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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (June 17, 2017)
REGION Saturday, June 17, 2017 East Oregonian Diplomas offer new beginning for EOCI inmates By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian Pendleton High School and Blue Mountain Commu- nity College had already wrapped up their graduation ceremonies, but pomp and circumstance played one more time in Pendleton on Friday. As the graduates walked down the aisle, blue jeans stamped with the Department of Corrections logo peeked out from underneath black robes, hinting at the rough road each graduate had traveled to get there — a road that had landed them in Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution. No one had taken as long of an educational journey as Eric Burnham, who was recognized for earning a master’s degree in Christian counseling from Liberty University. When Burnham was first incarcerated 17 years ago he didn’t even have a GED. “I fell in with violent friends, got in a fight with another man and it went real bad and I caught a lot of prison time,” he said. He credits his educational opportunities in prison with taking him on a journey of self-discovery and change. “You begin to realize there’s a fundamental problem with the way you view other people and the way you view yourself, “ he said. “I realized I could contribute to society. I didn’t have to be a drain.” Most of the men in caps and gowns were there to receive a GED, but Mark Fernandez was getting his associate of general studies from Blue Mountain Community College. The degree was made possible by the New Direc- tions Education Project, a Pendleton nonprofit that uses private grants and donations to fund college courses at the prison. After accepting his diploma in front of family members who had traveled from other states to see his graduation, Fernandez had a long list of people he wanted to thank, including instruc- tors, peer mentors and prison staff. Because New Directions only has the resources to offer inmates a couple of college classes per quarter, Fernandez said getting a college degree from BMCC was a “slow process” he began in 2008. “It was an escape from prison life, to concentrate on learning,” he said. Stan Prowant, who was one of Fernandez’s instruc- tors from 2008 to 2013, told Staff photo by Jade McDowell Staff photo by Jade McDowell Mark Fernandez, right, receives his associate of general studies degree at Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution. the audience that he was a “very excellent student” who was quiet, personable and always prepared. The 32 students receiving a GED at the ceremony, represented by class speaker Donald Klein, was the largest group of graduates at one of the EOCI’s quarterly ceremo- nies since the requirements for a GED were increased in 2014. John Remington, speech and literature instructor, congratulated them in his keynote address for having the courage to come to class each week. “Your education is the one thing that no one can ever take away from you, the one thing you will always carry with you,” he said. There are critics who say the opportunity to get a college degree in prison takes away from the punishment of incar- ceration, but after Friday’s graduation ceremony New Directions board member Bonnie Douglas said there is clear research showing that the more educated an inmate is, the less likely they are to return to prison after they get out. And a majority of them will get out at some point. “Most of them will be your neighbor someday,” she said. Prowant added that the connection seems obvious — if someone gets out of prison with no education and no job skills, it makes it hard to find a way to support themselves without resorting to crime. He described teaching college courses like geology at the prison as “teaching at an all-boys school where they all wear uniforms” — with some exceptions, of course. “They always ask me, can we take a field trip? And then they all laugh,” he said. His students landed in prison for serious offenses, including violent crimes, but only the best-behaved, most motivated inmates are recom- mended to New Beginnings, so Prowant said in some ways they were easier to teach than his classes on the regular BMCC campus were. “You ask them to do homework, they all do their homework,” he said. “They’re always there.” Mardel James-Bose, an instructor and board member, said she and most other instructors are able to look up what their students were convicted of, but usually try Concealed Carry Permit Classes J UNE 22 ND • 1:00 & 6:00 hard to avoid knowing what they are in prison for so that it doesn’t cloud their judgment of the student’s academic work. Douglas said New Begin- nings was started 16 years ago after a federal rule change that denied inmates access to Pell Grants. Inmates in the New Beginnings program pay only $10 per credit hour out of their own pockets, which she said is “a lot more money” on the inside than in everyday society. Since New Beginnings only offers two classes at a time, and they’re not always the classes an inmate needs to finish up their degree, getting just an associate’s degree is a years- long process, which is why only six inmates have actually graduated so far through New Beginnings even though there are many more taking classes. After leaving New Begin- nings, some inmates can earn a more advanced degree by finding acceptance to one of the shrinking number of colleges that still offer “snail mail” correspondence courses that don’t require internet access. For more information about New Beginnings, visit bluecc.edu/community/ correctional-facility-educa- tion/new-directions. ——— Contact Jade McDowell at jmcdowell@eastoregonian. com or 541-564-4536. PM 2255 Highway 395 South. Hermiston, OR Dean’s Pendleton Athletic Frank Szumski, D.O. 360.921.2071 Kelly Lumber & Supply FirearmTrainingNW.com : FirearmrainingNW@gmail.com on C Mid-Columbia