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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 24, 2017)
BIG DAWGS SEEK NEW CONFERENCE 36/26 HAPPY CANYON COURT SPORTS/1B Flu season hitting hard in Oregon NORTHWEST/2A REGION/3A TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2017 141st Year, No. 71 She Trump pulls out of TPP See TPP/8A the People By MATTHEW WEAVER EO Media Group Ag groups were split on President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Trans-Pacifi c Partnership, a 12-nation trade agreement signed by the Obama administration. Many U.S. agricultural groups saw the TPP as a boon. It included the U.S. and 11 other countries — Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Vietnam, Chile, Malaysia, Peru, New Zealand, Singa- pore and Brunei Darussalam. Japan, Mexico and Canada are among the biggest trade partners for U.S. agriculture. Trump also committed to renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico. If partners refuse a revamped pact that gives American workers “a fair deal,” Trump said he will give notice of intent to with- draw the U.S. from NAFTA. American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said in a statement that his organization viewed TPP as a positive for agriculture. It would have added $4.4 billion annually to the struggling agriculture economy, he said. “With this decision, it is critical that the new administration begin work immediately to do all it can to develop new markets for U.S. agricultural goods and to protect and advance U.S. agricultural interests in the critical Asia-Pacifi c region,” Duvall stated. The Farm Bureau pledged to work with Trump’s administration to ensure that American agriculture can compete in the global marketplace. “American agriculture is virtually always a winner when trade agreements remove barriers to U.S. crop and livestock exports because we impose very few compared to other nations,” Duvall stated. “We need the administration’s commit- ment to ensuring we do not lose the ground gained — whether in the Asia-Pacifi c, North America, Europe or other parts of the world.” Any renegotiation of NAFTA must assure that U.S. agriculture trade with Canada and Mexico remains strong, Duvall said. The U.S. wheat industry One dollar WINNER OF THE 2016 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD Protesters pack Pendleton for Women’s March By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian Donald Trump took offi ce Friday, but the cheers heard Saturday in Pendleton weren’t for the new president. Hundreds of people gathered at Pendleton City Hall for the Women’s March on Pendleton, a companion to the main rally in Washington, D.C. Turnout was larger than expected — although around 150 people said they would attend the march on Facebook, organizers eventually told the crowd that the protest ended up attracting 425 people in support of various liberal causes. The marching route was originally planned to wind through Pendleton’s downtown area with stops at several downtown restaurants before fi nishing at the Heritage Station Museum. While the march did start at city hall and end at the museum, the overabundance of partici- pants meant marchers were redirected to walk toward the Umatilla County Courthouse while Pendleton Police Department vehicles provided an escort. See MARCH/8A Fallyn Sampson-Plume, 4, participated in the Pendleton Women’s March on Saturday along with her mother, Carrie Sampson. Staff photo by Kathy Aney Staff photo by Kathy Aney Several hundred people who participated in Pendleton Women’s March on Saturday afternoon listen to speakers at the Umatilla County Courthouse, one of three stops along the route. ARLINGTON HERMISTON Water and sewer rates raised Commissioner dies six months after stroke to pay for smart meters, more Will go up 5 percent in March Groundquist remembered and Recycling Center, which today employs 70 people. by colleagues, congressman Gilliam County Judge Steve Shaffer said Gronquist also played By GEORGE PLAVEN a major role in attracting multiple East Oregonian wind farms to the county, and establishing the Shutler Station Dennis Gronquist, Gilliam Industrial Park south of Arlington. County commissioner and former “Dennis’ passion was economic Arlington mayor, died development,” Shaffer early Monday morning said. “That’s where he in Kennewick, six felt his skills could be months after suffering best utilized.” a stroke that forced him Gronquist was more away from county busi- than just a colleague, ness and into assisted Shaffer said. The two care. were longtime friends The news came as who played softball a shock to friends and together and socialized family who hoped Gron- regularly. And, while quist would make a full Gronquist Shaffer said Gronquist recovery. He was 69. wasn’t the kind of guy Gronquist spent more than two who always said what everyone decades as an elected offi cial in wanted to hear, he had a remark- rural Gilliam County. As Arling- able ability to listen and make ton’s mayor, he was instrumental in siting the Columbia Ridge Landfi ll See GRONQUIST/8A By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian Water and sewer rates will increase in Hermiston starting in March. The city council unanimously approved the rate increases Monday. Both water and sewer rates will go up 5 percent in March 2017, 5 percent in October 2017 and 4.9 percent in March 2018. Assistant city manager Mark Morgan said the increased revenue will help pay for maintenance, “remote-read” water meters and de-watering equipment for the wastewater treatment plant. Currently the city spends $225,000 per year, including two full-time employees, to read water meters one by one. Morgan said putting in meters that send data to the city automatically will put that down to the equivalent cost of one half-time employee. The meters are expected to pay for themselves in about 7 years but not need to be replaced for 15. Besides saving the city money and increasing employee safety, Morgan said there will also be benefi ts to the customers. They will be able to track their daily water usage, which could be especially helpful for irrigators. The system will also be much faster at catching leaks or a running toilet, and users can get a notifi cation on their phone if a sudden, prolonged spike in usage indicates a problem. Morgan said he’s heard lots of stories of people being hit with an unexpectedly huge water bill because they didn’t know for weeks that a pipe was leaking into the ground. “I went on a trip to Idaho and my toilet was running and I came back and my water bill was twice what I expected it to be,” he said. On the sewer side, the extra revenue will pay for de-watering equipment that will help more effi - ciently take care of the solids fi ltered See HERMISTON/8A
