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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 2016)
REGION Thursday, February 18, 2016 East Oregonian PILOT ROCK Page 3A WALLA WALLA Leaking sewer lagoons to be moved Three charged Project would cost about $5.1 million By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian Pilot Rock has a new plan to address its aging waste- water lagoons. The primary and secondary lagoons are north of Pilot Rock and next to Birch Creek. Leakage from the lagoons in 2014 and 2015 prompted warnings from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. City recorder Teri Porter said the council decided Tuesday night on a project that would move the lagoons. “Pretty much we need to get off the creek,” she said. “DEQ isn¶t going to allow any leakage.” She said the city council ended up supporting an option to move the lagoons EO fi le photo The City of Pilot Rock is supporting a plan to move the city’s aging wastewater lagoons north of the Bike Pit. north of the Bike Pit, an off-road motocross and all-terrain vehicle park. The project would cost about $5.1 million, she said. The city would get the funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Porter, Mayor Virginia Carnes, public works director Steve Draper and coun- cilors Raymond Doherty and Deacon Perkins met last week with agencies to discuss funding. Porter said the federal ag department offered a $1.4 million grant and the other $3.7 million in a 40-year loan at about 1.9 percent interest. She said that would keep sewer rates at about $40-$41 a month. The engineering ¿ rm of Anderson Perry and Associates is working up a feasibility plan for the project and will present that to the Department of Environ- mental Quality for approval. The council also met in a closed-door meeting again with its prospective police chief, Bill Caldera, the lieutenant for the Pendleton Police Department. The council discussed a possible contract for Caldera, and that now is heading to the city¶s lawyer. Porter said when it passes muster it will come back to the council for ¿ nal approval. Porter said she hopes that happens at the next city council meeting, March 1. ——— Contact Phil Wright at pwright@eastoregonian. com or 541-966-0833. MILTON-FREEWATER Melodrama group stages interactive show By TAMMY MALGESINI East Oregonian The sad but silly story of Lily Fairweather (Camille Riley), her weak but hand- some sweetheart (Keith Opsal) and how the evil villain Craven Sinclair (Broderick Graves) interrupts their plans for everlasting bliss will be staged in Milton-Freewater. “It will be rather humorous and it¶s a typical melodrama — you boo at the villain and clap at the hero or heroine,” said Helen Richartz, publicity director for the performance. “Lily, The Felon¶s Daughter,” an old-fash- ioned melodrama by Tom Taggart, will be presented by The Milton-Freewater Melodrama Actors. It opens Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the First Christian Church, 518 S. Main St., Milton-Freewater. Additional performances include a Sunday matinée at 4 p.m. and evening shows Feb. 25-27, all at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for students. Money raised from the performances will go to the Bread Basket and scholarships at Blue Photo contributed by Jeff Sasser Camille Riley and Keith Opsal participate in a rehears- al of “Lily, The Felon’s Daughter,” an old-fashioned melodrama being staged in Milton-Freewater. Mountain Community College. The melodrama group, directed by Nancy Wolfe, has put on a number of productions over the past 15 years. The show is produced by Barbara Coddington, who also designed the costumes, and Rhonda Lineberger provides accompaniment on piano. Wolfe, who studied dramatic arts at Whitman College and is a retired teacher, enjoys the interactive aspect of melodramas. “They¶re just fun. People can boo and hiss and cheer,” she said. “It¶s fun for the people that are in it, too. You have to be very serious about it, but on the other hand it¶s a tongue in cheek seriousness.” 100 students barred from school By JENNIFER COLTON East Oregonian More than 50 Umatilla County students squeezed in at the deadline for required immunizations this week, but 100 others were turned away and excluded from school. The state of Oregon requires all students in public and private schools, daycare and Head Start programs have proof of vaccination — or a completed exemption form — on ¿ le before Feb. 17. Students without that documentation were unable to attend classes Wednesday and are not allowed back in school until that documenta- tion is available. Schools, clinics, families and students worked together to bring that number down from more than 700 earlier this month. The Umatilla County Health Department and local schools each track student vaccinations and contact parents to keep children in class. “Our secretaries do an excellent job at contacting parents and making sure everyone is taken care of before Exclusion Day. It¶s one of the steps we take to make sure we¶re giving our students a safe learning envi- ronment,” Tricia Mooney, Pendleton Assistant Super- intendent said Wednesday. SUBMIT COMMUNITY NEWS Submit information to: community@eastorego- nian.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. Students excluded from school Students excluded Hermiston 87 Umatilla 30 Pendleton 11 Stani eld 3 Echo 1 Pilot Rock 1 Athena-Weston 0 Total enrollment 5,300 1,380 3,200 496 280 370 350 * All Milton-Freewater schools did not report fi gures by press time. “We¶re going to continue supporting the 11 students who were excluded today to get them back into school.” Of the school districts in Umatilla County, only one — Athena-Weston School District — had all students caught up and able to attend classes Wednesday. All other districts had at least one student excluded. Schools from Milton-Freewater did not report total numbers by press time. Hermiston had the highest number of exclu- sions — 87 students, or about 1.6 percent of the district¶s enrollment — but also reported the highest number of vaccinations given on Wednesday. Sharon Waldern, clinic nurse supervisor for Umatilla County Health, said the county provided vaccinations to 39 students in Hermiston and an addi- tional eight in Pendleton. School-based clinics and private providers in both cities also served multiple students on Wednesday. School vaccinations were