Page 6A
RECORDS
East Oregonian
OBITUARIES
Staff Sgt. Austin Leo Bieren
Colorado Springs, Colo.
January 7, 1992-March 28, 2017
Austin Leo Bieren, 25,
died on March 28, 2017, in
Syria.
He was born on January 7,
1992, in Pendleton, Oregon,
to John Timothy Bieren
and Tracy Ann
(Gibson)
Finck.
Austin
attended
and graduated from
Umatilla
High
School in 2010.
Austin loved to
hunt, fish, and hunt
some more. He
enjoyed anything
and
everything
outdoors, the true
definition of a
mountain man. He
avidly worked out
and did everything
to stay healthy and
active.
Bieren
He joined the
Air Force right out of high
school in November 2010.
After basic training, he
married his wife, Rachel
(Kennedy) Bieren, and
they both moved to Minot,
North Dakota, and were
there for three years, and
then moved to Colorado
Springs
where
Austin
worked at Peterson AFB. He
was deployed three times.
Bieren’s awards include the
Aerial Achievement Medal
with one device; Air Force
Achievement Medal with
two devices; Meritorious
Unit Award; Air Force
Outstanding Unit Award; Air
Force Good Conduct Medal
with one device; National
Defense Service Medal;
Global War On Terrorism
Expeditionary Medal with
one device; Global War on
Terrorism Service Medal;
Humanitarian
Service
Medal; Nuclear Deterrence
Operations Service Medal;
Air Force Expeditionary
Service Ribbon with Gold
Border; Air Force Expe-
ditionary Service Ribbon
with one device; Air Force
Longevity Service;
U.S. Air Force
NCO Professional
Military Education
Graduate Ribbon;
Small Arms Expert
Marksmanship
Ribbon with one
device; and the
Air Force Training
Ribbon.
He was preceded
in death by his twin
brother, Thomas
Keith Bieren, and
his grandmother,
Susan Gibson.
Austin
is
survived by his
wife, Rachel Bieren; mother
Tracy Finck; stepfather Jody
Finck; father JT Bieren;
stepmother Amber Bieren;
sister
Brianne
Bieren;
nephew Jaren Journot;
grandparents on both sides;
and his aunts, uncles, and
many cousins.
In lieu of flowers,
Rachel will be setting up a
memorial fund in Austin’s
honor. The funds will be
used to make special gifts
for Austin’s many military
friends in remembrance of
Austin. The fund is located
at any US Bank, “Austin
Bieren Memorial Fund.”
There will be a hometown
service in Umatilla, Oregon,
located at the Umatilla High
School on Saturday, April
15, 2017, at 1:00 p.m.
Arrangements by: The
Springs Funeral Services,
Colorado Springs, Colo-
rado, www.tsfs.co
DEATH NOTICES
Lauren Jordan
Pilot Rock
Aug. 31, 1928-March 14, 2017
Lauren Jordan, 88, of Pilot Rock died Tuesday, March 14,
2017, at his home. He was born Aug. 31, 1928, in Portland. A
celebration of life will be held at a later date. A full obituary
will follow. Juniper Ridge Funeral Home is in charge of
arrangements.
UPCOMING SERVICES
SATURDAY, APRIL 8
BULLOCK, LEONARD — Funeral service at 2 p.m. at
Bethel Assembly of God, 1109 Airport Road, Pendleton.
GUTIERREZ ESTRADA, JAVIER — Funeral service
at noon in the chapel at Burns Mortuary, 685 W. Hermiston
Ave., Hermiston. Burial will follow at the Hermiston Ceme-
tery.
ROUSKA, MARK — Celebration of life and potluck
lunch at 1 p.m. at A.C. Houghton Elementary School, 1105
N. Main Ave., Irrigon. A family-friendly softball game will
follow the reception; wear your favorite sports team apparel
or Hawaiian shirt.
SUNDAY, APRIL 9
No services scheduled
MONDAY, APRIL 10
CLEAVER, BERNICE — Graveside funeral service at
11 a.m. (MST) at Hilltop Memorial Cemetery, Nyssa.
TUESDAY, APRIL 11
No services scheduled
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.
