REGION
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
East Oregonian
PENDLETON
Page 3A
STANFIELD
Altrusa warms up with sweet fundraiser Brick busters raise
more than $4K for
girl with brain tumor
By TAMMY MALGESINI
East Oregonian
Area homeless students will benefit
from a heart-warming fundraiser
sponsored by Altrusa International of
Pendleton.
Love Keeps Us Warm features
desserts, door prizes, a no-host bar and
live music with the Blue Wave Band
from Seattle. The event is Saturday from
7-11 p.m. at Hamley Slickfork Saloon, 8
S.E. Court Ave., Pendleton. Tickets are
$25 each.
People are invited to kick up their
heels — the band plays everything from
old school and jazz to rock and Motown
— while raising money for Altrusa’s
KARE (Kids At Risk Empowered)
program. The project assists in meeting
basic needs of homeless students in the
Pendleton School District.
Indulge your taste buds with an
Atomic Bomb Mousse Cake, three vari-
eties of cheesecakes, marionberry and
cherry pie, and French macaroons. Also,
a buffet offers scoops of candy.
“Our main feature is dessert,” said
Debbie McBee, KARE co-chair. “But
we’ll also have cheese and crackers, fruit
and other hors d’oeuvres.”
KARE co-chair Karen Rose said
McBee, who also serves on the school
board, shared concerns about the number
of homeless students in the district. In
response, the Altrusans created KARE
to help address student needs.
“It’s shocking to me to have so many
kids that are in such huge need of basic
things,” McBee said. “You can’t focus
on school stuff when you don’t have a
roof over your head or a bed to sleep in.”
A lack of appropriate clothing or
shelter, she said, makes it difficult for
homeless students to attend school. Of
the initial 91 identified, Rose said Altrusa
focused on 30 with the greatest needs.
As support for the program increases,
they hope to provide help to additional
homeless students.
While Altrusans aren’t given their
names, Rose said school counselors
work with students to create a request
list. Last spring, the average amount
spent on each student was between
$200-$300.
East Oregonian
Contributed photo
A six-piece group with the Blue Wave Band of Seattle will perform during
Saturday’s Love Keeps Us Warm fundraiser. Sponsored by Altrusa Inter-
national of Pendleton, the event is raising money to help local homeless
students.
Clothing, shoes, hygiene products,
school supplies, tents, tarps, blankets and
more have been purchased for the needy
students, Rose said. Also, Rose said they
will provide cleats or other specialty
shoes needed to participate in sports,
dance or other activities. Being involved,
she said, can increase their self-worth.
“We know that sports and activities
are a good outlet,” Rose said.
In addition to grants from the Wild-
horse Foundation and the Altrusa Inter-
national Foundation, Rose is appreciative
of others getting involved with KARE.
This spring, the Kiwanis are stepping up
to assist with its Happy Feet project.
“They provide shoes to kids in need,”
Rose said. “We’re really happy to have
them on board.”
Having the fundraiser near Valen-
tine’s Day serves a two-fold purpose.
In addition to offering couples an
opportunity to go dancing, the nature of
the holiday encourages sharing affection
with others.
“We want these kids to feel loved,”
Rose said.
As of Monday, McBee said 40 tickets
remain for the event. They are available
at the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce,
501 S. Main St., Dave’s Chevron, 220
S.W. 12th St., or by calling McBee. If
available, tickets will be sold at the door.
Also, tax-deductible donations are
welcome. For more information about
KARE, contact Rose at 541-969-3587,
k_rose1232@hotmail.com or McBee at
541-276-3796.
———
Contact Community Editor Tammy
Malgesini at tmalgesini@eastoregonian.
com or 541-564-4539
BRIEFLY
I-84 overpass
down to one lane
following damage
BOARDMAN — An
eastbound vehicle with
too tall a load struck the
underside of the overpass
bridge on Interstate 84 at
Boardman on Monday,
prompting its closure and
an inspection.
The Oregon Department
of Transportation will open
one lane on the overpass
bridge at Exit 164.
The transportation
agency advised drivers
crossing over the freeway
at the location to plan for
delays and obey traffic
control flaggers, who will
control the flow 24 hours a
day, seven days a week.
