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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (April 14, 2016)
REGION Thursday, April 14, 2016 East Oregonian Page 3A PENDLETON City council debates on how to communicate capacity without direction from the council.” Corbett said he doesn’t have an Opinions on city communica- easy answer to how to respond to tion were in no short supply at a criticism. ³7KHKDUGSDUWIRUPHLV,ZRUN Pendleton City Council workshop for nine of you,” he said. “Any Tuesday. ,QWHU0RXWDLQ(GXFDWLRQ6HUYLFH time a letter is written, generally, District spokeswoman Michele one of you comes to me and says, Madril, who the city hired on µ:HUHDOO\QHHGWRUHVSRQGWRWKDW¶ contract to help formulate a commu- ,UHDOO\GRQ¶WSUHWHQGWRNQRZZKDW nications plan, presented a revised the right way to manage that is.” &RXQFLORU &KXFN :RRG VDLG version to the council. One of the revisions was additional language the answer was hiring a public LQIRUPDWLRQ RI¿FHU D VSRNHVPDQ on how to respond to criticism. “Responding to public criticism that could “publicly position” the seems to lengthen the time that council on how to respond to city controversial issues involving the issues. “There’s been comments made city remain in the media and/or at the forefront of citizens’ minds,” WR PH µ:HOO LVQ¶W WKDW WKH FLW\ the plan states. “Therefore, it is the manager’s job? Shouldn’t he be the city’s policy not to respond to public 3,2"¶,GRQ¶WWKLQNVR,WKLQN5REE comments or letters. This means if a has too much on his plate to be able letter is written to the editor of the WRGRWKDW´:RRGVDLG As a longtime employee in newspaper, neither city employees nor city council members will write the private sector, Councilor D UHVSRQVH DFWLQJ LQ WKHLU RI¿FLDO Tom Young agreed on the need By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian for a spokesman. ³,GRQ¶WXQGHUVWDQGKRZWKHFLW\ GRHV WKLV´ <RXQJ VDLG ³, GRQ¶W understand how any company can just allow the media, a citizen, whatever, to pick up the phone, call a manager and say ‘Tell me about WKLV¶,WKLQNLWQHHGVWRKDYHDIRFDO point, there needs to be information releases and it needs to be approved by someone.” 0DGULO VDLG ¿OWHULQJ DOO SXEOLF communication through a single spokesman wouldn’t be feasible, but an employee could be focused on creating an “overarching posi- tive image” with the public. ³:H GRQ¶W KDYH VRPHERG\ WKDW recognizes we’re doing good work and puts it out there,” Corbett said. “Or attaches the good work you do at a council meeting and puts it in a EULH¿QJWKDW¶VSXWRXWWRWKHSXEOLF so that way, when they read some- thing in the newspaper, they can pull that up and get the city’s side of what happened at the meeting.” Councilor Becky Marks said city councilors have a duty to respond to the citizenry and said she was more concerned about the city’s communications being truthful and transparent than positive. Plute took issue with being “handcuffed” when responding to criticism. ³, WKLQN WKDW FRXQFLORUV VKRXOG have the right to talk to their constituency and even write letters WR WKH QHZVSDSHU , GRQ¶W WKLQN that should be taken away,” he said. Corbett said he could revise the criticism response section to only include only city employees. Councilor McKennon McDonald said she has spoken with members of the Hermiston City Council on how they improved their image, which they attributed to assigning communication duties to the assistant city manager. McDonald proposed giving communication duties to an employee with knowledge and skills — and other responsibilities. “My fear is that after you get all established, what is that person going to do for the other six hours of the day after they’ve updated things and kept things current and post about things?” she said. ³%HFDXVH,IHHOWKDWWKHUH¶VRQO\VR much information the city can put out at one time for the community to absorb it.” :LWK WKH FUHDWLRQ RI D SRWHQWLDO position on the line and council turnover looming, Councilor Neil Brown suggested the council