Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (March 20, 2015)
REGION Friday, March 20, 2015 East Oregonian Page 3A PENDLETON &KLOGSRYHUW\LQ Convicted murderer Craigen Oregon worse guilty on explosives charges since recession By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian (FRQRPLVWVPD\KDYHGH- clared the Great Recession RYHULQEXWFKLOGSRYHU- W\UDWHVLQ2UHJRQKDYHDFWX- ally gotten worse since then. $Q DQQXDO UHSRUW IURP Children First for Oregon IRXQGSHUFHQWRI2UHJRQ¶V FKLOGUHQ OLYLQJ EHORZ WKH SRYHUW\OLQH²DQLQFUHDVHRI SHUFHQWVLQFH ³:H FDOO WKLV RXU SURJ- UHVVUHSRUWEXWLQIDFWZH¶UH QRWVHHLQJDORWRISURJUHVV´ &KLOGUHQ )LUVW H[HFXWLYH GL- rector Tonia Hunt said. The numbers in Umatilla County, taken from a 2014 UHSRUW E\ WKH 'HSDUWPHQW RI +XPDQ 6HUYLFHV VKRZ WKDW WKHQXPEHURISHRSOHRQIRRG VWDPSV SHU FDSLWD LV LQ OLQH ZLWKWKHVWDWHDYHUDJHEXW SHUFHQWRI61$3UHFLSLHQWVLQ Umatilla County are children, FRPSDUHG ZLWK SHUFHQW statewide. 7KH &KLOGUHQ )LUVW UHSRUW shows other statewide indi- FDWRUVRIFKLOGZHOIDUH²LQ- cluding health and education ²DUHQ¶WVRVWURQJHLWKHU 7KHQRQSUR¿WQRWHGDEXVH UDWHV KDYH JRQH GRZQ E\ SHUFHQWLQ2UHJRQVLQFH EXWGHFOLQHGE\SHUFHQWLQ WKH8QLWHG6WDWHVDVDZKROH GXULQJWKHVDPHWLPHSHULRG Hunt said one of the big- gest things the state can do WR DGGUHVV WKDW LV WR H[SDQG KRPH SURJUDPV ZKHUH H[- SHUWVPDNHKRPHYLVLWVWRDG- YLVHQHZSDUHQWV ³:HKDYHIDPLOLHVLGHQWL- ¿HG ZKR DUH KLJK ULVN ZKR ZDQW WR SDUWLFLSDWH LQ WKHVH SURJUDPV ZKR DUH DVNLQJ IRUSHRSOHWRFRPHLQWRWKHLU home and teach them and we GRQ¶W KDYH WKH UHVRXUFHV WR SURYLGHWKDW´VKHVDLG +XQW VDLG KRPH YLVLWLQJ SURJUDPV WKDW KDYH UHGXFHG abuse and neglect only reach DERXW SHUFHQW RI DWULVN children in Oregon. Much has been said about Oregon’s dismal graduation rates and state test scores, and Children First for Oregon condemned them as well. The organization encouraged WKH VWDWH WR PRYH WRZDUG IXQGLQJ XQLYHUVDO SUHVFKRRO for all, while in the meantime H[SDQGLQJ+HDG6WDUW ,Q (DVWHUQ 2UHJRQ VWHSV are already being taken WR H[SDQG +HDG 6WDUW VHU- YLFHV 8PDWLOOD0RUURZ +HDG 6WDUW DQQRXQFHG ODVW week that was awarded a $780,000 grant from the fed- HUDO JRYHUQPHQW WR DGG more children to the Head 6WDUWUROOVWKURXJKDSDUWQHU- VKLS ZLWK SULYDWH FKLOGFDUH SURYLGHUV ZKR YROXQWHHU WR EHFRPHFHUWL¿HG+HDG6WDUW teachers. &RPSDUHGZLWKWKHUHVWRI the county, Children First for Oregon found that Oregon ranked in the bottom half of nine of the 10 child welfare categories it measures. The RQO\SODFH2UHJRQVKRQHZDV LQ PRWKHUV KDYLQJ DFFHVV WR DGHTXDWHSUHQDWDOFDUHZKHUH Oregon is ranked 11th in the country. To combat Oregon’s low VFRUHVWKHQRQSUR¿WVXJJHVW- HGDQXPEHURILQLWLDWLYHVWKDW should