One of the eastbound
freeway lanes is also closed
to accommodate bridge
inspection and repair work.
ODOT stated it expects
the overpass and eastbound
freeway lane restrictions to
remain in place for one to
two weeks.
Warmer winter
weather continues
HERMISTON —
Hermiston hit 63 on
Sunday, tying a record high
temperature from 2011,
according to the National
Weather Service. The
temperature also was 18
degrees above the city’s
normal maximum.
Pendleton reached 60 on
Sunday, no record but 15
degrees warmer than the
normal maximum for the
date.
The two towns also were
almost 5 degrees warmer
than usual for January, with
the Round-Up City’s mean
temperature at 39.9 and
Hermiston’s at 39.6. Area
highs remain in the 50s this
week, with peaks in the
lower 60s on Thursday.
The Weather Service
also reported Pendleton
and the surrounding areas
have a possibility of rain,
and the precipitation and
warm weather means
melting snow and ice will
cause rivers and streams
to rise through Monday.
The Weather Service,
however, has not issued
flood warnings or advisories
for Umatilla or Morrow
counties.
This January also was
far warmer than last year’s,
when Pendleton’s mean was
22.5 and Hermiston’s 21.4.
Bird club focuses
on nesting boxes
Photo courtesy ODOT
One lane of the overpass bridge at I-84 Exit 164 in
Boardman will reopen after a vehicle with a tall load
struck the bridge causing a closure and inspection.
Hermiston
sophomore dies
HERMISTON —
Counselors and a safe room
were available to students
at Hermiston High School
Monday after the death of a
student.
The Hermiston School
District was notified Monday
morning by the Hermiston
Police Department of the
death of Jenna Thomas, a
sophomore and member of
the high school’s swim team,
according to a news release
from the district.
Members of the area
crisis flight team that respond
to schools during times of
tragedy were on hand to help
staff and students process the
difficult news.
“The district asks for
parent and community
support by keeping an eye
out for those students, or
staff members, that may
be struggling with the
news,” the district stated.
“If a student is struggling
with the news counselors
are available to provide
emotional support. We are
heartbroken for the Thomas
family. Our thoughts and
prayers go out to them and
friends and relatives of
Jenna.”
Public invited
to meet new
Lifeways director
PENDLETON — Tim
Hoekstra, the new chief
executive officer of Life-
ways, Inc., will participate
in a meet and greet in
Pendleton.
The public is invited to
the free event Wednesday
from 5-6:30 p.m. at
Lifeways, 331 S.E. Second
St., Pendleton. Hoekstra
began overseeing the
organization’s services
in Pendleton, Hermiston,
Umatilla, Milton-Freewater
and Ontario on Jan. 15.
His experience includes
28 years of providing
executive leadership with
healthcare operations and
integrated physical and
behavioral health services.
Also, Hoekstra has served
on numerous legislative
committees regarding
policies, rules and laws
impacting communities and
healthcare organizations.
Lifeways provides mental
health services in Umatilla
County and beyond. For
more information, visit
www.lifeways.org.
PENDLETON — A
pair of bird enthusiasts will
discuss nesting boxes during
the February Pendleton Bird
Club meeting.
Anyone interested
in birding is invited to
attend the free event. Chris
Hyland of Walla Walla will
share about building and
maintaining wood duck nest
boxes and club member Jack
Simons will talk about the
features of a good nest box.
The gathering is
Thursday at 7 p.m. at the
First Christian Church, 215
N. Main St., Pendleton.
Refreshments will be
served.
For more information,
contact lornawaltz@
gmail.com or visit www.
pendletonbirders.org.
———
Submit information to:
community@eastoregonian.
com or drop off to the
attention of Tammy
Malgesini at 333 E. Main
St., Hermiston or Renee
Struthers at 211 S.E. Byers
Ave., Pendleton. Call
541-564-4539 or 541-966-
0818 with questions.
Students and instructors
of Eastern Oregon Family
Taekwondo,
Stanfield,
broke more than 200 bricks
Saturday on the way to
raising $4,451 to benefit an
Echo girl with a brain tumor.
Erwin Watson, owner
of the martial arts studio
and business, said they
also went through far more
boards than bricks.
