Page 10A
OFF PAGE ONE
East Oregonian
Friday, December 8, 2017
PEARL HARBOR: VFW working to create year-round tribute
Continued from 1A
Jaeger said he now mostly
does volunteer jobs after retiring
from the Air Force
Pearl Harbor also had effects
on the people who didn’t serve.
A visitor to the air museum,
Mary Koch was 10 years old
when Japan attacked Hawaii and
remembers the feeling like an
invasion was imminent.
A Pilot Rock resident who
grew up in Pendleton, life went
on after the war started but it
remained an undercurrent of
everyday life. Koch recalled the
blackout drills the town would
undertake in case of an air
attack, the terrible sweetener her
family was sent as a part of the
food rations, and the dinners her
family would host for soldiers
and their wives at the air base
who couldn’t afford to eat out.
“It was a community effort,”
she said.
Sean Degan served a 30-year
career in the Navy from 1979 to
2009, spanning conflicts with
Libya in the 1980s to the War on
Terror in the 2000s.
Degan pointed to a book
filled with World War II-era
newspapers that had recently
been donated to the air museum,
calling it a “gem.” He compared
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
In honor of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, the
Pendleton Air Museum hosted several veterans among
its collection of memorabilia from the World War II-era
Pendleton Airbase.
Pearl Harbor to 9/11, times
where the country got its “teeth
kicked in” before uniting behind
a common cause and fighting
back.
———
While National Pearl Harbor
Remembrance Day is a one-day
event, Veterans of Foreign Wars
Let’er Buck Post 922 and the
Pendleton Arts Committee are
working on a year-round tribute.
In an interview Thursday,
VFW member Johnny Blagg
said plans are proceeding to
turn an out-of-use fountain near
the corner of Highway 11 and
Southeast Court Avenue into a
tribute to all branches of the U.S.
military — the Army, Navy, Air
Force, Marines and Coast Guard.
Blagg said the memorial
won’t just be a tribute to veterans,
but to all military members. The
memorial will include five basalt
columns in a circular formation
with each column featuring a
bronze emblem of a military
branch. The basalt columns
will be about knee-high so that
everyone would be able to get
a good look at the emblems up
close.
Blagg said he has received
permission from each branch
to depict their emblem and the
Pendleton Parks and Recreation
Department has already removed
brush and old landscaping from
the fountain.
A recent appointee to the arts
committee, Blagg said he isn’t
sure the exact cost because the
project will be done in phases.
A later phase could include a
sculpture or some other piece of
art in the center of the circular
formation, either repurposed or
original.
The arts committee has
already committed $10,000
toward the project. Blagg said
the bronze plaques and lighting
will cost about $7,500 while the
basalt columns are being donated
from a VFW member in Wash-
ington.
Blagg said the VFW and
the city are ready to install the
memorial as soon as the weather
warms up in March or April.
———
Contact Antonio Sierra at
asierra@eastoregonian.com or
541-966-0836.
CHRISTMAS: Tree was originally located in Victory Square Park
Continued from 1A
said. “It gives us something to
do.”
After Majazzty finished
performing HHS junior Derek
McBride said it “felt great” to
be up there performing in front
of the community. He said his
favorite song the choir performed
was Michael Bublé’s “Sway.”
“You can dance to it,” he said.
“You can do a little cha cha, and
I love the music break the piano
and guitar have.”
After the choir, Mayor David
Drotzmann warmed up the
crowd for Santa.
“I think it’s awesome we as a
community can get together and
celebrate the season,” he told
the crowd before thanking the
event’s sponsors.
Drotzmann said this year’s
giant Christmas tree was origi-
nally located in Victory Square
Park and had been scheduled for
removal because it was crowding
out other trees and hanging over
the street. If anyone has a large
pine tree they’re looking to
remove from their property, he
said, let the city know and they
can put it on the schedule as next
year’s tree to decorate.
He encouraged everyone to
take some time to check out the
businesses participating in First
Thursday before they headed
home.
“There’s no place better to
spend your money than down-
town,” he said. “These are the
guys that support your basketball
teams, support your football
teams, support your cheer team,
and those dollars come from you
spending your money here.”
Drotzmann’s speech was
followed by sirens, as Santa
Claus arrived on a fire truck and
flipped the candycane-striped
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Faith Stubbs, Derek McBride and Keali’imanaole Hamilton sing “So What” by Pink with the
Hermiston High School a cappella jazz choir, Majazzty, during the tree-lighting festival on
Thursday in Hermiston.
“I think it’s awesome
we as a community
can get together and
celebrate the season.”
