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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 11, 2019)
REGION Friday, January 11, 2019 In quick meeting, commissioners approve sheriff’s office requests By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office is getting new protective vests and tactical medical supplies. The purchases were among the slew of agenda items the Umatilla County Board of Commission- ers considered Wednesday morning in a mere 22 min- utes during its first pub- lic meeting of the year. Commissioner Bill Elfer- ing, the new chair of the board, said, “That’s kind of a record for 13 items.” The board approved the sheriff’s office request to buy nine new body armor vests for $7,740. The sher- iff’s office in a memo to the board stated it has to replace the vests every five years. The medical sup- plies total $5,607.57 and include 80 cold com- presses for $100, 10 com- bat application tourniquets for $300 and six first-aid kits with combat gauze for $989. Grants from local hospitals covered the cost, but county expenses of $5,000 or more require board approval. The board also gave approval for the Public Works Department to buy a 2019 Ford F-350 pickup from a Portland dealership for $40,541. Public Works Director Tom Fellows said the vehicle replaces an older pickup. The board also renewed its $7,500 contract with U.S. Department of Agri- culture for aerial control of predators. Elfering and Commissioner George Murdock said that was the same price as last year, which the county negoti- ated down from $10,000. The meeting was the first for rookie Commis- sioner John Shafer, who reiterated he was looking forward to serving the res- idents of the county. And before the board ticked off business items, it took a moment to rec- ognize Terri Lee Shelley, appraiser in the Assess- ment and Taxation Depart- ment, as the employee of the quarter. The honor comes with a parking spot near the courthouse and 8 hours of paid leave. Shelley will need to take that soon — she is retiring at the end of March. Shelley wiped away a tear while accepting her certificate of excel- lence and said she did not really want to leave her co-workers. “We have the greatest staff right now that I’ve ever seen,” she said. Her boss, county appraiser Paul Chalmers, agreed. Bridge work will cause detours on South First Street in Hermiston East Oregonian A section of South First Street in Hermiston will be closed during Febru- ary and March as the city replaces a bridge over the canal near Southeast Cres- tline Drive. The small bridge, which runs over the Maxwell Canal, is located on South First Street (Hinkle Road) south of Highland Avenue and north of Gettman and Feedville roads. Accord- ing to a news release from the city, “the existing canal crossing is approaching the end of its useful life, and will be replaced with a much wider box cul- vert in order to accom- modate continued growth along this key north-south corridor.” Work is expected to run from early February through the end of March, and the city will release a list of closure dates after they are finalized with the contractor. Drivers who frequently used the road to get to loca- tions, such as the Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center, will have to plan alternate routes. “The fact that this bridge closure is going to cause some major chal- lenges for people to nav- igate around really high- lights how important this road section is now, and how it will continue to grow in importance in the future,” assistant city man- ager Mark Morgan said in a statement. “Due to the canal and railroad cross- ings in this area, there sim- ply aren’t any easy detours, which is why as our com- munity continues to grow to the south, we need to work hard to develop addi- tional street routes through this area.” East Oregonian A3 Umatilla hires public works director By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN East Oregonian The city of Umatilla has a new public works direc- tor. Scott Coleman stepped into the role on Wednesday, Jan. 2. Coleman, a resident of Prosser, Washington, has spent most of his career working in irrigation tech- nology and construction, and has worked for irri- gation districts in Wash- ington. He most recently worked for the Sunny- side irrigation district for 18 years. He said he began looking to diversify his career and work in the pub- lic sector. “I knew Dave Stock- dale from when he was the city manager in Prosser,” said Coleman, referring to the new city manager of Umatilla. Coleman said he hopes his background in irrigation will help him deal