REGION
Thursday, November 18, 2021
East Oregonian
A3
Familiar face accepts Hermiston Parks and Rec director job
Brandon Artz has
fi rst day Monday,
Nov. 15
By ERICK PETERSON
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — The new
Hermiston Parks and Recre-
ation director did not have far
to move his possessions from
his old offi ce to his new one
next door. On Monday, Nov.
15, Brandon Artz took a step
up from his role as interim
director to enjoy his fi rst day
as the regular director.
Artz had been the interim
director for more than two
months, as he covered for
Larry Fetter, who left the
parks director position when
he recently retired.
“I’m excited to get
Erick Peterson/East Oregonian
Brandon Artz, the director the of Hermiston Parks and Rec-
reation Department, moves some of his possessions into his
new offi ce Monday, Nov. 15, 2021.
started,” he said.
Artz, who said he expected
an offi cial announcement later
in the day, explained Herm-
iston City Manager Byron
Smith and a hiring panel
made their decision late last
week. Smith affi rmed the new
hire in a memo to city employ-
ees.
“I feel confi dent that he
will do a very good job and be
an asset to the city for a long
time,” the memo states.
A press release on Nov.
15 quotes the city manag-
er’s belief in Artz’s “vision,
energy and leadership” and
describes him as “a major
asset to the community.”
Artz said the first “big
project” for him is a ground-
breaking for the Teen Adven-
ture Park, a skate park across
from Hermiston’s police
and fi re station. He also was
working on placing a large
Christmas tree in downtown
Hermiston for the holidays.
Artz is a graduate of
the University of Idaho,
he obtained a bachelor’s of
arts in exercise science and
health and a master’s degree
in movement and leisure
sciences. While studying for
these degrees, he played foot-
ball and then worked as a U of
I assistant coach. He followed
up this experience with more
than two years of work as
a recreation coordinator in
McMinnville. Other work
includes two years as a recre-
ation specialist in Vancouver,
Washington.
He said his experience in
diff erent positions has given
him insights into different
sides to which he must be
attuned. As a parks and rec
director, he serves athletes
and nonathletes, alike, he
said, and he expressed the
feeling that he could do this.
He came to Hermiston to
work as the recreation super-
visor, under Fetter. Working
for more than four years in
the department, Artz obtained
mentorship from the previous
director as Fetter approached
retirement, Artz said.
“I got to oversee all of the
recreation here in the depart-
ment, and then also see what
(Fetter) was doing in park
development on the higher
end of things,” he said. “It got
me ready for this position. He
retired in September, and now
we’re off to the races.”
According to the city’s
press release on Artz’s new
role, Hermiston has 15 parks
that cover more than 100
acres, 10 miles of trails and a
community center that hosts
more than 200,000 event and
program participants each
year.
LOCAL BRIEFS
Blue Mountain Wildlife
reports six raptors too
injured to save
PENDLETON — The wild bird
rescue operation Blue Mountain Wild-
life in Pendleton reported another
rough week for raptors.
The nonprofit organization and
facility at 71046 Appaloosa Lane in
its weekly newsletter reported it had
only seven admissions last week, but
six of those were for raptors and none
could be saved.
Three great horned owls had
humerus fractures, and a fourth was
tangled in a fence. A sharp-shinned
hawk was shot, and a red-tailed hawk
likely was struck by a vehicle.
“Living in a world filled with
humans is no easy task for wildlife,”
the newsletter stated.
Julie Lara/Contributed Photo
A billboard on Highway 395 in Hermiston advertises the
Lego shop in Hermiston in October 2021. The billboard is
larger than the sales fl oor of the shop.
Small shop owners build
on success with billboard
larger than their sales fl oor
By ERICK PETERSON
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — If Julie
and Bobby Lara want to fi t
their new roadside billboard
onto their sales fl oor, they
will have to roll it up. Even
then, it would be a tight fi t
for their 48-by-12-foot bill-
board to fi t into a 28-by-12-
foot space.
The Laras own JB Brick
Company, 295 E. Main No.
1E, Hermiston. There, they
sell several diff erent Lego
sets and individual pieces. It
is a rare store, Julie pointed
out, saying it is the only store
like it from Boise to Portland.
