Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 11, 2017)
INSIDE TODAY: 58/40 HONORING OUR LOCAL FIREFIGHTERS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2017 141st Year, No. 257 WINNER OF THE 2017 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD One dollar STANFIELD Mistakes were made, 3D Idapro offi cials say Three-part plan in motion to mitigate stench in town By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN East Oregonian Staff photo by E.J. Harris Plant Biologist America Goyer transfers cuttings of potato stems into a petri dish while working on genetically modifying the plant to be more resistant to viruses Tuesday in the plant biology lab at HAREC outside Hermiston. Extension extended to voters Most cities in Umatilla, Morrow counties to put tax district on ballot By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian Come the May 2018 primary election, nearly every voter in Umatilla and Morrow counties will have a say in whether or not to support the formation of two new tax districts for Oregon State University Extension Service. Eleven of the 12 incorporated cities in Umatilla County and all fi ve cities in Morrow County recently passed resolutions forwarding the proposed service districts to the voters, which would tax 33 cents per $1,000 of assessed value to help fund OSU Extension programs. The only city not to pass a resolution was Umatilla, meaning taxpayers there will not pay for or receive services if the district passes. Offi cials with OSU Extension will now work with county commissioners to initiate the formation of each district. “There is a formal process that’s been outlined in statute, and will be done county by county,” said Mary Corp, regional administrator for OSU Extension. “Each county has its Staff photo by E.J. Harris Caleb Glenn, a 4-H member from Hermiston, washes the tail of his steer during the Umatilla County Fair last August in Hermiston. own district with its own vote. We’re just working on them at the same time.” After a whirlwind tour appearing before every city council in both counties, Corp said she is optimistic about the success of the proposed districts, though voters will have fi nal say at the ballot box when the primary election rolls around next May. Would tax 33 cents per $1,000 of assessed value On Monday, the Milton-Free- water City Council voted 4-0 to place the district on the ballot, becoming the fi nal city in Umatilla County to do so. Coun- cilors heard from stakeholders about the value of extension service, while trying grasp the impact of a new district on local taxes. Councilor Brad Humbert said he felt it was fair to let the taxpayers decide. “I think you have your work cut out for you to get it to pass,” Humbert said. Opting out The city of Umatilla opted not to support the proposed service district for fi nancial reasons, choosing instead to focus the tax dollars it receives on other major utility projects within the city’s urban growth boundary. City Manager Russ Pelleberg said the decision was not a critique of OSU Extension, but simply a determination of the best use of city money. “Umatilla is starting to grow, literally,” Pelleberg said. “There’s only so much of that tax money to go around.” Specifi cally, Pelleberg said the city was concerned about tax compression, which limits their ability to collect revenue from property taxes. The law, established by Measure 5 in 1990 and later adjusted by Measure 50, sets a cap of $5 for every $1,000 of real market value for educa- See OSU/8A Would raise more than $1 million annually in Umatilla County and $462,000 in Morrow County Several Stanfi eld residents turned out on Monday to hear the proposed solutions for the smell that’s been plaguing them for the past several months, but many left still skeptical that the odors will go away. Representatives from 3D Idapro Solu- tions, the company that owns a factory on Hoosier Avenue that has been emitting odors, came from their offi ces in Illinois to discuss their plans to mitigate the smell, some of which are already in place. They admitted to rushing the plant back into production after a fi re and “We ran the blending incor- rect materials plant probably last week that before it was led to a worse- than-usual ready to run. stench. Then we had The factory, which moved the fi re. into Stanfi eld in 2016, primarily We tried to processes whole get it up and and cut pota- toes, peels and running as fast potato slurry, as possible, dehydrating it to make dog food. but put in K e v i n Andreson and the wrong Mark Johnson of equipment.” 3D Idapro said the company is — Mark Johnson, in the second of 3D Idapro part of a three- part plan to miti- gate odors. The fi rst step, completed Sept. 15, was grading the site, eliminating pot holes on the property to reduce standing water and to limit potatoes spilling out of the trucks and decomposing on the ground, which they said had contributed to the smell. In the second phase, which they expect to complete by Sunday, Oct. 15, they plan to enclose the receiving area, to reduce the odors to surrounding areas as the potatoes dry. This will include putting up a large tent in the receiving area. They said they have also established an odor mitigation system called “Odor Boss,” which is supposed to neutralize odors in the area. The fi nal phase, scheduled for comple- tion Nov. 30, is the installation of a new air scrubber. The old scrubber, which was too small, was damaged in a fi re at the plant in February. “The installation of the new unit will signifi cantly reduce the smells as the plant operates,” Andreson said. See SMELL/8A Councilor’s comments highlight fears of coming out National Coming Out Day is Wednesday By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian When fi lmmaker Joe Wilson, a gay man who makes documentaries about members of the LGBTQ community, began arguing with a man on Facebook about transgender discrimination, it was hardly his fi rst time dealing with angry comments about gay and transgender people. As the confrontation escalated, however, and Wilson clicked on the man’s profi le, he was alarmed to see that the man he was arguing with — Lou Nakapalau — was an Echo city councilor. “When you croak of AIDS (Anally Injected Death Serum) I’ll spit on your grave,” Nakapalau wrote, adding an anti-gay slur. As the LGBTQ community and their allies prepare to celebrate National Coming Out Day on Wednesday, Wilson said the fact that a city offi cial would feel so comfortable saying things on a public Facebook page shows how much work remains to help people feel safe coming out as LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer). “It’s taking a big step in life, if you know people have that kind of horrifi c and visceral reaction that can have very dangerous consequences,” he said. It can set a tone for other people in a community to feel that they can See LGBTQ/8A EO fi le photo In this June 11 fi le photo, Vickie Hendricks of Pendleton holds a sign with a Rev. Martin Luther King quote on it during The Equal- ity March for Pride and Unity in Pendleton.
