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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 2016)
REGION Saturday, February 13, 2016 East Oregonian Page 3A PeQGOeWRQ WR WaNe Dog park idea gets new leash on life %0R& SURSeUW\ PENDLETON By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian The dog days of the Pendleton dog park are over. Long mired in negotiations between the city and the Round-Up Association, the city has moved on to other riverside properties for its planned dog park. Parks and Recreation Director Donnie Cook has pursued a dog park along the Umatilla River for well over a year, the idea being that dog owners didn’t have a public space where they could let their dogs play unleashed. The park would be established on the cheap — some picnic tables, receptacles for dog waste and some signs with the park rules. The area wouldn’t be gated or lit and volunteers would be responsible for keeping the park tidy. The proposed park hinged on an agreement with the Round-Up, which owns land on the southern bank of the river surrounding the Bedford Bridge where Cook wanted to locate the park. Cook proposed the Round-Up allow free use of the property as long as the city closed it during Round-Up week and vacated it within 90 days if the asso- ciation decides to use it for a different purpose. Randy Thomas, the Round-Up’s director of communication, said the board of directors was receptive to the idea. “The Pendleton Round-Up was very excited about the use of our property for the community,” he said. The Round-Up came back with a counterproposal — the city could use the riverbank if they addressed security Staff photo by E.J. Harris The City of Pendleton is proposing two new sites for dog parks including this area on the northwest side of 10th Street along the Umatilla River. and clean-up concerns and paid property taxes on the park. Cook said he consulted City Attorney Nancy Kerns, who said the city couldn’t legally pay property taxes. City of¿cials started looking else- where for other sites for the dog park and found two other areas that ¿t the bill. While the Round-Up owns land on the south bank, the city owns a strip of land along the river on the north side from the Bedford Bridge to the 10th Street Bridge. The 200,000-square-foot property is actually bigger than the Round-Up’s land and is eligible for Cook’s low budget concept. Of¿cials also found another city- owned property on the southern bank of the river toward the eastern end of the Pendleton River Parkway near the Little League ¿elds. Cook said the land would need more work to be park-ready as opposed to the northern riverbank site. His rough esti- mate of the its size was 150,000 square feet. Cook said that if the council gives his thumbs up to the dog parks, he’ll order the park signs, the only equipment he doesn’t already have in stock. Once the signs are delivered, Cook estimated he could have the park on the northern riverbank opened in a month. ——— Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@ eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0836. Following almost two years of plans, public meetings and legislative ¿nagling, the city is ¿nally set to take ownership of the Blue Mountain Recover Center property. At a meeting Tuesday, the Pendleton City Council will consider accepting a deed transfer that will hand the city 21 acres of land along Westgate that used to feature BMRC and the Eastern Oregon Training Center. After the closures of EOTC in 2009 and BMRC in 2014, city of¿cials started lobbying the Oregon Legislature to convey the land to the city. They argued that they could use the land for industrial development that would make up for the 320 jobs that were lost as a result of the mental facilities’ shutterings and build some much-needed housing. The Legislature agreed to cover the more than $1 million demolition costs and passed a bill that promised a land transfer. Business Oregon esti- MISSION mates the BMRC property could bring 80 jobs to Pendleton. The city estimates the combined value of the properties is $461,500, excluding the Blue Moun- tain Community College baseball ¿elds on the BMRC property. The council also will consider replacing the city hall and Pendleton Public Library heating, ventila- tion and air conditioning units. Glenn Graham, facilities and technology manager, wrote in a report that the city hall and library’s HVAC systems are 20 years old and are