REGION Thursday, November 4, 2021 April Dyntera off ers dance classes Nov. 6 and 20 in Hermiston ERICK PETERSON East Oregonian HERMISTON — During the pandemic, when dance opportu- nities can be few and far between, April Dyntera is helping people learn to dance. The Adams resident and dance instructor said she wants people to be ready for when there are more chances — more weddings, more parties and so on. Dyntera is teaching two classes for the Hermiston Parks and Recre- ation Department at The Arc Building, 215 W. Orchard Ave., Hermiston. “Learn to Dance with April! East Coast Swing and Night- club 2 Step,” is on Saturdays, Nov. 6 and 20, 10 a.m. to noon. Her own history with dance came in her youth. When she was in the fi fth grade, her grandmother pushed her dinner table to the side to make room for dancing. There, her uncle, who was three years older than she, taught her swing. She said she liked the experience. A music lover, Dyntera responded naturally, but it took some time, she said, to understand what it was she was doing. Dyntera, 74, did not begin train- ing seriously in dance until 1991, when a friend invited her to a line dancing class because he did not want to go alone. After one lesson, he did not want to go back. She, in contrast, did not want to leave. Dyntera, then in her 40s, had fi nally “found her niche,” she said, adding the dance lessons and the feeling they created in her were “electric” and fi lled a void. She practiced and she got better. And she learned she could keep getting better. “It’s a path with no end,” she said of dancing. No matter how good she got, or how great she becomes, there always is room for improvement. For years, she kept taking lessons from diff er- ent instructors, attending workshops and attending seminars. In 1994, she moved to Pendleton, but would still drive to Portland to attend classes. “I think you should take lessons from as many instructors as you can because each instructor has a diff er- ent approach and specialty,” she said. During her early years, her ambi- tion was to be the best she could be and learn as much as she could. Also, she wanted to compete in a dance competition and perform publicly, she said. She attained her competition goal at a Portland dance festival around 1996, as she competed in three line dances and took fi rst in each. She followed that up with another competition soon after when she won got second in a line dance. In the mid-90s, she started teach- Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian Dance instructor April Dyntera poses for a portrait Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021, in the garden of her Adams home alongside a trophy from the Sea- side Jack and Jill Dance Contest and a certifi cate from the Portland Dance Festival. Dyntera is teaching a dance class Nov. 6 and 20 in Hermiston. ing a class at Crabby’s Underground & Saloon, Pendleton. This was her fi rst teaching gig, giving hour-long lessons to students before the band started playing. She has since off ered classes with groups, including the parks and recreation departments for Hermiston and Pendleton and the Pendleton Eagles Lodge. She also gives seminars and off ers private and semi-private lessons. Though she has won her own competitions, she said her greatest and most satisfying accomplishment is teaching. She loves it when she can sit back and watch couples, whom she has taught, dance. Confi dence makes dancing fun, she said, and one gains confi dence through practice. Expertise leads to relaxation, which leads to the proper dancer’s mindset she said. So even when a dancer makes a mistake, the mistake can be laughed off . One only needs to start again. This is an analogy for life, she said. You get up and start again. Dyntera speaks so much wisdom in her lessons, as with her analogy between life and dancing, people tell her she should be a marriage coun- selor. Hermiston employer, Puyallup employee enjoy remote work By ERICK PETERSON East Oregonian HERMISTON — Despite living more than 200 miles away from her company’s offi ce in Hermiston, Emily Cecil has the shortest imag- inable commute. Like 13.2% of employed persons in America, accord- ing to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, she tele- works. Cecil works from her home in Puyallup, Washing- ton. According to a 2020 paper for the National Bureau of Economic Research, writ- ten by Jonathan I. Dingel and Brent Neiman, 37% of jobs in this country can be done entirely from home. Cecil said her work is “like any day in the offi ce.” She is at her desk from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The only diff erence is her desk is in a room in her home, rather than in her company’s building. She starts off every Monday with an all staff meeting via Zoom. Then, she stays in communication with her supervisors and cowork- ers through