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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 10, 2016)
Page 8A NORTHWEST East Oregonian McMorris Rodgers top contender for Interior Dept. head BRIEFLY Federal regulators won’t reconsider Oregon pipeline COOS BAY (AP) — Federal regulators are refusing to reconsider a natural gas pipeline that would terminate in the southern Oregon coastal town of Coos Bay. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Friday denied requests from the Jordan Cove Energy Project, the state of Wyoming and the Wyoming Pipeline Authority to reopen the case. The ruling reaffirmed FERC’s March 11 decision which said there was little evidence to support the need for a pipeline and not enough public benefit. The 230-mile pipeline route from the town of Malin, just north of the California border, to Coos Bay was opposed by private landowners and environmentalists. It crosses rivers, mountain ranges and private and public lands. Wyoming argued FERC should have considered the economic benefit to its residents from increased natural gas production. Ag reps welcome nomination of congresswoman UO could raise fees for health center remodel EUGENE (AP) — A proposed $17 million upgrade of the University of Oregon’s student health center could increase student fees, which have already risen by nearly 50 percent since 2010. The Register-Guard reports that the university is considering remodeling the Student Health and Counseling Center, which is in a 50-year-old, two-story brick building. The project would create a 20,000-square-foot addition to the building and reconstruct interior offices. UO Vice President for Student Services and Enrollment Management Roger Thompson says demand for the health center’s services is rapidly increasing as student needs change and enrollment grows. University documents say the school expects to get most of the construction money from mandatory student fees, which are $617 a term this year. GPS leads family to snowbound night in mountains CAVE JUNCTION (AP) — A Portland family spent the night in their snowbound car in southern Oregon after following their GPS’s directions. The Daily Courier reports that a husband, wife, 9-year-old child and their dog took Happy Camp Road up near Page Mountain Sno Park, 20 miles southeast of Cave Junction, only to become snowbound. Lt. Travis Snyder of the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office says the route through Happy Camp is the most direct way to get to Willow Creek, where the family said they were headed, but it is not advised in the winter, since Josephine County Public Works doesn’t plow past the Sno Park. Saturday, December 10, 2016 Dean J. Koepfler/The News Tribune via AP, Pool Tacoma officer laid to rest A procession lead by the Washington State Patrol Rifle Team escorts the casket carrying the body of slain Tacoma police officer Reginald “Jake” Gutierrez into the Tacoma Dome for a memorial service, Friday, in Tacoma, Wash. Gutierrez was fatally shot Nov. 30, while responding to a domestic dispute. New Oregon law requires screening students for dyslexia By KAILEY FISICARO The Bulletin BEND — Legislation passed in Oregon is shining a new light on dyslexia, an often misunderstood learning disability. Senate Bill 612, which went into effect in July 2015, requires that every kinder- garten and first-grade public school student be screened for risk factors of dyslexia, a learning disability that can make it difficult to learn to read and write. Looking for signs a student may be likely to have dyslexia can allow for early intervention, something that can make a huge difference in how it affects a child, according to dyslexia experts. Much of what the Senate bill mandates falls on the Oregon Department of Education to administer. The bill requires the state Education Department to hire a dyslexia specialist to support school districts in their new role in screening for risk factors. Carrie Thomas-Beck, a former special education teacher from the Midwest who co-directed the Oregon Reading First Center, which sought to improve reading among elementary school children, became the state dyslexia specialist in January. She calls dyslexia a “learning difference” for the children who have it. Dyslexia is genetic, she said. “So they are born with it,” said Thomas-Beck in a call from Portland. “Where children experience it has to do with early intervention.” Dyslexia isn’t a one-size- fits-all learning difference. It can be different for different children, Thomas-Beck said. “Dyslexia by definition is not a difficulty with vision — they see print just like anybody else,” Thomas-Beck said. “It’s a language disability.” Although some might have believed dyslexic individuals see letters reversed, that’s not the case, according to Thomas-Beck. Individuals with dyslexia have difficulty hearing and isolating sounds in spoken words, she said. “Listening comprehen- sion is often a strength,” Thomas-Beck said. “Often they are quite articulate and have great vocabulary, but might have trouble with word-finding, or they’ll store a word inaccurately.” Thomas-Beck said academics sometimes use this example: A student • • • • • • • & Sports Medicine Institute 620 NW 11th St., Ste. 201, Hermiston • 541-289-7075 www.hermistonortho.com McMorris Rodgers What is the Department of the Interior? According to the department’s strategy statement, it protects and manages Ameri- ca’s natural