REGION
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
East Oregonian
Page 3A
Umatilla Co. commissioners join call
to end Malheur refuge occupation
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
The Umatilla County Commis-
sion added its voice Tuesday to a
growing list of Oregonians asking
the armed occupiers of the Malhuer
National Wildlife Refuge to leave
the state.
Commissioners
unanimously
approved a resolution in support of
the Association of Oregon Counties’
request for a peaceful dissolution
of the occupation so that the asso-
ciation can continue to work with
Oregon’s congressional delegation
on resolving land use issues in the
state.
“Local control is a long-held
tenet of Oregon counties, and as
such, the board would like to see
these out-of-state and out-of-county
militants go home to their families,
and respectfully ask them to do so,”
the resolution stated.
Commissioner Larry Givens
recently returned from a trip to
Washington, D.C., as the new pres-
ident of the Association of Oregon
Counties. Givens said he met with
Representative Greg Walden, who
said that the takeover of the refuge,
led by the family of Nevada rancher
Cliven Bundy, had put a stop to
“all kinds of good talk” Oregon’s
legislators had been having with the
Bureau of Land Management.
“Things are
heating up and
it’s not a real
good situation.”
lance and one wasn’t available. On
Monday, for example, he said there
were 25 calls for service and two
“outright delays.”
“Eventually someone is going to
lose their life,” he said.
&RPELQLQJ WKH ¿UH GLVWULFWV DW
a
new,
higher tax rate would allow
— Larry Givens,
the
combined
district to hire more
Umatilla County Commissioner
staff, provide coverage to territory
that was previously outside of any
“The Bundy standoff brought ¿UH GLVWULFW IXOO\ VWDII )LUH 6WDWLRQ
everything to a standstill,” Givens 2 on Diagonal Road to decrease
said.
response time and put aside money
He said Harney County leaders IRU UHSODFLQJ ¿UH WUXFNV VR WKDW WKH
have asked the association of coun- department does not have to ask
ties for help with public relations voters for a bond or levy.
and other logistics to keep order as
The new district would be tied
PLOLWDQWV JRYHUQPHQW RI¿FLDOV ODZ ZLWK5HGPRQGIRUWKHFKHDSHVW¿UH
enforcement and the media have district of its size in the state, he said.
descended on the area.
Property taxes for residents outside
“Things are heating up and it’s RIWKH+HUPLVWRQDQG6WDQ¿HOGFLW\
not a real good situation,” he said.
OLPLWV ZRXOG JR XS EXW 6WDQ¿HOG
On Tuesday the commission residents would actually see a
also held a public hearing on the decrease in their taxes, while Herm-
proposed May ballot measure to iston tax bills would stay exactly the
combine the Hermiston and Stan- same.
¿HOG¿UHGLVWULFWV
At the end of the presentation,
No members of the public were commissioner George Murdock said
present for comment, but Hermiston the commission had an interest in
Fire Chief Scott Stanton laid out the supporting the ballot measure.
case for the new district.
“The more of Umatilla County
He said as calls for service in the ZH FDQ EULQJ XQGHU ¿UH SURWHFWLRQ
+HUPLVWRQ6WDQ¿HOG DUHD LQFUHDVHG the better,” he said.
EXW VWDI¿QJ OHYHOV VWD\HG WKH VDPH
On Tuesday the commission also
the district had more instances approved a draft of a joint recom-
where someone called for an ambu- mendation to the Bureau of Land
Management from Umatilla County
and Morrow County in support of
an alternative route for the proposed
Boardman to Hemingway Transmis-
sion Line project, The route would
run through the southern part of the
counties instead of near Interstate
84.
“I support this because it reduces
the impact on our citizens in
Umatilla County,” Commissioner
Bill Elfering said.
The commission approved an
expansion of a contract with Susan
Bowers of Eastern Oregon Business
Source for human resource and
professional development, and
created a new $2,050 per month
contract with Bowers for economic
development in the county.
