REGION Wednesday, November 14, 2018 East Oregonian PENDLETON MILTON-FREEWATER Round-Up and Happy Canyon’s general manager announces retirement Beard was “the right guy at the right time” By KATHY ANEY East Oregonian The Pendleton Round- Up’s first-ever general man- ager announced he will retire in May. Casey Beard started man- aging the rodeo just after the organization’s second cen- tury kicked off. He was hired to oversee the Round-Up and Happy Canyon Night Pageant, along with other events such as Professional Bull Riding events and music concerts. The pair of organizations have many moving parts. In 2014, the two boards decided that time had come for a general manager to oversee both organizations and tie them into a cohesive whole. At the time, Round-Up Pres- ident Tim Hawkins called Beard “the right guy at the right time as we move into the next 100 years.” Beard, an easy-going retired Army officer with master’s degrees in interna- tional business and strate- gic studies, got started. He brought with him lessons learned as director of grants at Blue Mountain Commu- nity College, management of his family’s rodeo live- stock business and direc- tor of safety programs at the Umatilla Chemical Depot. Beard’s ties with the rodeo go back decades lon- ger than his stint as general manager. His grandfather raced stagecoaches at the Round-Up. According to Round-Up President Dave O’Neill and Happy Canyon President Staff photo by Kathy Aney Casey Beard, first-ever general manager of Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Can- yon organizations, announced he will retire in May. Cory Neistadt, both orga- nizations benefited from Beard’s nurturing. “Casey has done a truly outstanding job as our first general manager,” O’Neill said. “Among the many important projects he helped spearhead were revital- izing our east-end facil- ities, including the 1910 Room and Section DD Bar, achieving record attendance and retail sales, improv- ing relationships with the city, expanding our facili- ties, creating a vibrant social media presence and winning the PRCA Large Outdoor Rodeo of the Year award three times.” Beard also benefited Happy Canyon and the community, Neistadt said, smoothing the way for addi- tional events, such as the Pendleton Whisky Music Fest, helping expand brand recognition through a strate- gic partnership with Travel Oregon, facilitating the Happy Canyon Court’s par- ticipation in the National Finals Rodeo’s Cowboy Christmas and lobbying for Happy Canyon’s iconic paint horse, Chinook, to go to the National Finals Rodeo to stand solemnly during the national anthem (along with rider Bryson Bronson). “What (Casey) has accomplished in his years with us has been amazing,” Neistadt said. “His contribu- tions will be felt for years to come.” On Tuesday afternoon, Beard sat in his office tucked under the north side grand- stands and gave an easy-go- ing grin. Two huge images flanked his desk. One showed a saddle bronc rider, freshly tossed to the dirt. In the other, a Happy Canyon princess rides a horse. Beard glanced around the room and said he’d miss the space and his day-to-day reality as general manager, but he’s ready for something differ- ent. He said the last almost five years flashed by at a diz- zying speed. “Going in, we had ide- als and operational goals,” he said. “Things happened faster than we anticipated. Our six-month plan was obsolete by the end of the first month.” He treasures the rodeo’s recognition as PRCA’s Large Outdoor Rodeo of the Year and other milestones. He credited “a loyal, cre- ative and dedicated staff.” “It has been an honor to serve as he first general manager in the long, illustri- ous histories of these world famous events,” Beard said. In the coming months, a search committee will select Beard’s replacement. ——— Contact Kathy Aney at kaney@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0810. PENDLETON First Draft welcomes Oregon’s poet laureate Kim Stafford to present at arts center East Oregonian The First Draft Writers’ Series at Pendleton Center for the Arts will welcome Oregon’s poet laureate Kim Stafford as its headliner this month. He will read from his new- est works Thursday at 7 p.m. at 214 N. Main St., Pend- leton. The event is free and open to the public. A poet and essayist, Staf- ford is the founding direc- tor of The Northwest Writ- ing Institute at Lewis & Clark College, where he has taught since 1979. Stafford comes by writing naturally — he is the son of William Stafford, Oregon’s poet laureate from 1974-89. The younger Staf- ford was appointed by Gov. Kate Brown earlier this year as Oregon’s ninth poet laure- ate since 1921. Stafford grew up in Ore- gon, Iowa, Indiana, Califor- nia and Alaska — following his parents as they taught and traveled. He is the author of a dozen books of poetry