table the issue until some of the new councilors start their terms. Corbett said it might be better to adopt the communication plan sooner, while the city budget is being formulated and city staff could brief new councilors on the SODQRQFHWKH\WDNHRI¿FH ——— Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0836. BOARDMAN Anna King Woman charged for abusing memorials to the dead shares stories of the ‘Daughters of Hanford’ at Riverview Cemetery, 301 Columbia Ave N.E., according to Shimer’s probable cause A Boardman woman found DUUHVWDI¿GDYLW:KHQKHDUULYHG with a pile of mementos that he found Heather Marie Payne, had been placed on six graves 40, of Boardman, in the south could face more charges than half of the cemetery. Payne told Shimer she was just abusing memorials to the being paid to clean up her dead. Morrow County District family’s grave sites. He noted Attorney Justin Nelson said this multiple items she had put into LVKLV¿UVWWLPHGHDOLQJZLWKWKDW a pile were broken. Shimer brought in the cemetery care- particular misdemeanor. %RDUGPDQ SROLFH RI¿FHU taker as well as the secretary George Shimer responded to of the cemetery board and a call Sunday at 8:24 a.m. of the three determined Payne a woman “throwing stuff” removed items from six graves. By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian East Oregonian Anna King is passionate about telling the VWRULHVRIZRPHQZKRVHOLYHVKDYHEHHQLQÀX- enced by their work at the Hanford nuclear site. .LQJWKH5LFKODQG:DVKEXUHDXFKLHIIRU the Northwest News Network, spoke at the Eastern Oregon Forum Tuesday night about the “Daughters of Hanford” project. Plutonium was produced at Hanford GXULQJ :RUOG :DU ,, DQG WKH &ROG :DU IRU DWRPLF weapons, and has left the site — near the banks of the Columbia River King north of the Tri-Cities — contaminated with more radioactive waste than any other site in the country. This radioactive waste includes “daughter products” — formed by the decay of radioactive isotopes. These products, as well as the lives of the women involved, have been changed by Hanford. King’s 12-part radio series documents WKH VWRULHV RI ZRPHQ VXFK DV /HRQD :RRGV Marshall Libby, the only woman physicist who worked at Hanford’s B Reactor as part of the Manhattan Project in the 1940s, and Natalie Swan, a Yakama tribal member and biologist who is working to restore and protect the Hanford environment for future generations. King’s hope is that telling the stories of the women of Hanford will inspire girls and young women to get involved. The “Daughters of Hanford” exhibit at the REACH interpretive center in Richland is the result of a collaboration between King, photojournalist Kai-Huei Yau, and artist and :DVKLQJWRQ 6WDWH 8QLYHUVLW\ SURIHVVRU 'RXJ Gast. On Tuesday, April 19, John Turner will speak at the Eastern Oregon Forum on “America and :RUOGSRVW::,,´DWSPLQ%0&&¶V5RRP ST-200. 1H[W:HGQHVGD\$SULO$QQD.LQJZLOO return to Pendleton to speak at the Blue Moun- tain Community College Arts & Culture Festival about her experiences covering the standoff at WKH0DOKHXU1DWLRQDO:LOGOLIH5HIXJHLQ+DUQH\ County in January. Her presentation will be held in the Bob Clapp Theater at 1 p.m. there are laws for damaging headstones and graves, but abusing memorials to the dead has wider applications. He also said he argued to keep Payne in the Umatilla County Jail, Pend- leton, because she has skipped court appearances in the past. Local circuit judges were at a conference, Nelson said, so Circuit Judge Robert Morgan of Union County presided over the case. He allowed Payne to go free. Nelson said he doubted Payne would show up for her April 28 hearing, and missing the date could lead to a felony. BRIEFLY property, possess up to 8 ounces of marijuana in their homes and can carry up to 1 ounce. Tree city celebration set for next week ECHO — Umatilla County’s ¿UVW³WUHHFLW\´LVSD\LQJ homage to the importance of trees in the run-up to Arbor Day on April 29. Echo is currently offering a free tree to all new homeowners