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