and prose, and holds a Ph.D. in medieval literature from the University of Oregon. Staf- ford has worked as a printer, photographer, oral historian, editor and visiting writer Contributed photo Kim Stafford, who was appointed earlier this year as Or- egon’s poet laureate, will read Thursday during the First Draft Writers’ Series at Pendleton Center for the Arts. at numerous colleges and schools, and offered writing workshops in Italy, Scotland and Bhutan. His book, “Having Every- thing Right,” won a citation for excellence from the West- ern States Book Awards in 1986. Stafford has received creative writing fellowships from the National Endow- ment for the Arts, a Gover- nor’s Arts Award for his con- tributions to Oregon’s literary culture, and his work has been featured on National Public Radio. “Poetry is our native lan- guage,” Stafford said. “In a society of diverse back- grounds and perspectives, poetry builds community.” In addition, a poetry writ- ing workshop follows on Fri- day from 9-11:30 a.m., also at the arts center. While it’s also free, those who plan to attend are asked to register in advance. Titled “Poems for a Bet- ter Nation,” it will explore the poet’s work in these strange times. Participants will dis- cuss how words can most matter for the good of our nation and Earth. As Canadian poet Den- nis Lee once said, in words engraved on the outer wall of the Scottish parliament, we need to “Work as if in the early days of a better nation.” Workshop participants will read and write poems that seed the future with truth and challenge, question and wit- ness — from outright polit- ical poems to more oblique contributions to a better nation. The Oregon poet laure- ate fosters the art of poetry, encourages literacy and learning, addresses central issues relating to humanities and heritage, and reflects on public life in Oregon. As part of his assignment, Stafford participates in public read- ings to inform people about the value of poetry and cre- ative expression. Showcasing notable Pacific Northwest authors, the First Draft Writers’ Series meets the third Thursday of each month. For more infor- mation or to register for the workshop, visit www. pendletonarts.org. For more information, contact 541- 278-9201 or director@pend- letonarts.org. To learn about the poet laureate program, visit www.culturaltrust.org, and for more about Stafford, www.kim-stafford.com. comfort and cheer Give the Gift of H amley’s G I F T C A R D S AVA I L A B L E for all occasions, in any amount H amley S teakhouse & S aloon 8 S E C O U RT, P E N D L E T O N • 5 4 1 . 2 7 8 . 1 1 0 0 Man arrested after firing gun near school Cineplex Show Times $5 Classic Movie Zachary Lincoln of Milton-Freewater ended up on the shocking end of a stun gun before landing in jail. Staff at the Mil- ton-Stateline Adventist School, 53565 W. Crockett Road, Milton-Freewater, called law enforcement on Monday morning to report hearing a gunshot from across the street, accord- ing to a written statement from the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office. A deputy responded and contacted school officials. Two Oregon State Police troopers also responded, and school officials took the precautionary mea- sure to place the school on lockdown. While law enforcement was on the scene, Lincoln, 27, came out from his res- idence across the street Film chronicles American Indian land lawsuit Gifts, Crafts and Bake Sale 1350 NW Carden Ave, Pendleton. OR. November 16 & 17, 2018 9AM to 6PM Seeking Vendors $25 per table. Call Gann 541-561-3024 day, Nov. 14 at 6 p.m. in ST-200 at Blue Mountain Community College, 2411 N.W. Carden Ave., Pendle- ton. There is no admission charge. The movie, which was released in 2016, has been featured in numerous film festivals. The unrated film is 76 minutes long. For more informa- tion, contact Annie Smith, BMCC Native Ameri- can Liaison and Success Coach, at asmith@bluecc. edu or 541-278-5935. For more about the film, visit www.100yearsthemovie. com. PENDLETON — The public is invited to view a documentary film about the largest class action lawsuit against the United States government. The movie, “100 Years,” shares about Elou- ise Cobell, who filed the suit in 1996 and won a $3.4 billion settlement for 300,000 American Indians whose lands were misman- aged by the U.S. Depart- ment of Interior. The free screening is Wednes- SUBMIT COMMUNITY NEWS Submit information to: community@eastorego- nian.com or drop off to the attention of Tammy Malgesini at 333 E. Main St., Hermiston or Renee Struthers at 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton. Call 541-564-4539 or 541-966-0818 with questions. *UHJ·V 6OHHS&HQWHU DR. SEUSS' THE GRINCH (PG) 4:30 7:00 DR. SEUSS' THE GRINCH 3D (PG) 9:30 )5,'$< /RRNIRUWKH%ODFN7DJV 6DYHDQ$GGLWLRQDO 0DULDQD 0HPRU\)RDP