REGION
Friday, September 1, 2017
East Oregonian
Page 3A
PENDLETON
Residents wrangle bucks by renting homes during Round-Up
“I’ve never had a
bad experience. All
I do is screen (them)
over the phone.”
By EMILY OLSON
East Oregonian
Jared Tesch didn’t go to
Round-Up last year. He didn’t
even stick around town.
“I’m not much of a cowboy
myself,” he said, though growing
up in Umatilla meant he had
witnessed quite a bit of rodeo
action. When he moved to Pend-
leton three years ago, he made sure
to introduce his wife and four kids
to the festivities. But rather than
see the show year after year, he
wanted to try something new. So
he packed up his family and took
them to Disneyland.
Meanwhile, a group of Korean
businessmen rented out his home,
giving the Teschs an extra $2,000
to put toward the happiest place on
earth.
Every year, Pendleton residents
seize the lucrative potential of
renting out their homes during the
city’s busiest week of the year.
Some leave tradition behind in
search of new adventures, and
others bunk with friends or family
to make a few extra bucks off Let
’er Buck season.
It’s a tradition that’s been going
on for decades, said Adrienne
Lapp, communications coordi-
nator for the Pendleton Chamber
of Commerce. The Chamber offers
advertisements for the private
housing on their website for a $25
fee. They expanded the program
this year to include Pendleton
Whisky Music Fest and Bike
Week, but it’s too early to tell if
those events will prove as popular
— Rod Theis, has rented his home
during Round-Up for the past 10 years
Staff photo by Emily Olson
The Tesch family rents their three-bedroom house to Round-Up visitors for $400 per night while they
head out of town.
with those looking to rent.
In a typical year, Lapp said they
get about 50 clients looking to rent
out their houses, RV spots, single
rooms or tent spaces. The list price
ranges from $25 per night for a
tent space to $625 for an entire
house. Some offer their spaces
from Saturday to Saturday while
others just offer the latter half of
Round-Up week.
A few residents rely on Craig-
slist or Airbnb to advertise, but that
is less frequent than going through
the Chamber of Commerce.
“People who come to Round-Up
know about the chamber website,”
said Terry Fife, a longtime Pend-
leton resident who has rented out
his house for the past three rodeos.
He said most of the 25 calls he
gets come from mid- to late-age
professional types from Portland.
Rod Theis, who has welcomed
Round-Up renters for the past 10
years, said most of his patrons
are well-to-do ranchers. He has
also rented out to volunteers with
Tough Enough to Wear Pink and
the Urban League of Portland.
“I’ve never had a bad experi-
ence,” he said. “All I do is screen
(them) over the phone.”
To guard against cancellations,
he asks for a refundable security
deposit and the full fee up front
before handing over the keys.
“I am a bit anxious,” said Kathy
Beck, mostly in jest. She’s renting
her house out for the fi rst time this
year to save up for a winter skiing
adventure. It was easy enough
to fi nd an extra bed with a local
friend for Round-Up week, she
said. But the process of readying
her house for visitors isn’t that
simple.
“I was out there this morning at
6 a.m. trying to get the fi nal stain
on my deck,” she said. “It’s put
me quite under the gun for some
projects I’ve been working on. I
have an idea for what sort of state
my house should be in for guests.
It’s a pretty high standard.”
It’s that hospitality-fi rst philos-
ophy that led Tesch to rent out
his house in the fi rst place. While
he appreciates the Round-Up and
accompanying culture, he’s not
one to volunteer. So with 50,000
people visiting, the least he can do
is offer a place to stay, he said.
Plus, his kids enjoyed Disney-
land more than Round-Up. Visiting
the park in its off-season meant the
weather was great, the lines were
short — “but inevitably, you run
into people from Pendleton,” he
said. “If they’re not at Round-Up,
they’re all over the place.”
———
Contact Emily Olson at
eolson@eastoregonian.com
or
541-966-0809
UMATILLA
M-F DRIVE - IN
High School teacher named state civic scholar
FM/AM RADIO SOUND
East Oregonian
Early
A Umatilla School District
teacher has been named a 2017-
2018 civic scholar, a statewide
honor that recognizes teachers
dedicated to civics education.
Chris Early, a civics teacher
at Umatilla High School, was
selected by State Representa-
tive Greg Smith for the honor.
Each state representative
selects two teachers from their
district to be civic scholars, and
those teachers are enrolled for
the Civics Conference at the
state Capitol in December.
Early has taught in the
Umatilla School District for 13
years. He said he was surprised
by the nomination, but was
looking forward to attending
the conference.
“I wouldn’t miss it,” he said.
“I’ll be in good company.”
Early said he tries to help
students
become
critical
thinkers.
“I look to equip students to
discern what’s good informa-
tion and what’s not,” he said.
That includes talking about
the U.S. government from a
structural standpoint.
“I try to give students a
thorough grounding in the
Constitution,” he said. “This is
why our government looks the
way it does.”
The conference will feature
presentations from each branch
of government, and lessons
from master teachers about
how to implement civics
lessons into curriculum.
“I expect to come away
with a lot of good stuff for my
students,” Early said.
The conference is put on by
the Classroom Law Project, a
program dedicated to engaging
students in government.
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ST. ANTHONY HOSPITAL
COMPREHENSIVE FAMILY SUPPORT
CAR SEAT PROGRAM
LACTATION SERVICES
MOM & BABY SUPPORT GROUP
7 out of 10 children are improperly restrained for travel. Come
and get your seat checked by a Child Passenger Safety tech-
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more information, call 541-278-2627
• Inpatient lactation consults
• Outpatient lactation consults by appointment
• Breastfeeding classes
• Learn the benefits of breastfeeding
Meet and talk with other mothers in a relaxed atmosphere
where you can ask questions and receive support. Every
Friday 9am – 11am FREE. Newborns to 18 months
CHILDBIRTH CLASSES
DIGITAL MAMMOGRAPHY
WOMEN’S CLINIC
• Labor & birth information • Pain medication
• Breathing, relaxation & coping techniques
• Cesarean delivery • Breastfeeding
• Tour of the Birth Center • How your partner can help
The more accurate images captured by 3-D mammography reduces un-
necessary callback appointments by 40 percent. This type of screening
also catches approximately 41 percent more cases of small, invasive can-
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Services offered at the Women’s Clinic include:
• Annual checkups • Pap smears • Pregnancy care and delivery
• Treatment for gynecologic problems, including pelvic pain, menopause complica-
tions and infertility.The Women’s Clinic also offers lactation and education services,
including inpatient and outpatient lactation consults, breastfeeding classes, childbirth
classes, and a mom and baby support group.
2801 St. Anthony Way,
Pendleton, OR
541-276-5121