Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2020)
NEWS/FEATURES WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2020 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3 Inmate actors tell Christmas story at TRCI attending Daysprings Min- istry services at Two Rivers, where his faith took hold and he met Hall and oth- ers, including Michael Yann, who played Zechariah, and Jose Avila-Flores, a shep- herd in the play. When Hall asked them to be in the pro- duction, none was comfort- able, but all said yes. Following a Christian lifestyle inside a prison isn’t so easy, the men say, so they depend on each other. “Different pasts and cir- cumstances led us here,” Avila-Flores said. “We have found a community. We have found hope behind these walls.” The play unspooled, with Hall speaking between each scene. The cast included one non-inmate. Elena Ropalo, a Tri-Cities real estate agent who volunteers at the prison, played Mary. The play included almost no props, just some scrolls, a donkey head made from cardboard and the swaddling clothes for baby Jesus. The makeshift theater lacked a curtain, lights, a green room or even a stage. Yet some- how the message came through. For Hall, it was all about those prophets who fore- told Jesus’ birth, those guys who made good despite their rough beginnings. “It doesn’t matter about our sordid pasts,” Hall told the audience. “It matters what we do going forward. You are so much better than those doggone blue shirts.” By KATHY ANEY STAFF WRITER This was no Sunday school nativity play. Yet, it wasn’t so far off. The cast included Joseph, Mary, shepherds and baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes. There was a man- ger, a star and a donkey. If one squinted, the room almost looked like a church fellowship hall. In reality, inmates per- formed this nativity story inside the multipurpose room at Two Rivers Cor- rectional Institution in Umatilla. Underneath their robes, the actors wore their prison blues, stamped with “INMATE,” in fl uorescent orange. Just before 6 p.m., audi- ence members all clad in similar prison garb arrived for the play. A shepherd at the door distributed pro- grams and directed the men to a table with maple bars and apple fritters. As the room fi lled, the hubbub of conversation grew louder. Shane Hall, the inmate who wrote “Christ is Born Prophecy Fulfi lled,” warmed up the audience with Christ- mas tunes. The former pas- tor strummed an electric guitar bought at the prison commissary and launched into “There’s a New Kid in Town.” Other band mem- bers played acoustic guitar, bass guitar and drums. Off to one side, Joseph Opyd played electric piano. Doing double duty as actor and pia- Staff photo by Kathy Aney Joseph and Mary, played by Roberto Baney and Elena Ropalo, sit with baby Jesus during a nativity play performed inside the Two Rivers Correctional Institution. Staff photo by Kathy Aney nist, Opyd wore his costume for the role of Angel Gabriel, a white tunic, shiny silver belt and a halo set fi rmly on his head. As they performed, the instrumentals entwined with Hall’s Oklahoma-accented baritone. “How about a little ‘Silent Night,’ boys?” he called out. The band dialed down their volume for the old favorite, sang all the verses and then segued into “O Holy Night” and then “Mary, Did You Know?” By the latter, audience chat- ter had stopped. The men started singing along, not in perfect tune, but it mattered not. Eyes glistened. About two-thirds of them stood. It was time for the main event. The idea for the play had come to Hall as he lay on his bunk. He got up, sat at the metal desk in his cell and started writing. Forty-fi ve minutes later, he says, he was fi nished. The play stars some prophets — Moses, David, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Micah and Zechariah — foretell- ing the birth of Jesus. This is important, Hall and sev- eral of the actors said during Inmate Shane Hall, who wrote and directed a nativity play that was performed last week inside the Two Rivers Correctional Institution, warms up the crowd with Christmas music. a conversation before the play, because some of these prophets were a lot like them. They had done things they weren’t proud of in their earlier lives. “Moses was a murderer, King David committed adultery,” Hall said. “They were just like us. They were men who have done sorry things.” “A lot of people God chose to tell his story were the lowlifes,” said Michael Fellowship aplenty at Hermiston’s community Christmas dinner TRCI hires Blewett as superintendent Blewett began his career with Oregon DOC as a correctional offi cer at the Oregon Department Snake River Correctional of Corrections Director Institution in Malheur Colette Peters announced County in 2007, eventu- in an email to staff ally becoming a captain. last week that Tyler He moved on Blewett is super- from the security intendent at Two ranks at SRCI to Rivers Correc- take a plant man- tional Institution. ager role at the His appointment Blewett Umatilla prison to superintendent before being follows a move into the interim leader- named acting superinten- ship