Friday, July 8, 2016
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CRASH: Afterward, Bjurlin ran off toward Hermiston Police Department
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East Oregonian
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picking her daughter up from
the high school after a sports
workout and saw the chase
and crash. “I’m shocked he
didn’t hit more people,” she
said, especially as kids were
leaving the high school and
parents were picking athletes
up at that time.
The incident began when
Hermiston police tried to
stop on an older model Buick
Thursday morning. The male
subject driving the vehicle
did not yield to police, instead
taking off at high speeds east
on West Highland Avenue.
Witnesses say the Buick
was passing vehicles on the
left and weaving though
trafic when it came to the
Highland Avenue and South
First Street intersection,
where it ran a stop sign and
crashed into a pickup truck.
The white Ford F150 had
the right of way and was
heading north on South First
Street through the intersec-
tion when the Buick struck
the truck, sending it east
down Highland Avenue and
trapping the pickup driver in
the vehicle.
Hermiston resident Jerry
Vaughn saw the collision and
was one of the irst people
to attend to the victim. He
said the Buick looked like
it was going 60 miles per
hour before it slammed into
the driver’s side of the truck.
Vaughn said they tried to
open the door of the white
truck to help the woman, but
it was stuck and all the other
doors were locked. “The
airbag didn’t go off,” he said,
and her head was bleeding,
but she was able to commu-
Staff photo by Alexa Lougee
Rescue crews move an injured female to an ambulance
following a collision on Highland Avenue in Hermiston.
nicate through the small gap
of the slightly rolled down
window.
After the collision, the
Buick spun and hit a trafic
sign pole. The driver of the
Buick emerged from the
plume of dust and took off
on foot north on South First
street toward the Hermiston
Police Department, which
was only blocks away from
the scene.
Domino’s
employee
Kayla Farmer was standing
at the cash register when she
saw the car hit the truck, the
driver of the car lee, and
Hermiston motorcycle police
oficer Victor Gutierrez go
through the pizza shop’s
parking lot after Bjurlin. “It
was all so quick,” she said.
Police oficers were able to
catch up to the driver and
took him into custody.
Farmer saw bystanders
run to the truck to help the
woman, but the victim was
stuck in her vehicle for what
seemed like 20 minutes.
Umatilla Country District
1 Fire and Rescue crews
were eventually able to free
the female driver from the
white pickup. They took
her by ambulance to Good
Shepherd Medical Center,
Hermiston.
There was no conirmed
report on the extent of her
injuries at the scene, but
rescue crews did say she
was conscious and talking
with responders before being
taken away in the ambulance.
Acting Hermiston Police
Chief
Darryl
Johnson
called the suspect’s actions
a “senseless act” in a news
release.
“This was a senseless act
by a driver who would have
received a violation level
citation for driving without
a license, instead he felt the
need to try and run from ofi-
cers,” he said. “His actions
led to an innocent person
getting injured and property
being damaged so he could
avoid a trafic ticket.”
BRITTON: In his fourth DOGS: In midst of seven-event, ive-day tour
Continued from 1A
term as a commissioner
Continued from 1A
to represent constituents
on road and access issues;
refusing to call for an inves-
tigation into the handling
of the 2015 Canyon Creek
wildires; failing to recuse
himself in decisions with
agencies where he bene-
ited both personally and
inancially; and deliberately
misrepresenting his inten-
tions at a town hall meeting
Jan. 26, where Bundy and
his fellow occupiers were
scheduled to appear.
Britton has until 5 p.m.
Tuesday, July 12 to ile his
statement of justiication
against the allegations.
Britton, now in his fourth
term as a commissioner, said
he plans to ight the recall
and will not resign.
Julie Carr, of Dayville,
was the chief petitioner for
recalling Britton. She said
she could not discuss it in
depth on Thursday, but was
pleased to see it move ahead
to the ballot.
“I’m glad, because a lot
of folks were afraid to sign
the petition,” Carr said. “I’m
glad enough people want to
ind positive change.”
Frances Preston, of
Prairie City, also volunteered
to circulate the petition and
gather signatures. She said
most people she talked to
were excited to sign, and
spur additional change in
county government after
incumbent Commissioner
Chris Labhart lost his bid
for reelection against Prairie
City Mayor Jim Hamsher in
May.
