REGION
Thursday, December 8, 2016
BRIEFLY
East Oregonian
COMING EVENTS
HERMISTON
Employee injured
at R.S. Davis
Recycling
HERMISTON — An
employee at R.S. Davis
Recycling in Hermiston
was seriously injured on
the job Wednesday after
being momentarily pinned
between a front-end loader
and semi-truck.
Jimmy Davis, battalion
chief with Umatilla
County Fire District 1,
said the victim — a man
in his mid-30s — was
conscious and alert when
first responders arrived just
before 9 a.m. The victim
was taken to Good Shepherd
Medical Center, Hermiston,
and later flown to Legacy
Emanuel Medical Center,
Portland, with what Davis
described as potentially
life-threatening injuries.
Davis did not release the
victim’s name. R.S. Davis
Recycling also declined
comment when contacted
Wednesday.
Davis said it appeared
workers were trying to use
the front-end loader to jump
start the semi-truck, and a
miscommunication resulted
in the victim being pinned
between the two vehicles
for roughly 10 seconds. The
victim was complaining of
back pain before he was
taken to the hospital, Davis
said.
A spokesman for Oregon
OSHA said the agency is
taking a preliminary look
at the incident. R.S. Davis
Recycling is located north of
Hermiston on Baggett Lane.
Staircase stays
closed while city
looks at grants
PENDLETON —
Despite being closed to
the public, the staircase on
Southwest 13th Street in
Pendleton will remain intact
for the foreseeable future.
Without the Pendleton
City Council taking action,
Mayor Phillip Houk said
the council would hold off
demolishing the stairs while
city staff looked into grants
to repair or replace the stairs.
After a man reported that
his child hurt himself on the
crumbling stairs, the city
closed the staircase and built
an alternate gravel path to
help kids navigate the bluff
to and from a nearby bus
stop.
The council also
unanimously voted to table
amendments to the city’s
manufactured home and
vacation trailer standards.
Some councilors were
concerned that there was
no age limit to the types of
manufactured homes that
could be placed in residen-
tial areas and requested more
information from staff.
City council
approves new
development codes
STANFIELD — New
buildings and upgrades to
current façades in Stanfield’s
downtown district will be
subject to new development
codes.
The city council approved
the amendments to the code
on Tuesday night. They will
officially be implemented
after a second reading of the
ordinance during the next
council meeting.
“We wanted to eliminate
things that make it harder for
people to enjoy the down-
town on foot,” city manager
Blair Larsen said.
The only change the
council made to the planning
commission’s proposed
amendments was to
eliminate the Historic Colors
of America palette from the
approved paint colors for
downtown buildings, but
Larsen said there were still
plenty of color combinations
to choose from.
The approved paint list
will be for all new coats of
paint downtown, whether
a current property owner is
repainting or a new business
is moving in and doing
renovations.
Other amendments,
which can all be found at
www.cityofstanfield.com or
at city hall, include require-
ments such as screening
HVAC equipment from
view, providing awnings to
keep pedestrians dry and
keeping new storefronts
60 percent windows/glass
doors.
THURSDAY, DEC. 8
Staff photo by Jade McDowell
The Hermiston Holiday Inn Express opened for business Wednesday.
Holiday Inn Express
open for business
Four-story hotel offers 93 rooms near Highway 395
East Oregonian
Hermiston’s
new
Holiday Inn Express is
officially open for business.
General manager Steven
Arrasmith said a portion of
the hotel’s 93 rooms opened
on Wednesday and the rest
will open soon, leading to
an official grand opening
sometime in January or
February.
“We’re really excited to
be a part of Hermiston,” he
said.
The four-story hotel on
the corner of Highway 395
and Gladys Avenue is in the
city’s urban renewal district
and is expected to signifi-
cantly increase the amount
of revenue coming into the
district through increased
property values.
Arrasmith said after
spending
their
time
cleaning and getting every-
thing ready, the staff are
looking forward to finally
Staff photo by Jade McDowell
The breakfast area of the Hermiston Holiday Inn
Express sits waiting for its first guests after the new
hotel opened Wednesday.
getting to serve guests.
Amenities at the new
hotel include compli-
mentary Wi-Fi, a breakfast
buffet, a 24-hour business
center, an indoor pool and a
fitness center. Rooms come
in a variety of sizes and
configurations, but include
a microwave, mini fridge
and safe.
Page 3A
The hotel is fully staffed
right now but Arrasmith
said people are always
welcome to drop off an
application in case a posi-
tion opens up.
