REGION
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
East Oregonian
MEACHAM
Page 3A
PENDLETON
Heritage Days offers outdoor fun District passes
on bond after
grant bid fails
East Oregonian
Food, music, history and
fun are planned during this
weekend’s Heritage Days
at Emigrant Springs State
Heritage Area.
Wood carvers will whittle
away, pioneer actors will
present a living history
display and muzzleloaders
will show off their craft
during the two-day event,
which runs Friday and
Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. There is no admission
charge. Emigrant Springs
is about 20 miles east of
Pendleton off Interstate 84 at
([LW
In addition, the Blue
Mountain Fiddlers will
perform Thursday through
Saturday from 6-9 p.m. in the
park’s community building.
The public is invited to enjoy
the music and kick up their
heels with some dancing.
Food and beverages will
be available for purchase
Friday and Saturday, cour-
tesy of the Oregon Trail
Store & Deli. The Heritage
Days event will include a
scavenger hunt for kids, a
chance to try your hand at
gold panning with Buck’s
Mining and a presentation
about the uses of trees and
how to make paper by the
Women of Timber.
Other sweet activities
Contributed photo
Heritage Days features muzzleloaders, woodcarvers, pioneer actors and the Blue
Mountain Fiddlers Friday and Saturday at Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area.
include a cake walk and
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win seats for the Pendleton
Round-Up.
People are invited to
come up for the day or
check for overnight camping
accommodations, which can
be reserved at www.oregon-
stateparks.org or by calling
800-452-5687.
For more information
about Heritage Days, contact
541-983-2277 or tom.v.pe-
terson@oregon.gov.
BRIEFLY
At-large council
seats up for grabs
HERMISTON —
Hermiston residents
interested in running for city
council have until Aug. 30
WR¿OHIRUHOHFWLRQ
Hermiston’s four at-large
council seats are up for
election in November.
They are currently held by
Manuel Gutierrez, Doug
Primmer, Rod Hardin and
John Kirwan.
Terms are four years.
Instead of running for
individual seats, all at-large
candidates run against
each other and the four
candidates who receive the
highest number of votes will
take the four open seats.
Filing forms and manuals
are available at city hall,
180 N.E. Second St., and
on the Oregon Secretary
of State’s website. Forms
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recorder at city hall.
Candidates must be
eligible Oregon voters who
have lived in the city for at
least one year immediately
prior to running for election.
They cannot be employed
by the city or a candidate
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same election.
M-F bus rides
to become free
MILTON-FREEWATER
— Starting July 15,
everyone will be able to
use the city of Milton-Free-
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transportation system for
free.
According to a press
release, the Milton-Free-
water City Council unani-
mously agreed Monday to
permanently eliminate fares.
The bus route takes riders
from Milton-Freewater to
College Place and Walla
Walla, serving each stop
three times a day.
In a statement, Public
Transportation Coordinator
of the districts that were
initially selected for a grant
under the program passed the
After the Pendleton corresponding bond. The 56
School District was rele- percent of the grant money
gated to a wait list for a $4 set aside to selected districts
million matching state grant, that did not get a local match
GLVWULFWRI¿FLDOVGLGQRWZDLW was instead directed to wait-
to pull the plug on a possible listed districts that passed
bonds.
$4 million bond measure.
Ranked 26th in the state
Director of Business
Services Michelle Jones in terms of student poverty,
made the announcement the Umatilla School District
at a school board meeting ZDV RQH RI VL[ GLVWULFWV
0RQGD\ H[SODLQLQJ WKDW selected under that criteria
Pendleton had fallen short in the second round of grant
in its attempt to obtain awards and is now seeking
$8 million for facility a $10.25 million levy in
improvements to McKay November to go along with
Creek Elementary School, a $4 million state grant.
Pendleton wasn’t as
Sunridge Middle School,
Pendleton High School and successful.
Ranked a middling 91st
West Hills Intermediate
School, soon to be the Pend- in poverty, Pendleton was
leton Tech and Trade Center. ¿IWKRQWKHZDLWLQJOLVWIRUD
The Legislature estab- grant. The district had worse
lished the Oregon School luck in the lottery, coming
Capital
Improvement in at eight on the waiting
Matching Program in 2015 OLVW ZKLOH RQO\ ¿YH VFKRRO
to award school district districts made the cut.
If Pendleton obtained
matching grants contingent
the grant and passed a
on passing a bond measure.
The program created two ERQG GLVWULFW RI¿FLDOV VDLG
routes a district could take to they would have used the
money to pay for facility
win a grant.
One method ranked improvements that the $55
every school district in the million bond passed in 2013
state by its student poverty couldn’t cover. Although
levels and awarded grants applying for the grant won
to the top applicants. The unanimous support from the
other is a lottery where the school board in June, some
grant winners are selected members were concerned
DW UDQGRP 7KH ¿UVW URXQG that another bond campaign
of grants was successful so close to the previous one
in convincing local voters would be too much too soon.
