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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 6, 2015)
REGION Thursday, August 6, 2015 Cooler weather slows Phillips Creek Fire By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian Slightly cooler weather helped slow the spread of the Phillips Creek Fire Wednesday, though up to 90 homes remain on prelimi- nary evacuation alert. The blaze, which started Aug. 1, held steady at 1,582 acres in the Blue Mountains northwest of Elgin. It is burning primarily on the Umatilla National Forest and adjacent private lands along WKH¿UH¶VVRXWKHUQÀDQN An interagency team of 586 personnel took over PDQDJHPHQW RI WKH ¿UH Tuesday, and crews have been working to complete ¿UH OLQHV DURXQG WKH QRUWK and southeast perimeters near Highway 204. 7KH¿UHLVQRZSHUFHQW contained, and the cause is still under investigation. Residents of Gordon Creek Road were added to the list of Level 1 evacuation notices by Union County. A Level 1 evacuation notice means people should be ready to leave the area at a PRPHQW¶VQRWLFH Level 1 notices are also posted for Ruckle Road and Sanderson Springs Road; Highway 204 between Phil- lips Creek Road and Valley View Road; and on Valley View Road between the highway and Gordon Creek. There are no evacuations posted within Elgin city limits. Jeanne Klein is a recreation planner for the Bureau of Land Manage- PHQW LQ 0HGIRUG DQG ¿UH LQIRUPDWLRQRI¿FHUZLWKWKH interagency team. She said the most active portion of WKH¿UHDSSHDUVWREHDORQJ the west end of Middle 5LGJHDWWKH¿UH¶VQRUWKVLGH LQ DQ DUHD WKDW¶V DOO IHGHUDO land with no structures to be threatened. Fire lines at the south HQG RI WKH ¿UH RQ SULYDWH property need to be cleaned up, Klein said, and it is possible crews will conduct controlled burns from the highway — depending on the weather. Temperatures recently dropped from the mid-80s to low 80s, which she said SURYLGHG ¿UH¿JKWHUV VRPH relief. Long-term forecasts are calling for more of the same conditions. “The weather has really KHOSHG WR PRGHUDWH WKH ¿UH EHKDYLRU´ .OHLQ VDLG ³,W¶V slowed considerably from 2-3 days ago.” A public meeting was held Wednesday evening in (OJLQWRGLVFXVV¿UHDFWLYLW\ DQG RSHUDWLRQV 7KH ¿UH LV now mostly creeping and smoldering, with isolated groups of trees burning, as opposed to earlier in the ZHHNZKHQÀDPHVZHQWRQ a major run to the east, Klein said. Phillips Creek is FRQVLGHUHG WKH ¿IWKPRVW VLJQL¿FDQW RI ODUJH ¿UHV LQ WKH 3DFL¿F 1RUWKZHVW according to the Boise- based National Interagency Coordination Center. “When they assign resources, they can go through and determine which has the most need based on size and complexity,” Klein said. Highway 204 remains open to the public, though travelers are advised to take alternate routes to avoid ¿UH¿JKWHUWUDI¿FDQGVPRNH Numerous forest roads are FORVHG IRU SXEOLF DQG ¿UH- ¿JKWHUVDIHW\ 7KH ¿UH GDQJHU KDV been increased to extreme, and Phase B public use restrictions on chainsaws DQG FDPS¿UHV DUH LQ HIIHFW on the Umatilla, Wallowa- Whitman and Malheur national forests. 8SGDWHV RQ WKH ¿UH DUH posted online at www.blue- mountainfireinfo.blogspot. com. For more information about public use restrictions, call the Umatilla National Forest information hotline at 1-877-958-9663. ——— Contact George Plaven at gplaven@eastoregonian. com or 541-966-0825. BRIEFLY Motorcyclist suffers serious injuries in crash Registered sex offender in jail after touching girl PENDLETON — A 75-year-old Idaho man broke both legs Tuesday in a motorcycle crash south of Pilot Rock. Oregon State Police reported James Edward Yarbrough of Post Falls was southbound on Highway 395 on a Yamaha motorcycle a little before noon when he came around a corner about eight miles south of Pilot Rock and saw a truck in the opposite direction had drifted over the center line. Yarbrough moved to the shoulder of the roadway to miss the truck and hit a fog marker, according to state police, drove on and struck a second fog marker. That