REGION
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
BRIEFLY
New carpet will
close library for
two weeks
PENDLETON — The
Pendleton Public Library will
be closed for two weeks in
May while the city installs
new carpet.
The library will be closed
from May 6 to May 19,
according to a post on the
library’s Facebook page.
Due dates that fall
within those two weeks
will be extended to May 22.
Although the library prefers
books to be returned before
or after the closure, it will
still accept books at the
outside return drop, which
will be emptied daily.
The Pendleton City
Council is set to approve a
$49,994 bid from Soft-Step
Interiors to provide the new
carpeting, the last new carpet
having been installed in
1996.
According to a report
from facilities manager
Glenn Graham, the new
carpet will solve the safety
hazard problems caused by
curling and bulging in the
carpet. The new carpet is
composed of 24 inches by
24 inches commercial carpet
squares that will allow for
easy replacement of damaged
sections by maintenance
staff.
Umatilla County
budget under
review this week
PENDLETON —
Umatilla County’s budget
gets the once-over this
week. The county’s budget
committee holds public
meetings to review and
discuss the budget starting
Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
in room 130 at the county
courthouse, 416 S.E. Fourth
St., Pendleton.
County Commissioner
George Murdock, who
oversees the county budget
process, said in a written
statement the county cut total
employees from 317 to 307
to help cover a $1.7 million
shortfall and produce a
balanced budget.
The committee will
consider an overall budget
proposal of about $74 million
with almost $28.5 million for
discretionary general fund
spending. Murdock said the
county lost half a million
dollars from the general fund
to cover retired employees,
and next year’s budget faces
a similar hit.
While the committee can
make changes to the county
budget, Murdock said the
plan the group sees this
week matches revenue and
expenditures.
The budget committee
plans to meet through
Thursday afternoon but could
adjourn earlier or go into
Friday, depending on how
swift the review is.
City announces
budget meetings
PENDLETON — The
city of Pendleton will
release its 2017-2018 budget
proposal this week and begin
TWO
HOURS
every
morning
paid off
my credit
card debt.
Become an
East Oregonian
Carrier.
211 SE Byers Ave.
Pendleton
or call:
541-276-2211
1-800-522-0255
formally discussing it next
week.
The city notice announced
that the proposal can be
viewed in person at city hall
or online at the city website
beginning Wednesday.
The budget committee
will start meeting to delib-
erate the budget and accept
public comment on April 27
at 6 p.m. If necessary, the
committee will also meet on
May 2, May 4 and May 5 at
7 a.m.
The committee will also
discuss the budget proposal
for the Pendleton Devel-
opment Commission, the
governing body that oversees
the urban renewal district.
The budget document will
be publicly available Friday
and will be discussed May 4
at 7 a.m.
All budget meetings will
be held at the Vert Little
Theater in the Pendleton City
Hall complex, which can be
accessed from Southwest
Fourth Street.
The budget committee is
composed of the mayor and
the members of the Pendleton
City Council in addition to
nine community members.
Although the committee
will discuss the budgets and
make a recommendation to
the city council, the council
has final approval over the
budget.
The new fiscal year starts
July 1.
WW.Friends meet
for food, fellowship
PENDLETON — All
area widows and widowers
are invited to a Tostada
Feed.
WW.Friends will meet
Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
at 511 N.W. Despain Ave.,
Pendleton. There is no
admission charge.
The group meets each
month for friendship and to
share positive experiences.
It’s not a grief support
group.
For more information,
call 541-276-4708 or
541-969-2450.
East Oregonian
Page 3A
UMATILLA
Memories of fallen airman
Austin Bieren shared at service
By JAYATI
RAMAKRISHNAN
East Oregonian
Sergeant Austin Bieren
was honored Saturday
at a memorial service at
Umatilla High School, the
school where he graduated
seven years ago.
Bieren, 25, an airman
for the U.S. Air Force, died
March 28 in Syria, in a
non-combat related incident
of natural causes. He was
there as part of Operation
Inherent Resolve against the
terrorist group ISIS.
According to Rose
Gudex, a public affairs
officer with the Petersen Air
Force Base where Bieren
was
stationed,
Bieren
collapsed while exercising,
and was given immediate
medical care but died before
he could be medically evac-
uated.
Saturday’s service was
packed with Bieren’s family
and friends, some of whom
got up at the end of the
service to share memories
about him.
Tracy Finck, Bieren’s
mother, recalled her close
relationship with her son.
“Austin and I talked all
the time,” she said. “If he
was down, I’d send him
quotes. I just wanted to
make sure he was happy.”
Finck read out a list of the
medals and honors her son
received during his service,
and spoke about how proud
he was to serve in the mili-
tary.
“He was an amazing
young man,” she said. “He
always put his best foot
forward. I can’t be prouder
of who he was or who he
became.”
Mike Mosher, Bieren’s
high school football coach,
spoke about his former
Staff photo by Jayati Ramakrishnan
Two servicemen, carrying a flag and the ashes of Sgt. Austin Bieren, lead Bieren’s
family into the Umatilla High School gym for his memorial service Saturday.
“He said he wanted to
be part of something
greater than himself,
something elite. That’s
who he was.”
— Mike Mosher, Bieren’s high
school football coach
student and friend’s compet-
itive nature and mischievous
personality.
“As you got to know him,
he opened up,” Mosher said.
“And once he trusted you,
he’d do anything for you —
but you had to earn his trust.”
Mosher said Bieren had
considered playing college
football, but recalled when
he told his coach that he’d
changed his mind.
“He said he wanted to be
part of something greater
than himself, something
Bieren
elite,” Mosher said. “That’s
who he was.”
Bieren’s
grandmother
also spoke at the service,
noting that the last time she
spoke to her grandson, he
asked her to pray for him.
“If I live to be 100,
nothing will ever make me
happier than that,” she said.
Other family members
and friends spoke about
fun times they’d had with
Bieren, and most mentioned
his penchant for mischief
when he was younger.
One friend that grew up
with Bieren recalled with a
laugh the time they torched
a bale of hay with fireworks
— but all noted how respon-
sible Bieren grew up to be.
“I got to see a trouble-
maker turn into a hero, and
I couldn’t ask for a better
friend,” she said.
Bieren’s family also
put together a slide show,
which showcased Bieren’s
happy times. The slide show
highlighted Bieren’s love
of sports, his adoration of
his nephew Jaren, whom
his mother called “his pride
and joy,” and his love for his
wife, Rachel.
At the end of the cere-
mony, Cameron Smith,
director of the Oregon
Department of Veteran’s
Affairs, presented Bieren’s
mother, his wife, his sister
Brianne and his father John
with flags to honor Bieren.