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East Oregonian
COVID-19:
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will each receive millions
of dollars because of their
large population.
“Because we were not in
(extreme risk) for that one
three-day window, they
don’t get any of the money,”
Shafer said of county busi-
nesses. “I think they deserve
some money for having their
doors shut down for longer
than anybody else. I’m not
trying to take money away
from those counties that are
getting the money. I’m very
happy for those restaurants,
and I’m sure I’ve eaten at
many of them. However,
that doesn’t mean our
restaurants don’t deserve a
piece of that funding either.”
Other counties that were
under the state’s strict-
est measures for far less
time than Umatilla County
will receive funding from
Brown’s recent move. Grant
County, for instance, will
receive more than $243,000
for the few days it spent in
extreme risk. The county
was locked down under the
state’s strictest measure for
just over half the time that
Umatilla County was, docu-
ments show.
“It makes no sense,”
Umatilla County Commis-
sioner George Murdock
said. “It’s inequitable. I
can’t understand the reason.
We’ve asked the question
and all we get is, ‘That’s just
the way it is.’”
Additional $20M to
assist counties with
first doses
When the East Orego-
nian asked Brown in the
May 11 press conference
Cash:
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Appointed to the board
in 2018, Pitney said this
was his first time running a
campaign and he was glad
to have financial support to
do it.
“I quickly realized that
campaigning isn’t cheap,”
he said.
Pitney has reported
spending only $820 so far,
directing his money toward
the purchase of campaign
signs and banners. Addition-
ally, Pitney said he’s spent
money on radio ads.
The $2,610 in contri-
butions to Hansell’s
campaign is more diffuse,
her campaign lists several
donors who have given her
$100 or less.
Hansell said she started
her campaign account
because of the outpour-
ing of support she received
from friends and commu-
nity members after filing
to run for Position 4. With
supporters asking how they
could contribute, she opened
the account.
Hansell has also attracted
contributions from the polit-
ically connected Bounds
family, whose roots are in
Hermiston.
Tucker Bou nds, a
communications director
for John McCain’s 2008
presidential campaign,
and Hillary Bounds, the
deputy general counsel
of a company associated
with billionaire Bill Gates,
both contributed $500
each. Hansell said Bounds’
mother, Karen Bounds, is
a retired Hermiston educa-
tor and the whole family is
friends with her family.
Other named donors
include Michael Mehren
of Hermiston and Rebecca
Nickels of Portland.
Hansell has also spent
sparingly, reporting only
$820 in expenditures as
of May 14. She said she’s
spent money on mailers
and campaign material for
voters.
Although her opponent,
Caitlin Melhorn, is no longer
campaigning, Position 6
incumbent Karen Sherman
still has an active campaign
account. Sherman’s sole
contribution is $1,500 from
her husband, Ric Sherman,
and she hasn’t reported
spending any money.
Sherman said she started
the account under the
impression that she had an
active opponent, and even
this week to explain further,
and to respond to offi-
cials’ claims that the state
was ignoring areas where
restrictions have plagued
businesses longest due to
high case rates, Brown did
not answer directly, but said
“the move to extreme risk
was because of a maximum
capacity because of hospital
beds and because of health
care workers.”
“I wanted to make sure
we got money out the door
as quickly as possible to
help our small businesses in
those counties,” the gover-
nor added.
Brown then spoke of the
efforts the state is making
to “make sure they have
the resources they need to
rebuild and recover and to
create a more just and equi-
table Oregon,” but did not
provide specifics.
The state will soon allo-
cate another $20 million to
assist individual counties
vaccinating 65% of resi-
dents with their first dose —
a new benchmark Brown set
earlier this week that would
allow counties to move
to lower risk, permitting
restaurants, bars, gyms and
indoor entertainment estab-
lishments to operate at half
capacity.
“I think they origi-
nally thought that (extreme
risk) was going to last a lot
longer than that. And all of a
sudden, it didn’t,” Murdock
said. “So when they opened
up after three days, I think
it could have been appropri-
ate for them to have revis-
ited how they distributed
the money. I think they
could have shared some of
that money with the coun-
ties that were hardest hit,
like ours.”
spent some money that
hasn’t been posted to her
account yet. But although
Melhorn’s name is still on
the ballot, she’s indicated
that her time commit-
ments conflicted with her
campaign, causing her to
stop seeking the seat.
“It’s kind of confusing,”
Sherman said.
Although fundraising
for school board campaigns
is relatively novel in the
region, school boards across
the state continue to see
money pour into their races
as unions, special interest
groups and deep-pocketed
donors get involved.
