REGION
Thursday, August 19, 2021
East Oregonian
A3
Downtown bank building redevelopment concept resurfaces
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — The city of
Pendleton is revisiting a redevel-
opment proposal for the old bank
building on South Main Street
with Oregon real estate scion
Jordan Schnitzer.
Entitled “P Trailhead Build-
ing 7-15-21,” the digital document
obtained by the East Oregonian
sketches out a concept for the
building at 256 S. Main St. that
would turn it into a mixed-use
crafting and display space for
artists and artisans.
“Of ten, the Indians and
cowboys come from such differ-
ent backgrounds and cultures, but
they bonded by the art of creation,”
an undated memo states. “In some
instances, they are the last of their
kind, keeping alive a dying art,
and far too often high commercial
rents and limited space availability
keep them hidden in their homes
and inside street workshops,
unable to share their amazing
work with the masses. The Guild
Building would strive to cure that
problem, carrying their creative
gifts out of their garage workshops
and backroom studios, and onto
Pendleton’s Historic Main Street,
so each year tens of thousands
can see them work and purchase
their creations.”
Alternatively referred to as
“The Trailhead Building” and the
“Jordan Schnitzer Western Guild
Building,” the concept includes a
“local makers incubator,” a bistro,
Seder Architecture + Urban Design/Contributed image
The East Oregonian obtained this digital rendering of the “Jordan Schnitzer Western Guild Building” that shows
possible renovations to the former Wells Fargo bank building at 256 S. Main St., Pendleton.
outdoor parklets for dining and
vacation rental spaces. Rental
costs for the artists and craftspeo-
ple would be set only to cover the
cost of utilities and maintenance,
and they would be allowed to keep
all the proceeds from a sale of
their work while also agreeing to
work in the building for a certain
number of hours.
The document also includes
renderings, dated December 2020,
from Seder Architecture + Urban
Design, a Portland architecture
firm that also wrote zoning plans
for the concept. The document
didn’t include a cost estimate for
the project or whether the city
would acquire the property from
Schnitzer as a part of the plan. City
Manager Robb Corbett declined
to comment, citing active nego-
tiations, and Harsch Investment
Properties, Schnitzer’s real estate
Umatilla County: 100th COVID-19 death
County last week
reported highest weekly
case count since the
start of pandemic
By BRYCE DOLE
East Oregonian
PEN DLETON
—
Umatilla County reached a
grim pandemic milestone
this week — 100 reported
COVID-19 deaths.
The county so far reported
four COVID-19 deaths this
week. One of the victims was
just 29 years old, the county
reported Tuesday, Aug. 17.
Joe Fiumara, the county’s
public health director, said
the victim had underlying
health conditions.
The disclosure comes as
the county reported 85 new
COVID-19 cases on Aug.
18. The county continues to
report pandemic-high case
counts and hospitalizations
amid the delta crisis sweep-
ing Oregon.
“COVID continues to
wreak havoc in Umatilla
County, in Oregon, and
across the nation as the Delta
variant and perhaps other
new strains pick up steam to
demonstrate just how aggres-
sive they are,” Commissioner
George Murdock said in an
Aug. 17 email. “At the same
time, citizens are demon-
strating COVID fatigue and
are drawing a line in the sand
over vaccinations.”
The county last week
reported 512 cases, its high-
est weekly total since the
pandemic started in March
2020, according to the
Oregon Health Authority.
As of Aug. 16, the county
averaged nearly 77 cases per
day over the past week, also
a pandemic record, state data
show, and the county’s case
rate and positive test rate are
more than double the state
average.
The 29-year-old woman
tested COVID-19-positive
July 29 and died Aug. 10
at Mid Columbia Medical
Center, The Dalles. She is
one of the youngest deaths
the county has reported since
the pandemic began. Public
health and hospital officials,
locally and nationally, say
young people are develop-
ing severe cases of COVID-
19 more often because of the
delta variant, and some have
few to no underlying health
conditions.
“It something we’re
seeing here, and something
we’re hearing happen across
the county,” Fiumara said.
Last week, the state
reported a 35-year-old
Morrow County woman
and a 19-year-old Union
County woman died with
COVID-19. The 19-year-old
was Oregon’s fourth resi-
dent younger than 20 to die
with COVID-19 since the
pandemic began.
