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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (April 13, 2017)
57/41 REGION/3A LACROSSE/1B BULLDOGS WIN SECOND STRAIGHT GAME ALTRUSA CELEBRATES 100 YEARS THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017 141st Year, No. 128 One dollar WINNER OF THE 2016 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD PENDLETON Housing developer seeks change in loan deal with city State records: Doctors suspected Montwheeler was faking illness By LES ZAITZ The Malheur Enterprise Montwheeler State doctors suspected nearly 20 years ago that Anthony W. Mont- wheeler was feigning mental illness to avoid prison, newly disclosed records show. The records, a portion of state fi les on Montwheeler, give no indication that offi cials acted on that suspicion until Montwheeler admitted his ruse two years ago. Montwheeler, 49, told doctors that he hoped his ploy would get him in and out of the Oregon State Hospital in six months, sparing him at least seven years in prison. Instead, he remained under the jurisdiction of the state Psychiatric Security Review Board, including years in custody at the state hospital, from 1997 until last December. That’s when the board released Montwheeler, concluding he was no longer mentally ill and despite warnings that he was a danger to the community. He was subsequently indicted for kidnapping and stabbing to death his fourth ex-wife and killing a Vale man and injuring the man’s wife See MONTWHEELER/8A By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian The developer behind Pendleton’s most signifi cant recent housing initiative is asking the city to restructure his loan agreement. At a Pendleton City Council workshop Tuesday, city manager Robb Corbett presented the fi nancial history of the project and the developer’s proposal. To assist developer Saj Jivanjee in building the Pendleton Heights subdivi- sion off of Tutuilla Road, the city fronted the costs of more than $1 million in infra- structure improvements to the area. In exchange, Jivanjee agreed to pay back most of the infrastructure costs. As enforcement measures, the city placed liens on Jivanjee’s properties and created a stipulation in the agreement that allowed the city to retake the land if it went unde- veloped. The fi rst phase — 32 townhouses — is already complete and has $320,000 in liens. The last phase was supposed to be an additional 32 townhouses, but Jivanjee decided to change it to a 100-unit apart- ment complex to better recoup his invest- ment. This phase has $480,000 in liens. Jivanjee is now asking the city if he can pay the city $100,000 and add the lien amount from the fi rst phase to the last phase. This would benefi t Jivanjee twofold — a lower debt-to-revenue ratio on the fi rst phase would allow him to apply for long- term fi nancing. It would also make it easier for him to pay the remaining $700,000 in liens on the fi nal phase because the apart- ment complex will generate more revenue. Corbett said Jivanjee plans to start road work on the second phase at the end of the month and begin construction of the apartment complex toward the end of summer. The project will be done in 20-unit increments, with Jivanjee paying back the debt as each stage is completed. Corbett said Jivanjee approached the city about changing the terms of the deal. “Saj has made a number of proposals over the months that have not been as attractive as this one,” said Mayor John Turner, without elaborating. Some councilors seemed wary of accepting Jivanjee’s proposal, but coun- cilor Scott Fairley said the city needed to move ahead with the deal considering that increasing the city’s housing inventory is one of the council’s priorities. The council took no action by the end of the meeting, but Corbett said he would present an amended contract for council consideration at a future meeting. ——— Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@ eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0836. PENDLETON Staff photo by E.J. Harris Pastor Chris Clemons shows members of the Pendleton High School CommuniCare club, from left, Dani Larios, advisor Jill Gregg, Abby Rinehart and Emily Rinehart an improvised collection system for a leak in the roof at the Neighbor 2 Neighbor Warming Station on Tuesday in Pendleton. Students learn about giving Club offers glimpse into world of nonprofi ts By KATHY ANEY East Oregonian Eight Pendleton High School students are trying out the role of philanthropist. Giving is fun, they are learning, but it’s also a multifac- eted and sometimes emotional endeavor. The teens, all members of the school’s new CommuniCare club, have a pot of money to spend in their community. The club — essentially a tiny foun- dation — lets them explore the wide world of nonprofi ts and philanthropy. The students raised $500, which was matched by the Harold and Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation with an addi- tional $7,500. Club members, all encour- aged to join last fall by adviser Jill Gregg, admit they fi rst had only a fuzzy idea about what foundations actually do. Gregg started meeting with the students every two weeks for 45 minutes to discuss how a foundation operates. They used a survey of the student body to defi ne the group’s mission: serving the homeless and helping students with educational expenses. The group See CLUB/8A “I feel like if more people were aware that there is such a big homelessness problem in our community, they’d be more willing to help.” — Abby Rinehart, CommuniCare club president BOARDMAN Lindsay helped turn barren land into billion-dollar enterprise By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian Staff photo by George Plaven Larry Lindsay has spent 50 years as a Port of Morrow com- missioner. He was honored during a ceremony Wednesday. When Larry Lindsay joined the Port of Morrow in 1967, the district had no employees and no industry. Fifty years later, the port is an economic powerhouse with businesses generating around $2 billion annually. It is the second- largest port district in Oregon behind only Portland, and home to everything from conventional farms to high-tech manufac- turers. No one has been more amazed by the dramatic growth than Lindsay. “I’ve watched here since the beginning, and I never would have expected to see what we have here now,” he said. Lindsay, 80, was honored Wednesday for serving 50 years as a port commissioner in Boardman, lauded by family, friends and colleagues for his leadership and dedication. Gary Neal, who was hired as general manager of the port in 1989, said it was Lindsay who fi rst showed him the region’s potential. “He’s one of those people who’s very passionate about what he sees as his vision and goals for the port,” Neal said. In the beginning, all Lindsay wanted was a tax base to support local schools and services in Boardman — a town that, until See LINDSAY/8A