According to The Orego-
nian, a candidate for Port-
land School Board has raised
nearly $46,000, while The
Bulletin has reported that
two donors alone, an indi-
vidual and a political action
committee, have contrib-
uted $70,000 to races for the
Bend-La Pine School Board.
In 2019, the Salem
Reporter documented that
candidates for the Salem-
Keizer School Board
collectively spent more
than $150,000 on their
campaigns, a figure that
didn’t include independent
spending from political
groups.
Local campaign spend-
ing isn’t likely to match
those heights in Eastern
Oregon, but it does represent
a new level of effort to obtain
political office.
Briana Spencer, who is
running for Position 7 on
the Pendleton School Board
against attorney Patrick
Gregg, is the only other
school board candidate in
Umatilla County with a
campaign account.
Spencer has reported
no contributions or expen-
ditures, but she said that’s
because she hasn’t hit the
state’s $750 threshold to
begin publicly disclosing her
campaign finances.
She said she started her
campaign account because
it was a requirement for her
to obtain some of her orga-
nizational endorsements,
which include the Oregon
chapters of Stand For Chil-
dren, an education advocacy
organization, and NARAL
Pro-Choice.
Spencer anticipates that
her campaign will eventu-
ally exceed $750 and she’ll
begin disclosing her expen-
ditures and donors. She
said she’s spent money on
campaign signs in addition
to advertising in print and
social media.
Saturday, May 15, 2021
HOF: Shaw has volunteered over 70 years
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The Round-Up, like many
events around the country,
went on pause.
“When we announced last
year, we didn’t realize the
whole year would be put off,”
said Shelby Spriet, the hall
of fame’s inductees director.
“It made sense to carry them
over.”
At this week’s annual
meeting, as a refresher, Spriet
spoke about each of the induct-
ees.
Butch Knowles —
contestant category
Knowles, of Heppner,
burst into prominence when
he won the national high
school all-around title in
1973. He competed in his first
Round-Up in 1974 and won
saddle bronc titles there in
1986 and 1991. After retire-
ment from full-time rodeoing,
Knowles focused on broad-
casting, something in which
he had already started to excel.
“Not only did Butch
compete during Round-Up,
but he was a member of the
KUMA broadcast crew. This
means he would talk on the
radio, then head to the buck-
ing chutes and compete, then
when finished, head back up to
the announcer’s booth,” Spriet
said.
He became one of the
voices of the Wrangler
National Finals Rodeo and
other rodeo events around
the nation. He became adept
at translating rodeo to newer
fans, while also satisfying
veteran viewers.
“Butch has seen all sides
of this sport, achieved many
awards and still gives back to
the sport today,” Spriet said.
Badger — animal
category
A quarter horse named
Badger transported queens,
princesses, presidents and
Hall of Fame inductees during
parades, honorary laps and the
Pendleton Round-Up’s iconic
grand entry before each day’s
show. Badger, owned by
Cydney Curtis and previously
by the late Heather Corey, is
taking it easier these days but
Pendleton Round-Up and Happy
Canyon Hall of Fame/Contributed
Photo
Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame/Contributed Photo
Mary Hines, a volunteer for both the Pendleton Round-Up
and Happy Canyon and chaperone for the Happy Canyon
Royalty in the 1970s, is one of the inductees into the Pendle-
ton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame.
Jack Shaw, a longtime volun-
teer, is one of four inductees
into the Pendleton Round-
Up and Happy Canyon Hall
of Fame. Shaw has over 70
years of volunteer service
with the Pendleton Round-
Up and Happy Canyon, in-
cluding eight years on the
Round-Up Board as the com-
petitive events director.
cue in the Indian Village each
year.
Hines’ children and grand-
children carry on the latter
tradition.
Jack Shaw — volunteer
category
Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame/Contributed Photo
Butch Knowles, left, a commentator and former Round-Up
champion, is one of the inductees into the Pendleton Round-
Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame. Knowles is pictured with
Jeff Medders.
his deeds are history.
“Badger has proven to be a
reliable athlete that is commit-
ted to his job, all while having
a great personality,” Spriet
said.
Mary Hines — Native
American category
The longtime volunteer
started attending Round-Up
shortly after her birth in
1911 and continued until her
death in 1989, Spriet said.
Hines volunteered in both
the Round-Up and Happy
Canyon. She pulled a travois
in the Westward Ho! Parade,
helped judge the Junior Amer-
ican Indian Beauty Pageant,
chaperoned Happy Canyon
royalty, and hosted a barbe-
“Anyone who knows Jack
knows that he bleeds all things
Pendleton and Round-Up,”
Spriet said. “Jack has over 70
years of volunteer experience
with Round-Up and Happy
Canyon.”
