REGION
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
East Oregonian
Page 3A
MILTON-FREEWATER
Fair seeks entries for
Stanton, York earn top citizens awards day camp logo contest
By MARCIA AKES
For the East Oregonian
Tall trees to snowflakes
and twinkle lights graced the
tables at “A Winter Wonder-
land,” the 69th Milton-Free-
water Area Chamber of
Commerce Awards Banquet
on Friday evening at the
Community Building.
Keeping the crowd enter-
tained while announcing the
awards were 2016 Chamber
President Aaron Duff and
board member Julie Culjak.
Man of the Year Jim
Stanton was introduced by
Mike Garton as a “wonderful
example of a family man,
community leader, volunteer,
and all-around good person.”
His many areas of service
includes being involved in
school activities, the Blue
Mountain
Community
College Budget Committee,
Milton-Freewater
Down-
town Alliance (MFDA),
and on the boards of Rotary,
Horizon and the Frazier
Farmstead Museum.
Stanton was the originator
of the idea that turned into
The Gathering Place in the
center of town and drew
the plans and coordinated
construction on the new
concession stand at the track
and football field.
It was also noted that
Stanton’s wife, Barbara, is
usually involved in his activ-
ities and has mentioned to
Garton on several occasions,
“Please take my husband
fishing so I can rest up.”
Cheryl York was honored
as Woman of the Year and
described as a cheerleader for
the community.
Chamber
Executive
Director
Tarika
Banks
listed York’s many hours of
supporting young athletes
by providing transportation,
chaperoning, and being there
to cheer for them.
As a member of the
local Kiwanis Club, York is
involved in the many service
projects the organization
does in the community and
for individuals; along with
mentoring the youth through
the Key Club at Mac-Hi.
Stanton
York
Copeland
Biggs
Hendricks
Slusarenko
Monnier
Widmer
Hartzheim
She was described as
having a “quick smile” and
“enthusiasm” for whatever
activity she was involved
in;
including
commu-
nity
parades,
festivals,
Make-A-Difference
days,
Professional Administrators
Day luncheons, Citizens
Awards banquets, and many
more.
Letters supporting her
nomination
mentioned
York’s “can do attitude,” that
she was committed and dedi-
cated, knows what needs to
be done and does it, and is a
huge asset to the community.
The Junior Citizen Award
went to Samantha Cope-
land-Vinti, described as “one
of Milton-Freewater’s most
valued volunteers.”
Copeland-Vinti is “caring
and willing to take the time
to help others succeed;
donating countless hours to
make our town a better place
for everyone,” stated Jessica
Setzer.
As the Milton-Freewater
Junior Show Secretary,
a board member, and the
awards chairman, she works
tirelessly to benefit the youth
of the area. As a 4-H leader,
she gives her club members
word of encouragement and
helps them to be focused on
goals to achieve.
Words regarding Cope-
land-Vinti included: highest
integrity; patience and tact;
goes above and beyond in
any task she takes on; works
behind the scenes giving
others credit and often
does not get the credit she
deserves.
Golden Pioneer Awards
were given to Diane Biggs
and Fran Hendricks.
Biggs is known as the
community history buff. She
has dedicated a large part of
her life to the town’s history
and
Frazier
Farmstead
Museum where she served as
the director for 31 years.
Being “the keeper of
history’s flame,” Biggs often
speaks at civic, service and
social groups. She pioneered
the Smithsonian Barn Again
project and is an active board
member of the Milton-Free-
water Library.
Described as “totally
dependable,”
Hendricks
is an avid supporter of the
local schools, 4-H and the
M-F Junior Show. She is
a board member of the
Frazier Farmstead Museum
and actively involved in the
Milton-Freewater Art Club,
Elliott Christmas Party,
P.E.O., and the St. Francis
Catholic Church including
work for the Church Women
United.
George White received
the Educator of the Year
for his ability to make sure
that even if a student may
struggle, if they work hard
they can be successful.
As a music teacher, White
excels in showing students
the value of their skills in
the classroom and out of the
classroom. He has helped
students provide countless
musical performances to the
community and all over the
Pacific Northwest.
McLoughlin High School
senior Kaitlyn Slusarenko
was Youth of the Year. The
4.0 GPA student is a two-sport
varsity athlete with a couple
of state championships. Very
active in FFA, she led her
rituals team to a first place
finish and was brave enough
to fill in at the last moment
for the secretary at the FFA
Banquet. Slusarenko is noted
for her hard work and her
compassion for others.
The Agri-Business Award
went to Ron Monnier,
the manager of J. Frank
Schmidt’s Milton Farm.
The Business Award was
given to the Valley Herald,
owned by Sherri Widmer.
