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East Oregonian
COUNCIL:
Keith wants
to focus on
recruiting new
businesses
Continued from 1A
“It inspired me to say we
need to start doing something
really strong locally, because
that’s what we can control,”
he said.
Keith has a varied back-
ground in business and real
estate, serves as the clinic
director at Umatilla Medical
Clinic and as a volunteer fi re-
fi ghter paramedic. He said
he is busy, but knows how
to balance his time and will
make the time to effectively
serve as a city councilor.
He said he is interested in
helping pull together more
community events and social
gatherings to bring the city
together. He also said that
over the next fi ve years he
believes two of the most
important things the city can
do to encourage development
is to focus on recruiting new
businesses and on zoning
issues.
“In order to get built up,
you have to make sure every-
thing is zoned right,” he said.
Keith and Torres-Medrano
were appointed to fi ll seats
that were vacated by Mary
Dedrick and David Lougee
in May. Dufl oth, who was
appointed as mayor in May
after the resignation of David
Trott, said when he served as
a city councilor a few years
ago sometimes there were
only two or three people in
the audience. He said the
fact that there were so many
council candidates, and
about 30 audience members
who showed up to watch the
process, was a sign things are
changing in Umatilla.
———
Contact Jade McDowell
at jmcdowell@eastorego-
nian.com or 541-564-4536.
MUSIC: Will
have more sales
areas for drinks
Continued from 1A
the doors open and between
sets, DJ Sovern-T will spin
songs.
With the exception of
a few handicap-accessible
seats, McAnally said the
16,500-person arena has
been sold out. However, an
allotment of artist tickets
will be made available for
purchase on the Whisky Fest
website at 10 a.m. Friday.
On concert night, doors
will open at 4:30 p.m. and
Little McKay Creek Band
will begin at 5 p.m., with
Runaway Jane following at
6 p.m., MAGIC! at 7:30 p.m.
and Maroon 5 at 9 p.m.
McAnallay said orga-
nizers have been working
“nonstop” to solve last year’s
drink line issues.
Besides
establishing
more sales areas, McAnally
said Whisky Fest will allow
attendees to buy scrips to
purchase alcohol before the
concert at a tent at Roy Raley
Park and at event campsites.
The Pendleton Whisky
Music Fest would be incom-
plete without Pendleton
Whisky, and the event will
serve three different types
of the brand. Additionally,
Whisky Fest will also feature,
vodka, a craft brew garden
from Elysian Brewing Co. of
Seattle, and beers and wines
from Hodgen Distributing, a
Budweiser distributor.
SOLAR: Land currently zoned for exclusive farm use
Continued from 1A
will also be invited to weigh
in with comments.
Laura Miner, a develop-
ment manager for Invenergy
who works out of Portland,
said the Boardman facility
will be located on land leased
from Threemile Canyon
Farms south of Interstate
84 and along the county
line separating Morrow and
Gilliam counties. While the
solar farm itself would be
built entirely within Morrow
County, a 115-kilovolt trans-
mission line would cross
into Gilliam County in order
to tie in with the Bonneville
Power Administration elec-
trical grid.
The land is currently
zoned for exclusive farm
use, though Miner said it
does not have a water right
and insisted the solar farm
would not take valuable
cropland out of production.
Still, the project will require
a special exception to
Oregon statewide planning
goals — specifi cally Goal
3, which deals with agricul-
tural lands.
“We’ve found a pretty
good spot to put the solar
farm that will minimize
impacts,” Miner said.
Carla McLane, Morrow
County planning director,
described the property as
scrubby, rocky desert with
minimal historical use for
cattle grazing.
“It has been incredibly
limited,” McLane said. “I
think people look at this and
recognize it’s very rocky.”
Morrow County has been
experiencing greater interest
from solar developers over
the past 18 months, McLane
said, especially as industry
costs have become more
competitive. She said four
to six developers have had
conversations recently about
capitalizing on solar in the
county.
