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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 17, 2016)
REGION Wednesday, February 17, 2016 East Oregonian Page 3A Local restaurant inspection scores getting better By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian Fuimara said another issue is ¿QGLQJ IRRG RQ QRQIRRG KDQGOLQJ surfaces, such as crumbs on the Check out the full list of NLWFKHQ ÀRRU RU VDXFH VSODVKHG RQ Restaurants in Umatilla County restaurant scores online at the wall. and Morrow County are safer and www.eastoregonian.com “That isn’t a huge issue by itself, more sanitary than they were three but it can become one,” he said, years ago, according to the latest round of restaurant inspection GXULQJDVLQJOHYLVLWLQDVL[PRQWK noting that not cleaning up spills promptly can attract pests. scores published by the health time period. “It’s a snapshot,” he said. “Good Although the vast majority of department. Of all 213 establishments, 47 restaurants can have a bad day when restaurants in Umatilla County and percent achieved a perfect score we’re there, and bad restaurants can Morrow County usually pass with when subjected to an unannounced have a good day, so you have to take À\LQJFRORUVLQWKHVHFRQGKDOIRI 2015 Ye Olde Pizza Shoppe, Panda inspection between June and it with a grain of salt.” Fuimara has only been with Inn and Ruty’s in Hermiston did not. December 2015. During the same During its initial inspection time period three years earlier, only Umatilla County Public Health for 26 percent of the 185 restaurants a month, but he spent eight years Ye Olde Pizza Shoppe received before that performing inspections a score of 46 after an inspector had a perfect score. spotted violations that included During the second half of 2015 in Walla Walla County. Probably the biggest issue most food stored past its expiration date, three local restaurants — Ruty’s, Panda Inn and Ye Olde Pizza restaurants have, he said, comes no paper towels near the hand Shoppe in Hermiston — failed with the guidelines for holding food washing sink, improperly labeled or mixed cleaning chemicals, burn their initial inspections. Ruty’s and at certain temperatures. Another common issue is cream stored above food, a broken Ye Olde Pizza Shoppe passed by D VLJQL¿FDQW PDUJLQ ZKHQ UHLQ separating different types of foods. thermometer, surfaces not being c spected about a week later. There is He said sometimes in their bid to cleaned as often as required and QRW D VFRUH RQ ¿OH IRU 3DQGD ,QQ¶V conserve space, employees will an employee failing to wash their pack cooling and freezing areas so hands after taking a customer’s dirty UHLQVSHFWLRQ The latest release of restaurant tightly that raw meat or eggs end up plate back to the kitchen. +RZHYHU WKH UHVWDXUDQW ¿[HG inspection scores have been making sitting on top of vegetables or fruit, the rounds on Facebook as people ZKLFKFRXOGFDXVHFURVVFRQWDPLQD enough of the issues to score an tion. c warn their friends to stay away ZKHQ UHLQVSHFWHG D IHZ GD\V “Just because we write a viola later and was in the process of from certain eateries, but Umatilla WLRQ GRHVQ¶W PHDQ WKDW FURVVFRQ ¿[LQJ RWKHUV LQFOXGLQJ RUGHULQJ D c County Public Health inspector c Joseph Fuimara said it’s important tamination) has happened, it just new thermometer and proper light means that the conditions are there covers. c to keep in mind that the scores come During its initial inspection from what an inspector observed that it could,” he said. More online Ruty’s received a score of 55 after violations including missing paper towels and soap at a handwashing sink, vegetables stored at 44 degrees instead of 41, uncooked meat stored next to other foods and employees not washing their hands as often as required by law. On its second inspection less than a week later Ruty’s passed with a score of 95. Panda Inn received a 62 on LWV ¿UVW LQVSHFWLRQ IRU YLRODWLRQV including employees not washing hands as often as required, chicken sitting out at room temperature, items in the salad bar being kept