REGION
Saturday, August 20, 2016
East Oregonian
MILTON-FREEWATER
New name, same fun and games
By WILL DENNER
East Oregonian
The name may have
changed, but Milton-Free-
water’s annual summer
celebration remains largely
the same.
Previously known as the
Muddy Frogwater Festival,
a new name — Milton-Free-
water Rocks! — debuted
at this year’s event held
annually at Yantis Park. The
layout of the event, centered
around craft and commercial
booths, music, wine tasting,
art and games for kids, is
nearly identical to past years,
though Milton-Freewater
Chamber of Commerce
board member Andrew
Brown said they wanted to
emphasize music this year.
The biggest challenge for
people at Yantis Park Friday
was remembering the new
name.
“I’ve been calling it the
old name all year,” John
Borchart said. “It’ll take a
little while to sink in.”
Borchart’s Child Evan-
gelism Program booth,
offering free face painting
for kids, has been part of
the festival since his family
moved to Milton-Freewater
15 years ago.
Elsewhere,
kids
competed in three-legged
races, water balloon tosses
and a Frisbee-throwing
contest. Adults tasted local
beer and wine offerings,
though this year’s new
event “Sip and Paint,”
where people paint while
drinking an adult beverage,
was ultimately canceled.
Friends of Milton-Freewater
Public Library also hosted
its annual book sale, with
all proceeds going toward
library projects.
Between all aspects of
the festival, people of all
ages can ind something
that interests them at
Milton-Freewater Rocks!
“Everyone looks forward
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
Staff photo by Will Denner
Kids race each other on bouncy balls at Yantis Park in Milton-Freewater Friday.
“Everyone
looks forward
to it. We pray
it doesn’t get
too hot, but it
usually gets
too hot.”
— Terrol F. Winsor, one
of the people overseeing
Friday’s book sale
Staff photo by Will Denner
Jim Webb (right) paints a Seattle Seahawks logo on E.J.
Lowry’s arm at the Child Evangelism Program booth.
to it,” said Terrol F. Winsor,
one of the people overseeing
Friday’s book sale. “We
pray it doesn’t get too hot,
but it usually gets too hot.”
Those looking to get a
break from the upper-80s
heat found the indoor
Harvest of Art Show at
nearby Central Middle
School. The show has been
part of the festival since
1999, showcasing and
judging the work of nearby
amateur artists. Judges
award irst, second and third
place ribbons to artists in
three categories: painting,
photography and three-
dimensional work such as
jewelry and sculptures.
Fran Walker’s photo
titled, “Poppy and Friend”
won irst place in photog-
raphy. The photo depicts a
bee gathering pollen from a
blue poppy lower. Walker,
who resides in Milton-Free-
water, and her sister spent
most of May traveling
around the Paciic North-
west to visit and photograph
gardens. She shot this partic-
ular photo at Weyerhauser
Garden just south of Seattle.
“Lots of little things you
PENDLETON
SeaPort to continue making lights
until DOT reaches inal decision
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
The
Pendleton
City
Council may have chosen
Boutique Air to run its Essen-
tial Air Service program, but
SeaPort Airlines will continue
to provide lights through
2016 until further notice.
While Boutique is the
city’s choice for commercial
air service, the inal decision
ultimately lies with the U.S.
Department of Transportation,
which issues the EAS subsidy.
A DOT spokeswoman,
Caitlin Harvey, wrote in
an email that Pendleton
hasn’t submitted its oficial
recommendation yet, but the
deadline is Wednesday.
“I would expect an order
announcing
the
carrier
selection four (to) six weeks
from that date,” she wrote.
“It could be sooner or later,
depending on work volume
and approvals.”
Pendleton may have to
wait until fall to hear back
from the DOT, but SeaPort
marketing director Claire
James said the current airline
will continue to offer round-
trip lights from Pendleton to
Portland through the end of
its contract. DOT or Boutique
could, however, decide to
start the transition as soon as
the bid is approved.
James said any tickets
purchased for dates after
SeaPort stops service to
Pendleton will be refunded.
While expressing excite-
ment over the council’s
decision, Boutique project
manager Greg Roberts
declined to comment on
the transition until the DOT
announced the selection.
Airport Manager Steve
Chrisman said in previous
Lease agreements on agenda
Monday for Hermiston council
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
Lease agreements with the
school district and ire district
are on the agenda for Hermis-
ton’s city council Monday.
The council will be asked
to consider an agreement for
the newly formed Umatilla
County Fire District 1 to
continue renting the Bob
Shannon Safety Center at 330
S. First St.
Hermiston Fire & Emer-
gency Services was previ-
ously leasing the building
for $1 per year, but since a
ballot measure dissolved that
district in May to create the
new combined district, a new
agreement must be signed.
