Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 2016)
61/45 STATE SENATE CELEBRATES HAPPY CANYON FORMER PILOT ROCK COACH DIES REGION/3A SOFTBALL/1B TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2016 140th Year, No. 87 WINNER OF THE 2015 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD One dollar PENDLETON House votes to cut coal, double up renewables By HILLARY BORRUD Capital Bureau SALEM — Lawmakers in the Oregon House voted 39-20 Monday to pass a bill that would double the state’s renewable energy mandate and eliminate coal from the state’s power mix. The bill heads next to the state Senate, where lawmakers could make changes in committee before it comes up for a vote. Critics have raised concerns the bill will cost Oregonians more than utilities have projected, yet do little to reduce the state’s carbon emissions compared to the status quo. Supporters said the bill could create renewable energy construction and maintenance jobs and is critical for Oregon to meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals. Republicans, including Greg Smith, R-Heppner and Greg Barreto, R-Cove, cast all of the “no” votes on Monday, but a handful — Knute Buehler, R-Bend, Mark Johnson, R-Hood River, Wayne Krieger, R-Gold Beach, Vic Gilliam, R-Silverton and John Huffman, R-The Dalles — voted for the measure. State Rep. Brent Barton, D-Oregon City, was excused from the House vote on Monday. Buehler said he would vote for the bill based on information he received that showed it would have a minimal impact on Oregonian’s power bills, but “a big impact” on reducing pollution. “I’ve been assured after looking at a variety of data from many sources that the impact on rates will be small,” Buehler said. Paci¿ cCorp and Portland General Electric, the state’s largest utilities, released analyses in January that showed House Bill 4036 would increase the cost of power to customers by roughly 1 percent annually in the lead-up to full implementation. Paci¿ Corp’s analysis showed the bill would reduce Oregon’s carbon emissions through 2040 by 35 million tons. That is approximately 58 percent of the total greenhouse gases Staff photo by E.J. Harris Spanish language teacher Kathryn Youngman waves to the crowd gathered Monday alongside daughter Becky Youngman when she announced she will be attending a taping of “The Ellen Show” during an assembly at Pendleton High School. ‘Ellen Show’ invites Youngman PHS teacher’s dream comes true with support from Twitter campaign By KATHY ANEY East Oregonian Staff photo by E.J. Harris U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, right, is introduced by student body president James Bradt on Monday at the beginning of a town hall meeting at Pendleton High School. See ENERGY/8A Wyden talks kindness Min. wage heads to House Answers student questions at PHS town hall SALEM — A controversial proposal to set three regional minimum wage rates in Oregon is headed for a vote by the House of Representatives. After holding a three-hour public hearing, the House Business and Labor Committee voted 6-to-5 Monday night to recommend passage of the bill. The vote was along party lines, and Republicans said they plan to offer a minority report and alternative to the proposal on the House À oor. The vote could come as early as Thursday. By KATHY ANEY East Oregonian Pendleton High School swimmer Dylan Clemons set the tone for Oregon Senator Ron Wyden’s annual Umatilla County Town Hall before it even began. As students milled about looking for seats on Monday morning in the PHS Auditorium, the senior spotted his Spanish teacher Kathryn Youngman in the ¿ rst row. Clemons, who won Saturday’s district 100-meter breaststroke competition in Hood River, had his medal in hand. Unnoticed by most of the crowd, he stopped in front of Youngman and told her about the meet. He held his medal out. “Everyone on the team supports you and what you’re going through,” Clemons said. “I want you to have this.” Youngman protested, but See WYDEN/3A Señora Youngman is headed to “The Ellen Dege- neres Show.” Students of Kathryn Youngman, a popular Pend- leton High School Spanish teacher, started a Twitter campaign last month to get Youngman on “Ellen.” The teacher, who is ¿ ghting cancer for the third time, has expressed a desire to meet the comedienne because of DeGeneres’s positivity and how she ends the show by exhorting her audience to be kind. The #YoungmanOn- Ellen campaign trended and attracted thousands of tweets from students, professional athletes, politicians and others from around the world. Youngman made the long-awaited announcement Monday morning in the school gym where students had gathered. “On Thursday,” she told them, “I will be in the audi- ence at the Ellen Show.” A huge roar ricocheted off the walls of Warberg Court. Youngman and several family members will À y out on Wednesday. The teacher “She has taught us that no matter what you struggle with, whether it’s health-related or not, to always have a positive attitude and always be kind.” — Emily Grifi n, Pendleton High School junior doesn’t know if she’ll actu- ally make it on camera, but Ellen staff members have requested numerous photos of Youngman. “This is not about me, it’s about the message,” she told the students. “The message is to be thankful and grateful for what you have and not resentful about what you don’t have. If you are kind to others, that kindness will come back to you.” She had just brushed away a tear or two after watching a video produced by her niece, Katie Monchalin. The video See YOUNGMAN/3A PENDLETON Robots invade children’s museum By JENNIFER COLTON East Oregonian The roads on the À oor of the Children’s Museum of Eastern Oregon became robotic race- ways on Monday afternoon as students K-12 crafted robotics creations for CMEO’S Science Club — with special guests the all-girl robotics team from Pend- leton High School. Team MALE (Most Awesome Ladies Ever) was created in October to increase the number of female students More inside Local restaurant running special to help offset museum’s budget shortfall Page 6A in Pendleton’s three-year old program. The students compete in the FIRST Tech Challenge, an international robotics competition where students in 7th-12th grade design, build, program and operate robots in an See ROBOTS/8A Staff photo by E.J. Harris Abby Foust, 9, gets help from Pendleton High School freshman Yurendi Magana while assembling a robot Monday at the Children’s Museum of Eastern Oregon in Pendleton.