at 44 degrees instead of 41 degrees and mouse droppings in the back storage room. A second inspection was sched uled to be completed by another county during the gap between the former health inspector’s depar ture and Fuimara’s start date, but Fuimara said he merely has a note marking the inspection completed without giving a score. Several restaurants that had VFRUHVEHORZGXULQJWKH¿UVWKDOI of 2015 improved in the second to a 95 or better during their most recent inspection, including Sub Zero Restaurant and Lounge in Irrigon, Golden Village Restaurant in 0LOWRQ)UHHZDWHU +DOH¶V LQ +HUP LVWRQDQG(O(UUDGHURLQ6WDQ¿HOG Establishments must score at least a 70 to pass. If they don’t they are given up to two weeks to correct WKHSUREOHPVEHIRUHDUHLQVSHFWLRQ If they fail again the health depart ment will shut them down. Umatilla County Public Health director Meghan DeBolt said that it’s very rare for a restaurant to be shut down, because in her experi ence health violations are nearly always an oversight that owners are more than willing to correct when it is pointed out to them. She said the department’s desire is to protect public health and safety without impeding economic devel opment. “We really take an education approach,” she said. “We try not to be punitive and slap on a bunch of ¿QHV´ She did say the department was looking at possibly adding a fee IRUUHLQVSHFWLRQVWRUHÀHFWWKHFRVW of inspectors coming back out a second time, but if fees were raised it wouldn’t happen until 2017. DeBolt said it is rare to see LQVWDQFHV RI IRRGERUQH LOOQHVV LQ Umatilla and Morrow Counties, something she said local restaurant owners deserve a lot of credit for. ——— Contact Jade McDowell at jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4536. c BRIEFLY PLUTE: Back taxes have incurred heavy interest the city’s coffers because of the heavy interest his back started making tax payments taxes have incurred. and expects to settle his debt “They penalize you like by May. hell to pay your taxes late,” Plute also refused to back he said. off from his steadfast and Pendleton Citizens vocal support for more tax United, the group that is revenue for the city, despite campaigning to recall Plute, his delinquency. noted the unpaid taxes were “I’m not changing my a reason for their action. mind just because I owe a In a Feb. 15 letter to the few bucks,” he said. East Oregonian, committee Plute said his delinquent member James Humphrey WD[HVZLOOXOWLPDWHO\EHQH¿W decried that Plute’s limited Continued from 1A liability companies were up to four years behind in their property tax payments, including on the Bowman and the St. George. “A person who is in a position of deciding if new fees and taxes are to be levied on the citizenry VKRXOG ¿UVW SD\ KLV RZQ´ Humphrey wrote. ——— Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@eastoregonian. com or 541-966-0836. COUNCIL: Councilor Brown said Chalmers was a friend Street Diner and a member of the committee trying to recall Unfortunately, we live in a Councilor Al Plute, said he time where government isn’t was a “good salesman” but well trusted but that has to be also admitted he opposed the something that’s established FHQWJDVWD[VRPHWKLQJKH through relationships.” “retroactively” supports. Despite seeing his Retiree Paul Rabitaille department shrink from 33 said he wants to bring employees in 1990 to 17 in ³IDPLO\RULHQWHGEXVLQHVV´WR 2016, Chalmers said they Pendleton and said he won’t still consistently collected be detriment to the council. WD[HVDWSHUFHQWUDWH “I don’t know that it Recurrent themes would be better, but I don’t throughout the interviews think it would be any worse,” included housing, industrial he said, spurring laughter growth and communication from the council. with the public. -DPHV7LEEHWVDVHOIHP Jim Swearingen touted his ployed computer repairman H[SHULHQFH DV WKH FRRZQHU convicted of a hate crime, of J & B Automotive and his continued to pitch his tech QLQH\HDUVRQWKH5RXQG8S savvy and his desire to Board of Directors, where increase the town’s computer he