REGION
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
East Oregonian
PENDLETON
Suggestions roll in for revising
Umatilla County government
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
As Umatilla County vot-
ers go to the polls to elect a
county commissioner, argu-
ments for and against keep-
ing the three-commissioner
structure have dominated the
discussions of the county’s
Charter Review Committee.
The eight-member com-
mittee with the charge of
considering revisions to the
county’s founding document
has met monthly starting in
March. Committee chair
Michele Grable of Pendle-
ton said through all of that
the members have heard rec-
ommendations from former
commissioners and current
department heads, and asked
plenty of questions.
“We haven’t made any
decisions whatsoever,” she
said. “We are gathering
information is what we’re
doing.”
Those recommendations
range from big revamps of
the county board to simpli-
fying language in key char-
ter provisions.
Glenn Youngman, a for-
mer county commissioner,
continued his push for doing
away with the three com-
missioners, according to
meeting minutes. He told
the committee in April the
county should have a profes-
sional manager and a policy
board of five to seven volun-
teers. But Dennis Doherty,
also a former commissioner,
said at the May meeting
a manager would remove
commissioners from contact
with the public.
Doherty also said the
charter is not easy to under-
stand and could use a total
rewrite, but that would be a
big lift.
Clint Reeder, former
chairman of the county plan-
ning committee, in July told
the committee the county
used to have an executive
assistant to the board, but
the position controlled what
matters went to the board.
Reeder said a county man-
ager would concentrate
power and change the com-
munication dynamic with
the board. He also suggested
the county needs a com-
missioner review commit-
tee because the county lacks
any way to assess the perfor-
mance of commissioners.
State Sen. Bill Hansell
of Athena, also a former
county commissioner, told
the committee in August
the structure of the county
board works fine, and com-
missioners should be gener-
alists and not experts. The
committee also talked with
Hansell about job descrip-
tions for the commissioners.
Hansell pointed out most
elected positions don’t have
job descriptions.
Still, some pointed out
three commissioners means
just two can make deci-
sions, and two commission-
ers hanging out could con-
stitute a public meeting. A
county manager would not
have that burden.
Sheriff Terry Rowan sug-
gested the charter should set
a minimum age for sheriff as
25 and adopt language that
reflect common practices
and requirements under state
law or administrative rule.
Dan Lonai, the county’s
director of administrative
services, said at the Sep-
tember meeting he prefers
the structure of county gov-
ernment with more limited
departments under commis-
sioner oversight. And before
the charter, he told the com-
mittee, departments fought
over the budget.
But Lonai wanted an
overhaul of the charter’s
language on elections. He
suggested using simpler
language from other coun-
ties stating voters elect one
commissioner in the same
year as the presidential elec-
tion and the other two in the
alternate biannual election.
The charter also allows
for special elections in
March, June and Septem-
ber to fill vacancies on the
county board. Lonai said
those cost the county around
$40,000. He said the county
should have special elec-
tions only when there is a
ballot, so during primary
and general elections.
The Charter Review
Committee’s next meeting
is Wednesday, the day after
the general election, start-
ing at 5:30 p.m., at the Uma-
tilla County Courthouse,
216 S.E. Fourth St., Pend-
leton. The committee plans
to hear from more county
staff as well as city mayors.
The committee meetings are
open to the public. Grable, a
former county deputy pros-
ecutor and county counsel,
said the committee has a lot
of people to hear from who
have a lot to say.
For more information
about the charter and the
committee, visit http://uma-
tillacounty.net/bcc/charter-
Review.html.
IRRIGON
Library showcases local crafters, book program
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
Local crafts and baked
goods were available at the
Irrigon Library on Saturday
during their holiday bazaar.
The event, hosted by
Friends of the Irrigon
Library, featured about a
dozen vendors.
Kathy Dill Spears of Irri-
gon was selling paintings
and advertising her “It’s a
Paint Party!” events. Spears
hosts paint nights for par-
ticipants who want to get
together and paint at private
parties, fundraisers, chil-
dren’s’ events and more.
