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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 2017)
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3 NEWS Umatilla teacher named civic scholar HERMISTON HERALD A Umatilla School Dis- trict teacher has been named a 2017-18 civic scholar, a statewide honor that recog- nizes teachers dedicated to civics education. Chris Early, a civics teacher at Umatilla High School, was selected by state Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner, for the honor. Each state representative selects two teachers from their district to be civic scholars, and those teach- ers are enrolled for the Civics Conference at the state Capitol in December. Early has taught in the Umatilla School District for 13 years. He said he was surprised by the nom- ination, but was looking forward to attending the conference. “I wouldn’t miss it,” he said. “I’ll be in good com- pany.” Early said he tries to help students become criti- cal thinkers. “I look to equip students to discern what’s good in- formation and what’s not,” he said. That includes talking about the U.S. gov- Chris Early ernment from a structural standpoint. “I try to give students a thorough grounding in the Constitution,” he said. “This is why our gov- ernment looks the way it does.” The conference will feature presentations from each branch of govern- ment, and lessons from master teachers about how to implement civics les- sons into curriculum. “I expect to come away with a lot of good stuff for my students,” Early said. The conference is put on by the Classroom Law Project, a program dedicat- ed to engaging students in government. STAFF PHOTO BY JADE McDOWELL Sunset Park in Hermiston awaits the arrival of new playground equipment. City to celebrate groundbreaking for new Sunset Park Thursday Community members are invited to celebrate a hard-won victory that will result in new playground equipment at Sunset Park. A celebration will be held Thursday at 4 p.m. at the park, located at the intersection of North- east Fourth Street and East Dogwood Ave. The groundbreaking ceremony to begin installation of the new equipment is a result of Hermiston residents rallying votes to win an online contest sponsored by Moda Health and the Portland Trail Blazers, pledging one dollar per assist during the Blazers’ 2017 season. Attending the ceremo- ny on behalf of the Port- land Trail Blazers will be vice president of social responsibility Christa Stout and Moda Health se- nior vice president Robin Richardson. Boys and girls ages 7-10 have also signed up to participate in four 30-minute basketball clin- ics taught by a Blazers camp staffer (not to be confused with members of the Blazers coaching staff), according to Moda corporate social respon- sibility manager Karis Stoudamire-Phillips. The clinics will take place from 3-5 p.m. Hermiston won the Moda Assist competition in March, beating out schools in Portland and Tillamook by more than 4,000 votes. The contest was expected to net about $20,000 for the park. SCHOOL IS IN SESSION! 29 $ 14 Switch to DISH and Get a FREE Echo Dot Physiciats Mutual Itsuratce Compaty A less expetsive way to help get the dettal care you deserve If you’re over 50, you can get coverage for about Keep your own dentist! 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Restrictions Restrictions apply. apply All Rights Reserved. ©2017 Charter Communications. A Place for Mom has helped over one million families find senior living solutions that meet their unique needs. Control your TV hands-free with DISH Hopper + Amazon Alexa 1-866-373-9175 World War II started, Benja- min was too old to be draft- ed and Ralph, their oldest child, was too young. “Mother wanted to know from Dad what was the best job for a woman that could make the most money, and he said that was as a weld- er,” Muriel said. So Geneva learned to weld and began working on Navy ships in Tacoma. She was one of the only female welders around, but it didn’t faze her. “I was so busy that I didn’t have time to have it bother me,” she said. Ralph said his parents always worked hard to give their children a good life, and Geneva frequently sac- rificed things she needed — even new underwear — so that her children could en- joy their childhood. “I remember that holey underwear hanging on the line and I used to shake my head, but I couldn’t refuse that dollar to go ice skating with my girlfriend,” Ralph said. He said his mom nev- er complained, even when the family’s vacation plans meant that she went straight from a long graveyard shift to a six-mile hike with the family. As Geneva’s only boy, he said he could “do no wrong in her eyes” and that knowledge affected his choices his entire life. “I did the best I could not to shame her and the fami- ly,” he said. “I avoided a lot of mischief because of my love for her.” When Ralph