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NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
Seattle booms yet again
Nepotism charges lead to
parks department shakeup
Some fret over
Amazon’s growth
By HILLARY BORRUD
Capital Bureau
By GENE JOHNSON
Associated Press
SEATTLE — Seattle,
notorious for boom-and-bust
cycles stretching back to the
19th century Alaska gold
rush, is booming once again.
Thickets of yellow cranes
have crowded the skyline,
ZKHUHQHZJODVVVLGHGRI¿FH
buildings, hotels and apart-
ment towers blot out views of
the mountains and the Space
Needle. Food trucks dot the
streets and young software
engineers with disposable
LQFRPH¿OOWKHEDUV
But the boom has brought
handwringing, as residents
fret over whether Seattle
KDVEHFRPHDWUDI¿FVQDUOHG
city for the rich with soaring
rental rates, overly depen-
dent on the company behind
it all: Amazon.
The online retail giant has
brought tens of thousands
of workers to its campus
in the South Lake Union
neighborhood, overtaken the
University of Washington as
Seattle’s biggest employer
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space to roughly triple its
headcount here.
“A lot of people who
have lived in Seattle for
10 or 20 years are getting
pushed out,” says Jeff
Reifman, a former Micro-
soft programmer who has
criticized the ways Amazon
is
changing
Seattle,
including in a well-read
essay last year on how the
LQÀX[RIPDOHWHFKZRUNHUV
has skewed the dating
scene.
To some, the complaints
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the dark cloud in the silver
lining.
“Cleveland would be
doing cartwheels for this
type of situation,” commer-
cial real estate expert Jim
Allison said.
He suggests such talk
would have been unthink-
DEOH ¿YH \HDUV DJR ZKHQ
Seattle’s biggest private
employer,
Washington
Mutual,
collapsed.
He
credits Amazon for Seattle’s
turnaround, and credits the
city with being a model for
SALEM — Human resources investi-
gators discovered nepotism, purchases of
expensive bikes and other problems in an
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
program that dispenses grant money for
recreation projects around the state.
The problems prompted agency director
/LVD6XPSWLRQWR¿UHDPDQDJHUDQGVHHN
the resignation of an assistant director
who oversaw the program, although a
lower-level employee at the center of
some of the issues continues to work for
the department.
In their report, investigators faulted the
assistant director and division manager for
allowing State Trails Coordinator Rocky
Houston to sign hiring paperwork and
supervise his daughter, and for approving
the purchase of three bicycles and related
equipment for Houston and other employees
in 2014 that cost the state $8,700.
The investigation cost more than
$16,000: nearly $12,000 for assistance
from lawyers at the Oregon Department
of Justice, and $4,300 to temporarily hire
a retired state employee, Jon Dufrene, to
investigate alleged problems.
Steve Kay, manager of the grants divi-
VLRQZDV¿UHGRQ0D\IRXUPRQWKVDIWHU
he was placed on paid administrative leave.
Kay’s boss, assistant director Roger Roper,
abruptly resigned in January after Sumption
asked him to step down.
Nepotism has been a topic of discussion
for years among employees at the Oregon
Parks and Recreation Department, where
the family members who worked together
included Sumption, her sister-in-law and her
cousin. The sister-in-law, Tasha Petersen,
was the agency’s human resources director
until Sumption was promoted to director
in early 2014, and Sumption’s cousin, Jodi
Woiderski, also worked in human resources.
Woiderski transferred to a different agency
in September 2013 and Petersen was trans-
ferred to a different agency roughly a month
after Sumption, who has worked at the
AP Photo/Elaine Thompson
A construction worker puts in framing for a new high-
rise building in view of the Space Needle in the South
Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle.
the “right type of growth” —
urban, young, educated and
transit-oriented.
Nevertheless,
growing
pains are undeniable. Seattle,
one of the nation’s fastest
growing cities, is expected
to gain another 120,000 resi-
dents and 115,000 new jobs
over the next 20 years. It’s
not just Amazon: Facebook,
Google, Expedia and other
tech giants have opened or
DUHRSHQLQJRI¿FHV
Those extra workers are
putting pressure on rents,
which have skyrocketed
more than 37 percent in
Seattle since mid-2010,
according to Tom Cain of
Apartment Insights Wash-
ington.
The median rental price
for all homes in Seattle in
May was $2,289 a month,
Zillow reports, compared to
a national average of $1,367.
Mayor Ed Murray, who
has a special committee
seeking ways to provide
affordable housing and avoid
displacing longtime resi-
dents, last week announced
another step: An agency to
coordinate public invest-
ments in transportation,
parks and housing around
new development.
