Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 18, 2016)
REGION Thursday, August 18, 2016 East Oregonian Page 3A PENDLETON Sex crimes convict Old city hall nears restoration decision suing county jail PDC to present plan to for assault building owners soon Was attacked by inmates with sharpened handles By WILL DENNER East Oregonian More than a year after a ire severely damaged the old Pendleton City Hall, its future may soon have a deinitive direction. Pendleton Development Commis- sion associate director Charles Denight said Tuesday he will meet with the owner of the building, Jose Quezada, and his family later this week. Denight will present the family a inancial model he put together that would require them to pay for 10 percent of the project up front. He said 70 percent would be loaned by a bank to the family and the remainder from public sources, mostly in the form of federal tax credits. Denight didn’t disclose what the projected total cost of restoration is, but said it would likely be in the millions. “It would still require a large commitment from the family,” he said. Quezada and his family have explored options for the 34 S.E. Dorion Ave. building since the July 21, 2015 ire destroyed it and took the life of Quezada’s 25-year-old son, Eduardo. They have said they want to rebuild the space, with help from the city, into an apartment complex. Restoring the building would make it eligible to receive federal tax credits. Because many of the building’s historical aspects were destroyed in the ire, restoration requirements from the Oregon State Historic Preservation Ofice should be relatively easy to meet, Denight said. Whether or not the Quezada family accepts the commission’s proposal, East Oregonian EO ile photo An explosion and ire gutted the old City Hall building in Pendleton on July 21, 2015. Denight said time is running out on the building. Without windows and a roof, it has been exposed to the elements and would continue incurring damage if left untouched. “If it goes through another winter, it may not survive,” Denight said. Denight said other people are interested in taking on the project if the Quezadas and the development commission can’t agree on terms. Though months went by with little to no progress, Denight hopes to have a plan to present at the commission’s next meeting in September. “I’m really hoping to wrap up our discussions with the family in the next week and at that point, make some decisions,” he said. Councilor Tom Young recom- mended in the meeting that someone from Pendleton Public Works be proactively involved in the project, in case problems arise during the rebuild. Denight said he has been in talks with Pendleton building oficial John Lind- strom regarding the building’s sprin- kler system. Water supply has been an issue for other downtown building owners looking to turn upper stories back into apartments, City Manager Robb Corbett said at the meeting. Denight also announced a work- shop coming to Pendleton Oct. 19 and 20 for business owners interested in second story restoration. Represen- tatives will come from organizations including Restore Oregon and Oregon Main Street to provide information on restoration and remaining inancially sound. The workshop is scheduled at City Hall Oct. 19 from 4 to 7 p.m. and Oct. 20 from 9 a.m. to noon. ——— Contact Will Denner at wdenner@ eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0809 PENDLETON Poet laureate to share at writers’ series By TAMMY MALGESINI East Oregonian Oregon Poet Laureate Elizabeth Woody is the featured author during Thursday’s First Draft Writers’ Series. An enrolled member of the Confed- erated Tribes of Warm Springs, Woody is of Yakama Nation descent. Gov. Kate Brown announced Woody as the state’s poet laureate in March. She assumed a two-year appointment at the end of April, which features outreach as an ambassador of poetry across the state. Woody is the state’s eighth poet laureate since 1921. There was a lapse in appointments between 1990 and 2005. Woody will read a selection of her works during Thursday’s First Draft Writers’ Series. The free event begins at 7 p.m. at Pendleton Center for the Arts, 214 N. Main St. After Woody’s presen- tation, audience members will have an opportunity to participate in short open mic sessions to read from their own writing. Woody received the American Book Award in 1990, and the discretionary William Stafford Memorial Award for Poetry and was a inalist for the Oregon Book Awards in 1995. She has published three books of poetry. In addition, Woody writes short iction, essays and is a visual artist. The Bloomsbury Review described Woody’s poems as, “... like hands and hearts and also like lights: they grip and pulse and Woody illuminate. Like the woman herself, the work is grand and modest and forceful. It will shake you, and move you deeply ....” Woody has a master’s of public administration through the Mark O. Hatield School of Government’s Exec- utive Leadership Institute of Portland State University and a bachelor’s in humanities from The Evergreen State College. Also, Woody studied creative writing and two-dimensional arts at the Institute of American Indian Arts. She has taught at the Institute of American Indian Arts and at Portland State University. In addition, Woody leads writing workshops, lectures and has served on multi-disciplinary art fellowship jury panels for several national foundations and arts organi- zations. She is currently on the board of directors of Soapstone: Celebrating Women Writers, and Willamette University Advisory Council for Native Programs. The First Draft Writers’ Series brings authors and poets of note to share their work. It’s held the third Thursday of each month in the arts center’s Pearson Auditorium. For more information, call 541-278-9201 or visit www.pendlet- onarts.org. For more about Woody and the Oregon Poet Laureate program, visit www.oregonpoetlaureate.org. ——— Contact Community Editor Tammy Malgesini at tmalgesini@eastorego- nian.com or 541-564-4539 A Pilot Rock man serving prison time for raping a 13-year-old girl is suing Umatilla County for the assault he suffered while in jail. Justin Wayne Bedard, 37, seeks at least $1.1 million, including no less than $900,000 in punitive damages, in the complaint Bend attorney Mikel R. Miller iled in federal court on July 18. Bedard was an inmate in the county jail in Pendleton in 2014, awaiting sentencing for child pornography and second-degree rape in a case involving two co-de- fendants. Two other jail inmates, Matthew Raymond Hermann and Daniel Lee Smith, who both faced murder charges in separate crimes, took handles from a broom or mop, according to the lawsuit, sharpened the ends, and attacked Bedard on July 17, 2014. The beating “left blood all over the