REGION
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
HERMISTON
Umatilla County Fair supporters
‘stirrup some fun’ at new venue
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
Celebrating their first year at the
Eastern Oregon Trade and Events
Center, the Umatilla County Fair paid
tribute to two volunteers who helped
make the facility happen.
As the fair board said goodbye to
longtime board member Dan Dorran,
the fair welcomed state Rep. Greg
Smith and his wife Sherri as the next
grand marshals at the fair’s annual
appreciation dinner in Hermiston.
Introducing Smith as the 2018
grand marshal, Dorran remembered
meeting with the Heppner Republican
in 2001, when both were still fresh
to their respective governing bodies.
It was a tough year for the Umatilla
County Fair and county fairs across
the state as the Legislature eliminated
funding for fairground maintenance in
the state budget.
Dorran commended Smith for
helping pass a bill that permanently
allocated money from the state lottery
fund to county fairs.
Smith would spend his ensuing
years in the state House of Represen-
tatives lobbying on behalf of the fair,
whether it was fighting further cuts
to fair funding or helping secure a
$6.4 million lottery grant to build the
EOTEC, which was hosting the appre-
ciation dinner Saturday.
But Smith wasn’t the only one
remembered for his contribution to the
fair.
One by one, fair board members
praised Dorran for his work ethic, his
indefatigable spirit and his commit-
ment to the fair, even as they razzed
him for overusing words like “incred-
ible” and “awesome.”
“Dan is the guy you go to when you
want to get things done,” board Vice
Chairman Mel Keely said.
When it was his turn to speak,
Dorran shared some of the things
he took pride in, like the growth in
the number of food vendors and the
successful launch of Latino Night after
a few false starts.
One of his most vivid memories was
watching Future Farmers of America
students tear up as they walked their
Photo by Antonio Sierra
State Rep. Greg Smith and his wife Sherri were named grand marshals
of the 2018 Umatilla County Fair Saturday in Hermiston.
livestock one last time before being
sold.
The theme of the 2018 is “Let’s
stirrup some fun,” and the night’s
honorees tried to stick to that theme by
mixing levity with sincerity.
As he accepted his marshal badge,
Smith said he recently visited Herm-
iston High School, where he was
mistaken twice by a staff member,
first for former U.S. Sen. Gordon
Smith and then for U.S. Rep. Greg
Walden.
“I told that story because we feel like
a mistake has been made,” Smith said
after the audience laughter died down.
“Each of you are more deserving than
we are.”
Smith and Dorran weren’t the only
people honored Saturday night.
A new fair court was announced,
with Bobbie Sharp, 17, of Echo, Olivia
Warner, 17, of Pilot Rock, Laiklyn
Fields, 15, of Hermiston, and Rebekah
Miller, 15, of Hermiston taking the
stage after the 2017 court was honored.
Alice Dyer was honored as the
female volunteer of the year for her
work helping out in the small animal
area while Steve Kelsoe, a “jack-of-
all-trades” who handles everything
from hauling hay for livestock to
welding, was honored as the male
volunteer of the year. A-1 Industrial
Hose & Supply won the business
partner of the year award.
All the honorees deflected praise
and thanked the other people who help
make the fair happen.
Board member Lucas Wagner
was responsible for revealing the
entertainment for next year, and
he delivered with a few notable
exceptions.
Bouncing along as the act’s music
played over EOTEC’s loudspeakers,
Wagner said country music singer
Sawyer Brown will open up the fair
on Tuesday.
Wednesday will see country band
Brewer’s Grade of The Dalles open up
for another country act, Ned LeDoux.
Wagner said he wasn’t able to
announce the acts for Thursday and
Friday nights because the fair is still
working to confirm them, although
he did tease the audience about the
identity of the Thursday act.
“It should be a crowd pleaser if
you’re into late ’80s, early ’90s hair
metal bands,” he said.
Saturday will be capped off with
’90s rock band Blues Traveler.
———
Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@
eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0836.
BRIEFLY
Imbibe to
benefit BMCC
scholarships
People have an
opportunity to sample
several of the region’s craft
beverages, cheeses and
chocolates while supporting
student scholarships
through the Blue Mountain
Community College
Foundation.
Imbibe @ Blue is
Saturday, Feb. 17 from
5-7 p.m. in the Student
Union Building at BMCC,
2411 N.W. Carden Ave.,
Pendleton. The event is
open to adults who are at
least 21 years old.
Advanced tickets are
$25 and those purchased at
the door are $30. Tickets
include a special wine
or pint glass and tasting
tickets, as well as food
by Simply Catering. The
beverages available include
craft distilled spirits,
beers, wines and ciders.
Additional tasting tickets,
full glasses and bottles will
be available for purchase at
the event.
The featured vendors
include:
Wineries: Castillo
de Feliciana Vineyard &
Winery (Milton-Freewater),
Copper Belt Winery (Baker
City), Don Carlo Vineyard
(Milton-Freewater), Echo
Ridge Cellars (Echo).