— David Drotzmann,
Mayor of Hermiston
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
William Kern, 14, takes a photo with a cell phone of Caela
Nygren, 15, Anani Medina, 15, and Jahaira Arteaga, 16, during
the tree-lighting festival on Thursday in Hermiston.
switch that lit up the towering
Christmas tree for the holiday
season.
“I wanted to get here in the
St. Nick of time!” he said when
Drotzmann teased that he had to
stall for time.
———
Contact Jade McDowell at
jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com
or 541-564-4536.
NORCOR: Changed
several practices in
the wake of the report
Continued from 1A
and interviews with 23 youth. She found the
facility often shut youth in cells for hours at a
time, and jail staff disciplined youth as young
as 12 for talking while in line or looking
anywhere but straight ahead.
Juvenile inmates on “disciplinary status”
were subjected to weeks of isolation,
according to the report, cut off from phone
calls and visits. They ate alone and could not
participate in education with their peers.
Getting off disciplinary status depended
on earning passing marks on scorecards that
staff filled out each shift. Radcliffe found
there was no set number for how many shifts
youth must pass.
Wasco County further demanded an
independent investigation to dig into the
report’s findings and recommendations, and
commissioners told NORCOR the county
will “immediately redirect any youth in
NORCOR custody to a different facility”
pending resolution of the report.
NORCOR director Byran Brandenburg
has said juveniles at the jail do not suffer
inhumane treatment, and he criticized the
report for inaccuracies and exaggerations.
However, Brandenburg said that NORCOR
has changed several practices in the wake of
the report that went public Tuesday morning,
including allowing students to have pens and
journals in their cells and allowing students
on disciplinary status to have calls and visi-
tors.
He also said the facility did away with
“silly rules” that prohibited youth from
looking around or asking what time it was.
The counties of Wasco, Hood River,
Sherman, and Gilliam teamed up to create
NORCOR in The Dalles. The jail holds 100
to 130 adults and 20-24 youth. NORCOR
holds contracts with 17 counties and the
Warm Springs Reservation for youth deten-
tion, along with counties in Washington and
federal immigration detainees.
Umatilla and Morrow counties are part of
that mix.
Morrow County Administrator Darrell
Green did not return a call Thursday, but
Umatilla County Commissioner Bill Elfering
said “if Wasco County is taking that kind of
action, we have to look into this.”
Umatilla County does not have a juve-
nile jail, so it uses NORCOR and some-
times the Walla Walla County Jail to hold
youth offenders and defendants. Elfering
said it would require board action to not
keep juveniles from NORCOR, but before
making any decisions the county board
needed to know more. He said a “knee-jerk
reaction would be wrong” and called for
fact-gathering to sort out the accuracy of
the findings, “but it sounded like some of it
fell on fertile ground.”
Alice Lundell, director of communication
for the nonprofit Oregon Justice Resource
Center, Portland, said in a written statement
that the “investigation into conditions at
NORCOR for young people reveals a system
of confinement that is at odds with estab-
lished developmental science demonstrating
that the ‘compliance at all costs’ approach
of NORCOR as depicted in DRO’s report is
deeply counterproductive.”
The center also supported Disability
Rights’ recommendations, which include
licensing and regulation of Oregon’s juvenile
facilities, ending solitary confinement for
youth and guarantee appropriate education
for all students in the jail.
“The conditions described in the report
should shame Oregonians and should prompt
major change,” said Lundell.
Wasco County commissioners in their
letter stated they hoped their actions
“serve as the catalyst to start a meaningful
discussion concerning NORCOR,” and the
county “remains ready to assist in resolving
the issues.”
COMING EVENTS
For a complete listing
of regional events, visit
easternoregonevents.com
FRIDAY, DEC. 8
U.S. CELLULAR CUSTOM-
ER APPRECIATION
CELE-
BRATION, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., U.S.
Cellular, 1923 S.W. Court Ave.,
Pendleton. Special customer ap-
preciation celebration includes
smartphone prize wheel, accesso-
ry discounts and more. Free. (Ka-
tie 503-552-5011)
“WHAT ARE YOU? MIXED-
RACE AND INTERRACIAL FAM-
ILIES: OREGON’S PAST AND
FUTURE”, 1-2:30 p.m., Tamasts-
likt Cultural Institute, 47106 Wild-
horse Blvd., Pendleton. Oregon
Humanities Conversation Project
facilitator Dmae Roberts will dis-
cuss the realities faced by mixed-
race people and interracial families
in Oregon. Free. (541-429-7700)
STORY AND CRAFT TIME,
2 p.m., Echo Public Library, 20 S.
