county creates application for cares funds | REGION, A3
E O
AST
145th year, No. 23
REGONIAN
Tuesday, december 8, 2020
WINNER OF THE 2020 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
$1.50
Motorcycles thunder through Echo for annual toy run
trailing behind them loaded down
with even more gifts.
The event, started by al sells
17 years ago, has taken on new
meaning following sells’ death in
a motorcycle crash in 2019. sells’
daughter, amanda silvani, said it
was incredible to see support from
the community for the event and
her father’s memory even in the
midst of a global pandemic.
“I was a little worried about this
year,” she said. “but there was a
great turnout.”
silvani, who works in home
health for Good shepherd, said
she used to work in the emer-
gency department at the hospi-
tal and had the opportunity to see
firsthand the joy the toys would
bring to children spending the
community continues
event despite
cOVId-19 pandemic,
founder’s death
By BEN LONERGAN
East Oregonian
ecHO — The sound of more
than 50 motorcycles thundered
through the town of echo on satur-
day, dec. 5, as the 17th annual echo
Toy run departed to take donated
gifts to children at Good shepherd
medical center in Hermiston.
The parade of riders left echo
with their motorcycles adorned
with stuffed animals and brightly
colored toys, a small line of cars
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
A stuffed animal adorns a motorcycle during the Echo Toy Run on Satur-
day, Dec. 5, 2020.
holidays in the hospital.
“It’s usually their worst day
that they’re in the er,” she said.
“To be able to give them a toy is
incredible.”
silvani expressed her gratitude
to the many people involved in car-
rying on the toy run in her father’s
memory and the many people who
donate toys each year. This year,
participants filled three large hos-
pital linen carts with toys and
stuffed animals.
“I think it’s pretty incredible to
see everyone’s support — that they
want to help with this every year,”
silvani said.
Leading off the group of rid-
ers were Phil and beth spencer
See Toys, Page A7
PREP SPORTS
Osaa
adjusts
start dates
Prep sports seasons
now will be six weeks,
with the sixth being a
culminating week
By RONALD BOND
Wallowa County Chieftain
LaKe OsWeGO — The Ore-
gon school activities associa-
tion executive board on monday,
dec. 7, voted to revise the 2020-
21 Osaa calendar by moving the
start dates of season 2 to Febru-
ary 2021, with seasons 3 and 4 to
follow in the spring. The seasons
now will be shorter than they were
under the previous plan, which
was slated to see the season start
on dec. 28.
under the new plan, each of the
three seasons would be six weeks
in length, and the sixth will be a
culminating week to conclude the
season, akin to what was adopted
by the Osaa in august.
One change is that season 2,
which the Osaa announced later
monday will start Feb. 22, would
consist of the traditional fall sports
of football, volleyball, soccer and
cross-country, it was discussed in
the meeting. spring sports would
take place in season 3, and winter
sports in season 4.
The Osaa also announced the
start date for season 3 is april
5, and the start date for season 4
is may 10. The start dates in the
announcements are the first prac-
tice dates, with contests slated to
start the next week. The excep-
tion is for football practices, which
begin Feb. 8, and in baseball and
softball, with pitchers and catchers
slated to report march 22.
The changes were made due to
an increase in cOVId-19 cases
See OSAA, Page A7
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
A heated tent for outdoor dining sits in the parking lot of The Bridge in Umatilla on Monday, Dec. 7, 2020.
Taking it outside
umatilla county
restaurants offering
outdoor dining
under current set of
cOVId guidelines
By JADE MCDOWELL AND
ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
U
maTILLa cOuNTy
— It was 33 degrees
during lunchtime on
Friday, dec. 4, but that
didn’t stop some restaurants from
offering outdoor dining.
It also didn’t stop some cus-
tomers from taking them up on it.
“I don’t mind sitting in the
cold,” shawn Jordan said. “It’s
not bad.”
Jordan was sitting under a
large tent outside The bridge in
umatilla, eating one of the bis-
tro’s signature pizzas. Next to his
table, a large, gas-fired outdoor
heater helped take the chill away.
He said he would rather sit and
enjoy his food rather than take
it home, and he is trying to con-
tinue supporting local businesses
during the pandemic.
“We’ve still got to support
restaurants,” he said. “They’re
doing what they can to get what-
ever business they can.”
Paulette Dufloth, who owns
The bridge with her husband,
Daren Dufloth, said they pur-
chased the heaters and tent after
the newest set of state cOVId-
19 regulations were announced,
allowing restaurants to add out-
door dining to their previously
allowed takeout and delivery
options.
“We try to evolve with the
changes,” she said.
restaurants
in
umatilla
county have been on a journey of
frequently shifting rules this year,
getting put on takeout only rules
three separate times — during
the initial statewide shutdown in
march, when umatilla county
got sent back to “baseline” status
in august, and when the state was
put on a “freeze” in November.
restaurants were allowed to add
outdoor seating, but not indoor
dining, on Thursday, dec. 3.
Dufloth said it’s been a diffi-
cult year to be in the restaurant
business, but at this point her
family has invested too much in
The bridge to give up on it.
under the current set of guide-
lines for cOVId-19, restaurants
in counties that are classified as an
“extreme risk” level — currently
including umatilla and morrow
counties — can offer takeout,
delivery or outdoor seating. The
outdoor seating must have a limit
of six people per table, and tents
are supposed to be kept open on
three sides.
restaurant owners across the
state have voiced complaints
See Dining, Page A7
development commission cool on byers Plaza idea
Idea for a riverfront
plaza at byers
originated in 2007
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
PeNdLeTON — The Pendle-
ton development commission has
shown a renewed appetite for pub-
lic projects, but its appetite only
goes so far.
at a dec. 1 meeting, the council
seemed cool to the idea with pro-
ceeding on plans to design a byers
riverfront Plaza just west of main
street on southwest byers ave-
nue. This was the second time staff
pitched the commission on the idea
of paying $85,400 to a firm for a
design report after the commission
asked for more information at a pre-
vious meeting.
The idea of a riverfront plaza
at byers originated in 2007, when
the city was working with the Ore-
gon department of Transportation
on making improvements to court
avenue ahead of the round-up’s
100th anniversary in 2010. some
of those ideas — downtown way-
finding signs and a riverfront park
between southwest Fourth and
Fifth streets — came to fruition,
while the byers project went on the
back burner.
“(The Plaza was) intended as
the keystone project among the
entry ways planned to connect with
the umatilla river,” a city report
states. “The Plaza was intended to
provide a connection to the river, a
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
See Plaza, Page A7
The site of the Byers Plaza concept at the corner of Southeast Byers Avenue
and Southwest First Street in Pendleton on Monday, Dec. 7, 2020.