REGION
Saturday, November 5, 2016
East Oregonian
Page 3A
BOARDMAN
Rowan edges Lehnert City considers
three-strike
in campaign funds
nuisance property ordinance
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
Terry Rowan leads the
money race in his campaign
for a second term as
Umatilla County sheriff.
Rowan’s
campaign
reported raising $14,888.90,
including $1,638.90 in-kind,
according to ORESTAR,
Oregon Elections System
for Tracking and Reporting,
the secretary of state’s
website of campaign finance
activity. Challenger Ryan
Lehnert, corporal with
Pendleton police, reported
raising $13,345, including
a $500 loan to his own
campaign.
Rowan received $500
from the Oregon Realtors
Political Action Committee
and Hermiston business
owners Perry Hawkins,
David Smith and John
Walchli, among others.
Hermiston Mayor Dave
Drotzmann gave $300 to
Rowan’s effort.
Pendleton resident Jim
Humphrey, retired from
Oregon State Police, is
Lehnert’s biggest donor with
$2,000 so far. He also has
received $1,000 donations
from four individuals in the
Pendleton area — Carol
Trumbo, Michael Winks,
and Eric and Margaret
Anderson of Anderson Seed,
Inc. Carol Trumbo is the
wife of John Trumbo, retired
Umatilla County sheriff.
Signs and flyers still are
the top expenditures for
either candidate. Lehnert has
spent almost $2,500 on signs
and the like and Rowan
more than $2,900. Rowan,
though, has pushed his
campaign to the airwaves,
with more than $3,200
for radio ads. Lehnert has
bought about $1,900 in radio
ads and more than $1,600
for postage for mailings.
Lehnert’s campaign also
reported having $510.59
cash on hand, while Rowan
has $4,199.54.
The election is Tuesday.
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
The city of Boardman is
considering a three-strike
policy aimed at curbing
so-called “chronic nuisance”
properties in town.
Ordinance 3-2016 would
impose fines, penalties and
possible closure of properties
if certain “nuisance activities”
are documented by police
at least three times within
90 days. Nuisance activities
include a range of crimes,
such as: harassment, intim-
idation, disorderly conduct,
assault, trespassing, theft,
arson and drug offenses.
Rick Stokoe, Boardman
police chief, said the ordi-
nance is based on similar
nuisance rules on the books
in Pendleton and Hermiston.
“It’s an ordinance that’s
used across the state,” Stokoe
said. “We don’t have anything
on the books like this ... It’s
another tool in our belt to deal
with chronic nuisances.”
Boardman City Council
approved the first reading of
the ordinance Tuesday, and
will have a second reading
at the council’s next meeting
Dec. 6.
If passed, once a property
is found in violation of the
law, Stokoe said he would
attempt to meet with the
owner or renters to work out
some kind of agreement to
abate the problem.
“Typically, that’s all it
takes,” he said.
However, if an agreement
can’t be reached, Stokoe
could refer the matter to
the city attorney to handle
the nuisance. If the court
deems the property a chronic
nuisance, it could be closed
to use and occupancy for at
least 30 days and up to one
year.
Property owners and
renters could also be fined
$100 per day for each
nuisance activity that takes
place after authorities declare
a chronic nuisance.
“I think (the ordinance)
gives us the opportunity
to address some of these
issues,” Stokoe said.
Stokoe said nuisance
properties haven’t been
a major problem in the
community so far, but the
ordinance would allow the
city to be proactive moving
forward. The population of
Boardman has been trending
slightly upward, reaching
3,379 residents in 2013
compared to 2,967 in 2003.
———
Contact George Plaven
at gplaven@eastoregonian.
com or 541-966-0825.
UmCo set to exceed 2012 voter turnout
East Oregonian
Smooth landing
Photo contributed by Irina Walker
Irrigon resident Irina Walker recently captured this photo of a mallard duck at
the McNary Dam Wildlife Refuge in Umatilla.
Umatilla County’s voter
turnout is on track to surpass
the numbers from the last
presidential election.