T he second vict i m
reported Aug. 17 is an
82-year-old woman who
tested positive Aug. 3 and
died Aug. 14 at Good Shep-
herd Medical Center, Herm-
iston. She had unspecified
underlying health conditions,
the county reported.
The third is an 87-year-
old woman who tested posi-
tive July 29 and died Aug. 8
at Willowbrook Terrace, a
nursing home in Pendleton.
She had unspecified under-
lying health conditions, the
county reported.
The count y’s 100th
reported COVID-19 death is
an 82-year-old woman who
tested positive Aug. 12 and
LOCAL BRIEFING
Woman injured in crash; swerved
to avoid elk near Weston
died two days later at Good
Shepherd. The county has
yet to determine if she had
underlying health conditions.
Umatilla County health
officials are expecting
to report more COVID-
19 deaths — as typically
happens after a surge in
COVID-19 cases and hospi-
talizations — but “we just
don’t know how many yet,”
Fiumara said.
The newly reported deaths
come as hospitals across the
state and county fill will
COVID-19 patients. Offi-
cials have voiced concerns
that local hospitals could be
overrun with patients if the
latest pandemic surge does
not diminish soon.
Some hospitals are finding
it difficult or nearly impos-
sible to transfer patients to
other hospitals for a higher
level of care due to the latest
surge because regional hospi-
tals are at, or near, capacity.
As of Aug. 18, only four
intensive care unit beds were
available for hospitals across
Region 9, an area that encom-
passes Morrow, Umatilla,
Union, Wallowa, Baker and
Malheur counties, according
to the state.
WESTON — A woman suffered minor injuries after
her vehicle rolled off a highway near Weston recently
while trying to avoid hitting an elk, Oregon State Police
reported.
According to a crash report from OSP, Darien L.
Wise, 23, whose city of residence was not provided,
was driving early Thursday, Aug. 12, on Highway 204
on the Weston Mountain grade about 3 miles east of
Weston when an elk entered the roadway.
Wise swerved to avoid the animal and her Toyota
Camry left the pavement and rolled onto its top.
According to the report, Wise suffered minor inju-
ries and her vehicle was damaged and had to be towed
by Taylor Towing of Pendleton.
Additional mosquitoes test positive
for West Nile virus in Morrow
County
MORROW COUNTY — West Nile virus, which is
spread by mosquitoes, has been detected in six addi-
tional mosquito pools captured Wednesday, Aug. 11,
from various testing sites in the rural areas of Board-
man and Irrigon, according to a press release from
Oregon State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Labo-
ratory.
The new cases brings the total number of West Nile
positive pools to 13, the release said.
“All affected areas were treated with our truck
mounted aerosol units and retrapped to collect
mosquito pools,” Greg Barron, manager of control
district, said in a press release. “Mosquito pools will
be shipped for testing at the Oregon State Univer-
sity Diagnostic Laboratory on Aug. 18. The district
is preparing for an aerial spray mission on the night
of Aug. 22.”
The West Nile virus was first detected in seven
mosquito pools collected on the night of Aug. 3. The
pools were collected in the east rural Boardman area.
“We are advising people in Morrow County to take
precautions against mosquitoes to avoid the risk of
infection, including preventing mosquito bites,” Barron
said. “West Nile virus is spread to humans through the
bite of an infected mosquito.”
— EO Media Group and Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
Morrow County SD hires new leaders
East Oregonian
H EPPN ER — T he
Morrow County School
District has a trio of new
administrators for the 2021-
22 school year.
The district in a press
release on Tuesday, Aug. 17,
announced the hires.
Erin Stocker, executive
director of human resources,
said the leadership and skill
set within the district contin-
ues to be a source of amaze-
ment.
“These new administra-
tors bring with them proven
track records of being
student-first educators, as
well as the willingness to take
on new challenges,” Stocker
said in the press release. “I
look forward to the upcom-
ing school year for Morrow
County School District with
the addition of these leaders
to our team.”
Vice principal, Sam
Boardman Elementary
Jami Carbray is the new
vice principal at Sam Board-
man Elementary School.
