COMMUNITY
Saturday, April 24, 2021
East Oregonian
A7
Three local libraries receive ‘Transforming Communities’ grants
East Oregonian
UMATILLA COUNTY
— Several Umatilla County
libraries were chosen to
receive grants through the
Libraries Transforming
Communities: Focus on
Small and Rural Libraries.
The initiative is coor-
dinated by the American
Librar y Association in
collaboration with the Asso-
ciation for Rural and Small
Libraries. Public libraries
in Athena, Pendleton and
Stanfi eld will each receive
$3,000 to support library
staff in their eff orts to create
connections to increase their
ability to serve their patrons
and communities.
Kristin Williams, Athena
Public Library director, is
excited to be among the 300
libraries across the country
to be chosen for the grant.
The money, she said, will
help in expanding their
services beyond the physi-
cal walls of the library.
“This pandemic year has
shown us that our ability
to reach people outside the
physical walls of the library
is a key to meeting the
needs of the community,”
Williams said.
As part of the grant,
Williams said Athena
library staff will take an
online course in how to lead
conversations, a skill vital
to library work today. Staff
will then host a conversa-
tion with residents about a
chosen topic and use grant
funds in support of that
topic.
Community organiza-
tions in Athena, including
Athena Mainstreet Asso-
ciation and the Athena
City Council, have been
in extended conversations
about how to continue some
of their long term and closely
held traditions while also
revitalizing the town and
involving town residents.
Williams is hopeful that the
conversation held as part of
the grant will result in a new
unity and sense of purpose
while moving forward.
The Pendleton Public
Library will use the grant to
host a series of classes and
conversations geared toward
helping residents develop
job search skills, includ-
ing resume writing, cover
COMMUNITY BRIEFING
Seventh Day
Slumber to play
in Hermiston
Bellinger’s
resumes wine
tasting May 6
HERMISTON — Get
ready to rock as a Christian
band will perform in Herm-
iston as part of its current
tour.
Seventh Day Slumber will
play on Friday, April 30, at
the Hermiston Church of the
Nazarene, 1520 W. Orchard
Ave. The doors open at
6:30 p.m. and the concert
begins at 7 p.m. There is no
admission charge. Conces-
sion snacks will be available
for purchase.
With a capacity of 140,
seating is on a first-come
basis. Social distancing and
masks are required.
For quest ions, call
541-567-3677. For more
about the band, which has
several albums out, visit
www.seventhdayslumber.
com.
HERMISTON — The
Gathering Place at Bell-
inger’s is excited to announce
it is resuming its Thursday
wine tasting events.
Adults, 21 and older, are
invited for an evening of rosé
and good old fashioned fun.
Rosé Your Way is Thurs-
day, May 6, from 5-8 p.m. at
Bellinger’s, 1823 S. Highway
395, Hermiston. There is no
admission charge.
They will utilize safety
precautions with plenty of
sanitation. With limited seat-
ing, they are recommending
that people call in advance
to ensure they will have a
seat. For more information
or to make a reservation, call
541-567-5870.
Echo hosts
yard sales,
fl ea market
ECHO — The Echo
City Wide Yard Sale &
Flea Market is bringing the
community together with
numerous yard sales in town
and a fun fl ea market central-
ized around George Park.
The event is Satur-
day, May 1, from 9 a.m. to
2 p.m. Signups for the yard
sale advertisement and fl ea
market are available at Butter
Creek Coffee, Wild Bleu
Yonder, Echo City Hall and
the H & P Cafe. The last day
to register to be included in
the advertising is Monday,
April 26.
Flea Market vendor
spaces is on a first-come
basis on the day of the
market. The 15-by-15 space
fee is $20, payable to Butter
Creek Coff ee House or Wild
Bleu Yonder. The money
collected goes to adver-
tising the event and city
permit/rental fees. For ques-
tions, call 541-376-5540 or
541-571-0080.
Parking lot
sale to benefi t
Christian school
HERMISTON — The
Hermiston Christian School
is hosting a parking lot sale
to raise money to fi nish work
on two new classrooms.
Organizers have been
collecting gently used items
for the event. The sale is
Saturday, May 1, from
8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1825 W.
Highland Ave., Hermiston.
For more information, call
541-567-3480.
Groups announce
“I Love My City”
event
HERMISTON — The
city of Hermiston and area
churches are partnering
together to off er free services
throughout the Hermiston
community.
As part of the “I Love My
City” campaign, the event
will feature such activities
as park and street cleanings,
free car washes, kids events
and more. People are invited
to volunteer Saturday, May
1, from 9 a.m. to noon. If you
have a red shirt, be sure to
wear it.
People can meet at Herm-
iston’s festival street (North-
east Second Street) to get
an assignment or register in
advance at www.iloveherm-
iston.com. For questions, call
541-667-5018 or 541-567-5831.
Mitchell named
to Knox College
dean’s list
GALESBURG, Ill. —
Lydia Mitchell of Pendle-
ton has been named to the
Knox College Dean’s List of
distinguished students for
the 2021 Winter Term. To be
named to the Dean’s List, a
student must have earned at
least 2.5 credits in the term,
with a grade point average of
3.6 or better (on a 4.0 scale).
Mitchell is a political
science and environmental
science major.
Local grads
earn winter
2020 honors
SPOKANE, Wash. —
Danner Hamilton of Pend-
leton has earned a place on
the Spokane Falls Commu-
nity College (SFCC) honor
roll for winter quarter 2021.
