LOCAL
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2019
THE OBSERVER — 5A
Hit-and-run crash
MCCALL
ODOT
Continued from Page 1A
Continued from Page 1A
records advisory council.
Willamette Week fi rst re-
ported McCall’s resignation.
McCall sent two resigna-
tion letters: one to the advi-
sory council, and a second to
Gov. Kate Brown.
In her letter to Brown, Mc-
Call wrote that she believed
she and the governor’s offi ce
had “confl icting visions” of the
public records advocate’s role.
She felt the role should have
“a high degree of indepen-
dence and serve the public
interest,” she wrote in her
letter, but said the governor’s
offi ce didn’t agree. She wrote
that she was pressured to
represent the interests of the
governor’s offi ce, “even when
those interests confl ict with
the will of the council and the
mandate of the Offi ce of the
Public Records Advocate.”
“I have not only been pres-
sured in this direction, but I
have been told that I should
represent these interests
while not telling anyone that
I am doing so,” McCall wrote.
“I believe these actions con-
stituted an abuse of authority
on the part of the General
Counsel, and are counter
to the transparency and
accountability mission that I
was hired to advance.”
McCall said she “made
multiple attempts to fi nd a
workable solution, but at this
point I no longer believe these
confl icting visions of my role
can be reconciled.”
In a resignation letter
to the state Public Records
Advisory Council, of which
she was a member, McCall
was less explicit, but alluded
to her concern that the role
be independent.
department. That effort to re-
place the Interstate 5 bridge
across the Columbia River
failed, largely because Wash-
ington lawmakers backed
out of $450 million they com-
mitted for the project.
Strickler’s appointment
fi ve years later comes as
Oregon lawmakers have
renewed the charge to work
with Washington to replace
the bridge. Strickler must
be confi rmed by the Oregon
Senate, and his pay and
benefi ts will be negotiated
in the coming weeks.
“I’m eager to lead the
agency in this dramatic
time of growth in our state
and to work to modernize
our transportation network,
diversify the department’s
workforce, and bring inno-
vative solutions to achieve
Oregon’s transportation, en-
vironmental and economic
goals,” Strickler said.
Garrett announced his
resignation in January and
stepped down in June.
Strickler will manage an
agency with an annual bud-
get of about $2 billion. He
will continue carrying out
projects funded by a major
bill lawmakers passed in
Acting independently
In a statement the after-
noon of Sept. 9, McCall said
that it had been a “pleasure
serving the people of Oregon”
and expressed pride for the
work of the council. She said
she is taking a job with the
federal government in Wash-
ington, D.C.
McCall also provided two
memos of recent meetings
with governor’s offi ce staff.
McCall met with Brown’s
general counsel, Misha Isaak,
and Emily Matasar, the gov-
ernor’s government account-
ability attorney on Jan. 15.
Isaak told McCall that he
interpreted state law to mean
that the advocate works for
the governor’s offi ce, McCall
wrote in a memo penned the
day after the meeting.
“None of this had previ-
ously been conveyed to me,”
McCall wrote. “In prior con-
versations with multiple par-
ties, including the governor’s
offi ce, it had been stated that
the advocate was intended to
be independent. When I had
asked in Spring 2018 who I
would report to, the Gover-
nor’s offi ce replied that I did
not report to them.”
Isaak told her that the
independence was limited
to the day-to-day operations
of the offi ce, but that “for
political matters and mat-
ters of policy, the advocate
worked for the governor and
the governor’s offi ce is free to
intercede.”
Isaak also “implied” that it
was McCall’s job to “control
what proposals were put
forth to the council and, ulti-
mately, what proposals were
agreed upon by the council,
and in doing that, I should be
operating with the governor’s
offi ce agenda in mind,” Mc-
Call wrote.
“I stated my discom-
fort with being put in the
position of advocating for an
agenda which I was not free
to disclose or discuss with
the council,” McCall wrote.
“This objection was not really
discussed.”
Brown
“I’m eager to lead
the agency in this
dramatic time of
growth in our state and
to work to modernize
our transportation
network, diversify the
department’s workforce,
and bring innovative
solutions to achieve
Oregon’s transportation,
environmental and
economic goals.”
— Kris Strickler, head of
ODOT’s highway division
2017 that raised $5 billion
for a decade’s worth of
transportation projects.
In a statement, Gov. Kate
Brown called Strickler “the
right person to help ODOT
continue its transformation.”
“He has driven the agen-
cy’s vision for how to address
the complex mobility needs
of our region and brings
strong interstate partner-
ships to bear,” Brown said.
