REGION
Tuesday, October 6, 2020
CTUIR, Umatilla County pursuing
quicker fix to Thorn Hollow Bridge
Replacing the
bridge is estimated
at $4.6 million
By ALEX CASTLE
East Oregonian
MISSION — At an esti-
mated replacement cost of
$4.6 million, the Thorn Hol-
low Bridge left impassable by
the raging waters that flooded
the Umatilla Indian Reserva-
tion and Umatilla County in
February isn’t on track to be
replaced until at least 2025.
During a meeting between
the Confederated Tribes of
the Umatilla Indian Reserva-
tion’s Board of Trustees and
the county board of commis-
sioners Wednesday, Sept. 30,
the two entities focused on
expediting that replacement
while establishing a better
relationship for joint recov-
ery efforts from February’s
floods.
“We’re looking at the
future and trying to figure
out what our options are to
make all the Umatilla County
residents who live up there
have options for safety,” said
Sally Kosey, treasurer for the
CTUIR Board of Trustees.
Without the Thorn Hol-
low Bridge in place, residents
have had their direct access
to Highway 11 cut off. The
CTUIR is concerned that in
the event of wildfires or other
emergencies, the communi-
ty’s ability to evacuate has
been significantly hindered
without that access.
“That’s a real concern
for us because, not only do
tribal members live up there
but nontribal members live
up there,” said Kat Brigham,
chair of the CTUIR Board
of Trustees. “And they’re
having big changes in their
lives.”
The problem is the
county says it doesn’t have
the money to fund the proj-
ect itself, even with the hope
of eventual reimbursement
from the Federal Emergency
Management Agency.
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian, File
A bridge in Thorn Hollow bows as the Umatilla River rises
below it on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020.
“In the county road
department, we just don’t
have big enough pockets for
$4.6 million,” said Tom Fel-
lows, county roadmaster and
public works director.
Fellows said the county
explored funding through the
federal bridge replacement
program, but there wasn’t
enough emergency fund-
ing for the project, either.
But Fellows said the county
had recently secured roughly
$600,000 to begin designing
a replacement for the bridge.
“That will get us a bridge
design that’s ready to go,” he
said.
The CTUIR questioned
the county’s priorities in
infrastructure repairs from
the floods, noting the county
had found a temporary bridge
to reopen Harris Park earlier
this year.
“We know it’d be an addi-
tional cost,” Kosey said. “But
if we can get a temporary
bridge to put at Harris Park
to a dead end, surely there’s
something we can do to help
the people at Thorn Hollow
Bridge.”
Fellows said the bridge
for Harris Park was a loan
from Lane County and that
it was only needed to cover
40 feet, unlike the 200 feet
needed where Thorn Hol-
low Bridge spans. For a tem-
porary solution, Fellows said
a foot bridge of some kind
may be able to be installed
but he hadn’t found a tem-
porary option that would
accommodate vehicles.
Jill-Marie Gavin, an
at-large member of the
CTUIR board of Trustees,
also expressed some of the
Tribes’ frustrations with the
lack of communication from
the county until the Sept. 30
meeting and the desire to
build a stronger collaborative
relationship moving forward.
Umatilla County Com-
missioner John Shafer agreed
that the relationship can and
should be stronger, and said
holding more joint meetings
between the two government
entities going forward would
be one way to work toward
that.
The boards agreed to
schedule quarterly meetings
every three months mov-
ing forward as each work to
recover from recent disas-
ters, with the next meeting
planned for Dec. 16.
In the meantime, the
boards also agreed to each
look to additional funding
sources, while combining
any future lobbying efforts
to Gov. Kate Brown and the
Oregon Legislature in explor-
ing quicker options to replace
Thorn Hollow Bridge.
“I think we can come out
of this with a sort of a joint
group that can pursue all
kinds of targets,” said Uma-
tilla County Commissioner
George Murdock. “And if we
have a joint proposal between
the county and Tribes, I think
that goes a lot further in
Salem.”
East Oregonian
A3
Annual corn maze opens in Echo
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
ECHO — Fall is here, and
so is the Echo Corn Maze.