Saturday, April 8, 2017
Gorsuch rolls Supreme Court to the right
WASHINGTON
(AP)
— After weeks of turmoil,
the Senate confirmed Trump
nominee Neil Gorsuch as the
Supreme Court’s youngest
justice Friday, filling a
14-month vacancy after the
death of Antonin Scalia and
restoring a rightward tilt that
could last for years.
Gorsuch will be sworn
in Monday and will quickly
begin confronting cases
of consequence, including
one involving separation
of church and state that the
justices will take up in less
than two weeks.
At 49, he is decades
younger than several of the
other justices — two are in
their 80s and one is 78 —
raising the possibility that
President Donald Trump
will have a chance to appoint
more conservatives to a court
that has been somewhat
balanced in recent years.
Vice President Mike
Pence was presiding as the
Senate voted 54-45 in favor
of Gorsuch, a veteran of
Denver’s 10th U.S. Circuit
of Appeals whose conser-
vative rulings make him an
intellectual heir to Scalia,
who died in February 2016.
Republicans blocked Barack
Obama from filling the seat
all last year.
The outcome was a major
victory for Trump, his first
big congressional win. And
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File
In this March 22 photo, Supreme Court nominee
Judge Neil Gorsuch speaks during his confirmation
hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
it was cause for celebration
for conservatives, who
have often seemed willing
to forgive various Trump
failings next to the chance to
win this lifetime appointment
to the most important court
on the land.
“As a deep believer in the
rule of law, Judge Gorsuch
will serve the American
people with distinction,”
Trump said in a statement.
The judge won support
from 51 of the chamber’s
Republicans as well as three
moderate Democrats up for
re-election in states Trump
won last fall: Joe Manchin
of West Virginia, Heidi
Heitkamp of North Dakota
and Joe Donnelly of Indiana.
GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson of
Georgia, who has been recov-
ering from back surgery, did
not vote.
Gorsuch’s name was on
a list of potential choices
Trump produced during the
campaign, and was vetted
by conservative groups
including the Federalist
Society and the Heritage
Foundation. That unusual
external review omitted
consultation with Senate
Democrats, contributing to
bitter Democrat complaints
about the way the whole
process was handled.
Gorsuch is expected to join
a conservative-leaning voting
bloc of justices, making five
on the nine-member court.
As soon as April 13, he could
take part in his first private
conference, where justices
decide whether to hear cases
— and some of them could
involve gun rights, voting
rights and a Colorado baker’s
refusal to design a cake for a
same-sex couple’s wedding.
Friday’s Senate vote was
the final act in a corrosive
political confrontation that
began with Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell’s decision
immediately after Scalia’s
death to hold the seat open
for the next president to fill,
rather than convene hearings
for Obama’s nominee, Judge
Merrick Garland.
Democrats seethed for
months over Garland’s
treatment, and under pressure
from liberal activists fuming
over the Trump presidency
they mounted a filibuster
Thursday to block Gorsuch.
McConnell, R-Ky., immedi-
ately responded, as expected,
by leading his Republicans
in a unilateral rules change
to lower the vote threshold
for Supreme Court nominees
from 60 to a simple majority
in the 100-member Senate.
That paved the way for
Gorsuch’s confirmation vote
Friday, but left lawmakers
of both parties bemoaning
the undoing of comity in the
Senate and warning that the
60-vote filibuster barrier on
regular legislation, a key tool
to force bipartisan cooper-
ation, could be next to go.
McConnell vowed that would
not happen on his watch.
Hiring slows, but U.S. unemployment falls to 10-year low
WASHINGTON
(AP)
— U.S. employers cut back
sharply on hiring in March,
yet Friday’s jobs report still
had much to be encouraged
about, including a drop in
the unemployment rate to
4.5 percent, the lowest in a
decade.
Employers added just
98,000 jobs, the Labor
Department said. It was
barely half the previous
month’s gain.
Yet
unemployment
dropped from 4.7 percent,
reaching its lowest point since
May 2007. While the rate has
fallen in the past because of
unemployed workers who
had given up looking, it
happened this time because of
a healthy gain in the number
of people with jobs.
“Within the disappointing
98,000 net new jobs added,
there seems to be a lot more
going on beneath the surface,
and what is going beneath the
surface is mostly good,” said
Mark Vitner, an economist at
Wells Fargo.
