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