“I’ve been doing it for
about a year and it’s kind of
fun,” she said.
Her next event is Thurs-
day, when she is supplying
canvases, paint and instruc-
tion for a paint party at the
Irrigon Senior Center that
will raise money to repaint
the bus barn. Spears said she
first started painting after
getting sick a few years ago.
“I was diagnosed with
breast cancer, and after I
was done with treatments I
decided I needed to do some-
thing to heal my mind,” she
Staff photo by Jade McDowell
Ruby Perches-Ball of Hermiston sells soaps at the
Friends of Irrigon Library bazaar.
said.
Another vendor at the
bazaar also described her
craft as healing. Ruby
Perches-Ball of Hermiston
was selling fancy soaps that
she started making to cope
with the loss of her infant
son earlier this year. Satur-
day’s event was the first time
she decided to sell the soaps,
named after her son Liam
Grayson, to people outside
her circle of friends.
“I make soap as a form
of therapy, and I have too
many,” she said.
Perches-Ball said she
buys a soap base, then melts
it down and adds colors,
scents or small objects such
as rubber ducks before pour-
ing them into molds and cut-
ting them into shapes. Most
of her soaps have strips or
geometric shapes in dif-
ferent colors, which she
described as a careful sci-
ence to create.
“I can’t put it in too hot or
(the colors) will just blend,
and I can’t pour it too cold
or it will stick,” she said.
Kathy Street, library
director for Oregon Trail
Library District, was using
the event as an opportunity
to spread the word about
the Dolly Parton Imagina-
tion Library. The library dis-
trict has joined the national
program, which sends a free
book each month to children
from birth to five years old.
“If you sign the child up
when they’re first born, by
the time they turn five they
will have 60 books,” she
said.
The James and Shirley
Rippey Family Foundation
has given the library district
a grant to cover half the cost,
and local sponsors have
helped with the rest. Street
said they estimate about 400
children in Morrow County
are eligible, and so far they
have signed up 99 children.
For more information
about the Dolly Parton
Imagination Library, avail-
able to all Morrow County
children under the age of
five, call the 541-481-3365.
Staff photo by Jade McDowell
Attendees bid on silent auction items at the Pendle-
ton Salvation Army “Keep the Kettles Hot” fundrais-
er dinner on Saturday.
Salvation Army
banquet rings in the
Christmas season
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
The Pendleton Salva-
tion Army got support for
its 126 years of service to
Umatilla County on Satur-
day during their annual red
kettle kickoff.
The dinner with auc-
tion and live entertain-
ment helped raise funds for
the nonprofit’s programs,
which include free lunches,
emergency response, hous-
ing, counseling and a youth
program.
Some of the volunteers
serving food at the event
know all about how money
raised by the Salvation
Army gets put to use. Lau-
rie Galindo said during her
year and a half of home-
lessness in Pendleton she
was able to get meals and
other assistance from the
Salvation Army. Now
that she is getting back on
her feet she has been giv-
ing back by volunteering
herself.
“I’m very grateful these
doors are open for people,”
she said. “Even one meal
can give you the energy to
get those small goals that
helped me get where I am
now.”
The nonprofit also
helped her get clean
again. She had been sober
for more than four years
before relapsing and then
recovering, and said she
now tries to give hope and
encouragement to those
she serves meals to.
“I talk to people at
lunch,” she said. “I was out
there with them, and now
I’m on the other side.”
Capt. Ricky Scruggs
of the Salvation Army
told the banquet audi-
ence that the organiza-
tion works hard to help
people, from adults with
additions to children in
EOTEC to hold Hermiston Mudfest on Nov. 18
The Eastern Oregon
Trade and Event Center
is seeing a more diverse
lineup of events as people
continue to think up new
uses for the space.
On Nov. 18, EOTEC is
partnering with a private
group to host the Herm-
iston Mudfest, featuring
head-to-head mud drags
open to vehicles ranging
from Jeeps to ATVs.
