REGION
Saturday, April 15, 2017
HERMISTON
By JAYATI
RAMAKRISHNAN
East Oregonian
Staff photo by Jayati Ramakrishnan
Jesus, played by Matt Pihl, is nailed to the cross during the Stations of the Cross
re-enactment Friday at the top of Hermiston Butte.
“In the U.S., a lot of Catholic traditions fall by the wayside.
It’s common in many other countries.”
— Father Daniel Maxwell, pastor at Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church
resurrection three days after
his death.
Pihl said he enjoyed
playing the part, but had
to prepare a lot and it put a
lot of stress on him and his
family.
“I think I may help in the
future,” he said, “But maybe
not play Jesus again.”
Pihl said the re-enactment
is a good reminder to those in
the church.
“I think it helps people
take it more seriously,” he
said.
Father Daniel Maxwell
has been a pastor at the
church for about six years.
He said he hasn’t seen this
type of re-enactment at other
churches in the area, but
hopes to see more.
“In the U.S., a lot of
Catholic traditions fall by
the wayside,” he said. “It’s
common in many other
countries.”
———
Contact
Jayati
Ramakrishnan at 541-564-
4534 or jramakrishnan@
eastoregonian.com
PENDLETON
Veterinary clinic seeks to expand with PDC funding
PDA wants full-time
executive director
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
With the Pendleton Devel-
opment Commission in the
process of obtaining a $3.5
million line of credit for new
projects, two organizations
are already stepping forward
for a piece of the pie.
At a commission meeting
Tuesday, members will hear
funding requests from the
Pendleton Veterinary Clinic
and the Pendleton Downtown
Association.
In a staff report to the
commission,
associate
director Charles Denight
explained what the Pendleton
Veterinary Clinic wanted
from the commission as it
looked to build a new clinic
in an empty lot east of First
Community Credit Union on
Southwest Emigrant Avenue.
The owner of the clinic,
currently located at 1901
S.W. Court Ave., is looking
for a grant of up to $100,000
to help support a project that
would cost approximately
$1 million. Denight wrote
that the clinic already has
financing in place and is
looking to purchase property
across the street and build
new housing “some time in
the future.”
The clinic’s ask differs
from the usual requests the
commission receives because
it falls outside of the purview
of the urban renewal district’s
established funding programs
— the Jump Start loan, the
façade restoration grant, the
building permit grant and the
upper story grant.
“The request for funding
assistance for a new facility
for the Pendleton Veteri-
nary Clinic would not fit
within any of these existing
programs, but would require
a decision to provide onetime
funding support for this
proposed project,” Denight
wrote. “The veterinary clinic
owners were advised of the
loan and other provisions
of the Jump Start Program.
The clinic owner stated they
were able to secure private
financing on more favor-
able terms than what was
available through the Jump
Start Program, and the other
benefits under that program
were of limited value.”
While the commission
does offer a $100,000 incen-
tive for anyone who builds
a new facility on the central
Page 3A
BRIEFLY
Church re-enacts the Stations of the Cross
In its 20th year in Herm-
iston, the Stations of the
Cross re-enactment of Jesus
Christ’s crucifixion serves
as a visible reminder of the
Easter holiday.
Hermiston’s Our Lady of
Angels Catholic Church has
re-created scenes from the
“Way of the Cross,” which
depicts Jesus’ journey from
the trial with Pontius Pilate
to his death.
About 30 junior high and
high school students from
the church’s youth group
played the roles of Jesus,
Mary, disciples of Jesus and
Roman soldiers, dressed
up in full costume. They
re-enacted 14 scenes on the
trek from the church parking
lot to the top of Hermiston
Butte. The scenes, which
included Jesus taking up the
cross, meeting his mother
and being stripped of his
garments, were interspersed
with hymns and prayers by
the church’s pastors, and
repeated by the hundreds
of audience members who
walked along to watch.
In the final scenes atop
Hermiston Butte, Jesus —
played by 14 year-old Matt
Pihl — acted as if he was
nailed to the cross and died.
Though it wasn’t shown, the
pastor told the story of Jesus’
East Oregonian
river quarter, a stretch of
downtown land located by
the Umatilla River, the clin-
ic’s proposed location lies far
outside its boundaries.
Denight added that a
new building on an empty
lot would increase property
value and bring in new
money to the urban renewal
district. It would also be rare
case where the commission
would contribute money to
a new building rather than
enhancing an existing prop-
erty.
The Pendleton Downtown
Association’s request is more
long-term.
The
association,
a
nonprofit that supports down-
town business, is requesting
$55,000 a year to cover the
cost of hiring a full-time
executive director and other
operating expenses.
Last year, the association
brought on Molly Turner,
an intern from the Univer-
sity of Oregon’s Resource
Assistance for Rural Envi-
ronments program to act as
its program manager.
While Turner’s intern
contract ends July 1, she
has agreed to a new three-
year contract to stay on as
the association’s executive
director.
According to the associ-
ation’s funding request, the
organization needs a stable
funding source to cover
Turner’s $45,000 per year
salary and another $10,000
for additional personnel costs
and operational expenses.
