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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 6, 2017)
REGION Friday, October 6, 2017 East Oregonian Police to crack down on jaywalking at busy Highway 395 intersections By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian Hermiston police are cracking down on jaywalkers on Highway 395. Police Chief Jason Edmiston said his depart- ment started a zero tolerance campaign for October to curtail pedestrians crossing the highway through town whenever or wherever they want. He warned jaywalkers should not expect mere warnings. “When I say ‘zero toler- ance,’ then enforcement is going to be the norm and education secondary,” he said. He said this campaign is akin to Oregon’s emphasis on distracted driving. Jaywalkers can block traffic and worse, he said, and distracted pedestrians have walked into vehicles. Edmiston said Hermiston police received several complaints about jaywalkers, primarily at the intersection with Highland Avenue and between Orchard and Jennie avenues. He also said he saw it for himself while off duty. He added Highway 395 carries a fair share of truck traffic through town, and “those vehicles don’t stop on a dime.” Various Oregon statutes can apply to jaywalking, Edmiston explained. Crossing against a light in an intersection, for example, can result in a ticket for failure to obey a traffic control device, while walking into and blocking traffic can draw a disorderly conduct charge, which carries the threat of arrest. He said Hermiston officers are to double-check to make sure they apply the correct law depending on the circumstances. “Our intent is not to increase arrests for disorderly conduct, but as written, it’s a tool we can use if the circum- stances apply,” he said. “We want people to conform to the norms of society, and willy-nilly walking across a four-lane or a five-lane highway ... because you feel like it, is not conforming.” Some residents might not like the crackdown, he said, but as Hermiston grows and new people come into the city, police need to continue enforcing the regulations and laws on the books. Edmiston said he anticipates the enforcement might generate complaints about jaywalking from other areas of town, but for now the focus is on Highway 395. PENDLETON Resident escapes late-night trailer fire East Oregonian PENDLETON — Pend- leton Fire Chief Mike Ciraulo said a late-night trailer fire could have ended in tragedy. The fire department received a call-out Wednesday at 11:02 p.m. for a fire at Riverside Mobile Estates, 2712 N.E. Riverside Ave. Ciraulo said they arrived and saw smoke coming out of the trailer in space 66. The occupant was about to shower, Ciraulo said, when she smelled smoke, rushed out to a neighbor’s and called 9-1-1. The fire was “burning vigorously” through insulation under the furnace, Ciraulo said, and firefighters worked for hours pulling out the insulation. They cleared the scene around 3 a.m. Thursday. Ciraulo said the woman lived there with her boyfriend, who was hunting, and he returned when crews were wrapping up. If she had been asleep, the fire could have turned fatal — Ciraulo said the trailer did not have any smoke alarms. HERMISTON — the public is invited to help The Arc Umatilla County in celebrating its 50th anniversary. The nonprofit organization advocates for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities throughout Umatilla County. The Arc offers activities to connect families and community members and focuses on improving services and opportunities for people with disabilities. The celebration is Tuesday, Oct. 10 from 5:30-7 p.m. at The Arc building, 215 W. Orchard Ave., Hermiston. The event includes a free hot dog dinner at 5:30 p.m. and cake at 6:15 p.m. Everyone is invited to eat, visit with others and learn more about The Arc and its mission. For more information, call Kristi Smalley, vice president, at 541-571-0997. New rules served for mobile food vendors By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian The city of Stanfield has passed an ordinance regu- lating mobile food vendors in the city. While the city hasn’t had food trucks regularly in the past, a request for a business license to run a food truck sparked concerns from the city council that permanent seating and other features would be added to make trucks more of a restaurant than a true mobile vendor. “There was a desire to have them mobile and clean and operating as a mobile food vendor should,” City Manager Blair Larsen said. The final draft of the ordinance, which was orig- inally based on Hermis- ton’s mobile food vending ordinance and then went through several revisions, was passed during Tues- day’s city council meeting. Mobile food vendors must be located in the downtown district or other industrial or commercial zones, and must be at least 200 feet from the property line of any restaurant unless the owner gives written permission. The vendors must not add seating, tables, shades or other such items for use by patrons to eat on-site. The food trucks must close by 9 p.m. each night and be moved at least 400 feet away by 10 p.m., not returning until at least 6 a.m. the next morning. The unit’s colors must be consistent with the city’s downtown development code, and the unit must be self-contained without extra natural gas, water tanks, gray water recepta- cles or other items on the ground. Other standards in the code govern health and safety requirements for the unit and the property where it is parked. For more information contact Stanfield City Hall, 541-449-3831. Garbage service may come under city control East Oregonian Photo contributed by Pendleton