HONOR A LOCAL VETERAN
EVENTS/10A
ROAD
ENDS
FOR HHS
SIT. STAY.
GOOD DOG.
FOOTBALL/1B
LIFESTYLES/1C
NOVEMBER 7-8, 2015
140 Year, No. 17
County
scours
budget
to cover
EOTEC
check
$1.50
WINNER OF THE 2015 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
First snow falls as elk season opens in the Blues
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
Umatilla County Board
of Commissioners voted to
give $600,000 to the Eastern
Oregon Trade and Event
Center, but where that money
will come from remains a
question.
Commissioner
Bill
Elfering said he identi¿ ed
two funds with more than
enough: economic develop-
ment money and an EOTEC
reserve fund. But county
budget of¿ cer Robert 3ahl
said those funds won’t cover
the tab.
3ahl said )riday that the
county had $255,646 in its
economic development fund
and $275,969 in a reserve
fund to cover shortfalls in
EOTEC operating costs.
Even if both were drained
the county would be $68,385
short.
Elfering contended there
was more money available,
but the two men have not been
able to go over the budget
numbers together. Elfering
also said he did not know if
the county would replenish
the reserve fund.
3ahl said the county’s
economic
development
fund should receive another
$160,000 from the state
later this ¿ scal year. But
EOTEC board members and
backers told commissioners
Wednesday the project needs
money now. Elfering said the
urgency comes from a need
to ¿ nish the event center in
time to house the county fair
and Hermiston rodeo in 2017.
At the meeting Wednesday,
3ahl asked commissioners
to delay any action until he
could get a more accurate
idea of funding possibilities.
However Elfering, along
with Larry Givens, voted to
give the $600,000 anyway.
Commissioner
George
Murdock declined to vote.
The county’s contributions
match the amount Hermiston
City Council approved last
week. Elfering said for that
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Hunters Justin Schulman, of Bend, Brent DeWolf of Portland, Preston Osteen, of Terrebonne, and Tim Milldrum, of Salem, stand
around their campfi re talking elk hunting strategies on Thursday in the Umatilla National Forest southeast of Heppner.
TO THE HUNT
Heppner Unit herd larger than expected
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
A light dusting of snow fell Thursday
morning on the Blue Mountains between
Heppner and Ukiah as elk hunters Justin
Schulman, Brent 'eWolf, 3reston
Osteen and Tim Milldrum arrived to set
up camp.
The four men quickly got a ¿ re
started, though the weather wasn’t nearly
as cold as last year when they hunted in
minus-15 degree temperatures. To make
matters worse, none of them managed
to ¿ nd, let alone shoot an elk in 2014
— the only time in four years the group
has come away empty-handed from the
Heppner Unit.
Saturday marks the start of second
season for riÀ e elk hunting in Eastern
Oregon, which runs through the
following Sunday, Nov. 15. )irst season
See ELK/12A
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Tim Milldrum puts the blade on his chainsaw while pre-
paring camp for elk hunting Thursday in the Umatilla
National Forest southeast of Heppner.
PENDLETON
New distillery
to tap local
wheat, mint
Oregon Grain Growers buy
old Comrie lot downtown
See EOTEC/8A
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
3endleton’s con¿ nes.
3endleton
City
3lanner
Evan MacKenzie said the city
has considered lengthening the
parkway for years and commu-
nity surveys have shown support
for the river walk and pedestrian
)or a town famous for its bar
culture, 3endleton doesn’t produce all
that much alcohol.
Rodney and Kelli Bullington are
looking to nudge the town’s spirits
supply.
The Bullingtons recently purchased
the old Comrie
auto dealership “Distilling and
at 511 S.E.
Court
Ave., agriculture go
which they plan hand-in-hand.”
to turn into a
micro-distillery — Rodney Bullington,
Oregon Grain Growers
called Oregon
Brand Distillery
Grain Growers
Brand Distillery.
Rodney Bullington said Oregon
Grain Growers will be the umbrella
brand for a variety of liquor labels,
which will be made with grain from
local farmers.
Bullington knows a thing or two
about grain, having worked as the seed
operation director at 3endleton Grains
See RIVER/12A
See DISTILLERY/12A
A river walk forward
3endleton cautiously considers parkway extension
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
When the ¿ rst section of
the 3endleton River 3arkway
was dedicated Nov. 4, 1985, it
e[tended from Roy Raley 3ark to
Southwest 18th Street.
In the decades that followed,
the city of 3endleton e[tended
the paved trail to encompass
almost three miles, from North-
gate to the west to just short of
Southeast Court 3lace to the east.
-ust as the ¿ rst 30 years have
seen some signi¿ cant additions
to the river walk, the next 30
could see expansions beyond