A6
COMMUNITY
East Oregonian
Tuesday, August 10, 2021
Work begins on Blue Mountain Scenic Byway
East Oregonian
PEN DLETON
—
Contractors have begun prep
work to chip seal 33.6 miles
of the Blue Mountain Scenic
Byway on the North Fork
John Day Ranger District.
This project is one of two
projects on the Umatilla
National Forest that was
funded this year through the
Great American Outdoors
Act.
Work will be ongoing for
approximately four weeks
and includes cleaning the
road surface, sealing cracks
in the road and patching
potholes, according to a press
release from the Umatilla
National Forest. Contrac-
tors then will chip seal the
entire road. Construction
crews are moving equipment
on-site this week and stock-
piling gravel. The chip seal is
anticipated to begin Monday,
Aug. 16.
The construction work
will require periodic delays
along the full length of
the Blue Mountain Scenic
Byway with flaggers and
U.S. Forest Service/Contributed Photo
U.S. Forest Service staff in 2013 discovered the Burnt Cabin Creek Trail Bridge was deteriorat-
ing in the Umatilla National Forest’s Walla Walla Ranger District. The forest is receiving funds
to replace the bridge.
pilot cars managing traffi c
from Aug. 16 until approx-
imately Aug. 30. The road
will reopen once work is
complete. Construction signs
will be posted at each end of
the project and as needed in
work zones.
The Blue Mountain
Scenic Byway is a popular
145-mile route that travels
from near Arlington to Gran-
ite. This road also is a major
portal to the Umatilla and
Wallowa-Whitman national
forests, offering opportu-
nities for scenic views and
recreation.
“The deferred mainte-
nance on this portion of
the road will reduce risk
to public safety and extend
the life of this scenic route
for 10-20 years,” accord-
ing to the Umatilla National
Forest.
This project is part of
the investment of up to $40
million in 2021 for 29 proj-
ects on national forests in
Oregon and Washington
through the Great Ameri-
can Outdoors Act, intended
to address critical deferred
maintenance and improve
transportation and recre-
ation infrastructure. Nation-
ally, the funds will allow the
Forest Service to implement
more than 500 infrastructure
improvement projects essen-
tial to the continued use and
enjoyment of national forests
lands this year.
In addition to the Blue
Mountain Scenic Byway chip
seal project, the Umatilla
National Forest received
funding to replace the Burnt
Cabin Trail Bridge on the
Walla Walla Ranger District.
Implementing both projects
this year will provide safe
and enhanced visitor access
through these areas of the
Umatilla National Forest.
The projects also will support
local employment opportu-
nities and strengthen shared
stewardship of national
forests and grasslands by
expanding the Forest Service
work with public and private
partners.
Additional projects may
be implemented on the
Umatilla National Forest and
will be announced as fund-
ing is allocated. The forest
also will continue to share
updates on these GAOA proj-
ects as construction begins.
For more information on
these projects in the Pacifi c
Northwest Region, visit the
regional GAOA website.
Additional information
about the Umatilla National
Forest is available at https://
www.fs.usda.gov/umatilla.
COMMUNITY BRIEFS
Fundraiser to
benefi t Hermiston
police lieutenant
Marvin Hamilton/Contributed Photo
Rogers Toyota of Hermiston recently made a donation to area foster families through the
Department of Human Services Child Welfare program. Pictured, from left, are Erica Baker,
TJ Valdez, Jose Camarena, Luis Camarena, Marvin Hamilton, Glenn Silaski, Raymond Aguilar,
A.J. Garcia, Stevan Coon and Irydiana Zapata.
Not just cars, but cares
Rogers Toyota
makes donation to
area foster families
By TAMMY
MALGESINI
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — Rogers
Toyota of Hermiston recently
made a $2,000 donation to
help area foster families.
The money was recently
presented to Marvin Hamil-
ton, a recruitment and reten-
tion champion for District
9 and 12 (which includes
Umatilla and Morrow coun-
ties) of the Department
of Human Services Child
Welfare program. The dona-
tion, Hamilton said, will go
to the foster parent and child
welfare fund. It will be used
for the retention of resource
homes, event funding and
other needs of resource fami-
lies.
“These funds is what
district 12 ODHS office
relies on when it comes to
purchases of items that are
not part of state approved
funding but helps the reten-
tion and welfare of resource
families,” he said.