more than quadrupled literacy. VRXYHQLU VDOHV WKH ¿UVW \HDU While none of the coun he was in charge of that cilors announced why they department. were voting for Chalmers, Larry Anderson, the familiarity was on his side. retired owner of the Main In addition to serving on Continued from 1A SUBMIT COMMUNITY NEWS Submit information to: community@eastoregonian.com or drop off to the attention of Tammy Malgesini at 333 E. Main St., Hermiston or Renee Struthers at 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton. Call 541-564-4539 or 541-966-0818 with questions. the Pendleton Development Commission Advisory Committee, Councilor Neil Brown said Chalmers was a friend, Councilor Tom Young praised him for his customer service and Councilor Al Plute said they played golf together. The appointment makes Chalmers the nominal LQFXPEHQW LQ WKH IRXUZD\ UDFHIRUWKHDWODUJHVHDW Right now, Chalmers will face Rabitaille, Swearingen and Rick Rohde in the May 17 municipal election. Anderson and Tibbets have QRW¿OHGIRUWKDWHOHFWLRQ7KH ¿OLQJGHDGOLQHLV0DUFK ——— Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0836. Daren Strong appointed Irrigon mayor pro tem IRRIGON — The Irrigon City Council appointed councilor Daren Strong as mayor pro tem at its meeting Tuesday evening. Strong was nominated by fellow coun cilors, along with Michelle Hagen. Strong ZDVVHOHFWHGE\DYRWH&RXQFLORU.HQ Matlack was absent from the meeting. As mayor pro tem, Strong will assume mayoral duties when the current mayor, Sam Heath, is unavailable. The mayor presides over city council meetings and is a QRQYRWLQJPHPEHURIWKHFRXQFLO Strong takes over as mayor pro tem for Christine Sorenson, who died Jan. 18 of congenital heart failure. She was 72. City Manager Aaron Palmquist said the council vacancy left by Sorensen has been DGYHUWLVHGDQGFRXOGEH¿OOHGDVHDUO\DV 0DUFK:KRHYHULVDSSRLQWHGZLOO¿QLVK the remainder of Sorensen’s term, which runs through the end of the year. Smith takes seat on Small Business Advisory Cabinet SALEM — Republican Rep. Greg 6PLWKRI+HSSQHUZDVQDPHGWR*RY.DWH Brown’s Small Business Advisory Cabinet. Brown, a Democrat, created the cabinet earlier this month and on Tuesday afternoon KHURI¿FHDQQRXQFHGLWVPHPEHUVKLS6PLWK is one of nine in the cabinet. Brown charged the group with devel oping recommendations to her on how state government can support small business owners, new entrepreneurs and advance statewide economic growth. The cabinet will deliver recommendations on three priorities by Oct 1: How state government can support and promote small business owners and prospective entrepreneurs; how state government can increase access to capital; and how the state can streamline regulations. EOU honors three local teachers with awards Three local teachers have been honored by former students in the “Inspirational Teacher Awards” from Eastern Oregon University. (28¿UVW\HDUKRQRUVWXGHQWVZKR maintained dean’s list standing during fall term nominated 26 teachers from Oregon, Washington, California and Nevada. Students were asked to choose teachers ZKRLQÀXHQFHGWKHPRQWKHLUURDGWRKLJKHU education and academic excellence. At Hermiston High School, 2015 grad uates Shay Lovejoy and Breeanna Hughes nominated Paul Dunsmoor, a member of the band staff. Makayla Mangione, also a 2015 graduate of Hermiston High, nominated Tim Zacha rias, a former member of the English staff. “Tim Zacharias goes out of his way to challenge his students, giving them the tools they need to succeed,” Mangione said via email. ”He encouraged me to think deeper, write better and to engage in a myriad of disciplines beyond my preferred course of study. His mentorship inspired me to pursue a career in English education so that I too can help students succeed.” .DUOD%HGROODDJUDGXDWHRI 8PDWLOOD+LJK6FKRROQRPLQDWHG.HLWK Gebers, business communication and computer systems teacher at UHS. ³7REHQRPLQDWHGE\RQHRIP\H[VWX dents is high praise and means a lot to me. I have been fortunate to work with some of the best and brightest the state of Oregon has to offer,” Gebers said Tuesday.
