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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 2018)
REGION Saturday, October 20, 2018 East Oregonian Page 3A PENDLETON UMATILLA Arts center’s new coordinator builds with community ties Candidate forum focuses on city’s improvement By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian Kate Brizendine is bring- ing her enthusiasm and con- nections to a key position at the Pendleton Center for the Arts. Brizendine, 31, is the center’s new coordinator of education and outreach. She took the job in late Septem- ber. Her role is to make sure the center has a full sched- ule of classes and instruc- tors for painting, knitting, ceramics and more. She also takes classes, including the recent “Power Tools Boot- camp For Women,” where she and other women over the course of two hours learned to use a chop saw, jig saw and more to produce a wood project. “We are going to do another one because it was such a hit,” Brizendine said. She grew up in northeast Portland and came to Pend- leton seven years ago after meeting her future husband, Nick Brizendine, a Pendle- ton native. The couple have two daughters, ages 2 and 6. She worked as an advertis- ing representative for about five years at the East Orego- nian and left the job a cou- ple of years ago and transi- tioned into individual care taking. She said that lasted until a pivotal conversation By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian Staff photo by E.J. Harris Kate Brizendine is the new coordinator of education and outreach at the Pendleton Center for the Arts. with a client. “This just wasn’t the place I could nourish my soul,” she said. Roberta Lavadour, exec- utive director of the arts center, asked Brizendine to apply for the coordinator role. The two women met when Brizendine handled the arts center’s advertis- ing account so she knew its community work. “How could I not rally behind that kind of mes- sage?” she said. Even so, she said she felt some trepidation because the center has plenty of moving pieces and she is still learn- ing. Yet the early learning curve has been positive. “It feels really good to wake up in the morning and go to work with an excited and open heart,” she said. Lavadour said Brizen- dine’s relationships in the community are a boon for the center and as a mother of two young children she is connected to the activi- ties that children enjoy. Bri- zendine encouraged locals to check out the center’s classes and activities. “You can come and find something you can connect with in a deeper and more meaningful way,” she said. Brizendine also said she is open to suggestions. “I want to hear about what we can do to make our program better than it already is,” she said. The Pendleton Center for the Arts is at 214 N. Main St. You also can learn more about the center online at pendletonarts.org. EOCI superintendent on leave amid investigation By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian The superintendent of the state prison in Pendleton is on paid administrative leave and under investigation. The Oregon Department of Corrections placed Brigitte Amsberry on leave in early September. She has been superintendent of Eastern Oregon Correctional Institu- tion since July 1, 2017. Jennifer Black, the nature of the corrections spokes- investigation. person, said Ams- Amsberry berry is duty-sta- began her career tioned at home with in state corrections pay and the subject in 2000 as a nurse of an internal human at EOCI. She resources investiga- worked her way tion, which is ongo- up to correctional ing. Amsberry has Amsberry rehabilitation a monthly salary of manager in 2006 $11,488. and to assistant superinten- Black said she could not dent of correctional rehabil- say anything more about itation the next year, accord- ing to information from the corrections department. She served as interim superinten- dent at EOCI in 2013, assis- tant superintendent in 2014, and assistant superintendent of security in July 2016. Later that year she took the helm at Two Rivers Correctional Institution, Umatilla. Richard McGraw, the assistant superintendent of general services, is the pris- on’s acting superintendent. Hermiston surgeon Harrison shot in Kennewick East Oregonian An orthopedic surgeon from Good Shepherd Medi- cal Center is recovering after he was shot twice on Satur- day in Kennewick by his son. According to the Tri-City Herald, Dr. Patrick Harrison was shot in the collarbone and stomach, and was taken to Trios Southridge Hospital in Kennewick. Hunter Harrison Harrison’s son was interviewed by Hunter, 20, told the Benton County police that he was P r o s e c u t o r ’s defending his Office but was not mother after a fight arrested. between his par- Good Shep- ents turned phys- herd’s Commu- nications Direc- ical. According tor Nick Bejarano to the Herald, the Harrison said in a prepared younger Harrison called a neighbor and dialed statement that the hospi- 911 after firing the shots. tal encouraged Harrison’s patients to contact his office for information about how to continue their care plans. “We are saddened by the unfortunate set of circum- stances surrounding Dr. Har- rison,” Bejarano wrote. “Dr. Harrison is a highly-skilled orthopedic surgeon who has enhanced the orthopedics program by bringing new techniques and procedures to our community.” Hermiston council to hear update from Rep. Smith East Oregonian The Hermiston City Council will vote on a hand- ful of land use decisions Monday. The council will consider co-adoption of a Umatilla County rule change that will pave the way for the city’s plan to build a water tower on the corner of Northeast 10th Street and East Pun- kin Center Road. The text amendment would place an exception for water towers in the “future urban” zone, which generally does not allow lot sizes less than 10 acres. The city is negotiating purchase of 1.5 acres for the water tower. Another amendment before the council Mon- day would allow for larger driveways. The current ordi- nance, adopted in 1963, sets residential driveways at 20 feet wide. But city plan- ner Clint Spencer said in a memo that developers mostly build homes with three-car garages these days, and “almost every