REGION
Thursday, June 18, 2015
East Oregonian
Page 3A
PENDLETON
PENDLETON
Food oil manufacturer Meeting rallies support for Outdoor School
moving into airport
the airport industrial park is
consistent with the airport
commission’s effort to clean
While the Pendleton up the park’s main sections.
The council unanimously
Unmanned Aerial Systems
Range
slowly
churns approved a three-year
toward its goal of becoming contract with two three-year
an economic engine for the renewal options.
Gianni’s will be required
area, the rest of the airport
industrial park is seeing to pay $842 a month, with
rent increased annually
growth in other areas.
At its meeting Tuesday, based on the consumer price
the Pendleton City Council index.
City staff continued the
approved the lease of an A
Avenue building to Gianni’s theme of airport develop-
Fine Foods, a company that ment by discussing a staff
specializes in manufac- proposal to turn some land
turing dressing, olive oil and west of the airport into a
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balsamic vinegar.
Owner John Spenger, Industrial Area.”
According
to
city
who was at the meeting,
said that Gianni’s already planner Evan MacKenzie’s
participates in the Pendleton report, the designation
Farmer’s Market and will would give the city access to
hire some seasonal workers state funding programs and
expedite certain regulatory
during the summer.
Gianni’s is relocating processes for developers.
Chrisman said there are
from La Grande to Pend-
leton after Spenger’s rental only 13 of these areas across
agreement came to an the state, which would give
Pendleton an advantage.
abrupt end.
The city needs to apply
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the building, which has to the state to obtain the
MacKenzie
been used for city storage, a designation.
said he will present a letter
“miracle.”
Due to the company’s of support for the council to
interest in stocking locally vote on at a future meeting.
No action was taken.
manufactured
products,
In other news, the city
Spenger said he plans to
approach the Haggen Food agreed to a repayment plan
Grocery Store chain to start with the developer of the
stocking Gianni’s products Pendleton Heights housing
project for the $793,323
on its shelves
Haggen has acquired 146 the city spent improving
Albertsons and Safeway utilities and roads.
City Manager Robb
stores across the western
United States, including one Corbett said a recent
appraisal of the property
in Baker City.
Steve Chrisman, airport values it at $2.64 million,
manager and economic up from the $1.84 million
development director, said it was valued at before the
the addition of Gianni’s to development.
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
BRIEFLY
Pilot Rock OKs
sewer fee for staff
PILOT ROCK — Pilot
Rock City Council adopted
it’s upcoming $2.15 million
budget Tuesday night and
voted for council members
and staff pay the new $10
sewer fee.
The council earlier voted
5-1 in favor of the budget,
with councilman James
Hinkle as the opposing vote.
He said the city could have
cut more expenses.
Councilman Deacon
Perkins pushed to have
council members start to
pay the base rates for water
and sewer. Since 1994, the
city has not charged those
rates to council members
or city employees. Perkins
moved to discontinue
that practice for council
members only, but that died
for lack of a second.
He then asked to have
staff and council pay
the new $10 fee for the
sewer, as well as future
fee increases. That passed
4-1, with Hinkle against
and Councilman Ray
Corwin, who missed recent
meetings, abstaining.
The $10 user fee was
added at the last council
meeting to help pay for a
$3.7 million upgrade to
the city’s sewer lagoons.
It represents a 55 percent
increase to the base fee.
Perkins also moved to
phase out the rate waiver
at the end of each council
member’s term. That also
died for lack of a second.
“Philosophically,
ethically,” Perkins said, “I
don’t think we should be
compensated.”
Umatilla postpones
zoning decision
UMATILLA — Umatilla
City Council members
postponed a decision on
commercial zoning changes
for a third time Tuesday.
The Umatilla Planning
Commission worked for
months to come up with a
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where commercial busi-
nesses — including new
strip clubs — could locate.
The planning commission
sent the recommendations
to the city council in April.
The city enacted a mora-
torium preventing new adult
entertainment businesses
from opening last year and
extended the temporary ban
earlier this year. With the
moratorium set to expire
July 14, the council decided
to continue discussion about
the commercial zoning
changes to a special meeting
at 7 p.m. July 13 at Umatilla
City Hall.
