REGION
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
East Oregonian
Page 3A
PENDLETON
PENDLETON
Car show cruises on, despite rain
Teenagers urged to
attend wellness night
Event raises $7,000
for BMCC diesel
tech scholarships
By KATHY ANEY
East Oregonian
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
The bitter rivalry between
Ford and Chevrolet was on
playful display Saturday
during the fifth annual
Blue Mountain Community
College Cruisin’ for Schol-
arships Car Show, as Don
Peck and Jim Smootz traded
lighthearted barbs about
each other’s snazzy rides.
Peck, who showed off
his high-performance 2011
Chevy SS Camaro, ribbed
Smootz as they sat together
on the BMCC central lawn
for being a “Ford guy.”
Smootz retorted that he
wouldn’t trade his 1929
Ford Model A Cabriolet for
three Camaros.
“This car would run
circles around that car,”
Smootz said with a grin.
Bragging rights were
on the line for classic
car owners at Cruisin’
for Scholarships, which
featured about 60 vehicles
from across Eastern Oregon
and Washington. Members
of the public voted for
their favorites across 24
categories, including best of
show, people’s choice, best
convertible, best truck, best
paint job, best hot rod and
more.
Proceeds from the show
go toward scholarships for
students in BMCC’s Diesel
Technology
program,
covering expenses like
books, tools, tuition and
living expenses. Instructor
Jeremy Pike said these schol-
arships are an important
lifeline for students who
might not otherwise be able
to stay in school.
“If there are students who
Staff photo by George Plaven
Jim Smootz, of Pendleton, showed his 1929 Ford Model A Cabriolet on Saturday at
the Blue Mountain Community College Cruisin’ for Scholarships Car Show.
“It’s just fun.
You might call it a
sport that old peo-
ple don’t have to
work too hard at.”
— Don Peck,
of Pendleton
have a passion for this and
just don’t have the funding
for it, this is always available
for them,” Pike said, adding
that 85 percent of Diesel
Technology graduates go
on to find employment after
completing the two-year
program.
Along with registration
fees for the car show,
Cruisin’ for Scholarships
raises money through raffle
ticket sales, donations and
sponsorships from local
businesses. The Pendleton
Lions Club has also attended
every year to volunteer and
serve refreshments.
“This is a fun project for
us,” said John Taylor, past
president and board member
of the Lions Club. “We look
forward to it every year.”
Peck, who lives in
Pendleton and is retired,
said he loves to work on
cars. He bought the Camaro
two years ago from a BMW
dealership in the Tri-Cities
and also owns three other
cars, two motorcycles and
three 4-wheelers.
“It’s just fun,” he said.
“You might call it a sport
that old people don’t have to
work too hard at.”
Smootz agreed, saying
that cars give him some-
thing to do and something
to tinker with. Like Peck,
Smootz is retired and now
heads up the Blue Mountain
A’s Model A Ford Club. He
said he enjoys taking the
Model A Cabriolet for a
spin around town, where he
gets waves and cheers from
people who see him drive
past.
Ian Shadle, car show
coordinator with the BMCC
Foundation, said the event
raised approximately $7,000
as of Saturday morning, and
expected another several
thousand dollars by the end
of the day.
Rain showers likely kept
more people from attending
Saturday, he said, but all
things considered he was
happy with the turnout.
“Even in the rain, they’re
willing to bring their pris-
tine cars out here to support
student
scholarships,”
Shadle said.
———
Contact George Plaven
at gplaven@eastoregonian.
com or 541-966-0825.
BRIEFLY
into a vehicle, first-degree
burglary, second-degree
robbery, fourth-degree
assault, and harassment
(offensive physical contact).
Pendleton man
killed in Wasco
County crash
SHANIKO — A Pend-
leton man died when the
car he was riding in crashed
during a hail storm Saturday
on Highway 97 in Wasco
County.
Shawn Campbell, 39,
was one of two passengers
in a Kia Optima driven
by Tiarra Burnett, 40,
also of Pendleton. The car
was heading north near
Shaniko about 5 p.m. when
Burnett lost control during
the inclement weather.
According to Oregon State
Police, the car fishtailed,
struck an embankment and
overturned, coming to rest
on the driver’s side.
The single-vehicle crash
killed Campbell, who was
sitting in the back seat of
the vehicle. Burnett was
not injured and neither
was Joseph Perilli, 28, of
Pendleton, who was riding
in the front passenger seat,
according to state police.