additional video conferences, phone calls, texts and emails. She does not feel as though she is missing anything by work- ing in this way. “I love it,” she said. “I really enjoy my job and working from home. It’s been good for me so far,” Cecil said. She works for Swan- son Insurance Group as an account manager. She goes to the company’s Hermis- ton offi ce once a month for a scheduled meeting and drops in on occasion on trips to see family in this area, but she does all her other work in her own house. This was the only way she could work for Swan- son, Cecil said. She had been living in Hermiston and working for the Busi- ness Resource Center when her husband took employ- ment in Puyallup. Staying in Hermiston just was not an option, she said. And yet, she could not fi nd a job that interested her in Puyallup, she said. Josh Burns/Contributed Photo Fortunately for her, she Emily Cecil works for Swan- was familiar with Luke son Insurance Group in Swanson of Swanson Insur- Hermiston, but she does ance, and she knew of a job that from her home in Puy- availability. She and Swan- allup, Washington. She is son talked about it, and they part of the 13.2% of U.S. em- determined it would be a ployees who work remotely, good fi t for her to work with according to the U.S. Bureau the company in the way she of Labor Statistics. is currently doing. Swa n son I n su r a nce Part of the fun, she said, is retaining a connection Group is an insurance to the Hermiston commu- agency, primarily deal- nity. She credited her abil- ing with commercial lines ity to work remotely with — businesses, farms and being motivated and enjoy- ranches. Josh Burns, one of ing what she is doing. This two outward-facing agents job is, she said, better than with Swanson, is happy to anything she has done, have Cecil on board as one which is why she works of four account managers. Her primary responsi- well. She does not need someone in the room super- bility will be personal lines, mostly for businesspeo- vising her, she said. An Easter n Oregon ple who have commercial University graduate, Cecil accounts with Swanson but also has recently passed her want to keep home, auto and property and casualty licens- life accounts with the same ing test, she said. After she agency Having employees work completes her background remotely provide: is not new for check, she said Qualified she will seek candidates the company, Burns said. other certifi cations. Qualified candidates provide: Management, promotion and delivery of educational programming that meets the needs of youth Engage service to youth, the public and community partners lic Commitment to promote and enhance diversity and contribute to a welcoming, inclusive and respectful work culture 4-H A3 Dancer fi nds satisfaction in teaching others, even lost causes eds e to East Oregonian Management, promotion and delivery of educational programming that meets the needs of youth Commitment to promote and enhance diversity and contribute to a welcoming, inclusive and respectful work culture Oversight and facilitation of the 4-H Program in Umatilla County Much more than a paycheck: 4-H Program Coordinator Program Umatilla County Full benefits in including medical, dental & vision Management, promotion and Management, promotion and pension/retirement delivery PERS of educational delivery of educational programming Paid that vacation meets the needs programming that meets the holidays needs Sick leave and federal/state of youth of youth Tuition reduction for eligible employees Engage service to youth, the public Professional development Engage service to partners youth, the public DOE Starting annual salary: $53,266-$58,837 and community and community partners Commitment to promote and For more details and to apply Commitment to promote and online: enhance diversity and contribute to https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/109259 enhance diversity and contribute to a welcoming, inclusive and a respectful welcoming, inclusive and work culture respectful work Service culture OSU Extension prohibits discrimination in all its Oversight and facilitation of the programs, services, activities, and 4-H materials. Oversight and facilitation of the 4-H Program in Umatilla County Program in Umatilla County Pilot Rock voters back fi re district tax option By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian Swanson, which became independent in 2018, started with remote employees. This gave the company the chance to hire the best person for a job, regardless of location. Burns said when the coronavirus pandemic hit, and other offices began shifting their employees to working remotely, Swanson Insurance was ready. This company already was work- ing like this. “It comes with responsi- bility,” Burns said. He must count on people doing their work, he said, and for that he seeks