Mayor Dave Trott made
the recommendation to
postpone a decision before
any discussion about the
zoning changes. He said,
except for strip clubs and
marijuana dispensaries,
none of the changes needed
to be enacted immediately.
He said the council should
take the time to understand
and discuss the issue.
City Manager Bob Ward
said the city may be able
to extend the moratorium
again, but he was not certain
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requirements could be met
before the current extension
expired.
Hermiston plans
controlled burn
HERMISTON — Herm-
iston Fire & Emergency
Services is planning a
controlled burn on the butte
Thursday, June 25 at 5 p.m.
to prepare for the Fourth of
July.
The goal is to safely
remove vegetation that
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during the city’s Stars and
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Fire chief Scott Stanton
said the burn will be
rescheduled if the wind is
too strong to safely keep the
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while air quality is always
a concern, the public safety
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hazard outweigh concerns
about smoke during the
burn.
Derek Michael Marc
& “Double AA”
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
Supporters of Outdoor
School in Pendleton want
to see more community
outreach and activism to
persuade state legislators to
fully fund the program for
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student in Oregon.
About 10 people attended
a meeting Tuesday evening
at Pendleton City Hall to
discuss the importance of
outdoor education and rally
behind a statewide coali-
tion working to prioritize
Outdoor School funding at
the Oregon Capitol.
The Oregon Outdoor
Education Coalition formed
last year and has two
bills currently before the
legislature: Senate Bill 439
and House Bill 2648 both
call for $22 million in state
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or sixth-graders can attend
up to a full week of Outdoor
School.
In Pendleton, parents and
teachers have already fought
to preserve Outdoor School
on at least three different
occasions. The most recent
was in 2011, when a
fundraising
committee
secured more than $31,000
to spare the program from
budget cuts.
“I’m just tired of my
kids having to have a bake
sale for every good thing
in school,” said Jane Hill,
a parent and Pendleton city
councilwoman. “There’s no
doubt (Outdoor School) is
a tradition our community
wants to keep.”
Tuesday’s meeting began
with presentations about
the coalition, as well as
the Oregon Environmental
Literacy
Plan,
created
with the passage of the No
Oregon Child Left Inside
Act in 2009. The plan is
intended to serve as a road
map for teaching youth
about the natural world,
and preparing them to make
informed decisions about
the future of Oregon’s
natural resources.
Susan Sahnow, natural
resources
education
program director for Oregon
State University Extension
EO file photo
Sunridge Middle School sixth-graders take an art class on the banks of Buck Creek
at the 2015 Pendleton School District’s outdoor school in the Blue Mountains, east
of Pendleton.
“I’m just tired of my kids having to
have a bake sale for every good
thing in school. There’s no doubt
(Outdoor School) is a tradition our
community wants to keep.”
— Jane Hill, parent and Pendleton city councilwoman
Service in Corvallis, said
it’s their job to develop
resources that support
engaging kids in outdoor
education.
“Oregon has this rich
legacy and history in natural
resources, and we have a
duty of ensuring our chil-
dren are ready to take care
of that future,” Sahnow said.
Everyone at the meeting
agreed they want to see a
full week of Outdoor School
paid for at the state level.
The question then became
what they can do to build
support locally.
Ideas ranged from media
outreach and letters to
the editor to a campaign
directed at local representa-
tives. The coalition shared
some research to help state
their case, including a 2014
public opinion poll that
shows two-thirds of Oregon
voters support spending $20
million per year on Outdoor
School — 70 percent of
Ghost town awakens pioneer spirit
By TAMMY MALGESINI
East Oregonian
One of Oregon’s sleepy
ghost towns wakes up this
weekend as Shaniko cele-
brates Pioneer Days.
Located about 60 miles
south of Biggs on Highway
97, the small town cele-
brates the pioneering spirit
of those who came to live
off the land and those who
built a town. The event is
complete with a scavenger
hunt for the kids, so they
also can appreciate the
lifestyle of the past.
Pioneer
Days
runs
Saturday
and
Sunday.
Visitors are encouraged to
come for the day, or stay
the weekend. RV parking
and camping is always free
along the streets of Shaniko.
