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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 5, 2017)
REGION Tuesday, December 5, 2017 East Oregonian Page 3A Morrow commissioner files for re-election BOARDMAN — Don sioners from Umatilla and Russell has filed for his Morrow counties have second term on Monday, the worked together and had a first candidate to do so for good relationship, and said the 2018 election. Morrow County has similar Russell, a Boardman working relationships with businessman, said he hoped surrounding counties. to continue to be a “I think it’s part of the positive important,” he changes going said. “What on in Morrow affects one county County. affects us all.” “In my first If re-elected, term, we changed Russell said he’d the way we did like to make fixing business as a the infrastructure county,” he said. of the county plan- The county went department Contributed photo ning from having an Don Russell building in Irrigon elected judge one of his priori- and two commissioners ties. The building, called the to having three elected Irrigon Annex, also houses commissioners and a the parole and probation department administrator. program, and a justice court. “That was a big step for “They’ve outgrown the Morrow County,” he said. space,” he said. Russell said in his first He said that his first year term, he was involved with on the commission involved the Association of Oregon a learning curve, including Counties (AOC), and going to trainings like the served on the transportation “County College” put on by committee. He said the the AOC. transportation package that “I feel like the citizens was passed in the state of the county have invested legislature was a big win money in me, and I need to for small counties around serve one more term to help Oregon. pay that back,” he said. Russell said he was The filing deadline for proud of the way commis- the position is Mar. 6, 2018. Brauer appointed presiding judge for sixth district PENDLETON — Circuit Judge Christopher Brauer of Pendleton will become the next presiding judge for Oregon’s Sixth Judicial District, which encompasses Umatilla and Morrow counties. Brauer will begin a two-year term on Jan. 1 and serve in the role through December 2019. Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Balmer appointed Brauer to succeed Judge Dan Hill of Hermiston, who served in the role since January 2016, according to a written statement from the Sixth Judicial District. Balmer made the appointment based on the recommendation of his colleagues. Hill was promoted to brigadier general in the National Guard Bureau in May 2016 and to assistant to the chief counsel of the National Guard Bureau, and now serves as an advisor to judge advocate general of the Army. Brauer works out of the Umatilla County Courthouse in Pendleton but also hears cases in Heppner’s Morrow County Courthouse. He serves as the Sixth District’s chief civil judge and chief probate judge. He manages many of the probate, guardianship and mental health cases for both counties, and a full share of the criminal case load. In his new role, Brauer will be responsible for determining the courtroom for major cases and making orders and local rules for court operations in the two counties. Brauer has more than three decades of legal experience as a civil practitioner, public defender, elected district attorney and circuit court judge. Staff photo by Jayati Ramakrishnan Sheila Botti talks to Phil Rand before they go into character on the Journey to Bethlehem tour Saturday. It takes a village to make a little town By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN East Oregonian People from the area have been enjoying the Journey to Bethlehem interactive tour for a decade now, getting immersed in scenes from the time of Jesus Christ’s birth. The event took place Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and more than 2,000 were expected to make the journey. The event requires an army of volunteers, from the actors to the people who put together the event behind the scenes. The 20-minute tour, at the Hermiston Seventh-day Adventist Church, at 855 W. Highland Ave., takes visitors back more than 2,000 years. It depicts the passage of travelers from Nazareth, who arrive in Bethlehem on the night of Jesus’ birth. Travelers made the 90-mile journey, which took four or five days, when the census was being taken, and to pay the tax collector. After leaving the tax collector’s office, the travelers hear of the birth of Jesus Christ, and complete their journey at the manger where Mary and Joseph are cradling a newborn Jesus. The tour ends with the guides reminding travelers of Jesus’ life, and asking them to remember its significance in modern times. Setting the Scene Those roles, as well as the nearly 90 others on the tour, are filled by volunteers ranging in age from 10 to 80-plus, with people playing every part from lepers outside Bethlehem to vendors in the city, to a set of belligerent Roman guards. “The roles are all volunteer, and they’re all filled out of willingness,” said cast director Sheila Botti, who has directed the show for all of its 10 years. “It’s people that just believe what the message behind ‘Journey’ is.” Botti said the cast director usually offers the same role to the person who played it the previous year, and otherwise they send out a request for a person to fill that role. There are no auditions for the roles, she said. Some actors have taken it upon them- selves to lend their own personality to their roles. Phil Rand, who has been a part of the tour since it started a decade ago, fondly recalled his character progression. “I started as a grumpy Roman