“They’re not this big, but
they are larger rather than
smaller,” McLane said.
Jeff
Bissonnette,
executive director of the
Oregon
Solar
Energy
Industries Association, said
the Boardman proposal is
indicative of industrial scale
solar taking hold in Oregon.
He estimated costs have
fallen as much as 50 percent
in the last 18 months and are
continuing to come down.
“It’s getting very close
to being cost-competitive
with traditional resources,
including gas,” Bissonnette
said. “I defi nitely think this
is a trend we’re going to
see over the next couple of
years.”
According to the Solar
Energy Industries Asso-
ciation, Oregon has 264.2
megawatts of solar energy
installed across the state and
is projected to add another
2,100 megawatts over the
next fi ve years.
At
75
megawatts,
Boardman would become
by far the biggest installa-
tion to date. No other single
facility tops 10 megawatts.
Not only are costs
coming down, but Miner
added the Boardman project
would be located near I-84
and existing transmission
infrastructure, which only
sweetens the deal.
“It’s not the best site in
Oregon, but there are other
factors that have helped all
this come together,” Miner
said.
Assuming there are no
bumps in the road, Miner
said the plan is to get a site
certifi cate either later this
year or in early 2018, and
wrap up construction by the
end of 2019.
“I think we’re almost
there,” she said.
———
Contact George Plaven
at gplaven@eastoregonian.
com or 541-966-0825.
SUICIDE: Hospital to host Suicide Intervention Skills Training
Continued from 1A
to be the eighth-leading
cause of death for Orego-
nians, and 42 percent higher
than the national average.
‘13 Reasons Why’
Mental health profes-
sionals have cautioned that
while it’s important to talk
about suicide, there’s a way
to do so without glamorizing
or misrepresenting it. A
popular television series
released this year has raised
concern about how to safely
address suicide.
“Thirteen
Reasons
Why,” a book by Jay Asher,
follows the story of a young
woman
who
commits
suicide. After her death, her
friend discovers a box of 13
cassette tapes she left, each
addressed to a person who
was a contributing factor,
or “reason” she decided to
take her own life. The book
was recently made into a
13-episode Netfl ix series
rated for mature audiences.
Schools and mental
health professionals said the
show’s handling of suicide is
problematic.
“It’s very complex,”
said Melody Bustillos, a
counselor at Hermiston
High School. “(The show)
oversimplifi es it. We want
reasons or someone to
blame, and it’s not that
simple.”
Hermiston High School’s
counselors said they have
not seen the show, but that
many of their peers said its
message is dangerous.
“It highlights issues that,
without someone there to
answer questions, can create
potential problems,” said
Maggie Hughes-Boyd, also
a Hermiston High School
counselor.
In schools, suicide is
discussed in the context of
mental health and students
learn about the signs and
symptoms in health class.
“Specifi cally, we talk
about the difference between
being depressed and being
suicidal,” said Hughes-
Boyd, adding that the two
are not always hand-in-hand.
She said students also
learn how to be a resource
for their peers.
“If one of their friends or
family members is showing
signs of suicide, we teach
them steps to take, not as a
professional, but as a friend,
to seek help from a trusted
adult,” she said.
How a community responds to suicide
By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN
East Oregonian
If a student discusses, attempts or
commits suicide, counselors try to ensure
the safety of everyone affected.
“Our primary concern is with the student
themselves, but we need to be aware that it
could be very traumatic for friends or other
people as well,” said Melody Bustillos, a
counselor at Hermiston High School.
She said if a student dies by suicide,
the school treats it as they would any other
sudden death.
“Our fi rst priority is, if there are any
family members or siblings in the district,
we support them,” she said. “We take the
friend group, if they were part of a team
or club, and look at how we can support
them. Then we look at the greater school
population. How can we support both
students and staff?”
