston Relay for
Life’s original co-chairs,
and Bryan was diagnosed
with Stage 4 mantle cell
lymphoma, which can be
treated but not cured, in
August 2015.
During the opening
ceremonies Bryan said he
was “new to this journey
many of you have taken
or are taking,” but said he
was deeply grateful for the
sacrifi ces and research that
had allowed him to continue
to keep his cancer at bay.
“I’m looking forward to a
lot of time left to come, a lot
of memories,” he said.
Lou Ann said she and her
husband were learning to let
things go that used to bother
them, and to say no some-
times when they needed to.
She said she was grateful to
the support and friendships
that her involvement in
Relay for Life had brought
when it was her family’s turn
to battle cancer.
“There is always someone
out there who knows where
you’ve been, who knows
where you’re going and can
stand alongside you and tell
you it’s going to be OK,” she
said.
She said that God’s grace
had allowed them to continue
to fi nd fulfi llment in life even
when times got tough.
“Our days are not always
fi lled with laughter, but they
are fi lled with joy,” she said.
“Joy is not dependent on
sunny circumstances and
good news.”
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Page 3A
Wheeler County Fire
and Rescue, the Oregon
State Police and members
of the Spray Fire and
Ambulance departments,
which searched exten-
sively without success.
About two hours after the
search began, members
of the Grant County Fast
Water Rescue Team also
responded to help.
Boyd said the initial
investigation indicated the
incident was an accident.
“The John Day River
continues to be deceptively
dangerous with sudden
changes in both the current
and the underwater features
of the riverbed,” Boyd said
in the press release. “Swim-
mers should use extreme
caution when swimming in
any natural waterway.”
BRIEFLY
Two new outdoor
basketball courts
ready for play
PENDLETON — New
basketball courts will soon
be ready for play in two
Pendleton parks.
Donnie Cook,
Pendleton Parks and
Recreation director,
estimated that construction
began on the half-courts
in late April. Concrete
Specialists laid the
concrete for the courts,
while Pendleton Parks
handled all other phases of
the project.
“Other than labor and
equipment, there was no
taxpayer money used for
any of this,” Cook said.
Besides adding sod
around the edge of the
courts, construction is
complete at Grecian
Heights Park at 1910 SW
Athens Ave. The Rice
Park court, at 2220 SW
Quinney Ave, will be
fi nished once the concrete
slab settles.
Donors for the project
included Pendleton Youth
Basketball Association,
Wildhorse Foundation,
Pendleton On Wheels and
Altrusa Club of Pendleton.
In late April, Northwest
Farm Credit Services
awarded the organization a
$1,500 Rural Community
Grant to meet the project
budget, estimated between
$9,000 and $10,000,
according to Special
Projects Coordinator Deb
Whitaker.
Although Pendleton
Parks doesn’t have the
fi nal cost of the project,
Whitaker said it will
slightly exceed the
budgeted amount.
Whitaker said the
addition of the basketball
courts will offer additional
opportunities for outdoor
recreation. “Providing
opportunities for active
play in our parks
contributes to improved
health for all ages and
basketball is a low-entry
cost sport, which makes
it accessible to nearly
anyone,” she said in a
press release.
Blues Cruise revs
up holiday fun
IONE — There’s still
time to spiff up your car
in preparation for the Ione
4th of July Blues Cruise.
The event revs up at 9
a.m. (8:30 a.m. line-up)
at the Sinclair station in
Lexington. The route
cruises through Heppner
to Ruggs to Rhea Creek
then north along the creek
to Ione.
The show is open to all
makes and models of cars,
trucks and motorcycles.
The registration fee is
$25, which includes a
dash plaque, goody bag,
T-shirt and a door prize
raffl e ticket (early entries
will receive two tickets).
Money raised from the
event will support the Ione
FFA Chapter.
Registration runs
from 10:30 a.m. to noon
at Ione City Park. Also,
participants are encouraged
to participate in the parade,
which begins at 1 p.m.
Awards are at 3 p.m.
For more information,
contact Rick Sanford
at rockinsfarm2002@
yahoo.com or visit www.
facebook.com/bluescruise.
ione.oregon.
Program offers
Wallowa County
exploration
ENTERPRISE — Local
experts and community
partners provide a unique
opportunity to explore
Wallowa County through
Wallowa Land Trust’s Into
the Wallowa series.
Upcoming activities
all run from 9 a.m. to
noon. Participants need
to dress appropriately for
the elements and bring
sunscreen, hiking boots
and water. The activities
include:
•Words of Nature on the
Moraine, Saturday, July
2. Participants will join
artist Jacob Hasslacher
and representatives from
Fishtrap, which encourages
creative writing. Provided
with iPads, participants
will write stories or
poems inspired by the
surroundings.
•Geology of Wallowa
Lake, Saturday, July 16.
Hike with renowned
geologist Ellen Morris
Bishop while enjoying
breathtaking views.
Learn about the geology,
natural history, cultural
signifi cance of the
moraines.
•Music of Nature at
the Confl uence, Saturday,
July 23. Birds, water,
leaves and wind all create
their own music, inspiring
songwriters and musicians.
Explore the rhythms of the
outdoors with Wallowa
County musician Janis
Carper.
•Meander the Wallowa,
Saturday, Aug. 6. Explore
a stretch of the river with
botanist and naturalist
Janet Hohmann. View the
fi rst big river remeander
project in Eastern Oregon
on the property of Doug
McDaniel and Gail
Hammock.
Events are free,
but donations are
accepted. To register
and information about
meeting place, contact
info@wallowalandtrust.
org, 541-426-2042 or visit
www.wallowalandtrust.
org.
———
Briefs are compiled from
staff and wire reports, and
press releases. Email press
releases to news@eastore-
gonian.com
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