Unless the Legislature
to chip in: Districts in
Milton-Freewater,
Athe- H[WHQGVWKHSURJUDPEH\RQG
na-Weston and Echo all the May 2017 election,
received $4 million grants Pendleton’s last chance at
a matching grant will come
after passing bonds in May.
Statewide, 44 percent QH[W\HDU
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
Theresa Dutcher said the
free fare would ease the
burden for the system’s
senior and disabled riders.
Increased ridership could
also mean more federal
funding for the program
through the Small Transit
Intensive City program.
The city has seen a jump
in ridership when instituting
fare-free periods.
Kayak Transit offers free
service through its Walla
Walla Whistler route, which
UXQVRQD¿[HGURXWHIURP
Pendleton to Walla Walla
with stops in Milton-Free-
water and College Place.
USFS to hold
conference call
on Forest Plan
Revision
PENDLETON — Forest
Service staff will hold
a public conference call
Wednesday evening to
GLVFXVVWKHLUODWHVW¿QGLQJV
into the Blue Mountains
Forest Plan Revision,
including recommended
wilderness, backcountry
areas, wildlife corridors and
designated routes.
The call will run from
5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Anyone
interested in listening can
call 1-888-844-9904 and
enter access code 2651088.
For those who cannot
listen to the live broadcast,
the call will be recorded
and a link to the recording
will be posted online in the
near future. The website
is www.fs.usda.gov/goto/
BlueMountainsPlanRevision.
Ione School Board
ORRNVWR¿OOYDFDQF\
IONE — The Ione
School District Board of
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a vacancy after former
member Anne Morter
resigned at the end of June.
Morter, who also
works at Blue Mountain
Community College in
Boardman, had served in
Position 4 on the board
for 13 years. She was last
elected in May 2013.
The district will appoint
VRPHRQHWR¿QLVK0RUWHU¶V
term, which runs through
June 30, 2017. An election
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will take place in May 2017.
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the position must submit a
letter of interest by July 22
to Ione School, 445 Spring
St.
Applicants must also
be registered voters and
residents of the district for
at least one year prior to
appointment.
producers of produce, herbs,
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honey and craft vendors.
Space is $12 per market.
For more information
or an application, contact
echoopenairmarket@gmail.
com or visit www.facebook.
com/echoopenairmarket.
Library display
features Hart’s
photographs
HERMISTON — Former
Hermiston Fire Chief Pat
Hart has several of his
photographs on display
at the Hermiston Public
Library.
Specializing in landscape
photography, Hart considers
Children’s clothing himself a semi-professional
swap this weekend photographer. He has been
hired by local businesses,
PENDLETON —
such as Banner Bank, to
Parents can get clothes
provide images to use as
for their children this
decoration.
weekend as part of Pay It
The public is invited to
)RUZDUG([FKDQJHDW%HWKHO a reception Thursday, July
Assembly of God Church.
21 from 4-6 p.m. at the
People are invited to
library, 235 E. Gladys Ave.,
bring gently used children’s Hermiston.
FORWKHVWKDWGRQRW¿W
For more information,
their children and trade
call 541-567-2882.
for clothes that do. The
———
Children’s Clothing Swap is
Briefs are compiled
Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. from staff and wire reports,
and Saturday from 9 a.m. to and press releases. Email
1 p.m. at the church, 1109
press releases to news@
Airport Road, Pendleton.
eastoregonian.com
In addition, people
can join a Facebook
group that includes
online clothing swaps
at www.facebook.com/
groups/344786488922498.
Echo announces
Open Air Market
ECHO — An open
air market is planned this
weekend in Echo.
Held the third Saturday
of each month, this
weekend’s event is from 4-7
p.m. on the corner of Main
and Dupont streets in Echo.
Ashley Harwood, market
manager, said they are
searching for growers and
HERMISTON
School board member
resigns, leaves vacancy
board members will review
applications and have the
The Hermiston School opportunity to interview
Board met Monday evening candidates before appointing
and discussed the resigna- a replacement that evening.
tion of Maria Duron from
The appointee will serve
the board.
on the school board through
Duron accepted a paid June 30, 2017, but will face
position as a communica- DQHOHFWLRQLQ0D\WRIXO¿OO
WLRQVRI¿FHUZLWKWKH+HUP- the remaining two years.
iston School District and as
The board also accepted
a result chose to resign from the resignations of three
the board. Her resignation Hermiston High School
OHDYHVVHDW¿YHRQWKHVFKRRO teachers: careers teacher
board open.
Chris Demianew, woods
The school district will teacher Robert Greybeck
post the vacancy on its and choir teacher Joshua
website with instructions Rist. The board approved
for interested parties on WKH KLULQJ RI ¿YH WHDFKHUV
KRZ WR DSSO\ WR ¿OO WKH including a new high
YDFDQF\$WWKHQH[WUHJXODU school choir teacher, Jordan
board meeting on August 8, Bemrose-Rust.
East Oregonian