Carbray has an extensive
background in education,
which spans more than 25
years. Her teaching back-
ground includes 20 years in
primary grades as a class-
room teacher and as a liter-
acy intervention specialist
for five years. A Boise State
University graduate, Carbray improving graduation rates
has two master’s degrees, one and implementing highly
with an emphasis in math and effective teaching strategies.
reading from Walden Univer- As a result, Stanfield’s grad-
sity and an education
uation rate exceeded
specialist degree
94%, which was
an improvement of
in building leader-
ship and administra-
more than 10%.
tion from Northwest
“I am excited
Nazarene University.
to work with the
She recently relo-
students, admin-
istrative
team and
cated from Nampa,
Turner
Idaho, to Boardman.
staff at Riverside Jr./
“ I a m e a ge r
Sr. High School,”
Sheller said. “Go
to learn all about
Pirates!”
Mor row Cou nt y
Special education
School District and
coordinator and vice
the community of
Boardman,” Carbray
principal, Morrow
said.
Vice principal,
Riverside Jr./Sr.
High School
Sheller
Education
Center
Marissa Turner,
a long-time MCSD
Steve Sheller is
special education
teacher, will be step-
the new vice prin-
cipal at Riverside.
ping into the role of
special education
He has 20 years of
teaching experience
coord i nator a nd
in math, science and
vice principal at the
Carbray
photography, and
Morrow Education
previously worked in
Center. Turner has
the Hermiston and Morrow 10 years of teaching experi-
County school districts as a ence at MCSD, all in special
teacher.
education and encompassing
Sheller received his kindergarten through 12th
master’s in educational grade, including life skills
administration from Grand and alternative school. In
Canyon University. For the addition to her K-12 special
last three years, he was the education experience, she
principal at Stanfield Second- has a strong background
ary School. During that time, in behavior protocols and
Sheller and staff focused on working with classroom
staff to develop plans to
support student success.
Turner recently received
her administrative degree
from Lewis & Clark College.
A Morrow County native,
Turner said, “I am excited
to continue the commitment
to serve all our district’s
communities and work
with staff on the continued
improvement of our SPED
and behavior programs.”
All of the new adminis-
trators began their contracts
on July 1.
company, didn’t provide comment
as of press time.
A former Wells Fargo, the
building had gone mostly unused
for years before Schnitzer bought
the property for $152,000 in 2016.
An art collector and philanthro-
pist, Schnitzer has supported local
art organizations like the Pendle-
ton Center for the Arts and Crow’s
Shadow Institute of the Arts on
the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
Upon purchasing the building,
Schnitzer also told the East Orego-
nian he was a longtime fan of the
Round-Up who attended the rodeo
frequently.
Schnitzer promised to fill the
space with something that would
benefit the community, but save
for some pop-up galleries and
shops, the space has remained
empty. A public working space
for artists and artisans was floated
previously in 2019 by Jeff Lorton,
the owner of a local advertising
firm. Referred to as the “Western
Arts Gallery” at the time, Lorton
shared the concept at a Pendleton
City Council meeting.
“It’s a gallery space dedicated
to the celebration, and the perpet-
uation, or the continuation of the
Western traditional arts manufac-
turing in downtown Pendleton and
its surrounding areas,” he told the
council. “This would be a gallery
that would celebrate silver artists,
bit and spur engravers, leather
workers of all kinds.”
At the time, Harsch did
not d i r e ct ly c om me nt on
Lorton’s pitch.
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Sale ends August 31st
The CTUIR
Needs YOU to
provide input on
its Strategic
Energy Plan
Help shape the Energy
Vision and future of
energy management for
the CTUIR by
completing this
anonymous 10-minute
survey by
Monday, Aug. 23:
https://bit.ly/
CTUIREnergy
Background Information
The CTUIR is developing a
Strategic Energy Plan. The
plan will serve as a tool for
the CTUIR to use in
achieving energy goals in
both the near- and long-
term by integrating
energy, environmental,
economic development,
and community interests in
the same way that a
business might create a
vision and a business
model around
sustainability.
As a starting point, this
survey asks for your
feedback on energy
priorities.
For more information about
the CTUIR Strategic
Energy Plan, please visit:
https://ctuir.org/news/
CTUIR-Strategic-
Energy-Plan-Survey/