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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (July 16, 2016)
WEEKEND EDITION WHAT INSPIRES A EUGENE SCULPTOR MILITARY ATTEMPTS COUP SECRET CHAPTER OF 9/11 INQUIRY RELEASED 12A LIFESTYLES/1C IN TURKEY 14A JULY 16-17, 2016 140th Year, No. 196 Brown takes aim at guns By PARIS ACHEN Capital Bureau PORTLAND — Gov. Kate Brown has unveiled a multi-pronged plan for decreasing gun violence in the state. The plan, “Oregonians United to End Gun Violence,” involves state legislation to close loopholes on existing gun control measures and executive orders to keep better records on gun transac- tions and gun-related deaths. “Since I was sworn in as governor 17 months ago, more than 600 Oregonians have died from violence infl icted by a gun,” Brown said. “Violence answers nothing, offers nothing, solves nothing.” Brown said she plans to propose legislation in 2017 to close the so-called “Charleston” loophole, which allows a gun purchase to move forward if law enforcement hasn’t deter- mined the buyer’s eligibility within three days. She said she also intends seek to close the “Boyfriend Loophole,” which expands the types of relationships that qualify for gun dispossession when convicted of domestic violence charges. Her third proposal would outlaw future purchases of extended-ca- pacity gun magazines. These magazines enable fi ring repeatedly without having to reload. Brown also plans to $1.50 WINNER OF THE 2015 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD HERMISTON CRY FOR HELP Man survives plunge from Golden Gate Bridge, talks about impulsive nature of suicide New rodeo arena in danger of missing deadline By KATHY ANEY East Oregonian By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian Kevin Hines couldn’t take it anymore. Severely depressed, the 19-year-old Califor- nian heard voices inside his head screaming that he was useless and should kill himself. He paced the railing of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fran- cisco, his thoughts frothing and tumbling. Finally, he jumped. Hines remembers being “shocked into reality” the moment his hands left the railing. “What have I done? I don’t want to die. God please save me,” he recalls thinking. He hit the water. Perhaps the quick prayer made the difference. Maybe it was the way he adjusted his body and entered the water feet-fi rst. Hines shot down into the murky depths, his back broken, but he was alive. Hines joined an exclusive group that day in 2000. Not many have survived the 200-foot plunge from the pedestrian deck of the Golden Gate Bridge. “Of the 36 survivors, 19 came forward in a study,” he said. “They had the same instant regret I did.” Often the decision to kill oneself comes quickly and is fl eeting. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that 80 percent of all suicide attempts are impulsive. A quarter of suicide survi- vors included in the study said they had decided to kill themselves less than fi ve minutes before they made the attempt. Seventy percent had decided within an hour. The Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center’s construc- tion manager is “enormously concerned” about getting the rodeo arena completed before the 2017 Farm-City Pro Rodeo, but said with the right contractor they might meet the deadline. “Whoever is selected is going to have to be fast,” said John Frew, president and CEO of Frew Development Group, at Friday’s board meeting. The EOTEC board met to approve a contract amend- ment making Frew Develop- ment Group the construction manager for all remaining work, excluding the rodeo grounds. Frew announced Knerr Construction out of Herm- iston will be their local partner, providing day-to-day supervision on the ground for subcontractors. Frew said he felt comfort- able that the two companies working together could deliver the fairgrounds and barns on budget and on time for the 2017 Umatilla County Fair. The rodeo grounds, which experienced months-long delays in the design process, will be trickier. Frew said it was still possible to get the arena done in time if Frew Development Group helped with some of the stock pens and other components of the project and the right contractor was brought on board. Bids for construction of the rodeo arena are due July 28 and Frew said pre-bid interest has been encouraging. “We saw no reason to disrupt that,” he said. The EOTEC board expects to award the rodeo arena contract during its next meeting on July 29. Meanwhile, Frew said his company will begin coordinating with Knerr Construction and an execu- tive committee made up of See SUICIDE/16A Contributed photo Kevin Hines decided he wanted to live the instant he jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge in 2000. Hines, a rare survivor of the 200-foot plunge, speaks in schools in a quest to prevent others from choosing suicide. Method of suicide in Oregon, 2014 Firearm 365 Suffocation Poisoning Jumping Sharp object 57 422 139 44 183 63 54 117 20 (Men: 17, Women: 3) 17 (Men: 15, Women: 2) Drowning 7 (Men: 4, Women: 3) Fire 1 (Men: 1, Women: 0) Men Women Source: Oregon Violent Death Reporting System, Oregon Health Authority 2 Number of Oregonians who die every day by suicide. graders who had serious thoughts of suicide 1 in 6 8th in the last year. 56 Percentage of American suicides involving a firearm. 80 Percentage of suicides involving a firearm in rural America. 25 Number of people who attempt suicide for one who dies. Alan Kenaga/EO Media Group See GUNS/16A MARY DEARBORN OF PILOT ROCK Visit the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce for a free charm trail starter bracelet See EOTEC/16A Contractors face challenges over state border Lack of license reciprocity stifles some certified trades “Some jobs I can’t bid on because I can’t man them.” By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian — Rick Rock, owner of Rock Electric in Hermiston State lines may be invisible, but for contractors looking to work in both Washington and Oregon the border might as well be a towering wall. Despite the number of residents who pass between the two states daily on their way to work, Oregon and Washington do not have license reciprocity agreements for a number of trades, including plumbing and electrical work. “It’s the exact same work, just a different side of the road,” Walla Walla Electric President and CEO Charlie Barron said. His Washington-based compa- ny’s offi ces sit just fi ve miles from the Oregon border, but if an employee wants to work on the other side of the state line they must start from scratch on working the number of hours necessary to become a licensed electrician in Oregon. As a result, Barron said he has four employees who live in Umatilla County but can’t perform See LICENSE/16A Staff photo by E.J. Harris Electrician Pat Sweeney, with Walla Walla Electric, loads his tools into his work truck after fi nishing a job at Washington Elementary School on Friday in Pendleton.
