COMMUNITY
East Oregonian
A6
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
American Legion salutes Hermiston veteran
Mike McMichael
receives 75-year
membership patch
East Oregonian
H ER MISTON — A
95-year-old Hermiston man
was recently honored by
fellow members of Ameri-
can Legion Post No. 37 —
C.J. “Mike” McMichael
received a special patch in
recognition of his 75 years
of continuous membership
with the veterans organiza-
tion.
Post Commander Aaron
Wetterling said when it came
time to present the distin-
guished award during the
post’s regular Oct. 4 meet-
ing, several of McMichael’s
comrades quickly assisted
the U.S. Army veteran to
his feet.
“Every member rose in
unison and upon the comple-
tion of the presentation of
the patch they all rendered
him a proper salute,” Wetter-
ling said. “He later described
the emotional event to his
family through misty eyes.”
Despite suff ering several
strokes, Wetterling said
McMichael still attends the
monthly meetings. While he
doesn’t recall when, McMi-
chael served for a year as the
local post commander.
Also, earlier this year,
McMichael was honored
with a “Quilt of Valor” made
by the Stanfield Commu-
nity Quilters. Considered a
“civilian award,” the beau-
tiful quilts are presented to
Aaron Wetterling/Contributed Photo
C.J. “Mike” McMichael poses for a photo showing off the
75-year patch on his American Legion cap. American Le-
gion Post No. 37 Commander Aaron Wetterling presented
the special award to the Hermiston veteran Oct. 4, 2021, at
Agape House, Hermiston.
the Pacifi c Theater, which
came to a halt when Japan
surrendered, Wetterling
said. McMichael received an
Aaron Wetterling/Contributed Photo honorary discharge in June
American Legion Post No. 37 Commander Aaron Wetterling, right, presents C.J. “Mike” Mc- 1946 in Atterbury, Indiana.
Michael with a 75-year patch commemorating his longtime membership with the nonprofi t
Working on a road crew
veterans organization. About 30 fellow Legionnaires were present during an Oct. 4, 2021, for 50 cents an hour, McMi-
award ceremony in Hermiston.
chael moved to Eastern
Oregon. In 1947, he landed
veterans for their bravery in he believes might have of Operations in Janu- a job as a munitions handler
belonged to the “Forty and ary 1945. He was a combat for $1.06 an hour at the
service to their country.
In visiting with McMi- Eight,” an organization that engineer and served with Umatilla Army Depot.
chael later, Wetterling previously was closely affi l- C Company, 12th Combat
“I thought I was rolling in
learned that the U.S. Army iated with the American Engineers. McMichael spent money,” McMichael said to
fi ve months overseas work- Wetterling.
veteran became involved Legion.
Signing on the dotted line ing with a crew repairing
with the American Legion
Following a brief trans-
in 1946 in Curtis, Nebraska. Aug. 17, 1944, the Nebraska and constructing roads and fer as a munitions inspec-
McMichael, Wetterling farm boy served during bridges, Wetterling said.
tor in Sidney, Nebraska, he
Returning to the states, he resumed farming with his
said, joined at the urging World War II — enter-
of his brother-in-law, who ing the European Theater began additional training for father. With a tight budget
and growing family, McMi-
chael and his wife, Betty,
returned to Hermiston. He
was rehired at the Army
Depot, where he remained
until retiring in 1974.
American Legion Post
No. 37 meets the first
Monday of each month,
7 p.m. at Agape House, 500
W. Harper Road, Herm-
iston. For more informa-
tion, contact Wetterling at
541-720-1815 or aarmar@
charter.net.
———
Conta ct comm u nit y
writer Tammy Malgesini at
tmalgesini@eastoregonian.
com or 541-564-4532.
COMMUNITY BRIEFS
The Arc installs new
board members
Mark Smalley/Contributed Photo
The Arc Umatilla County installed new offi cers and directors during its gener-
al membership meeting Oct. 12, 2021, at The Arc Building in Hermiston. Pic-
tured in front, T.J. Smith, Kristi Smalley; middle, Kirsten Kinsel, Joyce Beemer,
Debbie Herrera; back, Anna Dickman and Tasha Bleyenberg. Not pictured,
Shalena Myers, Janna Smith and Thessa Sowers.
Five vie for four city council
HERMISTON — Anna Dick-
man was recently installed as the
new president of The Arc Umatilla
County.
