Page 8A
BUSINESS
East Oregonian
Saturday, August 5, 2017
PENDLETON
Micro-distillery fi res up pizza oven
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
The latest entry in Pendleton’s
pizza market is also the city’s
only micro-distillery.
Oregon Grain Growers Brand
Distillery will open a restaurant
to complement its liquor-produc-
tion business Sept. 5 and pizza
will be a signifi cant part of the
menu.
While there are already many
places to grab a slice in Pend-
leton, Oregon Grain Growers
aims to occupy its own niche.
“It’s a little less pizza
Americano and a little more
traditional,” said chef Chad De
Young, who used to lead the
Pendleton Coffee Bean & Bistro
kitchen before it closed.
De Young said his pizzas
refl ect the Oregon Grain
Growers ethos of making
something that’s handcrafted
and locally sourced whenever
possible. Additionally, each
pizza is cooked in a woodfi re
stove dual powered by gas.
To refl ect this ethos, De Young
has put unconventional toppings
like grilled peaches and fi gs and
included Oregon Grain Growers’
vodka in the cream sauce of his
“Bloody Mary” pizza.
While Oregon Grain Growers
will have the choice of several
different types of pizzas, they’ll
also be given a “roll the dice”
option that gives the pizza
makers the liberty to experiment
with the pizza and its toppings.
If customers like the impro-
vised pizza, De Young can incor-
porate it into the menu. If not?
Standard Plumbing expands
PENDLETON — Standard Plumbing
Supply recently supersized with a $400,000
remodel that moved the store from a
relatively narrow inventory of wholesale
plumbing items to a wide array of home
improvement products for the general
public. Last weekend the business, located
at 4216 Westgate, celebrated with an open
house and ribbon cutting.
“We were just plumbing before. We’ve
become a full-service hardware store,” said
manager Dan Logman. “The company has
put a big investment into Pendleton.”
He said the makeover quadrupled the
store’s footprint and tripled the inventory.
On the shelves are products ranging from
fl anges and fans to fi lters and pipe fi ttings,
locks and barbecue supplies, smoke alarms
and sealants, doorknobs and dowels. In the
northwest corner of the store is a showroom
featuring sinks, tubs and other kitchen and
bathroom fi xtures. In another corner of the
building is the brand new paint department.
Pendleton’s Standard Plumbing store is
one of almost 100 branches in the western
United States. The company is based in
Utah.
Class in Pendleton addresses
house buying safety
Photo by Antonio Sierra
Co-owner Rodney Bullington, left, and chef Chad De Young prepare pizzas at the Oregon
Grain Growers Brand Distillery Friday in Pendleton.
“If people really hate it, it’s
on us,” he said.
The distillery has softly
opened their restaurant and
served pizza at catered events
and De Young said the menu will
serve more than pizza when the
restaurant opens offi cially. While
the menu hasn’t been fi nalized,
De Young said it will be inspired
by Mediterranean cuisine and
change seasonally.
Beyond
the
restaurant,
Oregon Grain Growers continue
to forge ahead with their locally
produced spirits.
Having
already
started
producing a vodka and corn
whiskey, Oregon Grain Growers
co-owner Rodney Bullington
said they’re introducing a gin
into the line-up.
The distillery team is also
working on a whiskey in time
for Round-Up. Bullington said it
will be called “Umatilla Gold” in
reference to the way the county
looks golden from above because
of the acres of wheat crops.
Oregon Grain Growers is
located at 511 S.E. Court Ave.
and is open Tuesday-Thursday,
1 p.m.-6 p.m., Friday, 1 p.m.-9
p.m., and Saturday 12 p.m.-9
p.m.
———
Contact Antonio Sierra at
asierra@eastoregonian.com or
541-966-0836.
How much better can jobs report get?
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER
AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON — A drop
in the unemployment rate to a
16-year low raises a tantalizing
question about the job market:
How much better can it get?