For example, Hamilton
said, every year there is a
Umatilla and Morrow county
resource parent appreciation
dinner. The special dinner
is held to recognize the
resource families. He said the
event expenses add up with
renting the hall, catering and
entertainment.
“The funds to have such a
dinner is a result of commu-
nity donations and fundrais-
ing within the department,”
Hamilton said.
Rogers Toyota is no
stranger to helping the chil-
dren of Umatilla and Morrow
counties, Hamilton said. In
addition to donations, they
have hosted past fundraisers.
In early April, Hamilton
approached Glenn Silaski,
the dealership’s general
manager, about a donation to
the child welfare program to
provide community support
for the children and families
in the area. Hamilton said
Silaski saw an opportunity
to do more than just a simple
in-house fundraiser.
In a November 2019
interview, Silaski said the
company encourages a spirit
of community and giving.
“They’re our kids too,”
Silaski said about area foster
children. “We just believe
strongly in helping kids’
programs to help them grow
up to be a part of the commu-
nity.”
Silaski rallied his profes-
sional sales team and with
every car that was sold, a
percentage was earmarked
for child welfare. The sales
staff energetically sold vehi-
cles but with the lingering
impacts of COVID-19, there
weren’t as many people inter-
ested in buying a car.
Pressing toward their goal
to help area foster families,
the Rogers Toyota sales team
raised $1,000. Silaski and his
crew didn’t stop there, they
asked their corporate offi ce to
match what they had raised to
double the amount donated,
which brought the total to
$2,000.
———
Contact community writer
Tammy Malgesini at tmalge-
sini@eastoregonian.com or
541-564-4532.
HERMISTON — A
fundraiser to benefit Lt.
Randy Studebaker of the
Hermiston Police Depart-
ment will feature dinner, an
auction and live music.
In May, Her miston
Police Chief Jason Edmis-
ton shared
that Stude-
baker had
undergone
a procedure
to remove
two brain
Studebaker
tumors
after he
sought medical attention
because of vision prob-
lems. Both Studebaker and
his wife, Shelly, who works
for the Pendleton Police
Department, are off work
for an undetermined amount
of time. In addition, medical
equipment and alterations
to their home are needed to
accommodate Studebak-
er’s current mobility issues.
Event organizers hope to
help ease fi nancial stress so
Studebaker can focus on his
health and recovery.
The 21-and-older bene-
fi t event is Saturday, Aug.
21, beginning at 6 p.m. at
Chute 8 at the Farm-City
Pro Rodeo Arena at East-
ern Oregon Trade and Event
Center, 1705 E. Airport
Road, Hermiston. A tri-tip
dinner is being catered by
Tom Spoo and Tim Miears.
inside
every
nside Thursday
every
hursday
m
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stern
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arts
arts
events
events
entertainment
entertainment
Hermiston Chamber of Commerce/Contributed Photo
CMG Financial won the Farm-City Pro Rodeo billboard con-
test, which is in the parking lot at Desert Lanes Family Fun
Center, Hermiston.
Beer and wine will be
served by Neighbor Dudes
Tap House. The event also
features a silent auction
and a live auction with Ford
Auctions. Zac Grooms &
Friends are the featured
entertainment.
For tickets, which are
$30, visit www.teamstude-
baker.com. They must be
purchased by Aug. 15.
In addition, donations are
being accepted at Banner
Bank and can also be made
via venmo. For questions,
call 541-720-5415 or email
marci.studebaker@gmail.
com.
Local businesses
lasso wins with
Farm-City contest
HERMISTON — The
winners of the Farm-City
Pro Rodeo “2021 We’re
Back” window painting and
billboard/banner contest
have been announced. Local
businesses were invited to
participate in the contest by
submitting a photo of their
entry.
Banner Bank won the
window painting contest
and will receive a full box
seat for Friday night’s rodeo
performance. The decora-
tion can be viewed on the
bank’s windows along the
100 block of East Main
Street, in Hermiston.
And CMG Financial
won the billboard contest
and will receive a full box
for Thursday’s rodeo. The
billboard is in the parking
lot at Desert Lanes Family
Fun Center, 1545 N. First
St., Hermiston.
The Far m-City Pro
Rodeo runs Wednesday
through Saturday, Aug.
11-14, at 7:45 p.m. at the
arena at Eastern Oregon
Trade and Event Center.
For tickets, which are
$17-$20, visit www.farm-
cityprorodeo.com or call
541-564-8500.
— EO Media Group