Oregon’s cap on property
taxes means that the new
district’s increased tax rate
results in approximately
$130,000 less per year for the
city of Hermiston’s general
fund. To help offset that, the
Irrigation district
responds to lawsuit
Motion to
dismiss based
on jurisdiction
Revamped festival
emphasizes music
lease before the council on
Monday would charge the ire
district $75,000 the irst year,
$50,000 the next two years
and $25,000 the fourth year.
On Monday the council
also will consider a lease
agreement with Hermiston
School District for 1.19 acres
of property on Ridgeway
Avenue near the Hermiston
Public Library. The property
is the planned site for the
new Hermiston senior center,
dubbed the Harkenrider
Center, which is expected to
be inished Aug. 31, 2017.
The lease is for $1 per year
for 50 years.
After an executive session
to discuss the city manager’s
yearly performance review,
the council will reconvene
to “consider and possibly
adopt amendments to the city
manager’s contract.”
The council meeting will
be Monday at 7 p.m. in city
hall, 180 N.E. Second St.
public
meetings
that
Boutique’s planes will ly
into a private hangar rather
than Portland International
Airport, bypassing Trans-
portation Security Adminis-
tration screenings.
The city is also awaiting a
DOT decision on the objec-
tion it iled to the depart-
ment’s tentative ruling to
strip the EAS subsidy from
Pendleton for failing to keep
its per passenger subsidy
rate under $200.
Chrisman has stated that
he’s conident that either the
objection or a waiver will
be successful and Pendleton
will retain its subsidized
commercial air service.
With the
extra money,
my dream
car became
a reality.
Become an
East Oregonian
Carrier.
remember when you look
at the lower — where you
were and who was with
you,” Walker said.
Milton-Freewater Rocks!
continues Saturday from 9
a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday’s events include
an afternoon quilt show,
pretty baby contest and the
annual salmon bake. The
BBQ competition starts
Sunday at noon, before the
festival concludes with the
Firemen’s Water Fight at 3
p.m. For more information,
visit www.mfchamber.com.
———
Contact Will Denner at
wdenner@eastoregonian.
com or 541-966-0809
Page 3A
The Westland Irrigation
District has responded to a
lawsuit iled by long-time
patrons who argue they’ve
been cheated out of water
for years to beneit large
farms with junior water
rights.
Attorneys for the district
are trying to get the case
dismissed from federal
court over lack of jurisdic-
tion. A motion was iled
Friday which states the
plaintiffs did not exhaust
their legal remedies by
bringing their claims to the
state irst.
Seven Umatilla County
farmers are suing West-
land, including: ELH
LLC, owned by Patrick
and Dixie Echeverria;
Oregon Hereford Ranch
LLC, owned by Doug
and Don Bennett; Paul
Gelissen; Frank Mueller;
Maurice and Lucy Ziemer;
Craig and Cynthia Parks;
and Richard and Kristine
Carpenter. Together, they
farm more than 1,650 acres
with senior water rights
to the Umatilla River and
McKay Reservoir
According
to
the
lawsuit, the plaintiffs are
victims of a massive water
misappropriation scheme
concocted by Westland to
beneit L&L Farms, Eagle
Ranch and Amstad Farms,
three operations with more
than 5,000 acres. Water
was illegally taken and
redistributed to the larger
farms, which hold junior
water rights, for at least a
decade, the plaintiffs claim.
Westland
allegedly
engaged in four main
tactics to misappropriate
water. First, the district
entered into lood water
delivery contracts which
allowed the larger farms to
take more water out of the
Umatilla River than they’re
entitled. Plaintiffs also
argue that Westland failed
to properly monitor water
usage, ignored priority
dates for water rights
and diverted water from
McKay Reservoir through
so-called “limited water”
delivery contracts.
As a result, the plaintiffs
say they’ve been unable
to double-crop their ields,
which has cut into their
bottom line. They are
seeking $2.9 million in
damages,
Westland,
however,
argues in its motion that the
plaintiffs erred in iling in
federal court.
“Because plaintiffs have
not utilized the procedures
Oregon
provides
for
obtaining just compen-
sation, plaintiffs cannot
overcome the exhaustion
requirement,” the motion
reads. “As a result, the
court lacks subject matter
jurisdiction over plaintiffs’
federal takings claim
and this claim should be
dismissed.”
In addition, the district
argues it is immune from
some of the claims.
“As provided by Oregon
statutes, the Westland
board of directors has the
authority and responsibility
to take all actions, and
make all decisions, at issue
in this case,” the motion
reads.
The district says it is
working to put together
more
information
to
distribute to other patrons
about the lawsuit, and the
process moving forward.
The plaintiffs also have
iled a separate lawsuit
against the Oregon Water
Resources
Department
for failing to protect their
senior water rights. That
case is proceeding in
Umatilla County Circuit
Court.
———
Contact George Plaven
at
gplaven@eastorego-
nian.com or 541-966-0825.
B r i n g i n g I n d e p e n d e n c e t o L i v i n g
a n d Q u a l i t y t o L i f e
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