UMATILLA COUNTY
A12 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2022
Woman recounts her rescue John Honemann
out as Pendleton
from swift Umatilla River
airport manager
BY ANTONIO ARREDONDO
Hermiston Herald
Renata Burns on the af-
ternoon of Tuesday, June 28,
stopped by the Umatilla River
in Pendleton to mourn the
loss of her 18-year-old service
dog, Mama, nine days prior. A
moment later, she was in the
river and worried she might
not make it out until a bicyclist
stopped and saved her.
Burns recalled she saw goats
in the area, so she veered closer
to the river to get a better look.
While there, she sat down in
the river to cool off, using a
stick she found to keep her
close to the bank.
“Pretty soon, before I knew
it, the stick wasn’t holding on
anymore and I found myself
drifting down the current,”
Burns said.
An inexperienced swim-
mer, Burns finally reached an
area where she could stand up.
When she stood, though, she
ran into a problem: The quick
current and slippery rocks
made her unable to walk.
At first, she suffered through
the experience alone. A para-
medic firefighter for 15 years
in St. Louis, Burns admitted
the situation embarrassed her.
So when several people rode
past her on the Pendleton
River Parkway above the river,
Burns said nothing to them.
Fear, though, crept into the
back of Burns’ mind. Finally,
she began to worry and called
for help, nervous she may be-
come weak and drown.
“I was standing there, the
current was too strong and the
rocks were too slippery,” Burns
said. “For an hour, I was stand-
ing there in the middle of the
river.”
BY JOHN TILLMAN
Hermiston Herald
Yasser Marte/Hermiston Herald
Renata Burns poses for a portrait June 28, 2022, along the Umatilla River near the Eighth Street Bridge, Pend-
leton, where she says she nearly drowned earlier that day before Gary Taber rescued her.
Yasser Marte/Hermiston Herald
Renata Burns points June 28, 2022, to where she said she slipped into
the Umatilla River in Pendleton and the rushing water carried her down-
stream before a bicyclist stopped to rescue her.
Gary Taber was the first
person to ride by while Burns
shouted for help, she said.
Hearing the cry, he quit his
ride and walked out into the
river, grabbing a stick to help
bring Burns ashore.
After the two slipped and
stumbled a few times each,
Burns said they both emerged
from the river, wet but alive.
Burns is especially grateful for
the rescuer that came in the
nick of time.
“I could’ve died,” Burns said.
“I was scared for my life, and
he went out of his way to stop
and help me.”
Following the incident,
Burns thanked Taber again and
again and snapped a picture of
him to hold on to. She said she
hopes the incident serves as a
reminder to be careful around
the Umatilla River.
After record rainfall from
May through early June, the
river has been running much
higher than normal. While the
wetness has receded in the lat-
ter half of the month, it is still
swifter than usual.
“People need to be careful,”
Burns said. “It might not look
like the current’s so bad, but
it can take you away in an in-
stant.”
John Honemann is no lon-
ger the manager of the Eastern
Oregon Regional Airport in
Pendleton, City Manager Robb
Corbett confirmed Monday,
June 27.
Corbett would not say
whether Honemann quit or the
city terminated his employment.
Economic Development Di-
rector Steve Chrisman is serv-
ing as interim airport manager.
The city hired Honemann in
July 2021 to oversee the airport,
two industrial parks with more
than 90 tenants and a 1,000-
acre wheat farm.
He came to the city with a
long career in aviation, hav-
ing spent the eight years prior
working for the Federal Avia-
tion Administration in safety
and compliance Before that,
his career includes stints as the
general manager of a jet center
in Montrose, Colorado, and as
a flight officer and UAS pilot for
the U.S. Navy.
Chrisman served as the
airport manager before Ho-
nemann. Chrisman, however,
had no experience in aviation.
In November 2021, the city
made the airport manager its
own position again so Chris-
man could focus more on eco-
nomic development.
Harold Nelson, owner of
Pendleton Aircraft Service,
said he was “shocked” that Ho-
nemann no longer worked for
the city.
