SUMMER
READING
MAKES A
SPLASH
CYGANIK
RECEIVES
SERVICE
AWARD
PENDLETON/5A
SPORTS/1B
HERMISTON/3A
JOHNSON
BIDS ADIEU
TO TIGERS
FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2016
140th Year, No. 185
One dollar
WINNER OF THE 2015 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
THE WIZARD OF WEED
GREG GREENUP
OF HEPPNER
PENDLETON
Pendleton botanist famous for cannabis breeding
Enjoy a free pass to the Heritage
Station Museum in Pendleton
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
For more information see page 4A
Union Pacifi c Railroad has agreed to tear
down the Webb’s Cold Storage building on
Main Street in Pendleton.
Your Weekend
•
•
•
Big plans
for old lot
Wildhorse powwow all
weekend in Mission
Movie in the park in
Pendleton on Saturday
Quarterfl ash plays on
Fourth of July in Ione
Webb’s Cold Storage to be
demolished on July 11
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
For times and places
see Coming Events, 5A
“I’ve been functioning underground for so long.
I’m going to do what I’m going to do regardless.”
Plans to demolish Webb’s Cold Storage in
Pendleton have not only heated up, an effort to
further develop the land east of South Main is
already underway.
Councilor Chuck Wood, the chairman of the
Pendleton Development Commission, said Union
Pacifi c Railroad has agreed to begin demolishing
the dilapidated building south of the railroad
tracks on July 11.
The Webb’s demolition is a boon to the Pend-
leton Development Commission, which has been
trying to tear down the building for several years.
Union Pacifi c owns the 500 block of South
Main Street, which is bordered by Southeast
Frazer Avenue and Southeast Goodwin Avenue
and contains railroad tracks the company uses to
transport freight.
At various points a slaughterhouse, ice cream
factory and cold storage facility, Webb’s has long
been abandoned and in disrepair.
Wood said Union Pacifi c has incentive to tear
down Webb’s because its structural instability
and proximity to the tracks could affect railroad
safety.
A Union Pacifi c spokesman did not return
requests for comment.
Wood said Union Pacifi c is also on board with
plans to further develop the area, which extends
far beyond the Webb’s property.
“We’re confi dent we could put this to good use
besides a parking lot,” he said.
A committee comprised of local governments
and organizations has formed to further explore
developing a plaza east of Main Street centered
around food and health. It would also include a
public parking lot, a Barhyte Specialty Foods
warehouse and a work training program.
It’s all conceptual at this point, but early ideas
for the plaza include a permanent home for the
Pendleton Farmers Market, a local food coop-
erative, a Community Action Program of East
Central Oregon distribution center, a commercial
kitchen, a site for offering cooking classes and a
festival area.
The plaza could also incorporate the soon-to-
be-replaced Eighth Street Bridge and old signs
— D.J. Short, cannabis breeder
See WEBB’S/10A
Weekend Weather
Fri
Sat
Sun
90/61
87/61
87/56
Fire east of The
Dalles prompts
evacuations
THE DALLES (AP)
— Authorities say a fi re is
threatening homes about six
miles east of The Dalles in
the Columbia River Gorge.
Mid-Columbia Fire and
Rescue tweeted that the fi re
started at 5:35 p.m. and went
from Interstate 84 uphill to
15 Mile Road. Fire offi cials
tweeted Thursday night that
1,000 acres had burned.
Wasco County emer-
gency manager Juston
Huffman says people in
Celilo Village and on 15
Mile and Old Moody roads
have been issued a level
three evacuation notice,
which means people should
leave their residences imme-
diately.
Resources from Hood
River, the Oregon Depart-
ment of Forestry and
Klickitat County are helping
battle the fi re. Fire offi cials
said they were attempting to
stop the fi re farther uphill at
Fulton Road.
Photo by Ralf Schuetz of Mushroom Dreams
D.J. Short is an icon in the world of cannabis breeding stock, but is still something of
an enigma.
Created some of the most popular pot strains
By KATHY ANEY
East Oregonian
In the marijuana world, cannabis breeder
Daniel John “D.J.” Short gets rock star raves
while simultaneously keeping to the shadows.
The Pendleton marijuana man started
tinkering with cannabis genetics about 40 years
ago in Eugene and has crafted some of the most
creative and well-known strains, including one
that smells of fresh blueberries.
Short’s seeds and pot breeding skills earned
him a spot in the High Times Seed Bank Hall of
Fame, which commemorates “brave pot pioneers
and trailblazers.” He was spotlighted as “The
Willy Wonka of Pot” in a 5,000-word tome for
the website Grantland, and wrote the 2003 book
“Cultivating Exceptional Cannabis: An Expert
Breeder Shares His Secrets.”
A year after legalization of recreational mari-
juana in Oregon, Short continues to keep a low
profi le, awaiting changes to federal law. In the
few photos of him online, he inevitably sports a
fedora and sunglasses. During rare interviews, he
cagily avoids sharing much personal information.
The professor of pot opened up a bit recently
while dining on bagels and lox at the Great Pacifi c
Wine & Coffee Co. in Pendleton. His sunglasses
and fedora were nowhere in sight, revealing
vivid blue eyes and gray hair pulled into a pony
tail. He rose to his full six-foot-three-inch height,
smiled and stretched out his hand before sinking
back into his chair.
While sipping a microbrew, he disclosed why
See SHORT/10A
HERMISTON
Head Start offers food and fun for free
By ALEXA LOUGEE
Staff Writer
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Hermiston Police community watch and crime prevention offi cer takes
a plunge in a dunk tank on Thursday at the Umatilla-Morrow Head Start
in Hermiston.
Thrilled shrieks could be
heard and smiles with missing
teeth could be seen Thursday at
Umatilla-Morrow Head Start’s
Hermiston summer food service
program.
It was “Eat Lunch with a Police
Offi cer” day and local elementary
school children were happily
sending Offi cer Erica Sandoval
splashing into a dunk tank donated
by Cottage Flowers.
“I’m deathly afraid of going
underwater, but if I can just make
one of them (kids) smile, then it’s
worth it,” Sandoval said, “Plus,
it’s really, really hot.”
The UMCHS serves lunch
every weekday from 11:30 a.m.
to 1 p.m. in the back yard of its
main offi ce on Northeast Fourth
Street in Hermiston. Each day
features some kind of experience
for the kids. The day before, it
was a bouncy house. There have
also been water balloon tosses,
face painting, dental checks, and
Mayor David Drotzmann stopped
by and made “oobleck,” a corn-
starch mixture, with the kids.
Hannah Williams, a local mom,
likes to bring her children as often
as she can.
“It gives them something
different to do during the day,”
Williams said.
Williams’
seven-year-old
daughter, Rabekah, ate lunch with
three of six siblings and said she
likes coming for lunch.
The program began last
summer. Toni Eddy, the USDA
manager for UMCHS, said last
See FOOD/10A