Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 2016)
Wednesday, December 7, 2016 RECORDS East Oregonian PUBLIC SAFETY LOG OBITUARIES DEATH NOTICES MONDAY Ray Lewis Clark Robert A. ‘Bob’ DeSpain Pendleton September 25, 1952-December 2, 2016 Heppner Feb. 8, 1924-Dec. 5, 2016 5:37 a.m. - An Oregon State Police officer pursued a vehicle driving around 125 mph while turning its headlights on and off eastbound on Interstate 84 near milepost 218. The driver then pulled the emergency brake and came to an uncontrolled stop against a fence off the shoulder of the freeway and fled from the vehicle on foot. While the officer waited for backup, he observed a naked female walking back to the vehicle and detained her, eventually identifying her as the driver. The woman was taken by ambulance to St. Anthony Hospital, Pendleton, where she was determined to be in a mental crisis; she agreed to being placed in the Lifeways Treatment Center in Pendleton for further treatment. Lifeways later called Pendleton police to report the woman had walked away from the center. 6:49 a.m. - Milton-Freewater police received a report of a car stolen from a residence in the 500 block of North Elizabeth Street. 7:15 a.m. - A yellow 1970 Trail 90 motorcycle was reported stolen sometime during the previous night from Starlight Imaging, 109 N.E. Ellis Ave., Pendleton. 7:36 a.m. - A Stanfield resident on West Harding Avenue requested Stanfield police remove her son from the home after he “came home high and yelling at nothing and acting crazy.” 8:20 a.m. - A resident of Fifth Street, Umatilla, complained to Umatilla police that his neighbors are running a business out of their home and are dispatching trucks at 3 a.m. and blocking the driveways. 8:46 a.m. - The manager at Knights Inn, 310 S.E. Dorion Ave., reported a domestic altercation. 9:15 a.m. - A Milton-Freewater resident contacted Milton- Freewater police after a seat was stolen from his vehicle while it was parked in the 1100 block of North Columbia Street. The caller said he purchased the vehicle about a year ago and the man who stole the seat is now trying to sell it back to him but is not returning messages. 11:49 a.m. - An Irrigon man who recovered his stolen wallet reported to the Morrow County Sheriff’s Office that his Social Security card is still missing. The case is under investigation. 12:00 p.m. - A Subrosa bicycle valued at $450 was reported stolen from a residence on East Beebe Avenue, Hermiston. The caller requested a call from a Hermiston police officer. 2:08 p.m. - The manager of Shady Rest Mobile Home Court, 28716 Highway 730, Umatilla, requested contact from a Umatilla County sheriff’s deputy concerning a couple living at the park that have “frequent altercations.” The caller said she is concerned for the woman and for other residents of the park, as the man has been seen chasing his wife with a knife. 2:40 p.m. - Umatilla County sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence on East Loop Road, Hermiston, after a woman called concerning something she discovered in a bucket, wrapped in plastic, in the front seat of a vehicle that has been abandoned on her property. 2:50 p.m. - A resident of East Highway 730, Irrigon, reported a 40-foot ladder was taken from his backyard about a week ago. Morrow County sheriff’s deputies took a theft report. 2:53 p.m. - Pendleton police were called after packages valued at more than $500 were stolen from a front porch on Northwest Seventh Street. 3:02 p.m. - A Frito Lay employee working at Safeway, 990 S. Highway 395, Hermiston, reported her jacket was stolen while she was stocking shelves and the keys to the company truck were in the jacket. 3:39 p.m. - The Morrow County Sheriff’s Office took a report of mail theft from pedestal mailboxes on Southeast 14th Street and Southeast Hurd Place, Irrigon, including at least one package. 4:19 p.m. - A resident of Northeast Hebron Drive, Pendleton, reported a possible burglary. The caller said the locks in the downstairs basement area have been unlocked and a freezer was left open, spoiling the meat inside. He requested a Pendleton police officer meet him at the house. 