Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (June 12, 2018)
REGION Tuesday, June 12, 2018 East Oregonian HELIX BRIEFLY Griswold grads pack Community Day By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian Rain did not stop Helix from celebrating its annual Community Day. And this year’s annual picnic and get-together received a boost from an all-school reunion. June Mohrland headed up organizing the reunion to coincide with the Helix Community Day. She lives in Pendleton and was a member of Helix’s Griswold High School class of 1968. “There hasn’t been a reunion since 1989,” she said. Mohrland and several locals volunteered to track down as many Griswold graduates as they could. She said the effort began with monthly meetings in August and even required climbing ladders, which they used to write down the names from old student pho- tos high on the school walls. The work paid off. Mohr- land said 215 graduates reg- istered for the reunion, which began Friday with a cere- mony and dinner at Wild- horse Resort & Casino and culminated with the picnic. The oldest graduate to attend went to school in 1944, she said, and one came from as far away as Washington, D.C. Not everyone who came to the reunion went to the picnic, she said, but there Staff photo by Kathy Aney Ann and Steven Klein and their dogs Lola and Elsa participate in the Heart of the Country 5-kilometer run Saturday as part of Helix Community Days. Ann was the first female finisher. was a fair share. That picnic usually takes place in Helix’s park, com- plete with barbecue, plenty of sides and dessert. The steady downpour washed that out. But this commu- Page 3A nity found a swift solution — move the food, the tables and everyone to the fire hall. Janet Wood served on the reunion committee. She said she “heard nothing but good comments” on the whole shindig. Judging by the lack of leftovers, folks certainly got their fill. The Heart of the Coun- try 5K opened Saturday’s festivities. Staff photo by Kathy Aney Runners take off at the start of the Heart of the Country fun run Saturday in Helix as part of Helix Community Day. Weekend blazes keep Umatilla County Fire District busy HERMISTON — The Umatilla County Fire Dis- trict stayed busy this week- end with several major structure fires. In addition to a blaze that damaged the Seventh-day Adventist church in Herm- iston, crews on Sunday morning also responded to a fire on Northeast 10th Street and on early Monday morning to an RV and shed fire on Echols Road. Around 6:30 a.m. Sun- day, crews responded to a fire in the 2100 block of Northeast 10th, where a single-wide manufactured home was fully engulfed. Fire Marshal Scott Goff said the cause of the fire was determined to be a faulty water heater. He said the couple that lives on the property were not home at the time and no one was injured. The damage from the fire is estimated at $75,000. Shortly after mid- night on Monday, crews responded to a fire on Echols Road. This blaze burned a 25-foot motor home and a fifth-wheel trailer, as well as a small barn and some other items, including an area full of scrap metal, wood and car parts. There was also a 100-gallon propane tank that was actively venting and on fire. The fire spread to about half an acre. Crews had put the fire out and were back to the station within about three hours. Goff said the property owners were in the house, and there is a person who was living in the motor home, but they were not inside at the time. Goff said the cause of that fire has not yet been deter- mined, but no foul play is suspected. Those who responded to the fires this week- end also covered sev- eral medical calls and an assault call in Umatilla, receiving help from off- duty firefighters and other departments. La Grande man dies in Sunday crash on 204 WESTON — One man suffered serious injuries and another died Sunday morning in a crash near Weston. Jose Osbaldo Corrales, 49, of Walla Walla, was driving a Pontiac Bon- neville south on High- way 204. Nicholas Rethel Brown, 37, of La Grande was the passenger. Oregon State Police reported Cor- rales lost control of the car near milepost 4 on a curve. The Pontiac left the road at a high speed and rolled multiple times before com- ing to a stop on its wheels. Brown died at the scene. Emergency workers freed Corrales from the vehicle, and an air ambu- lance flew him to St. Mary Medical Center, Walla Walla, where medical staff stabilized him for trans- port to Harborview Medi- cal Center, Seattle. The crash and investi- gation shut down a north- bound lane of travel on Highway 204 for approxi- mately five hours. Crash kills bicyclist near Pendleton MISSION — A bicy- clist died Friday morning in a collision near Pendle- ton on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Chuck Sams, spokes- man for the Confeder- ated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, said at about 8 a.m. on Highway 331 near mile-point 3.5 an SUV struck and killed the woman cyclist. Both the vehicle and the cyclist were southbound, he