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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 29, 2018)
REGION Thursday, November 29, 2018 UMATILLA East Oregonian Page 3A PENDLETON Former Tillicum Inn to reopen Friday By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian The former Tillicum Inn has risen from the ashes. The Umatilla hotel has been franchised as an Econo Lodge and is reopening Friday after closing for more than a year to repair damage from a fire. Jose Quinones, who has owned the 40-room hotel with his wife Parveen for three years, said they can’t wait to finally open their doors again. On Wednes- day, workers were putting the finishing touches on the building, which will have a grand opening cele- bration at 2 p.m. on Friday. “It took a long time, but we’re here,” Quinones said. The inn was lucky in a lot of ways, but even with the stars aligning, the fire meant more than a year of lost revenue and employ- ees who took jobs else- where during the closure. Hotel manager Josie Kepich, who stuck with the business through the past year, said the fire started around noon on Sept. 6, 2017. Luckily, she said, because it started in the middle of the day, there were only about seven people in the building and she was able to quickly get them out before anyone was injured. The blaze heavily burned six rooms in the center of the building — three upstairs and three downstairs — but other rooms were also damaged by smoke, water and fire- fighters chopping holes in the roof to help them put the flames out more quickly. It got so hot in the upstairs hallway that the plastic case around the fire extinguisher melted. “It was ugly,” Kepich said. “After everyone left, I came in here and thought, ‘Oh my gosh.’” Kepich had been on the phone with Quinones when she had suddenly shouted that there was smoke and she had to go. After trying to call her back, Quinones, who was in Washington at another hotel his family Staff photo by Kathy Aney Ward Walker has run Walker’s Christmas Trees in Pendleton for more than 30 years. Staff photo by Kathy Aney Jose Quinones, who co-owns the Econo Lodge in Umatilla, stands in a room ren- ovated after a fire damaged the motel (then called Tillicum Inn) in September 2017. Staff photo by Kathy Aney Auteliano Juarez, of Belford Restorations, works Wednesday near the entrance of the Econo Lodge in Umatilla, damaged by fire in September 2017 when it was called the Tillicum Inn. owns, rushed to Umatilla. When asked how the fire started, Kepich and Quinones said it was an electrical cause, but they didn’t know the exact problem or what room the fire started in. They said they preferred to leave that to the insurance company and fire department to dis- cuss directly. “That’s in the past; we’re looking forward,” Kepich said. After the fire, they started working through the insurance claims pro- cess and getting all the needed permits to strip most of the building down to the studs and completely remodel. Smoke-damaged linens, carpet, drapes, beds and other items were tossed out and contractors from Belfor Restorations were brought in. Luck- ily, Quinones said, Farm- ers Insurance was great to work with, and everyone from city staff to the Uma- tilla Chamber of Com- merce told the business to just let them know what- ever they needed. “It’s been hard, but we have had everyone helping us,” Kepich added. While some employees have moved on to other jobs since the fire, Kepich said many are return- ing to work for what will known be known as the Econo Lodge. Custom- ers, too, have been using other hotels, but Kepich said judging by the num- ber of calls she still gets asking when they will be open again, at least some are planning to return next time they’re in town. “We need to get opened up and start some revenues going again,” she said. Quinones said after all the community has done for them, he and his wife and the staff are anxious to find ways to give back to the community once they reopen. The newly remodeled Econo Lodge features new “everything,” from fur- niture to carpet to show- ers. Private kitchenettes have been added to some rooms, and the business has added a continental breakfast. Refreshments and tours of the remod- eled hotel at 1481 Sixth St. will be available Friday at 2 p.m. during the open house. “It took a long time, but we’re here” — Jose Quinones, co-owner Umatilla County upgrades refrigerators, pickups By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian Umatilla County Pub- lic Health is getting two new refrigerators to store vaccines. Public Health gives about 2,600 vaccines a year, according to Alisha South- wick, the department’s dep- uty director, and the