All occupants were
wearing seat belts.
Sheriff’s office
responded to new
strip club reports
UMATILLA — A
Umatilla County Sheriff’s
deputy responded to reports
of a strip club operating
illegally on North Highway
395 but was told that the
gathering was a private party.
The county’s planning
department had received
complaints about the same
address at 82090 Highway
395 North in February
alleging that it was being
used as a strip club despite
not having the proper land
use permit and licenses to
do so.
Activity at the building
ceased for a time after code
enforcement sent a warning,
but Sheriff Terry Rowan
said on Saturday night a
deputy visited the building
after a caller alleged that
the strip club had resumed
activity.
Rowan said the deputy
was told the gathering was
a private party, and after
observing the small number
of people present and only
three cars in the parking lot,
the deputy left.
Planning director Tamra
Mabbott said the sheriff’s
McNary Dam to
host kids fishing
derby Saturday
Photo courtesy Oregon State Police
A hail storm contributed to a car crash that killed Shawn
Campbell of Pendleton on Saturday near Shaniko.
office passed the report
on to her department and
code enforcement would
be following up. She
confirmed that there are
still no existing permits for
the property to be used as a
strip club, juice bar or other
similar business.
Assistant
watermaster hired
in Pendleton
PENDLETON — The
Oregon Water Resources
Department has hired Kate
Fitzgerald as regional
assistant watermaster for
the Umatilla, John Day and
Hood River basins, where
she will be responsible for
regulating water rights and
collecting hydrological data
from local streams.
Fitzgerald previously
worked as a flow restoration
technician with OWRD in
Salem, assisting the public
with in-stream leasing and
transfers. She has a degree
in natural resources from
Oregon State University,
where she focused on
natural resource manage-
ment and agroforestry land
management.
Fitzgerald assumed
her new duties April 25,
working out of the agency’s
Pendleton office located at
116 S.E. Dorion Ave. She
can be reached at 541-278-
5456.
British Columbia, parked
their motor home at the
Stanfield Rest Area on the
eastbound side of Interstate
84. State police reported
Victor Joseph Rivera, 57,
entered the recreational
vehicle at about 3 p.m.
and confronted the couple,
telling them he had a gun
and wanted the keys.
Rivera punched and
kicked the man, according
to state police, left the
motor home and opened the
door of the car parked next
to it.
He told the occupant
he had a gun and kicked
him out. But the occupant
tackled Rivera and held
him until state police
trooper Earl Connell
arrived and hauled Rivera
to the Umatilla County Jail,
Pendleton.
He faces charges of
unauthorized use of a
vehicle, unauthorized entry
UMATILLA — McNary
Dam will host a free kids
fishing derby Saturday
from 10 a.m. to noon,
co-sponsored by the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers
and Oregon Department of
Fish & Wildlife.
Children ages 12 and
younger are invited to
participate at the Fountain
and Experimental ponds,
located within the McNary
Wildlife Nature Area.
ODFW will provide stocked
rainbow trout, and prizes
will be awarded for catching
tagged fish. The ponds will
be opened to the general
public after the kids derby
ends.
To get to the ponds,
travel one mile east of
Umatilla and turn north on
McNary Dam road. Follow
the road down to Columbia
River mile 292, on the south
riverbank.
For more information,
call McNary Dam park
rangers at 541-922-2268.
———
Briefs are compiled
from staff and wire reports,
and press releases. Email
press releases to news@
eastoregonian.com
Wyoming sex offender
faces 30 local charges
and brought to Oregon on a
warrant.
He appeared Monday
A Wyoming convict
faces 30 counts of commit- in Umatilla County Circuit
ting sex crimes against two Court, Pendleton, via video
girls younger than 12 in from the jail. His attorney,
Jody Vaughan of Pend-
Umatilla County.
A grand jury in January leton, told Circuit Judge
Jon Lieuallen she
2016
indicted
filed a waiver to
Kenneth Eugene
her client’s right
Christopher, 48,
to a speedy trial.
on the following:
Vaughan
said
four counts of
the she needed
first-degree
sufficient time to
rape; five counts
investigate the
of
first-degree
case due to the
sexual abuse; four
number and age
counts of first-de-
of the allega-
gree
sodomy;
tions. Lieuallen
eight counts of Christopher
set a pre-trial
second-degree
sexual abuse; and nine hearing for June 30.
