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145th year, No. 110
REGONIAN
Thursday, July 1, 2021
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WINNER OF THE 2020 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
HERMISTON
HEAT DOME
students
complete
seventh
home
By BEN LONERGAN
East Oregonian
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Aiden Rodriguez, left, plays defense as Faber Ortiz puts up a shot during a game of aquatic basketball Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at the Pendleton
Family Aquatic Center. The National Weather Service reported the temperature in Pendleton reached 117 degrees, a new record high for the date.
HEAT WAVE BREAKS RECORDS
State Medical
Examiner reports
high heat claimed
one life in
Umatilla County
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
P
ENdlETON — The
word “unprecedented”
isn’t thrown around
lightly in meteorology,
but the heat wave envel-
oping Eastern Oregon
and the rest of the North-
west has no recorded historical
precedent.
an extended surge in high
temperatures has shattered records
across the region, sometimes by as
much as 5 degrees. according to
the National Weather service, the
Tuesday, June 29, temperatures in
Pendleton — 117 degrees — and
hermiston — 118 degrees — are
all-time modern highs for the two
cities. The normal temperatures for
this time of year is in the mid-80s.
FIREWORKS BAN
‘The fear
is real’
Umatilla County,
Pendleton ban
fireworks for Fourth
due to fire danger
By BRYCE DOLE
East Oregonian
P
ENdlETON — as a
record-breaking drought
and heat wave scorches
Eastern Oregon, umatilla
County and the city of Pendleton
banned fireworks as residents
prepare to celebrate the Fourth
of July.
The county board of commis-
sioners made its call during
an administrative meeting
Wednesday morning, June 30,
and the Pendleton City Coun-
cil voted for its ban in a special
meeting in the afternoon. Both
bans come with the threat of
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian, File
Fireworks explode over Butte Park in Hermiston July 4, 2020. The
Umatilla County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday, June 30,
2021, banned the use of fireworks due to fire danger. The ban ap-
plies to all unincorporated parts of the county with violators sub-
ject to a $500 fine.
$500 fines for violations.
The city’s resolution aligns
with an executive order from the
governor declaring a drought
emergency in umatilla County,
meaning fireworks will be
banned through dec. 31 unless
lifted earlier.
The county’s ban will last
through sept. 30, “or sooner if
conditions change,” and applies
to all unincorporated areas in the
county and is effective immedi-
ately, Commissioner George
Murdock said. The ban is to
prevent wildfires in vulnerable
areas where “the tiniest spark
could result in a conflagration,”
he added.
“We’re deeply concerned
about the fire danger,” Murdock
said. “It’s our job to measure
hErMIsTON — While
most students were learning
remotely this school year, a
half dozen hermiston high
school students rolled up
their sleeves and traded text-
books for tools to build a
house.
“Where others did not
have school, I had class
everyday,” said Curt Berger,
the program coordinator with
Columbia Basin student
homes. “That’s why this
house is done.”
On Tuesday, June 29,
Berger handed over the keys
to the latest home in the
hermiston school district’s
Fieldstone subdivision on
southwest angus Court
to loy and Mike stratton,
marking the end of the year-
long student-built construc-
tion project.
The strattons, who are
moving to hermiston from
Pendleton to be closer to
family, said they loved work-
ing with the students and
developing some of the final
touches.
“I was very excited,” said
loy stratton. “I love the
great room — I love to cook
so everyone will be with me
there.”
loy stratton said she
worked closely with former
student builder rylee albert
to nail down final details,
such as light fixtures.
“They had most of it
picked out already,” she said.
alber t took par t in
constructing one of the
earlier Columbia Basin
student homes and came
back this year to help with
design decisions and to
mentor students.
“It’s been really neat being
able to help people learn it
because it’s such a useful
skill,” she said.
Berger said he loves
to get as much help from
outside contractors and
other mentors for students as
possible to help them learn
through the process.
“It’s lots of fun for us
because we’re not just turn-
ing in a paper or doing an
assignment — we’re building
a for-real product that we’re
going to sell,” said Berger.
students
worked
throughout the year to see
the 2,232-square-foot,
See Fireworks, Page A6
See Records, Page A6
See HHS, Page A6
PENDLETON
Facilities manager retires after nearly five decades
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
PENdlETON — Glenn Graham
woke up on New year’s day feeling
unwell, but if he was being honest,
he hadn’t been feeling well for a few
weeks.
That feeling of unwellness even-
tually resulted in an emergency trip
to Kadlec regional Medical Center
in richland, Washington, where he
learned that an irregular heart rhythm
had driven his heart beat down to
28 beats per minute, well below the
60-100 beats per minute doctors
consider normal.
after successfully installing a
pacemaker, Graham’s doctor said
many patients never make it to the
operating table and if he wanted to would need to go to Portland to get
avoid further heart problems, he some training.
would need to take steps to destress
“I knew it got the grass wet,”
his life.
Graham said about how much he
With that “life changing
knew about sprinklers before
being hired.
event’ in mind, Graham,
he ended up catching on
65, decided to retire from
his position as the facilities
with the Pendleton Parks
manager for the city of Pend-
and recreation department,
leton, ending a more than
and when the city looked to
45-year career in city govern-
start its first facilities depart-
ment.
ment, they tapped Graham
Graham
to be its first manager. At the
“It was just time,” he said.
Graham had just been laid
time, Graham said his main
off at the lumber mill in Pilot Rock responsibilities were the city’s vari-
in the 1970s when he discovered an ous heating, ventilation and air condi-
opportunity with the city of Pendle- tioning systems and the public pool,
ton. a state grant funded a position to which required he get more training.
install sprinkler systems throughout
“again, I knew it got you wet,”
the city’s park system, but Graham Graham said about his knowledge
about pool maintenance.
Graham’s responsibilities have
expanded as Pendleton has built new
facilities, but he said the most signif-
icant change is the rise of technology.
Graham was around when the city
installed its first computer system,
but he said the city’s tech needs really
took off once city hall relocated in the
1990s.
Graham said he was especially
proud to work with Wtechlink to
install fiber lines at every city build-
ing, ensuring every facility had high-
speed internet to quickly transfer data
and information.
his time with the city is ending
on a high note. although COVId-19
See Manager, Page A6