4:20 p.m. - New residents of Northeast Second Place, Hermiston, called Hermiston police to report they are being harassed by the neighbors. The caller said the neighbors are threatening to “call immigration about her parents.” 5:40 p.m. - A burglary was reported at a residence on Sunquist Road, Milton-Freewater. Umatilla County sheriff’s deputies took a theft report. 6:43 p.m. - An employee at Motel 6, 655 N. First St., Hermiston, reported a customer advised him he heard what may have been gun shots near the hotel. Hermiston police took a report. 8:14 p.m. - A vehicle traveling southbound at a high rate of speed on Highway 11 outside Milton-Freewater rear-ended another vehicle near milepost 33, damaging both cars. Both drivers were taken to St. Mary Medical Center, Walla Walla, with injuries. The driver who rear-ended the other vehicle was found to have a blood alcohol content of 0.24 percent after showing indicators of impairment during an Oregon State Police interview at the hospital. Multiple charges are pending. 8:18 p.m. - A man walked into the Umatilla County Jail, Pendleton, and attempted to turn himself in because he thought there was an arrest warrant issued for him. He became verbally abusive and threatened to do something to get arrested when he found out he was not wanted by Oregon police. ARRESTS, CITATIONS •Milton-Freewater police arrested Ricky Lyle Cheesman, 52, transient, for possession of methamphetamine and harassment constituting domestic violence. COMMUNITY CALENDAR WEDNESDAY, DEC. 7 HERMISTON BREAKFAST KIWANIS CLUB, 6:30 a.m., Umatilla-Morrow Head Start, 110 N.E. Fourth St., Hermiston. WILLOW RUN LADIES GOLF CLUB, 8 a.m., Willow Run Golf Course, 78873 Toms Camp Road, Boardman. Rain or shine. Need not be a member to play. (541-481-4381) NIMBLE THIMBLES QUIL- TERS, 10 a.m., Aunty Ida’s Quilt Shop, 425 W. Hermiston Ave., Hermiston. (541-567-2726) HERMISTON LIONS CLUB, 12 p.m., Desert Lanes Bowling Alley, 1545 N. First St., Herm- iston. RETIRED ST. ANTHONY HOSPITAL EMPLOYEES, 12 p.m., Sunridge Retirement Com- munity, 3234 S.W. Nye Ave., Pendleton. Luncheon $3.50 per person, reservations requested. (Edith 541-276-8622) CAY-UMA-WA TOAST- MASTERS, 12-1 p.m., Wild- horse Resort & Casino, 46510 Wildhorse Blvd, Pendleton. Everyone welcome. (Jeannette Taylor 541-276-9492) ALTRUSA INTERNATION- AL OF PENDLETON, 12 p.m., Red Lion Inn, 304 S.E. Nye Ave., Pendleton. GREENFIELD GRANGE GWA, 1 p.m., Greenfield Grange 579, 209 N.W. First St., Boardman. (541-481-7397) HERMISTON ELKS DIN- NER, 5:30-8 p.m., Hermiston Elks Lodge, 480 E. Main St., Hermiston. (541-567-6923) OREGON GRASS ROOTS CRIBBAGE CLUB NO. 2, 6:30 p.m., Desert Lanes Bowling Al- ley, 1545 N. First St., Hermiston. All levels of players welcome. (541-567-6594) BUE MOUNTAIN A’S MOD- EL A FORD CLUB, 7 p.m., Pendleton City Hall community room, 501 S.W. Emigrant Ave., Pendleton. Anyone interested in learning about the Model A Ford is welcome. (Jim Smootz 541- 276-2858) THURSDAY, DEC. 8 TUMBLEWEED TOAST- MASTERS, 6:30 a.m., Eastern Oregon Higher Education Cen- ter, 980 S.E. Columbia Drive, Hermiston. Visitors welcome. (541-567-3360) PENDLETON KIWANIS CLUB, 7 a.m., Roosters Restau- rant, 1515 Southgate, Pendle- ton. Guests welcome. (541-278- 5785) ARTS AND CRAFTS FROM THE DRY SIDE, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Hermiston Assembly of God Church, 730 E. Hurlburt Ave., Hermiston. Use Seventh Street entrance. Monthly business meeting at noon. (541-567- 4446) GOOD SHEPHERD MED- ICAL CENTER AUXILIARY, 9:30 a.m., Good Shepherd Med- ical Center conference rooms 1 and 2, 610 N.W. 11th St., Herm- iston. New members and junior auxiliary members welcome. (Cindy Schaan 541-667-3690) NARFE CHAPTER 2115, 11:30 a.m., Shari’s Restaurant, 319 S.E. Nye Ave., Pendleton. (Janet 541-980-3268) PENDLETON LIONS CLUB, 12 p.m., Roosters Restaurant, 1515 Southgate, Pendleton. UMATILLA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, 12 p.m., Desert