The association argues
that it’s already assisting
the city in its economic
development and downtown
revitalization goals, and
it could further help with
its downtown parking and
tree plans that members are
currently working on.
The commission meeting
is on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the
council chambers at city hall,
500 S.W. Dorion Ave.
———
Contact Antonio Sierra at
asierra@eastoregonian.com
or 541-966-0836.
DEQ to sponsor
hazardous waste
collection April 22
HERMISTON — Local
residents can get rid of
household hazardous waste
during a free collection
Saturday, April 22 at the
Eastern Oregon Trade and
Event Center, 1705 E.
Airport Road in Hermiston.
Common items to be
collected may include
aerosol cans, antifreeze,
engine cleaners, fluorescent
tubes, herbicides, batteries,
motor oil, paint, pesticides
and weed killers.
In addition, Oregon
E-Cycles will collect old
computers, monitors,
televisions, keyboards and
mice. Pharmaceuticals,
ammunition, explosives
or products that contain
radioactive waste, such as
smoke detectors, will not
be accepted.
Agricultural pesticides
from ranches and farms
will be accepted on Friday,
April 21. Pre-registration
is required for agricultural
and small business waste
disposal by Friday, April
14. To pre-register, call
503-310-1393 or email
simpsons.taylor@cleanhar-
bors.com.
Saturday’s event will
run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
It is sponsored by the
Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality,
city of Hermiston, Umatilla
County, EOTEC and
Sanitary Disposal.
Steelhead season
to close on
Umatilla River
As one fishery closes on
the Umatilla River, another
is set to open.
The last day for steel-
head fishing on the river is
Saturday, April 15, while
spring chinook season will
begin the day after.
As of Monday, April 10,
about 2,000 steelhead had
been counted at Threemile
Falls Dam between
Hermiston and Umatilla.
That is less than half of last
year’s run, which totaled
4,500 fish on the same date.
So far, no spring
chinook have been counted
at the dam, and the Oregon
Department of Fish &
Wildlife says anglers can
expect a slow start to the
season.
For more information
on fishing conditions across
northeast Oregon, visit
www.dfw.state.or.us/RR/
northeast.
Guns & Hoses
raises funds for
youth programs
MILTON-FREEWATER
— Area firefighters and
police officers will raise
money to help local youths
attend summer programs
sponsored by the Walla
Walla YMCA.
The Guns and Hoses
event kicks off with a silent
auction and vendor fair.
The event is Saturday, April
29 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
in the cafeteria at Central
Middle School Cafeteria,
306 S.W. Second Ave.,
Milton-Freewater.
Also, members of the
Milton-Freewater Rural
Fire Department will
take the field against the
Milton-Freewater Police
Department. The softball
game is Friday, May 26 at
5:30 p.m. at Legion Field,
450 S.W. Second Ave.,
Milton-Freewater. Ticket
prices range from $7-$25.
Additional information will
be announced at a later date.
Items for the auction
or monetary donations are
tax-deductible. In addition,
sponsorships are available.
For more information,
contact captain_flame_
tamer@yahoo.com, Mark
Gomes at 541-861-0059,
Liz Lawrence at 509-386-
6222, lizessential@yahoo.
com or visit www.facebook.
com/mfgunsandhoses.
Victory Baptist Church
Easter Services
April 14 @ 6 pm - Good Friday Service
April 16 Easter Sunday
TWO Services to Choose from:
8:30 am or 10:30 am
yourvictory.org
541-303-3840
193 E Main St., Hermiston
BUTTE CHALLENGE
H AMLEY S TEAK H OUSE
Sunday A PRIL 16 10am 2pm
-
Featuring
SLOW ROASTED PRIME RIB CARVING STATION
HONEY MAPLE HAM
ROASTED RED POTATOES
FRESH GREEN BEANS WITH BACON & BUTTER
CHICKEN BUNKHOUSE PENNE PASTA
WHISKEY MEATBALLS
FESTIVE SCRAMBLED EGGS
APPLEWOOD SMOKED BACON AND SAUSAGE
HAMLEY BISCUITS AND SAUSAGE GRAVY
CHEESE BLINTZES WITH BERRY SAUCE
SEASONAL FRESH FRUIT SALAD
HAMLEY CAESAR SALAD
HAMLEY CRANBERRY SPINACH SALAD
HOT ROLLS & BUTTER
ASSORTED DESSERTS
o
$
ALL YOU CAN EAT
$
1 6
26
o
per
person
kids
5-12
CALL TODAY FOR RESERVATIONS
541.278.1100 OPTION 2
COURT & MAIN, PENDLETON
SATURDAY , MAY 6 , 2017
5K Run, 5K Walk, 10K Run, Kid's Butte Scoot
All races begin & end at Hermiston's Butte Park
DRAWINGS • FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
Online registration & race information at
WWW.BUTTECHALLENGE.COM
Register online by April 22nd to order a
custom technical race T-Shirt
All proceeds benefi t THE HERMISTON
CROSS COUNTRY PROGRAM
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!