Photo courtesy of Union County Sheriff’s Offi ce
The Union County Sheriff’s Offi ce responded to a hit-and-run crash on Mt. Glen
Road north of La Grande at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday. A silver Chevrolet Impala had driven
into a fence, causing signifi cant damage to the structure and the car. The driver,
Cody Hatley, a transient from Pendelton, fl ed on foot from the scene of the accident
and was found and arrested later that morning. He will be arraigned at the Union
County Circuit Court on charges of failure to perform the duties of a driver and a
state-wide parole violation warrant. The three other occupants of the car did not
report any injuries.
RALLY
Continued from Page 1A
cold out there shows how passionate these
fans are,” Hurd said.
Calabro said events like these are con-
ducted to let fans know the Trail Blazers
belong not to Portland but to all of Oregon.
“We’re trying to reach people who can’t
make the fi ve-hour trip (to Portland) from
Baker City or the four-hour trip from La
Grande,” he said. “We are paying them back
(for their loyalty).”
Calabro will soon begin his fourth year as
the Trail Blazers’ play-by-play TV announc-
er. Before joining the Blazers, he was with
the Seattle Supersonics for many years as
an announcer and also broadcast games on
the ESPN and TNT networks. He estimates
that he has broadcast 2,700 NBA games.
“I used to think I would be happy if I
could just broadcast one game,” Calabro
said.
One of his most memorable broadcasts
was Portland’s series-clinching win over
Oklahoma City in the fi rst round of the
NBA playoffs when Lillard hit a tie-
breaking long three-pointer at the buzzer.
Calabro and Hurd both made riveting calls
of the shot and then went silent for about
90 seconds, letting the sights and sounds of
celebrating fans tell the story of an unfor-
gettable moment.
“Less is more in broadcasting,” Calabro
said.
He said there is a lot to like about this
year’s Blazers team, including the leader-
ship provided by Lillard. Calabro said he is
impressed by the efforts Lillard makes to
ensure everyone in the organization feels
included.
“He wants to know the name of everyone,
including the ball boys,” Calabro said.
The downtown rally was just a portion
of the Blazer activities on Tuesday in La
Grande. Trail Blazer representatives were
busy in the morning and afternoon teach-
ing basketball skills to students at Central
Elementary School and joining a career
panel in a class at La Grande High School.
Members of the career panel, most from the
Blazer organization, told students of the
careers available in sports-related fi elds.
Early Tuesday evening, members of the
Blazer organization conducted a 45-minute
basketball clinic for youth at La Grande
Middle School.
Hurd, who participated in many of the
activities, said he knows of few NBA teams
that put on community festivals like those
the Blazers do each year.
“It is very unique,” he said. “It is special.”
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ZONING
Continued from Page 1A
buffer zone along the edge
of the land affected by the
zoning change. Lindley Con-
struction will not be allowed
to put equipment in this
area or construct buildings
there, Wiggins said.
A number of people ex-
pressed concerns at a hear-
ing for the ordinance change
prior to the council’s vote.
Some said they believed
the buffer zone was not
wide enough to suffi ciently
reduce the impact the zone
change would have on the
neighborhood the construc-
tion company is next to.
Others said they believed
the zone change would
result in Lindley Construc-
tion using adjacent College
Street instead of State
Highway 237 more often to
get heavy equipment to and
from its facility. This would
generate more dust because
College Street is a gravel
road.
The city council was
asked during the hearing
to take steps encouraging
Lindley Construction to
use Highway 237 instead of
College Street when moving
heavy equipment.
Anyone who opposes the
zoning change now has 30
days to appeal the city coun-
cil’s decision to Oregon’s
Land Use Board of Appeals.
If an appeal is not fi led, the
zone change will take effect
following the 30-day period.
During the city council
meeting’s public comment
session, Union’s large deer
population was one of the
topics discussed.
Timothy Cox of Union
said he is concerned about
the number of deer in Union
and how the animals are
becoming more bother-
some. Cox urged the city
council to address this issue
before someone is seriously
injured. He said the deer
issue has gotten worse since
he and his family moved to
Union two years ago.
“They are getting a lot
tamer,” he said.
Cox said that once a doe
was following his daughter
10106 N. ‘C’ • Island City
and would not leave her
until he drove his vehicle
between them. On another
occasion, he was riding his
bike with his family’s dog
when a deer began follow-
ing him. Cox said the deer
got to within 10 to 15 feet of
him. He said he had to toss
a rock at it before it would
leave.
Concern was also ex-
pressed Monday about the
number of people younger
than 16 who are riding
ATVs in town. Union has
an ordinance allowing ATVs
to be driven in town but
state law prohibits anyone
younger than 16 from driv-
ing one.
Mayor Leonard Flint ad-
vised those concerned about
underage ATV drivers to
talk to them in a serious
manner about what they
are doing.
“That usually stops it,”
Flint said.
The mayor also suggested
people talk to the parents of
the drivers. Flint said this
can have a big infl uence on
addressing the problem.
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