decided to become a doctor, his par- ents told him they couldn’t afford to help pay his tu- ition, but they did help in other ways. He used to mail his laundry home and his mother would do it for him and send it back, which at the time was cheaper than going to a laundromat. Muriel said her moth- er was a “super-mom” and she’s grateful they have been able to remain close. “Dad died in about 1983, so Mom and I have been kind of pals since then,” she said. Surrounded by family and friends on Thursday, Geneva accepted birthday hugs, well-wishes and cards that she read out loud to the group. She wore pink for the special occasion, along with a rose and a birthday sash. Muriel announced to the group that Geneva had become a great-great- grandmother for the first time a few days earlier. Geneva said she was grateful to everyone who came, and thought the cake was delicious. “Thank you all,” she said, after struggling to find the right words to express her emotions. ——— Contact Jade McDowell at jmcdowell@eastorego- nian.com or 541-564-4536. DENTAL Itsuratce SENIOR LIVING SOLUTIONS CALL TODAY - PROMO CODE: FreeEchoDot Requires credit qualification and commitment va would come home from school each day with her brother to a cold house and they would have to start the fire and dinner while their mother was at work. Gene- va eventually dropped out of high school to help sup- port the family. She met Benjamin Ralph Eddings at a dance hall, and remembers thinking how good-looking he was. They married when she was 20 and the couple had three children. “I don’t know that they expected me,” Muriel, the youngest, said. “I was a sur- prise.” Muriel was born in the midst of the Great Depres- sion, and her father was laid off from the railroad and traveled the country for a while until he found a job as a longshoreman. When The support you need to find quality LIMITED TIME! Mention offer code FreeEchoDot where available Ralph Eddings of Snoqualmie, Washington, at left, tells a story about his mother, Geneva, during her 109th birthday party on Thursday in Hermiston. /per mo. for 12 mos when bundled* UNLIMITED CALLING www.cottagefl owersonline.com . 95 /mo. STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS 99 125+ CHANNELS Mon-Sat 8am-6pm • Sun 12pm-5am $ Geneva Eddings raised her family in the Tacoma area with her husband Benjamin Ralph Eddings. Blazing fast Internet is available and can be yours with Spectrum Internet™ With speeds starting at 60 Mbps 541-567-4305 ADD HIGH-SPEED INTERNET STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS AS LOW AS HWY 395, HERMISTON for 24 months Geneva Eddings turned 109 on Thursday, but if you want to know the secret to living a long life you’ll have to ask someone else. “I haven’t the foggiest idea,” she said. Her children, who are all older than 80, have a few ideas. “It’s the genes, I guess, and good honest living,” her son, Ralph Eddings, said. He and his sister Muriel Eddings celebrated Gene- va’s birthday with her at Regency Hermiston Nurs- ing and Rehabilitation Cen- ter, along with staff and a few other family members. They said their mother nev- er smoked, rarely drank and placed an emphasis on fruits and vegetables that was ahead of her time. Parts of Geneva’s mem- ory are fading, but one can’t blame her for not recall- ing some details from her childhood or exactly how her husband proposed. She was married before many peoples’ grandparents were born. Still, she always recog- nizes family and can recall hiking, picnicking, fishing and other activities with her children as they grew up. “We played games,” she said. “I just enjoyed being with them. I love them.” Geneva was born in 1908, just a month before Henry Ford unveiled the Model T automobile. Her father had left Virginia to work on the railroad in the Pacific Northwest, and her mother soon followed in a cross-country train while eight months pregnant. Af- ter Geneva was born in Troy, Idaho, the family moved to Pullman, Washington, and then Colfax, Washington, where she spent most of her childhood. Geneva’s father died of the Spanish flu when she was 9, forcing her dis- abled mother to go to work in a laundry to support the family. Muriel said Gene- SPECTFUM INTEFNET™ Put a smile on the heart with the power of flowers. 49 By JADE McDOWELL STAFF WRITER • Speeds up to 60Mbps • Unlimited data – no data caps We have something for everyone! Now only ... Former ‘Rosie the Welder’ turns 109 MOFE HD CHANNELS, FASTEF INTEFNET AND UNLIMITED VOICE. • Homecoming • Sports DISH DEALS!! ! 190 Channels $ . 99 /mo. STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS Mitch Eddings, of Snoqualmie, Washington, helps his grandmother, Geneva Eddings, with her birthday cards during her 109th birthday party on Thursday in Hermiston. There’s no cost to you! CALL (855) 864-4711 ! 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