According to the Oregon
Secretary of State’s Office,
43 percent of Umatilla
County’s eligible voters
have turned in a ballot so
far, a slight increase from the
42.2 percent who submitted
ballots by the Friday before
the November 2012 election.
Although
Umatilla
County residents are voting at
a faster pace than four years
ago, they’d be hard pressed to
exceed voter turnout from the
BRIEFLY
State investigating
false calls about
voter registration
The Oregon Secretary
of State’s office and law
enforcement are investigating
fraudulent automated calls
telling voters that they are no
longer registered to vote and
their vote will not count.
Secretary of State Jeanne
P. Atkins said anyone who
received a ballot is registered
to vote and their vote will
be counted if they get their
ballot to a county clerk’s
office by 8 p.m. on Tuesday.
“We are not sure who
is behind these calls, but
we take this type of voter
suppression activity very
seriously,” Atkins said in a
statement. “There is simply
no circumstance under
which an Oregonian who
has received a ballot should
receive a call challenging
their registration status. Get
your ballot in by 8 p.m.
Tuesday, and your vote will
be counted.”
Mailed-in ballot must
be received, not merely
postmarked, by Tuesday, but
voters who haven’t gotten
their ballot in the mail yet
can hand-deliver them to
ballot dropboxes until 8 p.m.
Tuesday at the Umatilla
County Courthouse in
Pendleton, Hermiston City
Hall, Milton-Freewater City
Hall, Nixyaawii Governance
Center in Mission, Umatilla
City Hall, Stanfield City
Hall, Pilot Rock City Hall
and Athena City Hall.
Some still waiting
for property tax bill
HERMISTON — Certain
Hermiston property owners
have yet to receive their
Umatilla County tax bills.
Assessor Paul Chalmers
said his office in Pendleton
mailed the statements last
Friday, and since then at
least 50 people called to
complain they did not get a
statement.
“Once we get them to the
post office, they’re out of our
hands,” he said.
The problem seems to
be exclusive to Hermiston
property owners receiving
five or more statements at
the same address, Chalmers
said, and he told the
postmasters in Pendleton,
Hermiston and Portland
about the situation. He said
he has yet to hear what the
solution might be.
Chalmers said he printed
a new batch of the statements
with labels noting they are
copies and is considering
delivering those to the
Stafford Hansell Government
Center, Hermiston.
“I’m trying to figure
out the best way to make
this accessible to folks in
Hermiston,” he said. “I don’t
want to mail them again
because I don’t need it to
happen a second time.”
Even if the statements
are in some kind of mail
limbo, Oregon law makes
it clear the onus is on
property owners to pay their
taxes. People who pay their
property taxes in full by
Nov. 15 receive a 3 percent
discount.
Chalmers said his office
would work with people in
this bind.
Results of grant for
food truck to be
released in Dec.
PENDLETON — After
organizing a month-long
campaign to bring a food
truck to Pendleton High
School’s culinary arts
program, culinary teacher
Kristin Swaggart and her
supporters will have to play
the waiting game.
Swaggart and her project
was one of 15 finalists
considered for the Farmers
Insurance Teachers Dream
Big Challenge, which will
award $100,000 to the six
teachers that receive the most
votes from the public.
Although voting ended
Oct. 30, a Pendleton School
District press release states
Swaggart won’t be informed
of the results until mid-De-
cember.
The last time the district
was updated, Swaggart was
in second place.
“The school and commu-
nity support for this Dream
Big Teacher Challenge has
been just amazing, and I am
so grateful for everything so
many people did to get the
votes out for this project,”
Swaggart said in a statement.
“We certainly hope it was
enough to make this dream a
reality!”
Swaggart’s proposal
would involve purchasing
a food truck students could
use to prepare food for
fundraising and community
service projects as well as
learn about the business side
of running a restaurant.
Assistance available
to organic farmers
Funding is available to
help organic and soon-to-be
organic farmers implement
conservation practices
that can boost the health
and productivity of their
farmland.
