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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (June 10, 2017)
WEEKEND EDITION TOP SEED BEAVERS COLLEGE WORLD SERIES/1B SILENT FALLS LIFESTYLES/1C URAL THOMAS BRINGING THE PAIN TO PENDLETON ENTERTAINMENT/3C JUNE 10-11, 2017 141st Year, No. 170 $1.50 WINNER OF THE 2016 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD BOARDMAN Mega-dairy responds to petition to halt business Argues stay on permit would cripple operation By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian Staff photo by E.J. Harris Shoppers browse through sale items at the J.C. Penney store in Pendleton. The store is closing after being in business in the same place for 106 years. As Pendleton’s oldest store liquidates, memories fl ow Pendleton J.C. Penney stayed put for 106 years By KATHY ANEY East Oregonian Michelle Mizerka-Peters’ offi ce is a Spartan affair, devoid of leather couches, plush carpet or any other hint of ostenta- tiousness. With yellowing tile fl oors and basic furniture, the biggest perk of the century-old offi ce is an expansive, birds-eye view of the general manager’s domain — the sprawling main fl oor of the Pendleton J.C. Penney store — through a wide, glass- free window. These days, the view is a bit jarring. On a recent day, she looked down at a dozen-or-so customers who roamed the fl oor. Above the browsing patrons hung bright going-out-of-business signs. “Nothing Held Back. Everything Must Go. Store Closing.” See J.C. PENNEY/10A The owner of a controversial new mega- dairy in Morrow County says his farming practices go above and beyond what’s required to protect the environment, and efforts to halt his operation would cause “tragic” injuries to the cows already on site. Greg te Velde, a California dairyman with more than 40 years of experience, recently opened Lost Valley Farm on a portion of the former Boardman Tree Farm following an extensive permitting process. Lost Valley Farm was approved in March by the Oregon Department of Agri- culture and Department of Environmental Quality, which jointly administer the state’s confi ned animal feeding operation, or CAFO, program. Offi cials described the permit as the most restrictive of any CAFO to date, ensuring the dairy would properly handle waste from up to 30,000 cows. Opponents, however, are urging regu- lators to change their minds. A coalition of groups has fi led a petition for recon- sideration, arguing the dairy does not go far enough to protect water quality. The petition also asks for a stay of Lost Valley’s CAFO permit. Members of the coalition include the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Center for Biological Diversity, Center for Food Safety, Columbia Riverkeeper, Food & Water Watch, Friends of Family Farmers, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsi- See DAIRY/12A School staff ‘took the fi ght’ to assailants Middle school principal released from hospital; teenagers jailed Staff photo by E.J. Harris Retired J.C. Penney employees Suzie Fortier and Nora Pointer worked a combined 60 years at the Pendleton store. Linda and Tim Turner are the fi rst in a unique group of home- owners in Hermiston — they live in a house constructed largely by high school students, in a neigh- borhood growing at the rate of one home a year. “We started driving by during the fi rst year when it was being built, and we just fell in love with it,” Linda said. The Turners will soon get some new neighbors, as the third student- built home in as many years is now on the market. On Friday, students got to show COLLEGE PLACE — Two teenagers were being held Friday for an assault that injured the principal of John Sager Middle School Thursday afternoon and locked down that school and College Place High School. One of the suspects, Jaymond Oakhurst, 18, appeared this morning in Walla Walla County Superior Court. According to a police report presented in court, the second suspect is Lamont Oakhurst, 16, who is Jaymond Oakhurst’s brother. At the court hearing, Judge John Lohrmann set bail for Jaymond Oakhurst at $100,000. The amount was recom- mended by Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jill Peitersen based on the seriousness of the alleged offenses and concerns about Oakhurst’s mental health “as he’s presented here today.” During his fi rst appearance, Oakhurst appeared lethargic and confused, speaking in a nearly inaudible, somewhat incoherent fashion. During questioning by Lohrmann, he kept his head lowered slightly and paused before answering routine questions about his age, address and ability to under- stand his constitutional rights. He was returned to the Walla Walla County Jail after the hearing. He is being held on investigation of fi rst-degree assault, second-degree malicious mischief and harassment. His younger brother was lodged in the county juvenile detention See HOMES/12A See SCHOOL/12A “I just loved the people – I miss the customers so much. Everyone shopped there and it seemed like everyone worked at Penney’s at some point.” — Nora Pointer, retired J.C. Penney employee HERMISTON A student-built neighborhood By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN East Oregonian Staff photo by Jayati Ramakrishnan The three student-built homes at Fieldstone Crossing on Southwest Angus Court in Hermiston. By ANDY PORTER Union-Bulletin