Here are the positive
aspects of the report,
followed by some parts that
were not so hot:
Job growth still OK
In the past three months,
employers have added an
average of 178,000 jobs a
month. That’s much better
than March’s increase and is
closer to the underlying trend,
economists said.
That’s also just below the
average gains of 187,000
jobs a month last year. Hiring
should rebound closer to that
level in the coming months,
economists say.
Hit from weather
probably temporary
One reason last month’s
weak gain was probably
a blip is that harsh winter
weather in New England and
the Midwest most likely hurt
hiring in construction, retail
and other weather-sensitive
industries. Also, construction
companies reported huge
job gains in January and
February, when the weather
was unseasonably warm, so
they didn’t need to engage in
their usual spring hiring.
Better jobs
The job gains last month,
while tepid, occurred in
better-paying
industries,
such as manufacturing and
a category that includes
accounting, engineering and
other professional services.
Lower-paying
fields,
such as retail, cut jobs, while
a category that includes
restaurants and hotels posted
a small gain.
And all the new jobs added
were full time, the govern-
ment said. The number of
Americans who are working
part time but would prefer a
full-time job fell.
An alternative unem-
ployment measure, which
includes involuntary part-
time workers, fell to 8.9
percent, its lowest level since
December 2007, when the
Great Recession started.
That’s down from a peak
in 2010 of 17.1 percent.
Yet there were some
discouraging signs:
More optimism,
same economy
Consumer and business
optimism has soared since
the presidential election.
Many companies eagerly
await the tax cuts and deregu-
lation promised by President
Trump.
Yet so far, there is little
evidence that better senti-
ment has translated into more
hiring, spending or economic
growth. Companies are
adding workers at the same
pace they did last year. And
consumers trimmed their
inflation-adjusted spending
in January and February.
Stagnant wages
Average hourly earnings
climbed 2.7 percent over
the past year, not much of a
win for workers. And after
factoring in inflation in the
past year, paychecks are
essentially flat.
“Right now, real wages
are basically stagnant,”
said Megan Greene, chief
economist at Manulife Asset
Management. “That’s why
things like retail sales growth
and other indicators for
consumer demand have been
so anemic.”
The situation is even
tougher
for
front-line
workers, who account for
the majority of all jobs. Their
wages have risen just 2.3
percent, so after inflation they
have fallen.
Hiring not widely spread
The drop in the unemploy-
ment rate is good news, but it
doesn’t mean everyone has
benefited. Women made up
nearly all those who gained
jobs, with the unemployment
rate for adult men unchanged,
at a still-low 4.3 percent.
Disappearing retail jobs
Online shopping is taking
its toll on traditional retailers
who can no longer compete
on price or convenience as
they once did.
Department and general
merchandise stores trimmed
34,700 workers from their
payrolls last month. Clothiers
let go of 5,800. Amid these
job losses, wage growth for
retail workers was a paltry
1.1 percent before inflation,
far worse than the national
average.
COMING EVENTS
SATURDAY, APRIL 8
A L L - Y O U - C A N - E AT
BREAKFAST, 6-10 a.m., White
Eagle Grange, 43828 White Ea-
gle Road (between Pendleton
and Pilot Rock on Highway 395
South), Pendleton. Suggested
donation is $7 for ages 8 and up,
$4 for ages 5-7 and free for age 4
and under. (Gail Wilson 541-276-
3778)
YARD SALE FUNDRAISER,
8 a.m.-2 p.m., Hermiston Church
of the Nazarene, 1520 W. Or-
chard Ave., Hermiston. Proceeds
from annual sale help fund sum-
mer 2017 Honduras mission trip.