Producers can apply
for assistance through the
Natural Resource Conserva-
tion Service’s Environmental
Quality Incentives Program,
or EQIP, or through Friday,
Nov. 18.
The program works
similar to a rebate, with the
farmer paying the cost up
front on projects such as
high tunnels, cover crops
and pollinator habitat. The
NRCS then certifies the work
is completed, and issues
payment via direct deposit.
Eligibility requirements
do apply. To learn more,
contact the local USDA
Service Center in Pendleton
at 541-278-8049, or in
Heppner at 541-676-9011.
Port accepting
commissioner
applications
UMATILLA — The
Port of Umatilla is seeking
a commissioner to fill John
Turner’s seat after he resigns
in December.
Turner, Pendleton’s
mayor-elect who will take
that office in January, has
been on the five-member port
commission since 2008. His
term ends next year.
The four remaining
commissioners — Kurt
Bendixsen, Tim Mabry, Jerry
Imsland and Jerry Simpson
— will review candidates
who submit their information
and choose one to finish
the term. The county-wide
seat will be up for election
in May 2017, with a filing
deadline in March.
Applicants can send their
information to Kim Puzey,
general manager of the Port
of Umatilla, by email to
kimpuzey@uci.net, by mail
to P.O. Box 879, Umatilla,
OR 97882 or by dropping
it off at the port office, 500
Willamette Ave. in Umatilla.
last time an incumbent presi-
dent wasn’t on the ballot.
Almost 45 percent of
eligible voters had cast a
ballot by the Friday before
the November 2008 election,
an election that would ulti-
mately garner 80.1 percent
turnout.
Umatilla County’s 2016
return rate is still on the lower
end of the state and dead last
in Eastern Oregon, although
Umatilla County is now only
one point behind Malheur
County’s ballot return rate.
Umatilla County’s voting
trends mirrors those of
Oregon, where its 41 percent
return rate is a slight increase
from 2012 and a few points
below 2008.
“Even with the 230,000
swell from Oregon Motor
Voter this election, our
turnout is exceeding expec-
tations,” Secretary of State
Jeanne P. Atkins said.
Ballot drop boxes will
be open through 8 p.m. on
Tuesday, Nov. 8 and are
available at the Umatilla
County
Courthouse
in
Pendleton, Hermiston City
Hall, Milton-Freewater City
Hall, Nixyaawii Governance
Center in Mission, Umatilla
City Hall, Stanfield City Hall,
Pilot Rock City Hall and
Athena City Hall.
Coreys receive honor
for community service
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
Steve and Susan Corey
of Pendleton have been
community and civic
leaders at the local level
and statewide for decades.
Last month, they received
The Al & Pat Reser Civic
Leadership Award for their
service.
Steve Corey said he
and Susan consider this
an honor, and they were
happy their families were
with them to share in the
event.
The recognition was
part of the 2016 Gover-
nors’ Gold Awards the
evening of Oct. 22 at
the Oregon Convention
Center, Portland. More
than 600 people attended
the event.
Steve Corey practices
law in Pendleton at his
firm, Corey, Byler & Rew.
He has served as commis-
sioner and vice-chair of
the Port of Portland, chair
of the Oregon Community
Foundation, past pres-
ident of the Pendleton
Round-Up
Association
and was central in creating
the Tamástslikt Cultural
Institute on the Umatilla
Indian
Reservation,
among other community
involvement.
Steve and Susan also
headed up the financial
effort to build a better
hospital in Pendleton. The
result of the Pendleton
power couple’s work was
the improved St. Anthony
Hospital.
The Governors’ Gold
Awards honor significant
Oregon individuals, busi-
nesses, and organizations.
This year’s recipients
were Special Olympics
Oregon
Nike
Youth
Games, Portland Timbers/
Thorns owner Merritt
Paulson, the Samuel S.
Johnson Foundation and
Fred Meyer Stores.
Proceeds from the
annual gala, now in its
13th year, benefit Oregon
Special Olympics.
———
Contact Phil Wright at
pwright@eastoregonian.
com or 541-966-0833.
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