River Inn, 705 Willamette St., Umatilla. RSVP three days prior to meeting. (541-922-4825) ALTRUSA INTERNATION- AL OF HERMISTON, 12 p.m., ARC Umatilla County, 215 W. Orchard Ave., Hermiston. HERMISTON ROTARY CLUB, 12-1 p.m., Trinity Luther- an Church, 485 W. Locust Ave., Hermiston. (541-379-2338) DESERT BELLES GAR- DEN CLUB, 1 p.m., location varies, location varies, Hermis- ton. (541-567-8019) HERMISTON HORSE- SHOE CLUB, 5 p.m., Hermiston High School Weber Field, 600 S. First St., Hermiston. (Rick Reb- man 541-720-6402) PENDLETON TEA PAR- TY PATRIOTS, 5:30 p.m., The Saddle Restaurant, 2220 S.E. Court Ave., Pendleton. 5:30 p.m. social, 6 p.m. meeting. Everyone welcome. (KaSandra Williams 541-310-1312) PENDLETON EAGLES BURGERS AND KARAOKE, 6 p.m., Pendleton Eagles Lodge, 428 S. Main St., Pendleton. Members and guests welcome. (541-278-2828) INLAND NORTHWEST ORCHESTRA REHEARSAL, 6:30 p.m., Harris Jr. Academy gymnasium, 3121 S.W. Hailey Ave., Pendleton. (RaNiel Dunn 541-289-4696) Ray Lewis Clark, 64, a resident of Pendleton, died Friday, December 2, 2016, at his home. Ray was born September 25, 1952, at Tri State Hospital in Clarkston, Washington, to William and June Clark. He was raised in Orofino, Idaho. He played football and gradu- ated from Orofino High School with the class of 1970. Ray loved to hunt, fish and anything that put him in the moun- tains. His first Clark job was fighting fire for CPTA at the age of 16. He soon started his career in logging. He worked all aspects of the logging industry from driving log truck, heavy machinery and working as a faller. On December 31, 2000, he married Trudy Lay in Pendleton, Oregon. Ray is survived by his wife of 16 years, Trudy Clark; children Shawn Hoerner, Christopher Clark, Damion Clark, David Clark, Alan Cronan, Martine Desler, Shawn Desler, Crystal Harsin, Chad Harsin and B.J. Harsin; brother Steve Clark; sister Sharon Waterhouse and brother-in-law Kim Waterhouse; a niece, Raichelle Steiner Barton and family; 23 grand- children and four great-grandchildren. No services will be held. Burns Mortuary of Pendleton is in charge of arrangements. Ray will be remembered for his kindness and patience. He will be extremely missed. UPCOMING SERVICES WEDNESDAY, DEC. 7 No services scheduled. THURSDAY, DEC. 8 BRUCK, LOWELL — Graveside service at 10 a.m. at Olney Cemetery, Pendleton. SMITH, DIANE — Mass at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 800 S.E. Court Ave., Pendleton, with a luncheon following in the church basement. A burial cemetery will follow the luncheon at Olney Cemetery, Pendleton. OBITUARY POLICY The East Oregonian publishes paid obituaries. The obituary can in- clude small photos and, for veterans, a flag symbol at no charge. Obituaries may be edited for spelling, proper punctuation and style. Expanded death notices will be published at no charge. These in- clude information about services. Obituaries and notices can be submitted online at www.eastorego- nian.com/obituaryform, by email to obits@eastoregonian.com, by fax to 541-276-8314, placed via the funeral home or in person at the East Oregonian office. For more information, call 541-966-0818 or 1-800-522-0255, ext. 221. Page 5A Robert A. “Bob” DeSpain, 92, of Heppner died Monday, Dec. 5, 2016, at his home. He was born Feb. 8, 1924. Arrangements are pending at Sweeney Mortuary of Heppner. Darrell ‘D.O.’ Smith Hermiston Nov. 5, 1934-Dec. 5, 2016 Darrell “D.O.” Smith, 82, of Hermiston died Monday, Dec. 5, 2016, at his home. He was born Nov. 5, 1934, in Wenatchee, Wash. Services are pending with Burns Mortuary of Hermiston. Sign the online condolence book at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com Wanda Ilene (Johnson) Van Riper Middleton, Idaho Jan. 24, 1930-Dec. 5, 2016 Wanda Ilene (Johnson) Van Riper, 86, of McCall, Idaho, died Monday, Dec. 5, 2016, in Middleton, Idaho. She was born Jan. 24, 1930, in Ronan, Mont. Graveside services will be held Saturday, Dec. 10 at 11 a.m. through the Heikkila Funeral Chapel, 155 S. Samson Trail, McCall, Idaho (208- 