(Gabrielle Fritz 541-567-3677)
FREE FOR ALL, 9:30-10:15
a.m., Pendleton Center for the
Arts, 214 N. Main St., Pendle-
ton. Free art classes for children
up to age 12. Children under 8
should be accompanied by an
adult. (Roberta Lavadour 541-
278-9201)
YARN CLUB, 10 a.m.-12
p.m., Hermiston Public Library,
235 E. Gladys Ave., Hermiston.
(541-567-2882)
FOIL BOOK & BAKE SALE,
10 a.m.-4 p.m., Irrigon Public
Library, 490 N.E. Main Ave., Irri-
gon. Proceeds benefit the Irrigon
Library and the Oregon Trail Li-
brary District. (541-922-0138)
SAGE SATURDAY, 10 a.m.-
2 p.m., SAGE Center, 101 Olson
Road, Boardman. Make a trop-
ical wind chime, play limbo and
enjoy a frozen treat. Free. (541-
481-7243)
HIP & HANDMADE, 11 a.m.-
12 p.m., Pendleton Center for the
Arts, 214 N. Main St., Pendleton.
Free drop-in project class for
adults. (Roberta Lavadour 541-
278-9201)
COUNTRY HOEDOWN, 1-4
p.m., Milton-Freewater Neighbor-
hood Senior Center, 311 N. Main
St., Milton-Freewater. Live music,
dancing and singing. Admission
$2, refreshments available for
purchase. (541-938-3311)
SAGE CENTER MOVIE
EVENT, 2:15 p.m., SAGE Center,
101 Olson Road, Boardman. En-
joy “Moana” and a free Hawaiian
lei (first 100 people). Admission is
$3 per person, includes free bag
of popcorn. Concessions and
bottled water will be available
for purchase. Proceeds benefit
Riverside High School Operation
Graduation. (541-481-7243)
SAGE CENTER MOVIE
EVENT (SPANISH), 4:15 p.m.,
SAGE Center, 101 Olson Road,
Boardman. Enjoy “Moana” in
Spanish and a free Hawaiian lei
(first 100 people). Admission is
$3 per person, includes free bag
of popcorn. Concessions and
bottled water will be available
for purchase. Proceeds benefit
Riverside High School Operation
Graduation. (541-481-7243)
DANCING WITH YOUR
PENDLETON STARS, 7 p.m.,
Vert Auditorium, 480 S.W. Dorion
Ave., Pendleton. Local celebrities
pair with professional dancers
from the Utah Ballroom Dance
Company to raise money for lo-
cal charities. Tickets are $20 per
person, available at the CAPECO
office, Dave’s Chevron, Pendle-
ton chamber office, or from each
dancer and (541-276-1926)
OLDIES NIGHT: CHUCK
BERRY, 7-10 p.m., Wesley
United Methodist Church, 816
S. Main St., Milton-Freewater.
BJ the DJ will spin Chuck Ber-
ry’s best music and bands who
had success with his hit songs.
Refreshments will be provided
by The Frogs. Free. (Bob Jones
541-938-7028)
SUNDAY, APRIL 9
FAMILY BREAKFAST, 8:30-
9:15 a.m., First Christian Church,
516 S. Main St., Milton-Freewa-
ter. Cost is by donation. Everyone
welcome. (541-938-3854)
PALM SUNDAY SERVICE,
9 a.m., Episcopal Church of the
Redeemer, 241 S.E. Second St.,
Pendleton. Service begins with
Liturgy of the Palms. Everyone
welcome. (541-276-3809)
BLESSING OF THE PALMS
AND EUCHARIST, 9 a.m., St.
John’s Epsicopal Church, 665 E.
Gladys Ave., Hermiston. (Chuck
Barnes 541-567-6674)
SPECIAL NEEDS OPEN
GYM, 12-1:30 p.m., Pendleton
Recreation Center, 510 S.W.
Dorion Ave., Pendleton. Free for
special needs children and fam-
ilies. (541-276-8100)
INLAND
NORTHWEST
CHORALE CONCERT, 4 p.m.,
Weston Middle School, 205 E.
Wallace, Weston. Musical selec-
tions include “Serenade to Music”
by R. Vaughan Williams and Ga-
briel Faure’s “Requiem.” A recep-
tion will follow the concert. Free,
but donations accepted. (Sally
Ketchersid 541-289-4696)
ADULT OPEN GYM, 6:30
p.m., Pendleton Recreation
Center, 510 S.W. Dorion Ave.,
Pendleton. Half-court basketball.
Adults only.
