TWINS RECEIVE
SURPRISE OSU
SCHOLARSHIPS
COACH
HOFFERT
RETIRES
EU threatens
sanctions on
tax havens
HERMISTON/3A
SPORTS/1B
WORLD/5A
FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2016
140th Year, No. 125
Your Weekend
WINNER OF THE 2015 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
PENDLETON
Apartments get approval
Planning commission OKs 100-unit complex
•
•
•
Photo exhibit opens at
Pendleton Arts Center
Tree, shrub giveaway
at Roy Raley Park
Blue Mountain A’s 40th
birthday celebration
For times and places
see Coming Events, 5A
Weekend Weather
Fri
Sat
Sun
80/52
76/47
72/47
One dollar
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
The people responsible for the
Pendleton Heights housing develop-
ment have set their sights higher.
The Pendleton Planning Commis-
sion on Thursday unanimously
approved a plat modi¿ cation that will
accommodate a 100-unit apartment
complex, instead of the 40 town-
houses that were originally planned.
When Jivanjee Circosta Archi-
tecture initially pitched Pendleton
Heights, the plan was to build 72
townhouses on land east of Olney
Cemetery.
Co-developer Doug Circosta said
tenants are already renting the 22
townhouses completed in the ¿ rst
phase and the 10-unit second phase is
nearing completion.
Circosta said the company began
to veer from the original course when
they realized some tenants were
living as roommates in units that had
been intended for families.
“The need is strong and the rents
for the duplexes are still a bit higher
than what a lot of the market can
See APARTMENTS/10A
Forest plan discussion draws crowd from both sides of issue
PENDLETON
Farmers
market
back on
Main St.
East Oregonian
The Pendleton Farmers
Market will return to Main
Street.
Mary Ann McCune, pres-
ident of the Farmers Market
board, announced Thursday
the market would open May
6 on Main Street, just as it
has for the past 13 years.
The market was in danger
of moving off the 300 block
of Main after some business
owners complained about big
trucks blocking views and
foot traf¿ c to their stores. The
city warned the market that it
would lose its street closure
permit if vendors continued
to violate a condition of that
permit — not parking in front
of MaySon’s Old Fashioned
General Store and Alexan-
der’s Chocolate Classics.
Pendleton City Manager
Robb Corbett said he and
McCune discussed each
other’s concerns, and he
credited the market with
spending “quite a bit of time”
talking to downtown busi-
nesses. He called the market
an asset to downtown.
“It was always our hope
that we could continue to
keep them there,” Corbett
said. “I think what we were
able to do is reach as good
of a compromise as each of
us is able, to attempt to meet
the minimum needs of the
See MARKET/10A
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
OPB producer Phoebe Flanigan holds a microphone for former Joseph mayor Peggy Kite-Martin as she makes a statement about the Blue
Mountains Forest Plan during a taping of ‘Think Out Loud’ on Wednesday at BMCC in Pendleton.
Thinking out loud
Show was hosted, aired on OPB
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
An overÀ ow crowd of about
100 people gathered Wednesday
evening at Blue Mountain Commu-
nity College in Pendleton —
coming from as far as Baker City,
Joseph and even Bend — looking
for answers to the same basic ques-
tion.
Who should be allowed to do
“I think some people believe that every acre
can provide every use for everyone. It can’t. It’s
going to take compromise from everyone.”
The stakes were laid out during
Wednesday’s discussion of the
forest plan, which was recorded
and aired Thursday on “Think
Out Loud” on Oregon Public
Broadcasting. Host Dave Miller
moderated a panel of guests that
included Malheur National Forest
Supervisor Steve Beverlin; Darilyn
Parry Brown, executive director
of the Hells Canyon Preservation
Council; King Williams, a natural
resources consultant based in
— Steve Beverlin, Malheur National Forest supervisor
See FOREST/10A
what, and where, on the Blue
Mountains national forests?
Those decisions are ultimately
guided by the Blue Mountains
Forest Plan, which is undergoing its
¿ rst revision since 10. It has been
a slow, laborious process as the
Forest Service attempts to balance
all manner of public interests, from
access and recreation to logging
and conservation.
Dinner recognizes county’s ‘health heroes’
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
Partners in public health
gathered in Hermiston on
Wednesday to discuss the
state of health in Umatilla
County and recognize the
county’s “health heroes.”
During the second
annual Umatilla County
Public Health Fundraiser
and Awareness Dinner,
Pendleton
physician
Jonathan Hitzman, who
also serves as the county’s
health of¿ cer, was named
this year’s of¿ cial Health
Hero.
“He really walks the
talk when it comes to
public health,” Umatilla
County Public Health
director Meghan DeBolt
said before telling Hitzman
that the department would
not be what it is today
without his help.
“It has been an absolute
pleasure,” he responded.
DeBolt also recognized
Gloria
Corona,
who
handles human resources
and accounting for the
department, as the Public
Health Employee of the
Year.
She recognized two
Public Health Partners of
the Year. The ¿ rst was the
Umatilla County Planning
Department, which has
See HEALTH/10A
Dr. Jonathan
Hitzman of
Pendleton
speaks about
public health
in Umatilla
County
during the
Public Health
Fundraiser
and
Awareness
Dinner.
Staff photo
by Jade McDowell