said, and no one else was harmed. The crash closed High- way 331 for about three hours during the initial investigation. Sams said Umatilla Tribal Police con- tinue to investigate the crash and are working with an Oregon State Police crash reconstructionist. The CTUIR has not yet identified the driver or cyclist. Walmart offers $1 per day college tuition for employees in Umatilla County By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian One of Umatilla County’s biggest employers is offer- ing college tuition at only $1 per day for its employees. Walmart recently announced the incentive, available to all employees who have worked for the company at least 90 days, whether part-time or full- time. Associates who work toward a bachelor’s or asso- ciate degree in business or supply chain management will pay the equivalent of $1 per day at select univer- sities, all of which offer the opportunity to complete the degree online while continu- ing to work. “For all those parents with seniors just graduat- ing, wondering how they’re going to support them: They can support themselves,” said Josh Burns, manager of the Wal-Mart Distribution Center in Hermiston. He said they had announced the program at meetings for more than half the shifts at the DC already and it had been greeted with enthusiasm by associates who had been thinking about pursuing a college degree. Burns said a degree in busi- ness or supply chain man- agement would offer new opportunities for promotion throughout the company. “It’s insane how many opportunities there are,” he said. For any interested employees, Walmart will pay all costs above financial aid and the $1 per day con- tribution from students — including reimbursment for textbooks and other required course supplies. Students must be enrolled in Uni- versity of Florida, Brand- man University (Califor- nia) or Bellevue University (Nebraska) but all three uni- versities offer the option to complete the degree online. Associates who leave the U.S. Forest Service names wildlife biologist new Heppner district ranger East Oregonian The new Hep- pner district ranger for the Umatilla National Forest has experience in both ranching and forestry. The U.S. Forest Houck Service announced Monday that Brandon Houck will take over as district ranger, effective June 25. Houck replaces Ann Niesen, who transferred to a Superior National For- est district office in Aurora, Minnesota. “The Umatilla is fortu- nate to have such a highly qualified district ranger join the forest’s leadership staff,” Umatilla National Forest Supervisor Eric Watrud said in a statement. “His skills and background are an outstand- ing complement to the prior- ity work the forest is doing and the interests of the com- munities and part- ners that we serve.” Houck has been a wildlife biologist for the Shoshone National Forest in Dubois, Wyoming, and served as act- ing district ranger for the Nantahala National Forest in Murphy, North Carolina, ear- lier this year. Houck grew up on a cat- tle ranch in Kansas before obtaining a bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology from Kansas State University and a master’s degree in wildlife and fisheries science from Mississippi State University. Prior to joining the Forest Service, he worked for the National Wild Turkey Fed- eration for 15 years as the western director of conserva- tion operations. Houck has been married for 15 years to his wife, Julie, and has two children. He enjoys hunting, fishing and camping. company mid-degree will no longer have their educa- tion subsidized but will not be required to pay back what they already completed. The Hermiston Walmart Distribution Center employs about 1,100 people, and hundreds more work for the Hermiston and Pendleton stores. Burns said they will be able to continue to live in Umatilla County while furthering their education online. “I’m extremely excited about it,” he said. “In 12 years with the company I’ve never seen them doing something so awesome.” ——— Contact Jade McDowell at jmcdowell@eastorego- nian.com or 541-564-4536. Saturday June 23, 2018 8:30 - Roy Raley Park $25.00 Includes Water bottle & T-shirt Register today at https://stanthonymuttstrut.itsyourrace.com 6/11 - 12 Cineplex Show Times $5 Classic Movie • 6/13 • 12:00 PM A Fistful of Dollars $5 Children’s Classic Movie 6/13 • 10 AM Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Free Small Popcorn & Small Soda Proceeds will Benefit the St. Anthony Hospital Alternative Therapy Program (including Pet Therapy) and P.A.W.S. Animal Shelter in Pendleton. For more information call 541-278-2627 or email EmilySmith@chiwest.com OCEANS 8 (PG13) 4:40 7:10 9:40 Title Sponsor HEREDITARY (R) 4:30 7:20 10:10 SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY (PG13) 4:00 7:00 10:00 DEADPOOL 2 (R) 4:10 6:50 9:30 LIFE OF THE PARTY (PG13) 4:20 6:40 9:50 * Matinee Pricing wildhorseresort.com • 541-966-1850 Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216 2801 S T A NTHONY W AY , P ENDLETON , OR. 97801 WWW . SAHPENDLETON . ORG
