REGION
Saturday, November 28, 2020
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Christmas parade to bring cheer to residents Umatilla County
commissioner-elect
Athena Mainstreet
Association is
arraigned in DUII case
sponsoring ‘Winter
Lights Parade’
next month
By SHEILA HAGAR
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
ATHENA — While the
COVID-19 pandemic has
darkened many venues and
events, a new light will
shine here due to the limita-
tions of 2020.
Lots of new lights, if
things go according to plan.
The Athena Mainstreet
Association is sponsoring its
fi rst “Winter Lights Parade”
on Sunday, Dec. 6, starting
at 5 p.m., according to Pres-
ident April Vorhauer-Flatt.
The organization, which
promotes the town’s busi-
ness community, was estab-
lished in 2013.
Since then, it has had
some big accomplishments,
such as buying the large
Main Street building in 2017
that once housed Pendleton
Grain Growers.
PGG shuttered its retail
division in 2014, closing its
stores in Pendleton, Herm-
iston, Athena and Mil-
ton-Freewater, before mem-
bers decided to dissolve the
Athena Mainstreet Association/Contributed Photo
In this 2019 photo, residents joined in creating Christmas de-
cor in an event sponsored by Athena Mainstreet Association.
While such gatherings have been canceled this year, the orga-
nization is planning to sponsor a lighted parade in December.
farmers’ co-op entirely in
2016, the East Oregonian
reported.
The structure in Athena
has been renamed The His-
toric Stahl Building and is
undergoing massive renova-
tions for future use, Vorhau-
er-Flatt said.
“I’m also really proud of
partnering with other orga-
nizations to do things for
the town,” including absorb-
ing the tasks of the now-dis-
banded Athena Chamber of
Commerce, she said.
To support this kind of
work, the association has
traditionally hosted farm-
ers’ markets and done other
fundraisers.
This time of year, the
all-volunteer crew sponsors
the town’s annual Christmas
tree lighting ceremony and
a holiday bazaar, Vorhau-
er-Flatt noted.
All these traditions were
crossed off by the chal-
lenges of 2020. On the sur-
face it looks grim, but it
also allowed creativity to
blossom.
What about a parade,
with as many as 20 fl oats
and entries, that brings the
lights of the season to the
residents?
“A parade that travels
throughout the town so fam-
ilies can stay home but still
have some holiday spirit,”
Vorhauer-Flatt said.
And raise some money
to boot, through a $10 par-
ticipation fee. The event will
also be a competition under
several categories, judged
by former Athena Citizens
of the Year.
Athena Mainstreet Asso-
ciation is seeking people
and organizations who want
to part of the traveling hap-
piness, Vorhauer-Flatt said.
“This is a way to get
involved. This is going to
become a tradition for Ath-
ena,” she said.
This year put at least one
unexpected gift in Santa’s
bag for the association, Vor-
hauer-Flatt pointed out.
“It allowed us to step
back and catch up, to reas-
sess,” she said. “We can
prioritize which events to
keep.”
For
more
informa-
tion call Vorhauer-Flatt at
541-969-4810.
By SHEILA HAGAR
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
PENDLETON — Uma-
tilla County Commission-
er-elect Dan Dorran was
arraigned on a drunken
driving charge on Mon-
day, Nov. 23.
Dorran,
65,
was
arrested Sept. 26 for driv-
ing while under the infl u-
ence
of
intoxicants
in the city
of Uma-
tilla after
a
colli-
sion with
another
Dorran
vehicle.
In Ore-
gon, the charge is a crim-
inal misdemeanor unless
there have been three or
more prior DUII convic-
tions in the past 10 years.
It is punishable by up to
a year in jail and a fi ne of
$6,250, according to state
law.
Dorran pleaded not
guilty in Umatilla County
Circuit Court.
A Republican, Dorran
was elected to the nonpar-
tisan Board of Commis-
sioners, Position 3, on Nov.
3, winning with 45% of the
vote. He is to be sworn in
Jan. 2, 2021, to a four-year
term.
In a public statement
after his arrest was being
investigated by the Walla
Walla
Union-Bulletin,
Dorran said he should not
have driven after drinking
alcohol at a golf event and
that he took full responsi-
bility for his actions.
In Umatilla County, a
defendant can plead guilty,
not guilty or no contest to
a charge. If the defendant
pleads guilty or no con-
test, no trial is set and
the defendant can be sen-
tenced immediately or at a
later date.
If the defendant pleads
not guilty, a trial date is
set.
A not guilty plea is a
routine step in criminal
matters and allows more
time for both sides to con-
tinue investigating the
case.
Dorran’s next court
appearance is scheduled
for Dec. 29.
LOCAL BRIEFING
Parks and Rec to
rip out old trees at
Til Taylor Park
PENDLETON — The
city of Pendleton will be
installing several new fea-
tures at Til Taylor Park as a
part of a $575,000 renova-
tion project, but one of its
fi rst steps will be to rip some
old features out.
According to a Pendleton
Parks and Recreation press
release, work crews will
begin removing trees that
have become safety hazards
within the next few weeks.
“Pretty much every time
the wind blows hard, we
fi nd big limbs down in the
park,” Todd Kligel, a parks
supervisor, said in a state-
ment. “It really worries me
from a safety perspective.”
In the press release,
Parks and Recreation Direc-
tor Liam Hughes said the
Pendleton Tree Commis-
sion recently met at the park
to look at the trees more
closely and determined that
seven trees were dangerous
and four were a part of an
invasive species.
The Til Taylor project,
known as “Til Taylor 101,” is
meant to commemorate the
101st anniversary of former
Umatilla County Sheriff Til
Taylor’s death with a six-fi g-
ure renovation. In addition
to tree replacement, the city
intends to install a splash
pad, playground equipment
and a fenced dog park.
Hughes said work on the
other aspects of the project
will begin early next year.
Umatilla County
reports new
COVID-19 death
UMATILLA COUNTY
— Umatilla County Public
Health announced the coun-
ty’s 49th COVID-19 death
on Wednesday, Nov. 25.
The patient was a
72-year-old woman who
tested positive Nov. 16 and
died Nov. 22 at Good Shep-
herd Medical Center in
Hermiston, according to the
news release.
She had underlying med-
ical conditions.
— EO Media Group
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