REGION
Thursday, February 9, 2017
East Oregonian
UMATILLA
BRIEFLY
New department to focus on
livability, economic development
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
Umatilla’s city council
meeting on Tuesday night
started with a request by
councilor Mel Ray to add
an executive session to the
agenda discussing Mayor
Dave Trott’s performance.
Under ORS 192.660(i)
a city council can meet in
closed session “to review
and evaluate the employ-
ment-related performance
of the chief executive
officer of any public body, a
public officer, employee or
staff member who does not
request an open hearing.”
Trott said he could not
add an executive session to
Tuesday’s agenda at the last
minute without giving the
public proper notice, but
requested the city recorder
put it on the agenda for
the council’s next regular
meeting on March 7. He also
requested an open hearing.
The request by Ray
marked a turning of the tables
for Trott, who requested a
special executive session to
review city manager Russ
Pelleberg’s performance on
Jan. 25. The city council
did not take any action
after the meeting that night.
Pelleberg’s annual review is
scheduled for an executive
session on Feb. 21.
Without the requested
executive
session,
the
council still had a full agenda
Tuesday night, including
the approval of a new
community
development
department at city hall that
will be focused on livability
and economic development.
The city plans to hire a
community
development
director to run the new
department starting March 1,
and to add an administrative
assistant/accounting clerk
for support sometime after.
Pelleberg said adding the
new positions will allow city
hall to move forward more
quickly with new projects to
improve the city.
“I think this is truly an
investment in our commu-
nity,” he said.
The city’s personnel
TUMBLEWEED
TOAST-
MASTERS, 6:30 a.m., Eastern
Oregon Higher Education Cen-
ter, 980 S.E. Columbia Drive,
Hermiston. Visitors welcome.
(541-567-3360)
PENDLETON
KIWAN-
IS CLUB, 7 a.m., Roosters
Restaurant, 1515 Southgate,
Pendleton. Guests welcome.
(541-278-5785)
ARTS AND CRAFTS FROM
THE DRY SIDE, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.,
Hermiston Assembly of God
Church, 730 E. Hurlburt Ave.,
Hermiston. Use Seventh Street
entrance. Monthly business
meeting at noon. (541-567-
4446)
GOOD SHEPHERD MED-
ICAL CENTER AUXILIARY,
9:30 a.m., Good Shepherd Med-
ical Center conference rooms 1
and 2, 610 N.W. 11th St., Herm-
iston. New members and junior
auxiliary members welcome.
(Cindy Schaan 541-667-3690)
NARFE CHAPTER 2115,
11:30 a.m., Shari’s Restaurant,
319 S.E. Nye Ave., Pendleton.
(Janet 541-980-3268)
ROUND-UP REPUBLICAN
WOMEN, 11:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m.,
Red Lion Inn, 304 S.E. Nye
Ave., Pendleton. Luncheon ad-
mission $11 for paid and associ-
ate members, $13 for non-mem-
bers; RSVP by Wednesday at
8 a.m. Febuary guest speaker:
Pendleton Mayor John Turner
will talk about the 2017 outlook.
(Marcia Stewart 541-276-1206)
PENDLETON
LIONS
CLUB, 12 p.m., Roosters
Restaurant, 1515 Southgate,
Pendleton.
UMATILLA CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE, 12 p.m., Desert
River Inn, 705 Willamette St.,
Umatilla. RSVP three days prior
to meeting. (541-922-4825)
HERMISTON
ROTARY
CLUB, 12-1 p.m., Trinity Luther-
an Church, 485 W. Locust Ave.,
Hermiston. (541-379-2338)
ALTRUSA INTERNATION-
AL OF HERMISTON, 12 p.m.,
ARC Umatilla County, 215 W.
Orchard Ave., Hermiston.
DESERT BELLES GAR-
DEN CLUB, 1 p.m., location
varies, location varies, Hermis-
ton. (541-567-8019)
HERMISTON
HORSE-
SHOE CLUB, 5 p.m., Hermiston
High School Weber Field, 600 S.