The installation of offi cers and
directors was conducted Oct. 12
by Mark Smalley during a general
membership meeting at The Arc
Building in Hermiston. Other
offi cers installed for the coming
year include Debbie Herrera, vice
president; Joyce Beemer, secre-
tary; and Kristi Smalley, trea-
surer. In addition, T.J. Smith and
Tasha Bleyenberg were installed
as directors. Also joining the
board as directors but not present
at the meeting are Shalena Myers,
Janna Smith and Thessa Sowers.
The immediate past president is
Jan Schroth.
A nonprofi t organization serv-
ing Umatilla County for more than
50 years, The Arc advocates for
the rights and full participation of
all children and adults with intel-
lectual and developmental disabil-
ities. With a network of members
and affi liated chapters, they strive
to improve systems of support and
services, connecting families,
inspiring communities and infl u-
encing public policy.
The Arc is currently off ering
Zumba each Wednesday, 6-7 p.m.
at 215 W. Orchard Ave., Hermis-
ton. Donations are accepted.
Also, The Arc is excited to
resume fundraising events. A
potato feed, with spuds and all
the fi xings, is Saturday, Nov. 6,
5-6 p.m., also at The Arc Building.
Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for
children 4-10, and free for kids up
to age 3. People are encouraged to
purchase an extra ticket as a dona-
tion for a person with a disability.
For information about upcom-
ing activities and events hosted
by The Arc, call 541-567-7615 or
search The Arc’s Facebook page.
Special trivia night
highlights the world
of J.R.R. Tolkien
PENDLETON — A night of
riddles in the dark makes up a
special trivia night in Pendleton.
Bring your own Samwise Gamgee
and journey into J.R.R. Tolk-
ien’s world for a chance to win a
precious prize.
Lord of the Rings Trivia Night
is Thursday, Oct. 28, 5 p.m. at the
Pendleton Public Library, 502
S.W. Dorion Ave. All ages are
welcome.
For more information, call
541-966-0380 or search Facebook.
—EO Media Group
Committed to excellence for our readers
seats in Hermiston | REGION, A3
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1,
First Place Awards
2020
News Photo -"Embracing Disaster" by Ben Lonergan
A large crowd of Black Lives
Matter
protesters link arms and march
through downtown Pendleton
on
Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020.
144th Year, No. 191
WINNER OF THE 2019 ONPA
Proactive
approach
pays off
N
BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTE
$1.50
ST
200 march through
streets of Pendleton
in peaceful Black
Lives Matter protest
THE WEEK
IN PHOTOS
Stuart Roberts met
five
HANDED
UMATILLA COUNTY SENTENCE WALLA times with organizers
IN
RESIDENTS WANTED DOWN MURDER prior to Aug. 29 march
A
WALL
By ALEX CASTLE
FOR COVID-19 STUDY
East Oregonian
A2
NORTHWEST,
AWARD
Protest draws a crowd
TIO
EDI
Pendleton
WEEKEND
Police Chief
REGION, A9
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
GENERAL EXCELLENCE
LIFESTYLES, A10
By ALEX CASTLE AND
ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
P
ENDLETON — Pendleton
Police Chief Stuart Roberts
praised the proactive safety
planning of organizers with the
Black Lives Matter protest on
Sat-
urday, Aug. 29, as a key in keeping
the event peaceful.
And aside from a few minor
incidents between some protesters
Counterprotesters watch
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
and counterprotesters, the plan-
from across the road as Black
Lives Matter protesters lay
Park in Pendleton to pay tribute
down at Roy Raley
ning paid off.
to George Floyd on Saturday,
Aug. 29, 2020.
“I think what really gave us an
$1.50
opportunity to prepare to the
best LENCE AWARD
of ONPA
our ability
GENER
was the AL EXCEL
WINNER OF THE 2019 on the part of the BLM willingness
organizers
to communicate,” Roberts said
on
Aug. 31.
5REHUWVVDLGKHKHOG¿YHPHHW
ings with the protest’s organizers
new
— Briana Spencer, Nolan Bylenga
OHA also reported 396
each had two deaths. The cases of COVID-19 on July 24,
and John Landreth — in the
days counties
is 282. The 28
could be up ebbing.
leading
to
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By GARY A. WARNER
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reports of infections and said they need the rate to be 5% or
more “cautious
loosely organized.