also available at local phar- macies. According to the Oregon Health Authority, county health departments sent home 29,234 letters to parents and guardians in 2015. On exclusion day in 2015, 4,666 children were kept out of school or child- care. ——— Contact Jennifer Colton at jcolton@eastoregonian. com 37 TH ANNUAL HERMISTON SPORTS BOOSTERS STEAK FEED & AUCTION Saturday, March 5th • 5:30pm Auction starts at 7:00pm Hermiston Community Center FOR TABLE RESERVATIONS, $ 40 on per pers call Paul 541-567-5215 or formore info., call Joe 541-571-4478 Everyone 21 years & over welcome. All proceeds will assist Hermiston High School boys and girl athletic programs. This ad generously donated by LINDSAY IRRIGATION a proud community supporter HERMISTONSPORTSBOOSTERS . COM Performing as the play¶s heroine when she was just out of college, Wolfe said “Lily, The Felon¶s Daughter” is a longer melodrama that features three acts. Living in Milton-Free- water since 1999, Wolfe has been involved with commu- nity theater wherever she lives. The 80-year-old said it provides an avenue for her to use her talents to help area organizations or groups. “It¶s a way for me to give back to the community,” she said. Wolfe said everyone involved with the production is enjoying the process and said he hopes people will come out and have a good time. Others acting in the show are George White, -ulie Culjak, -eanot Poirot, Tammy Seaquist, -ennifer Riley and Clark Colahan. For more information, contact Richartz at helen_ jack@columbiainet.com or 541-558-3969. ——— Contact Community Editor Tammy Malgesini at tmalgesini@eastoregonian. com or 541-564-4539 with rape, robbery and kidnapping (Walla Walla) Union-Bulletin Two men and a woman are in custody, accused of raping, kidnapping and robbing a 20-year-old woman overnight Monday, according to a police report presented in Walla Walla County Superior Court on Wednesday. D¶Sean E. Marks, 23, and Bailee K. Foster, 18, were arrested Tuesday evening in Walla Walla at around 5 p.m. following a high speed pursuit, which ended when the vehicle Foster was driving crashed into an SUV and a retaining wall. Marks and Foster face several felony charges, including ¿ rst-degree rape, ¿ rst-degree kidnapping, ¿ rst-degree robbery, and gross misdemeanors of third-degree theft and fourth-degree assault. Foster also faces felony charges of attempting to elude police and posses- sion of methamphetamine. Shawn Crump, 24, no address given but who has a past criminal history in Walla Walla, was located by detectives at a resi- dence in the 200 block of Orchard Street and taken into custody shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday. He was held for investigation of ¿ rst-degree rape, ¿ rst-de- gree kidnapping, ¿ rst-de- gree robbery, possession of methamphetamine, third-degree theft and fourth-degree assault, according to a police department news release this morning. According to the police report, Marks and Foster allegedly met up with the victim, with whom they are acquainted, and Stacy Crosby late Monday night or early Tuesday morning. Marks was going to pay back money he owed the victim, the report said. The group walked around for a while and met up with Crump, then went to a residence. Once there, the victim went into a bedroom with Crump, Marks and Foster to talk. Inside the bedroom, Crump allegedly pulled a knife on the victim and told her to give him any money and drugs she had, saying he would stab her if she didn¶t, the report said. Crump then strip- searched the victim for money and drugs, and sexually assaulted her during the search, the report said. He then took the victim¶s purse and ID card, told her she would go outside with Foster, and if she said anything to Crosby then Crump would stab him, the report said. Once outside, Crump held the victim by her hair and her hand, and made her cover her face with a shirt and a hood. Crump also took a cellphone the victim had, the report said. Crump used duct tape to bind the victim¶s hands behind her back and forced her into the trunk of a car. The victim fought back and was struck by Crump, and her feet were then bound with duct tape as well, the report said. Foster and Marks allegedly helped Crump in these various crimes. The victim was even- tually released on Weston Mountain Road in Umatilla County. She reported the incident around 6 a.m. after walking to a nearby home, and was transported to the Walla Walla Police Department by a Umatilla County Sheriff¶s Deputy, the release said. A second passenger who was in the vehicle with Foster and Marks during the pursuit was identi¿ ed as Ismael A. Rojas-Bar- cott. Rojas-Barcott, 24, no address given, was arrested on investigation of posses- sion of methamphetamine and felony warrants from Oregon, according to the news release. Bail was set Wednesday morning in Superior Court at $100,000 each for Marks and Foster. Crump has yet to have a ¿ rst appearance in court in the case. Pendleton City Council accepts 21 acres on Westgate East Oregonian With the buildings demolished and the land cleared, the Pendleton City Council looks to start anew with the properties that used to contain Blue Mountain Recovery Center and Eastern Oregon Training Center. The city council unanimously voted Tuesday to accept the deed for 21 acres north and south of Westgate from the Oregon Department of Administrative Services, a process that took well over a year. The council wants to use the BMRC land for industrial development and the EOTC property for housing. The council also unanimously approved a $153,372 bid and a request for proposal to buy and install new heating, ventilation and air conditioning units for city hall and the public library. Although the city had only budgeted $148,000 to replace the city hall system at the beginning of the ¿ scal year, the library¶s unit failure spurred facilities manager to start looking at other options. By purchasing directly from a manufac- turer and securing a $39,702 reimbursement from the Energy Trust of Oregon, Graham said the cost of two units and installation would come in $5,372 over budget. After holding a closed-door meeting to discuss his evaluation, the council unani- mously voted to renew City Manager Robb Corbett¶s contract through -une 30, 2017. Mayor Phillip Houk said the council would also considering giving Corbett a raise not to exceed 0.5 percent, but would make a decision at a later date.