First St., Hermiston. (Rick Reb-
man 541-720-6402)
PENDLETON TEA PARTY
PATRIOTS, 5:30 p.m., The Sad-
dle Restaurant, 2220 S.E. Court
Ave., Pendleton. 5:30 p.m. so-
cial, 6 p.m. meeting. Everyone
welcome. (KaSandra Williams
541-310-1312)
PENDLETON
EAGLES
BURGERS AND KARAOKE, 6
p.m., Pendleton Eagles Lodge,
428 S. Main St., Pendleton.
Members and guests welcome.
(541-278-2828)
INLAND
NORTHWEST
Murder suspect transferred
to Umatilla County Jail
BOARDMAN — A murder suspect arrested in
September in Boardman was transferred to the Umatilla
County Jail Wednesday morning from the Northern
Oregon Regional Correctional
Facility, The Dalles.
David Alexander Alvarez was
transferred from the juvenile facility
on Wednesday because he turned 18.
Alvarez was indicted for the murder
of Evencio Salas Birrueta, 27, of
Irrigon, on Sept. 11, 2016. Alvarez’s
pretrial hearing is scheduled for
March 2 at 8:15 a.m.
The shooting happened around 9
Alvarez
p.m. on Sept. 11 at the Wilson Road
Mobile Home park in Boardman.
Police arrived and found Salas shot in the “shoulder area
of the arm.” Salas died from the injuries.
Alvarez turned himself over to police in Washington
state on Sept. 12, and was lodged at the juvenile facility in
the Dalles.
Safe driving blitz underway
EO file photo
The Umatilla city council voted Tuesday to create a community development
department to focus on livability and economic development.
“I think this is truly an investment in our community.”
— Russ Pelleberg, city manager, on plans to hire a community development director
committee recommended
the council adopt the reso-
lution that would add the
new director to the city’s
pay scale on the same level
as the finance director,
public works director and
police chief. Councilor
Roak TenEyck, who sits on
the committee, said finance
director Melissa Ince told
them the city has the money
to go ahead with hiring
the new positions, and the
committee “recognized the
need for more help around
the city.”
On Tuesday the council
also approved a resolution
creating a low income
sewer rate, mirroring the
low income water rate
the council has used for a
few years. Both programs
allow homeowners to apply
to receive a monthly 10
percent reduction in their
utility bill by showing proof
of low income through their
tax returns.
Pelleberg said there
“hasn’t been a great interest”
in the water program, with
only eight residents currently
receiving the lower rate, so
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
THURSDAY, FEB. 9
Page 3A
ORCHESTRA REHEARSAL,
6:30 p.m., Harris Jr. Academy
gymnasium, 3121 S.W. Hailey
Ave., Pendleton. (RaNiel Dunn
541-289-4696)
PENDLETON
YOUTH
SOCCER ANNUAL MEETING,
6:30-8:30 p.m., Prodigal Son
Brewery & Pub, 230 S.E. Court
Ave., Pendleton. Rescheduled
from January. Anyone interested
in volunteering is encouraged to
attend.*
COLUMBIA RIVER HAR-
VESTERS, 7 p.m., Greenfield
Grange 579, 209 N.W. First St.,
Boardman. (Sheila Volz 541-
922-9464)
MAIN STREET COWBOYS,
7 p.m., Main Street Cowboys,
29 S.E. Court Ave., Pendleton.
(541-276-3901)
FRIENDS OF THE MIL-
TON-FREEWATER PUBLIC LI-
BRARY ANNUAL MEETING, 7
p.m., Milton-Freewater Public Li-
brary Albee Room, 8 S.E. Eighth
Ave., Milton-Freewater. Special
presentation by Terrol Winsor on
the Walla Walla Community Col-
lege Quest Program for People
Over 50 Years of Age. Everyone
welcome. (541-938-8247)
HERMISTON
ELKS
LODGE NO. 1845, 7 p.m.,
Hermiston Elks Lodge, 480 E.