guard, and now I’m a grumpy innkeeper,” he said. “So I’ve been promoted.” He said yearly visitors now anticipate his ornery performance. “People come to see me snarl and growl,” he said. But he has mellowed. “I have not made a child cry in years,” he said. Rand enjoys seeing people he knows on the tours, especially from his days working as a teacher in Hermiston and Umatilla. He said for him, this is the true start of the Christmas season. “No (event) has more significance than this,” he said. “People can buy all the Christmas presents they want, but this is the true meaning.” For some of the younger performers, it’s a chance to understand what they learn in church a little better. “This is my first year,” said 12 year-old Aaliyah Giles, who was playing the role of a perfume vendor in Bethlehem. “I like getting to see friends, and getting to share the Bible,” she said. Ayden Randall, 12, has been performing with the event for two years, and this year serves as the tax collector’s assistant, who loudly and threateningly introduces travelers to the tax collector and collects the money. “I really like it, especially since I can be over-dramatic,” he said. “I can catch them by surprise.” Building a City Botti estimated that behind the scenes, at least 35 volunteers help the show come together. The crew includes people who keep the torches and fires lit throughout the tour, the musicians who provide entertainment to those waiting for the tour, and the greeters and people serving refreshments. And people will show up to help without being asked, Botti said. Dale Rincker, who was also acting as a Roman guard in the tax collector’s office, was busy sweeping an hour before the show began. He said he enjoyed seeing it come together each year. “Once it gets dark and the torches get lighted — I won’t use the word magic, but it reminds people of the true meaning of Christmas. It’s pretty cool.” The set, which consists of several 12- to 15-foot-high walls, is set up two weeks before the event behind the church, and dismantled and stored the rest of the year. Inside, Jo Ann Rincker was helping villagers and shepherds find the finishing touches for their costumes, helping them tie or drape cloth around their heads. The costume room was filled with muslin cloth, helmets and belts, and clothing that looked like it may have been in fashion 2,000 years ago. “We pride ourselves on authenticity,” Botti said. “For example, with shoes. There’s no modern wear. When going through the village, (performers) will not be allowed to have their cell phones. Even with the props we use.” PENDLETON AWSD secures $270,000 grant ATHENA — The Athe- na-Weston School District’s career technical education program got a $271,628 shot in the arm through the Oregon Department of Education CTE Revitaliza- tion Grant. According to a Monday district press release, Athe- na-Weston will use the grant to expand its welding, manu- facturing and fabricating programs. “We envision a CTE facility that can support addi- tional programs of study and critically, we envision active industry partnerships,” district Superintendent Laure Quaresma said in a state- ment. “We are very excited to receive this important grant, which will increase what we offer to our students in meeting the Manufac- turing Curriculum Program of Instruction and Pathway Standards. This redesign will develop students who will be prepared and competitive for careers in local, regional and state high-wage, high-de- mand careers.” Athena-Weston was one of 64 applications totaling $21 million in requests the department of education considered. The state prior- itized the applications based on geographic diversity, community partnerships and programs that lead to high- wage, high-demand jobs, especially for underserved students. Oregon students in CTE programs graduate at a rate 15.5 percent higher than the statewide average. Police rack up more than $4,000 to fight cancer East Oregonian The Pendleton Police Department raised more than $4,000 Friday night in the fight against cancer. Pendleton officers and staff participated in Cops for a Cause and waited tables at Hamley Steakhouse, Pendleton, to benefit the local chapter of the American Cancer Society and the Anson Fairbank family of Pend- leton. Matt and Adrienne Fairbank have a 2-year-old son, Anson, who is recovering from leukemia and requires regular doctor visits to Portland. Dianna Melton, police assistant, reported Friday’s effort brought in $4,102. The amount also triggered a pledge from Hamley Steakhouse employee Joe Albitre: He promised to shave his beard if police raise more Pendleton police detective Howard than $2,000. True to his word, Albitre had his Bowen plays Santa Clause on Fri- father handle the clippers and shave off day for 2-year-old Anson Fairbank. Contributed photo his impressive display of whiskers, and his wife posted video of the feat on her Facebook page. Pendleton police raised another $1,800 independently of Friday night’s event, Melton also said, and Pilot Rock Officer Daniel Badal “put up an awesome effort” and raised $800 more himself. Earlier Friday, Santa Claus (Pend- leton detective Howard Bowen) joined several members of the Pendleton police staff to deliver Christmas pres- ents to Anson and his sister, Hailee. Due to his weakened immune system, Anson cannot go out to visit Santa. The boy’s gift was a child-sized elec- tric motorcycle, complete with police lights. And Albitre on Monday brought in another $206 from people that donated after police left, bringing the total from the steakhouse to $4,308. Melton added Pendleton police are taking donations through December. 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