Hermiston Herald, File
John Honemann, former man-
ager of the Eastern Oregon Re-
gional Airport in Pendleton,
poses for a portrait Nov. 9, 2021,
in a World War II era hanger at
the airport. Honemann relo-
cated from northern Colorado
to Pendleton to start the job in
July 2021. Less than a year later,
he no longer works for the city.
“In my 53 years at the air-
port, John was the first man-
ager with a pilot’s license and
an aviation background as a
veteran,” Nelson said. “He was
on a mission to save the airport.
He came around to talk to busi-
nesses up here, to find out what
he could do to help.”
Nelson’s son Curtiss Nel-
son said the Pendleton Airport
Commission had an upbeat
meeting June 22, and then
“suddenly John was gone” a day
or two after.
Airport commission mem-
ber Gary Zollman commented
that everybody liked Ho-
nemann, who had provided the
airport budget to the advisory
group, at its request.
Prepare for power
outages today
FREE
WITH A HOME STANDBY GENERATOR
REQUEST A FREE QUOTE
CALL NOW BEFORE THE NEXT POWER OUTAGE
(877) 557-1912
*To qualify, consumers must request a quote, purchase, install and activate the
generator with a participating dealer. Call for a full list of terms and conditions.
Prepare for
Power Outages
& Save Money
REQUEST A FREE QUOTE!
ACT NOW TO RECEIVE
A $300 SPECIAL OFFER!*
(844) 989-2328
*Off er value when purchased at retail.
Solar panels sold separately.
Blazing Fast
Internet!
ADD TO YOUR PACKAGE FOR ONLY
19 . 99
$
/mo.
where available
2-YEAR
TV PRICE
GUARANTEE
$
69
99 190 CHANNELS
MO.
Local Channels!
America’s Top 120 Package
Including
for 12 Mos.
CALL TODAY - For $100 Gift Card Promo Code: DISH100
1-866-373-9175
Offer ends 7/13/22.
All offers require credit qualification, 24-month commitment with early termination fee and eAutoPay. Prices include Hopper Duo for qualifying customers. Hopper, Hopper w/Sling or Hopper 3 $5/mo. more.
Upfront fees may apply based on credit qualification.
Smart security.
Professionally installed.
Protection starts with prevention
Peace of Mind
Starts Here
CALL NOW TO CUSTOMIZE
YOUR SYSTEM
Get FREE Professional
Installation and Four FREE
Months of Monitoring Service*
844-894-8790
Use Promo Code 4FREE
Know When People
and Packages Arrive
*Qualifying system purchase requires minimum $599.99 equipment purchase, professional installation and applicable services agree-
ment. DIY system purchases and reactivations of previouslyinstalled systems not eligible for off er. Off er not available in all states or
provinces. Equipment purchase may be fi nanced separately subject to an agreement with one of Vivint’s third-party fi nancing partners.
Monthly $1.48 cellular network maintenance fee applies. Taxes and local permit fees may apply. New Vivint Customers only. Financing
eligibility and terms subject to credit approval by one of Vivint’s third-party fi nancing partners. Qualifi ed customers may fi nance equip-
ment purchase at 0% APR for up to 60 months. Month-to-month service agreement available when equipment is purchased upfront.
System supports up to six cameras subject to suffi cient WiFi speeds. Without a Vivint services plan, product and system functionality is
limited (including loss of remote connectivity). Speak to a Vivint representative at the phone number in this off er for complete equipment,
services, and package details, including pricing and fi nancing details. Products and services in Louisiana provided by Vivint Louisiana
Commercial Certifi cate #58280. See comprehensive Vivint license numbers on Vivint.com.
BACKED BY A YEAR-ROUND
CLOG-FREE GUARANTEE
EXCLUSIVE LIMITED TIME OFFER!
NATIO
GU
1
R GU
’S
TE
N
E
T
15 % & 10 %
2
Good neighbors chip in to get the job done. And we’ve got
work to do on HIV prevention. People in rural Oregon are
more likely to get a late-stage diagnosis, and a lack of HIV
treatment may harm your health, or your partner’s. Detected
early, HIV is more easily managed and you can live a long,
healthy life. Getting tested is a sign of strength, not weakness.
Learn more and find free testing at endhivoregon.org
A $695 Value!
Contact a Generac dealer for full terms and conditions
RD
More than half of Oregonians with HIV
live outside of Portland, often in suburbs and
small towns like this one.
