REGION
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
East Oregonian
Page 3A
Find a Thanksgiving meal near you More students are
homeless than last
year, state says
By TAMMY MALGESINI
East Oregonian
A number of community
organizations want to make
sure people have an opportu-
nity to share a holiday meal
with others.
The Thanksgiving meals
are free of charge to anyone
who wants to attend. In
addition, there are still some
volunteer
opportunities
available for those who want
to help in serving others or
giving back to the commu-
nity.
Cathy Stolz, a longtime
volunteer at the Community
Fellowship Dinner in Herm-
iston, said it’s exciting to see
multi-generational families
helping at the meal. The
volunteers include mothers,
fathers, siblings and grand-
parents in the kitchen or hot
line and youngsters serving
a piece of pie or greeting
people as they arrive for the
meal.
“It’s fun to work with so
many different people and to
see their enthusiasm,” Stolz
said about volunteers. “They
are taking the Thanksgiving
spirit to another level of
giving back.”
Free Thanksgiving Day
meals include:
PENDLETON
The Salvation Army
Pendleton Corps will serve
its annual Thanksgiving Day
meal from noon to 2 p.m. at
150 S.E. Emigrant Ave.
The free holiday meal is
open to the public. In addi-
tion, food delivery service
is available for homebound
seniors or citizens with
disabilities.
For more information,
to volunteer or have a meal
delivered, call 541-276-
3369.
Umatilla, Morrow
counties below
the state average
File photo
Sam Johnson and his wife, Karina, serve a Thanksgiving Day meal to another volun-
teer during the 2015 Community Fellowship Dinner at the Hermiston Senior Center.
addition to the on-site meal,
delivery service and to-go
meals can be packaged for
pick-up for those unable to
attend the dinner.
Everyone is invited to
help with the set-up party
Wednesday from 1-4 p.m.
Volunteer shifts during the
meal run between 8 a.m. and
4 p.m.
While the meals are free,
financial donations to help
with the Thanksgiving and
Christmas dinners can be
given to local churches,
dropped in a donation basket
at the meal or mailed to
CFD, P.O. Box 1551, Herm-
iston, OR 97838.
For meal delivery service
or a ride, call 541-567-3013
through Wednesday. On
Thanksgiving Day, call the
senior center at 541-567-
3582. For questions, call
the Community Fellowship
Dinner board at 541-303-
5886.
BOARDMAN
HERMISTON
The first of two holiday
season Community Fellow-
ship Dinners is Thanks-
giving Day from 11 a.m. to 2
p.m. at the Hermiston Senior
Center, 435 W. Orchard
Ave., located on the Umatilla
County Fairgrounds. In
The Community Thanks-
giving Celebration, in its
eighth year, invites everyone
to enjoy a free holiday meal.
The event begins with a
short praise service at 1:30
p.m. at the Boardman Senior
Center, 100 Tatone St. The
free dinner is served from
2-4 p.m.
After volunteering at the
Hermiston meal, Boardman
resident Jane Akers dreamed
about the possibility of
a similar meal in her
hometown. Teaming up
with Penny Jurney, the duo
gathered support and got
the green light to organize
the first one less than two
months before Thanksgiving
in 2009. Several churches,
the Boardman Chamber
of Commerce, the city of
Boardman, area businesses
and many individuals have
all supported the meal since
its inception.
For more information,
call Akers at 541-481-
5511,Teresa Parsons at
503-724-8823
or
the
chamber at 541-481-3014.
On Thanksgiving, call
541-481-3257.
HEPPNER
Area
churches
are
offering
their
annual
community Thanksgiving
dinner Thursday at 1 p.m. at
All Saints Episcopal Church,
460 N. Gale St.
Everyone is invited to
enjoy the free meal in the
fellowship of others. Those
attending are invited to begin
a favorite dish to share, but
it’s not required.
For more information,
call Rev. Tony Long-Drew at
541-676-5581.
MILTON-FREEWATER
A community Thanks-
giving dinner will be served
Thursday from 4-6 p.m. at
the First Christian Church,
518 S. Main St.
Open to everyone, the
free meal features turkey
and all the fixings. For more
information, call 541-938-
3854.
PILOT ROCK
Archie’s Restaurant will
again host a free Thanks-
giving Day meal Thursday
from noon to 3 p.m. at 194
W. Main St.
The gathering serves as
a fundraiser for the Pilot
Rock Food Pantry. People
are encouraged to donate
non-perishable food items
or money to help provide
food for needy people in the
community.
For more information or
to make a donation for the
food pantry, call 541-443-
1205.