Bustillos said the district can provide
a crisis fl ight team, if necessary, to offer a
safe environment where students and staff
can grieve.
The counselors said they’re careful
with the information they release, too.
“A lot of times nowadays with social
media or even the newspaper, we know
how information can get sent that’s inaccu-
rate,” said counselor Cristina Cuevas. “So
The students get lists of
local and national resources
like Safe Oregon, the
National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline, and local resources
such as the Umatilla County
Crisis Line.
Ending the stigma
If a student seeks help
at school, the counselor
will contact a mental health
authority, such as Lifeways,
which will send a clinician
to talk to the student. They
will then assess and make a
safety plan for the student —
a series of steps to keep them
safe. If a student’s safety is
jeopardized,
counselors
make it clear they may
have to share concerns with
parents, the police or mental
health professionals.
“We talk to the person
about what to do when
they’re feeling upset,” said
Carol Eck, director of Life-
ways. “We make it clear how
they’ll (follow the plan.)”
Eck said the organization
also works in 30 schools
throughout Umatilla County,
providing skills training
for how things like anger
management, self-assertion,
interacting with others and
dealing with bullies.
While many are uncom-
fortable
talking
about
STUDENT
OF THE
WEEK
Cassidy Welch
Pendleton High School
Submit information on
community events to:
community@eastorego-
nian.com or drop off to
the attention of Tammy
Malgesini at 333 E. Main
St., Hermiston or Re-
nee Struthers at 211 S.E.
Byers Ave., Pendleton.
Call 541-564-4539 or 541-
966-0818 with questions.
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
• Varsity Cheerleader
• Went to State as an alto voice solo
• Wake up at 5am for early morning Bible Study
(seminary)
• Accomplished pianist
• Sings the national anthem for many school activities
• She is a Link Crew Leader for the Leadership class of
Pendleton High School
• Youth Camp Leader at girls church camp
• Loves her Bucks
•Full schedule of Chemistry, US History, Algebra,
Spanish, English and two music classes
• Has GPA of 3.6
Proudly Sponsored By:
2801 St. Anthony Way, Pendleton, OR • 541-276-5121
we try to convey only factual information,
that we get directly from the police depart-
ment, to reduce rumors.”
The school will only release that the
death was a suicide if it is confi rmed by
the police department. If a student’s family
requests that it be withheld, the school will
comply..
“The means by which they died is not
as important as supporting those grieving,”
Bustillos said.
Hermiston Police Chief Jason Edmiston
said when his department investigates a
potential suicide, offi cers treat evidence as
if the circumstances were suspicious — as
they would any other case.
“Before we reach any conclusions, we
have to turn over every rock we can,” he
said. “And on top of that, we’re dealing
with incredible emotions.”
He said most Hermiston offi cers have
been instructed in crisis intervention
training and deal with people in distress
daily. But ultimately, he said, its the people
who are close to someone who can tell
when that person may be suicidal.
“Parents need to be in tune about what
their kids are doing,” he said.
He added that in the last few years, it
has become especially important to be
aware of what’s going on with kids on
social media, with cyberbullying and
suicide,
mental
health
professionals hope it will
one day be discussed as
widely as any other health
issue.
“We speak about other
public health concerns fairly
openly, like alcoholism or
cigarette use,” said Amy
Ashton-Williams, director
of Umatilla County Human
Services. “If it increases
your awareness, it increases
your ability to make better
choices. The same goes
for suicide. If we can
speak candidly, instead of
attempting to hide it, maybe
(people) can get help or
guidance.”
Ashton-Williams
and Amanda Walsborn,
a prevention education
specialist with the Umatilla
County Health Department,
have organized suicide
prevention training and
programs locally.
Further training
The two most have also
trained in suicide “post-
vention,” or following up
with different members of a
community where someone
has committed suicide.
“It shows how death
by suicide affects every
aspect of a community,”
Ashton-Williams said. “Law
enforcement, schools, the
faith community, public
health. They all have a piece
in how they support .... it’s a
ripple effect.”
