REGION
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
East Oregonian
STANFIELD
Page 3A
MILTON-FREEWATER
Part of downtown building collapses Council, property
owner throw barbs
No injuries, but
severe damage
Governor’s rep works councilor Ed Chestnut.
“A far cheaper alternative
to find solutions to
is to find those people some
trailer park problems place else to live,” Mayor
By JAYATI
RAMAKRISHNAN
East Oregonian
Part of a downtown
Stanfield building collapsed
Friday afternoon, forcing
a restaurant and several
tenants out indefinitely.
The building, at 110 N.
Main St., is home to the
Blanquita Restaurant and
Pupuseria, serving Salva-
dorian food, as well as four
upstairs apartments.
Stanfield City Manager
Blair Larsen said Stanfield
police and Umatilla County
Fire District 1 responded to
the call and found the entire
back side of the building had
collapsed.
The back area is used for
parties and special events
but is not occupied full-time.
No one was in that area at
the time of collapse.
Larsen said an inspection
has not been conducted
yet, but the fire department
suspects the collapse was
caused by ice and snow
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
The roof on the back half of the Pupuseria Blanquita lies in ruins on Tuesday in
Stanfield.
on top of the building that
started to melt and leaked
into the structure.
“The moisture may have
weakened the beams,”
Larsen said.
Larsen said the city
has attempted to contact
the owners, Antonio and
Filberto Chavez, but has
not yet heard back from
them. The building has been
shut down and a dangerous
building ordinance has
been placed on the structure
barring entry. In order to
lift that ban, Larsen said the
building must be repaired
and has to pass another
safety inspection.
The restaurant’s oper-
ators, Moises Torres and
Blanca Orellano, could not
be reached for comment by
press time, and the number
of people living in the
building was not known.
PENDLETON
City staff details ‘busy year’ for street repair
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
The city of Pendleton is entering the
second year of its increased focus on
street repair.
At a workshop Monday, Public Works
Director Bob Patterson told the Pend-
leton City Council what staff members
accomplished since the council agreed
to implement a $5 street utility fee and
what they were aiming for in 2017.
“It’s going to be a busy, busy year out
there in the city,” he said.
In an interview Tuesday, Patterson
recounted staff’s discussion with the city
council.
Patterson showed the council the five
streets they were able to overlay using
the revenue from the street utility fee, 70
percent of which went to neighborhood
streets in good condition and 30 percent
to residential streets in poor condition.
The city also contracted with a paving
company to provide crack and slurry
seals for 64 streets, which Patterson said
is mostly complete.
The poor street revenue went to a
section of Southwest Perkins Avenue
between the dead end west of 46th
Street and 44th Street. Residents of that
neighborhood had previously petitioned
the city council to fix their road.
Staff also produced a 2017-2018 list
of residential streets it would target for
repair, combining some of the leftover
roads from the 2016-2017 list with new
additions. The new list targets 12 good
streets and eight poor streets for new
outlays, and nine streets for crack and
slurry seals.
Including all of the alternative proj-
ects, the list identifies $972,420 in resi-
dential street projects. The street utility
fee brings in an estimated $481,000 per
year
The streets in need of repairs are
complicated by the utility upgrades
needed underneath them. Of the roads
identified in the 2017 list, five of them
also needed sewer repairs while 11
required sewer repairs. The city is
currently in the process of leveraging a
five-year utility rate increase into a state
loan for water and sewer system repairs.
As for repairing some of the city’s
worst-kept roads, Patterson said the
streets covered over the next few years
will look a lot like Southwest Perkins
used to. Patterson said residential streets
near Rice-Blakey Park and Ken Melton
Little League Park were made with the
same rock used to make Perkins.
The rock never bonded well with the
oil in the asphalt mix, making for a street
prone to crumbling.
———
Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@
eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0836.
M i l t o n - F r e e w a t e r ’s
Monday
city
council
meeting devolved into
heated exchanges and snide
comments between officials
and a trailer park owner.
About the only one to
keep his calm while others
lost theirs was Scott Fairley,
the governor’s coordinator
of the Greater Eastern
Regional Solutions Team.
Fairley, of Pendleton
where he is also a city
councilor, told the council he
came for two reasons: to hear
council members’ objections
to a plan to use federal grant
money to extend city water
lines to Locust Mobile
Village, 1501 N. Elizabeth
St.; and to find out if the
council would consider such
a plan if he could address
their concerns.
The Oregon Health
Authority last spring notified
the 40 or so park residents
that their drinking water was
contaminated. That notice
remains in effect. Fairley
said the Health Authority is
committed to drilling a new
basalt well to provide clean
water to the park thanks to
a federal grant. But if the
council wanted, that money
could pay to run city water
lines to the park. He told
the council one of the most
significant problems he sees
communities face is how to
fund infrastructure for future
development.
Council
members
responded with a litany
of complaints, from code
violations at the park and
who should enforce them
to opposition against Nancy
Shaw, owner of the park.
“We need to find a way
not to be a gift to a person
who has made an art form
of externalizing costs,” said
Lewis Key said.
Fairley acknowledged
their concerns and offered
answers when he could,
such as that any deal would
prevent Shaw from profiting
if she sold the property after
improvements.
Then councilor Steve
Irving said “every one of
those houses probably needs
to be moved out of there and
condemned.” That prompted
Shaw to speak out from the
small crowd in attendance.
“As
far
as
I’m
concerned,” she told the
council, “you can stay out of
my park ... I’m just offended
with your adverse comments
and adverse remarks.”
