No more questions

Representing Team USA, local Special Olympics athletes Jilli Smalley and Thomas Hamilton, along with ski coach Sue Pearson, recently returned from the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games, where they participated in cross country skiing at Sun Valley Resort in Idaho.

Hamilton, of Milton-Freewater, received a bronze medal in the 1K, a silver medal in the 3K and finished sixth in the 4x4 1K relay.

Smalley, of Hermiston, finished fourth in the 1K and sixth in the 500 meter.

I interviewed the trio in January for an article ("The World Awaits," Jan. 4, 2009, East Oregonian) while they were training at Spout Springs Ski Area.

Jilli was just finishing up her lunch and was playing a game of cards before she headed back to the cross country trail. After we had talked for a little bit, Jilli turned to me and said, "No more questions."

Her mother, Kristi Smalley, was mortified by her daughter's response.

I said, "That's OK, I'm a journalist - I've been hung up on before."

Congratulations Thomas and Jilli!!!!

Real men knit mittens

I'm not a morning person, so typically I do my best work at night. One of the problems with that is if I've called someone, unless they know my direct line number, they can't call me back because the number that comes up on caller ID is one of the main East Oregonian numbers.

Such was the case earlier this week when I talked to Umatilla County Commissioner Bill Hansell about the Umatilla County Fair Board naming a path after his brother, Tyler, who died last year. ("Fair paves new tradition," Feb. 25, 2009, East Oregonian).

After reaching the recording, Hansell called back the next morning and was able to leave a message on my voice mail about his brother's first exhibit at the fair.

"Ty exhibited over 50 years ago as a boy ... so his history goes way back," Hansell said.

Because Ty was too young to participate in 4-H, he entered a pair of mittens into the open class exhibits.

"For some reason he got interested, briefly, in knitting," Hansell said.

Joyce Hansell, the matriarch of the Hansell brood, taught Ty how to knit.

"So there is this big strapping, athlete, outdoors man, rodeo man and a pair of mittens is how he got his first blue ribbon at the fair," Hansell.