starting to fail. Despite some cost savings from buying directly from manufac- turer Daikan Comfort and receiving a $39,702 reimbursement from the Energy Trust of Oregon, Graham wrote the $153,372 price tag is still $5,371 over budget. The meeting will be at the council chambers in city hall, 500 S.W. Dorion Avenue, Tuesday at 7 p.m. ——— Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@eastoregonian. com or 541-966-0836. PENDLETON :LOGKRUVe aOORZV aOFRKRO RQ gaPLQg ÀRRU %aUWeQGeU ¿OeV IRU :aUG 3 FRXQFLO VeaW By KATHY ANEY East Oregonian Drinking while gambling was once forbidden on the Wildhorse Casino gaming Àoor. As of Feb. 2, however, gamblers can purchase alco- holic beverages from one of the casino’s bars and transport their drinks to the gaming Àoor. ,n coming months, wait staff will roam taking drink orders. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla ,ndian Reservation, which owns the casino, has warmed slowly to the idea of alcohol on the gaming Àoor, or elsewhere in the casino for that matter. Wildhorse was the lone holdout in Oregon. “We were the last tribal casino not to allow alcohol — the second-to-last in the Northwest,” said Casino Manager Al Tovey, “but it’s the norm now as far as staying competitive.” Back in 2005, when the tribes again considered bringing alcohol to Wildhorse restaurants, opinion was severely split. On one hand, alcohol and drug issues had generated heartache and health issues for decades. On the other, the sale of alcohol would boost revenues and some of that money would help fund the tribe’s drug- and-alcohol program. ,n 2006, the CTU,R Board of Trustees formally changed the liquor code to allow sale of alcohol at Wildhorse restaurants. Last year, the BOT expanded the code to encompass most of the rest of the Wildhorse Resort & Casino, including the gaming Àoor. On the eve of implementation, the notion of serving alcohol continued to rankle some and cause debate. At the Jan. 11 BOT meeting, Vice Chair Jeremy Wolf and Treasurer Rosenda Shippentower voted against carrying out the plan, while ¿ve other members Alan Crawford, Armand Minthorn, Justin Quaempts, Aaron Ashley and Woodrow Star) approved. Tovey said he understands the misgivings of Wolf and Shippentower. “What they were saying was from their hearts,” he said. “, have no problem with it.” He simply sees this as a necessary next step that will allow Wildhorse to increase revenue and compete with other casinos for customers. The move is expected to increase net pro¿t by $307,000. The tribes would get a percentage of the gross, which could total more than $90,000, estimated Wildhorse CEO Gary George at the BOT meeting. Tovey expects the change will cut down on covert drinking in the resort’s restrooms and parking lot. “We want people to have a good time, but not too good a time,” Tovey said. “We don’t want them enjoying themselves to the point where it’s dangerous to themselves or others. ,f we see signs of visible intoxication, we won’t serve them.” To that end, 466 casino employees recently attended a several-hour Oregon Liquor Control Commission training about how to identify people who have had too much to drink and learn how to cut them off with the least friction possible. Tovey said employees who identify intoxicated gamblers will strive to make sure they stay safe by convincing them to take a taxi or shuttle, eat some food or stay at the hotel. “We’re not going to let them drive,” Tovey said. “We’ll ¿nd every avenue to help them ¿nd their way home.” People may purchase alcoholic beverages and bring them to the gaming Àoor between the hours of 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday and Saturday, gamblers will have until 2 a.m. The alcohol will be served in special cups that indicates the beverage contains alcohol. Patrons may purchase up to two drinks at a time. The age limit on the gaming Àoor will remain 21 years old. Those 18 and older may use some poker and bingo machines located outside in other areas of the resort. Alcohol will be prohib- ited at the Cineplex, the hotel lobby and other areas deemed to be “family friendly.” East Oregonian Cody Cimmiyotti ¿led for the Ward 3 seat on the Pendleton City Council on Friday, setting up another competitive race in the municipal elections. Cimmiyotti’s candidate ¿ling lists his occupation as a “server/bartender as well as a customer service agent.” Retiree Don Bennett has also ¿led for the Ward 3 