Bonanza, Echo. (541-376-8411)
VFW BINGO, 6 p.m., Herm-
iston VFW, 45 W. Cherry St.,
Hermiston. Doors open at 6 p.m.,
games begin at 7 p.m. Everyone
welcome. (541-567-6219)
CHRISTMAS SINGALONG,
6 p.m., Seventh-day Adventist
Church, 1401 S.W. Goodwin
Place, Pendleton. Choose and
sing your favorite songs from the
hymnal, and enjoy special musical
performances between hymns.
Light snacks will be provided. Free
and open to the public. (Glenn
541-310-1230)
GAMER’S NIGHT, 7-10:30
p.m., Pendleton Recreation Cen-
ter, 510 S.W. Dorion Ave., Pendle-
ton. Tournament gaming and activ-
ities for teens. (541-276-8100)
SATURDAY, DEC. 9
ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT BREAK-
FAST, 7-10 a.m., Columbia
Grange, 32339 Diagonal Blvd.,
Hermiston. Cost is $6 per person.
(Doris or Scot 541-567-8663 or
541-278-0615)
L’IL BUCKS OPEN GYM,
8:30 a.m., Pendleton Recreation
Center, 510 S.W. Dorion Ave.,
Pendleton. For students in first-
third grades.
PARKING LOT SALE, 8:30-
11:30 a.m., Agape House, 500 W.
Harper Road, Hermiston. Clothing
items 5 for $1, bicycles $10 for
adults, $5 for youths, furniture as
marked and knick-knacks you-
name-the-price. Sale will be held
indoors in inclement weather.
(Dave 541-567-8774)
ST. MARY’S BAZAAR, 9
a.m.-2 p.m., St. Mary’s Catholic
Church parish hall, 800 S.E. Court
Ave., Pendleton. Vendors will of-
fer a variety of handcrafted items.
Brunch, lunch and desserts will be
available for purchase. $1 admis-
sion fee includes one raffle ticket.
Proceeds support the needy in the
community. (541-276-2751)
BREAKFAST WITH SANTA,
9-11 a.m., Boardman Senior Cen-
ter, 100 Tatone St., Boardman.
Pancake breakfast and fun activ-
ities, including photos with Santa,
goodie bags, mule wagon rides
and more. Cost is $3 per person.
ECHO PTO HOLIDAY BA-
ZAAR, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Echo School
commons, 600 Gerone St., Echo.
Local vendors will offer gift ideas
for everyone. Free admission.
RUDOLPH RUN, 9-11 a.m.,
McNary Fire Station No. 2, 303
Willamette Ave., Umatilla. Don an
ugly sweater or Christmas cos-
tume and join the fundraising run
for the Umatilla Volunteer Firefight-
ers Association’s Christmas bas-
ket program. Suggested entry fee
is 5 items of non-perishable food.
Cash or credit card donations will
also be accepted. (541-922-3718)
CHURCH
CHRISTMAS
BAZAAR, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Echo
Community Church, 21 N. Bo-
nanza St., Echo. Lots of crafts to
choose from. An enchilada meal
will be available for purchase
EO file photo
The Holiday Stroll is Saturday from 3-7 p.m. in Down-
town Pendleton. The event will feature tree lighting,
beer garden, special deals and a visit from Santa.
from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Proceeds
benefit the VFW/Church Schol-
arship fund. (541-376-8108)
FREE FOR ALL, 9:30-10:15
a.m., Pendleton Center for the
Arts, 214 N. Main St., Pendleton.
Free art classes for children up to
age 12. Children under 8 should
be accompanied by an adult. (Ro-
berta Lavadour 541-278-9201)
YARN CLUB, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.,
Hermiston Public Library, 235 E.
Gladys Ave., Hermiston. (541-567-
2882)
LADIES’ HOLIDAY BRUNCH,
10 a.m., Faith Center Church,
108 S. Main St., Pendleton. Spe-
cial guest speaker Christy Hill will
present “Awaken the Bride.” Free.
(Ray and Julie O’Grady 541-377-
2036 or 541-276-9569)
SATURDAY CRAFTS FOR
KIDS, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Herm-
iston Public Library, 235 E. Gladys
Ave., Hermiston. Drop-in craft time
for kids. Free. (541-567-2882)
HIP & HANDMADE, 11 a.m.-
12 p.m., Pendleton Center for the
Arts, 214 N. Main St., Pendle-
ton. Free drop-in project class for
adults. (Roberta Lavadour 541-
278-9201)
AUTHOR
TALK:
DAVID
DORFMEIER, 11 a.m., Pendleton
Public Library, 502 S.W. Dorion
Ave., Pendleton. Dorfmeier will talk
about his true-life book “C-Lager:
Stalag Luft IV and the 86-Day Hun-
ger March” about Army Air Corps
airmen housed in the notorious
camp during WWII. Free. (541-
966-0380)
U.S. CELLULAR CUSTOM-
ER APPRECIATION
CELE-
BRATION, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., U.S.