out people with proven records of responsibility. Cecil is not only “sharp,” according to Burns, she also is a person who proved herself in previous employ- ment and schooling. She is someone the company wanted, and everyone at the company is happy to have her, Burns said. “She is someone we were hoping to get on the team,” he said. “The fact that we East Oregonian East off ered Oregonian a remote opportunity, 5.16 x 7 7 - - color color I 5.16 think x made that possible.” PILOT ROCK — The Pilot Rock Rural Fire Protection District received overwhelm- ing support on election night, Tuesday, Nov. 2, to maintain services. The district asked voters in and around Pilot Rock to approve a local option tax of 82 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. And voters answered, passing the tax 369-72. Herschel Rostov, the district’s new chief, said the high numbers in favor were good to see and shows how much the community supports the fi re department. The district, accord- ing to a city of Pilot Rock website,“provides f i re suppression, emergency medical services, fi re preven- tion and rescue to the city of Pilot Rock and the surround- ing area with a population of about 3,000. The district two weeks ago become fully independent from the Umatilla County Fire District No. 1, according to a representative from the UCFD1. In July 2018, Pilot Rock Rural Fire merged with Umatilla County Fire District No. 1, which provided a fi re chief, fire marshal, train- ing chief, emergency medi- cal service chief and fire mechanic, the website states. Rostov, 53, said he stepped into the role as the Pilot Rock Rural Fire Protection District chief Oct. 1. “I just got started,” he said. Rostov came from the fi re department at Mercer Island, Washington, and before that the North Whatcom Fire and Rescue, a district in Belling- ham, Washington. “I came here really look- ing to provide a high level of experience, and especially for a rural community,” he said, because rural commu- nities tend to be underserved in areas of training and more. Rostov also said the district did not seek to raise the tax but keep it the same, recognizing the fi nancial diffi culties many have endured. Still, maintain- ing the level of funding means the district keeps its quick response team. That’s a secondary service for the district, he said, but it’s vital to the community because it means Pilot Rock Rural Fire can send emer- gency medical service to the fi eld and start providing life-saving support while Pendleton’s fuller ambulance service is en route. www.rmnw-auctions.com RM / NW MARKET MAKERS I N R E A L E S TAT E FALL 2021 REAL ESTATE AUCTION Imnaha Riverfront Retreat with Two Homes and One Cabin Engage service to youth, the public and community partners Umatilla County is hiring a Qualified candidates candidates provide: Oversight facilitation of the 4-H Qualified Much and more than a provide: paycheck: A retired counseling secretary for Oregon Public Schools, she laughs off the idea of being a counselor. Her wish, rather, is to be a dance teacher, a job she is presently enjoying. One of her favorite things about teaching is discovering people who think they cannot dance. Often, these people have even taken lessons elsewhere, but failed to gain any ability. “I like lost causes,” Dyntera said. Often, she said, she has been able to help such lost cases learn how to dance by fi rst teaching them what to listen for in music. There are few people — maybe one or two in her years of teaching — who are fully tone deaf and unable to hear a melody, but nearly everyone else can learn to dance. Dyntera has even taught a person in a wheelchair to dance, by choreo- graphing a cha-cha. Now well experienced in both dance and teaching, she said she is still working toward mastery. She knows several dances, though, including six count, east coast swing, nightclub two-step, west coast swing, salsa, rhumba, Arizona two-step, country western two-step, line dancing, foxtrot, waltz, cha-cha and country couples pattern danc- ing, she said. Though she knows many dances and has experience in each, Dyntera said she is excited to continue learn- ing more. This is her passion, and she is happy to partake in it. Full benefits including medical, dental & vision PERS pension/retirement Paid vacation Sick leave and federal/state holidays Tuition reduction for eligible employees Professional development Starting annual salary: $53,266-$58,837 DOE For more details and to apply online: https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/109259 Much more than a paycheck: Much including more than a paycheck: Full benefits dental & in vision OSU Extension Service medical, prohibits discrimination all its Full benefits including medical, dental & vision programs, services, activities, and materials. 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