The idea to rent a bill-
board was Bobby’s. He was
driving down a highway
when he noticed what he
thought was an available
sign. He asked about it, but
discovered someone had
beaten him to the punch.
It was not, as it turned out,
available. It also was $1,700
per month, which was
outside of their budget.
But the couple still
thought it would be a good
idea, and they started look-
ing around for another sign.
She said they believed a
billboard was the right move
because their business was
doing well, Julie said. The
last couple of years had been
profi table for their business.
As people were confined
more to their homes, they
explored several hobbies.
Many people started build-
ing Lego kits as an alterna-
tive to regular puzzles and
television, Julie said.
In addition, they had
success with other forms
of promotion. Newspapers,
radio, television and social
media all gave boosts to the
business. After some search-
ing, they decided on their
current sign, which costs
just under $900 per month,
Julie said. It is on Highway
395, visible as drivers enter
Hermiston.
Ma ny p e ople h ave
commented on it, she said in
an interview Oct. 21, and it
has driven some people into
her shop. Still, she is waiting
to see if it will pay for itself.
It is a big move, but a
necessary one, she said.
Almost every day, even
though she fi rst opened the
store August 2019, local
people still are surprised by
its existence. Even people
who own businesses on the
same street, only a couple
of blocks away, are just now
discovering it. She had to do
something, she said.
This season, as people get
ready for Christmas, is espe-
cially good for her. Last year
was “insane,” she said. She
had a terrifi c amount of busi-
ness, and she hopes to repeat
this success.
Her only other concern
about the store is a shortage,
she said. She said she worries
about being able to acquire
enough Lego sets to meet the
holiday demand.
And with new Lego sets,
including the latest in Star
Wars and the new Ideas lines,
she said she hopes she will
have enough Legos to build
on her success.
Wrong-way driver near
Pendleton was man
missing from Nevada
PENDLETON — A traffic stop
near Pendleton led police to fi nd a man
missing from Nevada.
Oregon State Police reported a
black Chevrolet Silverado at 8:12 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 16, was heading west in
the eastbound lanes from Exit 209 in
Pendleton. A Umatilla County sher-
iff ’s deputy was entering the free-
way at milepost 207 and stopped the
pickup. Ryan Sharp, senior trooper
with Oregon State Police, arrived soon
after.
The pickup’s driver was confused,
according to OSP, and a check on
his identifi cation revealed he was an
82-year-old man who was reported as
a missing or endangered person from
Reno.
State police took the driver to its
offi ce in Pendleton and contacted his
wife. Police then checked him into a
local hotel and secured his vehicle in
the OSP parking lot.
Oregon State Police also reported
the man’s wife and a relative were
leaving Reno the morning of Nov. 17
to get him in Pendleton.
pickup tried to enter the rest area from
the fast lane too late but was moving
slowly. A GMC Sierra pickup towing
a large fi fth-wheel recreational vehicle
tried to overtake the Dodge and pass
on the right side.
The vehicles collided, causing the
RV to fl ip onto its left side, blocking
entry to the rest area. The crash also
caused damage to a highway sign and
a utility pole.
An Oregon State Police trooper,
personnel from the Oregon Depart-
ment of Transportation and Umatilla
Electric Cooperative responded to the
scene.
An OSP trooper cited the driver of
the Dodge, Ariane Lee Guilliams, 35,
of Gresham, for careless driving, driv-
ing uninsured and driving without a
license.
State police did nor specify if
anyone was injured.
But that night at about 10:40 p.m.,
a 28-year-old man from Surrey, Brit-
ish Columbia, suff ered minor injuries
when he rolled the semitrailer he was
driving on Highway 82 near milepost
10 at Umatilla. Oregon State Police
reported the driver fell asleep at the
wheel and the vehicle rolled onto its
side. The passenger was not injured.
Crash blocks I-84 rest
area at Boardman
Local off ender
in jail in theft case
BOARDMAN — A crash between
two pickups Tuesday, Nov. 16, on
Interstate 84 blocked the entrance to
the Boardman Rest Area. Oregon State
Police also reported one driver ended
up with several citations.
The wreck occurred a little before
8:30 a.m. at the entrance to the I-84
eastbound rest stop near Boardman.
