REGION
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
East Oregonian
Depot land transfer inches along
Smith named director, warns
of government’s slow pace
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
Demolition at the former Umatilla
Chemical Depot site is moving the land
closer to being returned to local control,
but it could be another year before the
transfer is complete.
Greg Smith, the new executive
director of the Columbia Development
Authority, said it is hard to make time-
line predictions when working with the
federal government. But he believes it
will be another 10 to 15 months before
the Army is ready to transfer the land to
the local reuse authority.
“The Army is just knee-deep in
procedure and you have to work within
that,” he said.
Smith replaced former Columbia
Development Authority director Don
Chance this summer, working with the
development authority in his capacity
as an economic development consultant
and not in his role
as a state represen-
tative.
The authority’s
board is made up
of representatives
from the Port
of
Umatilla,
Port of Morrow,
Umatilla County,
Smith
Morrow County
and Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reserva-
tion. Now that the chemical depot has
been dismantled the group is working
with the Army on transferring part of the
land to the Oregon National Guard and
transferring the rest to the local reuse
authority for use as industrial land and a
wildlife preserve.
Smith said the Columbia Develop-
ment Authority has made it clear that it
is only willing to take the land off the
Army’s hands if it doesn’t have to pay
for it, if it is environmentally sound
and if the necessary water rights are
available to use the land for industrial
purposes.
“It has to be clean, it has to have
water and it has to be free,” Smith said.
As part of that set of conditions, the
Army is currently demolishing more
than 20 buildings on the site, several of
which are visible from Interstate 84, that
have asbestos in them.
It is also in the process of completing
cultural and environmental studies
for the site, ensuring that it is devel-
opment-ready before the local reuse
authority is ready to take it over. The
Army can’t transfer the land until it
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Transfer, which depends on the results
of the studies.
The next meeting of the Columbia
Development Authority is Thursday
at noon at the Port of Morrow’s Sand
Hollow Conference Room. The meeting
will include an overview of milestones
and objectives for the coming year and
approval of the budget summary for a
grant.
———
Contact Jade McDowell at
jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com
or
541-564-4536.
PENDLETON
Disabilities Act remains vital at 25
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
Pendleton locals came
out Saturday to celebrate the
Americans with Disabilities
Act. The federal law that
made the United States
more friendly to people with
disabilities turns 25 this year.
Eastern Oregon Center for
Independent Living hosted
the event at Roy Raley Park
that included free hot dogs,
soft drinks and Pendleton
Mayor Phillip Houk deliv-
ering a proclamation.
Independent
living
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Hayden said the small party
was as much about raising
awareness of the center’s
work to help those with
disabilities as it was keeping
the law in the public’s mind.
The act provides civil
rights protections to people
with disabilities, prohibits
state and local governments
from discriminating against
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disabilities and is the reason
why businesses, sidewalks
and transportation systems
must accommodate wheel-
chairs and the like.
Ryan Green of Wilson-
ville came to the Pendleton
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request. Green works for a
company that sells wheel-
chair accessible vehicles and
equipment for people with
limited mobility. He also is in
a wheelchair.
He said he was in a car
crash in 1996 and suffered
a broken neck that left him
without the use of his legs.
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bargains, or to sell arts
and crafts or other goods,
head to the Meacham Day
Community Yard Sale.
The event is Saturday,
Aug. 1 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Deli parking lot, downtown
PENDLETON
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inaugural Bike Week
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
Having just wrapped
up their inaugural event,
Pendleton Bike Week’s
organizers have already
unveiled the dates for next
year’s celebration of all
things motorcycle.
The 2016 Pendleton
Bike Week will take place
from July 22 to July 26,
where organizers will try
to build off of the previous
year’s success.
Although
organizers
are still counting receipts,
FRIRXQGHU (ULF )RONHVWDG
said the event met atten-
dance and revenue goals
and was able to break even.
Pendleton Bike Week
brought in a total of 5,740
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event.
The bike week peaked
on Saturday, when 2,150
motorcycle
enthusiasts
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Convention Center and the
surrounding parking lot
to take in attractions like
a motorcycle stunt show,
a tattoo contest and an
evening concert.
While initially unsure
if the event would garner
attention,
over
250
attendees weren’t shy about
displaying their ink for the
tattoo contest.
Due to the especially
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said organizers will look
into hiring bigger musical
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them into the budget.
The unguided motor-
cycle rides also proved
popular — 150 bikers rode
in the Sheriff Til Taylor
Ride and 281 riders partic-
ipated in the .45 Caliber
Poker Run.
Despite a collective
45,803 traveled on the
SRNHU UXQ )RONHVWDG VDLG
organizers may shorten
next year’s ride to increase
participation. This year’s
163 mile route was too long
for some riders.
The run took bikers
to prominent spots in
Pendleton, Walla Walla
and Kennewick, where
riders would punch cards
they could later enter into a
contest for an engraved .45
caliber pistol.
)RONHVWDG DOVR VDZ D
need to improve the number
of vendors selling their
wares in the convention
center parking lot.
While
motorcycle
dealers were well repre-
VHQWHG )RONHVWDG VDLG KH
wants to see more crafts-
based vendors, like leather,
silver and jewelery.
He added that it might
be easier to achieve that
goal next year since the
bike week won’t run
concurrently with other
regional attractions like
Chief Joseph Days and the
7UL&LW\:DWHU)ROOLHV
———
Contact Antonio Sierra
at asierra@eastoregonian.
com or 541-966-0836.