$0 MONEY DOWN + LOW MONTHLY PAYMENT OPTIONS
TH
HIV isn’t
just a big city issue.
7-Year Extended
Warranty*
A
OFF
YOUR ENTIRE
PURCHASE *
FINANCING THAT FITS YOUR BUDGET!
1
+
Promo Code: 285
1
Subject to credit approval. Call for details.
CALL US TODAY FOR
A FREE ESTIMATE
5 % OFF
OFF
SENIORS &
MILITARY!
WE INSTALL
YEAR-ROUND!
TO THE FIRST 50
CALLERS ONLY! **
LIFETIME
WARRANTY
1-855-536-8838
Mon-Thurs: 8am-11pm, Fri-Sat: 8am-5pm, Sun: 2pm-8pm EST
For those who qualify. One coupon per household. No obligation estimate valid for 1 year. *Off er valid at time of estimate only 2The leading consumer reporting agency
conducted a 16 month outdoor test of gutter guards in 2010 and recognized LeafFilter as the “#1 rated professionally installed gutter guard system in America.” Manufac-
tured in Plainwell, Michigan and processed at LMT Mercer Group in Ohio. See Representative for full warranty details. CSLB# 1035795 DOPL #10783658-5501 License#
7656 License# 50145 License# 41354 License# 99338 License# 128344 License# 218294 WA UBI# 603 233 977 License# 2102212986 License# 2106212946 License#
2705132153A License# LEAFFNW822JZ License# WV056912 License# WC-29998-H17 Nassau HIC License# H01067000 Registration# 176447 Registration# HIC.0649905
Registration# C127229 Registration# C127230 Registration# 366920918 Registration# PC6475 Registration# IR731804 Registration# 13VH09953900 Registration#
PA069383 Suff olk HIC License# 52229-H License# 2705169445 License# 262000022 License# 262000403 License# 0086990 Registration# H-19114
FEEL THE SPEED,
EVEN AT PEAK TIMES.
Get strong, fast Wi-Fi to work and
play throughout your home. ^
No annual contract.
Based on wired connection to gateway.
Power multiple devices at once—
everyone can enjoy their own screen.
Number of devices depends on screen size/resolution.
AT&T
INTERNET 100
††
45
$
/mo *
For 12 mos, plus taxes & equip.fee.$10/mo equip. fee applies.
Limited availability in selectareas. *Price after $5/mo
Autopay & Paperless bill discount (w/in 2 bills).
Limited availability in select areas. May not be available inyour area.
Call or goto att.com/internetto see if you qualify.
Over 99% reliability.
Excludes DSL. Based on network availability.
Contact your local DIRECTV dealer
IV Support Holdings
888-486-0359
INTERNET OFFER: Subj. to change and may be discontinued at any time. Price for Internet 100 for new residential customers & is after $5/mo. autopay & paperless bill discount. Pricing for first 12 months only. After 12 mos., then prevailing rate applies. Autopay & Paperless Bill
Discount: Discount off the monthly rate when account is active & enrolled in both. Pay full plan cost until discount starts w/in 2 bill cycles. Must maintain autopay/paperless bill and valid email address to continue discount. Additional Fees & Taxes: AT&T one-time transactional fees, $10/mo.
equipment fee, and monthly cost recovery surcharges which are not government-required may apply, as well as taxes. See www.att.com/fees for details. Installation: $99 installation for full tech install, plus tax where applicable. Credit restrictions apply. Pricing subject to change. Subj. to Internet
Terms of Service at att.com/internet-terms. ^AT&T Smart Wi-Fi requires installation of a BGW210, 5268AC, or NVG599 Wi-Fi Gateway. Standard with Internet plans (12M or higher). Whole home Wi-Fi connectivity may require AT&T Smart Wi-Fi Extender(s) sold separately. ††Internet speed claims
represent maximum network service capability speeds and based on wired connection to gateway. Actual customer speeds are not guaranteed and may vary based on several factors. For more information, go to www.att.com/speed101.
©2021 DIRECTV. DIRECTV and all other DIRECTV marks are trademarks of DIRECTV, LLC. AT&T and Globe logo are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property.