The commission also increased
the county’s emergency manager
position from halt time to roughly
24 hours per week. In December,
commissioners listened to a recom-
mendation to increase the position
to full time after current emergency
manager Jack Remillard retires later
this year. But county council Doug
Olsen told commissioners Tuesday
that staff had concluded there was
not enough money available to make
the position full time.
———
Contact Jade McDowell at
jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com or
541-564-4536.
CONDON
Robert Burns Supper celebrates Scottish traditions
East Oregonian
Merriment will be abundant as the Scot-
tish heritage of the greater Condon area is
celebrated during the annual Robert Burns
Supper.
The event, in its 19th year, honors the
past generations and traditions of the old
country, including the poetry and memory of
Scotland’s beloved poet, Robert Burns. The
celebration, which is Saturday beginning at 2
p.m. at the Condon Elks Lodge, 117 S. Main
St., is planned on the Saturday nearest the
poet’s Jan. 25 birth date. Tickets are $17 per
person or $30 for a couple.
Pipers, drummers and other participants
come from near and far to help the Condon
community celebrate its Scottish heritage on
the 257th anniversary of the birth of “Rabbie”
Burns. The celebration features lively music
from the Old Country, a traditional Scottish
meal of haggis, neeps and tatties, and anec-
dotes from the annuls of Scottish families
who settled in the greater Gilliam County
area in the mid-to-late 1800s.
The Chase-Couture-Fatland families and
representatives of those families will provide
brief histories of their lineage. In addition,
it’s anticipated that Andrew Jamieson
of Condon will serve as spokesman for
the popular poet, in reciting Burns’ most
well-known works at Burns Suppers, “To
a Haggis,” and one of his most animated
poems, “Tam O’Shanter.”
Others are welcome to perform readings,
recitations and musical renditions of Burns’
works. Also, area families of Scottish heri-
tage are encouraged to search their family
lore for diaries, notes, photographs and other
memorabilia, and to share the information at
the gathering.
A shortbread contest has become a popular
part of the event. The top three winners will be
singled out, but unique prizes are made available
for all who enter. For more about the shortbread
contest, call Jannie Allen at 541-571-9507.
The regular program ends about 5 p.m.,
however, the fun and toasting generally
continues with more music from the pipers.
A limited menu of soup, sandwiches and
salad bar will be available into the evening.
For more information, contact 541-384-
2421 or times-journal@jncable.com.
Photo contributed by McLaren Stinchfield
Bill Shelton of Carson, Washington,
Rick McCaul of Portland and the Con-
don Highland Guard Pipers participate
in the 2015 Robert Burns Supper.
PENDLETON — Rep.
Greg Walden, R-Hood
River, will be returning to
his congressional district
later this week, including
several stops in Umatilla and
Morrow counties.
After town hall
meetings in Arlington and
Rufus, Walden will make
appearances in Boardman,
Hermiston and Pendleton
Friday.
According to a press
release, Walden will tour the
Boardman Tree Farm at 1
p.m. and the Eastern Oregon
Trade and Event Center
construction site at 3:15 p.m.
before traveling to Pendleton
to attend the Pendleton
Chamber of Commerce’s
First Citizens Banquet at
the Wildhorse Casino and
Resort at 5:30 p.m.
No leads yet in cow
slaughter
STANFIELD — Oregon
State Police are still looking
for information to track
down whoever shot and
killed a 2-year-old heifer
in a winter pasture along
Feedville Road.
Trooper Mitchell
Goldman said several people
have called with tips since
local rancher Terry Anderson
found the animal butchered
late last week, but no serious
leads.
“We’re just kind of
hoping someone will speak
up,” Goldman said. “It’s
a pretty big deal to shoot
somebody’s cattle like that.”
The culprit could face
H[WHQVLYH¿QHVRUSULVRQ
time if caught. Theft of
livestock is a Class C felony
in Oregon, dating back to the
old days of cattle rustling.