EOTEC general man-
ager Al Davis said when
they tested the idea of a
mud drag in the swale
behind the event cen-
ter building, 40 people
showed up to watch.
Now that an offi-
cial event is being pub-
licized on social media,
the response has been
enthusiastic.
“We started out doing
something small and local,
and it’s grown to be bigger
than we thought it would,”
he said.
VenuWorks, the com-
pany contracted by the
city of Hermiston to run
EOTEC, recently wrapped
up a community survey
about what types of events
the community hopes to
see at EOTEC.
Davis said the city’s
EOTEC advisory commit-
tee will discuss the results
later this month, and they
will be presented to the
city council in December.
He said some of the pop-
ular ideas survey respon-
dents listed were concerts,
green space for sports like
lacrosse and the return of
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Hermiston’s holiday fes-
tival of lights. People also
said they wished EOTEC
would update its website
— something VenuWorks
was already working on.
The updated website at
www.eotechermiston.com
is now live, featuring aerial
footage of the grounds,
updated and expanded
information about the
venue, rental rates and an
the youth program who
have a parent in jail or
other challenges.
“You never know the
impact you’re going to
have,” he said.
He referenced the song
“Silver Bells” in relation
to the bell-ringing volun-
teers who collect donations
in red kettles during the
Christmas season, noting
that in the song, the bells
are heard “above all the
hustle and bustle” of the
holiday season.
Capt. Sylvia Scruggs
thanked everyone for their
generous support and said
the Salvation Army hall
where they were gathered
belonged to everyone in
the community.
“This is a place peo-
ple come to seek help, to
seek refuge and to seek the
Lord,” she said.
Many local businesses
and individuals donated
cash and auction items to
the event, while the Uma-
tilla County Cattleman’s
Association donated and
cooked the tri-tip, and
other food for the meal was
donated and prepared by
BudRich Potatoes, Smith’s
Frozen Foods, Lorrane
Newman, Starbucks and
Stahl Farms Hutterrite
Colony.
Sen. Bill Hansell, a
longtime board mem-
ber, said all leftover food
would be put to use at the
free lunches the Salvation
Army serves those in need.
———
Contact Jade McDowell
at jmcdowell@eastorego-
nian.com or 541-564-4536.
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HERMISTON
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
Page 3A
upcoming events calen-
dar. Events listed include
a Prestige Wrestling tour-
nament on Dec. 8 and the
Hermiston Farm Fair Nov.
28-30.
The Hermiston Mudfest
will start preliminary runs
at 10 a.m. on Nov. 18, with
gates open at 8 a.m. Cost is
$35 for a truck and driver,
$15 for a spectator (bring-
ing a lawn chair is encour-
aged) and $5 for children.
Burgers will be available
on-site. Registration forms
can be picked up at 395
Quickstop, 445 N. First
St. in Hermiston. For more
information email Davis at
adavis@eotechermiston.
com.
———
Contact Jade McDowell
at jmcdowell@eastorego-
nian.com or 541-564-4536.
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NOTICE OF SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION
Th e family of
Willard K Smith
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.
A sincere thank you from
Elly, Billie & Torie,
Bobbie & Lee, Karen & Don,
Kristi & Dick.
Gertrude L. Mc Rae Trust Fund scholarship
applications are now available for 2018-2019.
Applicants must be a Grant County high school
graduate to qualify. Graduates of high schools in
Morrow, Wasco and Wheeler counties may also be
considered, if too few Grant County applications
are received. Preference will be given to
Grant County graduates who reside in
Oregon and have already completed one or more
years at an accredited college.
To request an application form, please contact
Grant County, 201 S. Humbolt Street, Suite 280,
Canyon City, OR 97820 or call 541-575-0059.
You may also request an application via email to
wrightl@grantcounty-or.gov. Completed applications
including all required documents must be received
by Grant County on or before
Friday, November 16, 2018.
86590