64/52
MILLIONS TO
LOSE COVERAGE
UNDER BILL
T-WOLVES
WIN THE
WEEKEND
ACA REPEAL/7A
SPORTS/1B
Two bills aim to
prevent, mitigate
oil train disaster
NORTHWEST/2A
TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 2017
141st Year, No. 106
One dollar
WINNER OF THE 2016 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
PENDLETON
PHS track,
auditorium
get majority
of surplus
Board opts for simple
demolition of district offi ce
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
A semi-trailer pulls out of the United Grain McNary terminal on Monday in Umatilla.
Growing grain infrastructure
Old PGG terminals, elevators to get upgrades before next harvest
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
When United Grain Corporation stepped
in for Pendleton Grain Growers last year,
purchasing all of the co-op’s old grain infra-
structure, the company promised to invest
$9 million toward making the facilities more
modern and effi cient.
Those upgrades are now underway.
Among other things, United Grain plans to
add two new ground piles near Mission and
Helix, and has already installed automated
kiosks at the McNary river terminal to help
trucks weigh and unload cargo faster.
Jason Middleton, region manager for
United Grain, said they are also working to
buy 20 more acres from the Port of Umatilla
to expand at McNary along the Columbia
River, boosting storage capacity by 3-4
million bushels. As for upcountry elevators,
Middleton said they will provide space for
specialty crops other than wheat, such as
beans, canola and barley.
The projects were laid out during a series
of grower’s meetings last week in Pendleton,
Hermiston and La Grande, giving local
farmers an idea of what to expect come next
harvest.
“Speed, space and service is what our
goals are here,” Middleton said. “We’re
trying to repair our infrastructure, and keep
up with the grower.”
The Pendleton School Board voted
Monday to spend the last $1.9 million
from its capital improvement bond to
renovate the Pendleton High School
auditorium and track and demolish the
old school district offi ce.
Dave Fishel of the Wenaha Group, the
bond project manager, said a combination
of cost savings and new revenue left the
district with more than he projected, but
the board would still have to prioritize
the remaining projects.
Fishel presented the board with
several options, all of which included
$517,627 spent at the auditorium for
See PENDLETON/10A
Poll: Voters
want cuts to
state spending
Would support corporate tax
hike for K-12 education
By PARIS ACHEN
Capital Bureau
United Grain took over the business on
June 10, just weeks before wheat harvest
began. That didn’t allow much time to focus
on improving buildings, though Middleton,
SALEM — A new poll shows that a
majority of voters would like to see the
state curb spending to make up a $1.6
billion revenue defi cit but also would
support a corporate tax hike if the proceeds
were dedicated to K-12 education.
The poll of 600 registered voters by
Portland-based DHM Research sheds light
on voters’ preferences as legislators work
on the 2017-19 budget and craft proposals
to raise more money. The Oregon School
Boards Association commissioned the poll
to help guide lawmakers in policymaking
this session.
The results provide “a path forward for
legislators when they look at the budget
issues,” said Jim Green, OSBA executive
director.
About 28 percent of respondents said
lawmakers should balance the budget
See GRAIN/10A
See BUDGET/10A
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Wheat falls into a grate as operator Pete Veliz opens the bottom of a grain hopper at
the United Grain McNary terminal on Monday in Umatilla.
For 86 years, members relied on PGG for
fuel, agronomy, marketing and more. After
PGG dissolved on May 2, 2016, the Board
of Directors voted to sell its grain assets to
United Grain, including the McNary terminal,
Alicel rail terminal and upcountry elevators.
PENDLETON
Kind Leaf welcomes customers on first day
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
Staff photo by Jade McDowell
Kind Leaf co-owner Brandon Krenzler shows off a
sampling of the merchandise for sale on the Pendleton
dispensary’s fi rst day of business.
Business was booming
on opening day for Umatilla
County’s fi rst legal marijuana
store.
Kind Leaf offi cially
opened its doors in Pendleton
on Saturday, and after lunch
people were bunched up just
inside the front doors, trying
to avoid the rain outside as
the line to show identifi cation
grew longer.
Erin Purchase, who was
checking driver’s licenses,
said as of 1 p.m. she had 94
customers visit the store.
Some were already lined up
when staff opened at 8 a.m.
“I’m really surprised Pendleton
allowed it, but I think the tax
money will be awesome.”
— Sandra Doherty, Kind Leaf customer
“It’s really great,” she
said. “We’re really excited to
have this opportunity to serve
Pendleton with legal medical
and recreational marijuana.”
After
showing
their
identifi cation and signing
in, customers briefl y sat
on couches, surrounded by
mellow instrumental music
and the sound of a running
fountain, until it was their turn
to pass through the doors to
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where the product was kept.
Inside, a wide, well-lit
room featured long wooden
counters where customers
could browse and ask
questions about the different
strains featured behind
the counters. Signs on the
wall warned customers to
remember to keep their
purchases out of reach of
See MARIJUANA/10A