house constructed requires special approval from the city engi- Th e Family of Carol Correa would like to thank everyone for the love and support shown to us during our loss. Th e family truly appreciates all the beautiful fl owers, cards, food and memorial contributions made in memory of Carol. A special Th ank You to Vange John Hospice Team. With sincere thanks, David L. Correa and Family neer to deviate from the 20 foot width cap.” The proposed new ordi- nance would cap driveways at 36 feet. The council will also consider annexation of a 0.22-acre “island” of county property off The- ater Lane surrounded on all four sides by city boundar- ies. The property owner has requested the annexation to use city sewer services. Prior to the council’s reg- ular session at 7 p.m., they will hold a work session at 6 p.m. with state Rep. Greg Smith at city hall, 180 N.E. Second St. The full agenda packet can be found online at hermiston.or.us/meetings. Let The Dust Settle In Our Tracks For We Are Gone! Full Circle Body Work & Massage Ron & Terri Hahn Wish to thank you for allowing us to serve you for the last 23 years. If you have a current Gift Certificate Please call 541-276-4343 and we will buy it back. Thanks so much, Ron & Terri Optimism was in the air on Thursday night as Umatilla residents packed into the Umatilla Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center to hear from can- didates for the city council and mayor. Candidates spoke of their love of Umatilla and their excitement for the city’s progress, and audi- ence members asking questions praised the qual- ity of the school district and the city’s growth. One woman said the city had never looked so good. It was a markedly dif- ferent vibe from four years ago, when residents were showing up to city coun- cil meetings to complain about empty buildings downtown, unkempt prop- erties, panhandlers and a proliferation of businesses, such as strip clubs and smoke shops. They testi- fied that they were embar- rassed by the city’s appear- ance, and one woman said Umatilla had turned into “a little Tijuana sideshow.” A lot has changed since then — something that incumbents have pointed out in their campaign- ing. The city has stepped up code enforcement and created a popular spring cleanup event. The cham- ber and the local museum have added new events to engage the commu- nity. Two major housing developments have come in. New businesses, such as Rae’s Dayz Diner have opened, and Amazon data centers have provided money for new parks and recreation projects. “There are a lot of moving parts to the city’s success,” Mayor Daren Dufloth said. Dufloth was joined at the front of the room by challenger Mary Dedrick; city council incumbent Mark Keith and his oppo- nent Corinne Funderburk; Leslie Smith, who is run- ning for the seat Mel Ray has decided to leave; and Josy Chavez, who is run- ning unopposed to replace Selene Torres-Medrano. While incumbents ran on the city’s successes, the newcomers also tended to keep it positive instead of attacking what the city has been doing. Funderburk, a language arts teacher at Umatilla High School, said she was thrilled to be raising her three teen- age boys in Umatilla. Now that they are older and she has more flexibility, she said, she wanted to get more involved with the community. “I’m so proud of Uma- tilla and of living here,” she said. Funderburk is one of three candidates who work for the school dis- trict — Dedrick is a vol- unteer coordinator at McNary Heights Elemen- tary School and Chavez is an administrative secretary for the district. Questions for the can- didates at Thursday night’s forum ranged from what the role of the planning commission is to how the city should support small businesses. One recurring theme was how the city could encourage more cit- izen involvement, partic- ularly with the Hispanic community. Chavez said she believes having a bilin- gual councilor helps. She pointed to when she worked in the office at one of the schools, and her co-worker who didn’t speak any Spanish said when Spanish-speaking parents walked in and saw that Chavez wasn’t there they would leave. Dedrick also pointed to her experience with the schools as a volun- teer coordinator, saying in her experience it helps to recruit specific people and address whatever might hold them back from get- ting involved. She told the story of a parent who said she would love to help but she didn’t think her English was good enough. Dedrick convinced her to try it out, saying she could leave any time she felt uncomfort- able. The woman loved it so much she now works at the school. Keith said he speaks “very good” Spanish and helped start the Mexi- can Independence Day celebration in Hermis- ton. Chavez asked Keith in Spanish if he knew when Mexican Indepen- dence Day was, to which he (correctly) answered in English that it was Sept. 16. In their closing state- ments, candidates reiter- ated the positive things they saw in Umatilla and laid out how they believed they could help that growth and improvement continue. Smith, a retired nurse, said she had a love of Umatilla’s people and plenty of time on her hands to dedicate to the city. “I want to serve,” she said. “I think I can do good things.” 10/19-21 10/22-23 Cineplex Show Times $5 Classic Movie Cineplex Show Times $5 Classic Movie 10/24 • 12pm The Mission 10/24 • 12pm The Mission HALLOWEEN (R) 11:40* 2:00* 4:30 7:00 9:30 HALLOWEEN (R) 4:30 7:00 9:30 GOOSEBUMPS 2: HAUNTED HALLOWEEN (PG) 12:30* 2:40* 5:00 7:10 9:20 GOOSEBUMPS 2: HAUNTED HALLOWEEN (PG) 5:00 7:10 9:20 VENOM (PG13) 11:50* 2:20* 4:50 7:20 10:00 VENOM (PG13) 4:50 7:20 10:00 A STAR IS BORN (R) 12:40* 3:40* 6:40 9:40 A STAR IS BORN (R) 3:40* 6:40 9:40 FIRST MAN (PG13) 12:50* 3:50* 6:50 9:50 FIRST MAN (PG13) 3:50* 6:50 9:50 * Matinee Pricing * Matinee Pricing wildhorseresort.com • 541-966-1850 wildhorseresort.com • 541-966-1850 Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216 Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216 Re-elect LORI DAVIS For City Council • Genuine • Authentic • Experienced • Hometown Proud “For the past 8 years, I have been part of the growth and development in Hermiston, Oregon. 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