REGION
Friday, July 8, 2016
East Oregonian
Page 3A
HERMISTON
Law enforcement
investigating
exploding mailbox
East Oregonian
Staff photo by Jade McDowell
Echo city hall turned 100 this month.
Echo city hall turns 100
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
There was plenty of cake to go
around on Thursday as Echo celebrated
the 100th birthday of its city hall.
The cream-colored building on
Bonanza Street has withstood the
test of time pretty well, said Mayor
Richard Winters. He said since the city’s
$500,000 renovation of the building in
1999, it hasn’t seemed like any more of
a maintenance headache than the much
newer buildings where many of his
counterparts in larger cities meet.
“This is every bit as comfortable, and
my joy in it is its history,” he said.
Of course, it hasn’t come without its
problems. During the 1999 renovation,
paid for through state and federal grants,
Echo made national headlines for hauling
away an impressive 4.6 tons of pigeon
droppings from the attic, accumulated
over the course of more than 80 years.
City Manager Diane Berry said the
renovation also expanded the library
from 800 to 3,300 square feet, restored
the ballroom upstairs to its former glory,
added central heat to the building and
expanded other rooms, including a bath-
room that was so tiny people had trouble
itting their knees between the toilet and
sink.
“The janitor’s closet was bigger than
the original bathroom, so that was quite
the luxury when we moved back in,” she
said.
Echo’s city hall was completed in
1916, and Berry said Echo residents
celebrated with a Fourth of July dance
in the ballroom. Later, monthly ire
department dances there raised money
for Echo’s irst iretruck purchased in
1949.
For decades the building also housed
The Star Theater downstairs; the bay
window on the south side of the building
is where employees stood while selling
movie tickets. The back ofices used
to hold a jail cell for unruly residents
picked up by local law enforcement.
Today the building holds the city
ofices, the library, various historical
Law
enforcement
responded to an exploding
mailbox outside Herm-
iston on Wednesday and
a possible mailbox bomb
hoax on Tuesday, but so far
there is no indication the
two incidents were related.
On Wednesday a man
reported his mailbox on
Michaels Lane northeast of
Hermiston had exploded,
shaking
the
house.
Umatilla County Sheriff
Terry Rowan said a white
vehicle was seen speeding
from the scene around
the time of the incident,
suggesting the explosive
device was placed in the
mailbox instead of mailed
there. He said evidence
from the scene had been
collected and was being
analyzed.
On Tuesday a woman
on NW 11th Street north-
west of the Hermiston
city limits called to report
that she had removed a
possible pipe bomb from
her mailbox and had taken
it into her house. Oregon
State Police responded and
discovered a piece of hose
taped together.
“Whether
it
was
intended as a hoax, we’re
not sure,” OSP Sergeant
Seth Cooney said.
He said the item was
in a clear plastic bag,
indicating it had not gone
through the postal service
but had been placed in the
mailbox directly.
Rowan said there had
not been any similar events
reported recently and there
did not seem to be anything
tying the Wednesday
and Tuesday incidents
together. Both Rowan and
Cooney said if anyone has
reason to believe there
is an explosive device in
their mailbox they should
inform law enforcement.
“I would say they
should not remove a suspi-
cious item to their home or
vehicle,” Rowan said.
West Nile detected near
Umatilla, Stanield
East Oregonian
Staff photo by Jade McDowell
Echo city manager Diane Berry shows off a Pendleton Woolen Mills blan-
ket, embroidered with the date Echo’s city hall was built, displayed at city
hall during the building’s centennial celebration.
displays and the upstairs ballroom that
hosts community events such as Inland
Northwest Musicians’ free Christmas
concert.
Before the reception at city hall
on Thursday, about a dozen people
gathered on Main Street for the oficial
dedication of a metal tree sculpture by
artist Douglas Gisi. The sculpture is one
of many art pieces in downtown Echo,
but Berry noted it was special because it
was the irst piece commissioned by the
newly-formed Echo Art Committee.
A sculpture of stalks of wheat was
recently placed across the street, and a
cougar sculpture and piece of art paying
tribute to Native American culture are in
the works.
The celebrations coincided with a
two-day visit by judges from America in
Bloom. The national competition recog-
nizes cities for urban forestry, environ-
mental efforts, loral displays, heritage
preservation, community involvement
and other criteria. Echo is a past winner
in the small cities category.
Judge Steve Pategas, who lives in
Florida, said he was excited for his irst
trip to Eastern Oregon and impressed
with what he saw in Echo.
“The blend of history here and how
they preserve it and the color in the
garden and how they integrate every-
thing, it is just amazing,” he said.
Pategas said Echo was smaller than
most America in Bloom’s small cities
competitors (his next stops in Ohio,
Indiana and Colorado are all more than
ive times larger than Echo’s population
of 700) but what is important is that
they are beautifying and improving their
community anyway.
“Size doesn’t really matter,” he said.
“The wealth in the community doesn’t
really matter. It’s about what resources
they have and how they’re using them.”
———
Contact
Jade
McDowell
at
jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com
or
541-564-4536.
