REGION
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
East Oregonian
County looks to shift watermaster jobs to state
on the ground to administer
and enforce water laws.
Department director Tom
Umatilla
County
is Byler said in some ways
working on a deal to transfer WKRVH HPSOR\HHV LQ WKH ¿HOG
its watermaster division to are the referees that bring law
the Oregon Water Resources and order to water use.
Umatilla County’s irri-
Department. The proposal
comes as the county board gated agriculture, Byler said,
of commissioners vote is “perhaps the most highly
Wednesday morning on the administered and complex
water distribution in the
2016-17 budget.
County
Commissioner state.” The county’s support
Bill Elfering is heading for the watermaster division,
up the county’s end of the he said, is vital.
The
county
budget
bargain. He said while the
county hires and pays for committee proposed slashing
a watermaster division, its the $228,000 division with
employees effectively work ¿YH IXOOWLPH HPSOR\HHV WR
for the state and the county $158,000 and 2.5 full-time
no longer wants to operate employees. Elfering said
that proposal is on hold and
under that model.
The water resources the board plans to look at a
department oversees water resolution Wednesday to give
law. The department’s staff funds to the state to pay the
helps provide water users remaining 2.5 salaries.
“So it will be a budget allo-
ZLWKLQIRUPDWLRQEXWLWV¿HOG
RI¿FHV ZLWK ZDWHUPDVWHUV cation rather than providing
and assistant watermasters employees,” Elfering said.
Blyer said the department
work as the effective boots
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
has similar agreements with
other counties and is more
than willing to make county
employees state employees,
EXW¿QDQFLQJWKDWLVDQLVVXH
because the state’s two-year
budget cycle does not begin
until July 1, 2017.
The county will need to
pay the positions until at
least next summer in order to
ensure those referees stay in
the local water game. Byler
said he was sure the county
and state “can get this going
in the right direction.”
County commissioners
are not looking to apply this
plan to the district attorney’s
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district attorney is a state
employee while his staff
and deputy prosecutors are
county employees. Elfering
said the difference is the
GLVWULFW DWWRUQH\¶V RI¿FH
operates in the county court-
house along with the board
of commissioners and most
other county departments,
whereas the watermaster
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Elfering also said the
county’s $228,000 for the
Oregon Water Resources
Department is the highest
cost for any county in the
state, and that raises questions
of determining how much
support the county should be
giving. He said the Associa-
tion of Counties, which held
its spring conference earlier
this week in Pendleton, plans
to have a broad discussion of
this issue in its water policy
committee.
Umatilla
County
Commissioner Larry Givens
is the president of the county
association’s board of direc-
tors. Elfering said it would
take months before any
suggestions are announced .
The Umatilla County
Board of Commissioners
meets Wednesday at 9 a.m.
in room 130 at the county
courthouse, 216 S.E. Fourth
St., Pendleton.
Local libraries offer summer reading programs
By TAMMY MALGESINI
East Oregonian
Area libraries are gearing
up for summer reading
programs,
with
many
featuring activities for all
ages.
Area library workers said
the programs help maintain
skills learned in school.
Umatilla library assistant Pam
Johnson said the programs
also offer fun activities,
including games and crafts.
“Let’s get our children
off to a good start for the
next school year by helping
encourage them to read this
summer,” said Erin Wells,
Milton-Freewater
library
director.
Area programs include:
BRIEFLY
Police: Woman
shot man with stun
gun over debt
PENDLETON — Sarah
Marie Carr of Pendleton
is in jail on initial felony
charges stemming from an
April incident.
Pendleton police arrested
Carr, 24, on Sunday on
a warrant for menacing,
second-degree kidnapping,
second- and third-degree
DVVDXOWDQG¿UVWDQG
second-degree use of a stun
gun. Pendleton Police Chief
Stuart Roberts said a secret
Umatilla County grand jury
indicted Carr, which led to
the arrest warrant.
Pendleton police on April
24 received a 9-1-1 report
from a man who claimed
Carr was going to pay
him the money she owed.
But instead of cash, she
WRRNKLPWRD¿HOGRXWVLGH
Pendleton and shot him with
a stun gun, then left him.
Roberts said Pendleton
police found Carr and the
victim were familiar and
had some discrepancy
over money, and she led
the man to believe she was
taking him to receive cash
reimbursement for property.
When they got out in the
county Carr tried to stun the
man with an electric stun
device, Roberts said, and
another man in the vehicle
may have brandished a
small baseball bat, though
police never recovered
one. The police chief also
said another man drove the
vehicle, but Carr may have
duped him about what was
going on as well.
HERMISTON
The Hermiston Public
Library is offering programs
for children, teens and adults.
Registration begins Monday,
June 20 at 11 a.m. for kids
and noon for teens (they can
also register online). Tote
bags will be given away,
while supplies last. Adults
don’t need to register, but
they can stop by the library to
grab a packet.
Children and youths are
encouraged to participate as
often as possible in order to
receive an invitation to the
Friday, July 29 pool party
at the Hermiston Family
EO file photo
Amy Warner registers her children, Quinn and Avery, for the 2015 Hermiston Public
Library summer reading program.
