REGION
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
East Oregonian
Page 3A
HERMISTON
HERMISTON
City to partner with Head Start to City opens taxi
expand preschool for 80 children company up to
School board approves
Faaeteete as new head
football coach
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
A new Hermiston Center for School
Readiness will put preschool into reach
for 80 more children next year.
Hermiston School District’s board
voted Monday to approve a partnership
with Umatilla-Morrow Head Start to
create the center, which will consist of
four classes with 20 students each.
The classes will be open to four-year-
olds living in Hermiston and taught by
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Recruitment for the classes will center
on children from families at 100 to 200
percent of the federal poverty line, a
demographic that often misses preschool
because their parents can’t afford private
schools but make too much money to
qualify for services like Head Start.
According to a news release from the
district the school will meet two days
per week, for 3.5 hours per day, from
September 1, 2015, through June 10,
2016 in one of the modular buildings
next to Rocky Heights Elementary
School that currently house the district
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Umatilla-Morrow Head Start will
lease the classrooms next year after the
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El Gran Chaparral building at the
corner of NW 11th Street and Orchard
Avenue. The school district has budgeted
$180,000 to pay UMHS to run the
program next year.
In addition to academics, the center
will also offer children and their families
services that include free screenings,
parent education classes and other
resources in both English and Spanish.
During its May 11 meeting the school
board also approved the hiring of David
Faaeteete as Hermiston’s new head
football coach. Faaeteete is a former
defensive lineman for the University
of Oregon and a current Social Studies
teacher and assistant coach. For more on
the hire, see today’s sports section.
———
Contact
Jade
McDowell
at
jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com
or
541-564-4536.
UMATILLA
Committee approves $4.5 million port budget
at McNary Industrial Park.
Legal expenses should drop by
$150,000-$200,000 after the port
A budget committee for the Port wrapped up its water right agreement
of Umatilla met Tuesday morning and settled a year-long zoning dispute
and approved a roughly $4.5 million with the city of Umatilla earlier this
proposed budget for 2015-16 that year.
The budget committee did, however,
includes allocations to each of seven
lament nearly $280,000 to maintain
separate operating funds.
And, while working capital is nearly the port’s container dock, which is not
$460,000 less than it was at the begin- being used since virtually all ocean
QLQJ RI WKH ODVW ¿VFDO \HDU FRPPLWWHH carrier service has stopped at the Port of
members noted prospects appear to be Portland.
Puzey said he has looked hard into
headed in the right direction, especially
if a $40 million water right can be short sea shipping on the Columbia
used to bolster the local agricultural River to bypass the Port of Portland and
help producers get their products to the
economy.
Meanwhile, the port’s general Puget Sound without having to spend
fund should see a jump of more than more on trucking over Washington’s
$38,000 in revenue from property highways. He and Hermiston Chamber
leases and Puzey said the district will Director Debbie Pedro said they will
collect about $717,000 in property raise the discussion with U.S. Sen.
taxes as new data centers come online Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, who is set to
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
visit Umatilla and Morrow counties
Saturday.
Though Puzey agreed the cost of
upkeep is tough to swallow, he said
they cannot simply walk away from the
container dock.
“We have at least a $10 million asset
on the river that needs to be inspected,
ready for use and cared for,” Puzey said.
Other allocations in the 2015-16
budget includes $166,179 set aside in
a strategic reserve fund, which Puzey
said can be used for incentives to attract
industry. The port also has a $1.4 million
grant from the Oregon Department of
Transportation which it will use to build
a freight shipping warehouse.
The port commission will vote to
adopt the budget at its regular June
meeting.
———
Contact George Plaven at gplaven@
eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4547.
BRIEFLY
PSD to collect
community input
on 10-year plan
Guardian Angel
Homes announces
groundbreaking
PENDLETON — The
Pendleton School District
is soliciting public input for
an important project, but
not in the usual way it has
in the past.
Instead of a public
meeting, the district is
contracting with Canadian
software company
Thoughtexchange to
provide an Internet-based
survey for the district’s
10-year plan.
“This is an important
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development of long-term
strategic thinking for our
district,” Superintendent
Jon Peterson said in a
Monday press release.