Gina Hartzheim was
recognized with the Presi-
dent’s Award. The award is
given to someone who has
helped the Chamber and
specifically the president
over the year.
Andrew Brown of Blue
Mountain Cider was intro-
duced as the 2017 Chamber
president, with Dr. Clive
Kaiser of the OSU Extension
Service as president-elect.
IRRIGON
City celebrates 60 years with parade and pride
By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN
East Oregonian
A pack of ambulances and
sheriff’s cruisers drove down
the streets of Irrigon Saturday
afternoon — but they weren’t
headed to an emergency. They
were celebrating the city’s
60th birthday by kicking off
the “Irrigon Proud” celebra-
tion with a noise parade.
The vehicles, along with
some citizens who decorated
their cars or rode on bikes
alongside, ended up at city
hall. More than 50 people
gathered to hear the winners
of the Irrigon poster and essay
contests announced, and later
looked at city memorabilia
and gathered for a bonfire at
the Irrigon Marina.
Though cityhood has only
been official since 1957, it has
been called “Irrigon” since
1902 — combining the words
“irrigation” and “Oregon.”
Citizens listened to historical
anecdotes and memories from
several of the city’s long-term
residents.
Mick Tolar, the principal
of A.C. Houghton Elementary
School for 30 years, read
Staff photo by Jayati Ramakrishnan
Mick Tolar, the longtime principal of Irrigon’s A.C.
Houghton Elementary, recalls some of the history of
the town during the Irrigon Proud celebration Saturday.
some notes on the history of
education in Morrow County.
The old school building
was destroyed by a fire in
the 1920s, and the Irrigon
school district became a part
of Morrow County School
District in 1959.
“When I joined in 1960,
A.C. Houghton had an enroll-
ment of about 150 students,”
he said.
Janet Park, who grew up
in Irrigon, recalled some of
the changes to the town from
the one she knew growing up.
She grew up in a house near
the town’s fire station.
“We didn’t have electricity
in that house until 1947,” she
said. She remembers the day
they got running water and a
phone in the house, and some
of the things they did for fun
— exploring meadows and
areas by the river, and sliding
down the fire escape using the
waxed paper used to cover
bread.
“We didn’t have plastic
then,” she said.
Park said a highlight she
recalls is meeting President
Harry Truman, who came
through Umatilla County on
his whistle-stop tour in 1948.
“Irrigon was a good place
to grow up,” she said. “It was
pretty simple.”
Marilyn Stewart, a former
teacher at A.C. Houghton
who still lives in Irrigon,
moved there in 1950 when
her husband got a job at the
Umatilla Army Depot. She
remembered all the stores and
buildings that were in Irrigon
when she moved there — and
how many more there are now.
“How far have we come?”
she asked. “Stoplights, sewer
system, the marina, new
buildings, a gas station.”
“It’s been a very interesting
journey,” she said. “There’ve
been some ups and downs,
like with any town. But if all
the people of Irrigon work
together, I’m sure it can be not
only a great city, but one you
can all be proud to call home.”
PENDLETON
High school hosts annual dance competition
By JAYATI
RAMAKRISHNAN
East Oregonian
Pendleton High School
was packed Saturday as
the school hosted its 30th
annual “Hearts in Motion”
dance competition.
The
event
featured
elementary, middle and
high school teams from
Grant Union, Hermiston
and Pendleton high schools,
with junior teams from
Pendleton and Hermiston.
“Usually there are about
30 to 40 teams,” said
Ashleigh Bolling, a senior
and one of the Pendleton
dance team captains.
The competition includes
several categories, including
Staff photo by Jayati Ramakrishnan
All the teams in the Hearts in Motion dance event
gather on the floor before the competition starts at
Pendleton High School Saturday.
jazz, hip hop and contempo-
rary. The high school teams
typically perform their state
routines. The state competi-
tion is March 17.
Bolling said the team
puts a lot of effort into plan-
ning the event.
“Yesterday after school
we set up, and the dance
team was here at 5 a.m. this
morning to practice,” she
said. “Throughout the day,
we each have a certain team
we’re in charge of.”
The day was also special
for Pendleton High’s senior
dance team members, who
were honored at the begin-
ning of the competition.
This year’s seniors are
Bolling, Diana Cisneros,
Daysha Denight, Dania
Lario, Diana Panduro,
Celina Ramirez, Abby
Rinehart, Allison Savage
and Madison Shay.
Submissions are due
Friday, March 10
East Oregonian
Area schoolchildren are
encouraged to get creative
for a chance to have their
design on a T-shirt and
promote the Umatilla
County Fair’s day camp.