Breweries: The Prodigal
Son Brewery & Pub
(Pendleton), Ordnance
Brewing (Boardman),
Barley Brown’s Beer
(Baker City).
Distilleries: Oregon
Grain Growers Brand
Distillery (Pendleton) and
Glacier 45 Distillery (Baker
City)
Cheese/Chocolate:
Lavender Mercantile
(Pendleton), Umapine
Creamery (Umapine),
Cheese Louise
(Kennewick).
Pre-sale tickets are
available at Pendleton Art +
Frame, 36 S.W. Court Ave.,
or by calling the BMCC
Foundation at 541-278-
5775.
For additional details,
contact Casey White-
Zollman, vice president of
public relations, at 541-278-
5839 or cwhitezollman@
bluecc.edu.
Deadline looms
for young citizen
nominations
HERMISTON —
Altrusa International of
Hermiston is seeking
nominations for young
people that are under the
age of 21 who demonstrate
commitment, personal
responsibility and a positive
attitude.
The person selected
will be recognized as the
outstanding young citizen
during the upcoming
Distinguished Citizens
Awards Banquet in
Hermiston. The youth,
along with two guests, are
invited to join the Altrusans
for the banquet, which is
Wednesday, Feb. 21 at
6 p.m. at the Hermiston
Community Center.
Nomination forms are
available at the Hermiston
Chamber of Commerce,
1055 S. Highway 395,
Suite 111, local schools and
churches. They are due by
Monday, Feb. 5.
For more information,
contact Altrusa at
hermistonaltrusa@gmail.
com. For more about the
awards banquet, visit www.
hermistonchamber.com or
call 541-567-6151.
Water shut off at
Highland Hills
after leak
HERMISTON — Rusted
pipes sprung a leak outside
Highland Hills Elementary
School in Hermiston on
Monday, according to the
school district, causing the
city to shut off water to the
building for the afternoon.
The leak was fixed at
about 3 p.m. after about two
hours of work.
The school district
brought in portable
restrooms, bottled water and
hand sanitizer for students
and staff, according to a
press release.
Record high temps
in Pendleton
PENDLETON —
Downslope winds made for
record high temperatures in
Pendleton on Monday, while
nearby Hermiston stayed
within the winter norms.
The temperature reached
65 degrees in Pendleton,
according to the National
Weather Service, beating
the record high for Jan. 29
of 63 degrees set in 1995.
Walla Walla (66 degrees)
and Redmond (70) also set
highs for the date.
Hermiston reached a high
of 49 degrees Monday and
Pasco only got as high as 48.
Toastmasters club
hosts open house
MISSION — The
public is invited to learn
more about Toastmasters
International during a local
club’s open house.
Toastmasters is an
international program
with a goal of improving
communication, leadership
and evaluation skills.
Established in 1924, the
organization’s membership
exceeds 352,000 across 141
countries
The Cay-Uma-Wa
Toastmasters Club invites
people to attend Wednesday
from noon to 1 p.m. in
the Birch Room of the
hotel at Wildhorse Resort
& Casino, located off
Interstate 84 at Exit 216.
Those present will have an
opportunity to ask questions
and listen to a presentation
by Jim Marquardt. Light
refreshments will be served
and door prizes will be
handed out.
A Toastmaster since
2007, Marquardt is the past
District 9 director and is
the current vice president
of public relations for the
Pendleton Toastmasters
Club. In 2015, he earned the
Distinguished Toastmasters
award, the highest honor a
member can receive.
For more about the
open house, contact
Leigh Pinkham-Johnston
at 541-215-2724 or
leighpinkham-johnston@
ctuir.org. For more
about the international
organization, including
links to other local groups,
visit www.toastmasters.org.
Stanfield serves
3 buck breakfast
STANFIELD — An ala
carte breakfast is available
this weekend in Stanfield.
The regular monthly meal
is Saturday from 7-10 a.m.
at the Stanfield Community
Center, 225 W. Roosevelt
St. Depending on what’s
ordered, the cost is $3 and up.
For more information,
call 541-449-1332.
AAUW member to
share Wales trip
PENDLETON —
Information about a trip to
Wales is featured during a
presentation at the American
Association of University
Women’s February general
membership meeting.
Guests are invited as
AAUW member Melissa
Woodbury presents “A
Short and Incomplete
History of Wales” Saturday
at 11 a.m. at The Prodigal
Son Brewery & Pub, 230
S.E. Court Ave., Pendleton.
A no-host lunch and short
business meeting will
follow the program.
The AAUW works to
advance equity for women
and girls through advocacy,
education, philanthropy and
research. The Pendleton
affiliate is the closest group
in the region. During
its winter schedule, the
group meets the first
Saturday of each month.
For more information,
contact Marlene Krout at
mkaykrout@yahoo.com or
541-276-7596.
