REGION
Tuesday, March 2, 2021
East Oregonian
A3
New superintendent at Two Rivers Correctional Institution
By BRYCE DOLE
East Oregonian
UMATILLA — The Oregon
Department of Corrections has
announced the hiring of a new
superintendent at Two Rivers
Correctional Institution in Umatilla,
according to a press release.
Erin Reyes, a former law
enforcement, state government
and public safety offi cial with more
than 25 years of experience, was
announced as the new superinten-
dent on Feb. 22.
“I never would have imagined
my life and career path would lead
me to where I am today,” Reyes said.
Reyes steps into the role after
Tyler Blewett resigned in Decem-
ber 2020 after holding the position
for a year.
Soon after, the prison was rocked
by one of the largest COVID-19
outbreaks seen in Oregon prisons
since the pandemic began.
Hundreds of adults in custody
and dozens of staff fell ill in
December and January — more
than any prison in Oregon during
that time period. Fifteen AICs, who
tested positive at TRCI during the
outbreak, died.
Now, the prison, along with all
other prisons in Oregon, is work-
ing to vaccinate all its AICs against
COVID-19, just as Reyes assumes
her role.
Reyes earned her bachelor’s
degree in business management
and a master’s degree in organi-
zational management from the
University of Phoenix. Her career
began at the Oregon State Police,
where she worked for 18 years and
Pool slide gets extreme makeover
By ANNIE CHARNLEY
EVELAND
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
MILTON-FREEWATER — Tyler
Hoel usually paints automobiles, not
amphibians.
But when a well-loved, frog-
shaped, fiberglass pool slide in
Milton-Freewater needed a facelift,
he was up to the task.
“It caught me off guard,” TYCO
Body & Paint owner Hoel said of
Milton-Freewater Public Works
Department contacting him about the
refurbishing job.
Greg Lehman/Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
“The frog’s aged over the years, so Tyler Hoel sits on the restored fi berglass frog slide currently just inside the
city Public Works asked me to fi x the Joe Humbert Family Aquatic Center at Yantis Park in Milton-Freewater.
wear and tear, and make it look new.”
The frog slide was one of the orig- different project,” he said. “It was fun. back to its original state.”
inal pieces of equipment installed It was a chance to get into airbrushing
Hoel said he probably used 13
in 1996 at the Joe Humbert Family again, a good refresher course and to different hues, layering some to get
Aquatic Center in Yantis Park, Public see that I still had the skill.”
proper shading and depth.
Works Superintendent Brian Stead-
For example, the frog’s body is
Airbrushing uses fi ne motor work
man said.
with a little nozzle the size of a writ- mint green, meadow green and John
Staff took the frog out of commis- ing pen.
Deere green. Paint for the tongue
sion before last season. The fi nish on
“It’s like a tiny paint gun, like is pastel pink. The eyes gleam with
its tongue especially, but also its body, drawing, just with paint,” Hoel said.
bronze, Harley vivid black, Olympic
had deteriorated from extensive use
And through his work, details, white and victory red. Other colors
and sun damage, Steadman said.
such as the frog’s eyes, toes, haunches used to highlight its features are blue,
The city couldn’t justify the cost to and the bumps on its back came to the tan and beige.
replace the frog or send it back to the fore.
Hoel also applied anti-slip material
manufacturer for a facelift, he said.
A popular fi xture, the 6-foot-tall on the stairs.
Instead, Hoel gave the city a reason- amphibian stretches about 10 feet
All told, it took about two weeks
able quote for sanding and restoration. long from the stairs at its tail end to to complete — maybe 30 hours, Hoel
“Tyler did an outstanding job, and the tip of its unfurled tongue, down said.
the frog slide is safely stored just inside which youngsters gleefully slide into
“I was happy to do it, just ‘cause a
the main entrance,” Steadman said. the pool.
lot of people are going to see it, and it
“We plan to reinstall the frog after the
TYCO employee Gabe Garcia makes the aquatic center look better,”
plaster pool resurfacing is complete. repaired surface chips, cracks and he said.