West Nile virus has been
detected in two mosquito
samples in Umatilla County,
one east of Umatilla and
one on the southern edge of
Stanield.
The
samples
were
collected June 28, and
testing was done at the
Oregon State University
Veterinary Diagnostic Labo-
ratory on July 6. It’s the irst
detection of West Nile in
Oregon so far this year.
Residents can expect an
increase in mosquito control
operations,
including
Ultra-Low Volume appli-
cations of insecticide from
truck-mounted
sprayers.
Spraying will typically be
done after sunset, when
mosquitoes are most active.
All applicators are licensed
by the Oregon Department
of Agriculture.
West Nile is primarily a
bird disease, with magpies,
blue jays and crows espe-
cially susceptible. Mosqui-
toes feed on infected birds
and can pass the virus to
humans or other animals
when they bite. Most people
infected with West Nile do
not become sick, but some
may develop mild lu-like
symptoms and, in rare
cases, the virus may cause
encephalitis, or inlamma-
tion of the brain.
The risk of West Nile
is low, but the public is
encouraged to take precau-
tions against mosquito
bites. People can reduce
their exposure to mosqui-
toes by avoiding outdoor
activities at dawn or dusk,
when mosquitoes are active,
using mosquito repellent or
wearing long-sleeved shirts
and pants when working in
mosquito-infested areas.
Other
tips
include
screening
doors
and
windows, and getting rid of
old tires or other containers
where water can accumu-
late and serve as a breeding
ground for mosquitoes.
Those with horses should
check with their veterinar-
ians for vaccinations, and
be sure to lush or replace
the water in their troughs
weekly.
For more information
and updates on West Nile,
visit
www.public.health.
oregon.gov or call the
Umatilla County Health
Department at 541-278-
5432.
BRIEFLY
Simpson pleads not
guilty to Jimenez
murder
PORTLAND — Julian
Darryl James Simpson
pleaded not guilty Thursday
in federal court to the
murder of Antonio “Tony”
Jimenez of Pendleton.
Court records show
the United States District
Attorney’s Ofice arraigned
Simpson, 23,
on charges of
irst-degree
murder,
possession of
a irearm in
furtherance
of a crime
of violence Simpson
and felon
in possession of a irearm
related to the March 19
shooting death of Jimenez,
27, outside a home on the
Umatilla Indian Reservation.
Simpson pleaded not guilty
to all counts.
Magistrate Judge Stacie
F. Beckerman determined
Simpson is a light risk and
ordered his detention at the
Multnomah County Jail,
Portland.
Beckerman also set
a ive-day jury trial
for Simpson and his
co-defendant, Victor Joseph
Contreras, starting Oct. 11 in
Portland with Judge Anna J.
Brown presiding. Contreras
faces assault with intent to
murder and other charges
stemming from the shooting
of Beau Welch. According
to court documents, Jimenez
and Welch tried to get the
two co-defendants to leave a
party at Welch’s home when
the shooting started. Welch
almost lost his foot from a
bullet wound.
Man who assaulted
his ex gets 7.5 years
in prison
BOARDMAN — Travis
Lane Thomas of Boardman
is heading to state prison for
seven and a half years for
kidnapping and assaulting
his ex-girlfriend.
Thomas, 44, pleaded
“no contest” on June 30
in Morrow County Circuit
Court to irst-degree
kidnapping and second-
degree assault. Court records
show the pleas came in
exchange for the district
attorney dropping several
other charges, including
irst-degree kidnapping
and assault. Judge Lynn
Hampton sentenced Thomas
Music
on the
Lawn
concurrently on the two
charges, which also was part
of the deal.
A plea of no contest
means the defendant
believes the state has
the evidence to deliver a
conviction on the charges at
trial. The court treats a “no
contest” plea the same as a
guilty verdict.
Thomas kidnapped
Heather Payne in February
from where she was staying
in Boardman, forced her
into his nearby home, tied
her up and assaulted her for
hours before she managed to
escape and get help. Morrow
County Sheriff Ken Matlack
at the time reported Payne
suffered bleeding in her
brain from the assault.
Court records show
Thomas has a criminal case
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history going back to 1991
with felony convictions for
burglary and theft. He also
has convictions in 2015 for
domestic violence against
Payne.
Theater presents
sensory-friendly
viewing
HERMISTON — A
special viewing of “The
Secret Life of Pets” provides
a comfortable atmosphere
with the lights up a little,
the volume down and the
lexibility for audience
members to move around.
The Arc Umatilla
County in conjunction
with Hermiston Stadium
8 Cinemas is offering the
sensory-friendly showing.
Those with special needs
and their families or
caregivers are invited to
attend.
The sensory show is
Saturday, July 16 with the
doors opening at 10 a.m. at
355 W. Theater Lane, off
Highway 395 in Hermiston.
The movie starts at 10:30
a.m. and costs $5 per person.
The Arc advocates for
the rights of children and
adults with intellectual and
developmental disabilities.
For more information about
programs, services and
activities, call 541-567-7615
or visit www.facebook.com/
arcofumatillacounty.