And at Spokane Commu-
nity College (SCC), Laura
Ponce of Boardman was
named to the winter 2021
honor roll. Students must
earn a GPA of 3.0 or higher
to be on the honor roll.
SFCC and SCC are the
two community colleges
within the Community
Colleges of Spokane district.
SFCC has campuses in
west Spokane, Fairchild
Air Force Base and Pull-
man. SCC serves about
22,000 students annually
with a main campus in east
Spokane, five other loca-
tions in rural areas of north-
letter development and work
with an experienced hiring
manager.
And the Stanfi eld Public
Library will use their grant
to help facilitate a commu-
nity conversation on mental
health. Their hope is to bring
more awareness to mental
health, including what they
can do to recognize it and
how to best provide help.
Since 2014, the Trans-
for m i ng Com mu n it ies
initiative has reimagined
the role libraries play in
supporting communities.
Libraries of all types have
utilized free dialogue and
deliberation training and
resources to lead public
forums, take part in anti-vi-
olence activities, provide a
space for residents to come
together to discuss challeng-
ing topics, and have produc-
tive conversations with civic
leaders, library trustees and
staff .
If you are interested in
getting involved or taking
part in a local conversation,
call the Athena library at
541-566-270, Pendleton at
541-966-0380 or Stanfi eld
at 541-449-1254.
ENGAGEMENT
eastern Washington and
a program in the Airway
Heights Correctional Center.
Offi cers graduate
from basic police
training
SALEM — The Oregon
Department of Public Safety
Standards and Training
(DPSST) recently gradu-
ated its 406th Basic Police
Class, including local offi -
cers Jeremy Baker of the
Umatilla Tribal Police
Department and Robert
Lowrance of the Stanfi eld
Police Department.
The Basic Police Class
is 16 weeks in length and
includes dozens of train-
ing areas including survival
skills, fi rearms, emergency
vehicle operations, ethics,
cultural diversity, problem
solving, community polic-
ing, elder abuse, drug recog-
nition, and dozens of other
subjects.
Basic Police Class 406
will graduate during a
private ceremony at the
Oregon Public Safety Acad-
emy in Salem on Thursday,
April 29, at 1:30 p.m. due to
COVID restrictions.
— EO Media Group
Trista Conklin and
Charles Park to wed
East Oregonian
Trista Conklin and
C h a r l e s Pa r k h ave
announced their engage-
ment a nd upcom i ng
wedding.
Trista, the daughter
of David and Jean Conk-
lin of Pasco, Washington,
is a 1991 Hermiston High
School graduate, and also
attended Spokane Falls and
Walla Walla community
colleges. She is an offi ce
assistant at The Place in
College Place, Washington.
Charles, the son of
Charles Park of Gresham
and Jill Park of Ashland,
Maine, graduated from
Prairie High School in
Br ush Prairie, Wash-
ington, in 2004. He is a
veteran, serving in Oper-
ation Iraqi Freedom with
the U.S. Army in 2008-09.
Contributed Photo
Charles Park and Trista
Conklin
He attended ITT Technical
Institute in Portland, grad-
uating in 2013. He works
as a drafter/designer at Key
Technology in Walla Walla,
Washington.
T h e c o u pl e w i l l
exchange wedding vows
on June 19 in Pasco.
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PENDLETON CATTLE BARONS WEEKEND 2021
Presented by Beef Northwest Feeders LLC
Entry to All events for the weekend is by Donation Only
Friday - April 30, 2021: Doors Open 7 AM
Happy Canyon Arena
8 am-12 pm - Broken Circle Border Collies Working Dog
Clinic - Robin & Rocky Brown.
Pendleton Convention Center
9:00 am – 5:30 pm - D&B Supply Tradin’ Post & Gear Show
and Sale
Round-Up Pavilion
8 am to 4pm - Horse Sift and preview of Western Select
Ranch Horses and Working Dogs. An opportunity to check
out a horse and dog you would like to bid on at the Saturday
auction.
6:00 pm – 11:00 pm Northwest Farm Credit/Hodgen
Distributing Ranch Rodeo – Team Branding, Trailer
Loading, Team Sort and Roping Championship; Stock Dog
Roping & Mixed Branding (Doors open at 5:30 PM)
Saturday - May 1, 2021: Gates Open 7 AM
Round-Up Pavilion
7:30 am - 9 am NWSRA Steer Roping Qualifying Round
Convention Center
9am – 5:30pm - D & B Supply Tradin’ Post & Gear Show
and Sale
Round-Up Pavilion
10 am – 1:30 pm – Preview of Western Select Ranch Horses
and Working Dogs
Convention Center West Side Parking Lot
11 am – Ticket Sales – People’s choice – Cattle Barons
BBQ Challenge, Cattle Barons Beer Garden,
1 pm - Cattle Barons Buckaroo BBQ Challenge & People
choice Voting - Northwest BBQ Association sanctioned
competition made possible by Hines Meat Company
Convention Center
2:30pm – Introductions and Presentations @ Sale Ring in
Main Hall
3:00pm – Pendleton Whisky Western Select Invitational
Ranch Horse & Working Dog Sale
Round-Up Pavilion – Kick off with Speed Painter brought to
you by Helix Pub & Market/Pendleton Catering
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Community Bank/Les Schwab Stock
Saddle Bronc Championship (Doors open at 5:30 PM)
10:00 pm – 11:00 pm –Band in Arena brought to you by
Virgil’s at Cimmiyotti’s