Bus Co. Inc. FRIDAY JUNE 23 400 BLOCK • OF MAIN STREET PENDLETON DACHSUNDS ONLY D A C H S U N D S O N L Y Wiener Dog VE NTH ANN UA L D A C H S U N D S O N L RACE REGISTRATION Pre-registration $20.00 • Day of Event $25.00 Forms available at CMEO or online at www.cmeo.org RAFFLE • FOOD • KIDS’ ACTIVITIES • HOTDOG EATING CONTEST Proceeds from this event help maintain and update exhibits at the Children’s Museum Questions? contact us at 541.276.1066 or fi nd us on PLATINUM SPONSORS GOLD SPONSORS Dr. John McBee L AW O F F ICE Michael Breiling Attorney at Law discuss a contested piece of land it owns north of the Umatilla River. A group of residents attended the previous meeting and requested that the commission reverse course and set aside the land for preservation. The commission had previously looked at marketing the land for riverfront housing. The commission’s advi- sory committee has recom- mended continuing to work with the group through Jan. 1, 2018, which would provide the group with time to devise a plan that could include purchasing the property for preservation purposes. The commission will also consider raising the maximum amount of a second story development grant from $25,000 to $150,000. If the devel- opment includes a new elevator, the applicant would be eligible for an additional $50,000. A vote is also scheduled to establish the Fresh Start program, a grant program for new downtown build- ings that will pay up to 10 percent of a project’s cost up to $100,000. The new Pendleton Veterinary Clinic on Southwest Emigrant Avenue will be grandfa- thered into the program. Hermiston hosts receipt contest East Oregonian Local residents need to dig into their pockets and dresser drawers and pull out receipts made for purchases at businesses that are members of the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce. The chamber is holding a Summer Receipt Reward Contest for a chance to win a Body Champ Cardio Dual Trainer from Big 5 Sporting Goods, which is valued at $299.99. Purchases must be made between June 1-30. For a list of eligible businesses, review the chamber membership directory at www.hermiston- chamber.com. Receipts, which people can keep, need to be taken to the chamber for verification by Friday, June 30. Every $50 spent equals one entry. The office is open Monday through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hermiston Conference Center, 415 S. Highway 395. The drawing will be announced Saturday, July 8 during Hermiston FunFest. The winner doesn’t need to be present. For more information, contact 541-567-6151 or info@hermistonchamber. com. SPONSORS Arrowhead Travel Plaza useum of Easter n O s M en’ re r d g hil With the increasing presence of food trucks in Pendleton, the city wants to create a set of regulations for them. At a meeting Tuesday, the council will consider an ordinance that would create new rules for mobile food vendors. According to a staff report, the ordinance was put together using the approaches other communi- ties have taken to the issue. If the ordinance passes, vendors will be required to obtain a business license and a consent agreement that shows that the vendor is insured and has passed a health inspection. Mobile food vendors can only be located in a parking lot and cannot be located within 100 feet of another vendor that sells similar food. None of the location standards apply to vendors that are being used in conjunction with special outdoor events. The ordinance also establishes a “mobile vendor plaza” at Riverfront Park on Southwest Court Avenue, where multiple vendors can locate. The council will also meet as the Pendleton Development Commission, where the commission will Jason Walker, D.M.D. Multi-state: $80 or Oregon only: $45.00 Required class to get an Oregon or multi-State permit. Class includes: • Fingerprinting & photo • Oregon gun laws • Washington gun laws • Interstate travel laws • Interaction with law enforcement • Use of deadly force • Firearm / ammunition / holster selection LE Food truck regulations on city council agenda Pendleton High School Senior Class of 2017 graduates and Parents appreciates the support from the following businesses for their generous donations to sponsor the Drug and Alcohol Free activities. Best Western E PENDLETON East Oregonian Inmates at Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution stand after receiving their GED in a graduation ceremony at Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution. Page 3A Courtesy Home Furnishings Altrusa of Pendleton Bi-Mart #656 Big John’s Home Town Pizza Bisnett Insurance Blue Mt. Creations Blue Mt .Foot Specialist Bud Rich Potatoes – Hermiston Burns Mortuary – Pendleton Byrnes Oil Co. Cash & Carry Cayuse Technologies Cheesecake Factory Cockburn & McClintock LLC Community Bank Cunningham Sheep Co. D & B Supply Dave & Cindy Gallagher Durk Irwin, DMD PC Dynamic Computer Consulting Eastern Oregon Physical Therapy CHI – St. Anthony/RAC Pendleton Buckaroo T. Blair Smith, D.M.D PC Booster Club Thews Sheet Metal/ Pendleton City Club Pendleton Heating/ Air Condition Pendleton Electric Wal-Mart Supercenter Rotary – Pendleton Elite Taxi Inc. EOCI Farm Equipment Headquarters Frazier Office Supply Inc. Golden Fountain Restaurant Gordon’s Electric Hallman & Dretke Hamley’s Steakhouse J & B Automotive KFC Landmark Tax Service Little Ceasars Master Printers McLaughlin Landscaping NW Farm Credit Services Papa Murphy’s Take n Bake Pizza Pendleton Round Up/ Happy Canyon Pendleton Underground Tours Pendleton Woolen Mills Pepsi Pioneer Chapel Premium Tire & Lube Premium Wash, Inc. Prodigal Son Quiznos Safeway Silverwood Theme Park Shari’s Restaurant Smith Frozen Foods Soft Step Interiors Sorbenots Stratton Insurance State Farm Insurance – Stan Henderer Sundown Grill Triple Play Family Fun Park Vision Source Pendleton Wal-Mart Distribution Center – Hermiston Wheatland Insurance Whitney & Assoc. Wildhorse Resort & Casino Zimmerman’s & Co.
