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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (July 21, 2016)
TRAIN PENDLETON RETIREE T-BONES FINISHES TRUCK REGION/3A IRONMAN SPORTS/1B Visit the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce for a free charm trail starter bracelet R ROYAL RAYMOND OF HELIX 93/62 THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2016 140th Year, No. 199 One dollar WINNER OF THE 2015 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD PENDLETON Heir to the co-op United Grain takes over for PGG By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian It’s been a hectic homecoming for Tony Flagg. After nearly two decades as CEO of the Pendleton Flour Mills, Flagg fi nds himself back in the Round-Up City — this time as vice president of business development for United Grain Corporation, which recently bought all grain assets from the now-dissolved Pendleton Grain Growers. The deal became offi cial June 10, which gave Flagg one month to hire staff and open a new offi ce on Main Street before the start of wheat harvest. The sale included PGG’s upcountry grain elevators and Columbia River terminal, but not its other businesses or main offi ce building on Dorion Avenue. The timing was tricky, having to jump directly into harvest. But Flagg said they’ve hit the ground running See GRAIN/8A Staff photo by E.J. Harris Anthony Flagg, vice president of business development for United Grain, has overseen the transition for PGG grain facilities to United Grain just in time for the summer harvest. State elections director resigns Announcement comes with little explanation By PARIS ACHEN Capital Bureau Staff photo by E.J. Harris More than one hundred bikers ride down Dorion Avenue on their way to Til Taylor Park for the offi cial start to the Pendleton Bike Week. BIKE WEEK REVS UP Bikers pay tribute to law enforcement with Til Taylor Memorial Ride By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian Pendleton Bike Week has ensured that Round-Up isn’t the only time leather-clad riders stream through downtown Pend- leton. Pendleton’s second annual motorcycle rally kicked off Wednesday with the Til Taylor Ride, a police-escorted ride from the Pendleton Convention Center to Til Taylor Park. Bike week organizer Eric Folkestad said the focus of this year’s event was to make it bigger and better than the last — more vendors, new acts and a concert from Three Dog Night. Folkestad said bikers have responded accordingly, preregis- tering at four times the rate they did last year. Tom and Vicky Cunningham were newcomers to bike week, this being their fi rst extended trip to Pendleton from their home in Baker City. Veterans of rallies in Sturgis, See BIKERS/8A Staff photo by E.J. Harris Bill Christensen of Loon Lake, Wash., holds the U.S. fl ag during a ceremony to kick off the start of Pendleton Bike Week on Wednesday at Til Taylor Park in Pendleton. SALEM — Oregon Elections Director Jim Williams suddenly resigned Tuesday citing “personal reasons.” “I appreciate the opportunity to have served the Secretary of State and the people of Oregon for the past two and a half years,” Williams wrote in a resignation letter. “I take pride in all that we accom- plished in the Elections Division during this time and to have been a part of many historical election events and activities. I will forever cherish those moments and my experience here.” “Unfortunately, I am unable to continue my role in this agency for personal reasons,” he wrote. Asked whether Williams was forced to resign, a spokeswoman for the Secretary of Williams State’s Offi ce said she was not authorized to comment. “There is very little I can say except this is a personal matter,” said Molly Woon, Secretary of State spokeswoman. Williams has been director of the Secre- tary of State’s Elections Division since October 2013. Secretary of State Jeanne Atkins has selected Brenda Bayes to serve as interim elections director. She previously worked under Williams as the deputy director of candidate and campaign services. “With Jim’s resignation as our elections director yesterday, I want to reiterate my confi dence in, and support for, our new Interim Elections Director Brenda Bayes, the entire team in the Elections Division, See WILLIAMS/8A PENDLETON Dan Lange remembered for support, optimism Died Tuesday at age 58 “Even in the worst of this, it was hard to know By JADE MCDOWELL just how diffi cult it was for Dan physically, East Oregonian because he just didn’t complain. There wasn’t As Dan Lange’s family and any sense that he was bitter or angry.” friends mourn his death, his EO fi le photo Dan Lange, seen here in a May 2014 photo, died Tuesday at age 58. Lange was the vice president of instruction at Blue Mountain Community College. unselfi sh support of others shines through their memories of him. Lange, 58, who was vice presi- dent of instruction at Blue Mountain Community College, died Tuesday after battling brain cancer for two and a half years. His wife Karen said she can’t say enough about what a supportive, loving husband Dan was throughout their 36 years of marriage. “He always looked out for me,” she said. Scott Little, pastor at the Free Methodist Church in Pendleton In 2013 Karen needed a lot of looking after. She spent two months in the hospital after a brutal, random attack by transient Lukah Chang, who fractured her skull with a metal pipe and left her laying in the brush along Pendleton’s river walkway for 13 hours. Doctors told Dan her chances of survival didn’t look good, but he doggedly helped them nurse her back to health and normal brain function. A few months later adversity struck again as Dan began experi- encing bouts of extreme dizziness, which led to the discovery of lesions in his brain that had metastasized from his kidneys. Karen said Dan was a very posi- tive person, even through his cancer. See LANGE/8A