Dispatch oversight committee
on commissioners’ agenda
Staff photo by Phil Wright
Locals came Saturday to Roy Raley Park, Pendleton, for free food and entertainment
to celebrate 25 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
He said he worked for a
different employer at the
time, and the company held
his desk job until he returned,
but it also demoted him.
“I didn’t get any dumber,”
he said.
The difference was the
wheelchair. He said he
considered using the ADA to
sue, but ultimately quit for a
more important mission.
“There’s been a lot of
improvements since then,”
he said, but enforcement of
the law remains a serious
issue.
People without disabil-
ities use parking spaces
meant for people in wheel-
chairs, he said, and small
businesses might have a
ramp to the door but have
bathrooms he and others
can’t use. Pendleton and
cities all over need to make
access a priority.
“I spent 22 years of my
life walking,” Green said. “I
never once considered what a
curb ramp was for.”
Houk after delivering his
statement said many years
ago he got in a wheelchair to
see how accessible Pendleton
was.
“It was almost impos-
sible,” he said.
The Americans with
Disabilities Act changed
much of that, he said, and
its importance will continue
to grow. Houk is a member
of the boomer generation,
which, according to the U.S.
Census Bureau, makes up
more than 20 percent of the
nation’s population. And 15
years from now, projections
show, more than 20 percent
of U.S. residents will be 65
and older, compared with 13
percent in 2010.
———
Contact Phil Wright at
pwright@eastoregonian.com
or 541-966-0833.
BRIEFLY
Meacham Day
features communal
yard sale
Page 3A
Meacham. Located in the
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Meacham is about 30 miles
southeast of Pendleton off
Interstate 84 at Exit 238.
The event also includes
family activities, including a
parade, obstacle course and
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be available for purchase.
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basis for anyone wanting to
sell items. Bring a sale table
(or use your pickup tailgate),
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information, call 541-571-
4600.
Echo to show
antique tractors
ECHO — A display of
antique tractors and farm
equipment will line the
streets of downtown Echo
Saturday from noon to 5
p.m. as Sno Road Winery
brings the Old Time Tractor
Show to town. Cost to
First Foods Festival
and Race
– Formerly known as Salmon Walk
Saturday, August 1, 2015 • July Grounds
(73310 July Grounds Lane, Pendleton, OR 97801)
Race Events & Times
(Jackets and medals for 1st – 3rd place for hike,
10 K & 5 K race events)
7:10 am
Kanine Ridge Hike Departs July
Grounds
9:00 am
10 K Spawn Run
9:30 am
5 K Smolt Run
10:30 am Family Fun Walk & Cycle
(noncompetitive)
1st Annual Chumash
Lacrosse Tournament
Team Categories Grades
1st - 3rd, 4th - 6th, 7th - 8th, 9th - 12th & Adult
(Medals for Winning Team in Each Category)
8:00 am -10:15 am
Chumach Tournament
Begins
10:15 am - 12:00 pm Break for Family Fun Walk/
Race
12:00 pm - 2:30 pm Chumash Tournament
Continues
1-888-809-8027 ext. 7219 or
firstfoodsfestival@ctuir.org
Event Agenda
6:45 am
7:10 am
8:00 am
Race Registration Opens
Hikers Depart for Kanine Ridge Hike
LaCrosse Tournament Begins (Game
Times 8 -10 am & 12:00 - 2:30 pm)
8:15 - 9:40 am Yoga Stretch & Breath
9:00 am
10 K Spawn Run
9:30 am
5 K Smolt Run
10:00 am
First Foods Info Booths Open
10:30 am
Family Fun Walk & Cycle
(Noncompetetive)
11:30 am
BBQ Fundraiser Lunch
12:00 pm
Awards Ceremonies for Race Events
1:00 pm
First Foods Contest
2:30 pm
Festival and LaCrosse Tournament
Ends
Sponsors: CTUIR Department of
Natural Resources
CTUIR Department of Education
CRITFC
Yellowhawk Health Clinic
Wildhorse Resort & Casino
Cayuse Technologies
City of Umatilla
appreciate these workhorses
of yesteryear is free.
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your favorite piece of farm
history can join the display,
DQGDOOSURFHHGVZLOOEHQH¿W
Kick’n Cancer. Setup for
participants begins at 10 a.m.
)RUPRUHLQIRUPDWLRQ
contact Sno Road Winery
at 541-376-0421 or email
info@snoroadwinery.com.
PENDLETON — Police
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are again front and center
when the Umatilla County
Board of Commissioners
meets Tuesday.
The board will discuss
the new dispatch center
advisory committee, which
Commissioner Bill Elfering
recruited local police and
emergency personnel to
serve on in the wake of
concerns about dispatch
operations.
Elfering
said
the
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)LUH
Emergency
Services
Chief Scott Stanton is the
latest member, joining
10
others,
including
Elfering, Pendleton Police
Chief Stuart Roberts and
Hermiston City Manager
Byron Smith.
They board meets
at 10 a.m. in room 130
at the Umatilla County
Courthouse, 216 S.E.
)RXUWK 6W 3HQGOHWRQ DQG
will consider other issues,
including approving the
next payment to Sun Ridge
Systems, the company that
provided the software for
dispatch computers. That
software also has been a
point of contention after
glitches caused dispatch
problems.
SUBMIT COMMUNITY NEWS
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.
When they say
and you say
“I’m Really
Beat!”
“I’ve Got Big
Feet?!”
Sound Advantage
Hearing Aid Center
541-567-4063
405 N. 1st St., Suite #107, Hermiston
541-215-1888
Ric Jones, BC-HIS
246 SW Dorion, Pendleton
Verna Taylor, HAS
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