resources and cultural heritage; provides scientific and other information about those resources; and honors its trust responsibilities or special commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated island com- munities. That includes the U.S. Fish and Wild- life Department, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Indian Af- fairs. The agency over- sees the development of conventional and renewable energy sup- plies on public lands and manages water in Western states. The current Interior Secretary is also from Washington — Sally Jewell, former CEO of Seattle-based REI. —Spokesman-Review hard work is,” he said. “She also understands the impact of federal management on local residents, farmers and ranchers.” Heather Hansen, execu- tive director of Washington Friends of Farms and Forests, said McMorris Rodgers has “a wonderful understanding” of all that the Interior Depart- ment is involved in, including the Columbia River, dams, irrigation projects, national parks and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Davis and Hansen said the only downside would be the loss of her presence in Congress. “Cathy is very open, approachable and listens well,” Hansen said. Davis said McMorris Rodgers will look out for the interests of Westerners, who are most impacted by federal agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management, which is a part of the Interior Department. Several environmental organizations expressed concerns over the possible selection. A Very Special Thank You To: • • • • Advanced Orthopedic may want to share a thought about volcanoes, and know its meaning, but might say “tornadoes.” “It goes back to word- finding,” she said. Dyslexia is generally obvious in a person’s spelling and writing, according to Thomas-Beck. A person might also have trouble organizing ideas, and lack punctuation, as well as connecting words. Students get so bogged down in just trying to figure out how to spell a word or use basic writing conventions that they can’t get sophisticated ideas to flow out on paper, Thomas-Beck said. “Orally they could share it in a way that makes perfect sense, but written, they might do it simply,” she said. Still, she added, it’s different from person to person. Dyslexia can occur as commonly as 1 in 5 people, Thomas-Beck said. Other estimates show about 85 percent of students with learning disabilities have a disability in reading and language processing, according to the Interna- tional Dyslexia Association. WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington state congress- woman Cathy McMorris Rodgers has emerged as President-elect Donald Trump’s top contender to lead the Interior Department. That’s according to a person involved in the transi- tion. Trump’s been weighing others for the post, including Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, but is said to be interested in finding a place for McMorris Rodgers in the administra- tion. McMorris Rodgers is the only Republican woman with a leadership role on Capitol Hill. As Interior secretary, she would oversee most of the nation’s public lands. The person involved in the transition was not autho- rized to discuss the internal deliberations and spoke on condition of anonymity. Western agricultural representatives welcomed the possibility of McMorris Rodgers taking over the Interior Department. Ethan Lane, executive director of the Public Lands Council, said his organization would be excited to work with the congresswoman at Interior. “She’s from the West and she understands the issues that we face,” Lane said. “We look forward to her getting into office and working with her to correct some of the issues we’ve been dealing with during the current administration.” The council would like to see a return to less “politicized” implementation of policies, including the Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act, Lane said. McMorris Rodgers is familiar with such topics as wolves, grizzly bears and other species of concern that affect ranchers and the timber industry, he said. “We look forward to helping shed some light on our concerns with those issues and help the new leadership at Interior start to streamline (the Endangered Species Act), repair some of the broken aspects of it and get it back to a functioning law,” Lane said. “We’re ecstatic,” said Tom Davis, director of government relations at the Washington Farm Bureau. “It has been a battle the last eight years. To have that battle go away where we can actually stop fighting and (start) actually working on making things better, we’re pretty excited about the possibilities.” Davis pointed to McMorris Rodgers’ rural background. “She was raised on a farm, she understands what AC Mini-Storage & RV Park Banner Bank Blue Mountain Pathology Capps Broadcast Group Coffey Communications East Oregonian Publishing Company Gordons Electric Harold and Susie Geller Lifefl ight NE Oregon Surgical Clinic/ Dr. Andrew Bower Oregon School Employees Assn. • Pendleton Association of Teachers • Pendleton School District 16R Administration • PKA Architects, LLP • State Farm Insurance/Dan Ceniga • The Hawkins Family • Thomas Cuisine Management • TRA Medical Imaging • Turn Key Medical • WellTower, Inc. • Wildhorse Resort & Casino We appreciate the many wonderful volunteers, donors, attendees, W buyers, decorators, and hospital staff for making the 2016 Festival of Trees Celebration and Family Day a great success.
