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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 17, 2016)
A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2016 FROM PAGE A1 • COMMUNITY NEWS Sheriff’s challenger Lehnert says demotion at Pendleton Police made him better Pendleton corporal running for Umatilla County sheriff crumbling and he needed medication to deal with the stress from combat. “I didn’t want anybody to know I was taking medi- cation,” he said. “I was em- barrassed and ashamed, so I quit taking them.” By PHIL WRIGHT Staff writer Even so, the record shows Lehnert remained a Umatilla County sher- solid criminal investigator. iff’s candidate Ryan Leh- Roberts said those skills, nert lost his sergeant rank along with Lenhert’s abili- with the Pendleton Police ty to relate to others, made Department in June 2009 KLPDJRRG¿WIRUWKHFRP- for not doing his job. PXQLW\ VHUYLFHV RI¿FHU D Lehnert, who is chal- liaison between the police lenging incumbent Terry department and public that 5RZDQ IRU VKHULII H[- demanded less on him and plained the drop in rank his family life. came when he was strug- Lehnert said he made a gling with the transition personal apology to Rob- from living in a combat erts for failing him and the zone in Iraq to life back in department. Roberts said Eastern Oregon. The de- Lehnert used the demotion motion, he said, turned out to establish the Apartment to be better for the citizens STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS Watch Program, which in- of Pendleton, better for the volves dozens of property police department and bet- Pendleton Police Cpl. Ryan Lehnert is running against incumbent Terry Rowan for Umatilla managers and owners to re- ter for him and his children. County sheriff. duce crime. “Yeah, it was a demo- Since then, Lehnert said, tion,” he said, “but I call it a for insubordination, unsat- his early 20s with the sher- he found he was in serious isfactory performance, un- LII¶V RI¿FH EHIRUH MRLQLQJ GHEWKHVDLGDQGWKHH[SH- he grew as an individu- blessing.” The East Oregonian becoming conduct, inatten- Pendleton police. He made riences of war stayed with DO DQG DV D SROLFH RI¿FHU requested and received a tion to duty and improper corporal in 2003. He also him. He also brought his and became a better dad. was a member of the Ore- military attitude to work, Pendleton police detective copy of the city’s person- radio use. Pendleton Police Chief gon National Guard, and in ZKLFK WKH ¿OH VKRZV GUHZ Howard Bowen in 2013 QHO ¿OH RQ /HKQHUW 7KH 98 pages include his ranks Stuart Roberts said that re- 2004 he was a platoon ser- complaints from some of- even nominated Lehnert for RI¿FHURIWKH\HDU5REHUWV and pay over his 15 years sulted in bumping Lehnert geant in Iraq overseeing of ¿FHUV Still, Lehnert said, ca- boosted Lehnert to corporal with Pendleton police and from a sergeant back to an 30 soldiers. He returned home in reer advancement was im- in 2014. And in 2015, Leh- several evaluations. It also RI¿FHU Lehnert, 44, began his 2006 and resumed his job portant, and he rose to ser- nert took on the assignment revealed the department disciplined him in 2009 law enforcement career in with Pendleton PD. But geant. Yet his home life was of policing nearby Pilot Rock, which struggled with even maintaining a police department. Police Sgt. Charles Byram evaluated Lehnert in July and noted during the past couple of years he GHPRQVWUDWHG ³VLJQL¿FDQW JURZWK LQ FRQ¿GHQFH PD- turity and responsibility” but still needs to work on “prioritization and manage- ment of duties, responsibil- ities ... At times he allows KLPVHOIWRJHWRYHUH[WHQG- ed trying to please every- one.” Roberts has endorsed Lehnert for sheriff. He said Lehnert carries an array of leadership skills and he has earned back his trust and the trust of others in the de- partment. “I wouldn’t have en- dorsed him if I didn’t be- lieve he could handle this opportunity,” Roberts said. Lehnert began his career LQ WKH VKHULII¶V RI¿FH KH said, and believes it can do better under his leadership. He said he is ready for the onus of shouldering a law enforcement agency that encompasses patrols, a jail, dispatching calls for service and more. But he might not have acquired what it takes to do the job, he said, if he had stayed a sergeant. FOHDQLQJ LVQ¶W DQ RI¿FLDO industry partner with the homebuilding program, but owner Dave Smith is on the school board and got to know Hernandez while interacting with the home- builders in that capacity. He was impressed with