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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 2015)
Page 8A OFF PAGE ONE East Oregonian WINE: ‘It’s my belief this district will reinvent Milton-Freewater’ Continued from 1A wine bottle that uses grapes grown in the GLVWULFWDQGLV¿QLVKHGLQ2UHJRQ ,W ZDV 5REHUWVRQ ZKR ¿UVW VWDUWHG gathering support to petition the Alco- hol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau for the AVA designation more than three years ago. Kevin Pogue, a geology pro- fessor at Whitman College in Walla Wal- la, joined in the research and submitted their petition in 2012. Robertson was elated to hear the AVA was approved, which he said will draw in people from around the world and holds the promise of future economic develop- ment in Milton-Freewater — population 7,050. “It’s my belief this district will rein- vent Milton-Freewater,” Robertson said. 7KH5RFNV'LVWULFWLVGH¿QHGJHRORJ- ically by an alluvial fan where the Walla Walla River exits the Blue Mountains and enters into the Walla Walla valley. Dark basalt stones are pocketed through- out the soil, which compared to the sandy VRLOVEH¿WWLQJPRVWRI(DVWHUQ2UHJRQ¶V VLJQDWXUHFURSVLVDFWXDOO\TXLWHEHQH¿- cial for wine grapes. Water drains easier through the rocky ground, encouraging vines to root deeper. A little stress is good for the plants, forc- ing them to focus resources on the fruit. Rocks exposed at the surface also act as miniature radiators, Robertson said, capturing heat and ripening grapes later in the season. At roughly 3,770 acres, The Rocks District is Oregon’s second-smallest of 18 total AVAs. However, only 250 acres of those are currently planted in commer- cial production leaving plenty of oppor- tunity to grow. “You gotta believe more people are going to show up here,” said Robert- son, who lives in nearby College Place, Washington. “And they will. Big guys, little guys, they’re all knocking at the door.” Milton-Freewater is already anticipat- ing the AVA will be a boon to develop- ment. Randy Grant, executive director of Oregon, has negatively im- pacted productivity at Port- land’s container terminal. The port and operator blame work slowdowns by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, while longshoremen claim inade- quate equipment and safety problems are causing the problem. Hanjin was caught in the PLGGOH RI WKH ¿JKW DQG GH- cided to discontinue service rather than endure further costly delays, said Wyatt. ³7KH\ ¿QDOO\ MXVW GHFLG- ed to pull the plug. They just couldn’t take it any longer,” he said. “It was obvious something had to give, and something did.” Hanjin’s looming depar- ture will affect agricultural exporters beyond the imme- diate vicinity of Portland and Oregon’s Willamette Valley, said Josh Thomas, marine media relations manager for the port. Container barges deliver farm goods to Portland from Lewiston, Idaho, providing a PRUH FRVWHI¿FLHQW DOWHUQD- tive to trucks for shippers in northeast Oregon, southeast Washington and western Ida- ho, he said. Staff photo by E.J. Harris The vines of a Syrah grape plant are kept within 30 inches of the ground to make use of the radiant energy from large basalt rocks in the soil that capture heat during the day. the city’s downtown alliance, said res- idents are ready to embrace the district and are looking for ways to capture new business and tourism. About 74 people attended a meet- ing Tuesday night at the Community Building as part of an overall project to improve Milton-Freewater’s economic development. Grant said they expect The Rocks District will play a big role mov- ing forward. “We are very proud of what Walla Walla has accomplished in the wine in- dustry,” Grant said. “That said, we think The Rocks has the potential to be the crown jewel for wine in the valley.” City Manager Linda Hall said the sky is the limit for new investment. She envi- sions custom grape crushing and bottling facilities could move in to take advan- tage of the product grown locally, along with tasting rooms and restaurants. “We’re extremely excited,” Hall said. “It’s nice to see our quiet little area of the world recognized for its distinctness.” Meanwhile, the Alcohol and Tobac- co Tax and Trade Bureau is looking at changing its rules for naming AVAs on wine labels following its approval of The Rocks District. As it stands, winemak- ers can only label a particular AVA if the ZLQHLV¿QLVKHGLQWKDWVWDWH7KDWPHDQV Washington wineries that buy their grapes from The Rocks District cannot use the AVA name on their bottles, since The Rocks is located entirely within Or- egon. Now, the TTB is looking at broaden- ing the rule for adjacent states. There is DGD\FRPPHQWSHULRGEHIRUHD¿QDO ruling is made. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Or- egon, recently applauded the proposal as D EHQH¿W WR 2UHJRQ¶V ELOOLRQ ZLQH industry. When consumers learn to equate The Rocks District wines with their unique taste and quality, that’s when the region will really start to gain a reputation, Rob- ertson said. “It does so many good things, just by way of enlivening discussion about what is so special about the Walla Walla Val- ley,” he said. ——— Contact George Plaven at gplaven@ eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4547. “Those connections have always been a selling point,” Thomas said. Exports from these areas had grown strongly in recent years, which would have kept Portland’s container ter- minal competitive for Hanjin if not for the slowed produc- tivity, he said. “We know what the deci- sion was not about, and that was the availability of car- go,” he said. For Bossco Trading, a hay exporter from Tangent, Ore., the departure of Hanjin will complicate logistics in addi- tion to driving up transpor- tation expenses, said Shelly Boshart Davis, its vice presi- dent of international sales. Whereas a driver could deliver three containers a day between Tangent and Port- land, it will require a full day to get a single container to the Seattle area, she said. Truckers may also run out of legally allowable driving hours during that trip, po- tentially forcing them to stay overnight, Boshart said. “It’s costly all around,” she said. Other ocean carriers that ship to Japan and Northern Europe will continue to use Portland’s container termi- nal, but Hanjin represented roughly two-thirds of con- tainer cargo volume, Wyatt said. The Port of Portland plans WR VHHN RWKHU WUDQV3DFL¿F ocean carriers to service the port, but that process may take two years, he said. Any prospective partner would need assurances of full productivity from ILWU, said Thomas. “That’s going to be a heavy lift in the coming years here,” he said. If a replacement is not timely found, the absence will affect river pilots, tug- boat operators and other service providers that other ports on the Columbia River — such as Astoria — depend on, Thomas said. Meanwhile, the Port of Portland and ICTSI are seek- LQJ ¿QDQFLDO GDPDJHV IURP the longshoremen’s union in federal court, Wyatt said. That litigation will likely EHFRPH ³PRUH VLJQL¿FDQW´ now that Hanjin has pulled out, he said. “We intend to pursue those very aggressively.” Capital Press was unable to reach a representative of ILWU as of press time. Hanjin announced it’s leaving Portland at a time of broader tensions between the longshoremen’s union and container terminal operators along the West Coast. A previous labor contract between ILWU and terminals UHSUHVHQWHG E\ WKH 3DFL¿F Maritime Association ran out in July 2014 and ports have become congested in recent months as the parties have strived to work out a new deal. “It’s a very intense period right now on the waterfont on the West Coast,” Wyatt said. A breakthrough about the maintenance and repair of truck chassis — used to move containers — was re- cently reached, but the an overall agreement has re- mained elusive. Most recently, the PMA accused the longshoremen’s union of insisting on an un- reasonable provision in the new labor contract: the abil- LW\WRXQLODWHUDOO\¿UHDUELWUD- tors who rule against ILWU. Work stoppages related to alleged safety violations are referred to such arbitrators, who are meant to quickly re- solve such disputes and keep cargo moving. ,IWKHXQLRQLVDEOHWR¿UH arbitrators who stop slow- downs, that will jeopardize the reliability of West Coast ports, PMA said. ROAD: A 2013 report said city would need to spend $35.7 million over the next decade to bring Pendleton roads to ‘good’ condition Continued from 1A your child, ‘Do you want Mommy and Daddy to have a car to go to work or do you want to eat every night?’” she said. Public Works Director Bob Patterson said all options to fund street repair were on the table, including a gas tax and a utility fee. The council and staff seemed to prefer the gas tax, 40 percent of which would be paid for by people from out of town. Lisa Large, another Per- kins petitioner, offered the counterpoint that gas stations in Pendleton often charge more than other gas markets in the surrounding area. As the meeting continued, the discussion expanded to include how the city would gain voters’ trust needed to pass a ballot initiative to fund streets. Resident Terry Fife said it was hard to support the city when other projects like the Rudy Rada Skate Park, the raised crossings on Main Street, a new police station and the series of downtown bronze statues were funded before more pressing needs were discussed. KITZHABER: Secretary of State is next in line of succession for governor Continued from 1A PORT: Hanjin represented roughly two-thirds of container cargo volume Continued from 1A Thursday, February 12, 2015 Mayor Phillip Houk said many of those projects were paid for with private dona- tions or a dedicated enter- prise funds, but many council members agreed that the city needed to do a better job of explaining the budget. Councilman Chuck Wood said he was working on a draft of an informational booklet that would condense the city’s more than 150-page budget into an easy-to-read document. Still, some audience mem- bers were unimpressed with the council’s public relations skills. Petitioner Jenni Gallo- way, the daughter of a former city councilman, accused the council of rhetorical grand- VWDQGLQJZLWKRXW¿QGLQJFRQ- crete solutions. “Everybody talks but no one lands the plane,” she said. Galloway added that the council created an unfriend- ly environment and greeted some public comments with eye rolls. One concrete idea was offered by councilman Neil Brown, who said he held