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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (May 12, 2016)
REGION Thursday, May 12, 2016 East Oregonian PENDLETON Page 3A STANFIELD Cattle Barons to celebrate Western heritage Convenience store robber gets 70 months By TAMMY MALGESINI East Oregonian Pendleton Cattle Barons was created in 2008. In addition to celebrating the region’s Western lifestyle, the event raises money for area college students who are studying agriculture. The weekend features a horse and working dog sale, ranch rodeo events, saddle bronc championships, specialty artwork and western craftsmanship, and some of the best back yard grillers and brewers around. Activities take place in and around the Pendleton Convention Center, 1601 Westgate. Visitors can pick up Western-themed artwork, clothing, household items, decora- tions, furniture, gear and tack at the Tradin’ Post Trade Show. Also, the Bit, Spur & Engraving Show and Sale will sparkle with bits, spurs, knives and much more. Many of the items are for sale, offering visitors a chance to take home some authentic cowboy gear. In addition, the tooled fender contest features top leather crafters. Both shows run Friday from noon to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the convention center. Bring a hearty appetite and get ready to taste some of the best tri-tip barbecue around during Saturday’s Buckaroo BBQ Challenge. More than two dozen teams will be iring up the grills around 8 a.m. in the convention center parking lot. At 11 a.m., 500 “People’s Choice Judge” badges will be available to those that pony up $5. They will have an opportunity to get their ill of barbecued tri-tip and then cast votes for their favorite. Judging runs from 1-2:30 p.m. “The buttons go pretty fast, so we encourage people who want to judge to get there early,” said Ryan Heath, who helps East Oregonian EO ile photo Boardman ireighters Gene and Tammy Shepperd season some tri-tip beef while competing in the 2015 Buckaroo BBQ Challenge during the Pendleton Cattle Barons. organize the barbecue challenge. For those who aren’t oficial judges, there should still be samples to taste, Heath said. Back for a third year is the Buckaroo Brewers Challenge. A panel of judges will determine the winner. Though there isn’t public tasting of the brewers’ creations, people can quench their thirst in a beer garden presented by The Prodigal Son Brewery & Pub. The challenge events help raise money for the Pendleton Outdoor School. In addition, Heath said they are hoping to make a donation to the Sunridge Middle School shop program, so students can build picnic tables and other things the outdoor school needs. Also, in the parking lot area Saturday will be a Pepsi trailer selling drinks. And a tent set up by Grocery Outlet will provide information about the store’s fresh meat program. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.cattlebarons.net or search Facebook for “Pendleton Cattle Barons.” ——— Contact Community Editor Tammy Malge- sini at tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4539 The 24-year-old Hermiston man who robbed Stanield’s Center Market at gunpoint in December has been sentenced to almost six years in prison. Judge Daniel J. Hill on Tuesday sentenced Alfredo Lopez Rodriguez to 70 months in prison with no possibility for early release after he pleaded guilty to second-degree robbery and coer- cion. At 2 a.m. on Dec. 6, 2015, Rodriguez entered the Center Market with his face covered by a bandanna, according to a press release from the Rodriguez Umatilla County District Attorney’s Ofice. The man demanded the store clerk give him all the money in the cash register — $379 — while pointing a handgun at the clerk. After receiving the money, Rodriguez held the gun to the clerk’s head and forced the clerk outside. Rodriguez then led. Rodriguez was booked into the Umatilla County Jail on Dec. 15, 2015. A Umatilla County Grand Jury indicted Rodriguez for irst-degree robbery, second-degree robbery, coercion, unlawful use of a irearm, menacing and second-de- gree theft. BRIEFLY Wastewater study could increase industrial opportunities HERMISTON — The city of Hermiston is looking for ways to boost its wastewater capacity to the city’s southern industrial zone. To start down that road, the city council accepted a $29,750 state grant Monday. Those funds will be used to analyze options for expanding wastewater capacity to industrial land to the south, including the Cook Industrial Site. The Cook Industrial Site has been designated “shovel-ready” by the Oregon Business Development Department, which means some industries could be ready to start construction on the site within six months if they wanted to. Mark Morgan, assistant city manager, said while that designation is true for industries such as shipping, other industries such as food processing would not be supported by the current wastewater situation. Hermiston’s wastewater treatment plant on the north side of town is as far away from the southern industrial zone as possible while staying in the city limits. “While we have a ‘shovel ready’ site, it’s only certiied for industries that are low water and wastewater intensive,” Morgan said. “This study will help us identify how we might go about increasing wastewater capacity there so that we can quickly accommodate a large user if one comes along.” Health program focuses on lifestyle changes HERMISTON — The promise of losing