entire cell block,” the lawsuit states, and left Bedard with a stab wound in his back and head injuries. He required emer- gency medical treatment at St. Anthony Hospital, Pendleton. The lawsuit alleges Umatilla County failed to provide a safe environment in the jail and names the county and Sheriff Terry Rowan as defendants, along with ive jail staff, including four “John Does,” whose identities the plaintiffs aim to discover in the course of the case. Court records do not yet show the county’s response, and the U.S. District Court has not set hearing dates in the case. Bedard remains an inmate at Powder River Correctional Facility, Baker City, and he has three years left to serve on his 75-month sentence. Expanded Umatilla County health district goes to voters East Oregonian Umatilla County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to put a new health district on the November ballot. The East Umatilla County Health District wants to expand its bound- aries to conform with the area its ambulance covers. The new district would encompass Adams, Athena, Weston, Helix, and areas near Holdman on the west side of the county and the border with Union County to the east. The new district, though, would not include the Milton-Freewater ambulance service area nor lands on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Commissioner Bill Elfering said no one contested the new district during its public hearing at the county courthouse in Pendleton. He and Commissioner Larry Givens voted in favor, while Commissioner George Murdock was out of the ofice. The board also awarded a $10,000 economic development grant to the city of Pendleton for its remote-controlled aircraft test range at the Eastern Oregon Regional Airport. The board also approved the purchase of two new vehicles, and gave the OK to seek bids for three more, including for a new mid-sized SUV to replace the aging Ford Escape that commissioners use. And the board approved the $17,000 purchase of ive alcohol monitoring bracelets for the Commu- nity Justice Department. Elfering said a Wildhorse Foundation grant of $9,450 helped reduce their cost for the electronic devices. SUBMIT COMMUNITY NEWS Submit information to: community@eastoregonian. com or drop off to the attention of Tammy Malgesini at 333 E. Main St., Hermiston or Renee Struthers at 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton. Call 541-564-4539 or 541- 966-0818 with questions. BRIEFLY Applications sought for Wheeler County Judge at the park in Echo. Vendor space is available for $12. For more information, contact echoopenairmarket@ gmail.com or visit www.facebook.com/ echoopenairmarket. FOSSIL — Gov. Kate Brown is seeking applications to ill the vacancy for Wheeler County Judge after voters recalled Patrick C. Perry on Tuesday. The county judge presides over juvenile and probate hearings, and also serves as chair of the county commissioners. With 1,381 residents, Wheeler County is Oregon’s smallest county by population. Anyone interested in illing the position should send a letter of interest and résumé, along with any supporting materials, to Benjamin Souede, general counsel with the Governor’s Ofice. The address is 900 Court Street NE, Suite 160, Salem, OR 97301. Brown’s appointment will serve through the end of the year, and will be selected based on merit. The seat will also be added to the November election for a six-year term, notwithstanding Brown’s appointment. The deadline to ile for the ballot is Tuesday, Aug. 30. Oregon law prohibits anyone over the age of 75 from serving as judge. HERMISTON — The public is invited to meet Sen. Bill Hansell and Rep. Greg Barreto during a meet-and- greet event in Hermiston. The Arc Umatilla County is hosting the event Tuesday from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at The Arc Building, 215 W. Orchard Ave., Hermiston. The gathering will include an introduction, break-out areas for people to visit with their elected oficials and a inal word from Hansell and Barreto. Prior to the meet-and- greet, The Arc Activity Night starts at 5:30 p.m. It features a game of bocce ball, a hot dog and drink. Everyone is welcome. The Arc is a nonproit organization that advocates for the rights of children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. For more information, call 541-567-7615. Echo market moves to park Veteran’s event seeks partners ECHO — Produce, crafts and more are featured during the Open Air Market in Echo. The event is Saturday from 4-7 p.m. Due to predicted high temperatures, instead of being held on Dupont Street, it will be held BOARDMAN — An upcoming networking event for veterans is seeking participation by others in the community. Community leaders and representatives of area organizations that provide The Arc hosts meet-and-greet healthcare, educational and vocational support, home loans, burial and memorial beneits and other services for veterans are invited to attend. The Rural Veterans Resource Fair & Vietnam Veterans 50th Anniversary Commemoration will provide an overview of resources for local veterans. It is hoped the event will be a catalyst in joining efforts from the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs with local agencies to reach out and advocate for veterans in the community. The event is Thursday, Sept. 29 from 2-8 p.m. (with a veterans town hall at 6:30 p.m.) at the Port of Morrow, 2 Marine Drive, Boardman. The program will include presentations by the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs and VA Health Care. For more information on how to get involved with the event, contact Linda Skendzel, Morrow County Veterans Services, at mcvets@co.morrow.or.us or 541-922-6420. Breast Cancer Care Specialist ... 541-278-3224 Free Car Seat Check August 19, 2016 11:00 am - 2:00 pm St. Anthony Hospital Parking Lot Cancer Clinic................................ 541-278-6576 Cardiopulmonary Services ......... 541-278-8284 Diabetes Education ..................... 541-278-3239 Education ..................................... 541-278-2627 Home Health Care/Hospice......... 541-276-4100 Lactation Services ....................... 541-966-2541 Nutrition Counseling ................... 541-278-3235 Sleep Disorders Lab .................... 541-278-3685 Radiology/Diagnostic Imaging ... 541-278-3228 Maternity and OB Care ................ 541-278-3261 Outpatient Physical Therapy ...... 541-278-6610 Family Clinic ................................ 541-966-0535 7 out of 10 children are improperly restrained for travel. Come and get your seat checked by a Child Passenger Safety Technician and make sure your child is as safe as possible! For more information, call 541-278-2627 2801 St. Anthony Way Pendleton, OR 97801 www.sahpendleton.org 541-276-5121 2801 St. Anthony Way Pendleton