impact threw him from the machine. Yarbrough suffered “compound fractures with both legs broken,” according to the report from state police, and an ambulance took him to St. Anthony Hospital, Pendleton. He was then ÀRZQWR3URYLGHQFH6DFUHG Heart Hospital, Spokane, ZKHUHRI¿FLDOVVDLGKHLVLQ satisfactory condition. PENDLETON — A 20-year-old Pendleton man faces charges after he touched a 9-year-old girl. Pendleton Police Chief Stuart Roberts reported Mitchal Dawnivun Phillips was visiting Willowbrook Terrace, a nursing and rehabilitation center, on Sunday when he touched WKHJLUO¶VEDUHEUHDVWDQG her mother reported that to police. 2I¿FHUVWRRND description of the suspect and soon caught Phillips. Police questioned the man, according to Roberts, and arrested him the same day RQRQHFRXQWRI¿UVWGHJUHH sexual abuse. Roberts also reported that records indicate Phillips is a registered sex offender. Umatilla County Circuit Court records show Phillips faced an arraignment Monday, and Judge Lynn Hampton set his bail at $100,000. His next court hearing is Friday morning, probably after a grand jury UHYLHZVWKHVWDWH¶VHYLGHQFH Phillips remains in the Umatilla County Jail, Pendleton. East Oregonian Page 3A PENDLETON Still rocking after 10 years Rock & Roll Camp celebrates decade of cultivating musicians By TAMMY MALGESINI East Oregonian Peter Walters practically has to pinch himself when talking about the upcoming Pendleton Center for the Arts Rock & Roll Camp. Walters and others H[SDQGHG XSRQ WKH FHQWHU¶V Garage Bands 101 class to offer the weeklong camp in 2006. Now in its 10th year, WKH FDPS KDV ÀRXULVKHG while continuing to offer the experience at no charge to its participants. ³, QHYHU WKRXJKW ,¶G EH doing anything for 10 years,” Walters said. “I was barely out of high school when we VWDUWHG WKLV DQG QRZ ,¶P years old.” Addison Schulberg, a recent Willamette University graduate, has come full circle with the camp. As a teen, Schulberg attended each year, and then later was invited back as a counselor. ³,UHPHPEHUWKH\¿UVWKDG me as a junior counselor — that was one of the greatest honors,” Schulberg said. A lot of the credit for the continuance of the camp, Walters said, goes to Pendleton. The community and businesses, he said, have helped cover costs that make the camp possible. In addition, he said people like Schulberg are an asset. ³+H¶V D JUHDW EULGJH´ :DOWHUVVDLG³+H¶VNHSWZLWK LWDQGLW¶VEHHQUHDOO\JUHDWWR have him.” Schulberg played guitar and bass in high school. Attending the camp, Schul- berg said, helped plug him into new possibilities. Currently recording and producing his own music, as well as that of friends, Schulberg said he learned a lot about the processes of songwriting, recording, producing and distribution Contributed photo Peter Walters, far right, works with campers as they practice a new song during the inaugural Rock & Roll Camp in 2006. In its 10th year, this year’s free event starts Monday at Pendleton Center for the Arts. “Rock and Roll Camp showed me that you can do everything yourself. It makes it seem like much less of a hurdle to be in a band.” — Addison Schulberg, Rock & Roll Camp attendee turned counselor in advance. The camp is Monday, Aug. 10 through Friday, Aug. 14. The sessions run daily from 8:30 a.m. to interesting for every kid 4:30 p.m. at the arts center, that came to camp,” Walters 214 N. Main St., Pendleton. The camp crescendos with said. “Not everyone wants be a rock star. We wanted to a free concert Friday, Aug. 14 show kids there are still ways at 7 p.m. in the 400 block of to be involved in the music Main Street, Pendleton. For more information or world.” Word of mouth seems a registration form, contact info@ to have spread regarding 541-278-9201, 3HQGOHWRQ¶V URFN FDPS DV pendletonarts.org, stop by it has attracted participants the arts center or visit www. from other states. In addition, pendletonarts.org. ——— counselors include musicians Contact Community IURP DFURVV WKH 3DFL¿F Editor Tammy