State police reported a Dodge Dakota
HERMISTON — Local off ender
Carlos Joaquin Barragan of Hermis-
ton is again in jail.
Hermiston Police Chief Jason
Edmiston said officers arrested
Barragan, 43, in relation to all-ter-
rain vehicle thefts in October.
Police on Oct. 10 at about 7:30 a.m.
responded to the 700 block of West
Highland Avenue on a report of a
EARLY
The most valuable and respected source of
local news, advertising and information
for our communities.
eomediagroup.com
BLACK
Theater seating will adhere to social distancing protocols
Every showing $7.50 per person (ages 0-3 still free)
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (PG13)
4:40p 7:40p
extra 1:40p showing 11/20 & 11/21
King Richard (PG13)
4:50p 8:10p
extra 1:10p showing 11/20 & 11/21
Clifford the Big Red Dog (PG)
3:10p 3:40p 6:00p
extra 1:20 showing 11/20 & 11/21
Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216
st
Adopted
or
Rescue
Pet
e
t
u
C photo contest
8-6 Friday • 8-5 Saturday
10%
off
STORE WIDE !
ON ALL IN STOCK ITEMS
(not on special orders • no phone orders)
Submit your photos and be entered for your chance
to win a $30 gift certificate to a local
restaurant of your choice
Ron's Gone Wrong (PG)
8:20p
wildhorseresort.com • 541-966-1850
PENDLETON — In observance
of the Thanksgiving holiday, the East
Oregonian will not publish a print
edition on Thursday, Nov. 25.
“It’s a chance to give our employ-
ees an opportunity to spend an unin-
terrupted holiday with their families,”
said EO editor Andrew Cutler.
The EO will publish an expanded
edition, including additional comics
and puzzle features as well as the
weekly GO! magazine, on Tuesday,
Nov. 23.
An e-edition only paper will be
published on Thanksgiving and
will be available to paid subscribers
through the East Oregonian website,
w w w.ea storegon ia n.com. T he
Thanksgiving e-edition will include
local stories, an opinion page and
sports.
To make sure you are subscribed
to the e-edition:
• Log on to www.eastoregonian.
com/users/forgot, enter your email
address and click “I’m not a robot”
then “Reset Password.”
• An email will be sent to you with
a link to click on, click on the link.
• A website will popup to enter
your new password.
• You’re all set.
For questions or problems, call the
EO Media Group customer service
line at 800-781-3214.
— EO Media Group
F RIDAY AND S ATURDAY
- NOVEMBER 19 & 20 -
Eternals (PG13)
4:30p 8:00p
extra 1:00p showing 11/20 &
11/21
Venom: Let There Be Carnage
(PG13)
5:30p 7:50p
extra 12:50p showing 11/20 & 11/21
No print paper on
Thanksgiving holiday
SALE!
11/19-11/23
Cineplex Show Times
Blue Mountain Wildlife/Contributed Image
This image of an X-ray from Nov. 8,
2021, shows injuries a great horned
owl suff ered. The bird was one of six
raptors the Blue Mountain Wildlife,
Pendleton, received that week for se-
rious injuries, and none of the birds
could be saved.
suspicious vehicle. Offi cers found
a pickup hauling a trailer carry-
ing three ATVs, which were stolen,
Edmiston said.
Suspect took off from the vehi-
cle, but police caught and arrested
Mayro Guzman, 30, for vehicle theft
and four counts of fi rst-degree theft.
The investigation continued, Edmis-
ton said, and led to Barragan.
Police caught up with Barragan
on Monday, Nov. 15, at his father’s
home in Hermiston. Edmiston said
the family cooperated with offi cers,
who found Barragan trying to hide in
a crawl space.
Police arrested Barragan for four
counts of fi rst-degree theft and three
counts of vehicle theft and booked
him into the Umatilla County Jail,
Pendleton.
Edmiston said this makes the 15th
time Hermiston police have arrested
Barragan, who also has another 79
citations. In 2009, he helped set up
the largest illegal marijuana crop in
Grant County, and in 2011 in federal
court he pleaded guilty to conspiracy
to manufacture and deliver more than
1,000 marijuana plants.
View Rules and Prize information at
84575 Highway 11, Milton-Freewater, Oregon
541-938-5403 • 800-373-9304
eastoregonian.com/pet_contest