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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 29, 2016)
RIVALRY THRILLER The Hermiston High School’s Stardust dance team combines with the Pendleton High School’s Rhythmic Mode dance team to perform Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” during the halftime show of the Bulldogs’ 13-12 victory over the Bucks on Friday in Hermiston. For more see Sports 1B. Staff photo by E.J. Harris WEEKEND, OCTOBER 29-30, 2016 141st Year, No. 10 WINNER OF THE 2016 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD Verdict could inspire others PENDLETON Council will take another pass at pot zoning regs By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian The Pendleton City Council has resisted legal- izing marijuana sales for two years, but after Nov. 8, they might not have a choice. A week before an Election Day where voters will have the option of legalizing both medical and recreational marijuana sales, the city council will revisit its zoning codes for retailers. There was a sense of déjà vu for the Pendleton Planning Commission at a meeting Thursday, which had discussed and recom- mended similar rules to the city council in April 2015. Although the members of the Pendleton City Council approved marijuana zoning regulations a few weeks later, they balked at making medical marijuana dispensa- ries legal. The draft amendments to the unifi ed development code the planning commis- sion had before them on Thursday were authored by City Attorney Nancy Kerns See PENDLETON/10A CHARLES EASTON OF HERMISTON Visit Rick’s Car Wash in Hermiston for a free deluxe wash $1.50 Acquittal raises fears that militant groups could get bolder Work session explores project’s future, potential By ANDREW SELSKY Associated Press By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian An Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center work session held Friday featured plenty of discussion, but no fi rm answers on who will run the 2017 Umatilla County Fair. The fi ve-hour work session, held after the EOTEC board’s regular business meeting, covered operations, staffi ng, maintenance and fee sched- ules. First, however, the board took time to review the history of the EOTEC project and appreciate how far they have come in building a multi-million dollar facility with no general obliga- tion bonds. “People just basically laughed at us when we gave our fi rst presentation,” Dan Dorran said. “... It takes a long time to explain that you’re going to build a $21 million facility with no money.” That dream has since been scaled down, but as the fi nished project comes closer to reality, the board is looking to tackle questions about what happens when the last nail is in. Staffi ng EOTEC’s current staff comprises full-time business manager Heather Cannell, full-time administrative event assistant Cyndie Driscoll, plus a quarter of a fi nancial position at the city of Hermiston. Cannell said she relies on See EOTEC/10A Staff photo by E.J. Harris Construction crews work on the rodeo arena Friday at the EOTEC grounds south of Hermiston. Board approves 50-year lease with Farm-City Pro Rodeo East Oregonian The Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center board approved a lease with the Farm-City Pro Rodeo during its regular meeting Friday morning. The board had examined a 50-year lease last week that would grant the mercantile area outside the rodeo grounds to the Farm-City Pro Rodeo for a one-time payment of $50. After city and county offi cials expressed concerns about how cutting such deals would affect EOTEC’s fi nancial viability, the revised lease approved Friday was a 30-year lease for $500 per year. The lease acknowledged the rodeo board’s plans to make signif- icant improvements to the property, and to allow EOTEC to use the mercantile area for events when the rodeo is not using it. If the rodeo board wants to use the mercantile area at the same time another event is being held in another area of EOTEC, the updated lease states that the EOTEC event takes prece- dence if there is any confl ict. The board also discussed bringing the trailer that used to house the EOTEC offi ces from the Stafford Hansell Government Building in order to provide a base for law enforcement and medical help to operate out of during the fair or if the grounds were being used for some sort of emergency. The EOTEC board of directors met Friday to discuss the staffi ng and operational needs of the new facility. Staff photo by E.J. Harris PORTLAND — The stunning acquittal of seven people who occupied a federal wildlife sanctuary during an armed standoff raised fears Friday that the verdict could embolden other militant groups in a long-running dispute over government-owned Western lands. Meanwhile, a juror said the decision was a rejection of the prosecution’s conspiracy case, not an endorsement of the defendants’ actions. Supporters of Ammon Bundy celebrated the verdict and said it could invite more confrontations. The govern- ment’s top federal land offi cial, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, issued a state- ment urging all employees to “remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.” An activist from Boise, Idaho, who once camped by a memorial to occupier LaVoy Finicum at the site where he was shot dead by police, predicted that the verdict would encourage others to act. “I think a lot more people will be revolting, rebelling and standing up against what we see as a tyrannical government,” William C. Fisher said in a telephone interview. The 41-day takeover of the Malheur National Wild- life Refuge last January in remote eastern Oregon was part of a larger debate about the use of federal lands in the West. The militants led by Bundy, a small business owner from Arizona, wanted to hand the refuge over to local offi cials, saying the federal government should not have dominion over it. The U.S. government owns nearly half of all land in the West, compared with only 4 percent in other states, according to the Congres- sional Overview of Federal Land Ownership. One of the jurors in the case asserted Friday that the panel was not endorsing militancy to resolve those issues. The juror, identifi ed only See TRIAL/10A