role in June, after for- dent this summer. Blewett helped imple- mer superintendent Troy Bowser went on admin- ment and continue mul- istrative leave during an tiple programs at TRCI, investigation and resigned including the Peer-to- Peer Lead Mentorship in September. According to the DOC, Program. By JESSICA POLLARD STAFF WRITER By JESSICA POLLARD STAFF WRITER It can be hard to measure how the Community Fellow- ship Christmas and Thanks- giving meals impact Herm- iston each holiday season. “I still haven’t done the numbers from Thanksgiv- ing,” said Community Fel- lowship Dinner secretary Makayla Humphreys. “It’s been very smooth today,” she added during the Christmas meal, which takes place each year at the high school. “Somehow, everything always works out.” The dinner served at least 250 people last Christ- mas. Organizers at the Com- munity Fellowship Din- ner organization, which has operated completely on donations in Hermiston since the 1980s, don’t know just yet how many people were served this holiday. But what cannot be quan- tifi ed can still be showcased through the stories of guests and volunteers that come from everywhere each year to enjoy and distribute the spread: ham, veggies, gravy, mashed potatoes— and of course, the pie. It was Judith Raysor’s fi rst time at the Christmas meal, but her fourth year living in Hermiston. “I like what I see here,” she said. “And it shouldn’t just be for Christmas. We should celebrate just to celebrate.” Raysor was born in Flor- ida, left for New York City to go to college and raised three children as a sin- gle mother before a stint in North Dakota. It may be sur- prising that she found her- Dodge, who played Moses in Hall’s play. Dodge said he never read the Bible on the outside. He considered himself a Chris- tian, but didn’t really know what that meant. Then, sit- ting in county jail, he started praying. “Hitting rock bottom, you have nobody else to turn to but God,” Dodge said. “God defi nitely revealed himself to me.” Dodge eventually started Staff photo by Kathy Aney Santa and Mrs. Clause (aka Stanley and Linda Anderson, of Irrigon) visit with guests at the Community Fellowship Dinner on Christmas Day at Hermiston High School. self on the dry side of Ore- gon, but her son asked her to move to Hermiston to help raise her grandchildren. “God changed every- thing after that,” she said. Raysor got a job pro- viding in-home care for an elderly woman in Umatilla, but the house was sold in August of 2018. From then, she had nowhere to call home. It would be six months before Raysor could secure an apartment in the area. “Everything I got, people gave me,” she said. “Any- body can be homeless.” Now, she spends most days working at Desert Rose Ministries. She said Desert Rose served dinner to 60 people on Dec. 19. For her, the holiday isn’t just about food or presents. “It’s not about me getting a gift,” she said. “It’s about the love.” Raysor said that come Thursday, she’ll be back at Desert Rose learning the stories of people who come by for direction, services or just a warm cup of coffee. Jeannette and Bob O’Brion were enjoying the Community Fellowship Dinner early Wednesday afternoon. The pair said after life in the military, they settled down in Hermiston 20 years ago to retire as affordably as possible. “Wherever you hang your hat is home,” Bob said. Their closest family members are 3,000 miles away, so it’s only natural that they come to enjoy dinner and meet up with friends at the annual holiday dinners. “They are very generous with the takeouts,” Jeannette added. Dave Hickox said he didn’t have any plans besides volunteering at the dinner this year, rationing out generous portions of pie for the guests. After living several years in Madras, he’s home to Hermiston in time for the holidays. “The dinner hasn’t changed much from when I was volunteering before,” he said. Meanwhile, Terry and Lila Schlaht enjoyed their Christmas dinner with a few friends. “We’re very thankful for this,” Lila said. The pair have lived in Hermiston for 30 years. “It grows on you,” Terry said. BOX INCLUDES: (Reg. $125) • 2 T-Bones Steaks • 2 Rib Steaks • 2 New York Steaks • 2 Top Sirloin • 1 - 3-4 lb. Boneless Chuck Roast • 5 - 1 lb. Pkg Extra Lean Ground Beef 541.567.2011 253 W. Hermiston Ave. Hermiston PET OF THE W EEK Hope is a beautiful, playful energetic dog that is looking for her new furever family. She would need to have another dog to play with or a running partner to help with her energy, as well as patience for her as she learns basic obedience. Fence required. MEET HOPE Mark Sargent, DVM • Brent Barton, DVM Eugenio Mannucci, DVM, cVMA • Jana von Borstel, DVM, cVMA Small and Large Animal Care Mon: 8-6 Tue - Fri: 8-5 Sat: 8-12 Emergency Service 541.567.1138 80489 Hwy 395 N Hermiston www.oregontrailvet.com PLACE YOUR AD HERE! Contact Audra at 541.564.4538 Today! If interested please go to fuzzballrescue.com and fill out an application. If you are not able to adopt, but would like to foster or donate, visit fuzzballrescue.com or you can mail in donations to Fuzz Ball Animal Rescue, PO Box 580, Hermiston, OR 97838
