REGION
Thursday, July 21, 2022
East Oregonian
A3
NWS on watch for high temperatures next week
By JOHN TILLMAN
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — Swelter-
ing weather is liable to return
to the Columbia Basin area
next week, according to the
National Weather Service’s
long-range forecast. And the
city of Pendleton is having
construction work start earlier
in the day to avoid the heat of
summer.
“It’s a little too early to
estimate the probability
of temperatures over 105
degrees,” Pendleton NWS
meteorologist Rob Brooks
said, “but we’re watching and
might issue an alert.”
The NWS forecasts highs
in the 90s in Pendleton for the
rest of this week and Sunday,
July 24, then getting hotter
from July 25. Its prediction
for July 26 is 102 degrees and
probably higher on July 27.
For Hermiston, the NWS
forecasts sunny and hot, with
a high near 105 for July 26,
102 at Boardman and 103 at
Pasco and Milton-Freewater.
July 27 is likely to be hotter in
these areas as well.
The NWS predicted over-
night lows in the 60s, but also
higher on Wednesday.
Yasser Marte/East Oregonian
A construction crew Wednesday, July 20, 2022, works on curbs and gutters on Southeast
Third Street and Goodwin Avenue in Pendleton. The city announced it will have some crews
start work earlier in the day to avoid hot summer days.
The Weather Service’s
July 20 forecast discussion
described the meteorologi-
cal conditions for multi-day
triple-digit temperatures.
On July 25 the upper level
ridge baking the southwest
states will squeeze northward
into the area between a trough
over the northern Rockies and
an upper low off the coast, the
discussion said. This would
begin the excessive heat
expected to start July 26.
There is a slight chance
for cooler temperatures, but
the most likely outcome is
for more than 105 degrees
in lower elevations July 26
and 27.
“Depending on how the
models evolve in the coming
days, temperatures may need
to be adjusted upward for
Tuesday and Wednesday,” the
guidance concluded. “Heat
health impacts may become
an issue by Tuesday given
the current temperature fore-
casts.”
The city of Pendle-
ton announced some of its
construction crews will
begin working at 6 a.m.
because of high temperatures
in the summer months. These
work weeks will be based on
weather forecasts for tempera-
tures at or above 90 degrees.
Otherwise work crews will
start at 7 a.m., their normal
summer hour time.
“We are doing this to try
to keep our employees out of
the heat in the hottest part of
the day,” according to Public
Works Superintendent Jeff
Brown. “By starting earlier,
we can get most of our work
done between 6 a.m. and 1 in
the afternoon and try to keep
our projects moving forward
during high heat.”
Earlier this year, Oregon
OSHA adopted new rules to
protect workers from high
heat and wildfire smoke. The
Mandatory Information for
Heat Illness Prevention rules
went into effect June 15. The
rules stipulate specific rest
break durations and inter-
vals based on the day’s heat
index. During temperatures
of 90 degrees or greater, the
rule requires 10 minutes of a
cool-down rest break every
two hours. When the tempera-
ture is 105 degrees or greater,
that number jumps up to 40
minutes of rest break every
hour.
Because the change would
require some heavy equip-
ment work in the 6 a.m. hour,
the city is exploring adjusting
its noise ordinance to allow
for the seasonal change. The
ordinance limits construc-
tion to between the hours of
7 a.m. and 6 p.m., and the
adjustment would allow city
departments to use heavy
equipment for an extra hour,
from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., during
the summer months. The city
reported it chose the 6 a.m.
time start as a compromise
between efficiency for work
crews and respect for Pendle-
ton residents.
“In order to be more effi-
cient with our crews, we’re
looking to start earlier in the
day while still trying to be
respectful of noise,” accord-
ing to Pendleton Public Works
Director Bob Patterson.
With the new schedule,
public works crews will
join employees of parks and
recreation in the early work
hours. Parks and recreation
operates on a seasonal sched-
ule where employees work
6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. during
the late spring and summer.
Communications specialist’s duties to expand
By JOHN TILLMAN
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — Jennifer
Colton has been Pendleton’s
communications specialist
since April. The position is
a new one for the city, but it
helps fulfill the city council’s
goal to improve communica-
tions.