Earlier this year, economists
worried that the low unemploy-
ment rate meant businesses would
struggle to fi nd workers and that
would drag down the pace of
hiring. Those fears were height-
ened by a tiny job gain in March
and modest hiring in May.
Yet Friday’s jobs report
suggests such concerns are prema-
ture. Employers added 209,000
jobs, after a solid gain of 231,000
in June, the Labor Department
said. The unemployment rate
ticked down to 4.3 percent, from
4.4 percent, matching the low
reached in May.
The U.S. economy is bene-
fi ting from steady growth around
the world, with Europe and Japan
perking up and China’s economy
stabilizing. Corporate revenue
and profi ts are growing too, and
the stock market has hit record
highs.
Economists were particularly
encouraged by the fact that more
Americans are coming off the
sidelines and fi nding jobs. For the
fi rst few years after the recession,
many of the unemployed stopped
looking for work.
Some were discouraged by
the lack of available jobs. Others
returned to school or stayed home
BRIEFLY
AP Photo/Nati Harnik
In this Thursday photo, Cheryl Bast, left, is accompanied by
her daughter Liz Pierson, as she works on an application for
a position with Omaha Public Schools, during a job fair held
at Omaha South High School in Omaha, Neb.
to take care of family. The govern-
ment doesn’t count those out of
work as unemployed unless they
are actively searching for jobs.
That trend began to reverse last
year and has continued into 2017.
To many economists, that means
robust hiring could continue for
many more months, or even years.
“There’s more people willing
to work than the unemployment
rate would have you believe,”
said Nick Bunker, a senior policy
analyst at the Washington Center
for Equitable Growth, a liberal
think tank.
President Donald Trump cele-
brated the data in a tweet shortly
after the numbers were released.
“Excellent Jobs Numbers,” he
wrote, “and I have only just
begun.”
Trump technically tweeted too
early: His comment was posted at
8:45 a.m., just 15 minutes after the
report was released. Federal rules
specify that White House offi cials
should wait for an hour before
publicly commenting. The rule
is intended to allow the data to be
released without political spin.
President Barack Obama’s
former top economic adviser,
Jason Furman, noted the slip-up,
calling it a “minor transgression.”
The pace of hiring so far this
year, while solid, is pretty much
the same as it was last year under
Obama. Employers have added an
average of 184,000 jobs a month
through July, compared with
187,000 in 2016. Monthly job
gains topped 200,000 on average
in 2014 and 2015.
The steady hiring is adding
up. In July, the proportion of
Americans aged 25 through 54
who had a job or were looking
for one rose to 81.8 percent, up
a half-percentage point from a
year earlier and the highest since
December 2010.
Economists focus on that age
group because it fi lters out the
impact of retirements by the huge
baby boomer generation and
excludes younger workers who
are more likely to be in school.
That means more Americans
are optimistic about the job market
and launching job searches. But
that proportion is still substantially
lower than the all-time peak of 84.6
percent, reached in January 1999.
The unemployment rate fell to
a three-decade low of 3.9 percent
the following year, in April 2000.
That represented the best of all
worlds: A low unemployment rate
with a lot of people working or
looking for work.
Economists doubt the jobless
rate can fall that low again
without touching off infl ation,
as employers are forced to offer
higher pay to attract workers from
a dwindling supply of unem-
ployed. That, in fact, is why the
Federal Reserve has raised short-
term interest rates three times in
the past seven months, which they
hope will forestall future price
increases.
PENDLETON — A class that provides
personal life safety information for real
estate agents and homeowners during the
selling/buying process will be presented in
Pendleton.
Hosted by The Columbia Basin Board
of Realtors, Jo Becker will offer the NAR
Realtor Safety course Thursday, Aug. 10
from 1-4 p.m. in the Aldrich Room at
the East Oregonian, 211 S.E. Byers Ave.,
Pendleton. There is no admission fee.
The session will address safety concerns
and precautions related to identify theft,
data security, offi ce, open house, showing
safety protocols, safety-minded marketing
strategies and social media best practices.