seat, which represents McKay Creek, Southgate and Tutuilla Road. Councilor Tom Young, who has held the seat for one term, declined to run for re-election. The four-way race for the at-large seat is currently the only other competitive race in the election. The candidates for the mayor and Ward 1 seats were running unopposed City council races MAYOR John Turner WARD 1 (Downtown, South Hill, Riverside) Becky Marks (Incumbent) WARD 2 (North Hill, Westgate, Airport) None WARD 3 (McKay Creek, Southgate, Tutuilla Rd.) Don Bennett Cody Cimmiyotti AT-LARGE Paul Chalmers Paul Rabitaille Rick Rohde Jim Swearingen as of Friday, and no one has ¿led for the Ward 2 race. Candidates have until March to ¿le for the May 17 election. The Place for Lovebirds S ATURDAY & S UNDAY , F EB . 13 & 14 BRIEFLY +eUPLVWRQ SROLFe :aUP 6SULQgV )%I ZaUQ RI VFaPV UeVeUYaWLRQ WR KROG HERM,STON — A pair ¿UVW 8A6 WeVW ÀLgKW of phone scams were reported by law enforcement agencies this week, and both are asking Oregonians to be alert. ,n the ¿rst, the Hermiston Police Department reports that Umatilla Electric Cooperative customers are being contacted and asked for payment to prevent services from being disconnected. The automated caller leaves a number to call back where a “professional and courteous” attendant asks for personal payment information. The FB, warns of a con artists calling a person claiming he or she faces arrest unless they hand over money for a parking ticket. The scammer also “spoofed” the originating telephone number that appears on caller ,D, meaning it appears as if the call is from one of the FB,’s Oregon of¿ces. Both agencies listed ways to avoid falling for such scams and threats: Never give out personal information to someone you did not initiate contact with, or send money; Before signing up for a contest or e-mail distribution list, make sure the business has a policy not to share your information or sell it to a third party; And be leery of anyone you did not initiate contact with who asks for payment using a third party, such as MoneyGram or GreenDot prepaid cards. The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon announced Thursday that its unmanned aerial systems range would hold its ¿rst test Àight Feb. 19. The tribally owned Eagle Tech Systems will Ày the Aeromapper drone at the Metolius Bench UAS Operational Site at 1:30 p.m. Warms Springs was one of three test sites approved by the Federal Aviation Administration in late 2013, the others being Pendleton and Tillamook. The Pendleton UAS Range launched its ¿rst test Àight September 2014 and recently signed its ¿rst customer, the U.S. Depart- ment of Energy-backed Paci¿c Northwest National Laboratory. ,n a press release, Aurolyn Stwyer, Warm Springs’ business development and marketing manager, explained why the Central Oregon reservation makes for an ideal test range. “As a sovereign nation, we offer ease of services at our test ranges,” she wrote. “For example, we have the ability to have controlled burns without having to get certi¿cations or approvals with any outside entity. We are focused on becoming a Center of Excellence for wildland ¿re management.” BUCKAROO BOOSTER CLUB FUNDRAISER Bleu Cheese Topped Sirloin Fire Roasted Salmon with Mango Salsa Live Music Saturday AT 9 PM IN THE SALOON DAKOTA BROWN F R E E - N O C O V E R CALL FOR RESERVATIONS Saloon Opens at 4 PM • Dinner beginning at 5 PM 541.278.1100 H AMLEY S TEAK H OUSE COURT & MAIN • DOWNTOWN PENDLETON LAND & SEA DINNER & AUCTION Over $40,000 in auction items up for bid! Wednesday, February 24 th • $ 25 per person Dinner 5:30-7:00 pm • Auction 6:30 pm Pendleton Convention Center Limited to first 500 tickets sold FAMILY CLINIC Tickets available at Big John’s Pizza, Pendleton Athletic, PHS Main Office, Dave’s Chevron and any Booster Board Member. PENDLETON ELECTRIC COMPANY D.A. DAVIDSON & CO. • GORDON’S ELECTRIC INC. McDONALDS of PENDLETON • PAPA MURPHY’S PIZZA McLAUGHLIN LANDSCAPING • THEWS SHEET METAL CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT CLASS Oregon - Utah - Valid 35 States New Hours 8 AM - 7 PM • Mon. - Thu. 8 AM - 6 PM • Fri. • Same day appointments available • Walk-Ins welcome HERMISTON Best Western: 2255 Highway 395 South February 19 th • 1:00 pm & 6:00 pm Walk-Ins Welcome! OR/Utah: (Valid in WA) $80.00 or Oregon only: $45 www.FirearmTrainingNW.com • FirearmTrainingNW@gmail.com 2801 St. Anthony Way Pendleton, OR 97801 360-921-2071 541-966-0535