with the city’s water needs. “Irrigation districts (in Washington) feed a lot of cities,” he said. “I’m real familiar with repairing roads, infrastructure that goes into delivering water to city lots. My irrigation career started on the engi- neering side.” He said while Umatilla’s infrastructure is aging, the facilities are good. “Everyone’s trying to do more with less,” he said. “I think I have a good back- ground in that.” Contributed photo Scott Coleman is the new director of public works for the city of Umatilla. COMING EVENTS FRIDAY, JAN. 11 STORY AND CRAFT TIME, 2 p.m., Echo Public Library, 20 S. Bonanza, Echo. (541-376-8411) VFW BINGO, 6 p.m., Hermiston VFW, 45 W. Cherry St., Hermis- ton. Doors open at 6 p.m., games begin at 7 p.m. Everyone welcome. (541-567-6219) 12:30-1 p.m., Pendleton Recreation Center, 510 S.W. Dorion Ave., Pend- leton. Free for special needs chil- dren and families. (Casey Brown 541-276-8100) HYMN SING, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Vic- tory Baptist Church, 193 E. Main St., Hermiston. Enjoy singing the old hymns with old and new friends. Free. (Chris Finley 541-571-2516) SATURDAY, JAN. 12 SMART DRIVER CLASS, 8:45 a.m.-4 p.m., St. Anthony Hos- pital, 2801 St. Anthony Way, Pend- leton. Learn strategies for safe driv- ing, adjustments for age-related driving issues, the latest rules of the road and more. Cost is $15 for AARP members (bring card) or $20 for non-members. Lunch is on your own. Registration required. (541-861-0024) FREE FOR ALL, 9:30-10:15 a.m., Pendleton Center for the Arts, 214 N. Main St., Pendleton. Free art classes for children up to age 12. Children under 8 should be accom- panied by an adult. (Roberta Lava- dour 541-278-9201) YARN CLUB, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Herm- iston Public Library, 235 E. Gladys Ave., Hermiston. (541-567-2882) HIP & HANDMADE, 11 a.m.- 12 p.m., Pendleton Center for the Arts, 214 N. Main St., Pendleton. Free drop-in project class for adults. (Roberta Lavadour 541-278-9201) COUNTRY HOEDOWN, 1-4 p.m., Milton-Freewater Neighborhood Senior Center, 311 N. Main St., Mil- ton-Freewater. Live music, dancing and singing. Admission $2, refresh- ments available for purchase. (541-938-3311) DANCING WITH THE HERMISTON STARS, 7 p.m., Hermiston High School auditorium, 600 S. First St., Hermiston. Watch locals perform with professional ballroom danc- ers as they raise money for their favorite charities. Tickets are $20in advance, $25 at the door, students $10, available at eventbrite.com. SUNDAY, JAN. 13 SPECIAL NEEDS OPEN GYM, MONDAY, JAN. 14 WALKING FOR WELLNESS, 8:30- 9:30 a.m., Pendleton Recreation Center, 510 S.W. Dorion Ave., Pend- leton. Get some exercise even when the weather is bad. Free. (Casey Brown 541-276-8100) PRESCHOOL STORY TIME, 10:30 a.m., Athena Public Library, 418 E. Main St., Athena. For ages birth to 6. (541-566-2470) PENDLETON SENIOR MEAL SER- VICE, 12-1 p.m., Pendleton Senior Center, 510 S.W. 10th St., Pendleton. Costs $3.50 or $6 for those under 60. Pool, puzzles, crafts, snacks, Sec- ond Time Around thrift store 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For Meals On Wheels, call 541-276-1926. (Tori Bowman 541-276-5073) ART STUDIO, 4-5:30 p.m., Pendle- ton Center for the Arts, 214 N. Main St., Pendleton. Free class for ages 7-12 to develop skills and encour- age art exploration. (Roberta Lava- dour 541-278-9201) TEEN ADVISORY COUNCIL, 4 p.m., Hermiston Public Library, 235 E. Gladys Ave., Hermiston. All teens welcome. Snacks will be provided. (541-567-2882) Library, 502 S.W. Dorion Ave., Pend- leton. Gain information in dealing with problem behaviors exhibited by children ages 0-12, including disobedience (Jan. 8), fighting and aggression (Jan. 15), bedtime rou- tines (Jan. 22) and hassle-free shop- ping with children (Jan. 29). Free, registration not required. Attend one or all. (541-966-0380) BOARDMAN SENIOR MEAL SER- VICE, 12 p.m., Boardman Senior Center, 100 Tatone St., Boardman. Cost is $4 for seniors 55 and over or $5 for adults. (541-481-3257) PENDLETON SENIOR MEAL SER- VICE, 12-1 p.m., Pendleton Senior Center, 510 S.W. 10th St., Pendleton. Costs $3.50 or $6 for those under 60. Pool, puzzles, crafts, snacks, Sec- ond Time Around thrift store 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For Meals On Wheels, call 541-276-1926. (Tori Bowman 541-276-5073) HERMISTON SENIOR MEAL SER- VICE, 12 p.m., Harkenrider Cen- ter, 255 N.E. Second St., Hermiston. Cost is $4 for adults, free for chil- dren 10 and under, $4 for Meals on Wheels. Extra 50 cents for uten- sils/dishes. Bus service available by