Amazon says it has
more than 20,000 workers
in Seattle, and estimates
VXJJHVWLWKDVHQRXJKRI¿FH
space built or planned to
grow to more than 70,000,
taking up a huge chunk of
the city’s commercial real
estate. That raises the specter
among some residents of
Boeing’s bust in the early
1970s, when two real estate
professionals put up a bill-
board reading, “Will the last
person leaving Seattle turn
out the lights.”
Boeing’s downturn led to
thousands of lost jobs, with
ripple effects throughout
Seattle.
While City Councilman
Mike O’Brien said he loves
that Amazon is hiring, it
“can’t continue to grow at
the pace they’re growing at.”
“When it has a major
hiccup — and it will — it
will be a major shock to our
system,” O’Brien said.
Building in Seattle,
Amazon has helped remake
an old warehouse district
into a hub of glass-paneled
RI¿FH EXLOGLQJV DORQJ ZLWK
new restaurants and a Tesla
dealership.
SALEM (AP) — A plan
to raise speed limits in
Eastern Oregon is headed to
Gov. Kate Brown.
The Senate approved
the hike in a 22-6 vote on
Friday, two days after the
House gave its blessing.
Most of the highways in
Eastern Oregon would have
a speed limit of 65 mph
outside city limits, up from
55 now. Interstate 84 from
The Dalles to Idaho would
211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton 541-276-2211
333 E. Main St., Hermiston 541-567-6211
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Copyright © 2015, EO Media Group
SUNDAY
MONDAY
Mostly sunny and
very hot
Mostly sunny and
very hot
Blazing sunshine
and very hot
100° 68°
98° 64°
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
Sunshine; breezy,
very hot
Very warm with
clouds and sun
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
99° 70°
99° 68°
99° 63°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
101° 63°
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
LOW
102°
85°
109° (1922)
66°
56°
40° (1901)
PRECIPITATION
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
0.00"
0.00"
0.03"
5.00"
7.49"
7.60"
HERMISTON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
Yesterday
Normals
Records
HIGH
LOW
102°
86°
106° (1942)
64°
56°
39° (1979)
PRECIPITATION
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
0.00"
0.00"
0.02"
3.16"
4.19"
5.72"
SUN AND MOON
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
Last
New
July 8
July 15
5:11 a.m.
8:48 p.m.
10:31 p.m.
8:24 a.m.
First
Full
July 23
101° 67°
101° 66°
Seattle
91/64
ALMANAC
Yesterday
Normals
Records
103° 68°
July 31
Spokane
Wenatchee
97/68
103/73
Tacoma
Moses
92/57
Lake
Pullman
Aberdeen Olympia
Yakima 103/72
94/56
78/56
94/56
104/66
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
91/59
101/72 Lewiston
103/69
Astoria
103/70
74/55
Portland
Enterprise
Hermiston
95/67
Pendleton 93/60
The Dalles 102/66
100/68
101/68
La Grande
Salem
95/60
96/60
Albany
Corvallis 95/57
96/56
John Day
95/64
Ontario
Eugene
Bend
103/70
97/55
94/59
Caldwell
Burns
100/67
96/57
Medford
105/69
REGIONAL FORECAST
Eastern Washington: Mostly sunny today.
Mainly clear tonight. Sunshine tomorrow.
Eastern and Central Oregon: Hot today
with sunshine and patchy clouds. Clear to
partly cloudy tonight.
Western Washington: Mostly sunny today.
Mainly clear tonight. Sunshine tomorrow.
Cascades: Mostly sunny and very warm
today. Mainly clear tonight. Partly sunny
tomorrow.
Northern California: Clouds, then sun at the
coast today; hot in central parts. Sun, some
clouds elsewhere.
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Lo
55
53
59
56
57
60
55
64
66
64
57
60
48
69
48
53
70
67
68
67
57
60
68
54
65
72
66
W
s
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Today
Beijing
Hong Kong
Jerusalem
London
Mexico City
Moscow
Paris
Rome
Seoul
Sydney
Tokyo
Hi
75
91
91
67
93
89
94
94
101
92
89
92
87
101
64
66
100
100
98
97
96
98
90
91
97
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102
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Sun.
Lo
56
53
60
54
56
58
56
61
63
62
54
57
48
69
48
55
69
65
64
66
57
59
63
52
63
70
65
W
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pc
pc
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pc
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pc
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Hi
82
93
85
81
72
84
89
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84
60
75
Lo
64
81
66
57
54
65
64
70
66
41
67
W
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pc
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pc
t
s
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pc
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Hi
84
92
88
75
72
76
84
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84
62
71
Sun.
Lo
68
79
66
55
54
52
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70
66
43
68
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pc
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WINDS
Boardman
Pendleton
Today
Sunday
WSW 6-12
W 7-14
NNE 4-8
NW 6-12
UV INDEX TODAY
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
Coastal Oregon: Sunshine and patchy
clouds today. Mainly clear tonight.