“In order to address inter-
nal and external communi-
cations, they wanted a new
person,” she said.
City Manager Robb
Corbett said Colton won’t
handle communications for
all departments. The police
department, for instance,
sends out its own briefs and
press releases.
“But we’re geared up to
communicate better internally
and with the public,” he said.
“We want to focus on a few
areas and be more proactive.”
Improving communication
about construction projects is
an area growing for Colton.
Public works projects disrupt
people’s lives, Corbett said, so
the city wants to do a better job
of keeping residents informed.
“That’s a big part of what
our communications person
will do,” he said.
Colton concurred.
“I’ve worked with them a
lot to get the word out about
their projects,” she said.
Colton has worked for
multiple newspapers, includ-
ing the East Oregonian, and
for two Hermiston radio
stations, where she was news
Yasser Marte/East Oregonian
Jennifer Colton, the city of Pendleton new communications
specialist, works Tuesday, July 19, 2022, out of Pendleton
City Hall. Her work duties are expanding, and she also teach-
es public speaking at Blue Mountain Community College.
director for six years. She
was also an adjunct profes-
sor of communications at
Blue Mountain Community
College.
“We moved to Pendleton
eight years ago,” she said. “I
commuted to Hermiston, so
that was one reason why I
applied for this job. Another
is that, as a reporter, I had been
on the receiving end of press
releases. I read a lot that were
bad, so I know what works.
I wanted something a little
different, being on the other
side for a change, with a differ-
ent skill set.”
While driving to Herm-
iston one winter day, Colton
got stuck on Interstate 84 by a
crash ahead of her.
“I recorded the news sitting
on the freeway,” she recalled.
“We called remote recording
our ‘mobile newsroom,” so
that time it was an ‘immobile
newsroom.’”
Another focus for Colton
is getting out in front of hot
button issues, Corbett said.
“For example, there was
confusion in the public over
why Uber was important,” he
recalled. “People wondered,
‘Am I going to lose my dial a
ride or taxi tickets?’ We can
do a better job of telling our
story.”
The city launched a
20-question survey to evalu-
ate how well it communicates
with residents and visitors on
July 1.
The survey is open through
Aug. 15. Participants who
complete it on or before July 31
and choose to provide contact
information will be entered
into a drawing for one of four
$25 gift cards.
Internal communications
is a third area of focus for the
new communications special-
ist, Corbett stated.
“The city has about 100
employees in 10 depart-
ments,” he noted. “They
don’t know everything. Some
people think parks department
workers should know about
the airport. We’d like internal
memos so employees in differ-
ent departments can find out
what’s going on, or know how
to find out, so they can act as
ambassadors of the city.”
Corbett recalled when, as
a meter reader, he would get
questions about other depart-
ments he couldn’t answer.
A state of the city Zoom
call has been set up, with regu-
lar quarterly updates, Corbett
reported.
“If all employees are
unable to attend, they can
review it later,” he said. “The
10 department heads are
invited to attend and give an
overview of their operations.
At the end, employees are
encouraged to ask questions.”
Lastly, the city aims to tout
its successes better, Corbett
concluded.
“We want to talk about the
accomplishments of which
we’re proud,” he said. “We
want to brag a little. I hope
she has time to promote what
we’re doing right.”
Colton said her expanding
responsibilities don’t daunt
her.
“I’ve been here three
months and haven’t been fired
yet,” she said.
PENDLETON ROUND-UP & HAPPY CANYON HALL OF FAME
Kendra Santos named Inductee Banquet MC
East Oregonian
PEN DLETON
—
Acclaimed Professional Rodeo
Cowboy Association journal-
ist and author Kendra Santos
is the master of ceremonies for
the Pendleton Round-Up &
Happy Canyon Hall of Fame’s
annual Inductee Banquet.
The banquet is Sept. 11,
2022, according to a press
release from the Pendleton
Round-Up & Happy Canyon
Hall of Fame, and honors the
inductee class of 2022 into the
Hall of Fame.
