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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (May 17, 2017)
REGION Wednesday, May 17, 2017 East Oregonian Page 3A PENDLETON Family in midst of losses finds support in community By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian Shawn Campbell of Pend- leton died Saturday in a car crash on Highway 97 near Shaniko while heading to see family in the wake of his moth- er’s death. He was 39. Michelle DeBord of Pendleton said Campbell was a good man who became the love of Tiarra Burnett’s life. Burnett was DeBord’s lifelong best friend. “They went through some seriously hard times,” DeBord said. “He changed his whole life for Tia.” Shawn and Tia were a couple for 17 years, DeBord said, and have three children together. Campbell was also a stepfather to Tia’s two older children. He worked for years at Keystone RV Co., Pendleton, she said, but recently took a new job as a conductor for Union Pacific Railroad. DeBord said Tia described Shawn as a loving father and hard-working man with a big heart. “He was so funny, he always had a smile on his face,” DeBord recalled. “There’s a big hole in the community now because he touched so many lives.” DeBord said Tia and the Campbell family were already reeling from the loss of Kay Campbell, Shawn’s mother who died last week in Prineville. And then came Shawn’s death. “It’s just been a tragic event, it’s so tragic,” she said. Oregon State Police reported Burnett, 40, lost control of the Kia Optima during a hail storm. She and Joseph Perilli, 28, also of Pendleton, were not injured. Campbell died at the scene. DeBord said she is a widow and the death of a spouse can feel overwhelming. So she started an online fund to raise money for Shawn’s funeral. Contributions totaled more than $1,200 during the first 24 hours. Others went online and organized meals for Tia and her children. DeBord said Tia expressed her gratitude for “everything the community is doing.” To contribute to the funeral cost, visit https://www. gofundme.com/shawn-camp- bell-funeral-expenses. To prepare a meal for the family, visit https://www.mealtrain. com/trains/olq7mn. ——— Contact Phil Wright at pwright@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0833. HERMISTON Photo contributed by Michelle DeBord Shawn Campbell, left, of Pendleton died in a car crash Saturday near Shankio. Tiarra Burnett, right, was driving the car and was not injured. BRIEFLY Cancer fundraiser offers doggone fun Car chase ends in Wal-Mart parking lot Event features free meal for cancer survivors HERMISTON — Two men were arrested Tuesday afternoon after leading a sheriff’s deputy and Hermiston police on a car chase. Umatilla County Sheriff Terry Rowan said Deputy Calvin Mead initiated a traffic stop at South Edward and Walls Road, but the vehicle continued to drive along Highway 207, going about 50 miles per hour. Law enforcement vehicles chased the car, which stopped at Wal-Mart on North Highway 395. The vehicle’s passenger, Austin Satterwhite, was taken into custody in the parking lot. The driver, Timothy McMurphy, started running for the door of the store, but was apprehended before reaching it. Rowan said he did not know the reason for the traffic stop. McMurphy has previously been charged with several felonies, most recently his involvement in a scheme in Pendleton, making fake $100 bills. Satterwhite was charged last year with interfering with an officer and unlawful possession of a firearm. By TAMMY MALGESINI East Oregonian A special meal honoring cancer survivors is featured during the seventh annual Bark for Life. Organizer Jennifer Pittam said the group decided to add the meal since Hermiston won’t be hosting a Relay for Life event this year. To save administrative costs in sponsoring two events so close together, the American Cancer Society is combining this summer’s Pendleton and Hermiston relay events as the Relay for Life of Umatilla County. Cancer survivors are invited to enjoy the meal, free of charge, along with one of their caregivers, during this weekend’s Bark for Life. An American Cancer Society fundraiser for humans and their dogs, the event is Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Riverfront Park, located off Orchard Extension Loop at Southwest 23rd St., Hermiston. The cancer survivor luncheon is at noon. The meal features tri-tip, chicken, potatoes and a dessert. Those planning to eat are asked to RSVP to Pittam at 541-230-0780 or pittamj@ gmail.com. “We’re trying to highlight the survivor’s luncheon because we want to honor them and let them know we continue to support them,” Pittam said. Opening ceremonies for Bark for Life begin at 10 a.m., followed by a luminaria ceremony at 11 a.m. The requested donation, which includes a participant bag with goodies, raffle tickets for drawings and park activities, is $20 for people with a pooch or $10 with no dog. People are File photo Jennifer Mulhollan ties a Bark for Life bandanna around the neck of her Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Shirley, held by Miranda Hunt during a past American Cancer Society fundraiser. This year’s event is Saturday at Riverfront Park in Hermiston. encouraged to dress their dogs up for a costume contest. Also, contests will be held for largest, smallest, hairiest and best dressed dogs, and an owner-pet look-a-like. The event also features dog agility demonstrations, dog training and Canine Good Citizen Test information. Also, there will be a number of booths with games and activities, including nail trims, a photo