Key smirked.
“You can laugh all you
want,” Shaw told him.
Moments later, city
manager
Linda
Hall
interjected. “We were not
looking for this conversa-
tion,” she stated, until Shaw
and occupants at the park
tried to force the city to
annex the site in 2015. The
move failed thanks to help
from the Legislature.
Paula Hall, chief execu-
tive officer of Community
Action Program of East
Central Oregon, stepped up
and said her organization has
the resources to relocate park
residents. As soon as she was
done, audience members
joined the anti-park chorus.
“Oh my gosh,” Shaw
exclaimed. “You guys are so
rude.”
The back and forth
continued
for
several
minutes before Key finally
restored a semblance of
order. Fairley brought the
conversation back to his
original request for the
council to consider possible
solutions, and perhaps he
could come back in a month
or two to present them.
The council consented to
that.
BRIEFLY
Writers’ series
features pair of
Portland poets
PENDLETON — A
pair of accomplished poets
from the Portland area are
featured in this month’s First
Draft Writers’ Series.
Scot Siegel and Kristin
Berger will share from their
works Thursday at 7 p.m.
at Pendleton Center for the
Arts, 214 N. Main St. There
is no admission charge.
Siegel, the author
of five books of poetry,
has received awards and
commendations from the
Oregon Poetry Association,
Nimrod International,
Aesthetica (UK), Poetry
Northwest and the Oregon
State Library. In addition,
his poetry is part of the
permanent art installation
along the Portland-to-
Milwaukie light rail
“Orange Line.”
The author of “How
Light Reaches Us,” a poetry
collection, and a poetry
chapbook, “For the Willing,”
Berger also co-edited
“VoiceCatcher 6: Portland/
Vancouver Area Women
Writers and Artists.” She is
the recipient of numerous
writers’ residencies and
co-hosts a poetry series at
Lents International Farmer’s
Market in Portland.
After their presentations,
local authors may read from
their own works during an
open mic. No experience is
necessary and everyone is
welcome.
For more information,
call 541-278-9201 or visit
www.pendletonarts.org. For
more about the writers, go
to www.scotsiegel.com and
www.kristinberger.me.
Hermiston library
party features
valentine fun
HERMISTON — Cookie
decorating, a craft table,
games, refreshments and a
story time are all included in
a free Children’s Valentine
Party at the Hermiston
Public Library.
The free event is Friday
from 4:30-6 p.m. at 235 E.
Gladys Ave., Hermiston.
Parents are encouraged to
bring their kids for a fun
evening of free activities.
For more information,
call 541-567-2882 or visit
www.hermistonlibrary.us.
Economic group
hosts annual
luncheon
HEPPNER — The
Willow Creek Valley
Economic Development
Group (WCVEDG) will
host its annual luncheon
Friday from noon to 1 p.m.
in the dining room at St.
Patrick’s Senior Center, 190
N. Main St., Heppner.
Guest speaker is Rep.
Greg Smith, who will give a
legislative update.
Lunch of barbecued ribs,
grilled citrus chicken, sides,
dessert and beverages will
be catered by Gateway Café,
S T U D EN T
W EEK
Isabelle C hapm an
Pendleton High School
Proudly Sponsored by
Shopping center
announces youth
scholarships
High school seniors who
live in the service area of
a Simon mall property are
eligible to apply for a $1,500
Simon Youth Community
Scholarship.
Due to the proximity of
the Columbia Center Mall
in Kennewick, students
in Umatilla County can
submit an application.
Students must be United
States citizens, demonstrate
academic promise,
participate in extracurricular
activities, community
involvement and have
financial needs. In addition,
they must plan on enrolling
in a college, vocational of
technical school program in
fall 2017.
Along with the
application, students need
to submit responses to
essay questions. For more
information, including an
online form, visit syf.org/
scholarships.
The deadline is
Wednesday, March 1. For
questions, contact Erin
Brown, public relations
for Columbia Center, at
206-971-0707 or erin.
brown@curatorpr.com.
———
Submit information
to: community@
eastoregonian.com or
drop off to the attention of
Tammy Malgesini at 333
E. Main St., Hermiston or
Renee Struthers at 211 S.E.
Byers Ave., Pendleton. Call
541-564-4539 or 541-966-
0818 with questions.
I found Dad’s remote in the fridge again.
…I’m beginning to get worried.
IT’S NOT LIKE HIM.
PART-TIME
DRIVER
O F TH E
Isabelle Chapman is a member of National Honor
Society as well as FFA (she is an officer) and has
participated in Cross Country and Tennis for 4 years
at PHS. Isabelle is also a member of the PHS Jazz
Band and Symphonic Band. She volunteers a lot of
hours with other member of the National Honor
Society.
She is looked at in FFA and band as a leader and a
mentor to the younger students. She leads by
example in all her classes and has continued to push
herself academically each and every year. Her
current academic classes include AP Government,
AP Literature, Honors Biology 2 and Spanish 4. All of
these are Dual Credit Courses. Isabelle is also
planning to attend Linfield College next year.
and will be provided at no
charge.
Those interested in
attending the luncheon
are asked to RSVP to
the Heppner Chamber of
Commerce at 541-676-
5536 or by email at
heppnerchamber@
centurytel.net.
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.
WE CAN HELP.
Call us with questions
about aging and Alzheimer’s.
1-855-ORE-ADRC
HelpForAlz.org
OREGON DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES PROGRAM
2801 St. Anthony Way, Pendleton, OR • 541-276-5121
