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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (May 3, 2016)
HERMISTON CELEBRATES CINCO DE MAYO 3A 85/55 T-WOLVES TIE DOWN TITLES $10 OFF AT SAFEWAY COUPON/10A RODEO/1B TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 140th Year, No. 142 WINNER OF THE 2015 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD One dollar PENDLETON PGG co-op to dissolve after vote Members bring end to co-op after 86 years By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian Open wide and say ‘aww’ Staff photo by Kathy Aney The owner of a Chow opens his mouth so the judge can see Saturday at the Pendleton Convention Center during the Walla Walla Kennel Club Dog Show. For more on the show see Page 4A. TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK: HERMISTON Members of Pendleton Grain Growers voted overwhelmingly to dissolve the 86-year-old farmers’ co-op at a special meeting Monday night. Board Chairman Tim Hawkins said the vote was about 95 percent in favor of dissolution. At least a two-thirds majority was required to pass the reso- lution. PGG will now sell its remaining assets in order to pay off debt and return any leftover equity to members. The vote offi cially brings an end to PGG, which was established in 1930 during the Great Depression to protect local farmers against slumping grain prices. In recent years, the co-op lost millions of dollars in profi t and millions more in overstate earnings. PGG attempted to restructure its busi- ness model before ultimately turning to dissolution. Eric Anderson, a PGG member for 40 years, said the attitude at the members-only meeting was one of resignation. “Losing this vast amount of money is the real tragedy,” Anderson said. Despite losing the co-op, Hawkins said he felt this was the best outcome for PGG members, given the circum- stances. For a complete story, check back Tuesday at eastoregonian.com or see Wednesday’s paper. Planning futures one student at a time Barreto Melody Bustillos named Hermiston educator of the year A special week for educators By JENNIFER COLTON East Oregonian High school freshmen make decisions that set the stage for their adult lives. Every day, Melody Bustillos guides students along that path. A school counselor, Bustillos works in the class- room and in her offi ce — the walls covered fl oor to ceiling with inspiration — to help students prepare for their futures. While some people could say Bustillos was made for the job of inspiring students, for students and families scared and stressed over the decisions, Bustillos has her own story to tell. See COUNSELOR/9A Staff photo by E.J. Harris Hermiston High School counselor Melody Bustillos helps freshman Luis Almonte with forecasting his classes for the next school year on Monday in Hermiston. “I get to help with that journey and seeing them through, showing them that things will get better.” — Melody Bustillos, Hermiston High School counselor By presidential procla- mation, Teacher Appre- ciation Week is May 1-7, 2016, and Teacher Appre- ciation Day is Tuesday. The day is set aside to recognize those ed- ucators who work with students as teachers, counselors and adminis- trators. While restaurants thank teachers with “free- bies” and organizations promote #ThankATeacher this week, the East Orego- nian will spotlight a hand- ful of amazing educators from Umatilla and Morrow counties. National Teacher Day dates back to 1953, ac- cording to the National Education Association and was moved to the fi rst full week of May in 1985. PENDLETON BMCC balks at city’s curveball Council considers shortening eviction notice on baseball field By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian To rally on behalf of the Blue Mountain Community College baseball fi eld, players and supporters plan to fi ll the Pendleton City Council chambers Tuesday night. They’ll use the public comment section to discuss the fi eld’s lease, which was tabled by the council at the last meeting after members requested more fl exibility in its termination. When the Oregon Legislature agreed to demolish the vacated Blue Mountain Recovery Center and Eastern Oregon Training Center and deed the Westgate properties to the city for economic development purposes, the city also became the landlord of the adjacent BMCC baseball fi elds. The fi ve-year lease the council considered at its April 19 meeting was a continuation of the deal BMCC had long enjoyed — the college could use the fi elds rent-free as long as it continued to maintain and insure the facilities. But some councilors took issue with the lack of language allowing the city to terminate the contract unless BMCC defaults on the terms, reasoning that an industrial developer may want use of the BMRC site, including the baseball fi elds, before the fi ve years are up. In a meeting with the East Oregonian editorial board Monday, BMCC offi cials said the pushback from the council came as a surprise. “We thought it was going to be a formality,” said BMCC spokes- woman Casey White-Zollman. Diane Drebin, vice president of student affairs, said BMCC was gathering supporters to urge the council to keep the lease at fi ve years and give ample notice if it intends to end the lease early. Given that BMCC signs athletes to two-year letters of intent and plans its Northwest Athletic Confer- See FIELD/9A accused of misleading on wolf bill Two other lawmakers named in ethics complaint By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian The environmental group Cascadia Wildlands is accusing three Oregon lawmakers, including Rep. Greg Barreto, of knowingly misrepresenting a bill that ratifi ed the state’s decision to remove gray wolves from the endangered species list. Barreto, a Republican from Cove, introduced House Bill 4040 during the short legislative session earlier Barreto this year. The Oregon Department of Fish & Wild- life had previously determined wolves no longer need endangered species protections, and the Fish and Wildlife Commission followed through with delisting wolves in November 2015. HB 4040 effectively gave the Legis- lature’s stamp of approval, and Gov. Kate Brown signed off on the bill in March. But in order to secure votes for the bill, Cascadia Wildlands argues Barreto — along with Reps. Brad Witt, D-Clatskanie, and Sal Esquivel, R-Medford — made false statements that HB 4040 would not affect a judicial review of the wolf delisting decision. Nick Cady, the legal director for the organization, fi led an ethics complaint Monday against the repre- sentatives. “There’s a real concern this bill See WOLVES/10A