Main St., Hermiston. (541-567-
6923)
PENDLETON BIRD CLUB,
7 p.m., First Christian Church,
215 N. Main St., Pendleton. Pot-
luck followed by Febuary speak-
ers June Whitten and Marilyn
Cripe presenting “Birding and
Travels in Guyana.” Everyone
welcome.
FRIDAY, FEB. 10
PENDLETON DELPHIAN
CLUB, 1:30 p.m., Vert Club
Room, 345 S.W. Fourth St.,
Pendleton.
PENDLETON MASTERS
SWIM CLUB, 5-6 p.m., Round-
up Athletic Club pool, 1415
Southgate, Pendleton. $5 per
session coaching fee; non-RAC
members pay $8 pool fee per
session. (Tania Wildbill 541-310-
9102)
PENDLETON
EAGLES
LADIES AUXILIARY KITCH-
EN, 6-8 p.m., Pendleton Eagles
Lodge, 428 S. Main St., Pendle-
ton. (541-278-2828)
SATURDAY, FEB. 11
MEN’S BREAKFAST, 8
a.m., Bethel Assembly of God
Church, 1109 Airport Road,
Pendleton. (541-276-7559)
FRIENDS OF THE UMATIL-
LA PUBLIC LIBRARY, 9 a.m.,
Umatilla City Hall, 700 Sixth St.,
Umatilla. (541-922-5704)
EASTERN
OREGON
CELTIC SOCIETY PIPERS
GATHERING, 1 p.m., The Old
Meeting House, 901 M Ave., La
Grande. For pipers of all skill lev-
els. Instruction is free, but a $2
donation for use of the building
is appreciated. (541-568-4643)
he expected similar numbers
on the sewer side and did not
think there would be more
than a $500 per year impact
on the city’s budget.
The council meeting was
more full than usual thanks
to the attendance of several
teenagers on the city’s new
youth advisory committee.
The committee, made up of
two Umatilla High School
students from each grade,
will set its own agenda and
operate with the guidance
of former city manager Bob
Ward. It is chaired by UHS
senior Cameron Sipe and
will make recommendations
to the city council.
Councilor Mark Ribich
said he believes the
committee is an important
step for the city, because
the council wants to make
decisions that will help the
community’s youth feel like
Umatilla is a place where
they would want to build
their future.
“Thank you all for
joining this team, and I can’t
tell you how excited I am to
have you,” he said.
Governor Kate Brown’s
proposed budget would
close the Oregon State
Police crime lab in Pend-
leton and cut funding that
pays for detectives on the
Blue Mountain Enforcement
Narcotics Team (BENT). At
the request of Pelleberg and
Umatilla Police Chief Darla
Huxel, the council approved
two letters in support of
continued funding for both.
Councilors and audience
members were also encour-
aged to attend the legis-
lature’s Ways and Means
Committee meeting on Feb.
17 at 5 p.m. at Hermiston
High School to make their
voices heard on those and
other funding issues.
Pelleberg told the council
that he has agreed with the
city managers of Herm-
iston, Stanfield and Echo
to pursue state funding or
other grant money to plan a
river trail that would follow
the Umatilla River from
its mouth at the Columbia
River all the way up to Echo.
———
Contact Jade McDowell
at jmcdowell@eastorego-
nian.com or 541-564-4536.
PENDLETON — The Umatilla County Sheriff’s
Office and other law enforcement agencies are running
extra patrols to crack down on unsafe driving.
The Oregon Department of Transportation is funding
the effort as part of the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration’s annual “Click It or Ticket” campaign.
Participating agencies are putting an emphasis on
enforcing laws on the use of seatbelts and child restraints,
texting and speeding. The safe driving blitz runs Feb.
6-19.
Motor vehicle crashes nationwide are the leading cause
of death for children 1-12, according to the statement
from the sheriff’s office. Seat belts reduce fatality risk by
45-60 percent, and child safety seats reduce fatality risk
for infants by 71 percent and for toddlers by 59 percent.
The sheriff’s office also reported traffic studies show
unbelted or improperly restrained occupants are five times
more likely to be ejected from a vehicle than occupants
who are belted properly, and the odds of surviving
ejection are just one in four.
