Thursday, August 17, 2017
OFF PAGE ONE
POLICE: Organizers donated $1,000 Governors of two marijuana states
push back on Trump administration
to pay some police overtime costs
Page 8A
East Oregonian
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town for Whisky Fest acts
like Maroon 5 tend to need
treatment for the effects
of inebriation — nausea,
vomiting and fighting.
“We nearly ran out of barf
bags,” Ciraulo said.
The Pendleton Police
Department also pulls extra
duties for large events.
Besides occasional traffic
control for coordinated
rides at Bike Week, Police
Chief Stuart Roberts said the
motorcycle rally doesn’t need
a great deal of policing.
“It’s a good crowd,” he
said.
Whisky Fest required a
much larger effort from the
police department.
Twelve uniformed officers
and 16 more personnel in
“soft uniforms” — officers
that are still identifiable as
police but are not in full
uniform — were dispersed
in shifts throughout the event
to help with crowd control
and to respond to criminal
activity.
As concert-goers poured
out of the Round-Up Arena
after the concert ended,
officers were sent to guide
traffic as the streets were
overwhelmed with vehicles.
In the two hours following
the concert, Roberts said
police responded to more
than 50 calls, including noise
complaints, alcohol-related
incidents, fights and more.
“We typically don’t deal
with that in a day, let alone a
few hours,” Roberts said.
Roberts said it cost a total
of $8,000 in overtime hours
for the department to provide
services to Whisky Fest,
although he did not bill the
event organizers for it.
With two Whisky Fests
in the books, Roberts said he
has a better understanding of
the money needed to cover
the events and could bill
them in the future if the city
decides to go that direction.
Doug Corey, the co-or-
ganizer for Whisky Fest,
said security is one of the
most important parts of the
concert. Organizers utilized
both police and a private
crowd management security
company to handle the audi-
ence.
Corey said organizers
donated $1,000 to the city
for the police’s services and
could donate more in the
future.
While both chiefs agreed
that their departments can
handle the current event load,
if Pendleton continues to
attract these type of events,
the city will need to start
stocking their departments
with the staff and resources
that would meet the needs of
their temporary population
rather than their permanent
one.
Roberts
pointed
to
Seaside, which has a police
department similar in size to
Pendleton’s, despite having
less than half the permanent
population. That’s because of
the large number of tourists
it attracts in the spring and
summer.
Both Ciraulo and Roberts
have started thinking of new
sources of revenue that could
utilize tourist money to help
cover public safety costs.
Ciraulo
said
some
communities have instituted
parking fees to cover public
safety costs, although he’s
also sensitive to the fact that
community
organizations
already use parking to raise
funds.
Roberts said any tax or fee
was a conversation that would
need to be spearheaded by the
city manager or city council.
———
Contact Antonio Sierra at
asierra@eastoregonian.com
or 541-966-0836.
ECLIPSE: RV camping options are limited
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throughout the zone and just
outside the edges.
Clearly, eclipse prices
don’t benefit the procrasti-
nator.
So what can you do?
Staying in Umatilla and
Morrow County means you
will miss the show — at least
in its full glory.
Here are a few options for
your straightest shots to the
totality zone from Umatilla
and
Morrow
County:
Highway 395 and Interstate
84.
Grant County
John Day has one grocery
store and two gas stations,
so travelers looking to hole
up in Grant County for the
eclipse should come prepared
with extra food, water and
gasoline. According to local
officials, the county of 4,000
residents expects to host
20,000 eclipse chasers.
The Moonlit Music
Festival is scheduled for
Saturday, Aug. 19 at the
Grant County Fairgrounds in
downtown John Day. Orga-
nized by the Grant County
Chamber of Commerce, it
features live music, beer and
food, and a shopping bazaar.
Camp space at the fair-
grounds is full, but there are
public restrooms and shower
facilities on site.
Pandyfest
Pandyfest is located on
Weaver Farm outside of John
Day. It includes concerts
by Northwest musicians,
excellent food and more. The
gates open Saturday at noon
and a $245 ticket entitles you
to four meals and plenty of
entertainment in between.
Day passes are available as
well, with costs ranging from
$40-$50.
Attendance is limited to
200 attendees and very few
tickets were still available,
as of Wednesday. Visit
pandyfest.com for more
information and to purchase
a ticket.
RV Camping
Have an RV? Your options
are limited, as publicly
owned spaces — even in the
John Day Industrial Park —
are booked solid.
But there are some options
left.
Try Kight’s Eclipse
camping, located about two
miles south of John Day. The
42-acres of private land is
sold out of tent campsites, but
some RVers can still squeeze
in. It’s mostly just an empty
field — don’t plan on power,
water or septic hookups. The
cost is $175 per night, with
a 2-night minimum. To snap
up one of these last spots, call
541-520-3143.
Tent camping
Prairie City has sold out
of tent sites on their football
field.
“There are no more sites
available,” writes Prairie
City School District on their
website, which has an entire
page devoted to eclipse
camping. “Thank you and
good luck if you are still
looking.”