“We believe the
Thoughtexchange process
will provide a user-friendly,
interactive way to elicit
crucial community
input.”
Starting Wednesday,
parents and other
community members will
be sent an email with a link
to the survey. If someone
isn’t sent an invitation,
they can join an email
list through the district’s
website or Facebook page.
Once they’re in the
survey, participants will
be asked a series of open-
ended questions. From
there, users will get the
chance to rate other survey
takers’ ideas using a star
system.
For more information,
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541-276-6711.
HERMISTON — A pair
of specialized homes will
focus on care for individuals
with Alzheimer’s disease or
dementia.
The public is invited to
the groundbreaking of the
Memory Care Homes at
Guardian Angel Homes.
The event is Thursday at 3
p.m. at 540 N.W. 12th St.,
Hermiston. The expansion
will include 16 suites and
center around a home-like
atmosphere.
For more information
about Guardian Angel
Homes, call Jennifer Baus at
208-619-0483.
Author to speak
at drug court
graduation
PENDLETON — Gordie
Bufton, author of the best-
seller “Eluding Reality,” is
the special speaker at the
Umatilla County Drug Court
graduation.
The public is invited to
the event Friday at 3 p.m.
in the Vert Club Room, 345
S.W. Fourth St., Pendleton.
The ceremony will honor
graduates and alumni of the
Umatilla County Drug Court
alcohol and drug treatment
program.
In the memoir, Bufton
shares about his rebellious
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underbelly of society, as
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himself and living in reality.
For more information,
contact pastor.assistant@
livingwordcc.com.
Veterans event
in Boardman
BOARDMAN —
Information for veterans
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upcoming event at the Port
of Morrow.
The Morrow County
Veterans roundtable is
Friday at 9:30 a.m. at 2
Marine Drive, Boardman.
There is no admission fee.
Those planning to attend are
asked to RSVP.
For more information,
contact Linda Skendzel of
Morrow County Veterans
Services at 541-922-6420 or
mcvets@co.morrow.or.us.
Rocky Heights
hosts carnival
HERMISTON —
Carnival gems, concessions
and an FFA petting zoo are
all part of the Rocky Heights
Elementary School Carnival.
The public is invited
to attend the event Friday
from 5-8 p.m. at the school,
650 W. Standard Ave.,
Hermiston. The admission
bracelet for games is $5
per person or $20 for a
family. It includes entry for
everything except the dunk
tank. Throws for the dunk
tank are 25 cents each or
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,QDGGLWLRQUDIÀHWLFNHWV
are $1 each and a silent
auction runs from 5-7:30
p.m.
For more information,
call 541-667-6600.
Fish hatchery
to close during
construction
The Irrigon-Umatilla
Fish Hatchery Complex
will close to the public for
repairs and construction
from May 26 through July
15.
Manager Marc Garst
said the Irrigon hatchery is
30 years old and in need of
work. Construction will not
impact hatchery production,
Garst said.
The complex is managed
by the Oregon Department
of Fish & Wildlife and
funded by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service. Garst said
they typically see between
3,000 and 4,000 visitors per
year.
For more information,
call the hatchery at
541-922-2762.
Grange meeting
includes pancake
supper
HERMISTON —
Information about
participation in the
Columbia Grange is
included with a free
pancake supper.
The public is invited
to learn about grange
activities, what the grange
does in the community and
enjoy the free meal. The
event is Friday at 6:30 p.m.
at 32339 Diagonal Blvd.,
Hermiston.
For more information,
call Doris at 541-567-8663.
———
Submit information to:
community@eastoregonian.
com or drop off to the
attention of Tammy
Malgesini at 333 E. Main
St., Hermiston or Renee
Struthers at 211 S.E. Byers
Ave., Pendleton. Call
541-564-4539 or 541-966-
0818 with questions.
competition
mile for their customers,
especially the senior and
disabled ones who often take
Taxi riders in Hermiston WULSV WKDW FRVW VLJQL¿FDQWO\
are about to get more more than the $6.15 a ride
the city reimburses.
options.