East Oregonian
Page 3A
PENDLETON
Ward 1 candidate Cook
a political newcomer
he wanted to take action and
have his voice heard during
As he prepared to chal- government decisions. He
lenge a 40-year incumbent, added that he would like to
see the city take
John Cook didn’t
more opportunities
put much stock
to honor veterans
into his chances of
and opposed the
winning the Ward
2014 installation
1 seat on the Pend-
of
mid-block
leton City Council.
crossings on South
Cook, a retired
Main Street.
firefighter, consid-
Despite
the
ered John Brenne a
upcoming munic-
friend and thought
ipal elections, the
it would be “fun” John Cook
council is obligated
to run for a city
council seat, even if Brenne’s to appoint someone to fill
name recognition with the Brenne’s seat through the
public meant he would be end of 2018. The council is
expected to formally declare
difficult to defeat.
Cook even made arrange- a vacancy on the council
ments with Brenne to help and solicit applications for
him with the filing process appointment, although Cook
at city hall on Jan. 22. But was unsure if he would seek
Brenne died before he could it.
Cook is one of three
meet with Cook, who now
finds himself as the only people who have filed for
candidate for Ward 1 as of four seats on the council
so far, and the only non-in-
Monday afternoon.
An Air Force veteran who cumbent. Ward 2 Councilor
served during the Vietnam McKennon McDonald is
War, Cook said he worked as seeking a second term while
a firefighter with the Pend- at-large Councilor Jake
leton Fire Department from Cambier is running for his
1973 to 1996, retiring with first full term after he was
appointed in 2016.
the rank of lieutenant.
No one has filed for the
After leaving the fire
department, Cook turned his Ward 3 seat, which is being
attention toward participating vacated by Councilor Neil
in local civic organizations Brown after two terms.
Prospective candidates
like the Fraternal Order of
Eagles, the Benevolent and have until March 6 to file
Protective Order of Elks and for city council races. The
Veterans of Foreign Wars. election will be held May
With the latter group, Cook 15, and if no candidate gets
served on their national 50 percent of the vote, the
top two candidates will meet
committee for five years.
Cook said he decided to again in a runoff election on
run for city council because Nov. 6.
East Oregonian
PENDLETON
Council to look at funding
indoor arena project
East Oregonian
Officially a partnership
between Blue Mountain
Community College and
the Pendleton Round-Up
Association, an indoor rodeo
arena project could get
financial backing from the
city of Pendleton.
The Pendleton City Council
will hold a special meeting
Tuesday to discuss redirecting
community
development
funds the project, currently
dubbed “Farm II.”
The indoor arena is
envisioned as the next
phase of the Facility for
Agricultural
Resource
Management, or FARM,
a two-story classroom and
lab space surrounded by
100-acres of working farm
for the college’s agriculture
department.
FARM II would build an
indoor arena that is supposed
to provide benefits to both
the Round-Up and BMCC.
The college would expand its
animal science and veterinary
classes and provide a new
arena for the BMCC rodeo
team while the Round-Up
could use the space to host
equine and livestock events
during the winter.
The arena is set to be
built on the Round-Up
campus, which has expanded
in the past year to include
the
former
Albertsons
building and property across
Southwest 18th Street.
Between all the entities,
an estimated $10 million
needs to be raised in order to
build the arena.
The city’s community
development fund collects
payments from housing loans
and makes them available for
other programs, such as wood
stove replacement and solar
system installation programs
for residents and businesses.
The
city
budgeted
$568,550 in the 2017-2018
fiscal year for the community
development fund.
Before the meeting starts
at 7 p.m. in council cham-
bers, the council will meet as
the Pendleton Development
Commission to discuss
bestowing a demolition grant
for a dilapidated home at 356
S.E. Third Street.
Both meetings will be
held at Pendleton City Hall,
500 S.W. Dorion Ave.
LIVING WELL WITH
CHRONIC CONDITIONS
Diagnosed with a chronic condition such as high
blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis, depression,
or another long-term health condition? Make a step-
by-step plan to improve your health...and your life.
Six FREE classes, for patients, caregivers/support
person or both.
Call for upcoming dates & times
Must pre-register, call 541-667-3509
LUNCH & LEARN
Join us for these FREE, informative and popular
lunch & learn series covering various topics focusing
on healthy living. Bring your lunch and your
questions!
Call for specific times, dates & locations
12:00-1:00pm
call 541-667-3509
BABYSITTING BASICS 101
For babysitters ages 10-15. Learn childcare
techniques, children's developmental stages and
what to expect, basic first aid and infant and child
CPR. Choose any one of the following classes:
Saturdays,
Flower/Candy Bouquets • Stuff ed Animals •
Balloons • Jewelry • Purses & More!
Put a smile on the heart with
the power of flowers.
HWY 395, HERMISTON
541-567-4305
Mon-Sat 8am-6pm • Sun 12pm-5am
www.cottagefl owersonline.com
February 3, April 7 or May 5
9:00am-3:00pm
$40, includes lunch & all class materials
Must pre-register & Pre-pay, call 541-667-3509
Information or to register
call (541) 667-3509
or email
healthinfo@gshealth.org
www.gshealth.org