“We did it, and it was a
team effort,” Watson said.
His taekwondo students
solicited donations of $5
per board and $10 per brick
to help cover the medical
costs of 11-year-old Maddy
Thomas, who has pilocytic
astrocytoma, a brain tumor.
She had surgery in October
to remove part of the tumor
and is undergoing chemo-
therapy to shrink the rest.
Home Depot donated
the boards and bricks, and
Watson said the bricks
provided quite the workout.
More online
For video of bricks and
boards being busted
visit eastoregonian.com
“The bricks were pretty
hard,” he said. “Harder than
any I’ve ever broke before.”
Watson also coped with a
sore wrist, which he said he
got from a knot in a board.
Still, he joined his dozens
of students, from children
to adults, slamming their
fists and elbows through the
boards and bricks.
Watson’s oldest son,
Tyler Watson, also played a
big role, at one point driving
his elbow again and again
through stacks of three
bricks.
The senior Watson
said the hard work — and
soreness — were worth it,
and he plans to soon present
Maddy with the check.
More donations also could
come in, he said, so the final
tally could be even larger.
PENDLETON
Chamber of commerce
promotes Lauer to director
East Oregonian
The Pendleton Chamber
of Commerce didn’t go far
to find its next executive
director.
The chamber announced
Monday
that
Megan
Lauer,
its membership
coordinator since
2014, will be
promoted to lead
the local business
organization as
the interim execu-
tive director.
In a statement, Lauer
chamber President
Jordan McDonald
said it made “great sense to
promote from within.”
“The truth is, we had
a young MBA gaining
experience in our office at
a position she was already
overqualified for, so it’s a
natural progression,” he
said. “Megan is a concise
and confident business-
woman; I believe this will
be a good move for the
Chamber of Commerce.”
Lauer has a bachelor’s
degree from the University
of Idaho and a master’s of
business
administration
from Willamette University.
She’s also active in Altrusa
International of Pendleton,
serving as the first vice
president and the chair
of the service
committee.
“I am thrilled to
continue working
with our members
in this new role,”
Lauer said in a
statement “I love
the work we do
helping tourists
and supporting
local businesses.”
In a Monday
interview, McDonald said
Lauer will continue to serve
as membership coordinator
while taking on executive
director duties. As soon as
she finds a replacement for
the membership coordinator
position, McDonald expects
the interim tag to be lifted.
Lauer replaces Gail
Nelson, who resigned after
six years with the chamber
to become Umatilla Coun-
ty’s economic development
and tourism coordinator
BOARDMAN
Teacher arrested for sexual abuse
tial situation regarding
Weems” on Feb. 1 and
Windy River Elemen- immediately placed him
on leave. The
tary School sixth
following day, he
grade
teacher
was arrested by
Robert Weems
The Dalles Police
was placed on
Department on
leave the day
multiple counts
before he was
of sexual abuse in
arrested on sexual
the second degree
abuse charges, the
and third degree
Morrow County
and
official
School District
misconduct.
a n n o u n c e d Weems
W e e m s
Monday.
According to a press was hired to teach at the
elementary
release, the district was Boardman
“made aware of a poten- school July 1.
East Oregonian
We’re waiting for you at …
2/5 - 2/6
Cineplex Show Times
$5 Classic Movie
2/7 12:00 PM
Leave Her to Heaven
211 SE Byers Ave.•Pendleton
Thursday, Feb. 8•5:30-7 p.m.
Watch the Press Run at 5:45 p.m.
Tour the Archive Room & “The Morgue”
Wine•Beer•Appetizers•Door Prizes•Networking
50/50 and Raffle Drawings
Chamber Members & the Public
are welcome to attend this FREE event!
A program of the Pendleton Chamber Ambassadors
Winchester (PG13)
4:20 6:40 9:20
Hostiles (R)
4:00 6:50 9:40
Maze Runner: The Death
Cure (PG13)
3:30* 6:30 9:30
12 Strong (R)
4:10 7:00 9:50
Jumanji 2D (PG13)
4:40 7:20 10:00
Credit & Debit Cards accepted
Cineplex gift cards available
* Matinee Pricing
wildhorseresort.com
541-966-1850
Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216