donation. (541-567-3582) THIRD TUESDAY CLIMATE CON- VERSATION, 12 p.m., Prodigal Son Brewery & Pub, 230 S.E. Court Ave., Pendleton. Holiday party. Share your thoughts on the previous year’s discussions and guest speak- ers. Food and beverages available for purchase. Everyone welcome. SKILLS FOR LIFE, 3 p.m., Pendleton Recreation Center, 510 S.W. Dorion Ave., Pendleton. Gym activities at 3 p.m., life skills at 4 p.m. for middle and high school students. Regis- tration requested. (Suzanne Moore 541-276-3987) BARBARA LUND-JONES RETIRE- MENT PARTY, 4-6 p.m., Heritage Station Museum, 108 S.W. Frazer Ave., Pendleton. Drop in and wish Barbara the best in retirement. UCHS board members will speak beginning at 4:30 p.m., followed by the opportunity for well-wishes from the public. Beverages and hors d’oeuvres will be available. Free. (541-276-0012) CRAFTERNOONS, 4:15 p.m., Pend- leton Public Library, 502 S.W. Dorion Ave., Pendleton. Drop in for a group or individual craft project. All ages. (541-966-0380) PENDLETON EAGLES TACOS AND BINGO, 6 p.m., Pendleton Eagles Lodge, 428 S. Main St., Pendle- ton. Regular packet $10, special packet $5. Proceeds donated to local charities. Public welcome. (541-278-2828) INSIDE OUTSIDE THE LINES ADULT COLORING, 6-7:30 p.m., Irrigon Public Library, 490 N.E. Main St., Irrigon. Materials pro- vided. Bring snacks to share. (541-922-0138) PENDLETON KNITTING GROUP, 6 p.m., Prodigal Son Brewery & Pub, 230 S.E. Court Ave., Pendleton. (541-966-0380) STORY AND CRAFT TIME, 6:30 p.m., Milton-Freewa- ter Public Library, 8 S.W. Eighth Ave., Milton-Freewater. For ele- mentary school-age children. (541-938-8247) TUESDAY, JAN. 15 WALKING FOR WELLNESS, 8:30- 9:30 a.m., Pendleton Recreation Center, 510 S.W. Dorion Ave., Pend- leton. Get some exercise even when the weather is bad. Free. (Casey Brown 541-276-8100) PRESCHOOL STORY TIME, 10:30-11 a.m., Stanfield Public Library, 180 W. Coe Ave., Stanfield. (541-449-1254) TRIPLE P DISCUSSION GROUP, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Pendleton Public IN BRIEF Wildhorse to cater Governor’s Gala Attendees at the Gover- nor’s Gala will get a taste of Eastern Oregon on Jan. 18. An inaugural event in Portland, which includes cuisine from seven regions across the state, the gala selected Wildhorse Resort and Casino to represent Eastern Oregon. “(Wildhorse Executive Chef Jeff) Sommer and his crew will deliver about (1,200) hors d’oeuvres to the Governor’s guests,” a Wildhorse press release states. “The culinary team then quickly resets to pre- pare and serve dinner to 450 additional guests at the resort’s Rivers Event Center.” Wildhorse staff will pre- pare three hors d’oeuvres with locally sourced food — a Hill Meat bacon and bleu cheese appetizer, braised lamb shoulder in Pendle- ton Whisky sauce with lamb raised in Upper Dry Creek Ranch in Weston, and huck- leberry cheesecake. Houfmuse arrested on probation violation HERMISTON — A Hermiston man is back in jail about five months after murder charges against him were dropped. Tyree Houfmuse, 36, was arrested on a probation violation on Wednesday and booked in the Umatilla County Jail. Houfmuse had spent most of 2018 in county jail, between hearings in a case where he was charged with the murder of James Cragun. A judge dropped those charges in August and sen- tenced him to 25 months for unlawful possession of a weapon, but because of time already served, Houf- muse’s sentence ended up being only a few months. The most valuable and respected source of local news, advertising and information for our communities. eomediagroup.com St. Anthony Provider Spotligh t Dr Reddy is now accepting new patients. Board Certifi cation: Board Certifi ed American Board of Internal Medicine Education: Unity St Mary’s Campus, Bangalore Medical College Insurance Accepted: Most major insurances, Medicare, Medicaid CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT CLASS Special Services: Internal Medicine Valid in Washington January 19 TH • 1 PM Best Western 2255 S Hwy 395, Hermiston $80 multi-State, OR included no-fee. $45 Oregon-only Required class to get an Oregon or multi-State Required class to get an Oregon or multi-State permit. Class includes: • Fingerprinting & photo • Oregon gun laws • Washington gun laws • Interstate travel laws • Interaction with law enforcement • Use of deadly force • Firearm / ammunition / holster selection 360.921.2071 FirearmTrainingNW.com : FirearmTrainingNW@gmail.com Lohith Reddy, MD 3001 St. Anthony Way Pendleton, OR 97801 Call for your appointment today 541.966.0535 FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.SAHPENDLETON.ORG