During Shaw’s eight years
on the Round-Up board as
competitive events director,
he helped bring back barrel
racing to the rodeo after a
long absence and designed
the distinctive green mile
barrel pattern. He continues
to serve on the Round-Up
barrier crew and on numerous
committees for the Columbia
River Circuit and Professional
Rodeo Cowboys Association,
including currently the PRCA
grievance committee.
He also acted in the Happy
Canyon Night Show for many
years.
Bill: ‘This is an extremely rare occurrence’
Continued from Page A1
progress. The deadline was
Friday, May 14.
So on Wednesday, May
12, Hansell feared the worst,
but by the end of the day his
worry had whipsawed to
jubilation. Rep. Ron Noble,
R-McMinnville, called to
say that the nine members of
the judicial committee had
invoked House Rule 8.20 that
says if a majority of commit-
tee members request a hear-
ing in writing, the chair must
schedule a hearing within
five days.
“Every single Republican
and Democrat on the commit-
tee signed a letter requesting
a hearing,” Hansell said. “It’s
scheduled for (Tuesday, May
18).”
Chief House Clerk Tim
Sekerak mused that he had
never seen the rule invoked
in his almost 10 years at
the Oregon Capitol. He said
Deputy Chief Clerk Obie
Rutledge has worked there
since the early 2000s and
also doesn’t remember the
rule being used.
“This is an extremely rare
occurrence,” Sekerak said.
“When this many members
of a committee want to do
something, the chair usually
works something out.”
Noble, a former McMin-
nville police chief, said he
knew about the rule because
he studied the rulebook
the same way he studied
the criminal code as a law
enforcement officer.
“It’s in my nature to get a
feel for what’s out there,” he
said.
Noble said committee
members tried other strat-
egies first. When efforts to
urge Bynum to schedule a
hearing failed, they finally
resorted to House Rule 8.20.
Noble said all nine members
simply thought the bill
deserved to be considered.
“People who we entrust
with our youth must be held
to a higher standard,” he
Kathy Aney/East Oregonian, File
Seventeen-year-old Weston-McEwen senior Bailey Munck testifies remotely from Pendleton
on March 25, 2021, for Senate Bill 649, known as Bailey’s Bill. The bill increases penalties for
criminal sexual contact with an underage victim when the defendant is the victim’s teacher.
said. “They have to be held
accountable.”
Re p. Bobby L ev y,
R-Echo, who is shepherd-
ing the bill on the House
side, felt relief when the bill
became unstuck. Bynum had
stopped by Levy’s desk to let
her know the bill was moving
again.
Levy said she had commu-
nicated with Bynum about
her reasons for holding up the
bill, but said, “I’m going to let
her speak for herself.”
A request to Bynum by
the East Oregonian was
not returned by press time.
However, By num told
Oregonian reporter Chris
Lehman that she is frustrated
about legislation designed
to dial back the effects of
Measure 11 that is stalled.
She expressed no reserva-
tions about Bailey’s Bill, but
seemed to be using it as a
bargaining chip.
“I don’t have any problems
with the bill itself,” she told
the Oregonian. “I just have
a problem with picking and
choosing who gets justice.”
Levy is all in. She hopes
to meet Munck, now 17, and
tell her how proud of her she
is.
“It’s criminally wrong
that teachers aren’t held to
the same high standard as
coaches,” she said. “Children
are our greatest assets and we
need to protect them.”
Levy will testify on May
18, along with Hansell,
Munck and others.
While testifying remotely
to the Senate Judiciary
Committee of the Oregon
Legislature in March, the
teenager was direct.
“What is the significant
difference between a teacher
and a coach? Do coaches
somehow carry more author-
ity than a teacher might?” she
asked the senators. “Coaches
and teachers should be pros-
ecuted equally as they both
have responsibility for
students’ safety and they both
have positions of authority
and power over their students
and players.”
If Munck’s abuser, DeYoe,
had been a coach, he might
have been convicted of a
Class C felony, a crime
that carries sentences up to
five years in prison and a
$125,000 fine. But DeYoe
wasn’t technically a coach.
Instead, DeYoe, 31, got a
lighter sentence. In the plea
deal, he forfeited his teach-
ing license, terminated his
housing lease in Athena and
agreed to have no contact
with minors who are not
family members. He spent a
night in the Umatilla County
Jail and will serve five years
probation. He wasn’t required
to register as a sex offender.
Adding the words “and
teachers” to the existing law
would close the loophole,
said Munck and others who
testified that day. This is a
simple fix, they said.
“This is a solid bipar-
tisan bill,” Levy said. “It
should pass out of the House
with full support and go to
the governor’s desk to be
signed.”