a personal meeting with Pi- oneer Asphalt owner Terry Clark about the matter. Brown suggested a local improvement district, which ZRXOGVSUHDGWKHFRVWRI¿[- ing the street among the Per- kins property owners based on the size of their property ZLWKWKHSRVVLELOLW\RI¿QDQ- cial support from the city. While the petitioners seemed open to the concept, the audience said such a dis- trict would set a dangerous precedent for other street re- pairs and would be harder to GRLQOHVVDIÀXHQWSDUWVRIWKH community. Under many scenarios, the city would need voter support to fund what Houk FDOOHGD³VLJQL¿FDQWFULVLV´ A 2013 report commis- sioned by the city would need to spend $35.7 million over the next decade to bring Pendleton’s roads to “good” condition. At the Pendleton current rate of funding, the city will only spend $3 mil- lion. “We’re in trouble and we need your help,” councilman Al Plute said. ——— Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0836. Save the Date SATURDAY, FEB. 14 plained return to Oregon sparked speculation that Kitzhaber planned to quit. Hours later, Kitzhaber is- sued a statement saying he would stay put. “Let me be as clear as I was last week, that I have no intention of resigning as governor of the state of Oregon,” he said in a state- ment Wednesday. “I was elected to do a job for the people of this great state and I intend to continue to do so.” Kitzhaber has come under increasing criticism for the scandal involving KLP DQG ¿UVW ODG\ &\OYLD Hayes. Under the Oregon Constitution, the secretary of state is next in line of succession to the gover- norship. Oregon is one of seven states without a lieu- tenant governor. The rumors were fu- HOHG ZKHQ %URZQ¶V RI¿FH would not reveal why she cut her trip short. Her spokesman, Tony Green, said only that she returned from the National Association of Secretaries of State — whose winter conference ends Friday. “I do not have any in- formation about why she is cutting her trip short,” Green said. Resignation — even though Kitzhaber just be- gan his fourth term on Jan. 12 — is not the only option. Under the Oregon Con- stitution and a 2009 law, a governor can take a volun- tary leave based on disabil- LW\ GH¿QH WKDW SHULRG DQG estimate when he might resume his duties. The law also provides for a medical disability with a more com- plex procedure. Representatives of Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, and House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, say they were unaware of any pending announcements by the gov- ernor or the secretary of state. Rumors circulated in the capitol Tuesday that directors of state agencies were called to a meeting in WKH JRYHUQRU¶V RI¿FH %XW Matt Shelby, a spokesman for Oregon chief operat- LQJRI¿FHU0LFKDHO-RUGDQ AP Photo/Don Ryan, File In this 2012 file pho- to, Oregon Democratic Secretary of State Kate Brown celebrates at the podium after winning her race at Democratic headquarters in Port- land. On Wednesday, Brown left a conference in Washington, D.C., to make an unscheduled return to Oregon. said Tuesday afternoon that if there was a meeting of top-level government of- ¿FLDOV -RUGDQ ZDV QRW LQ- vited. “I know that Michael has no knowledge and has not been called into a spe- cial meting in the gover- QRU¶V RI¿FH´ 6KHOE\ VDLG “I imagine if there was such a meeting he would be at the top of the list.” Meanwhile, lawyer Jim McDermott, who rep- resents Kitzhaber, told The Oregonian, “I have every reason to believe the gov- HUQRUZLOOVWD\LQRI¿FH´ Spokespeople for Kitzhaber did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday afternoon. Earlier this week, in an exchange of letters, Kitzhaber requested At- torney General Ellen Rosenblum — an inde- SHQGHQWO\ HOHFWHG RI¿FLDO — to conduct a review of the allegations against him and Hayes. Rosenblum responded that the Depart- ment of Justice had already begun an investigation. They disagreed on the nature of the proceeding, although typically, the at- torney general looks at criminal violations. ——— Additional reporting from The Associated Press. The Capital Bureau is a collaboration between EO Media Group and Pamplin Media Group. Pendleton Parks & Recreation We would like to thank everyone who sponsored, participated, and volunteered. You helped make the 2015 Daddy Daughter Dance a memorable event for our 650 guests! qqqqqqqqqqqq Sponsors: Banner Bank One Main Financial St. Anthony Hospital Wildhorse Resort and Casino Pendleton Rotary Club Pendleton Bottling Company Pendleton Convention Center Wheatland Insurance Outwest Catering qqqqqqqqqqqq M AKE Y OUR R ESERVATIONS T ODAY ! A special thank you to a variety of individual volunteers, Pendleton Kiwanis Club, Pendleton High School National Honor Society, and Helix Key Club. Bleu Cheese Topped Sirloin Fire Roasted Salmon with Pineapple Salsa qqqqqqqqqqqq Live Music AT 10:00 P IN THE SALOON WHISKY BARREL ROCKER F R E E SALOON OPENS AT 4 PM DINNER BEGINNING AT 5 PM - N O C O V E R R E S E R VAT I O N S 541.278.1100 H AMLEY S TEAK H OUSE COURT & MAIN • DOWNTOWN PENDLETON Watch for spring Parks & Recreation activities in our flyer coming out through the schools in early March. Look for the summer brochure around town and on our website late-April. www.pendletonparksandrec.com