Anderson reported
someone butchered his
FRZLQWKH¿HOGEHIRUH
apparently making a hasty
getaway, leaving most of
the body to waste. He is
offering a $5,000 reward
for information leading to
a conviction. The Oregon
Cattlemen’s Association has
offered an additional $1,000.
Goldman said there is the
possibility more than one
person was involved.
Anyone with information
should contact OSP at
541-567-3215 or call
1-800-452-7888.
State offers free
well testing in
Umatilla County
SALEM — The Oregon
Department of Environmental
Quality is offering free well
P SYCHOLOGICAL S ERVICES OF P ENDLETON , LLC
water testing in Umatilla
County as part of the
Statewide Groundwater
Monitoring Program.
The state environmental
agency in a written statement
announced it will test
groundwater in 60-100 wells
in the Walla Walla River
Basin for nitrate, arsenic,
bacteria and pesticides. The
DEQ then will send well
owners an individualized
report of results.
The sampling will take
place in February 2016 and
again in the fall. Visit www.
oregon.gov/deq/WQ/Pages/
Groundwater/GWProtection.
aspx for more information
and click on the link for
“Free Water Well Testing in
Walla Walla Basin” for an
informational sheet and a
map of the study area.
To be considered for
this study, call 503-693-
5736 or send an email to
groundwater.monitoring@
deq.state.or.us.
C ONTACT U S
WWW.PENDLETONPSYCH.COM OR CALL US AT
541-278-2222
East Oregonian
The Confederated Tribes
of the Umatilla Indian
Reservation
announced
the hiring of former
Pendleton
City
Coun-
cilor Jane Hill as its new
legislative affairs manager in
a press release Tuesday.
“We are very pleased to
have Jane’s experience and
political acumen,” CTUIR
spokesman Chuck Sams said
in a statement. “She will be
a great addition to our policy
team.”
Hill will work under Sams
in the tribes’ communica-
tions department and will be
responsible for coordinating
state and federal legislative
affairs.
Hill has extensive expe-
rience in lobbying and state
politics, having worked for
the Oregon Trial Lawyers
Association, Oregon Student
Association and the staff of
Sen. Ron Wyden.
Although Hill announced
she was going to resign her
from her at-large seat on
the city council to take a
job with the CTUIR in late
December, Sams did not
specify her role until the
tribes’ press release.
With the council having
received Hill’s letter of
resignation Tuesday after-
noon, the council still has to
vacate her seat and appoint a
replacement.
That replacement coun-
FLORU ZLOO KDYH WR ¿OH IRU
election by March 8 if they
wish to hold the seat beyond
the length of Hill’s term,
which expires at the end of
2016.
Mwah
Tell the world how you feel,
send a message to your special
someone for Valentine's Day!
$
ONLY
15
00
10 Words
+ Photo
$
ONLY
10 00
20 Words
Fill out this form and send to our offices...
Chris McClellan
541-278-2678
Shannon Paxton
541-564-4530
211 SE Byers Ave.
Pendleton
333 E Main St.
Hermiston
Your Name:
Daytime Phone:
Address:
City:
Zip:
Person's Name:
Message:
❑ Emailed photo to classifieds@eastoreonian.com
Remember: Please include a check or money order.
Hermiston Herald
East Oregonian
❑ $15 with Pic
❑ $15 with Pic
❑ $10 without
❑ $10 without
Publishes Feb. 13
Winter Blues? We Can Help!
Hill named
CTUIR
legislative
affairs
manager
Love
!
s
e
t
o
N
BRIEFLY
Walden to make
stops in Eastern
Oregon Friday
Jane Hill
Publishes Feb. 10
❑ I would like to pay with my credit card (Visa or Mastercard only)
Cardmember's Name:
Card Number:
Cardholder's Address:
Card Type:
Exp. Date:
Entries must be received by Feb. 3rd at Noon.