Cellular, 1923 S.W. Court Ave.,
Pendleton. Special customer ap-
preciation celebration includes
smartphone prize wheel, accesso-
ry discounts and more. Free. (Ka-
tie 503-552-5011)
COUNTRY HOEDOWN, 1-4
p.m., Milton-Freewater Neighbor-
hood Senior Center, 311 N. Main
St., Milton-Freewater. Live music,
dancing and singing. Admission
$2, refreshments available for pur-
chase. (541-938-3311)
“SEASON OF MAGIC” STU-
DENT ARTIST RECEPTION,
2-4 p.m., Arts Portal Gallery, 508
N. Main St., Milton-Freewater.
Student art from Central Middle
School. (Laura Rose-Grabinski
541-938-5516)
HOLIDAY STROLL, 3-7 p.m.,
Downtown Pendleton, 380 S.
Main St., Pendleton. Tree lighting,
beer garden, special deals, hot
chocolate stations, guitar raffle,
Santa visit, and more. Free. (Molly
Turner 541-304-3912)
ART EXHIBITION, 4-8 p.m.,
Jim Simpson home, 370 W. Moore
Ave., Hermiston. A 22-piece exhi-
bition featuring new oil landscapes
of local areas will be available to
view and purchase.
PENDLETON COMMUNITY
CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING,
4:30 p.m., outside Hamley Steak-
house, 8 S.E. Court Ave., Pendle-
ton. Local musician Murray Dun-
lap will play Christmas tunes from
4:30-5 p.m., and city councilor Neil
Brown will give a short speech at
5 p.m. before the tree is lit. Every-
one welcome. (Molly Turner 541-
304-3912)
LIVING NATIVITY, 6-8 p.m.,
First United Methodist Church,
191 E. Gladys Ave., Hermiston.
Reflect on the biblical account
of the Christmas story with an
outdoor nativity scene featuring
costumed actors and animals. Re-
freshments will be served inside
the church, and decorated trees
representing charitable missions
the church supports will be on dis-
play. Free. (541-567-3002)
HERMISTON COMMUNITY
CHRISTMAS CONCERT, 7:30
p.m., Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, 850 S.W. 11th
St., Hermiston. Local talent fea-
turing Dallin Puzey will perform
Christmas favorites. Family-friend-
ly. Free admission. (Courtney Tie-
mann 801-635-8415)
SUNDAY, DEC. 10
KIDS KLUB, 9:30 a.m., First
Christian Church, 518 S. Main St.,
Milton-Freewater. For children of
all ages. Includes arts, crafts, mu-
sic and more. Free. (Janet Collins
541-938-3854)
SPECIAL NEEDS OPEN
GYM, 12-1:30 p.m., Pendleton
Recreation Center, 510 S.W.
Dorion Ave., Pendleton. Free for
special needs children and fami-
lies. (541-276-8100)
HOLIDAY MUSIC FESTIVAL,
3:15 p.m., Vert Auditorium, 480
S.W. Dorion Ave., Pendleton.
The Oregon East Symphony and
Chorale, Our Songs Are Alive, the
Pendleton Men’s Chorus and the
Eastern Oregon Community Big
Band will perform an ecumenical
celebration of the holiday through
song. Tickets are $20 for adults,
$15 for seniors and students, or
$45 for a family of four, available
at the OES office, online, at Pend-
leton Art + Frame or at the door.
(JD Kindle 541-276-0320)
LIVING NATIVITY, 4-6 p.m.,
First United Methodist Church,
191 E. Gladys Ave., Hermiston.
Reflect on the biblical account of
the Christmas story with an out-
door nativity scene featuring cos-
tumed actors and animals. Re-
freshments will be served inside
the church, and decorated trees
representing charitable missions
the church supports will be on
display. Free. (541-567-3002)
CHRISTOPHER DUFFLEY
IN CONCERT, 5 p.m., Heppner
Jr./Sr. High School gymnasium,
710 N.W. Morgan St., Heppner.
Duffley will perform Christian
praise and worship music and
tell about the obstacles he has
overcome in his life to become
a sought-after performer. Light
dinner and snack options will be
available for purchase beginning
at 5 p.m.; concert begins at 6:30
p.m. Free. (Sheryll Bates 541-
676-5536)
ADULT OPEN GYM, 6:30
p.m.,
Pendleton
Recreation
Center, 510 S.W. Dorion Ave.,
Pendleton. Half-court basketball.
Adults only.