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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (March 8, 2017)
REGION Wednesday, March 8, 2017 East Oregonian PENDLETON Happy Canyon picks first female director Three new directors join Night Show board East Oregonian Happy Canyon has named three new directors. One of them is the first female ever to sit on the board of the 100-year-old organization. “Happy Canyon is honored to have Casey Evans, Casey Hunt and Becky Waggoner join our Board of Directors,” said Happy Canyon President Corey Neistadt. “They all have deep roots in our show and our community.” Neistadt welcomes Waggoner, who will direct the Happy Canyon Night Show, to the fold. “We’d have a hard time finding anyone more quali- fied than Becky Waggoner,” he said. Waggoner, a Pilot Rock resident, is a fourth generation Happy Canyon Night Show participant and Round-Up volunteer. She began volunteering in the show at age 3, as one of the children who pop out of a Waggoner Hunt Evans trunk just unloaded from a stagecoach. She since played several roles in the show, and for the last 17 years plays a nurse in the doctor scene. Fond of the show and its colorful history, Waggoner last August released her book “Happy Canyon: A History of the World’s Most Unique Indian Pageant and Wild West Show.” Neistadt said change is sometimes hard for the century-year-old Happy Canyon organization, but said that “we’re at a different stage in society. We need diversity ... to be an effective organization.” Waggoner waved off any accolades, except to say, “I’m absolutely humbled and honored to serve Happy Canyon and its rich heritage.” Besides cattle ranching and working part-time for Mautz and O’Hanlon, LLP, Waggoner serves on the 4-H Advisory Board and as Umatilla County Cattle- women president. She and her husband, Allen — a former Happy Canyon director and past president — have three children, Kyle, Kaleigh and Riley, all show participants. Evans has a history of involvement and volunteerism with Happy Canyon and the Pendleton Round-Up. He has acted in the show since 2007. The Heppner native, who works for the Oregon Department of Transportation, moved to Pendleton after high school to attend Blue Mountain Community College. He and his wife have two daughters, Finley, 8, and Adilynn, 4, and reside outside of Pendleton with a dog and a few horses. Evans will serve as bar director for Happy Canyon. “Having the privilege to serve on the Happy Canyon Board with the selected indi- viduals is an honor,” Evans said. “They are all driving in the same direction to keep the Happy Canyon Night Show and Pageant an amazing family event that everyone wants to attend.” Hunt will serve as Happy Canyon’s court director, overseeing the princesses. He follows in the footsteps of his father who was appointed to the board in 1983. Hunt started acting in the Happy Canyon Night Show at age of 4, playing a swim kid before transitioning to different acts. Hunt works as a financial advisor for Edward Jones in Pendleton. He and his wife, Whitney, have two children, William, 4, and Charlotte, 2. The Happy Canyon Night Show and Pageant takes place each night after the Pendleton Round-Up. HERMISTON Early morning house fire puts family out of home East Oregonian A fire in Hermiston did extensive damage to a duplex early Tuesday morning, putting a family of six out of their home. No one was injured. Umatilla County Fire District 1 responded at 3 a.m. Tuesday to the 900 block of Orchard Avenue to put out the fire. Scott Goff, a UCFD volunteer, said there was fire, heat and smoke damage in one of the units and smoke damage in the other. Goff works for the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office, but was speaking on behalf of the UCFD. He said the fire appeared to have been started by a malfunctioning furnace. The American Red Cross is providing aid to two adults and four children, according to a news release. The Umatilla Rural Fire Protection District also sent firefighters to support the effort, Goff said. The fire was the third in a local home in as many days. A couple near Hat Rock State Park lost their home Sunday to a fire, and a blaze damaged a home Sunday around 4:50 p.m. at 39047 Missouri Gulch Contributed photo Firefighters work to contain a duplex fire early Tuesday morning on the 900 block of Orchard Avenue, Hermiston. Road, about 16 miles northwest of Pendleton. Delbert Gehrke, chief of the Echo Rural Fire Protection District, said the fire engulfed the basement and spread to the main floor. One occupant suffered some smoke inhalation, he said, but was not seriously injured. Cello recital features student performers Education foundation offers scholarships HERMISTON — Four scholarships in the amount of $2,500 each are available from the Hermiston Education Foundation. The awards will be given to seniors from Hermiston High School who will attend college or university academic programs. Important factors in the evaluation of applicants include academic scholarship, community service, ECHO Local Kiwanis Club celebrating 10 years By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian The Echo Kiwanis Club is celebrating its 10th anni- versary next week. By some standards the club is small — a little over 20 members at any given time — but in a town of 700, it has an unusually high per-capita rate. Mike Duffy, club pres- ident, said people seemed to want to join Kiwanis Club in Echo to serve their community and network with others. “The basics are to find people who want to be involved in things and ask them to join, and then treat them respectfully, as volunteers deserve to be treated,” he said. As the service club celebrates a decade in Echo, Duffy said several of its charter members are still active in the club. Right now they meet the first and third Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Masonic Lodge, but they are discussing a return to their roots by meeting at the Buttercreek Coffee- house and Mercantile, which opens for business Friday. The club’s original meetings 10 years ago were held in the building back when it was the Red Express. The Echo Kiwanis Club runs Chester’s Food Pantry, named after the late Chet Prior after he showed up to a meeting and announced the club needed to reduce hunger in Echo. The pantry gives food boxes to dozens of families in the