the young man’s detail-orient- ed approach to trim work on the student-built home and offered him a job do- ing home restoration work all summer, including trim around windows and doors. Hernandez said that type of cosmetic work was his favorite part of building a home. the program for Hermis- ton School District, said he always impresses upon the students that their work in the homebuilding class is being observed by more than 20 local em- ployers over the course of the year. “I tell them, ‘We’re on a job interview every day out there,’” he said. “The person watching you could KLUH\RXQH[WVXPPHU´ Students from Hermis- WRQ8PDWLOODDQG6WDQ¿HOG will be building a third home in the Fieldstone sub- division during the upcom- ing school year. HOMES: continued from Page A1 “If that was the path they wanted to take, I think this is one of the best programs you can have,” he said. Randy Multon of Mr. In- sulation said Cody Boggs worked with one of his HPSOR\HHV RQ WKH ¿UVW VWX- dent-built home in 2014- 2015 and afterward that employee recommended him to Multon for an open position at the company. Boggs, who graduated in 2015, has worked for Mr. Insulation for about a year. “Now he’s doing jobs by himself,” Multon said. He said he is always JUDWHIXOWR¿QGVRPHRQHLQ- terested in installing insula- tion, because it’s a job a lot of people won’t do because the insulation irritates their skin too much. Carlos Hernandez, who will return to the student homebuilding program as a high school senior this fall, lucked into a summer job with O So Kleen through his involvement with the program. O So Kleen, which repairs smoke and wa- ter damage in addition to “It’s what people see when they walk in the house,” he said. He said O So Kleen was a fun summer job, and he enjoyed the chance to try working without a teacher or mentor constantly look- ing over his shoulder. “It’s a great opportuni- ty to take what I’ve been learning and put it to work,” he said. Smith said he was im- pressed with the quality of Hernandez’s work as he watched him work on the student-built home. “I saw Carlos’s enthusi- asm, and I had some work to do this summer,” Smith said. “I saw his skill level and motivation. He’s enthu- siastic and very safety-con- scious.” Jason Knutz of Inland 3OXPELQJ KLUHG 'UH[ %DL- ley after he graduated from high school, and Bailey recently got accepted as a plumbing apprentice. Knutz said he enjoyed be- ing an industry partner for the program and working with students like Bailey who are “eager to learn.” “I have no doubt the H[SHULHQFH ZDV JRRG IRU him,” he said. Curt Berger, who runs ARENA: na lighting isn’t included in the accepted bid, Smith said worst-case scenario would continued from Page A1 be transitioning to a day- board had received two time rodeo. Before the motion went bids, one from Bothum Construction and another to a vote, board member from Kirby Nagelhout Con- Kim Puzey questioned struction Company. Both whether the arena would be bids were several hundred done in time for the 2017 thousand dollars over the Farm-City Pro Rodeo. “The paint’s gonna be proposed $4 million budget wet on the stalls and pan- for the arena. Because interested com- els,” he asked. “but it’s panies have already seen JRLQJ WR EH UHDG\ IRU QH[W the plans and design, the year’s rodeo?” Smith responded, “Yes, bidding process should be quick. Revised bids are that’s the plan.” On Thursday, Jeff De- due Aug. 31 and the board hopes to vote on a bid Fri- swert from Kirby Nagel- hout Construction sent an day, Sept. 2. Byron Smith, Hermiston email that said, “After a city manager and EOTEC great deal of thought and FKDLU LV FRQ¿GHQW WKLV ZLOO consideration, I believe that JLYH WKH ERDUG WKH ÀH[LELO- the best course of action at ity it needs to meet the $4 this point is for us to allow million budget and move the board to consider what forward with construction. is in the best interest of the Because of the timeline, project. We will no longer Smith said the board wasn’t pursue the project nor will able to do much in the way we protest any decision that of re-design, but once they is made.” After Friday’s board have someone under con- tract, they can work with meeting, Deswert said the that company on cost-cut- company would be inter- ting redesigns. The board ested to see what the board also has committed to sends out, but it would like- reaching out and doing ad- ly not persuade the compa- ditional fundraising. If are- ny to submit another bid. 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