Good luck indeed —
almost all well-publicized
camp spots are full. Possi-
bilities are limited, but one
is Ricco Ranch, located
south of Prairie City. It has
a few tent, RV and even just
parking spaces for those who
want to pull off the highway
for a few hours on Monday.
Baker City Area
The trip down Interstate
84 may be a more reliable
one for Umatilla and Morrow
County residents. There are,
after all, two lanes in each
direction and a 70 mph speed
limit. If traveling east on the
interstate, you’ll have to at
least make Haines to witness
totality. For every mile south
you drive toward the center
of totality’s path, you’ll get
an extra few seconds of
darkness.
COURT: McIver is second
defendant to take a deal
Continued from 1A
that sentencing is not until
Nov. 21 in Portland.
Primus
declined
to
comment after the hearing.
Nelson died Jan. 27, 2016,
after being shot by bullets
from two different firearms,
according to federal court
documents. He was 44. A
woman who was with him
at the time escaped and is a
victim in the federal case.
McIver is the second defen-
dant to take a deal. Edward
Duarte Ayala in June pleaded
guilty to conspiracy to commit
burglary and manslaughter
and received a sentence of 16
years. That time is running
concurrent with the 20 years in
federal prison for gun crimes
connected to the homicide.
Armando Ruben Vargas,
a third defendant, pleaded
guilty Tuesday in federal court
to assault with a dangerous
weapon and use of a firearm
in connection with a crime of
violence. According to court
documents, the deal also
includes him pleaded guilty in
Umatilla County to first-degree
conspiracy to commit burglary
and first-degree manslaughter.
The federal charge of use
of a firearm in connection with
a crime of violence carries
a maximum penalty of life,
the documents state, while
first-degree manslaughter in
Oregon carries a mandatory
minimum sentence of 10
years. Per the agreement,
Vargas is looking at about 18
years in prison.
Umatilla County Circuit
Court shows no date yet for
a hearing. His sentencing in
the federal case is Nov. 28 in
Portland.
And trial begins Oct. 24
in Portland for the fourth
defendant, Nicholas Benjamin
Jones, pending any plea deal.
There is a lot planned in
the Baker area, including a
short film festival, Pioneer
Days events in Huntington,
Powder River Music Review
and a Mysteries of the
Eclipse lecture series at the
Geiser Grand hotel.
Atlas Obscura
We mentioned in earlier
reporting, about the Atlas
Obscura festival, which
is located about 30 miles
east of Baker City. It
includes presentations from
top-notch musicians and
writers, and scientists from
some of the premier insti-
tutions around the country.
Day tickets for the event,
which started at $250, have
long been sold out. There
are, however, some parking
passes for vehicles and RVs
who come Monday and can
witness the event at the site.
It’s worth a shot.
Avoid Anthony Lakes
Highway
Plans for eclipse parties
at Anthony Lakes Ski Area
have been put in danger by
the nearby Bear Butte Fire.
The fire canceled a mountain
bike festival at the lodge on
August 5, and it is not recom-
mend to count on clear roads
and clear skies to see the
eclipse. As of Wednesday, the
fire was 99 percent contained
at roughly 500 acres, but with
mop-up work continuing, it
makes sense to cross this one
off the list.
RV and tent spaces
It’s tight. Parking lots and
back yards are going up for
sale on a google forum dedi-
cated solely to the wheeling
and dealing of last-minute
spaces in the Baker Area. Go
to visitbaker.com and click
on “where to stay” to access
the forum. The latest post
on Wednesday was offering
parking lot space for an
RV for $150 a night — no
amenities included. It’s thin
pickings for just about every-
thing else.
By BECKY BOHRER
Associated Press
JUNEAU, Alaska —
Governors in at least two
states that have legalized
recreational marijuana are
pushing back against the
Trump administration and
defending their efforts to
regulate the industry.
Alaska Gov. Bill Walker,
a one-time Republican no
longer affiliated with a party,
sent a letter to U.S. Attorney
General Jeff Sessions this
week asking the Depart-
ment of Justice to maintain
the Obama administration’s
more hands-off enforce-
ment approach to states that
have legalized the drug still
banned at the federal level.
It comes after Sessions
sent responses recently to
the governors of Alaska,
Colorado, Oregon and
Washington, who asked him
to allow the pot experiments
to continue in the first four
states to legalize recreational
marijuana. Sessions detailed
concerns he had with how
effective state regulatory
efforts have been or will be.
Washington state also
responded to Sessions this
week. Gov. Jay Inslee said
the attorney general made
claims about the situation
in Washington that are
“outdated, incorrect, or
based on incomplete infor-
mation.”
“If we can engage in a
more direct dialogue, we
might avoid this sort of
miscommunication
and
make progress on the issues
that are important to both of
us,” Inslee and that state’s
attorney general wrote to
Sessions.
Since taking office,
Sessions has promised
to reconsider pot policy,
providing a level of uncer-
tainty for states that have
legalized the drug. A task
force assembled by Sessions
encouraged continued study
of whether to change or
rescind the approach taken
under former President
Barack Obama.
In Alaska, Walker said he
shared Sessions’ concerns
about the dangers of drug
abuse but said state rules
for marijuana businesses
address federal interests,
AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, File
In this June 8 file photo, Alaska Gov. Bill Walker meets
with reporters in Juneau. Walker is asking the Trump
administration to back off when it comes to marijuana.
AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, file
In this June 30 file photo, Washington Gov. Jay Ins-
lee, left, listens as he meets with staff members in
his office as they review the state operating budget
passed by the Legislature earlier in the day at the
Capitol in Olympia, Wash.
including public health
and safety concerns. The
governor said Sessions cited
a 2015 state drug report
in raising questions about
Alaska’s regulations but
noted that the first pot shops
didn’t open until late last
year.
The state is taking
“meaningful” steps to curb
illegal pot use, especially
by those who are underage,
Walker and state Attorney
General Jahna Lindemuth
wrote in the letter obtained
through a public records
request.
In a separate letter,
Lindemuth
was
more
pointed.
“Given the diversity of
public sentiment regarding
marijuana throughout the
country, marijuana regula-
tion is an area where states
South Korea looks to jumpstart
diplomacy with North Korea
SEOUL, South Korea
(AP) — In an effort to
jumpstart diplomacy, South
Korean President Moon
Jae-in said Thursday he
would consider sending
a special envoy to North
Korea for talks if the North
stops its missile and nuclear
tests.
He also declared, amid
fears in South Korea that
threats from President
Donald Trump to unleash
“fire and fury” on Pyong-
yang could lead to real
fighting, that there would
be no second war on the
Korean Peninsula.
“The people worked
together to rebuild the
country from the Korean
War, and we cannot lose
everything again because
of a war,” Moon said in a
nationally televised news
conference. “I can confi-
dently say there will not be
a war again on the Korean
Peninsula.”
Moon’s
comments
follow a spike in animosity
generated by North Korea’s
warning that it might send
missiles into waters near the
U.S. territory of Guam, and
Trump’s warlike language.
Both Koreas and the United
States have signaled in
recent days, however,
a willingness to avert a
deepening crisis, with each
suggesting a path toward
negotiations.
Trump tweeted early
Wednesday that North
Korean leader Kim Jong Un
had “made a very wise and
well reasoned decision,”
amid indications North
TOBACCO: Would also prohibit retailers from
operating within 1,000 feet of each other or school
Continued from 1A
for that approval.
The move comes almost
two years after the U.S.
Food & Drug Adminis-
tration ran 60 stings at 51
stores in the county and
found 14 did not verify
the buyer’s age and sold
cigarettes to a minor.
Under the draft of the
proposal, the retailer would
face fines and license
suspensions.
County
counsel
Doug
Olsen
explained that per state
law, a violation of a county
ordinance starts at $500.
“There could be addi-
tional penalties assessed
in addition to the fine,” he
stated.
The regulations also
would prohibit tobacco
retailers from operating
within 1,000 feet of each
other or a school, with
should take the lead,” she
wrote.
Alaska political leaders
have long pushed back on
issues where they think
the federal government is
overstepping its bounds.
The state’s lone U.S. House
member, Republican Rep.
Don Young, said he has
never smoked pot but
supports states’ rights.
Alaska voted on it, “and
the federal government
should stay out of it,” he
told The Associated Press
last year.
The largest voting bloc
in the state is not affiliated
with a political party, though
President Donald Trump
won with just over 50
percent of the vote last fall.
Voters in 2014 approved
recreational marijuana, with
about 53 percent support.
exceptions for those already
in business.
The proposal calls for the
board to set the price of the
license each year. That fee
would have to be enough
to cover the cost of admin-
istration and enforcement.
Hinds said a survey of local
retailers showed they make
$200-$5,000 per week on
tobacco, so even a $200
license would be affordable.
She also said Morrow
County is interested in the
program, and that would
work well because Umatilla
County handles much of its
western neighbor’s environ-
mental health regulation.
———
The board also voted
2-1 to ban all open burning
Friday through Monday
for the total eclipse. Tom
Roberts, county emergency
manager, and Gina Miller,
county code enforcement
director, supported the
ban, citing safety concerns
due to the number of
people traveling through
the county to the eclipse
path of totality. Miller also
said the county had a burn
ban in effect this weekend
to keep the air clear for
Milton-Freewater’s
The
Rocks Festival (formerly
the Muddy Frogwater
Festival), so this would
extend that just a day.
Commissioners George
Murdock and Bill Elfering
voted in favor of the burn
ban. Board Chairman
Larry Givens opposed the
measure. He said the ban
should have been in effect
until Wednesday just to be
on the safe side of the big
event.
———
Contact Phil Wright at
pwright@eastoregonian.
com or 541-966-0833.
Korea doesn’t immediately
plan to fire multiple missiles
toward Guam.
“The alternative would
have been both catastrophic
and unacceptable!” Trump
wrote.
Next week’s start of
annual U.S.-South Korean
military exercises that
enrage the North each year
could make diplomacy even
more difficult.
Moon said he believes
dialogue with North Korea
can happen when North
Korea halts missile and
nuclear tests.
TWO
HOURS
every
morning
paid off
my credit
card debt.
Become an
East Oregonian
Carrier.
211 SE Byers Ave.
Pendleton
or call:
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1-800-522-0255