NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
A2
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
A sole purpose behind EOU senior’s project
By DICK MASON
La Grande Observer
LA GRANDE — Peter
Eke, an Eastern Oregon Uni-
versity senior from Nigeria,
did not travel light when he
returned to his homeland last
summer.
Sixty-two youths from
poverty-stricken families in
Nigeria can attest to this.
Eke arrived with seven
bags containing 62 pairs of
basketball shoes donated by
Northeast Oregon residents.
Next Eke put his best foot for-
ward. The 6-foot-7-inch EOU
student-athlete
distributed
all of the shoes to the most
needy attending a free basket-
ball camp he was putting on.
Almost all had never worn
shoes before.
The youths seemed as
excited as fans who had just
seen their favorite college
team win a national title on a
buzzer-beating shot.
“They were ecstatic,
incredibly happy,” said Eke,
who was one of at least 400
students who received diplo-
mas Saturday at EOU’s
commencement.
Eke, who performs acts
of charity like this through
his organization Dreamers
Without Boundaries, will be
at it again in August, deliver-
ing dozens of shoes to youths
attending his basketball camp
in the state of Ebonyi in South-
La Grande Observer photo by Ronald Bond
Eastern Oregon University senior Peter Eke collected more than 60 pairs of donated basket-
ball shoes to take to Nigeria to distribute for a free camp he put on in the country. For many,
it was their first pair of shoes.
east Nigeria. This time he will
also be giving T-shirts and
more to the children attending
from poor families.
Such acts of generosity by
Eke are not a surprise, accord-
ing to EOU men’s head bas-
ketball coach Carlito Labarda,
Jr.
“He has the most gracious
heart I’ve ever seen,” Labarda
said.
He said Eke’s selfless
nature personifies altruism.
“I am more proud of
him than any of my players
because of what he does to
help others. It is the ultimate
(kindness) to help others who
can’t help you back,” Labarda
said.
Eke teaches youths in Nige-
ria about much more than bas-
ketball. He also talks to them
about how important it is to
learn to love rather than hate.
The importance of developing
a conscience and learning the
difference between right and
wrong are also focused upon.
Eke also addresses mis-
conceptions about life in
the United States. He said
many young people in Nige-
ria believe that in the United
States, everything is given to
you.
“You have to work for
everything you want,” he tells
the youths. “It is not peaches
and cream.”
Eke said he is inspired to
reach out to his homeland
because he sees his reflection
when he looks out upon young
boys in Nigeria. He explained
he was once a barefoot boy
attending a basketball camp
in his country run by Masai
Ujiri, who is now president
of basketball operations for
the 2019 National Basketball
Association champions, the
Toronto Raptors. Ujiri, who
grew up in Nigeria, gave Eke
and many other boys at his
camp the first shoes they ever
had.
Eke said the shoes he
received made a huge impact
in the development of his bas-
ketball skills because he sud-
denly had the freedom to play
harder.
“I didn’t have to worry
about being injured,” Eke said.
Eke’s basketball skills
were noticed by coaches with
Covenant Christian Minis-
tries Academy in Georgia
where Eke went for his final
two years of high school to
play basketball. He played so
well he earned a junior col-
lege basketball scholarship at
Atlanta Metropolitan State
College. Eke later put together
a highlight video of his junior
college performances and sent
it to coaches at four-year col-
leges throughout the nation
including Eastern.
Labarda was impressed
with what he saw and offered
Eke an athletic scholarship,
which he accepted.
Coming to La Grande was
an eye-opener for Eke. So
much was new to him, includ-
ing the weather. It was here
that he experienced snow for
the first time.
“I had never felt cold in
that way before,” Eke said.
He has enjoyed his time
in La Grande and EOU
immensely and speaks mov-
ingly about people who have
reached out to him. These
people include Kris and Dan
Martens, who have provided
Eke with a place to stay and
enjoy meals during holiday
breaks when most students
have left.
“They have been like a
family for me,” Eke said.
Kris Martens, who works
at EOU in events and confer-
ence services, describes Eke
as someone whose lone pur-
pose in life is to reach out to
others.
“He is an incredible kid
(with) a great heart. His real
drive is helping people,” Mar-
tens said. “We will miss him
terribly.”
Martens said Eke is also an
outstanding cook, preparing
dishes popular in his country
that they found delightful. The
family’s favorite is a rice dish
called jollof.
Eke graduated with a
degree in physical activity
and health with a concen-
tration on exercise science.
He wants to become a physi-
cal therapist for athletes after
leaving Eastern.