———
Contact
Community
Editor Tammy Malgesini at
tmalgesini@eastoregonian.
com or 541-564-4539
SALEM (AP) — More
students in Oregon are
homeless than the number
tallied last year, a disturbing
trend that has now gone on
for three years, state educa-
tion officials said Tuesday.
The Department of
Education said 21,340
students, or 3.7 percent
of the K-12 population in
public schools, don’t have
a fixed and adequate night-
time residence.
Reacting to the report, the
Stable Homes for Oregon
Families Coalition urged
the Legislature to protect
tenants at risk of losing their
homes because of eviction
and severe rent increases.
The number of homeless
students increased by more
than 1,100 from the previous
year, the new report said.
In some districts, 20
percent or more of their
students count as homeless
by the federal definition, the
education department said.
Unemployment and a lack
of family-wage jobs and
affordable housing in rural
areas have contributed to the
rise, it said.
Those trends are felt in
rural areas along with urban
ones, although Umatilla and
Morrow county schools
have generally stayed below
the state average.
Only 1.95 percent of
Pendleton students are
considered
homeless
while Hermiston’s student
population is 0.85 percent
homeless, although both
are slight increases from the
year before.
Several school districts
— Ione, Helix and Pilot
Rock — had no homeless
students.
On the flip side, the
Ukiah School District has
“Our children
should be think-
ing about their
homework and
playtime, and not
worrying about
where they will
sleep at night.”
— Bill Hall, Lincoln
County commissioner
the highest share of the
homeless population in
Umatilla County at 6.45
percent.
Lincoln
County
Commissioner Bill Hall
said rural communities have
been hit hard, with nearly
one in seven students expe-
riencing homelessness for
part of the 2015-16 school
year in his county.
“Our children should be
thinking about their home-
work and playtime, and not
worrying about where they
will sleep at night,” Hall
said on Facebook. “We can
do more to protect kids and
families from experiencing
homelessness in Oregon.”
State law allows land-
lords to evict families at any
time without stating a reason
and prohibits local govern-
ments from enacting rent
stabilization measures, the
Stable Homes for Oregon
Families Coalition said. The
United States Conference
of Mayors has identified
eviction as a leading cause
of homelessness, especially
for families with children,
the coalition said.
The instability that
homelessness causes often
leads to school absences and
falling behind, Marti Heard,
homeless program liaison
for Portland Public Schools,
was quoted as saying by the
coalition. That can jeopar-
dize future college or career
success, Heard said.
PENDLETON
Christmas tree permits available on Umatilla National Forest
East Oregonian
Christmas tree permits
are now available on the
Umatilla National Forest, and
fourth-graders are once again
eligible for a free permit
through the national Every
Kid in a Park initiative.
Permits cost $5, limit
one per household, and are
only valid on national forest
land. They can be purchased
at any of the four Umatilla
Ranger District offices in
Heppner, Ukiah, Walla Walla
or Pomeroy, Washington, or
at the supervisor’s office in
Pendleton.
Participating local busi-
nesses will also be selling
tree permits, including:
Bi-Mart in Pendleton and
Hermiston; Southgate Mini-
Mart, Pendleton; Ace Hard-
ware, Hermiston; Zip Zone,
Milton-Freewater; Athena
Grocery; Heppner Shell;
Mentzer and Elliott and J&D
Food Mart, Pilot Rock; and
Rhode’s Supply, Ukiah.
Fourth-graders
can
receive a free permit by
printing a paper voucher
from www.everykidinapark.
gov, and presenting the
voucher at any national forest
office. Free permits will not
be issued by local vendors.
Christmas trees must be
cut at least 50 feet away from
any road, and the maximum
height for trees is 14 feet.
Trees cannot be cut on
private land, in wilderness
areas, designated camp-
grounds, active timber sales
or existing tree plantations.
For more information on
permits and regulations, call
the Forest Service office in
Pendleton at 541-278-3716.
BRIEFLY
Library closes
Thanksgiving
weekend
HERMISTON — In
observance of the
Thanksgiving holiday, the
Hermiston Public Library
will be closed Thursday
through Sunday.
The library, located
at 235 E. Gladys Ave.,
will resume its regular
hours next week. It’s open
Monday through Thursdays
from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and
Friday and Saturdays from
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information,
call 541-567-2882 or visit
www.hermistonlibrary.us.
Santa cruises in for
annual breakfast
PENDLETON — St.
Nick is coming to town for
the annual Breakfast With
Santa.
