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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 14, 2015)
WEEKEND EDITION BUCKS, Th e little DAWGS, church HOOPS that could SPORTS/1B LIFESTYLES 1C REGION: Boardman recognizes its outstanding citizens 3A ENTERTAINMENT: Q&A with touring musician Israel Nash 3C FEBRUARY 14-15, 2015 139th Year, No. 87 WINNER OF THE 2013 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD KITZ QUITS Kitzhaber resigns; Brown will be governor done, and that’s what I’m going to go back to and do,” she said. Kitzhaber and Hayes are the subjects of a criminal investigation being conducted SALEM — John Kitzhaber will resign by Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum into as governor of Oregon in the wake of an DOOHJDWLRQV RI LQÀXHQFH SHGGOLQJ E\ WKH ethics scandal involv- couple. LQJKLPVHOIDQGKLV¿ Press reports over ancee, Cylvia Hayes. the last several months The resignation have raised questions will take effect Feb. about how Hayes 18 at 10 a.m. XVHG KHU LQÀXHQFH DV “I apologize to 2UHJRQ¶V ¿UVW ODG\ WR all those people who obtain lucrative con- gave of their faith, sulting contracts. time, energy and re- Willamette Week sources to elect me ¿UVW UHSRUWHG LQ 2F to a fourth term last tober that Hayes was AP fi le photo year,” Kitzhaber said Secretary of State Kate Brown listens paid at least $85,000 in a statement. to Gov. John Kitzhaber speak in Port- for work that over- Under Oregon land in 2013. Brown will become the lapped with policies law, Secretary of governor Wednesday when Kitzhaber on which she was State Kate Brown resigns. For more on Kate Brown and DQ RI¿FLDO DOWKRXJK subpoenas fi led for Kitzhaber and Cyl- unpaid, adviser to the will be governor. 6KH VSRNH EULHÀ\ via Hayes’ emails, see Page 10A. governor. The EO to reporters, express- Media Group/Pam- ing sadness but declined to answer ques- plin Media Group Capital Bureau reported tions. Jan. 27 that Hayes was paid an additional “As you can imagine, between now and See KITZHABER/10A Wednesday we a have a lot of work to be What about water? Hansell, Smith will work to educate new Gov. Brown By HILLARY BORRUD and PETER WONG Capital Bureau By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian AP fi le photo Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber speaks after he is sworn in for an unprecedented fourth term as governor on Jan. 12, 2015 in Salem. Remembering Garrett Memorial library rededicated after moving from hospital to college Local lawmakers remain FRQ¿GHQWWKH\FDQFRQWLQXHWR develop new irrigation water supplies in northeast Oregon, despite losing an import- ant ally in former Gov. John Kitzhaber. Kitzhaber, who announced his resignation Friday amid mounting political scandal, was instrumental in conven- ing the Columbia River-Uma- tilla Solutions Task Force in 2012, and his staff has been working diligently on negoti- ating additional water rights proposed by the Northeast Oregon Water Association for the region’s agricultural econ- omy. See WATER/10A HERMISTON Schools add administrator for special ed Split from ESD gives district room to create own program By KATHY ANEY East Oregonian Garrett Lee Smith wrote in his suicide note, “Put me in the ground and forget about me.” His family, friends and home town of Pendleton couldn’t do that. A resource library and mural memorializing Garrett appeared at St. Anthony Hos- pital about a year after his 2003 death. On Friday, the memorial library was rededi- cated at its new home at Blue Mountain Community Col- lege with Garrett’s parents in attendance. Former Sen. Gordon and Sharon Smith experienced crushing sorrow after their adopted son, a student at $1.50 By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian Staff photo by E.J. Harris Former Sen. Gordon Smith and his wife, Sharon, speak at the dedication for the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Library on Friday at BMCC in Pendleton. Utah Valley State College in Orem, swallowed a bottle of sleeping pills and washed them down with whiskey. His voice mail instructed, “Don’t call me anymore. I’m not feeling well.” The day af- ter he died would have been his 22nd birthday. Garrett’s death shocked those who best knew the ami- able college student with the bright smile. After losing their son, the Smiths went public, resolv- ing to prevent other families from going through the pain of suicide. The Garrett Smith 0HPRULDO)XQG¿QDQFHGWKH WLQ\ OLEUDU\ RQ WKH ¿UVW ÀRRU of the old St. Anthony Hos- pital. The library had two dedicated computers and magazines, books and pam- phlets with information about mental health and wellness. 7KHIXQGDOVR¿QDQFHGPHQ tal health screenings of local students. The senator wrote the book “Remembering Gar- rett, One Family’s Battle with a Child’s Depression” and pushed for more federal funds for suicide prevention. In 2004, President George W. Bush signed the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act into law, authorizing $82 million for youth suicide prevention. When St. Anthony Hos- pital opened a new $70 mil- lion hospital across town in 2013, the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Library needed a new home and the commu- nity college seemed a logical choice. The library is now the cornerstone of the school’s Health & Wellness Resource Center. On Friday, a slice of the community gathered near the memorial library in Mor- row Hall for speeches and a ribbon cutting. In the audi- ence was Garrett’s preschool teacher, coaches and high school friends, plus many more he never knew. Garrett grinned from the memorial wall. A teenager looping his arm around his father’s shoulders. Light- heartedly mugging for the camera with friends and fam- ily. Garrett as a baby, toddler, athlete and Pendleton High School graduate. BMCC President Camille Preus re- ferred to the mural in her opening remarks. “To see Garrett’s life right in front of us and to know about the tragic end makes us want to work that much hard- er to ensure that students who ¿QGWKHPVHOYHVLQDSRVLWLRQ of hopelessness have a place See GARRETT/12A Garrett’s life was brief but beautiful, and it continues to have meaning for others.” — Gordon Smith, Former U.S. senator ,QRQHRIWKH¿UVWYLVLEOHVLJQVRI change since Hermiston School Dis- trict announced its separation from the InterMountain Education Service District, Rocky Heights Elementary principal BJ Wilson will step into the newly created role of special educa- tion director for the district this fall. Wilson said he will miss Rocky Heights but is excited about working to “break ground” on a new model of special educa- tion delivery out- side of the ESD structure. “It’s an op- portunity to build something Wilson that has never been built before,” he said. Special education is currently overseen by special programs director Dr. Jon Mishra, who also supervises other subgroups like talented and gift- ed students. Next year Wilson will run day-to-day special education opera- tions under Mishra as the district hires QLQHWRQHZHPSOR\HHVWR¿OOUROHV historically covered by the ESD. Wilson, a former special education teacher and director of special educa- tion for Morrow County School Dis- WULFW GH¿QHG VSHFLDO HGXFDWLRQ DV ³D place for students to get their needs met, whatever they are.” He said one way he wants to facilitate that is to expand training for regular classroom teachers so they can better support their students with disabilities. “The number one goal I have is for special education students to be suc- cessful,” Wilson said. Change is coming, but the break- See SCHOOL/12A