in the city, and paying half the cost of new trees for other residents who pre-arrange to purchase one. Trees should arrive around May 1. The public library housed at city hall is also adding more books about trees to its collection, and each elementary school class at Echo School is being given a tree book to add to their classroom library. On April 20 the city will hold its annual tree celebration at 12:35 p.m. downtown. The afternoon includes stations for students to learn about everything from leaf LGHQWL¿FDWLRQWRIRUHVW¿UHV giveaways, a coloring contest and refreshments. Members of the public are also invited to participate. The city recently installed its ¿UVWWUHHDUWSDUWRIDQLQLWLDWLYH by the Echo Art Committee. The giant metal tree was placed in front of the old service station, and a second piece of art by artist Douglas Gisi will be placed in front of the old Echo Police arrest mother at courthouse EO file photo Echo city manager Diane Berry, left, introduces America in Bloom judge Leslie Pittenger, right, in front of the newly christened Dorn Tree at Fort Henrietta Park in June 2015. Hotel soon. This year will mark Echo’s WK\HDUDVD7UHH&LW\86$ 7RGD\FLWLHVLQ2UHJRQ have earned that designation but Echo is only one of 15 to receive a Tree Growth Award for going above and beyond the requirements for planting and maintaining trees in town. Pot business question goes to voters 0,/721)5((:$7(5 (AP) — Milton-Freewater RI¿FLDOVDUHDOORZLQJYRWHUV to decide whether marijuana businesses should be banned in May 8th Let your mother know how much she is appreciated & loved! Publishes in the Hermiston Herald May 4th Publishes in the East Oregonian May 7th SAMPLE Happy Mother’s Day For a very special mother! Your Name Turn in a photo & short message for your mom. Runs in EO & the HH for only $25 per spot Contact: Stephanie Newsom 541-278-2687 • snewsom@eastoregonian.com Your Name: Phone Number: Mother’s Name: Message: 6KLPHULQWKHDI¿GDYLWVWDWHG he told Payne people use the mementos to show their grief. Payne told the cop “the stuff was garbage, and that it should be illegal to put on grave sites.” Shimer then reported he watched Payne take a can of Coke that had been placed on a grave, open it and drink it. Shimer arrested Payne for second-degree theft and six counts of abusing memorials to the dead. Nelson said the state on Monday arraigned Payne, who pleaded not guilty. He said Send in, or drop by your photo and information to: 211 SE Byers, Pendleton, OR 97801 333 E. Main, Hermiston, OR 97838 or email snewsom@eastoregonian.com city limits. The city council voted Monday to put a pot-ban measure on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. They also approved a resolution that calls for a 3 percent tax on pot sales if voters choose to lift the city’s current ban. The council’s decision comes after it voted in December against changing the city’s zoning laws to allow retail or medical pot dispensaries. The city’s current marijuana ban doesn’t affect personal possession or growing. Oregon adults are allowed to grow up to four plants on their PENDLETON — A \HDUROGZRPDQZDVDUUHVWHG :HGQHVGD\PRUQLQJDWWKH Umatilla County Courthouse DIWHURI¿FHUVVD\VKHEHFDPH physically combative during a supervised visit with her 1-year-old daughter. 8QGHUVKHULII-LP/LWWOH¿HOG said Carlin Suzanne Sacco was visiting her daughter under the supervision of the Department of Human Services when she became irritated with the DHS case worker. Near the end of the visit, Sacco refused to give the child back and allegedly pushed and hit the worker, who sustained minor injuries. 7ZRVHFXULW\RI¿FHUV responded and had to physically remove the child, according WRWKHVKHULII¶VRI¿FH7KH child was not harmed. Sacco continued to struggle and argue throughout the incident, and was booked into county jail on misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest, reckless endangering, aggravated assault and obstructing governmental or judicial administration. Bail was set at $20,000.
