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FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017
141st Year, No. 224
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WINNER OF THE 2017 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
ODFW to kill Meacham wolves
Pack responsible for four livestock attacks in eight days
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
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Pendleton Block Party
with Hillstomp
Mega Sports Camp
at Salvation Army
Drive 4 UR School
Fundraiser, Hermiston
For times and places
see Coming Events, 6A
The Oregon Department of
Fish & Wildlife has authorized
killing two more wolves in north-
east Oregon, this time from the
Meacham pack in Umatilla County
following a string of four attacks on
cattle over the last eight days.
All four attacks happened to
calves owned by the same livestock
producer on the same private
pasture in the Meacham area east
of Pendleton. The latest incident
was confi rmed Saturday, Aug. 19
by ODFW.
On Thursday, the agency
approved killing two wolves from
the Meacham pack to limit further
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predation. Wildlife offi cials have
already killed three wolves this
summer from the Harl Butte pack
in Wallowa County after repeated
confl icts with cattle.
Curt Melcher, ODFW director,
said it is important to limit
wolf-livestock problems, and
lethal control is a needed tool
when non-lethal deterrents are
not enough.
“While it’s disheartening for
some people to see ODFW killing
wolves, our agency is called to
manage wildlife in a manner
consistent with other land uses, and
to protect the social and economic
interests of all Oregonians while it
conserves gray wolves,” Melcher
said.
The recent decisions to kill
See WOLVES/10A
HERMISTON
HERMISTON
Delayed
psychiatric
hospital
applies for
state approval
By JAYATI
RAMAKRISHNAN
East Oregonian
Umatilla County’s main
mental health service is
seeking approval on plans to
open a psychiatric hospital
in Hermiston.
Lifeways, Inc., will be
reviewed by the Oregon
Health Authority to open
Aspen Springs Hospital, a
16-bed psychiatric hospital
under construction at 1212
W. Linda Ave., Hermiston.
The OHA will make a deci-
sion by Nov. 22.
Lifeways broke ground
on the facility in July
2016, and the hospital was
scheduled to open this
spring. Lifeways director
of communications Rick
George said the plans were
stalled by some issues with
other facilities’ applications.
“We expected it to be a
faster process, but two other
projects were going on the
other side of the state, which
pushed us back,” he said.
“The state handles all
of those (processes),” he
said. “An organization like
Lifeways has to go through
several steps. Apply, answer
a series of questions about
why they want to open a
facility, what they’re trying
to do.”
He said that NEWCO,
a
psychiatric
hospital
See LIFEWAYS/10A
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Cyndie Traner, owner of C and R Mercantile in Hermiston, has been a driving force in recruiting businesses to the West Third Street
in Hermiston.
Redefi ning downtown
Businesses opening on Southwest Third
Street extend downtown across tracks
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
When Hermiston residents talk
about the need to revitalize downtown,
Cyndie Traner is working to expand
their defi nition of “downtown.”
The word tends to bring to mind a
few blocks of Main Street housing such
longtime staples as Hermiston Drug.
But Traner owns C and R Mercantile,
one of a growing number of businesses
fi nding a home on the other side of the
tracks.
“You don’t necessarily have to be on
395 and Main Street,” she said.
The Quonset hut where Traner sells
vintage clothing, kitchenware and other
items sits along a two-block portion of
Southwest Third Street that recently
became home to gourmet salad shop
Veg Out and boutique Creations with
Santana. The neighborhood — located
behind Bi-Mart — is also home to a
salon, accountant, attorney, translation
service and a taco truck, with a Mexican
bakery around the corner.
Where the street intersects with
See DOWNTOWN/10A
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Skylar Prewitt makes a salad as Jennifer Baros places an order
on Wednesday during the lunch rush at Veg Out in Hermiston.
PENDLETON
What to know about REACH and the Rec Center
By EMILY OLSON
East Oregonian
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
REACH Pendleton has asked the Pendleton City
Council to lease the Pendleton Recreation Center.
REACH Pendleton has asked the Pend-
leton City Council to lease the city-owned
Pendleton Recreation Center, which
occupies the former McCune gymnasium.
Their request has sparked concerns — and
some misconceptions — from members
of the community. Here’s a guide to who
the group is, what they hope to accomplish
and why some people are concerned:
Who is REACH?
REACH Pendleton, or Reaching Every
Adult and Child through Hope, became
a 501c3 nonprofi t in December 2016.
According to the organization’s website,
REACH aims to “bridge the gap between
the youth of our community and the needed
resources” through “hands-on participation
and strategic partnerships.”
Seven members sit on REACH’s Board
of Directors:
• John Airoldi, physical therapist at CHI
St. Anthony Hospital
• Luke Britt, youth pastor at Pendleton
Church of God
• Cynthia Holmes, radiologist at CHI
St. Anthony Hospital
• Joe Jackson, relationship manager at
REACH Pendleton
• Nate Jackson, lead pastor at Pendleton
Church of God
• Tim Pilch, general contractor at Level
Best Contracting Inc.
• Tim Van Cleave, senior pastor at
See REACH/6A