Vaughan
also
said
counts of third-degree
sexual abuse. The state Christopher was serving a
alleges he committed the “substantial sentence” in
crimes in 2009 and 2010. Wyoming. An online search
He has been in the Umatilla of court records showed he
County Jail, Pendleton, pleaded guilty in 2016 in
since May 3, and has Wyoming to two counts of
pleaded not guilty to the first-degree sexual abuse of a
charges. Court records minor and received a prison
show he was in Wyoming sentence of 30-40 years.
East Oregonian
MD-36 Lions Club State Convention
& Centennial Celebration
Free Health Screenings
Thursday, May 18th • 9:00AM – 3:00PM
Pendleton Convention Center • 1601 Westgate, Pendleton, OR 97801
DON’T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY TO
CHECK YOUR HEALTH
This event includes the following free screenings:
• Vision • Glaucoma
• Blood Pressure • Blood Glucose
Would-be vehicle
thief lands in jail
STANFIELD — Oregon
State Police reported the
arrest of a Portland man
Friday near Stanfield after
he assaulted one man and
tried to steal his motor
home.
A couple from Surrey,
It’s sports physical time,
but with a twist.
All Umatilla County
adolescents and teens, not
just athletes, may attend
Teen Wellness Night. The
event for 6th-12th graders,
taking place at Pendleton
High School at Warberg
Court from 7-9 p.m. on
Wednesday, offers free
wellness exams, along with
traditional sports physicals,
if desired. Students who
make it to every station
will receive a $10 Amazon
gift card and be eligible for
various drawings.
Prevention and early
detection is the name of the
game, said Kevin Camp-
bell, CEO of the Eastern
Oregon
Coordinated
Care Organization, which
funded the event with a
grant.
“A good, thorough well-
ness exam can catch things
before symptoms occur,”
Campbell
said.
“It’s
important to start keeping
people well, rather than
react after they get sick.”
Amanda
Walsborn,
prevention educator from
the
Umatilla
County
Public Health Department,
expects 160-or-so students
to show, but that’s just
an educated guess — it
could be more. Around 60
volunteers (medical prac-
titioners, parents, nursing
students and high school
students) will help with the
effort, along with school
and health department
staff.
“There is a need in our
community,” she said. “We
anticipate that for a lot of
students, this is the only
opportunity to receive this
level of medical care.”
Health care has become
prohibitively pricey for
many.
“There’s a pretty big
gap population of folks
who don’t quite qualify
for Medicaid, but have
difficulty affording private
insurance. The county
also has a sizable undoc-
umented
population,”
Walsborn said.
Students who have
insurance should bring
their insurance cards. All
proceeds from insurance
billing will go to the
student’s individual school.
Walsborn said students and
parents will bear no out-of-
pocket expense, whether
they have insurance or not.
Students who attend will
be evaluated for participa-
tion in sports activities if
they wish. Signed reports
will go directly to each
student’s school.
The county health
department is partnering
with Umatilla County
Human Services, Pend-
leton High School, Advan-
tage Dental, InterMountain
Education Service District
Oral Health Coalition,
Pediatric Specialists of
Pendleton and Pendleton
Family Medicine.
Public health director
Jim Setzer called the event
“one-stop shopping.”
“The idea is to make
it easy for kids to get
comprehensive health care
services,” he said.
In the gym, teens will
progress
through
six
stations after registering.
At the physical health
station, local doctors will
conduct a musculoskeletal
exam
and
determine
height, weight, blood
pressure and pulse. At
mental health (upstairs in
the mezzanine), mental
health providers from
the Pendleton School-
Based Health Center and
Umatilla County Health
Services will talk with
students about symptoms
for depression and anxiety.
Immunizations,
dental
exams and vision screen-
ings are available at other
stations. Before leaving,
students will turn in paper-
work.
For students under the
age of 15, parents must
be present to consent to
the health care exams.
Walsborn said anything
discussed during the well-
ness night will be kept in
confidence, except sports
physical information.
(With 3 hour fast)
1010 NW 22nd Avenue, #144 Portland, OR 97210
(503) 413-7399 | info@olshf.org | www.olshf.org
The Oregon Lions Mobile Health ScreeningsProgram
will offer quick, free health screenings.Please note:
individuals under 18 can receive visionscreening
only. To participate in additionalscreenings, a parent
or guardian must be present. *The Blood Glucose
screening requires a 3 hourfast; we do not screen
pregnant women for bloodglucose.
No appointment necessary.