“I think with a change in
the two new commissioners,
that will bring about a big
difference in the way the
county is run,” Preston said.
But Britton, who has
served nearly 14 years,
said he will defend himself
vigorously. In February, he
voted along with Commis-
sioner Labhart and Judge
Scott Myers against funding
an investigation into the
Canyon Creek Complex,
which burned more than
110,000 acres and destroyed
nearly 40 homes.
Five months later, Britton
said he still feels that was the
right decision.
“We needed to move on
and start healing,” he said.
“It’s a tragedy, but I really
felt it was in the best interest
of Grant County.”
The Malheur National
Forest previously detailed its
response to the blaze, which
started as two smaller ires
that merged and spread amid
dry and windy weather. The
Grizzly Bear Complex and
Cornet-Windy Ridge ires
also made big runs on the
same day, Aug. 14, of last
year.
Britton said he did what
he could in the immediate
aftermath to help residents
start rebuilding their homes
by reaching out to agencies
and streamlining regulations.
“We were really able to
help all those people out,”
he said.
The petition also claims
that Britton violated a 2013
county ordinance requiring
all roads, trails and byways
across public lands remain
open unless authorized by
the county court and sheriff’s
ofice. That ordinance was
passed in order for the Forest
Service to heed county input
on road closures, Britton
said.
Since then, Britton said
Britton
“Everything I
do ... is about
what’s in the best
interest of the
people of Grant
County.”
— Boyd Britton, Grant
County commissioner
he doesn’t recall the court
ever denying permission
for the Forest Service to
close a road, which has been
done on a project-by-project
basis.
The third complaint in the
petition argues that Britton
failed to recuse himself “in
decisions with agencies and
individuals of which he has
not only beneited person-
ally, but inancially.” Britton,
who owns a welding shop
in John Day, said he works
on Forest Service trucks and
rigs from time to time, aver-
aging $4,200 in payments
each of the last ive years —
far from his largest account.
Britton said he doesn’t
understand how he stands
to beneit by being involved
in county government and
reviewing projects.
“That, to me, is baseless,”
he said.
Finally, the petition
alleges Britton misrepre-
sented his intentions at a
community meeting Jan.
26 where Bundy and refuge
occupiers were scheduled to
make an appearance. That
was the same night oficers
arrested Bundy and four
others on Highway 395,
and shot and killed Robert
“LaVoy” Finicum.
Britton said he attended
that meeting at the request
of others in the community
who were curious about its
purpose.
Commissioner
Labhart and Judge Myers
also attended the meeting,
during which none of them
addressed the crowd.
Judge Myers said he
prepared a statement in case
he was asked to speak, but
otherwise isn’t sure what
people expected them to
do. Myers said he feels the
recall against Britton is
unfounded, and believes it
will fail as Grasty’s did.
Britton said he feels there
are similar issues at heart
between the two efforts, and
said he hopes Grant County
residents will feel the same
way as Harney County.
“Everything I do ... is
about what’s in the best
interest of the people of
Grant County,” he said.
———
Contact George Plaven
at gplaven@eastoregonian.
com or 541-966-0825.
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started Border Collie Inter-
national 25 years ago, irst
showcasing his dogs in local
and national competitions
before transitioning to perfor-
mances in front of audiences.
Gustafson and his ive
border collies performed on
a lawn near Pendleton Public
Library Thursday afternoon
to a crowd of approximately
50 people.
The event was part of the
Pendleton Library’s summer
reading program, which hosts
a few events for children.
This year’s theme, “Ready,
Set, Read,” encompasses
outdoor
activities
with
reading, according to Assis-
tant Library Director Jennifer
Costley.
Booking a group of
fun-loving,
high-jumping
border collies was an easy
decision.
“In general children love
animals, so we thought it
would be a good it,” she said.
The ive border collies
included Macabee, Teddy,
Rerun, Read and the lone
female of the group, Myra.
Macabee caught footballs
from children volunteers,
Teddy vaulted over Gustafson
to catch Frisbees, Read shot
basketballs into a hoop using
his snout, and Myra rolled
around in the grass before
greeting crowd members.
Gustafson told the crowd
Rerun and Teddy, who are
brothers, were treated badly
by their previous owner,
and Rerun sometimes gets
overwhelmed in big groups.
