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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (June 22, 2016)
FIRES FORCE NATION-WORLD EVACUATIONS PAGE 7A 84/56 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016 140th Year, No. 178 WINNER OF THE 2015 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD Pendleton River Walk Garden revitalized by new leadership One dollar MEACHAM Second shooter in Nelson killing Court documents don’t identify either suspect, but neither are Indian By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian Staff photo by E.J. Harris Taylor Smith and Colleen Sanders have helped to revitalize the River Walk Garden and now help provide fresh vegetables for CAPECO with their efforts. A fresh start By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian alking down rows of fresh plants at the Pendleton River Walk Garden, Colleen Sanders and Taylor Smith practically disappear behind chest-high arugula, corn and peas. The kale is also growing like crazy, Sanders said, and it won’t be long before it’s time to start planting summer veggies including peppers and eggplant. Just up the hill, joggers and cyclists wave hello from the Pendleton River Parkway, some of whom never knew the area is home to a lush community garden. For years, the garden fell by the wayside without anyone able to commit the enor- mous energy to keep it alive. It even got to the point where Sanders, who coordinates the Umatilla County Master Gardener Program for Oregon State University Extension Service, said they were having discussions on whether to give it up for good. “It’s a glorious, amazing, wonderful thing, but it demands so much of your time,” she said. Instead, Sanders and Smith have worked together to revitalize the garden with more than a little help from local volunteers. The garden now has six raised beds available to rent, along with a main fi eld where they grow produce for CAPECO to distribute to families. It is W Federal court papers revealed there were two shooters in the murder of Thadd Nelson, and the local investiga- tion of that crime remains active. Jennifer J. Martin, an assistant United States attorney, asked the court on June 3 to issue an order protecting certain witness statements, police reports and other documents from defendants Joseph Aaron McIver, Thadd Nelson Edward Duarte Ayala, and Armando Ruben Vargas, who face federal weapons charges stemming from Nelson’s homicide on Jan. 27 at his home near Meacham on Umatilla Indian Reservation land. The government argued the order is necessary to protect a victim and witnesses from intimidation, retaliation and coercion and to prevent the defen- dants from having access to a cellphone that is evidence in the case because it may contain child pornography. The order also would protect the ongoing homicide investigation. “In this case,” according to the document, “the state has jurisdiction over the homicide because the decedent victim is not an Indian and the two individuals who shot Nelson are not Indians.” See NELSON/8A PENDLETON Staff photo by George Plaven Colleen Sanders, left, shows the tassels fl owering atop corn plants during Sunday’s Seed to Supper class at the Pendleton River Walk Garden. located on Southwest Byers Avenue west of the Round-Up Grounds. While the land itself is owned by the City of Pendleton, CAPECO is the group that pays for water on site and drives the demand for healthy, nutritious food. Sanders said CAPECO wants the community to be active, healthy and food secure, and community gardens are a major asset in fulfi lling that mission. • Shall City of Pendleton repeal its prohibition of recreational marijuana producers, processors, wholesalers and retailers in Pend- leton? • Shall City of Pendleton impose a 3 percent tax on the sale in the City of Pendleton of marijuana items by a marijuana retailer? While Pendleton voters will have the option of banning one form of marijuana over the other, Sniffen said state law would prohibit the city from collecting both its share of the state’s 17 percent tax and the local 3 percent tax, even if voters approved it. See MARIJUANA/8A See DRONES/7A See FRESH/8A City attorney greenlights three questions on marijuana sales for November ballot By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian The City of Pendleton will give voters three ballot questions relating to marijuana sales in November, and if any of them fail it will prevent the city from collecting tax revenue from the newly legal drug. Since the council decided in December to refer the marijuana sales ban to the ballot, several councilors have suggested separate questions asking voters whether the city should permit medical or recreational marijuana sales. City Attorney Nancy Kerns advised against distinguishing between the types of marijuana uses, but after consulting with League of Oregon Cities assistant general counsel Carl Sniffen, she changed her opinion. The council held a special meeting Tuesday at noon where it discussed state marijuana policy with Sniffen in a conference call and Kerns gave members drafts of the three ballot questions. • Shall City of Pendleton repeal its prohibition of medical mari- juana producers and dispensaries in Pendleton? By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian and Associated Press Local and state drone offi cials are already on board with new regulations for small unmanned aerial systems released Tuesday by the Federal Avia- tion Administration. In order to legally fl y a drone weighing less than 55 pounds, the FAA now requires it be fl own during the day, in the line of sight of a pilot or other observer, not over any person not participating in the operation and no higher than 400 feet or faster than 100 miles per hour. Under the new rules, operators would register their drones online and pass an aviation knowledge exam for drone pilots at an FAA-approved testing center. That’s a big change since operators currently have to have a manned aircraft pilot’s license. The rules, offi cially referred to as Part 107 of the Federal Aviation Regulations, largely replace the FAA’s 333 exemption, which required the administration to review commercial drone operations at an individual level. Since 2014, the FAA has granted more than 6,100 waivers and another 7,600 are waiting for approval. Many more small companies have been using drones without FAA permission, say PENDLETON Tax only an option if all pot is made legal New drone rules pivotal for emerging industry