Lodging accommodations
are available in Maupin,
about 34 miles northwest of
Shaniko or Madras, which is
about 38 miles southwest.
The free event includes
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modern day pioneering,
spinning and lots of infor-
mation. And you won’t
want to miss the new Toy
and Game Museum at the
school house. Vendors are
encouraged and welcome.
Breakfast
is
available
both days by the Shaniko
Chamber of Commerce,
lunch can be purchased
from various vendors and
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music are planned Saturday
evening.
A few of the activities
and offerings provide a
Contributed photo
Reenactments and gunfights are part of the fun during Saturday and Sunday´s Pio-
neer Days in Shaniko.
glimpse into the past, such
as coal-forge blacksmithing
and kids’ games. However
the real focus is on Shan-
iko’s pioneers who left their
mark.
Intertwined in the murals
depicting Shaniko’s history
are those men and women
that made the town what
it was then or preserved it
to what still exists today.
The murals introduce Ed
Martin and the William
Rees family, as well as new
ones featuring the Moody,
Fowlie and Farrell families.
Shaniko is about 140
miles from Hermiston.
To get to there, drive on
Interstate 84 and take Exit
104 at Biggs Junction, then
continue south on Highway
97 for about 55 miles.
Locals highly recommend
fueling up at Biggs, as
Proudly Serving Eastern Oregon, Washington & Idaho For 35 Years
Blue Mountain Pathology, Inc.
We are a local laboratory serving local patient needs.
Friday, June 19th
Saturday, June 20th
8:00 pm
304 SE Nye
Pendleton
541-276-6111
which live outside Portland
and the Willamette Valley.
A 2008 study by the Amer-
ican Institutes of Research
also shows kids who attend
outdoor programs raised
their science scores by 27
percent.
Vern
Willcox,
who
was involved in starting
Pendleton Outdoor School
in 1971 and served as its
director until retirement,
said the program is essen-
tially like a job application
for kids who might become
interested in working in
a natural resource-based
career.
“These kids can see an
opportunity for employment
down the road, and a great
life,” Willcox said.
Chris Schulze, a sixth-
grade teacher at Sunridge
Middle School and Outdoor
School coordinator, said the
challenge is now to under-
stand the value of outdoor
education in a education
environment that increas-
ingly places emphasis on
test scores and classroom
learning.
“If we could change the
way schools are graded
and perceived ... then some
of this can really be facili-
tated,” Schulze said.
Funding for statewide
Outdoor School is another
challenge. One proposal
would see an increase in
solid waste fees to support
the program, though that
idea has met resistance
in Gilliam County where
Waste Management oper-
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trash from Seattle.
Rex Burkholder, a Port-
land activist and member of
the Outdoor School Coali-
tion steering committee, said
they will remain persistent
even if the two bills do not
pass this session, and could
even appeal directly to
voters with a ballot measure.
“We need to solve this
problem on a statewide
level. It’s not good enough
to do it piece by piece,”
Burkholder said. “People
want Outdoor School ... We
are working our butts off to
try and get the bills passed.”
———
Contact George Plaven
at gplaven@eastoregonian.
com or 541-564-4547.
Physicians - Pathologists:
Lawrence J. Adams, M.D.,
Deepshikha Datta, M.D.,
Pendleton Home Office
Pendleton Laboratory
La Grande Laboratory
Hermiston Laboratory
Sunnyside Laboratory
George R. Wettach, M.D. and
Anirudha Halder, M.D.
434 SE 3rd Street, PO Box 1049
3001 St. Anthony Way Suite 107
700 Sunset Drive, Ste A
610 NW Eleventh Street
1016 Tacoma Ave.
Pendleton, OR 97801
Pendleton, OR 97801
La Grande, OR 97850
Hermiston, OR 97838
Sunnyside, WA 98944
541-966-1184
541-278-4755
541-963-8911
541-667-3578
509-837-1341
Shaniko doesn’t have a gas
station.
For more information,
go to www.shanikooregon.
com, search Facebook for
“Shaniko Pioneer Days,” or
call 541-489-3434.
———
Contact
Community
Editor Tammy Malgesini at
tmalgesini@eastoregonian.
com or 541-564-4539