refrig- erators storing the vaccines are 10 years old. One refrig- erator is in the clinic in Hermiston and the other is at the department’s office in Pendleton. She said the Wildhorse Foundation pro- vided a $10,000 grant to cover the cost of the upgrade. Public Health received bids from four ven- dors. Southwick said, and selected two K2 Scientific models. They cost a total of $8,590, including delivery, and have the most amount of cubic feet storage. Two other vendors also offered bids below $10,000, accord- ing to a memo from South- wick, but those refrigerators were too small. The county board voted 3-0 to approve the pur- chase. Commissioner Bill Elfering advised Southwick the Wildhorse Foundation requires her to give back any difference between the grant money and the actual cost. Southwick said she planned on asking the foun- dation if her department could spend the remaining $1,410 on new thermome- ters to monitor the tempera- tures of the refrigerators. Commissioner George Murdock said the Wild- horse Foundation can be amendable to such requests. Murdock chairs the founda- tion’s board of directors. The board also approved vehicle purchases for the public works department. The department is get- ting two new 2019 Ford F-250 XL pickups from Northside Ford Truck Sales Inc., Portland, for $28,753.64 each. Tom Fel- lows, public works director, told the board the pickups would replace aging vehi- cles for supervisors, who drive them 25,000 miles or more each year, so it makes sense to improve those from time to time. He also explained the department has the funds in its budget and is using the statewide network of con- tractors to get the best deal. Without that contract, the pickups would cost more than $41,000 each. And public works will buy three used pickups from the United States For- est Service for a total of $20,100, including $8,100 for a 2009 Ford F-250 crew cab four-wheel drive with a diesel engine and 81,797 miles. Fellows said the department also budgeted for these vehicles. Ward Walker initially got into the Christmas tree business as a way to fill the gap between his seasonal lawn service business. “This is a natural pro- gression with my time,” he said. “As I’m wrapping up my lawn business, I start cutting trees.” In his 30th year of sell- ing Christmas trees in Pendleton, Walker still has a lot of fun with it. In addi- tion to making a profit, the Pendleton man likes to help brighten the holi- day season for people that might be less fortunate. Reading a person’s body language, Walker sometimes offers a dis- count. Other times, he merely plays Santa Claus and gives trees away. “I like to give to peo- ple that don’t expect it and would never ask,” he said. Also, he has held con- tests on the Walker’s Christmas Trees Facebook page. Last season, he asked for nominations in order to give away a handful of trees. Without knowing the identity of the proposed recipient, people voted by “liking” the nomination. Among a flurry of nomina- tions, the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association was moved by the giv- ing spirit, offering stock- ing stuffer gifts to those in need. Others have responded with the pay it forward spirit by paying double when making a purchase. Last season, Walker pre- sented a tree paid for by Gene and Mary Hallman to a family that recently lost a loved one. In 2016, Cindy Moran was touched when her par- ents, Frank and Phyllis Ritz, were the recipients of someone’s pay it forward generosity. After putting up a small artificial tree for many years, Moran said her mother was hoping for a real tree. In ill health, she didn’t have many holiday seasons left. After hearing about the octogenarian’s wish, Walker was touched and gave Phyllis’ caregiver a tree. “This brought tears to my mother’s eyes,” Moran said. “With all the negative things happening in our world, it is good to know that there are still good people who care about others.” Last season, as it got closer for Santa to make his rounds, Walker needed to take care of his own hol- iday plans. Posting a mes- sage on Facebook and at the tree lot, he let people know it was self-service and they could pay what they could afford. All he asked was that people mes- sage him to make payment arrangements. Although there were a few grinches who stole Christmas trees, Walker won’t let the actions of a few deter his holiday spirit. “It’s a cool feeling to help others,” Walker said. Walker’s Christmas Trees is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (except opening at 9 a.m. on Saturdays). it’s located in the 800 block of Southgate between Abby’s Legendary Pizza and Wen- dy’s. 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