Forecast for Pendleton Area
TODAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
Becoming windier
and not as warm
Intervals of clouds
and sunshine
Pleasant with
clouds and sun
Intervals of clouds
and sunshine
Partly sunny,
breezy and nice
74° 47°
69° 48°
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
73° 51°
76° 51°
81° 53°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
80° 51°
75° 52°
80° 56°
81° 53°
87° 58°
OREGON FORECAST
ALMANAC
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Seattle
Olympia
61/50
68/42
75/47
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
75/49
Lewiston
65/50
80/52
Astoria
63/50
Pullman
Yakima 76/50
66/45
76/53
Portland
Hermiston
71/53
The Dalles 80/51
Salem
Corvallis
71/47
La Grande
Yesterday
Normals
Records
71/42
PRECIPITATION
John Day
Eugene
Bend
74/44
74/38
73/41
Ontario
83/50
Caldwell
Burns
86°
64°
80°
54°
108° (1961) 40° (2010)
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
Albany
72/47
0.00"
Trace
0.41"
4.42"
5.10"
5.52"
WINDS (in mph)
81/47
74/37
0.00"
0.05"
0.86"
9.33"
6.40"
7.37"
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Pendleton 67/39
71/47
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
HERMISTON
Enterprise
74/47
71/54
83°
60°
79°
53°
100° (1961) 38° (1902)
PRECIPITATION
Moses
Lake
66/48
Aberdeen
69/46
71/51
Tacoma
Yesterday
Normals
Records
Spokane
Wenatchee
66/51
Today
Thu.
Boardman WSW 10-20
Pendleton WSW 10-20
Medford
83/50
WSW 8-16
W 10-20
SUN AND MOON
Klamath Falls
79/38
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2019
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
5:05 a.m.
8:48 p.m.
10:54 p.m.
7:11 a.m.
Last
New
First
Full
June 25
July 2
July 9
July 16
NATIONAL EXTREMES
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 105° in Needles, Calif. Low 30° in Climax, Colo.
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife File Photo
The Wedge Wolfpack has resumed killing livestock in Stevens County, Washington.
NORTHWEST IN BRIEF
Wedge wolfpack attacks
livestock in NE Washington
SPOKANE — A northeast Washing-
ton wolfpack killed a cow last week in north-
ern Stevens County, the first confirmed wolf
attack on livestock in Washington since early
January.
The cow was attacked in a private pas-
ture and was found by the rancher June 11, a
state Department of Fish and Wildlife spokes-
woman said.
Another the dead cow was found about
one-quarter mile away the day before, but
investigators were unable to determine the
cause of death, she said.
Fish and Wildlife attributed the depredation
to the Wedge pack. The department counted
three wolves in the pack at the end of last year.
The pack’s territory crosses into Canada,
according to Fish and Wildlife.
The department killed seven wolves in
the Wedge pack in 2012 to protect cattle. Last
week’s attack was the first confirmed recent
depredation by the pack.
Non-lethal measures — range riders, trail
cameras and hazing — were in place before
the attack to protect cattle.
Oregon advances bill
allowing undocumented
immigrants to drive
SALEM — Undocumented immigrants in
Oregon could legally obtain drivers licenses
under a measure approved by the House.
Lawmakers voted 39-21 on Tuesday to send
the Senate a plan expanding driving privi-
leges to all Oregon residents regardless of their
immigration status.
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
-10s
-0s
0s
showers t-storms
10s
rain
20s
flurries
30s
snow
40s
50s
ice
60s
cold front
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70s
80s
90s
100s
warm front stationary front
high
low
SALEM — The state’s unemployment
rate was slightly down, the Oregon Employ-
ment Department reported Tuesday.
According to a press release from OED,
May’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.2%,
down from 4.3% in April.
The state’s unemployment rate has been
between 4% and 4.4% for 31 months, dating
back to November 2016. The U.S. unemploy-
ment rate was 3.6% in both April and May.
During this economic expansion, Ore-
gon’s unemployment rate has been lower than
at any time since comparable records began
in 1976. The previous low was reached in
January and February 1995 when Oregon’s
rate touched 4.7%.
In addition to the very low level of Ore-
gon’s unemployment rate, it has been lower
longer than ever before. Since the late-
1970s, during the prior five economic expan-
sions, the unemployment rate would gener-
ally drop to a bottom in the cycle and then
start moving upward within a few months.
In contrast, during the past three years, Ore-
gon’s unemployment rate dropped down
close to 4%, remaining near there for 31
consecutive months.
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52 weeks
26 weeks
13 weeks
The bill has been a priority for pro-immi-
gration groups who say that undocumented
immigrants often live in rural areas, which
requires having a car. Those without proof of
residence say they live in fear that they could
be deported over a traffic stop.
Opponents say that the measure should be
sent to the ballot considering voters already
shot down a similar proposal in 2016.
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