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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (May 13, 2015)
HERMISTON NAMES NEW HEAD COACH Oil industry challenges train rules NATION/8A FOOTBALL/1B 62/42 WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2015 139th Year, No. 149 WINNER OF THE 2013 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD One dollar Tom Insko new EOU president By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian Eastern Oregon businessman Tom Insko will take the reins at Eastern Oregon University in July after the Oregon State Board of Higher Education unanimously appointed him as university president on Tuesday. Insko is the area manager of Boise Cascade’s Inland Region, which includes 18 manufacturing facilities and plants. His father was dean of Eastern Oregon University, Insko graduated from the university himself and has been serving on EOU’s newly created board of trustees, which takes over governance of the university from Insko the state board of higher education in July. David Nelson, president of EOU’s board and its search committee, told the state board of education that EOU’s trustees were unanimous in their recom- mendation of Insko after a very robust search process. EOU has had six leaders in the last 18 years, Nelson said, and the university needed someone with deep ties to the region to bring stability and continuity to Eastern Oregon University. “He has a huge personal stake in the university,” Nelson said. Cathy Dyck, chancellor of the state university system, also voiced her support of Insko after sitting in on the forum and interviews with the university’s top candidates. She acknowledged that Insko would have some learning to do since his experience is in the business world instead of the academic one. However, '\FN VDLG ,QVNR¶V ¿QDQFLDO NQRZKRZ would be important in bringing some PXFKQHHGHG ¿QDQFLDO VWDELOLW\ WR WKH university. The Oregon State Board of Higher Education could have chosen not to honor the EOU board of trustees’ recommenda- tion, but they quickly voted 8-0 to appoint Insko as the university’s new president. Insko told both boards he was deeply honored by the opportunity. He said being a student at Eastern Oregon University changed his life and he was excited to work with staff and students to help EOU continue to change lives. “I love this university,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion. After the meeting Senator Bill Hansell (R-Athena) said Eastern Oregon Univer- sity is an important part of District 29 and he looks forward to working with Insko on matters of concern for Eastern Oregon. He said the university’s other administrators will continue to provide academic expertise while Insko brings his economic development experience. “A skill set that isn’t always present is business acumen, and that will compli- ment those other skills,” Hansell said. Insko will take over from interim university president Jay Kenton on July 1. Staff photo by E.J. Harris Dispatcher Tabetha Koehler works a call Monday in the Umatilla County communication center at the Umatilla County Justice Center in Pendleton. Dispatch sticker shock Umatilla County asks small cities to pay up for services By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian Staff photo by E.J. Harris Dispatcher Gordon Krom enters a warrant into the dispatch system on Monday at the Umatilla County communications center in Pendleton. 6PDOO FLWLHV ZLWK SROLFH DQG ¿UH GHSDUWPHQWV in Umatilla County are facing big bills from the VKHULII¶VRI¿FHIRUGLVSDWFKVHUYLFHV Sheriff Terry Rowan said the county can no longer subsidize the service for those cities or use 9-1-1 funds to help cover the costs, though KHNQRZVWKLVLVDKDUGSLOOWRVZDOORZ6WDQ¿HOG Pilot Rock and Umatilla may now have signif- LFDQW ELOOV WR SD\ DV WKH ¿VFDO \HDU FRPHV WR DQ end. Kathy Lieuallen, captain of the sheriff’s communications division, calculated Pilot Rock’s GLVSDWFKWDEDWDOPRVWDQG6WDQ¿HOG¶VDW more than $46,500. 7KRVH ¿JXUHV WKRXJK ZRXOG EH D VKRFN WR a city that has never paid for dispatch services. So Lieuallen started negotiations with Pilot Rock DW6KHLVDOVRQHJRWLDWLQJZLWK6WDQ¿HOG police, which also serves Echo, and with Umatilla. Lieuallen and Rowan also said they recognize county taxpayers should not have been footing the dispatch bill for the small cities, but past See DISPATCH/8A Fundraising flop forces fireworks-free Fourth event, according to community volunteer Fred Bradbury. Last year, the Pendleton $Q\ 3HQGOHWRQ ¿UHZRUNV show will have to be personal chapter of the Fraternal Order of the Eagles took on the effort, this year. That’s because no organiza- while the task was handled by tion stepped up this year to raise Cornerstone Community Church the $10,000 needed to pay for the in previous years. East Oregonian HERMISTON City moving forward with natural gas utility By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian Hermiston is moving forward with its own natural gas utility. The city council voted Monday to hire an engineer and begin mapping out a strategy for creating the utility. “We need to seek some expertise to help us come up with some better numbers,” city manager Byron Smith said. The city formed the utility in name only on Aug. 25, 2014, but the move was immediately challenged in court by Cascade Natural Gas, the city’s current natural gas provider. In March the Umatilla Circuit Court upheld the city’s legal right to form the utility and on April 27 the deadline passed for Cascade Natural *DVWR¿OHDQDSSHDO The city’s current plan would be to limit the utility to serving the industrial land south of Hermiston, leaving Cascade Natural Gas to continue serving residents in town. Assistant city manager Mark Morgan said until a new gas pipeline gets built the Cook Indus- trial Site — the city’s prime industrial land — can’t accommodate any business that uses natural gas. “Right now that southern industrial area is simply maxed out on gas,” he said. See GAS/8A While early efforts were underway to start the fundraising effort, Bradbury said no organi- zations signed a contract with the FRPSDQ\ WKDW UXQV WKH ¿UHZRUN show in time for the deadline. Bradbury said he is currently DGYRFDWLQJ IRU D FLW\ ¿UHZRUN committee that could more closely coordinate fundraising efforts. 'HVSLWH WKH ODFN RI ¿UHZRUN show, Bradbury said other Independence Day festivities like the Fourth of July Parade will continue as scheduled. Volunteer program to be retired in local counties Sponsor can’t afford ¿QDQFLDOPDWFKIRU federal grant By KATHY ANEY East Oregonian The nationwide volunteer network known as RSVP (Retired and Senior Volun- teer Program) will cease operations in Umatilla, Morrow, Gilliam and Wheeler counties on June 30. The Community Action Program of East Central Oregon (CAPECO), which serves as the area umbrella organization, has severed ties with the nationwide volunteer network, citing ¿QDQFLDOUHDVRQV About 250 local volun- teers, aged 55 and older, currently deliver meals, drive people to their medical appointments, teach, do cler- ical work and perform other jobs for service-oriented organizations and busi- nesses in Umatilla, Morrow, Gilliam and Wheeler coun- ties. The split, said CAPECO’s Marci McMurphy, “has been coming for a little while.” See RSVP/8A