Kicking off the holiday
season, the event features a
pancake breakfast, crafts, a
helium balloon and Santa’s
mailbox. In addition, kids
can tell Santa their wish list
and pose for photos with
the jolly ol’ elf. The event is
Saturday from 8-10:30 a.m.
at the Pendleton Recreation
Center, 510 S.W. Dorion
Ave. Sponsored by
Pendleton Parks &
Recreation, the cost is $3
per person.
For more information,
call 541-276-8100.
Holiday season
shines in
Boardman
BOARDMAN — A
musical Christmas light
show, living Nativity and
a visit by Santa Claus are
featured in the Boardman
Christmas Lighting.
The holiday event
is Wednesday, Nov. 30
at 6 p.m. at the SAGE
Center, 101 Olson Road,
Boardman. In addition,
cookies and hot chocolate
will be served. (NOTE:
Due to a change in venue,
the wrong location is
listed in the “Home for the
Holidays” calendar).
Celebrate the start of the
holiday season by watching
a holiday skit by area
church groups and listening
to local preschoolers sing
some favorite Christmas
songs. Also, carolers from
Riverside Jr./Sr. High
School will roam the
exhibit hall while guests
enjoy refreshments and the
opportunity to visit with
Santa. Be sure to stop and
watch the musical light
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.
show outside near the
SAGE Center entrance.
For more information,
call 541-481-3014 or go
to www.visitsage.com/
event/153.
AAUW meeting
features wine
tasting
PENDLETON — An
opportunity for wine tasting
is available during the
AAUW December general
meeting.
Everyone is invited to
the gathering, which is
Thursday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m.
in Great Pacific Wine &
Coffee Co., 403 S. Main St.,
Pendleton. The wine tasting
fee is $10.
The mission of AAUW
(formerly known as the
American Association of
University Women) is to
assist in bettering the lives
of women and girls. For
more information, contact
karenallen1965@gmail.com
or visit www.aauw.org.
Heppner lights up
holiday season
HEPPNER — A Parade
of Lights will kick off the
holiday season in Heppner.
The event is Thursday,
Dec. 1 beginning at 5:30
p.m. It will run down Main
Street between Center and
May streets. The parade
will line up at 5 p.m. at
Green Feed & Seed, 242 W.
Linden Way, Heppner.
Also, before and
following the parade, a
Merchant Open House
is planned in downtown
businesses.
For more information,
call the Heppner Chamber
of Commerce at 541-676-
5536.
PENDLETON
CENTER
for the
ARTS
Roberta Lavadour
Executice Director
tele:541-278-9201
214 North Main, Pendleton, OR 97801
email: Director@pendletonarts.org
Www.facebook.com/pendletoncenterforthearts
Classes & Events: www.pendletonarts.org
School board evaluates
superintendent early
growth in his new role. Last
night’s meeting was part of
In an unusual move, the that process of feedback.
Pendleton School Board We had a productive
evaluated superintendent conversation between the
Andy Kovach less than five board members and our
superintendent,
months into his
and the feed-
tenure.
back was well
The board met
received by Andy.
with Kovach for
His
mid-year
almost two hours
evaluation will
in a closed-door
be
conducted
session Monday
on schedule in
night
before
January.”
re-opening
the
Kovach was
meeting
and
hired in March
taking no action.
and
started
A c c o r d i n g Kovach
working
for
to board chair-
woman Debbie McBee, the the Pendleton School
board called for an early District in July, replacing
evaluation to give the first- retired superintendent Jon
time superintendent extra Peterson.
Before accepting the
input.
“Every year, there is a position in Pendleton,
predictable process that Kovach’s most recent
the school board follows stop in a long career as a
when
evaluating
the teacher and administrator in
superintendent,” she said Harney and Malheur coun-
in a statement Tuesday. ties was at Ontario High
“With a brand new super- School, where he served as
intendent, like we have principal.
As
superintendent,
this year, we include extra
steps to provide feedback Kovach earns $127,500 per
and support for him in his year.
East Oregonian
2016 Christmas
Spirit Award
Do you know someone who exemplifies
the spirit of Christmas by giving of
themselves to others all year?
The Good Shepherd Community Health
Foundation invites you to nominate that person
for our twenty-first annual “Christmas Spirit
Award.”
Nominations may be made by calling the
Foundation at 667-3419 to receive a nomination
form, or online at gshealth.org/foundation. Please
send completed nomination forms by December 9,
2016 to Good Shepherd Community Health
Foundation, 610 NW 11 th St, Hermiston, OR
97838. Nominations may also be submitted via
email to ccozad@gshealth.org.