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day that the
and the spike in
on a addition
the In
to issued
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11 Pendleton
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toll
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from
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hope” that the rise in infections
Police Department and 10 troopers
from Oregon State Police provid-
Budtender Iverson Winter
cards
ing assistance on Aug. 29.
checks identifi cation
y in
While police had a number of
at Kind Leaf Dispensar
y,
JULY 25-26, 2020
144th Year, No. 175
PENDLETON
Downtown
association
director
resigns
Chamber to take
a bigger role in
QRQSUR¿W¶VIXWXUH
e’ on COVID trends
Oregon has a ‘glimmer of hop
ID,
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
See Approach, Page A8
Pend-
PENDLETON — The n is
leton Downtown Associatio
execu-
now looking for its third g the
tive director since establishin
position in 2017.
W
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Direc-
announced that Executive resign-
tor Wesley Murack was
“personal
ing immediately for
reasons.”
was
Murack
native,
Texas
A
in late
hired by the association
nt
2018 for his tourism developme
lly and
experience, both domestica
abroad.
Murack replaced Molly Turner,
intern to
who was elevated from
Q¶V ¿UVW
EHFRPH WKH RUJDQL]DWLR Turner
executive director in 2017. take a
to
quit less than a year later
Commu-
job with Blue Mountain
the posi-
that
adding
nity College,
a busi-
tion needed someone with
ness background.
In a press release, association
high-
President Angela Thompson nts
lighted some of the developme
including
in Murack’s tenure,
Oregon
obtaining a grant from the
ren-
Parks and Recreation to cover
Audito-
ovation costs at the Vert
rium and the old Eagles Lodge.
One of the last events Murack
departure
organized before his
concerts
was a series of outdoor
stoke
on South Main Street to help but
business during the pandemic,
COVID-
the series was cut short as
Umatilla
19 cases rose throughout
County.
reached
be
Murack could not
and
for comment, but Thompson
Pendleton Chamber of Commerce
about
CEO Cheri Rosenberg talked future
’s
the downtown association
Develop-
at a July 21 Pendleton
meeting.
on
ment Commissi
gap
Given the three-month
predeces-
between Murack and his
it would
sor, Thompson anticipated a new
take three months to hire mean-
executive director. In the exec-
time, she planned to assume she
utive director duties, although
please
Masks complicate
businesses asking
for identification
from customers
Pendleton on Wednesda
A truck fl ying a “Trump 2020”
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
July 22, 2020.
fl ag drives by a line of counterprot
ter during a protest at Roy
esters and shouts at Black
Raley Park in Pendleton
by Ben Lonergan
Lives Mat-
Staff
on photo
Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020.
KLP¿JKWLQJIRUKLVOLIH7KH
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bleed resulted from a congenital
abnormality called arteriovenou
malformation (AVM), a tangle s
of
abnormal blood vessels connect-
ing arteries and veins in the
By KATHY ANEY
brain.
The knot of vessels impedes normal
East Oregonian
EORRGÀRZ
The abnormality is rare in chil-
LEXINGTON — Kelly Boyer
dren. People with AVM sometimes
doesn’t see her grandson
much go their entire lives
without a rup-
these days. COVID keeps the
Lex- ture. The average age
ington woman away.
of diagnosis
It’s a frustrating reality, espe- is 31 and the risk of hemorrhage for
cially since this spring 5-year-old untreated AVM is between 2% and
4% yearly.
Evan Kates suffered a brain
aneu-
rysm and several strokes that
left
See Grandmother, Page A8
Business or Economic Story - "A reopening plan 173
years in the making" by Antonio Sierra
Feature Photo - "Comet NEOWISE" by Ben Lonergan
Contributed photo
Brothers Cole, left, and Evan
Kates pose for an undated
photo. Evan, who
is now 5 and has a rare congenital
brain abnormality called AVM,
ering after a ruptured aneurism
is recov-
and several strokes this spring.
Local Column - Kathy Aney
Special Section - "Sidelined"
Third Place Awards
General Excellence
Feature Story - "At the brink: Local COVID-19 survivor
remembers how close virus came to killing him" by
Antonio Sierra
Spot News - "Community mourns: Colleagues mourn
Pendleton city councilor" by Antonio Sierra, Kathy
Aney
Photo Essay - "Banjo Man" by Ben Lonergan
Enterprise Reporting - "Stuck in the middle: Police
officers of color describe experiences in law
enforcement" by Jade McDowell
Small size belies big
COVID-19 problem
2020 Oregon Newspaper
Publishers Association
Better Newspaper Contest
Awards
Sports Photo - "Pickup Men" by Ben Lonergan
Page One Design - Andy Nicolais
See Director, Page A12
when it
the pair are neck-and-neck .
comes to the virus’ prevalence took a
Morrow County’s surge
the county
twist on July 15 when
at the pub-
announced that a worker
had tested
lic health department
, and two
positive for COVID-19
presumed
other staff members were
positive after falling ill.