Aquatic Center.
The Hermiston Public
Library is located at 235 E.
Gladys Ave. For more infor-
mation, call 541-567-2882 or
visit www.hermistonlibrary.
us.
MILTON-FREEWATER
Every Child is an Artist
is the theme of the summer
program at the Milton-Free-
water Public Library. Open
to children from birth through
sixth grade, it offers unique
art activities each week.
The program began
Tuesday and continues
through
mid-August.
Participants will receive a
log to keep track of their
reading hours. Children are
encouraged to participate
with a chance to win prizes,
including a scooter and
helmet, a large doll house and
a Barbie convertible, a Black
& Decker tool bench, train
table, Star Wars prize pack, a
guitar and keyboard set, and
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Inland Octopus.
The
Milton-Freewater
Public Library is located at
8 S.W. Eighth Ave. For more
information, call 541-938-
RUYLVLWZZZPÀLEUDU\
weebly.com.
offering ice cream for
reading is open to all ages,
The summer reading including
high
school
program kicks off Friday at students.
6 p.m. with a visit by Ronald
A pair of programs
0F'RQDOG DW WKH 6WDQ¿HOG coming up include “Vlad-
Public Library. Youths up to imir Goes for Gold,” a
eighth grade can register for Traveling Lantern Theater
the program at the kick-off production,
which
is
event or the following week. Thursday at 3 p.m.; and the
Activities are available Dragon Theater Puppets,
Monday through Fridays which is Friday, June 24 at
beginning at 11 a.m. at the 2 p.m.
library. Also, a free lunch
The Umatilla Public
is provided at noon. The Library is located at 700
program concludes with a Sixth St. For more informa-
celebration Monday, July 25 tion, call 541-922-5704 or
DW&RH3DUNLQ6WDQ¿HOG
visit www.facebook.com/
7KH 6WDQ¿HOG 3XEOLF umatillapubliclibrary.
Library is located at 130 W.
———
Coe Ave. For more infor-
Contact
Community
mation, call 541-449-1254 Editor Tammy Malgesini at
or visit www.facebook. tmalgesini@eastoregonian.
com/Stanfield-Public-Li- com or 541-564-4539
brary-165277506891547.
The Umatilla Public
Library’s summer program
runs in July. Signups are
accepted all day Friday,
July 1 and Tuesday, July 5.
Activities start Wednesday,
July 6 at the library.
Most of the activities
are geared for elementary
and middle school students,
Johnson said. A program
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Teen charged in
Boardman stabbing
now in local jail
PENDLETON — The
Idaho teen facing charges
for stabbing a woman at a
rest stop near Boardman
is now in the Umatilla
County Jail.
Talon James Davis was
17 when Oregon State
Police arrested him May 14
in the wake of the attack on
the 51-year-old woman who
suffered non-life threatening
injuries. Morrow County
District Attorney Justin
Nelson charged Davis with
second-degree assault and
unlawful use of a weapon.
The assault charge falls
under Oregon mandatory
minimum sentencing law
and carries a prison term
RIDWOHDVW¿YH\HDUV
months.
Davis pleaded not guilty
and was in the juvenile
facility at the Northern
Oregon Regional Correc-
tional Facilities, The Dalles.
He turned 18 on Friday,
however, and was trans-
ferred to the Pendleton jail.
Court records show his
court-appointed defense
DWWRUQH\-HII:DOODFH¿OHG
a motion at the end of May
WRFRQVLGHU'DYLV¶V¿WQHVV
to participate in his own
defense. The hearing is
Thursday at 8:15 a.m.
www.pendletonpsych.com
541-278-2222
STANFIELD
UMATILLA
Putting together all
the pieces of this crime
puzzle took some time,
Roberts said, and now Carr
is in the Umatilla County
Jail, Pendleton, in lieu of
$200,000 bail.
P SYCHOLOGICAL
S ERVICES OF
P ENDLETON , LLC
PENDLETON
The summer reading
program will get a sizzling
start with the Pioneer Potluck
Picnic. The family potluck
event is Saturday, June 25
from 1-3 p.m. at Heritage
Station Museum, 108 S.W.
Frazer Ave., Pendleton.
People are invited to bring a
dish to share and participate
in old-fashioned games.
Also, be sure to register the
whole family for the summer
reading program at the picnic
or the library.
The Pendleton Public
Library is located at 502 S.W.
Dorion Ave. For more infor-
mation, call 541-966-0380 or
visit www.pendletonlibrary.
weebly.com.
Page 3A
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N F W
Exchange your old flag for a new American Flag!
Honoring Veterans
McKay Creek Estates
In honor of National Flag Week, we
will be handing out free
American flags.
Flags may be exchanged
Sunday, June 12 thru
Saturday, June 18 between
9:00am and 5:00pm.
Limited supply,
reserve yours today!
There will be a ceremonial
disposal of the retired flags
that are collected.
You're a grand old flag,
you're a high flying flag,
and forever in peace
may you wave.
~George M. Cohan
McKay Creek Estates
1601 Southgate Pl
Pendleton, OR 97801
(541) 276-1987
www.PrestigeCare.com