be considered by the state legislature, including a $15 minimum wage, earned sick days for low-wage work- HUV H[SDQGHG DFFHVV WR SUH- school and increased assis- WDQFH IRU GRPHVWLF YLROHQFH YLFWLPVDQGWKHLUFKLOGUHQ +XQWVDLGSHRSOHZKRDUH concerned about “making 2UHJRQ WKH EHVW SODFH WR EH D NLG´ FDQ VLJQ XS RQOLQH DW www.orunitedforkids.org to MRLQ D FRDOLWLRQ RI RUJDQL]D- tions and concerned citizens in sharing ideas for a “Chil- GUHQ¶V$JHQGD´ IRU WKH VWDWH legislature to consider. “I think as a state we need WRVWDQGXSDQGEHYHU\FOHDU FKLOGUHQDUHDSULRULW\´+XQW said. ²²² Contact Jade McDowell at jmcdowell@eastorego- nian.com or 541-564-4536. BROWN: 6DLGVKHZDVLPSUHVVHGE\WKH HIIRUWVIURPERWKWKHSXEOLFSULYDWHVHFWRUV Continued from 1A CEO Jim Cheney estimated WRSHUFHQWRIKLVZRUN- IRUFHOLYHVRXWVLGHFLW\OLPLWV 2YHU WKH FRXUVH RI WKH meeting, business leaders listed La Grande, Walla Walla and Hermiston as residential DUHDV HPSOR\HHV DUH FRPLQJ from to work in Pendleton. The tough housing mar- ket has an effect on incoming SURIHVVLRQDOVDVZHOO Austin Black, a manager at Lifeways, was recruited IURP 6DQ 'LHJR WR ZRUN LQ Pendleton. +H OLYHG KLV ¿UVW WKUHH months in a hotel while he VHDUFKHGIRUDKRPH¿QGLQJ SRWHQWLDO KRXVLQJ HLWKHU LQ- VXI¿FLHQWRUWRRH[SHQVLYH When he heard about the 3HQGOHWRQ +HLJKWV GHYHORS- PHQWKHZDVHDJHUWRPRYH LQ HYHQ EHIRUH WKH SURMHFW ZDVFRPSOHWH ³,SRLQWHGWRDSLOHRIGLUW DQG , VDLG µ, ZDQW WKDW¶´ Black said. 1RZ UHVLGLQJ LQ D three-bedroom home at Pendleton Heights, Black VDLG RQO\ SHUFHQW RI KLV VWDIIOLYHLQ3HQGOHWRQ Echoing the words of his IHOORZ SURIHVVLRQDOV %ODFN said the lack of housing was a deterrent to attracting high TXDOLW\HPSOR\HHVWRWKHFLW\ Outside of the model home Brown held the meet- LQJ LQ WKH ODFN RI ODQGVFDS- ing belied the fact that Pend- leton Heights is still a work in SURJUHVV Market analyst Greg 1LODQDWWHQGLQJRQEHKDOIRI 3HQGOHWRQ+HLJKWVGHYHORSHU 6DM -LYDQMHH VDLG 3HQGOHWRQ +HLJKWVLVDQH[DPSOHRIKRZ SXEOLFSULYDWH SDUWQHUVKLSV could boost the city housing market. 7R MXPSVWDUW WKH SURMHFW the city donated the land and fronted the money to extend XWLOLWLHV WR WKH GHYHORSPHQW WREHSDLGEDFNE\-LYDQMHH When a lender was only ZLOOLQJWROHQGSHUFHQWRI WKH SURMHFW¶V YDOXH 2UHJRQ Housing and Community 6HUYLFHVVWHSSHGLQDQGPDGH D SHUFHQW ORDQ JXDUDQWHH causing the lender to increase WKHLURIIHUWRSHUFHQW Brown said she was im- SUHVVHG E\ WKH HIIRUWV IURP ERWK WKH SXEOLF DQG SULYDWH VHFWRUV LQ FRPLQJ XS ZLWK D FUHDWLYH VROXWLRQ WR EXLOG workforce housing. ,Q DQ LQWHUYLHZ DIWHU WKH meeting, Brown said each community in Oregon has XQLTXH KRXVLQJ SUREOHPV and encouraged further work from the state’s regional solu- WLRQV