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.