weight or feeling healthy in six months sounds like the tagline for a fad diet, but the ACT — Achieve, Conquer, Thrive — program at Good Shepherd Medical Center puts science and experience behind its claims. “It’s really focused on lifestyle change,” said Cassandra Zabel, and educator at the Good Shepherd Diabetes and Nutrition Center. “There are no special products to buy. We just want to help people along the path to creating lifestyle changes and preventing chronic disease.” ACT is a six-month, individualized program that includes twice-monthly group classes and twice-monthly individual appointments. Good Shepherd will subsidize 90 percent of the cost, so a 30-minute session will cost patients $4 and an hour-long session will cost $8. The program requires neither insurance billing nor physician referral. There is no upfront cost and classes are on a “pay as you go” model. “It’s a self-referral program,” Zabel said. “Anyone who wants to give us a call can.” Each session is limited to 20 people, but Zabel said the center plans to roll out classes on an ongoing basis. Anyone interested can call the diabetes and nutrition center at 541-667-3517. Spring chinook ishing season extended on Columbia Anglers will have three bonus days to ish for spring chinook on the Columbia River in Oregon and Washington. Wildlife oficials from both states approved the extension during a joint meeting Wednesday, based on an updated estimate of 188,800 upriver salmon entering the mouth of the Columbia in 2016. The season will reopen on Friday and run through Sunday, above and below Bonne- ville Dam. “We know anglers were anxious to get back on the water, and we’re happy that the run update allowed us to be able to offer some additional spring chinook ishing,” said Tucker Jones, Columbia River program manager with the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. The daily bag limit is two in-clipped adults per day, of which only one can be a chinook. Sockeye salmon must be released. Anglers can also keep in-clipped steelhead and shad during those days open for chinook ishing. All other permanent regulations apply. For more information, visit ODFW’s website at www.dfw.state.or.us. Umatilla County Drug Court sets graduation event HERMISTON — Nearly four dozen men and women will celebrate completion of requirements for the Umatilla County Drug Court. Christine Massingale and Craig Rodriguez, alumni of the program, are the special speakers during the event. The public is invited to celebrate with the 47 graduates Friday at 2 p.m. at the National Guard Armory, 900 S.E. Columbia Drive, Hermiston. For more information, contact Stephanie Miller at 541-276-7824 or stephanie.j.miller@ cc.doc.state.or.us. Dance team sets can drive PENDLETON — The Rhythmic Mode dance team is holding a can and bottle drive this weekend. People are asked to drop off recyclable cans and bottles Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Roy Raley Park, 1205 S.W. Court Ave., Pendleton. Members of the Pendleton High School team also will be out and about Saturday morning for people that may require pick-up service. For more information or to schedule a pick-up, call Joni Sirovatka at 541-377-1333. Wheat Walk/Run provides grange scholarships LEXINGTON — A fun run/walk is planned to provide money for the Lexington Grange Scholarship Fund. The 5K Wheat Walk/Run is Saturday with registration at 8:30 a.m. at the Lexington Grange, 66296 Marquardt Road. The event begins at 9 a.m. The cost is $10 or $16 with an event T-shirt. Prizes will be awarded and a portion of the proceeds will support the grange’s scholarship fund for Morrow County students. For more information, contact Haley Winters at haley.winters@ionesd.org. Registration forms are available at http://goo. gl/forms/MT14lYmtLt. For other grange activities, visit www.lexgrange726.wix.com/ grange. Bull riders compete in champions tour HERMISTON — Some of the rankest bulls will be matched up against some of the best cowboys in the Paciic Northwest this weekend during The Coastal Farm & Ranch Challenge of Champions Tour. Presented by Bonney’s Ag & Auto Repair, catch the action Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Umatilla County Fairgrounds, 515 W. Orchard Ave., Hermiston. Tickets are $14 in advance or $18 at the gate. Children under 5 are admitted free. The gates open at 5:30 p.m. Nearly three dozen bull riders will compete for cash and prizes. Riders include PBR, NFR and top circuit qualiiers, as well as collegiate and high school inalists. Also, the public is invited to meet some of the cowboys with a live bull Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Bonney’s Ag & Auto, 81600 Highway 395 North, Hermiston. Also, free hot dogs and test drives are offered from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information or to buy tickets, visit www.cctbullriding.com. Tickets are also available in Hermiston at Bonney’s, Tom’s Country, Midway Tavern and Northwest Farm Supply. Library friends set book sale IRRIGON — The Friends of Irrigon Library will host a book sale at the Irrigon branch of the Oregon Trail Library District. The sale is Friday, May 20 and Saturday, May 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 490 N.E. Main St., Irrigon. Books in good condition can be donated for the sale through Wednesday, May 18. They can be dropped off at the Irrigon branch or the Boardman branch, 200 S. Main St. For more information, call 541-922-0138.