FHQWHUV WR VROYH WKRVH issues. ²²² Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0836. dict for less than two hours Thurs- day and returned at about 1:40 George West Craigen lost his sec- SP ond criminal trial stemming from his 7KH MXU\ ZDV murder of a Milton-Freewater man in unanimous in 2011. ¿QGLQJ &UDL- Craigen, 52, was on trial this week gen guilty on all at the Umatilla County Courthouse, counts. 3HQGOHWRQIRU¿YHFRXQWVRISRVVHV- Police found VLRQ RI H[SORVLYH GHYLFHV 8PDWLOOD Craigen WKH GHYLFHV RQ &RXQW\¶V FKLHI GHSXW\ SURVHFXWRU Jackie Jenkins and defense attorney &UDLJHQ¶V SURSHUW\ LQ 0LOWRQ)UHHZD- :LOO3HUNLQVRQRI3HQGOHWRQSUHVHQW- WHU ZKLOH LQYHVWLJDWLQJ WKH VKRRWLQJ ed the bulk of their cases Wednesday GHDWK RI 5RE &DUWHU $ MXU\ ODVW IDOO and Thursday. Courtroom staff said FRQYLFWHG&UDLJHQRI&DUWHU¶VPXUGHU WKHSHUVRQMXU\GLVFXVVHGWKHYHU- In the case, circuit court Judge Russell By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian West sentenced Craigen to 27 years in SULVRQ :HVW SUHVLGHG RYHU &UDLJHQ¶V QHZ trial as well, and the sentencing is SHQGLQJ :HVW ZLOO GHWHUPLQH LI VHQ- WHQFHVIRUWKHQHZFRQYLFWLRQVVKRXOG UXQ FRQFXUUHQW RU FRQVHFXWLYH WR RWK- ers. 7KH VKHULII¶V RI¿FH UDPSHG XS courthouse security for the trial, re- TXLULQJSHRSOHHQWHULQJWKHFRXUWDUHD WRSDVVWKURXJKDPHWDOGHWHFWRU&RXUW- KRXVHVRXUFHVVDLG:HVWHYHQWRRNWKH SUHFDXWLRQ RI QRW DOORZLQJ 3HUNLQ- son to wear a long tie, which Craigen ZRXOGKDYHEHHQDEOHWRJUDE6R3HU- kinson wore a bow tie. Staff photo by E.J. Harris More than 300 competitors face off in a no-limit Texas Hold’em tournament at the 2014 Wildhorse Summer Poker Round-up in Mission. WILDHORSE: 7KLV\HDU¶VRSHUDWLQJEXGJHWLVDOPRVW0 Continued from 1A WLRQIRUWKHWULEHV´ 7KH JDPLQJ FRPSDQ\ would manage the facility IRU¿YH\HDUVDWZKLFKWLPH WKH WULEH FRXOG VHYHU WKH contract or extend it for two more years. George said the tribes YLHZHG WKH RSSRUWXQLW\ DV RQHWKDWZRXOGSURYLGHMREV 7ULEDO OHDGHUV WRRN SDUW LQ SODQQLQJDQGZDGHGWKURXJK gaming regulations. Federal DQGVWDWHJDPLQJODZZDV² DQG LV ² VRPHZKDW IX]]\ IRUWULEHV,Q&RQJUHVV had enacted the Indian Gam- ing Regulatory Act, which basically allows tribes to of- IHUJDPLQJDFWLYLWLHVWKDWDUH allowed in the state where WKHUHVHUYDWLRQLVORFDWHG A four-man negotiating WHDP ² *HRUJH &78,5 /HJDO &RXQVHO 'DQ +HVWHU Board of Trustee Chairman Elwood Patawa and Eco- QRPLF 'HYHORSPHQW 'LUHF- WRU'DYH7RYH\²VSHQW months hammering out a FRPSDFW ZLWK WKHQ*RYHU- nor Barbara Roberts. At the time, Oregon al- lowed bingo halls, horse DQG JUH\KRXQG UDFLQJ SRN- er clubs and casino nights IRU FKDULW\ %HFDXVH +DSS\ &DQ\RQ SDUW RI WKH 3HQG- OHWRQ 5RXQG8S DOORZHG FUDSV