634-2220). MEETINGS WEDNESDAY, DEC. 7 MORROW COUNTY COURT, 9 a.m., Bartholomew Govern- ment Building upper conference room, 110 N. Court St., Heppner. (541-676-9061) UMATILLA COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSION- ERS, 9 a.m., Umatilla County Courthouse, 216 S.E. Fourth St., Pendleton. (Doug Olsen 541- 278-6208) HERMISTON AIRPORT AD- VISORY COMMITTEE, 4 p.m., Hermiston Airport lounge, 1600 Airport Way, Hermiston. (541- 567-5521) BLUE MOUNTAIN BOARD OF EDUCATION, 6 p.m., Pio- neer Hall boardroom, 2411 N.W. Carden Ave., Pendleton. Decem- ber meeting: executive session will meet at 5 p.m. in the Betty Feves Memorial Gallery. Regu- lar board meeting follows in the boardroom. (Shannon Franklin 541-278-5951) CONDON CITY COUNCIL, 7 p.m., Condon City Hall, 128 S. Main St., Condon. (541-384- 2711) UMATILLA RURAL FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT, 7 p.m., Umatilla Fire Department, 305 Willamette St., Umatilla. (541-922-2770) THURSDAY, DEC. 8 U M AT I L L A - M O R R O W COUNTY FARM BUREAU, 12 p.m., TBA, TBA, Pendleton. (Ju- lie Spratling 541-457-8045) BOARDMAN RURAL FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT, 1 p.m., Boardman Fire Department, 300 S. Wilson Lane, Boardman. (541-481-3473) HERMISTON PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION, 5:30 p.m., Hermiston City Hall, 180 N.E. Second St., Hermiston. (541-567-5521) ATHENA CITY COUNCIL, 6:30 p.m., Athena City Hall, 215 S. Third St., Athena. (541-566- 3862) UMATILLA SCHOOL DIS- TRICT, 7 p.m., Umatilla School District office, 1001 Sixth St., Umatilla. (541-922-6500) FRIDAY, DEC. 9 EASTERN OREGON TRADE & EVENT CENTER AUTHORI- TY, 7 a.m., EOTEC main building, 1705 E. Airport Road, Hermiston. (541-289-9800) The race to free 226 Christian hostages in Syria By LORI HINNANT Associated Press SAARLOUIS, Germany — Deep inside Syria, a bishop worked secretly to save the lives of 226 members of his flock from the Islamic State group — by amassing millions of dollars from his community around the world to buy their freedom. The Assyrian Christians were seized from the Khabur River valley in northern Syria, among the last holdouts of a minority that had been chased across the Mideast for gener- ations. On Feb. 23, 2015, IS fighters attacked 35 Christian towns simultaneously, sweeping up scores of people. It took more than a year, and videotaped killings of three captives, before all the rest were freed. Paying ransoms is illegal in the United States and most of the West, and the idea of giving money to the Islamic State group is morally fraught, even for those who saw no alternative. “You look at it from the moral side and I get it. If we give them money we’re just feeding into it, and they’re going to kill using that money,” said Aneki Nissan, who helped raise funds in Canada. But “to us, we’re such a small minority that we have to help each other.” The Khabur families trace their heritage to the earliest days of Christianity. To this day, they speak a dialect of Aramaic, believed to be the native language of Jesus. When the villages were attacked, fleeing residents phoned cousins, sons, daugh- ters, friends — Assyrians who had left the region in waves for the West. In the chaos, no one was sure how many were taken captive — but everyone was certain they were going to die. As days stretched into a week, it became clear IS had other plans. The group told the 17 men captured from one village, Tal Goran, they could have their freedom but with a catch. Four female captives would remain, and one of the men had to deliver a message to their bishop in the town of Hassakeh about 40 miles away, and return with an answer. The extremists demanded $50,000 per person for the whole group. Abdo Marza reluctantly agreed. His 6-year-old daughter was one of the AP Photo/Michael Probst Zammo Marza, Sherineh Marza, Charli Kanoun and Abdo Marza, from left, kneel at the grave of Marza Mar- za in Saarlouis, Germany in this Nov. 7 photo. The Mar- za family were among 226 Assyrian Christians taken captive by the Islamic State group in