There are “gatekeeper
trainings” available for
anyone who wants to be
able to identify the signs of
someone at risk for suicide.
An upcoming opportunity
is the ASIST program, or
Applied Suicide Intervention
Skills Training, which will
be June 26-27 at St. Anthony
Hospital in Pendleton. The
training teaches participants
to recognize signs of suicide,
perform an intervention and
develop a plan for safety.
There is also QPR
(Question, Persuade, Refer)
training, a course to teach
people outside the mental
health profession how to
help someone in crisis.
Walsborn said there are
plans for mental health
programs geared at teens,
to increase understanding
of mental health and coping
strategies.
She said a peer mentor-
ship program is in progress
at the middle and high
school level in Pendleton,
which will aim to promote
healthy behaviors and
prevent behaviors that lead
“If it increases your
awareness, it in-
creases your ability
to make better choic-
es. The same goes
for suicide. If we
can speak candidly,
instead of attempt-
ing to hide it, maybe
(people) can get
help or guidance.”
— Amy Ashton-Williams,
director of Umatilla County
Human Services
to risk of suicide.
“This group focuses on
discouraging
substance
abuse, talking about mental
health at a peer level,” she
said.
Walsborn said many
people
think
asking
someone if they’re thinking
about suicide will encourage
them to do it, but that’s not
the case.
“Research shows that it’s
not going to put the idea in
peoples’ heads,” she said.
“They want someone to
care.”
She said it’s diffi cult to
get licensed mental health
professionals to come to a
rural area, but that shortage
makes it more important for
community members to step
up.
“There’s a county in
Washington that has the
most CPR-certifi ed people
in the United States,”
Walsborn said. “They say
it’s ‘the safest place to have
a heart attack.’ If we can
make Umatilla County a
safer community for mental
health — there’s a lot of
power in the individual.”
Bustillos said she hopes
people will remember that
help is available.
“It’s important that
everyone feels like it’s their
responsibility to look out for
their community,” she said.
“That community could be a
church, their neighborhood,
family, schools. But it’s all
of our responsibilities to
know what warning signs
are, and to do something if
you see something.”
———
Contact
Jayati
Ramakrishnan at 541-564-
4534 or jramakrishnan@
eastoregonian.com
OPENINGS FOR OPERATORS OF
NEW RETAIL LIQUOR LOCATIONS
OLCC is recruiting applicants for new retail liquor locations. The open recruitment
process is a market-driven effort to improve customer convenience by expanding
retail liquor locations with a measured, but consistent amount of growth.
The Oregon Liquor Control Commission is accepting applications and aiming to add new
retail liquor locations in the following counties:
Baker County
Crook County
Deschutes County
Gilliam County
Grant County
Hood River County
Jefferson County
Morrow County
Sherman County
Umatilla County
Union County
Wallowa County
Wasco County
Wheeler County
Applicants are evaluated on background, knowledge and work experience in:
• Retail business management
• Inventory/cash management
• Retail sales and operation
• Customer service/public relations in a retail environment
• Financial ability to open and operate a retail liquor location
A detailed business plan will be required as part of the application process.
For additional information on open recruitment for new retail liquor locations and application information, visit:
http://www.oregon.gov/OLCC/LIQUORSTORES/Pages/liquorsalesoutlets_openrecruitment.aspx
Questions can be directed to OLCC.RetailServices@oregon.gov or call 503-872-5020 (toll-free 1-800-426-
2004, Dept # 62). Provide your name, email address and phone number. Applications can also be picked up
at 9079 SE McLoughlin Blvd., Portland, OR 97222.
An application with a business plan must be received at OLCC’s main office in Portland at the above
address, by 5:00 PM, Monday, July 31st, 2017. Applications received after this deadline will not be accepted.
Additional open recruitments for these areas and others in the state may occur in the future.