Born in 1961 in Davis,
California, Santos grew up in
a rodeo family and began her
journalistic career as a teenager
with Roper’s Sports News. She
roped her way through college
with the Cal Poly-San Luis books, including “Rough-
Obispo Mustangs rodeo team, stock: The Mud, the Blood
receiving a journalism degree and the Beer” and “Ring of
and thereafter earn-
Fire,” and served as
ing a master’s degree
managing editor of
in business adminis-
the PRCA’s “The
tration.
Finals: A Complete
Santos began her
History of the Wran-
gler National Finals
career as features
editor for the Profes-
Rodeo.”
sional
Rodeo
She won the
Santos
WPRA Media Award
Cowboys Associ-
ation’s ProRodeo
in 1997 and the PRCA
Sports News and ultimately Media Award in 2004. She
worked her way up to Editor has covered the Pendleton
and PRCA director of commu- Round-Up for decades and
nications. She was instrumen- has fond memories of coming
tal in developing Spin to Win to Pendleton.
magazine and contributed to
“The Hall of Fame is
the foundation of American honored to have someone of
Cowboy magazine and Pro Kendra’s caliber and noto-
Bull Rider magazine. Santos riety serve as the master of
also has authored several ceremonies for our banquet,”
said Mary French-West, a
Hall of Fame board member
who coordinates the banquet.
“Since many of whom we
honor in the Hall of Fame
have such close ties to the
PRCA, it’s a natural fit to have
Kendra join us and share her
experiences and knowledge
of the sport. We’re excited to
show her around.”
The Hall of Fame banquet
will honor four people this
year: Rusty Black (Early
Years Category); Bob Forth
(Happy Canyon Volunteer
Category); Jerome Robinson
(Contract Personnel Cate-
gory); and Randy Severe
(Hall of Fame Board of Direc-
tors Special Nominee). Tick-
ets for the banquet go on sale
later this month.
Erick Peterson/East Oregonian
A sign Tuesday, July 19, 2022, warns people away from
Highway 395 north of Hermiston due to a natural gas line
break near Umatilla.
Affected area reopens
after gas line break
East Oregonian
south of Wildwood Lane
and north of Power City
Road also had to evacuate.
Commercial Tire, 81991 N.
Highway 395, was placed on
standby.
Oregon Department of
Transportation closed High-
way 395 north of Hermis-
ton between the junction
of Highway 730 at mile
point 0.4 and the junction of
Bensel Road near mile point
1.75. The sheriff’s office also
reported drivers still should
avoid the north end of 395
and use alternate routes.
Cascade Natural Gas
crews working to repair
the large line at about
8 p.m. July 19 reported
they stopped the flow at the
northern end of the gas line
and then worked to stop and
repair the south end near the
location of the break.
The work required care-
fully adjusting pressure in
the gas lines to avoid over-
pressure in other lines.
Additionally, the sheriff’s
office reported, the break
was in somewhat swampy
terrain, causing Cascade
Natural Gas crews to take
extra precautions not to
get water into the gas line
once pressure was stopped.
Windwave Communica-
tions out of Boardman also
responded after the repair
crew made a request for
specific equipment.
U M AT I L L A
—
Umatilla County Sher-
iff’s Office the morning
of Wednesday, July 20,
reported the area north
of Hermiston and near
Umatilla again is open to
traffic and residents follow-
ing a natural gas line break
the day before.
Cascade Natural Gas
notified the emergency’s
incident command that it
completed the repair of the
pipeline and pressure test-
ing.
The crisis July 19 left 16
residences without power
and prompted the evacua-
tion of those homes, accord-
ing to the sheriff’s office.
That changed at about 7 a.m.
July 20, when the sheriff’s
office reported the evacu-
ation was over and roads
were reopening as workers
removed barricades.
“Highway 395 will
remain a single lane going
northbound as repair work
continues on the excava-
tion site,” according to the
update.
The sheriff’s office
dispatch center on July 19
at 11:43 a.m. received a
911 call from a construc-
tion crew reporting it had
struck a 4-inch natural gas
line in the area of Margaret
Avenue and North Highway
395 near Umatilla.
Umatilla Rural Fire
Protection Department
responded to the call, and
the county issued an evac-
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