Umatilla
County
students in first though fifth
grades are invited to enter
the logo contest for Our
Fun at the Fair Day Camp,
which is held in conjunction
with the fair. Youths that are
in online school residing in
Umatilla County are also
eligible to enter the contest.
Reflecting the 2017 fair
theme of “New Faces, New
Places & Old Friends,”
the winning artwork will
accompany the theme to
brand the day camp, which
is Aug. 8-11.
The winner will receive
two adult day passes, four
children’s day passes, one
Fun at the Fair Day Camp
T-shirt and a one-day
carnival wristband for the
2017 Umatilla County Fair.
The runner-up youth artist
will receive one adult day
pass and two children’s day
passes, and the third place
entry will receive a pair of
children’s day passes.
The artwork needs to
compliment the fair theme
and include the words
“Umatilla County Fair”
within the design. The logo
must have the ability to be
cleanly scanned and repro-
duced digitally at smaller
and larger sizes.
Drawn or sketched logo
entries need to be dark and
in color on white paper
or cardstock that’s at least
8.5-by-11 inches and no
larger than 11-by-17 inches.
Entries on cardboard or
canvas won’t be accepted.
The back of each entry
must include the artist’s
full name, the date, the fair
theme, grade, teacher’s
name and school name.
Historically,
logos
containing the theme
and the year have scored
highest in judging. The fair
theme and the year will
be digitally added to the
winning artwork if it was
not included by the original
artist.
Submissions are due
Friday, March 10 by 5
p.m. No late entries will
be accepted. Entries may
be dropped off at the fair
office,1705 E. Airport
Road, Hermiston, mailed to
P.O. Box 94, Hermiston OR
97838 or e-mailed to angie.
mcnalley@umatillacounty.
net.
For more information,
call 541-567-6121.
BRIEFLY
EOCI locked
down after 16
inmates injured
in brawl
PENDLETON —
Fighting triggered a
lockdown of the Eastern
Oregon Correctional
Institution after a fight
between inmates touched
off a brawl on Friday
night.
“The lockdown is due
to several inmate fights in
the west dining room at
our facility,” said Jackie
Peck, EOCI’s public
information officer.
Combatants were
members of different
gangs, known as “security
threat groups” in prison
vernacular, Peck said.
Sixteen inmates were
placed into the prison’s
disciplinary segregation
housing unit where
inmates go if they engage
in misconduct or are a
threat to themselves or
others.
Visitation to the
prison was canceled until
Sunday. Full operations
at the prison resumed
Monday morning.
Several inmates
suffered minor injuries.
No staff members were
hurt.
Retired educators
to meet Friday
at St. Anthony
PENDLETON —
Information about local
healthcare is the topic
during the March meeting
of the Retired Educators
of Umatilla County.
The featured program
is “Hospital Updates:
New Services, New
Providers.” Anyone
interested in education
is invited to attend. The
no-host gathering is
Friday at 11:30 a.m. in
the café at St. Anthony
Hospital, 2801 St.
Anthony Way, Pendleton.
Membership in OREA-
Unit 9 is not limited to
retired educators. For
more information, call
Unit 9 president Bill
Mayclin at 541-276-4540.
Sen. Merkley to
visit Arlington
for town hall
ARLINGTON —
Oregon Democratic Sen.
Jeff Merkley will visit
Arlington for a town hall
meeting Saturday, March
4 at the North Gilliam
County Rural Fire
Department Hall, 1500
Railroad Ave. Residents
are invited to come ask
questions and discuss the
latest happenings from
Washington, D.C.
The meeting will
begin at 5:30 p.m.,
the last of four town
halls Merkley will hold
Saturday across the
Columbia River Gorge.
Other towns halls are
scheduled for 9:30 a.m.
at Hood River Middle
School, noon at The
Dalles High School and
3 p.m. at Bob’s Texas
T-bone & Frosty’s
Lounge in Rufus.
“I invite all residents
of Hood River, Wasco,
Sherman and Gilliam
counties to come and
discuss what we need to
do to strengthen our state
and our nation,” Merkley
said.
Since joining the
Senate in 2009, Merkley
has held a town hall in
each of Oregon’s 36
counties every year.
———
Briefs are compiled
from staff and wire
reports, and press
releases. Email press
releases to news@
eastoregonian.com
UNITED GRAIN CORPORATION
GROWER
MEETINGS
March 2nd
Pendleton ~ 8AM Breakfast at the Red
Lion Hotel.
LaGrande ~ 12:30 PM Lunch at OSU
Extension Room.
March 3rd
Hermiston ~ 8AM Breakfast at EOTEC.
WIN A DRONE!
If you have any questions please call the
Grain Department at 541-278-5018
HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!