MONDAY, APRIL 10
ADULT OPEN GYM, 6 a.m.,
Pendleton Recreation Center,
510 S.W. Dorion Ave., Pendleton.
Half-court basketball. Adults only.
WALKING FOR WELL-
NESS, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Pendle-
ton Recreation Center, 510 S.W.
Dorion Ave., Pendleton. (541-
276-8100)
TOT TIME, 10-11 a.m., Pend-
leton Recreation Center, 510
S.W. Dorion Ave., Pendleton. For
children ages 0-5. Costs $1 per
child per session. (541-276-8100)
PRESCHOOL STORY TIME,
10:30 a.m., Athena Public Library,
418 E. Main St., Athena. For ages
birth to 6. (541-566-2470)
PENDLETON
SENIOR
MEAL SERVICE, 12 p.m., Pend-
leton 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)
TEEN ADVISORY COUN-
CIL, 4 p.m., Hermiston Public Li-
brary, 235 E. Gladys Ave., Herm-
iston. All teens welcome. Snacks
will be provided. (541-567-2882)
ART STUDIO, 4-5:30 p.m.,
Pendleton Center for the Arts,
214 N. Main St., Pendleton. Free
class for ages 7-12 to develop
skills and encourage art explora-
tion. (Roberta Lavadour 541-278-
9201)
MEETINGS
MONDAY, APRIL 10
IRRIGON FIRE DISTRICT,
7 a.m., Irrigon Fire Department,
705 N.E. Main Ave., Irrigon.
(541-922-3133)
PENDLETON
SCHOOL
DISTRICT, 6 p.m., Pendleton
School District office, 107 N.W.
10th St., Pendleton. (541-276-
6711)
HERMISTON SCHOOL DIS-
TRICT, 6:30 p.m., district office,
502 W. Standard Ave., Hermis-
ton. (541-667-6000)
M I LT O N - F R E E WAT E R
SCHOOL DISTRICT, 6:30 p.m.,
Central Middle School, 306 S.W.
Second St., Milton-Freewater.
(541-938-3551)
HEPPNER CITY COUNCIL,
7 p.m., Heppner City Hall, 111
N. Main St., Heppner. (541-676-
9618)
MILTON-FREEWATER CITY
COUNCIL, 7 p.m., Milton-Free-
water Public Library Albee
Room, 8 S.W. Eighth Ave., Mil-
ton-Freewater. (541-938-5531)
PILOT ROCK FIRE DIS-
TRICT, 7 p.m., Pilot Rock Fire
Department, 415 N.E. Elm St.,
Pilot Rock. (541-443-4522)
HERMISTON CITY COUN-
CIL, 7 p.m., Hermiston City Hall
council chambers, 180 N.E. Sec-
ond St., Hermiston. (541-567-
5521)
ATHENA-WESTON
SCHOOL DISTRICT, 7 p.m.,
Weston Middle School library,
205 E. Wallace, Weston. 5:30
p.m executive session, 5:45
p.m. work session, 7 p.m. regu-
lar meeting. (Kim Thul 541-566-
3551)
WESTON PLANNING COM-
MISSION, 7 p.m., Memorial Hall,
210 E. Main St., Weston. (541-
566-3313)
TUESDAY, APRIL 11
PENDLETON PARKS &
RECREATION COMMISSION,
12 p.m., Pendleton City Hall
community room, 500 S.W.
Dorion Ave., Pendleton. (541-
276-8100)
PORT OF UMATILLA COM-
MISSION, 1 p.m., Port of Uma-
tilla offices, 505 Willamette Ave.,
Umatilla. (541-922-3224)
PENDLETON
FARMERS
MARKET BOARD, 5:30 p.m.,
Pendleton Early Learning Cen-
ter, 455 S.W. 13th St., Pendle-
ton. (541-969-9466)
WESTON
CEMETERY
BOARD, 6 p.m., Memorial Hall,
210 E. Main St., Weston. (541-
566-3313)
PENDLETON
LIBRARY
BOARD, 6 p.m., Pendleton Pub-
lic Library meeting room, 502
S.W. Dorion Ave, Pendleton.
(541-966-0380)
LEXINGTON TOWN COUN-
CIL, 7 p.m., Lexington Town Hall,
425 F St., Lexington. (541-989-
8515)