Reservations can be
made on Holiday Inn’s
website, on the hotel’s
mobile app or by calling
1-888-HOLIDAY.
ADULT OPEN GYM, 6-7
a.m., Pendleton Recreation
Center, 510 S.W. Dorion Ave.,
Pendleton. Half-court basket-
ball. Adults only. (541-276-
8100)
WALKING FOR WELL-
NESS, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Pend-
leton Recreation Center, 510
S.W. Dorion Ave., Pendleton.
(541-276-8100)
PRESCHOOL
STORY
TIME, 10:15-11 a.m., Pend-
leton Public Library, 502 S.W.
Dorion Ave., Pendleton. Sto-
ries and activities for young
children. (541-966-0380)
PRESCHOOL
STORY
AND CRAFT TIME, 10:30
a.m., MIlton-Freewater Pub-
lic Library, 8 S.W. Eighth
Ave., Milton-Freewater. (Lili
Schmidt 541-938-8247)
PENDLETON
SENIOR
MEAL SERVICE, 12 p.m.,
Pendleton Senior Center,
510 S.W. 10th St., Pendleton.
Costs $3.50 or $6 for those
under 60. Pool, puzzles,
crafts, snacks, Second Time
Around thrift store 9 a.m. to
1 p.m. For Meals On Wheels,
call 541-276-1926. (541-276-
7101)
HERMISTON
SENIOR
MEAL SERVICE, 12 p.m.,
Hermiston Senior Center, 435
W. Orchard Ave., Hermiston.
Costs $3.50 for seniors over
50, $4 for adults under 50, $1
for children 10 and over, $3
for Meals on Wheels. Extra
50 cents for utensils/dishes.
Transportation arranged by
donation. Thrift Store open
8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (541-567-
3582)
BOARDMAN
SENIOR
MEAL SERVICE, 12 p.m.,
Boardman Senior Center, 100
Tatone St., Boardman. Cost is
$4 for seniors 55 and over or
$5 for adults. (541-481-3257)
SENSORY STORY TIME,
12:30 p.m., Boardman Pub-
lic Library, 200 S. Main St.,
Boardman. For children from
birth to age 4. (541-481-2665)
SKILLS FOR LIFE, 3-5
p.m., Pendleton Recreation
Center, 510 S.W. Dorion Ave.,
Pendleton. Gym activities and
life skills for middle and high
school students. Registration
requested. (Danny Bane 541-
379-4250)
THE ARC UMATILLA
COUNTY BINGO, 6-10 p.m.,
The Arc Building, 215 W. Or-
chard Ave., Hermiston. Doors
open at 6 p.m., seats may be
held until 6:30 p.m., then all
seats first come, first served;
games begin at 7 p.m. Pro-
ceeds benefit Umatilla County
citizens with developmental
disabilities. 18 years or old-
er, must have proof of age
and photo I.D. Basic pot $20,
prizes range from $20-$750.
(541-567-7615)
PAJAMA STORY TIME,
6 p.m., Pendleton Public Li-
brary, 502 S.W. Dorion Ave.,
Pendleton. Wear your paja-
mas, bring a favorite stuffed
friends and enjoy a fun bed-
time craft and story. Free; all
ages. (541-966-0380)
FIDDLERS NIGHT, 6:30-
8:30 p.m., Brookedale Assist-
ed Living, 980 W. Highland
Ave., Hermiston. Enjoy light
refreshments, listen to some
favorite oldies or join in the
jam session. All ages wel-
come. (541-567-3141)
“A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S
DREAM”, 6:30 p.m., Pend-
leton High School auditori-
um, 1800 N.W. Carden Ave.,
Pendleton.
Shakespeare’s
romantic comedy performed
in 1980s costume. Cost is $6
for adults, $4 for students with
ID.
WILLIAMS AND REE
(THE INDIAN AND THE
WHITE GUY), 7 p.m., Wild-
horse Resort & Casino, 46510
Wildhorse Blvd., Pendleton.
Politically incorrect and proud
of it, one of the longest-run-
ning and successful come-
dy-music duos will perform
their signature act. Tickets on
sale Nov. 18: premium “Stick
A Fork In Me” seats $29, in-
cludes barbecue gift, regular
seating $19, all seats at round
tables, reserved on purchase.
21 and older only, no-host bar
available.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9
ADULT OPEN GYM, 6-7
a.m., Pendleton Recreation
Center, 510 S.W. Dorion Ave.,
Pendleton. Half-court basket-
ball. Adults only. (541-276-
8100)
WALKING FOR WELL-
NESS, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Pend-
leton Recreation Center, 510
S.W. Dorion Ave., Pendleton.