small community each month. The club also helps with events like the Red 2 Red bicycle race, and hosted an Oktoberfest celebration last year to raise money for restoration of the historical St. Peter’s Catholic Church, built in 1913. “It’s not used as a church anymore, but it’s a real dear landmark,” Duffy said. Echo Kiwanis raises about $7,000 per year for scholarships for local students, and volunteered to run the city’s annual car show this year and donate the proceeds to Echo School. Students from the school’s mechanics program usually run the show as a fundraiser, but the program is taking a year off due to construction at the school and Duffy said Kiwanis Club members didn’t want to see the “ball drop.” The club also runs the BUG program, which stands for “bringing up grades.” Duffy said they look at grades partway through the year and then provide an ice cream social and prizes for students who manage to raise their grades. “It’s a really simple program, but it works,” he said. The Echo Kiwanis Club is celebrating its 10-yer anniversary with a dinner party on March 16 at Sno Road Winery, catered by H&P Cafe and featuring a speech by past Kiwanis International president Sylvester Neal. There will be no-host wine and beer starting at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m. Cost is $20 and attendees must RSVP to Duffy (541-379-4880) by March 9. ——— Contact Jade McDowell at jmcdowell@eastorego- nian.com or 541-564-4536. PENDLETON BRIEFLY PENDLETON — Cello students of Loree McKenna will perform a recital in Pendleton. The free event is Friday at 4 p.m. at the Pendleton First Presbyterian Church, 201 S.W. Dorion Ave. Everyone is welcome to attend. Those performing are Elizabeth Zurbrick, Elijah Spencer, Sage Wyland, Matthew Estrada, Owen Easley, Paige Pitner, Ashtyn Larsen, Caleb Picken, Caleb Greenhalgh, Reilly Lovercheck, Kieric Speakman, Sam Coleman and Jenna Harrison. The program also includes two ensembles: a cello duet with Caleb Picken and Paige Pitner, and the Umatilla String Quartet, featuring Tyler Simpson and Ithea Engum Corral on violin, Kristen Gregg on viola and Jenna Harrison on cello. Sue Nelson provides accompaniment and Bruce Walker, a cellist and director of A Sharp Players, will give feedback to the performers. For more information, contact McKenna at 541-276- 4237 or loree5645@gmail. com. Page 3A File photo Cello teacher Loree McKenna demonstrates how to properly hold the bow to a group of students. The pub- lic is invited to a recital featuring current cello students Friday at the Pendleton First Presbyterian Church. School bond sale saves money leadership and financial need. The application is due by Friday, March 24, with interviews to follow. Applications are available at the high school counseling office or the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce, 415 S. Highway 395. For more information, call George Clough at 541-314- 3182 or write HEF, P.O. Box 1096, Hermiston, OR 97838. UMATILLA — A successful bond sale for Umatilla School District will translate into fewer taxes for Umatilla residents. The rate on the bonds, which will pay for expansions and upgrades at Umatilla schools, was more favorable than expected, meaning taxpayers will pay about $2.77 per assessed value instead of $3.13. That rate will begin when the current Umatilla High School bond is paid off in 2023 and will continue through 2035. High demand also turned into higher net proceeds for the school district, which will have $10.8 million instead of the expected $10.2 million to work with. The bond sale was signed last week, and the school district is now in the planning phase. The district expects to make drawings available sometime this spring and will solicit public feedback then. Superintendent Heidi Sipe said in a statement that the district was excited about the favorable sale and committed to being good stewards of the money. City council and CTUIR board to meet at airport East Oregonian After the Pacific North- west National Laboratory launches its new drone at the Eastern Oregon Regional Airport Wednesday, the Pendleton City Council and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reser- vation Board of Trustees will look to relaunch their relationship. The council and board will hold a joint public meeting at the airport from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Although the city of Pendleton and the Umatilla Indian Reservation essen- tially border one another, their respective govern- ments haven’t met formally in two years, according to CTUIR spokesman Chuck Sams. “I don’t think there’s any particular reason (we haven’t met recently),” Pendleton city manager Robb Corbett said. “We get busy and we didn’t think about it.” Sams echoed Corbett’s comments, adding that joint meetings between the two bodies used to happen annually and the board of trustees is looking to restart the tradition. Corbett said the tribes reached out to him a few months ago looking to set up a meeting. With there being mutual interest in the Pendleton Unmanned Aerial Systems Range, the city and the CTUIR decided to meet after the drone launch. The two sides expect to cover a lot of ground in an hour-and-a-half. The agenda’s discussion topics include the Pend- leton city goals, the CTUIR goals, economic develop- ment, the Pendleton UAS Range, tourism, housing, the Vert Auditorium and Kayak Transportation. The end of the agenda includes discussion on topics and meeting dates for a future meeting, suggesting the council and board will try to make these meetings a regular habit. You’re Invited to a retirement celebration for Kathy Youngman Saturday, March 11th from 3:00 - 5:00 pm at Buttercreek Salon Kathy’s goal in high school was to become a beautician. She went to school in Pendleton and started working as a beautician in Hermiston in 1973 after her and her family moved here. She bought the Buttercreek Salon in 1983 and owned the salon for 14 years when she sold it to Pam Monger. Pam sold the salon to Terri Hymas after almost 14 years, who is the current owner. Kathy says it is time for her to spend time with her husband, Glenn, to do whatever comes their way. She has enjoyed her time serving her clients and making friends with many people of the community. 541-567-2911 315 SW 11th Street Hermiston, OR 97838 Majenta • Rosita • Phyllis • Mo • Kathy • Stacey