People can register for the class at
800-252-9115 or www.oregonrealtors.
org. For more information, call Becker at
503-765-6979.
U.S. Cellular sets customer
appreciation events
Customer service celebrations are
planned in the Pendleton and Hermiston
U.S. Cellular stores.
Both stores will offer a variety of
giveaways for anyone who visits. Also,
a mobile prize wheel provides customers
an opportunity to use their smartphones to
spin to win prizes that include accessory
discounts, bill credits and other items.
The free events are:
•Friday, Aug. 11 and Saturday, Aug. 12
from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 1923 S.W. Court
Ave., Pendleton.
•Friday, Aug. 11 and Saturday, Aug. 12
from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 650 N. First St.,
Hermiston.
For more information, contact Katie
Frey at kwinger@gardcommunications.com
or 773-355-3275.
Seminar focuses on
reaching goals
HERMISTON — A workshop that
provides insight for organizations and
individuals on overcoming fears in order to
reach goals is being offered in Hermiston.
Sponsored by the Hermiston Chamber
of Commerce, Jennifer McClure, an
international leadership coach, teacher
and speaker, will present “Stepping Out
of Stuck: The Safer Way to Overcoming
Fears.”
The leadership and professional growth
seminar is Thursday, Aug. 17 from 8-10
a.m. at the Hermiston Conference Center,
415 S. Highway 395. The cost is $30 per
person.
To register, contact McClure at
jenspurgeon11@yahoo. For more about the
Hermiston chamber, call 541-567-6151 or
visit www.hermistonchamber.com.
“Our Roots Run Deep
in Morrow County”
August 16-20, 2017
FAIR: www.co.morrow.or.us/fair
Thanking our
Sponsors
The Umatilla County Historical Society extends a special thank
you to the sponsors of our 2017 Agricultural Heritage Tour. Their
support enables this tour to be an outstanding signature event
for the Historical Society.
th
Wednesday, Aug. 16
Reptile Man & Kid Zone
Scarecrow Contest
The Junebugs
Featuring:
Joe Lindsay
Nate Bosford
LEAD SPONSOR
Columbia State Bank
The McGregor Company
MAJOR SPONSORS
D. A. Davidson & Co.
Northwest Farm Credit Services
St. Anthony Hospital
Wheatland Insurance Center
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
Bisnett Insurance
Bob and Tammy Green
Helix Telephone Co.
Holton Secret Lab
Kline Landscaping
Mid-Columbia Producers, Inc.
Morrow County Grain Growers
We also thank the
hard-working
volunteers, who make this
event possible
Thursday, Aug. 18 th
Reptile Man & Kid Zone
Old Time Fiddlers
Talent Show
4-H/FFA Conformation
Murray's Wine Tasting
4-H Food Contest
4-H/FFA Small Animal
Showmanship
Ice Cream Social
4-H Archery Shoot
RDO Tractor Pull
Cory Peterson Band
Friday, Aug. 18 th
Reptile Man & Kid Zone
4-H/FFA Showmanship
Ballet Performance 4-7 yrs.
Master Showmanship
Adult Showmanship Greased Pig
Contest
OTPR/NPRA Rodeo
Music by: Dan Burns 3D Productions
Saturday, Aug. 19th
Reptile Man & Kid Zone Parade FFA
Awards
Buyers Luncheon
Livestock Auction OTPR/NPRA Rodeo
Music by: Dan Burns 3D Productions
Sunday, Aug. 20th
All Exhibits Released
Morrow County Rodeo
OTPR NPRA SLACK
THANK YOU TO ALL
OUR SPONSORS!
Fair Admission: Ages 8 & Up $4 daily or $10 week
7 & under FREE (must be with Adult)
Rodeo Admission: 13 & up $10
7-12 yrs. $6
6 & under FREE
www.facebook.com/oregontrailprorodeo
www.facebook.com/morrowcountyfairheppneroregon