a February 2015 attack on their villages in Syria’s Khabur River valley. captives. It took the bishop, Mar Afram Athneil, three days to make a decision, as he consulted with members of the church around the world on what to do. Then he gave Marza a sealed envelope, with no explanation. When Marza handed it over, the IS extremist broke into a smile. “Your bishop is a very smart man.” With that, his daughter and three old women were freed. Athneil began secret negotiations for the remaining captives. In California, Assyrian filmmaker Sargon Saadi packed his gear, hoping to learn what had happened to the Khabur villages. He found them almost deserted. “We didn’t know why they took them, we didn’t know where they took them, what they wanted to do with them,” Saadi said. When word filtered down about the ransom, the price was daunting. IS’s starting demand of $50,000 a person would mean more than $11 million for the remaining captives. “There’s no easy way to give them money. It’s very dangerous, it’s also illegal in many countries,” Saadi said. The calls for donations went out across social media. In Germany, Assyrian entrepreneur Charli Kanoun persuaded the government to accept the Tal Goran hostages, and then he began fundraising for the others. Outside London, Andy Darmoo also fundraised while running his chandelier business. On May 26, two women were freed. On June 16, one man was released. On Aug. 11, 22 more people were liberated. Many in the diaspora hoped the ordeal was nearly over. Then in September 2015 came the video showing three Khabur men, dressed in orange, being shot to death. “When that happened, everybody went crazy and money started flying in from all over,” Saadi said. “Assyr- ians don’t have an army to go rescue them. They don’t have SWAT teams, they don’t have SEAL 6. The only option they have is to pay ransom.” The Islamic State group has made a fortune off the desperation of hostages. A United Nations resolution from December 2015 called on governments “to prevent kidnapping and hostage- taking committed by terrorist groups and to secure the safe release of hostages without ransom payments or political concessions.” But while no government appeared to stop the fund- raising, the Assyrians say no country stepped in to free the LOTTERY captives either. Brokered by the bishop, Athneil, negotiations resumed in mid-fall. The money went into an account in Irbil, Iraq. From November, releases took place every few weeks. On Feb. 22, 2016, a final list of 43 names was sent to the bishop. The last Khabur captives were on their way out. But when the bus arrived in Hassakeh, only 42 hostages were on board. Sixteen- year-old Maryam David Talya had been pulled off at the last checkpoint by an IS guard, Kanoun said. After another agonizing month of negotiations, Maryam stumbled into the arms of her parents. How much was ultimately paid remains a mystery. The bishop, the only person with a full accounting, declined to speak to The Associated Press. Those involved credit him for saving the lives not just of the hostages but of hundreds of other Assyrians who fled the war zone. The Khabur valley is now all but empty of its Christians. “Honestly, this man should go down as a saint, the things that he’s done, the sacrifices he’s made to help these people,” Nissan said. “He’s refusing to leave Syria until all his flock is secured.” 12/7/16 Cineplex Show Times $5 Classic Movie 12:00 STRANGERS ON A TRAIN Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (PG13) 2D 7:00 3D 4:00 10:00 Monday, Dec. 5 Megabucks 07-15-19-31-38-41 Estimated jackpot: $1.6 M Lucky Lines 04-05-11-13-FREE-19-24- 25-29 Estimated jackpot: $44,000 Win for Life 11-40-41-74 Pick 4 1 p.m.: 7-1-8-0 4 p.m.: 7-1-1-0 7 p.m.: 9-4-0-3 10 p.m.: 3-8-7-3 Tuesday, Dec. 6 Pick 4 1 p.m.: 8-5-7-5 Allied (R) 4:40 6:40 9:30 Trolls (PG) 4:30 7:20 9:40 Moana (PG) 2D 4:20 7:10 3D 9:50 Credit & Debit Cards accepted Cineplex gift cards available * Matinee Pricing wildhorseresort.com 541-966-1850 Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216