booth, a prize wheel and make your own luminarias, Pittam said. A silent auction runs from 10 a.m. to noon. In addition, T-shirts and food will be available for purchase. A 5K fun run and dog walk starts at 1 p.m. It costs $15 to participate and prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers and best costume. Kids under 13 aren’t required to pay the participa- tion fee. The closing ceremonies are at 2 p.m. and will include prizes. Bark for Life was started as a way to recognize and honor the canine connection of many cancer patients, Pittam said. Some people, she said, don’t have a large support network and they gain unconditional love from their dogs, which has been valuable as they fight the disease. For more information, contact Pittam at 541-230-0780, pittamj@ gmail.com or visit www.facebook. com/events/1844156179206870. ——— Contact Community Editor Tammy Malgesini at tmalgesini@eastorego- nian.com or 541-564-4539 PENDLETON City promotes electronic alerts service East Oregonian In an effort to better communicate with the public, Pendleton is trying to hone its AlertSense. The city is currently in the midst of a publicity campaign to get residents to sign up for AlertSense, a service that provides public information from the city through emails, voicemails, text messages or a downloadable app. Lieden Cook, information tech- nician, said the service was a way to add accountability to the city while better distributing public information to residents. Although the city has posted signs warning drivers not to park on a street that is set to be cleaned by a sweeper, city staff has said that many cars still remained parked in harm’s way on street sweeper days. “We’re trying to be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to communication,” he said. When a person signs up for AlertSense, there are certain alerts they are automatically subscribed to — crime/imminent danger, evacu- ation alert, hazardous materials, local area emergencies, temporary utility interruptions in the water, sewer or stormwater systems, and city street projects and road closures. Optional alerts include more specific emergency notifications like warnings for fires, floods and winter storms and parks and recreation events and cancellations. Cook said the optional events are an attempt to customize AlertSense’s features toward user needs and the city won’t inundate residents’ phones and computers with unnecessary information. “This doesn’t solve all of our communication needs, but it’s a step in the right direction,” he said. Parks and recreation director Donnie Cook said his department is undertaking a publicity campaign to encourage people to sign up for Alert- Sense. People can sign up by clicking a link on the city website’s homepage. Hermiston School District facilities director to retire HERMISTON — Hermiston School District Facilities Director Mike Kay has announced his retirement from the district effective July 1. Kay has been with the district for 13 years, serving at different times as the athletic and facilities director. Kay said he will be exploring other career opportunities, but plans to continue to live in Hermiston where his wife teaches at Armand Larive Middle School. “Having the opportunity to explore other things is exciting, whether business opportunities in education out-of-state or consulting,” Kay said. Kay had recently been a final candidate for the superintendent position at the La Grande School District, but ultimately lost out to George Mendoza, the current assistant superintendent of Morrow County School District. He said he will look back on his experience with the Hermiston School District fondly. “The opportunity to be involved in state champi- onships, as well as projects related to the bond, have been fantastic,” he said. Kay also serves on the board of Farm-City Pro Rodeo, and is on the construc- tion oversight committee for the Eastern Oregon Trade and Events Center, both positions he will continue to hold. City disposing of commercial buildings blueprints HERMISTON — Owners and managers of commercial buildings in Hermiston can obtain blueprints to their buildings before the city’s building department disposes of all commercial blueprints from older than 2006. Requests for the plans will be accepted until 5 p.m. on June 2. To obtain the blueprints, contact city recorder Lilly Alarcon-Strong at 541-667- 5004 or lalarcon@hermiston. or.us with the original name, address and construction or remodel date of the requested building. Written, verifiable proof of building ownership or management must be provided, along with picture identification. Once ownership is verified, the blueprints will be released. Budget committee meets Thursday HERMISTON — The city of Hermiston’s budget committee will meet Thursday to discuss the proposed $57.3 million budget for 2017-2018. The budget provides a 2.5 percent cost of living wage increase for city staff and includes a number of city projects planned or in the works. Those projects include the West Highland Trail, new senior center and new skate park across from the public safety center. The Hermiston Urban Renewal District’s budget also includes $1 million for a planned festival street along Northeast Second Street. The budget also includes staffing changes such as the hiring of a building mainte- nance employee and a staff member dedicated to human resources. The proposed 2017-2018 budget can be found online at www.hermiston.or.us/finance/ budget. The meeting will take place 6 p.m. Thursday at city hall, 180 N.E. Second Street.