Sure enough, the 10-year-old
walked onto the lawn for a
few seconds before trotting
back to his crate.
A key part of Gustafson’s
shows is teaching kids to
be responsible as animal
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Children crowd around the border collie Myra to pet the dog on Thursday at the
Pendleton Public Library.
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Macabee waits to catch a football thrown by Miranda
Leonard, 8, of Pendleton during a exhibition by Border
Collie International at the Pendleton Public Library.
owners. He believes children
who abuse animals are more
likely to abuse people as
adults.
“If we can teach them to
have respect and love for the
animals when they’re kids,
now we’re a step ahead,”
Gustafson said.
Border Collie Interna-
tional is currently in the midst
of a seven-event, ive-day
tour, which has already
included stops in Prineville
and the Eastern Oregon
Youth Correctional Facility
in Burns. Going along with
his goal of instilling kids with
respect and responsibility
in dealing with animals,
Gustafson said the latter event
was particularly meaningful.
Along the way, Gustafson
aims to make people aware
of border collie misuse. They
are among the most returned
breeds because most people
don’t know how to properly
care for them, Gustafson said.
Three of the ive dogs he
owns came from the Oregon
Humane Society in Portland,
where they were deemed
unadoptable because of inci-
dents with previous owners.
Because border collies are
natural herding dogs, they
require activity and space to
roam.
“They need a job to do,”
Gustafson told the crowd. “If
they don’t ind one, they will
invent one.”
———
Contact Will Denner at
wdenner@eastoregonian.
com
POOL: College needs $2.6 million to ix and update the pool
Continued from 1A
a week. “It’s been the best
thing ever. It’s changed my
life. I’m off blood pressure
medicine, I’ve lost a signif-
icant amount of weight, and
feel great.”
“I know this, and every-
body who knows about
pools, knows that they do not
generate income,” BMCC
President Camille Preus said.
On average the pool generates
$35,000 a year in revenue,
but costs $55,000 a year to
operate. “That wouldn’t be
unsurmountable for us. What
is unsurmountable is the
current state of the pool.”
The current state of the
pool refers to the outdated
pumping system, HVAC
system and other areas
of the facility falling into
disrepair. In order for the
college to continue to pass
health code standards, $2.6
million is needed to ix and
update the pool. In 2013,
voters shot down a bond that
included funds to address
the pool’s needs. BMCC
went back to the drawing
board, taking input from the
community and put together
a new bond that left a few
things out, including the
pool. According to Preus, the
pool did not generate enough
public support to be included
on the most recent bond,
which passed in November
2015.
Pendleton Swim Asso-
ciation Board President
Fred Robinson stood and
read a letter in support of
keeping the pool open. At
the end of his impassioned
plea, Robinson asked four
questions, “What’s the path
of success for the pool?
What are the needs? And
when does it all need to be
done? And lastly, how can
we help?”
BMCC Board of Educa-
tion member Kim Puzey
encouraged the swimmers
to get started fundraising
now. He called it a “sprint,
not a marathon.” Puzey
encouraged the swimmers
to share their stories, share
their enthusiasm and help
their cause catch ire. Puzey
indicated it would cost
roughly $34 per Umatilla
County resident to get the
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“I know this, and
everybody who
knows about pools,
knows that they do
not generate
income.”
— Camille Preus,
BMCC President
pool renovations done.
“I’m conident we can
come up with the $2.6
million,” Puzey said. As a
show of his conidence, he
told the swimmers he would
donate $500 that night if
each of them would commit
to $50. Each representative
of the swim association
pledged their $50, followed
by BMCC Board Member
Ed Taber pledging $500.
“Sounds like we’ve got
$1,500 and change already,”
Puzey said, “That’s a pretty
good night’s work.”
There will be two
community outreach meet-
ings hosted by BMCC, one
in late July and one in early
August. Speciic dates and
times have not been set, but
will be announced soon.
These meetings will provide
opportunities for the public
to tour the McCrae Activity
Center pool and see the
speciic needs the pool has
and what those will cost.
Casey White-Zollman,
BMCC’s vice president of
public relations, encourage
Wednesday’s attendees to
invite everyone out to the
community meetings.
“This is certainly not
a closed book,” White-
Zollman said.
———
Contact Alexa Lougee
at alougee@eastoregonian.
com