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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (July 3, 2019)
FROM A1 A12 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2019 DANGER OXBOW Continued from Page A1 Continued from Page A1 recommended people mow, trim and weedwhack away fl ammable materials around their property before the sparks fl y. All sparklers and other hot items should be dropped into a bucket of water, she said, and a hose or other water source should be kept at the ready. “It’s lots of common sense, basically,” she said. Phillips said one of the most common fi reworks-re- lated injuries comes from children who grab the hot end of a sparkler after it goes out. While no one under 16 is allowed to purchase fi re- works in Oregon, she said she tries to instill the idea of safety into minors who come in with their parents. Sometime last Friday or Saturday, the track and turf on Kennison Stadium expe- rienced fi rework damage, according to the Hermiston School District. A vandalism report was fi led, citing minor damages. According to the report, which was fi led with Herm- iston Police Department, the district will be review- ing security cameras for information about who was responsible. Maria Duron, Communi- cations Offi cer with HSD, said a press release will be issued when HSD has more information on the event. “I have no idea why someone would think that was a good idea,” said HPD Chief Jason Edmiston. “There’s nothing to indi- cate it was intentional but [it was] defi nitely reckless.” Edmiston said that light- ing illegal fi reworks is a Class B Misdemeanor, but additional violations or charges can be tacked on if the fi reworks are not being used how they are intended to be. “If we do have a fi re that is started with illegal fi re- works, those folks will be responsible for the suppres- sion costs,” said Umatilla County Fire District 1 Fire Mahal,” which included makeshift walls from salvaged items, and an impressively well-hidden bivouac put together by a man Laramore called the Camoufl age King. “Every section of Oxbow is very different. It has personality.” Eileen Laramore, Friends of Oxbow Staff photo by Jade McDowell Signs outside the Black Cat fi reworks stand in Hermiston outline safety rules for the stand. “If we do have a fi re that is started with illegal fi reworks, those folks will be responsible for the suppression costs.” Scott Goff, Fire Marshall Marshall Scott Goff. The fi re district will be following the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s recommen- dation of the “Four B’s” of fi rework safety: be pre- pared, be safe, be responsi- ble and be aware. Goff said it’s import- ant to remember to make sure all children are being supervised while handling fi reworks, and to always have a hose or bucket of water handy. Tall grass and windy conditions should be avoided, and pets should be kept somewhere away from the fi reworks. Offi cers from the HPD and fi refi ghters from UCFD1 will both be pres- ent during the Fourth of July Stars and Stripes celebration at the Hermiston Butte. Goff said that UCFD1 plans to increase their staff- ing for the evening of July 4. In June, UCFD1 set the Hermiston Butte alight during a controlled burn. In past years, they’ve burnt the north side of the butte. But this year, both the north and south sides were subject to the burn. “We’ve burnt the south area off, so we’re hoping by doing that we’ll minimize any fi res from the fallout of the public display,” Goff said. Edmiston reminded attendees to be mindful on their way home. To keep traffi c moving around Butte Park on the holiday, only right turns will be allowed out of parking areas. “Give yourself plenty of time to get home, be aware of people walking on the streets. It’s going to be dark at that time and Elm can be busy and very chaotic,” Edmiston said. “I shook the hand of the Camoufl age King because he had the best camp I had ever seen in my life,” she said. Laramore said she was sympathetic to the plight of those she encountered, and sometimes helped them with food or clothing. But their living situation put the restoration area’s eco- system at risk from fi re, garbage and other hazards. Many were also putting themselves at risk by using unsanitary water from the Hermiston Ditch, which collects stormwater run- off, for hygiene or washing clothes. “Most of the homeless were pretty good about moving on, but the crimi- nal minds just went deeper into the bush,” she said. Now that the camp- ing and illicit activities are mostly under control, Lar- amore has gone back to focusing on other projects, such as planting milkweed to attract monarch butter- fl ies. Friends of Oxbow is aggressively removing puncture vine and garlic mustard, an invasive weed that chokes out native plants and releases chem- icals into the soil that dis- courage other plant growth even after it has been pulled up. In April, spring runoff caused the Umatilla River to overfl ow its banks and come rushing through the Oxbow area. Between the fl ood damage and the work of some literal busy bea- vers, Laramore said some parts of Oxbow are now more diffi cult to access. Laramore is a passion- ate environmental advo- cate, and said she fi nds Hermiston a frustrating “black hole” when it comes to interest in environmen- tal issues. She disbanded a previous endeavor called Tour of Knowledge due to lack of help. Most of her help at Oxbow comes from people fulfi lling court-or- dered community service hours. She worries about what will happen when her increasing age and health problems keep her from putting in so many hours each week. “We need more peo- ple in the group, because I don’t know how many more miles I’ve got left in me,” she said. Whoever carries the torch next, it’s hard to imagine they would be as passionate as Lar- amore, who spent much of Wednesday’s hike waxing poetic about the “stunning” trees and “amazing” wild- life she fi nds on her walks. The paw prints of a mother raccoon and her babies on the river bank are enough to make “even cranky old me” melt, she said. “Every section of Oxbow is very differ- ent,” she said. “It has personality.” FRIENDS OF OXBOW For more information about Friends of Oxbow or to volunteer, contact Eileen Laramore at 541-303-3872 or gelaramore3@gmail.com. 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