Malgesini at Northwest and beyond. Although the camp is free, tmalgesini@eastoregonian. participants must register com or 541-564-4539 Contributed photo Addison Schulberg, left, began as a camper at the annual Rock & Roll Camp, and eventually became a counselor at the annual event. by participating each year. “Rock and Roll Camp showed me that you can do everything yourself,” Schul- berg said. “It makes it seem like much less of a hurdle to be in a band.” Walters points out that the camp includes more than just writing music and performing. Workshops also focus on behind-the-scenes aspects of the music industry, including rock journalism, album designing and promoting. “We offered something UMATILLA City council still stumped on marijuana council he uses medical mari- juana to help combat his daily pain from a chronic form of More than a year after Guillain-Barre Syndrome that ¿UVW WDNLQJ XS WKH LVVXH WKH attacks his nervous system Umatilla City Council still and creates a constant “pins LVQ¶W VXUH ZKDW WR GR DERXW and needles” feeling in his medical marijuana dispensa- limbs. A former Department ries. The council voted Tuesday of Corrections employee, to table an ordinance banning McMillan said he used to the dispensaries until its Aug. be completely against all PHHWLQJDQGFRXOGQ¶WJHW marijuana use. But after enough votes to even read being struck with his neuro- an alternative ordinance that logical disorder in January would have regulated them 2013 he said he has found instead. Its moratorium on that occasional use on days dispensaries runs out Aug. 20. his pain is particularly bad Before the council took up is a preferable alternative to the issue it heard public testi- addictive opiates or alcohol. Right now he has to go mony from several residents. One resident said Umatilla to Portland to legally obtain was too small of a town to medical marijuana from a need a medical marijuana dispensary, and he said it dispensary and he wanted takes him two days to recover the city to have an image he from the trip. “I plead with you to make felt proud of. But the rest of the testimony was in favor of it available here,” he said. Tammy Williams, a dispensaries. William McMillan told the registered nurse who has By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian mostly worked in intensive care during her career, said she also supported Umatilla allowing dispensaries. She said she often sees people in WHUULEOHSDLQZKRDUHQ¶WWDNLQJ prescription medications for LW EHFDXVH WKH\ FDQ¶W DIIRUG insurance. She has seen some of those people helped by medical marijuana. ³,¶P VWLOO QRW VD\LQJ LW¶V VDIH DQG ,¶P QRW VD\LQJ LW GRHVQ¶W KDYH SUREOHPV DQG QHHGPRUHVWXGLHVEXWLW¶VDQ option,” she said. Councilors Mary Dedrick and David Lougee expressed concern about allowing marijuana-related businesses into the city, however, saying that it was hard to foresee every possible problem while writing regulations. “We need to ask ourselves ZK\WKLVLVQ¶WEHLQJGLVFXVVHG in the region, in Hermiston,” Lougee said. In the end the council chose not to take a vote on the set of regulations that had been prepared, and voted in favor of tabling the ordinance banning dispensaries until Aug. 18. Before that point the council also agreed to have a work session on Thursday at 6 p.m. to discuss what direction the council wants to give the plan- ning commission concerning their work to overhaul the FLW\¶VFRPPHUFLDO]RQHUXOHV ——— Contact Jade McDowell at jmcdowell@eastoregonian. com or 541-564-4536. AUGUST 11-15, 2015 FREE SHUTTLE SERVICE FRI & SAT ONLY 2:00-11:00PM Umatilla County Fairgrounds BUS STOPS: •Hermiston Conference Center (Hwy 395) • Davis Carnival Gate #16 (Highland Ave) • West Park School (Orchard Ave) • Thompson Hall Gate #2 (Orchard Ave) ADDITIONAL PARKING at West Park Elem. & Orchard & 1st • Tues-Sat Title Sponsor Co-Sponsored by Mid-Columbia Bus Co. Call or stop by the Fair Office: 515 W. Orchard, Hermiston 541-567-6121 • www.co.umatilla.or.us/fair