Driver Nancy Gomez
The city council ended
the city’s exclusive franchise said she goes above and
agreement with Hermiston beyond, getting out and
Transit Services Monday help elderly riders carry
night, opening the cab in their groceries, making
company up to competition special accommodations for
IRUWKH¿UVWWLPHLQ\HDUV mentally disabled riders and
The franchise, which occasionally using their own
expires at the end of June, money to buy baby clothes
will be replaced by an or other items for regular
open taxi licensing system riders who can’t afford them.
“I can honestly say we
with annual costs of $50
per company and $25 per love these people. They’re
driver. The city can approve not just a paycheck for us,”
a license for any company she said.
Chantel
Robinson
that operates at least 18
hours a day, provides “safe, said as a night driver she
clean and reliable” service, often works well past the
maintains proper insurance FRPSDQ\¶VRI¿FLDODP
and has drivers that pass a closing time even though
she isn’t obligated to, just
background check.
“This system allows for to make sure everyone gets
some minimal competition home safely.
Sean Robinson said the
to make sure the taxi
community polices its company is barely surviving,
rates and level of service,” thanks to competition from
assistant city manager Mark an ever-growing list of
non-taxi transport services,
Morgan said.
He told the city council including the CareVan run
an exclusive franchise made by Good Shepherd Medical
sense to protect Hermiston’s Center to take people to
taxi service back when the appointments and the van
city had 4,500 residents. But that CAPECO uses to
today, close to 39,000 people transport clients who used
live within a 12-minute drive to be paying customers of
Hermiston Transit.
of Hermiston’s downtown.
Milton Farr supported
In addition to picking
up fare-paying customers, the taxi company, saying
Hermiston Transit Services before the Robinson family
will also have competition took over about 10 years ago
for the city’s senior and he often had to wait an hour
disabled ride program. and a half for a ride because
Elderly and disabled resi- ³FDVKSHRSOHFDPH¿UVW´
Jill Hayes of the Peer
dents can purchase tickets
at city hall for $2 a ride and Support Network, however,
at the end of the month the said she heard complaints
company can redeem those from members, including
tickets at city hall for $6.15 concerns that the company’s
open mic system violated
apiece.
Last year Hermiston their privacy because other
Transit Services redeemed riders could hear where they
were being dropped off.
29,000 tickets.
Mayor David Drotzmann
Morgan said the city’s
decision to end its taxi said he had used Hermiston
franchise came in part Transit Services a few times
because of complaints about and never had a bad experi-
Hermiston Transit Services, ence. He told representatives
most recently from Midway of the company that he was
Bar & Grill owner Stuart sympathetic to their worries
Rice, who said poor taxi but if they were truly
service has hurt his business providing a good service
because people do not want then the free market would
to get stranded after a night reward that.
“I’m not sure this is
of drinking.
“With competition comes something we should be
motivation to provide the afraid of,” he said.
The city council voted
best service possible so as to
earn the business,” he wrote 7-0 to not renew the fran-
the city. “Currently we have chise in favor of creating
a company that is entitled an open taxi licensing
Morgan
said
and does not care if they system.
Sundi Marquez, owner of
answer service requests.”
Employees of Hermiston Umatilla Cab Company, has
7UDQVLW WHVWL¿HG 0RQGD\ already expressed interest in
night that they go the extra applying for a license.
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
Emily Ann Smith
P ILOT R OCK H IGH S CHOOL
Congratulations! We are so very proud of you.
Love Mom & Dad
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Private Party Only
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Happy
Spring
From Dr. Hibbert,
Lacee, Jessica, Bailey, Heather, and Sarah
541-612-3707
Your Name:
Phone Number:
Graduate's Name:
Graduate's School:
Message to Graduate:
Tell your favorite graduate
how proud you are in our
Graduation 2015
special section in the
East Oregonian and
Hermiston Herald
& share their
"Then" & "Now" Photos!
Publishes: May 30 th
Send in your text and photos to
psmootz@eastoregonian.com
or bring to Paula at the
East Oregonian office by May 18 th .
Mailing address: Attn: Paula Smootz
211 SE Byers Ave., Pendleton, OR 97801