EODFNMDFN DQG URX- OHWWHWKRVHDFWLYLWLHVEHFDPH fair game for Oregon tribes. ³+DSS\ &DQ\RQ VHUYHG DV D NLQG RI VSULQJERDUG WR JHW LQWR WKDW W\SH RI JDP- LQJ´*HRUJHVDLG $WHPSRUDU\JDPLQJRS- HUDWLRQRSHQHGLQDPRGXODU WUDLOHU RQ 1RY DV D way to train staff. Customers VKRZHGXSLQGURYHVWRWHVW GULYHWKHVORWPDFKLQHV 6RPH ZDLWHG LQ WKH UDLQ when the facility reached ca- SDFLW\ “There were huge lines to JHW LQ´ *HRUJH VDLG ³&RO- OHFWLYHO\ ZH WKRXJKW ZRZ this has a chance to suc- FHHG´ Customers continued WR ÀRFN WR :LOGKRUVH 2Q 0DUFK RSHUDWLRQV transferred to a brick-and- mortar facility that had a 'LVQH\HVTXH DPELDQFH with rolling thunder, faux rock, a tree in the restaurant, waterfalls, singing birds and DWDONLQJGHHUKHDGRYHUWKH snack bar. The facility of- IHUHGVORWPDFKLQHVVL[ table games and a bingo hall. ,QDKRWHOZDVEXLOW The next year, a golf course DQG59SDUNZHUHDGGHG,Q FDPH WKH 7DPDVWVOLNW Cultural Institute, which is QRZ LQGHSHQGHQW IURP WKH casino. $IWHU¿YH\HDUVWKHWULEH WRRNRYHUPDQDJHPHQWRIWKH FDVLQR DQG *HRUJH PRYHG LQWRWKH&(2SRVLWLRQ6LQFH then the larger hotel and the- DWHUV KDYH EHHQ DGGHG DQG the lights and noise of 1,200 PDFKLQHV ¿OO WKH VSUDZOLQJ JDPLQJÀRRU *HRUJHSXWWKHUDSLG¿UH JURZWKLQ¿VFDOWHUPV ³,Q WKH RSHUDWLQJ budget was $500,000 and ZH HPSOR\HG SHRSOH´ he said. “In 2014, we em- SOR\HG SHRSOH ² LQWKHVXPPHU²DQGVSHQW DSSUR[LPDWHO\ PLOOLRQ LQZDJHV´ 7KLV \HDU¶V RSHUDWLQJ budget is almost $70 million, KHVDLG$OOJDPLQJUHYHQXH QHW SUR¿W JRHV WR VXSSRUW WULEDO SURJUDPV HFRQRPLF GHYHORSPHQW ORFDO FKDUL- table organizations and the Place a Yard Sale Ad 25 words, 3 days, private party only $20.00 East Oregonian & Hermiston Herald our Y d n i F f P o t s o ! G old Call Paula 541-278-2678 Yard Sale Kits - $5.00 Includes 2 signs & stakes, price stickers & coupons general welfare of the tribes. 7KH WULEHV HPSOR\ SHRSOHPDNLQJLWWKHODUJHVW HPSOR\HULQ8PDWLOOD&RXQ- ty. Currently, the CTUIR is one of nine Oregon tribes WKDWRSHUDWHFDVLQRV As George looks into the IXWXUH KH VDLG KH EHOLHYHV Wildhorse and the tribes will FRQWLQXHWRJURZDQGGLYHU- sify. /LNHO\ IXWXUH XSJUDGHV include another 10-story KRWHO PRUH JDPLQJ VSDFH PRUH IRRG DQG EHYHUDJH YHQXHV WKH UD]LQJ RI WKH small original two-story ho- WHOSRVVLEO\DERZOLQJDOOH\ DQG D PXOWLSXUSRVH HYHQW center that could seat 1,500. George said Wildhorse’s VXFFHVV VSLOOV RYHU LQWR WKH greater Pendleton commu- nity. ³6RPHSHRSOHYLHZ:LOG- horse as a threat, but I would counter by saying we bring a ORW RI EXVLQHVV WR WKH DUHD´ he said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that as we grow, HYHU\RQHHOVHLVEHQH¿WLQJ´ ²²² Contact Kathy Aney at kaney@eastoregonian.com or call 541-966-0810.