Fire & Ambulance Pendleton firefighters climbed underneath a trailer to put out the blaze in the insu- lation Wednesday at Riverside Mobile Estates in Pendleton. The fire department is working with the local Lions Club to install free smoke alarms in homes, and Ciraulo said Riverside Mobile Estates already was on the schedule for Saturday. The cause of the fire is under investigation, he added, and trailer’s interior sustained smoke damage. The couple is now staying Focus groups highlight cancer research, testing Community members across the state of Oregon are invited to share their thoughts and opinions about research, genetic testing and cancers that can be inherited. A series of 32 focus groups in communities across Oregon are being sponsored by Oregon Health Science University’s Community Research Hub and Knight Cancer Institute’s Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center. Each group will consist of 5-10 participants. Upcoming stops include Friday, Oct. 13 from 6-7:30 p.m. in Baker City, Saturday, Oct. 14 from 10-11:30 a.m. in La Grande and Monday, Oct. 30 from 6-7:30 p.m. in Pendleton. Oregon residents age 18 and older, including cancer survivors and patients, physicians and others with an interest in inherited cancers, are invited to register for the group. Refreshments will be provided For more information, to register or to learn more about other upcoming focus groups, contact 503-418- 9832, communityresearch@ ohsu.edu or visit www. oregontalksgenetics.org. Booster club supports Mustang programs HEPPNER — A hearty meal and lots of auction items are featured during the Heppner Booster Club Dinner and Auction. The event is Saturday, Oct. 14 with dinner beginning at 6 p.m. at the Heppner Elks Lodge, 142 N. Main St. The auction starts at 7 p.m. The event features a live auction, silent auction and raffle items. Dinner tickets are $15. For more information, call Melissa Lindsay at 541-256-0366. with family. Ciraulo also emphasized if Pendleton residents need a smoke alarm to contact the fire department at 541-276- 1442. www.statewideyp.com Simpl e y Best th g! Advertisin CALL TO PLACE YOUR AD TODAY! 5009 W Clearwater Ave Ste J, Kennewick, WA 99336 • Fax: 509-734-5362 • Email: support@statewideyp.com CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT CLASSES O CTOBER 11 TH • 1:00 & 6:00 Red Lion 304 SE Nye Ave. Pendleton Required class to get an Oregon or multi-State Multi-state: permit. Class includes: Required class to get an Oregon or multi-State • Fingerprinting & photo • Oregon gun laws • Washington gun laws • Interstate travel laws • Interaction with law enforcement • Use of deadly force • Firearm / ammunition / holster selection Book club lights up with Koppel book HERMISTON — Ted Koppel’s latest book about the potential consequences of a cyberattack on American’s power grid is featured at the upcoming Hermiston Public Library book club meeting. Bookminders will discuss “Lights Out!” Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 1:30 p.m. at The Pheasant Bar & Grill, 149 E. Main St., Hermiston. Koppel, a longtime broadcast journalist, is best known for his longtime anchor role on “Nightline.” The book club, which is free and open to everyone, meets the second Wednesday of each month. Copies of the book are available at the library. For more information, call 541-567-2882. The city of Irrigon is considering bringing billing and coordination for all trash services under the city’s umbrella, in order to ensure all properties have trash service and to make sure trash is removed weekly. The consolidation, if approved, will also aim to simplify bill paying and reducing the cost of trash services. Irrigon City Manager Aaron Palmquist said the decision would be made in November or December and would take effect either Jan. 1 or April 1 of 2018. Price changes would include a $1.20 drop for 90-gallon weekly carts at residential accounts — from $15.20 to $14 per month. Current customers with a 35-gallon container would be able to maintain their current sized containers, but new customers would have to purchase a 90-gallon container. Currently, properties in Irrigon get sanitary disposal services through a franchise agreement, but the city hopes consolidating the services will make the process more consistent and less expensive, Palm- quist said. PENDLETON Chalmers named to board for League of Oregon Cities East Oregonian the board at the League’s 92nd Annual Conference in A Pendleton city coun- Portland. The organizations cilor is one of the newly provides advocacy services, policy consulting, elected members training and tech- on the League nical assistance to of Oregon Cities city governments. board of direc- Timm Slater, tors. a city councilor P a u l from North Bend, Chalmers, who is will serve as pres- also the Umatilla ident of the board. County tax Tessa Wine- assessor, is one barger, a city of five new 2018 councilor from board members Chalmers Ontario, is also a for the league, which represents Oregon’s new appointee and the only other representative on 241 incorporated cities. Chalmers and his new the board from east of the colleagues were elected to Cascades. PLEASE SAVE THE DATE! Fr ee Adult Flu Shots Now Connecting Businesses With Customers In More Ways Than Ever! 360.921.2071 STANFIELD IRRIGON BRIEFLY The Arc celebrates 50 years Page 3A PM Pendleton Convention Center Parking Lot Drive Through Clinic Thursday, October 5th, 2PM - 6PM Friday, October 6th, 7AM - 11 AM. For more information, contact Tracy 541-278-3262 $80 or Oregon only: $45.00 FirearmTrainingNW.com : FirearmTrainingNW@gmail.com 2801 St. Anthony Way Pendleton, OR 97801 www.sahpendleton.org