11,600
Overseeing a county of
Admin-
people, Morrow County said the
istrator Darrell Green
department
county’s public health
a
isn’t large enough to coordinate So
itself.
response to the virus by
See Problem, Page A12
Second Place Awards
Headline Writing - Andrew Cutler
U
More
MORROW COUNTY — have
than 1,400 cases of COVID-19
national
earned Umatilla County Morrow
g
attention, but neighborin
County hasn’t been spared.
as of
Morrow County’s 207 cases to the
n
July 21 pales in compariso but the
Umatilla County case count, means
former’s smaller population
See Crowd, Page A8
CROSSING THE DIVIDE
Jacob Bryant just wanted to
chat —
peacefully, and quietly, with
someone
associated with the Pendleton
Black
Lives Matter protest. Page A8
5-year-old suffers
life-threatening brain
aneurysm, strokes
at
and a plastic sneeze guard lay-
the counter provide other
ers of protection.
lit-
“The masks do make it a
M A T I L L A
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COUNTY
even
not
to
used
we
identi- because
Checking
sunglasses or hats when
¿FDWLRQ LV PRUH allow came in,” Krenzler said.
complicated when people far, he said, they hav-
So
everyone is wear-
seen anyone trying to use
ing a mask, but en’t
mask to get away with using
local businesses say a
else’s ID.
someone
they’re making it work.
For anyone who is opposed
Brandon Krenzler at Kind to wearing a mask or is wor-
peo-
of shop-
Leaf Pendleton said most
from ried about the risk
ple are still recognizable
business now
their ping indoors, the
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
their photo, even with But offers a walk-up window where
y in
to Kind Leaf Dispensar
mouth and nose obscured.
people can be served outside Signage on a plexiglass shield at the entrance
a mask and
they are required to wear
if staff do have a question,
advises customers that
y, July 22,
cus- the building.
the people Pendleton 21 years of age to enter the facility on Wednesda
they’re allowed to ask the and
said
Krenzler
be at least
tomer to step back 6 feet
PDVN
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mask
since the employee’s own
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
Counterprotesters joined in
chants
of “Blue lives matter,” “All
lives mat-
ter” and “USA” as roughly 200
ers against police brutality and protest-
injustice trickled into the park racial
to
to community speeches at 4 p.m. listen
At least one protester on the
Lives Matter side of the street Black
trading barbs with counterprote began
and organizers told them to stop sters,
engag-
ing or leave.
“We will not acknowledge them.
We
will not be them. Ignore them,”
Spencer, one of the protest’s Briana
organiz-
ers, said at the opening of the
event as
attendees donning masks and
carrying
signs circled around the park lawn.
Spencer, a Black, Puerto
Rican
woman of the Confederated
Tribes of
Grandmother raises funds
for her ailing grandson
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
Morrow County tries
to navigate its own
way through pandemic
P
ENDLETON — Despite a pal-
pable sense of anger, a Black
Lives Matter march in Pendleton
remained peaceful and unim-
peded on Saturday, Aug. 29.
By 3:30 p.m., about 150 peo-
ple had gathered opposite
of
Roy Raley Park on Southwest
Court
Avenue with an array of American,
Confederate, “Trump” and “Thin
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cers with the Pendleton Police
Depart-
ment stationed themselves at
the street
corners.
Feature Story Personality - "Finding peace: Pendleton
man coming to grips with trauma of Las Vegas
shooting" by Kathy Aney
The Astorian
East Oregonian
Bend Bulletin
Capital Press
LaGrande Observer
Baker City Herald
Wallowa County Chieftain
Blue Mountain Eagle
Hermiston Herald
Seaside Signal
Redmond Spokesman
Chinook Observer
Coast River Business Journal
Education Coverage - "Dashed dreams: $3.6 million in
Oregon Promise Grants revoked" by Kathy Aney
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan,
to increase
in Boardman is working
Columbia River Health
of a rapid testing machine.
ty through the acquisition
File
its testing capaci-
Lifestyle Coverage - "A spike in calls" by Kathy Aney
EASTOREGONIAN.COM