Oregon law requires all occupants to use safety
restraints and children weighing less than 40 pounds to
use a child seat or harness.
Thieves cause double trouble for
Milton-Freewater couple
MILTON-FREEWATER — A Milton-Freewater
couple’s truck was stolen twice recently, exactly two
weeks apart.
Jared and Tanya Hunt’s 2016 Toyota Tundra was
taken from their home Jan. 15 and recovered by the
Milton-Freewater police near Rotary Field. The theft
followed an earlier break-in to the couple’s other vehicle
in which keys to the Toyota were stolen, Jared Hunt
suspects.
Trouble struck again Monday when the couple heard
a noise outside their home. “Lo and behold, the truck
was gone,” Hunt said. By late morning police had again
recovered the truck. Hunt credits police and Facebook,
where his wife posted photos of the truck, for the timely
recoveries.
“People notice on Facebook that there’s a theft, and
they keep an eye out for it,” said Hunt, who plans to get
the truck re-keyed. “There’s some crappy people that
stole it, but there’s also some really nice people who pay
attention.” — Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
Trying to pass snow plows leads to crashes
Illegal to pass
snow plow on the
right on highways
East Oregonian
Drivers trying to pass
Oregon Department of
Transportation snow plows
have caused at least two
crashes this winter.
It’s illegal to pass a snow
plow on the right on a state
highway, and unsafe to pass
them on the left while they
are plowing, according to an
ODOT news release.
“We really need all
motorists to slow down and
give winter maintenance
crews the room they need to
do their job,” ODOT District
12 manager Marilyn Holt
said in a statement.
On Jan. 31 a snow plow
rolled over on Interstate
84 near milepost 225 in
Umatilla County after a
semi-truck attempted to pass
it on the right and instead hit
the plow blade.
Ryan McLaughlin, 35,
of Pendleton was driving
the snow plow while Bryon
Kilmer, 38, of Sweet Home
was driving the semi.
Neither driver was injured,
but Kilmer was cited by
police for unsafe passing.
Photo contributed by Oregon State Police
An Oregon Department of Transportation snowplow
truck sits on its side after a Jan. 31 collision with a
semi-trailer truck in Umatilla County.
Most
ODOT
snow
removal equipment has
wing plow extensions that
stick out eight feet from the
vehicle, sometimes from
both sides. Snow being
kicked up from those wings
can make it difficult for
drivers to see where the plow
blades end and whether there
is a second plow just ahead
in the other lane. Cars trying
to pass the plows can also be
damaged by flying rocks and
other debris mixed in with
the snow being pushed up.
ODOT
recommends
motorists slow down and
leave at least three car
lengths between them and
a plow. The plows will
eventually pull over and let
people pass, although the
news release cautioned that
the roads ahead of the plows
will be worse than the roads
behind.
If a motorist’s careless
PART-TIME
DRIVER
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driving does cause a snow
plow to crash, that’s less time
for the plow to be clearing
the road for other drivers.
The crash could also cause
injuries or high costs to the
at-fault driver’s insurance.
ODOT said the damage
claims for repairing the
equipment and any damaged
guard rails and signs can be
as high as $100,000.
Snow plow crashes aren’t
the only problems the severe
winter has caused for the
department. Overtime costs
for ODOT workers this
winter have been twice as
high as they were last year.
A total of 14,919 overtime
hours have been paid out
from Dec. 1 to Jan. 31,
compared to 7,650 during
the same period last year.
The department has also
seen an increase in costs for
sand and de-icer.
Pick up an application at
211 SE Byers, Pendleton
or e-mail resume and
cover letter to
hr@eomediagroup.com
Part-time driver needed
to deliver East Oregonian
publications throughout
Eastern Oregon. Must be
able to lift up to 50 pounds,
have a valid driver’s license
and a good driving record.
Shifts vary but will regularly
include Tuesday nights.
Duties may include non-
driving work if extra hours
are desired. Drug test,
driving record and criminal
background checks will be
completed before hire.