Hi
74
94
94
68
96
93
97
97
102
95
95
95
91
105
63
66
103
103
100
95
98
96
97
93
95
101
104
2
5
7
NEWS
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WORLD CITIES
(in mph)
Klamath Falls
95/57
Corrections
ClassiÀed Advertising:
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Today
Astoria
Baker City
Bend
Brookings
Burns
Enterprise
Eugene
Heppner
Hermiston
John Day
Klamath Falls
La Grande
Meacham
Medford
Newport
North Bend
Ontario
Pasco
Pendleton
Portland
Redmond
Salem
Spokane
Ukiah
Vancouver
Walla Walla
Yakima
states have a 70 mph limit.
Supporters say higher
speed limits would more
closely match the speed
drive travel already. Critics
worry about the potential for
accidents.
The East Oregonian works hard to be accurate and
sincerely regrets any errors. If you notice a mistake in
the paper, please call 541-966-0818.
REGIONAL CITIES
Forecast
TODAY
rise to 70, as would all of
Highway 95 in the state’s
southeastern corner.
According to legislative
staff, Oregon is one of just
11 states with a top speed
limit of 65 mph. Twenty-two
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agency since 2007, was appointed as director
in February 2014.
Kay and Roper said Sumption went
looking for problems in an attempt to force
them out of the parks department. Kay
described the nepotism with Houston’s
daughter as a “paperwork infraction,” and
said he and Roper were both good employees
with no documented performance issues.
Roper also said the investigation seemed
like an overreaction.
“I still keep wondering why she bombed
DFLW\WRKLWDÀ\KHUH´5RSHUVDLG
Sumption said the investigation was
necessary because accountability is a top
priority at the parks department.
“I have the same expectations of every
one of my team members,” Sumption said.
Soon after Sumption was appointed
director of the parks department, she sent
an update to employees that her sister-
in-law had been transferred to the Oregon
Department of Forestry. Human resources
investigators cited that notice as one of the
reasons Kay should have been aware that
close relatives were not allowed to supervise
each other.
Sumption decided to investigate the
grants division after she found out Kay
allowed Houston to supervise his daughter,
Hayley Houston, who was hired along with
a couple of other teenagers in November
IRUDWHPSRUDU\¿OLQJSURMHFW
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— Founded Oct. 16, 1875 —
Courtesy Oregon Parks and Recreation
Lisa Sumption, director of Oregon
Parks and Recreation Department.
Sumption fired one department man-
ager and asked another to resign fol-
lowing a nepotism investigation.
Senate sends speed limit hike to governor
Subscriber services:
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102° 66°
Saturday, July 4, 2015
7
5
2
8 a.m. 10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m.
0-2, Low
3-5, Moderate 6-7, High;
8-10, Very High;
11+, Extreme
The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ num-
ber, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.
Forecasts and graphics provided by
AccuWeather, Inc. ©2015
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
-10s
-0s
showers t-storms
0s
10s
rain
20s
flurries
30s
40s
snow
ice
50s
60s
cold front
70s
80s
90s
100s
warm front stationary front
110s
high
low
National Summary: Showers and drenching storms will extend from Oklahoma to
Delmarva today. Steady rain will spread into part of the Northeast. Storms will dot the Deep
South. Much of the West will be hot and dry.
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 108° in Thermal, Calif.
Low 35° in Saranac Lake, N.Y.
NATIONAL CITIES
Today
Albuquerque
Atlanta
Atlantic City
Baltimore
Billings
Birmingham
Boise
Boston
Charleston, SC
Charleston, WV
Chicago
Cleveland
Dallas
Denver
Detroit
El Paso
Fairbanks
Fargo
Honolulu
Houston
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Kansas City
Las Vegas
Little Rock
Los Angeles
Hi
87
81
74
75
96
82
100
72
91
79
83
76
95
90
82
92
78
88
89
91
80
91
83
105
84
78
Lo
66
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68
71
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78
64
64
72
57
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Hi
89
81
78
82
68
83
97
81
90
81
84
82
94
89
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92
77
84
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93
84
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105
87
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Sun.
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Today
Hi
Louisville
84
Memphis
80
Miami
92
Milwaukee
81
Minneapolis
86
Nashville
78
New Orleans
90
New York City
73
Oklahoma City
90
Omaha
85
Philadelphia
75
Phoenix
105
Portland, ME
74
Providence
75
Raleigh
88
Rapid City
88
Reno
93
Sacramento
95
St. Louis
84
Salt Lake City
96
San Diego
73
San Francisco
72
Seattle
91
Tucson
99
Washington, DC 79
Wichita
90
Lo
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101
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Sun.
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Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain,
sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.
W
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