We hope the pool, along with the splits. Hoel strove to make it look
Hoel, 35, opened TYCO in late
frog slide, can be back open for use factory fresh, hand sanding and 2017, but got his start in the field
in June.”
repainting it.
in 2004. He attended Walla Walla
Hoel’s shop mostly handles auto
“It was hard to judge some of the Community College for two years,
work.
colors as it was so faded and sun worked at Jim’s Body Shop in
But fi xing the frog “was nice to beaten,” he said. “Does this color work Milton-Freewater, then at Coach-
have as a change to everyday ‘paint the or that color? I wanted to match the man Body & Frame Service in Walla
bumper, paint the door, fi x the car.’ A colors as close as possible to bring it Walla, Washington.
was promoted from state trooper to
sergeant before joining the Oregon
State Police Offi cers Association,
the press release said.
Reyes later joined the faculty
teaching criminal justice courses at
the University of Phoenix.
In 2013, Reyes joined the Oregon
Department of Human Services as
a caseworker in the Child Protec-
tive Services Division. Three years
later, she became a parole offi cer in
Lincoln County. And in 2017, she
joined the Department of Correc-
tions, where she worked as an inves-
tigator and is currently working as
the acting investigations administra-
tor on the employee services team.
Reyes said earning the position of
superintendent is a privilege.
“As superintendent, I look
forward to continuing to grow as a
professional and work with the great
men and women who work hard
every day to make TRCI the great
institution it is,” Reyes said.
In her free time, Reyes enjoys
equestrian and spending time
outdoors with her family, the press
release said.
LOCAL BRIEFING
Legislative committee Milton-Freewater
to hold hearings on
Area Foundation gets
CD-2 redistricting
new leadership
SALEM — Residents of the
2nd Congressional District will
get their fi rst chance to comment
on the upcoming redistricting
process via video and teleconfer-
ence later this month.
The Oregon Legislature is
responsible for determining
the boundaries of the sprawling
district, which covers everything
east of the Cascade Mountains,
including Umatilla and Morrow
counties.
In a joint press release, Sens.
Bill Hansell of Athena and Tim
Knopp of Bend, the two Repub-
licans of the fi ve-member Senate
Committee on Redistricting,
shared information on how resi-
dents could participate in the hear-
ings.
The hearings will be held
on March 10 from 5:30 p.m. to
7:30 p.m. and on March 20 from
1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Participants can
sign up for written or oral testi-
mony at oregonlegislature.gov/
redistricting. If they don’t have
access to the internet, they can call
Patrick Brennan at 503-986-1674
or Michael Lantz at 503-986-1736
for further instructions.
If a resident has suggestions
on redistricting, the senators
reminded potential participants
that the state requires, “as practi-
cable as possible,” all congressio-
nal districts need to be contiguous,
use existing geographical or politi-
cal boundaries, have equal popula-
tion, keep together “communities
of common interest” and maintain
connection through transportation
links.
MILTON-FREEWATER —
Linda Whiting has been chosen as
the new director of the Milton-Free-
water Area Foundation.
Whiting is executive director of
Frazier Farmstead Museum, and
will continue in that position while
taking on the new leadership role,
according to the
foundation.
The philan-
thropic organi-
zation, founded
in 1962, supports
community youth
and service clubs
Whiting
through scholar-
ships and grants.
Whiting replaces Luis Alvarez,
who served the Milton-Freewater
Area Foundation for nearly fi ve
years. Alvarez helped direct funds
to a wide variety of local causes
during his tenure.
Whiting was an educator in
Milton-Freewater Unifi ed School
District for more than 20 years and
has led the historic Frazier Farm-
stead Museum for the past three
years, the news release said.
Offi cials said combining Whit-
ing’s two roles will work well,
as the area foundation serves as
trustee of the museum.
Whiting is excited to expand her
service to the community.
“Providing support to the youth
of our community is something
near and dear to my heart, and it is
an honor to be part of a charitable
organization that helps our students
pursue their lifelong goals through
higher education,” she said.
— EO Media Group
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