(541-276-8100)
TODDLER STORY TIME,
10:15-11 a.m., Pendleton
Public Library, 502 S.W.
Dorion Ave., Pendleton. (541-
966-0380)
STORY TIME, 10:15 a.m.,
Hermiston Public Library, 235
E. Gladys Ave., Hermiston.
(541-567-2882)
STORY
AND
CRAFT
TIME, 2 p.m., Echo Public Li-
brary, 20 S. Bonanza, Echo.
(541-376-8411)
A VISIT FROM SAN-
TA, 4-6 p.m., Weston Pub-
lic Library, 108 E. Main St.,
Weston. Free books, candy
canes and photos with San-
ta (parents should bring a
camera). Free. (Kathleen
Schmidtgall 541-566-2378)
CANDY LAND HOLIDAY
PARTY, 4:30-6 p.m., Herm-
iston Public Library, 235 E
.Gladys Ave., Hermiston.
Craft projects, cookie deco-
rating (and eating), games,
activity booths and a STEAM
project. For kids in the fifth
grade and younger. Free.
(541-567-2882)
VFW BINGO, 6 p.m.,
Hermiston VFW, 45 W. Cherry
St., Hermiston. Doors open at
6 p.m., games begin at 7 p.m.
Everyone welcome. (541-
567-6219)
GAMER’S NIGHT, 7-10:30
p.m., Pendleton Recreation
Center, 510 S.W. Dorion Ave.,
Pendleton. Tournament gam-
ing and activities for teens.
(541-276-8100)
UMATILLA
McNary students keep Christmas gifts under wraps
Little Angels shop
lets kids pick presents
“It’s so the kids
themselves can
shop for the par-
ents, or for their
siblings, without
the parents there to
tell them ‘No you
can’t get that.’”
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
Students at McNary
Heights Elementary School
can get into the holiday
spirit of giving at the Little
Angels shop.
The project, which has
been going on for about 15
years, gives students the
opportunity to bring money
to buy three Christmas pres-
ents for family members,
particularly parents, without
giving away the surprise.
“It’s so the kids them-
selves can shop for the
parents, or for their siblings,
without the parents there to
tell them ‘No you can’t get
that,’” said Mary Dedrick,
who runs the little store out
of the corner of the school
library.
The items for the Little
Angels shop are all donated
by staff and community
members, so no amount
of money is too small.
On Wednesday one third-
grader kept disbelievingly
repeating that she only had
— Mary Dedrick,
runs the Little Angels shop
Staff photo by Jade McDowell
First graders at McNary Heights Elementary School shop for Christmas gifts at
the Little Angels shop.
one dollar as a volunteer
tried to assure her that it
would still be enough to
afford three items.
Dedrick said she always
gives students change back,
too.
“Do you have $100?”
she teasingly asked a first
grader. “No? OK, well, this
will work.”
She took one of the three
dollar bills clutched tightly
in his fist and handed back
the other two along with his
three carefully chosen gifts.
The money goes to
various causes each year;
this year’s cash will go
toward an end-of-the-year
1100 Southgate
Suite 6
541-215-1564
Come Give a friendly Eastern Oregon
welcome to Harrison Family
Medicine’s new PA-C ~ Erika Acuna!
Please call for an appointment or
stop by our NEW LOCATION!
g
ptin
Acce atients
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new
party for students.
The gifts on the tables
in the library included
scarves, socks, jewelry,
books, puzzles and various
knick knacks. Students
roamed around picking up
items and exclaiming “This
will be perfect for my baby
sister!” or “I’m getting this
for my mom.”
Dedrick said she thor-
oughly enjoys interacting
with the students as they
pick out gifts for loved ones
each year.
“It’s just fun to watch
them, because they think
it’s so much fun,” she said.
———
Contact Jade McDowell
at jmcdowell@eastorego-
nian.com or 541-564-4536.
PROJECT
EXPLORATION
OPEN HOUSE
HELP RESHAPE AND
BE A PART OF
PENDLETON’S FUTURE
MONDAY, DEC. 12 • 5:30 - 8:30PM
PENDLETON CONVENTION CENTER
PUBLIC INPUT IS SOUGHT ON EFFORTS BEING
CONSIDERED TO ENHANCE THE GATEWAY TO
DOWNTOWN PENDLETON, DEVELOPMENT OF A
COMMUNITY GATHERING PLACE AND
DEVELOPMENT OF A FOOD HUB.