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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 26, 2018)
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A7 NEWS STAFF PHOTO BY PHIL WRIGHT Aidee Velazquez of Hermiston helps her children, Aiden, 5, and Andrea, 2, make healthy pizzas in the children’s cooking class Saturday at the Family Health and Fitness Day at Hermiston High School. For more photos from the event see A15. STAFF PHOTO BY JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN Food Service Manager Clara Nichols, left, shows a group of citizens around Stanfield Secondary School’s kitchen — one of the spaces that would be renovated if a bond is passed next May. Stanfield schools look at bond projects By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN STAFF WRITER The Stanfield School Dis- trict is looking to make some changes. In May 2019, the district plans to place a bond on the ballot, which will target safety upgrades and improve classroom space for both the elementary and sec- ondary schools. If passed, the bond will appear on Stanfield resi- dents’ tax statements begin- ning in July 2019. While the district needs about $14 million to com- plete the proposed projects, it is not yet clear how much the bond will ask of voters. The district found out on Wednesday that it received a $4 million Oregon School Capital Improvement Matching grant. “We could ask voters for less than $14 million, which would actually lower taxes, and use the $4 million in matching funds to make up the difference while account- ing for the rising costs of materials and labor,” said Stanfield Superintendent Beth Burton in an email. The district has identi- fied several projects that bond money will target. At the elementary school, it will focus on a more secure entryway, with better visi- bility. The parking area will be remodeled to hold more vehicles, and separate the driving area from the drop- off area. The bond also allots money to replace the floor- ing in the elementary school. There are a slew of pro- posed projects at the sec- ondary school, including upgrading the surveillance system, removing lead plumbing, replacing all exte- rior and some interior doors, upgrading the kitchen equip- ment, remodeling the admin- istrative office and entrance, and expanding the metal and wood shops. Burton and Stanfield Ele- mentary School principal Lacey Sharp led a group of about 30 Stanfield residents and staff members around the facilities, pointing out the areas that the bond will target. Burton noted that while capital improvements in some schools have focused on capacity, that’s not the case in Stanfield. She said enrollment numbers are not projected to increase, and have dropped a bit in the past few years. Stanfield has about 470 students between its two schools. Instead, she said, prior- ities for the bond include improving student and staff safety, enhancing career and technical education space, expanding the space for the middle school (currently housed in a single portable), and improving the overall learning environment. Burton noted some of the design flaws in both build- ings, such as the lack of windows in the secondary school. Earlier that day, the power had gone out in the school. “It was pitch dark and unsafe,” Burton said. The group toured the gym, which has new floor- ing and bleachers, but would get a new air condition- ing system as a result of the bond. In the kitchen, they observed the cracked floor and old appliances. “It takes me about 45 minutes to boil water,” said Clara Nichols, the food ser- vice manager at Stanfield Secondary School. The district last went for a bond in 1999, after which they built Stanfield Elemen- tary School. That building has not had any upgrades since then. The secondary school was built in 1979, and was remodeled in 1995. Hermiston man’s daughter, grandson trampled by giraffe By JADE MCDOWELL STAFF WRITER A Hermiston man has spent most of his time at a hospital in South Africa this month after his daughter and grandson were trampled by a giraffe on Sept. 3. Dr. Katy Williams and her son Finn, 3, were seri- ously injured but their health has been improving, Jack Standish said. Standish, who moved to Hermiston with his late wife in 2005, said Katy and Finn were going out to meet Katy’s husband, Sam Wil- liams, on Sept. 3 as Sam returned from a run. Often Katy and Finn would meet him inside the large, fenced estate where their home was located before walking back together. They are both sci- entists (Katy specializes in hyenas and Sam in big cats) and have been in South Africa for research. Katy and Finn walked PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY JACK STANDISH Katy, Sam and Finn Williams are pictured sometime before Katy and Finn were trampled by a giraffe. into a clearing to see a tower of giraffes, and before they had time to react, one charged and began kicking them. Sam, returning from his run, saw the attack and was able to scare the giraffes away by yelling and wav- ing his arms. Standish said the giraffe that attacked was a mother with a young baby and was likely protecting her baby from a perceived healing. Finn is finally able to open his eyes and, while not speaking yet, is reacting to his surroundings. He will be moved soon to a reha- bilitation center for chil- dren to help him get back up to where a three-year-old should be developmentally. “There’s a lot of hope,” Standish said. “His family and doctors know he’s going to get well.” To contribute to their medical costs, visit w w w. g o f u n d m e . c o m / finn-amp-katy-williams. Umatilla County events help locals clean up and get fit By PHIL WRIGHT STAFF WRITER Saturday was all about getting clean and fit in Umatilla County. Folks at the Family Health and Fitness Day at Hermiston High School were busy collecting infor- mation, from know-how on health insurance to cooking tips to medical and dental screenings. The health and wellness fair offered something for all ages. Jessica Brown of Herm- iston said the fair is must for her family. “My kids love coming to the Teddy Bear Clinic,” she said. “We bring our own stuffed animals.” The clinic also had a table full of teddies and dolls for children to select, name and give to nurses for examinations, including “X-rays” on an overhead projector. Children helped treat the furry patients. Brown said the clinic was a fun way to show children that going to the hospital didn’t have to be scary. Johanna Shelley of Umatilla brought her son, Isaac, 11. He was among the many children who received a bicycle helmet. Shelley said this was their first time coming and they appreciated the wealth of information available. Aidee Velazquez of Hermiston helped her son, Aiden, 5, and daugh- ter, Andrea, 2, make piz- zas in the children’s cook- ing class. They also were first-timers. She said the day was fun and filled with valuable information to help her family. Angie Treadwell is a founding member of the Healthy Communities Coalition in Hermiston and chairwoman of the Chil- dren’s Health Committee, which took on the work of bringing back the health and wellness event three years ago after a hiatus of a couple of years. She said credit for making the fair possible was the wealth of community sponsors and volunteers, including Hermiston High School and many of its students. “To me, this is what you need for your community,” she said. Sherry and Roy Lentz of Pendleton drove that point home. “I found my doctor from going to this fair,” Sherry Lentz said. “I’ve been going to her ever since.” The event also provided a lunch of a turkey sand- wich and sides of local produce, on the house, and everyone who attended could get a free loaf of Dave’s Killer Bread. On the other side of the county, Pendleton Conven- tion Center’s parking lot served as the site to turn over hazardous household wastes for free. Umatilla County led the waste collection. Gina Miller of the county’s code enforcement program won a $65,000 grant from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to hold the event. The money paid for contractor Clean Harbors to handle what came in. The collection started a little before 9 a.m., and three hours later nearly 300 vehicles had gone through. Miller said she anticipated the total could crest 700. threat. He said the family holds no ill will to the giraffe for an “accident of nature.” Katy and Finn were flown to a hospital in Johannes- burg, Standish said. After he got the call about the attack, he and his son David, who is serving in the U.S. Navy, rushed to Johannesburg. Katy woke up from her coma, and her broken bones and punctured organs are MCKAY CREEK ESTATES Now Accepting Residents ASSISTED LIVING • MEMORY CARE ( 541) 938-5693 www.cascadevalleyassistedliving.com 1010 NE Third, Milton Freewater, OR 97862 www.cascadevalleyassistedliving.com Are you worried about falling? If you knew that there are several simple steps you can take to reduce your risk of falling, would you do it? You can make a difference. Stay independent longer by fall proofing your home and by getting your glasses and feet checked. Most importantly you can energize your body with exercise. By improving your strength, flexibility and balance you can significantly reduce your risk of a potentially serious fall. 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