The 8-acre maze is located
at 100 N. Dupont St. in Echo,
and takes approximately
one hour to complete. The
property also includes other
attractions, including smaller
mazes for young children,
a pyramid of hay bales for
climbing, a small zipline, a
pumpkin patch, and fire pits
that can be reserved for group
gatherings.
Owner Gina Tyhuis said
her family started the maze
five years ago to celebrate
the adoption of her son. Now,
each year is a celebration
of that anniversary for their
family as they work together
to run the maze.
This year, they had to do
MORE INFORMATION
For more information on the Echo Corn Maze, including hours
and pricing, visit echocornmaze.com or call 509-528-5808.
extra work to bring the maze
back, after the entire property
was covered by water during
the extensive flooding of the
Umatilla River in February.
“We flooded in the spring
and had to start over, so
that’s what’s pushed us back
some,” she said as she worked
to wrap up preparations on
Thursday, Oct. 1.
She said the commu-
nity participation is always
“awesome,” including spon-
sors and volunteers who help
make it possible.
The maze opened Friday,
Oct. 2, and will stay open
through the end of October,
Tuesday through Sunday. The
haunted Field of Screams ver-
sion will be available Oct. 17,
24, 30 and 31 from 7-9 p.m.
In light of COVID-19,
masks will be required on
the property and hand sani-
tizing stations will be avail-
able. Guests are asked to
keep 6 feet apart from other
groups and not visit the site
if they are experiencing any
symptoms of illness or may
be contagious. Health experts
have recommended outdoor
activities as a safer alterna-
tive to indoor events during
the pandemic, and Tyhuis
said the corn maze offers a
good open-air option as the
weather turns cooler.
LOCAL BRIEFING
by ambulance, officials stated.
He was cited for an unlaw-
ful left turn, according to Ore-
gon State Police.
Fire burns
Hermiston
apartments
pants of the apartment com-
plex were very effective at get-
ting everyone out before fire
crews arrived.”
HERMISTON — Four
apartment units at Ridge-
way Apartments in Hermis-
ton were damaged in an early
morning fire on Sunday, Oct.
4.
According to a news release
from Umatilla County Fire
District #1, the district received
a call at 2:10 a.m. about a fire in
a two-story apartment build-
ing at the apartment complex.
“When crews arrived at
2:13 A.M. heavy fire was
showing from the first-floor
apartment window, extending
into the second-floor apart-
ment window and roof eves,”
the release stated.
Two units in the building
were damaged by fire and two
more were damaged by smoke
and water. Fire crews also
“opened up” walls and ceilings
on the units to bring the fire
under control.
The cause of the fire is
under investigation. Accord-
ing to the release, no one was
injured “because the occu-
Two people injured Inmate dies
on hospice care
in M-F crash
MILTON-FREEWATER at TRCI
— Two vehicles collided
on West Crockett Road just
before 4:50 p.m. on Sunday,
Oct. 4, injuring two people,
officials said.
Joshua L. Hyatt, 29, of
College Place, Washington,
turned left on West Crockett
Road from Highway 11 near
Milton-Freewater in front of
driver Kylie L. Kemp, 21, of
Clarkston, Washington. The
two vehicles crashed together.
James B. Weber, 23, of
Clarkston, was riding with
Kemp. He reported pain and
was transported to Provi-
dence St. Mary Medical Cen-
ter, according to a release
from Oregon State Police. No
information was available on
his condition.
Hyatt reported a broken
leg, but refused medical treat-
ment, and was not transported
UMATILLA
—
A
57-year-old man incarcerated
at Two Rivers Correctional
Institution in Umatilla died
while on hos-
pice care on
Friday, Oct.
2,
accord-
ing to a press
release from
the
Ore-
gon Depart-
ment
of
Soto
Corrections.
Edward R. Soto died at the
prison after being incarcer-
ated in December 2019 from
Marion County, the release
stated. His earliest release
date was Aug. 27, 2023.
Per standard protocol, the
Oregon State Police have
been notified of the death.
— EO Media Group and
wire services