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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 10, 2017)
REGION Friday, November 10, 2017 East Oregonian Page 3A Groups ask governor to reopen wolf killing case By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian An alliance of conservation groups is asking Oregon Gov. Kate Brown to reopen the state’s inves- tigation into the killing of a female wolf Oct. 27 in Union County. Brian Scott, a 38-year-old elk hunter from Clackamas, shot the wolf after he claims the animal charged him, though critics argue that photos released by Oregon State Police directly contradict that story. The groups — 18 in all — sent a letter Thursday to Gov. Brown requesting that OSP reopen the case, with independent oversight from the Office of the Attorney General and full cooperation from the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. “Enforcement of Oregon’s wild- life laws is crucial to deter criminals and to protect our state’s most vulnerable species,” the letter reads. “A failure to hold OSP accountable in this case could set a dangerous precedent and send a message that Oregon will look the other way when it comes to illegally killing wolves and other wildlife.” A spokesman for the governor’s office did not return calls by press time. In a recent interview with the Capital Press, an EO Media Group newspaper, Scott said he screamed when he saw the wolf charging him, pulled up his rifle and fired a single shot. The 83-pound female was associated with the OR-30 pair of wolves occupying the Starkey and Ukiah wildlife management units, straddling Umatilla and Union counties. Scott said he feared for his life, and felt he would have been mauled had he not shot. “I take no pride in this at all,” Scott said. “The only thing I’m happy about is I made it home to my wife and two children.” The complete account is on Page 10C of today’s newspaper. However, as the groups point out, photos show the bullet passed through the wolf’s shoulders, an indication that maybe the animal was standing broadside to Scott rather than running directly at him. The evidence “casts serious doubt on both the hunter’s story and OSP’s interpretation of the evidence,” the letter states. The Union County District Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute Scott, chalking up the incident to self-defense. It is illegal to kill wolves in Oregon except in defense of human life or to protect livestock under a specific set of circumstances. “Self-defense claims are difficult to substantiate in cases like this,” the letter goes on. “We are not questioning that the hunter may have felt fearful. We are, however, questioning his story that he shot the wolf while it was running toward him. We are questioning OSP’s official report of the incident, which corroborated the hunter’s story even though the evidence suggested otherwise. And we are questioning the Union County District Attor- ney’s decision not to prosecute.” Scott told the Capital Press he cannot explain the bullet’s trajectory and does not know if the animal veered sideways as he shot. He said the moment makes him almost nauseous, and it will be something he has to live with the rest of his life. Steve Pedery, conservation director for Oregon Wild, said the physical evidence raises a red flag and he does not want to see self-de- fense become a “get out of jail free card” for potential poachers. “It’s irresponsible of ODFW and OSP to let this stand, if the physical evidence contradicts it,” Pedery said. In addition to Oregon Wild, groups that signed on to the letter include the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife and Endangered Species Coalition, among others. ——— Contact George Plaven at gplaven@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0825. PENDLETON Indian restaurant reopens as Flavors of India East Oregonian Indian food is back in Pendleton with the same ownership and location, but under a different name. Owners Surya and Andrea Das opened Flavors of India at 103 S.E. Court Ave., the same spot where Govinda’s Garden opened two years ago. Surya Das thinks he’s zeroed in on what made the family’s first foray into Indian dining unsuccessful. “In this cowboy town, vegetarian (cuisine) isn’t the right option,” he said. Govinda’s Garden opened in Pendleton in 2015, the restaurant acting not only as the city’s only Indian restaurant, but also as its only completely vegetarian eatery. The couple moved Govinda’s Garden to College Place at the end of 2016 and an Italian restaurant named Fattonies took its place last summer. Das said it was difficult to manage businesses in two separate towns at once — the Dases also own The Marigold Hotel connected to the restaurant space — and traveling between Pendleton and College Place was made harder Photo by Antonio Sierra The restaurant at 103 S.E. Court Ave. relaunched as Flavors of India Nov. 2. Photo contributed by Milne McLaughlin during a heavy winter. When Fattonies folded after Round-Up, the family retook the space and converted it back to an Indian restaurant. When the space reopened Nov. 2 it was rechristened Flavors of India, a move meant to disassociate the restaurant with vegetarian cuisine. The restaurant now has several chicken dishes including curry, korma and masala. Flavors of India is a buffet during lunchtime and a traditional restaurant during the evenings. Flavors of India is one of six business licenses the city of Pendleton issued in October. Below are the rest of the business names, their physical or mailing address and their owner or contact person. • Southern Twine, 615 W. Highland Ave., Hermiston, Patrick Hunt • Moeuth Soeum, 8 S.E. Dorion Ave., Moe Pho • Eastern Oregon Mechanical, P.O. Box 1377, Hermiston • Lawn CH, 1901 N.W. 56th Ave., Stephen Lawn • Alphabet School, 920 S.W. Frazer Ave. Vogler named Realtor of the year Pendleton real estate agent Matt Vogler receives the Umatilla County Board of Realtors’ 2017 Realtor of the Year Award from Milne McLaughlin, principal broker with the Pendleton-based Clark Jennings & Associates. The local board reported it selected Vogler for his dedication, willingness to work hard with other brokers and community service. Comfort Food at Hamley Steakhouse Umatilla County Fire District wins state award By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN East Oregonian They’re a freshman orga- nization, but the Umatilla County Fire District received a statewide honor at its board meeting this Wednesday — the Oregon Fire District of the Year award. “We were nominated this year at the Oregon Fire District Directors Associa- tion conference,” said Chief Scott Stanton. Stanton said he wasn’t involved with the process, but the district was nominated for a variety of successful endeavors, including contri- butions to the community and facilitating internal growth. “We’re a brand-new district, and that went fairly smoothly,” he said. He also attributed the award to programs like the commu- nity paramedic service, which allows the district to partner with Good Shepherd Medical Center to provide preventative treatment, as well as the construction of the four-story drill tower and the district’s cooperation with local schools teaching home and fire safety. “This award was made possible by all the members of the district including the board of the directors and the great support of our citizens,” Stanton said via email. “It truly is an award for our district members and the public.” ——— Contact Jayati Ramakrishnan at jramakrishnan@eastorego- nian.com or 541-564-4534 NEW WINTER MENU Three all time favorites are back! Hamley Signature Meatloaf, Chicken and Gravy and the Hot Ride 8 SE COURT, PENDLETON 541.278.1100 H AMLEY S teakhouse & S aloon OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT CLASSES N OVEMBER 17 TH • 1:00 & 6:00 Best Western PM 2255 S Hwy 395, Hermiston Multi-state: $80 or Oregon only: $45.00 Required class to get an Oregon or 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 360.921.2071 FirearmTrainingNW.com : FirearmTrainingNW@gmail.com I NTRODUCING e-Edition AVAILABLE EACH MORNING BY 5:30 A.M. Access is included. Read the East Oregonian early in the morning each publication day with our e-Edition. Full access to this exact digital replica of the newspaper is included in your subscription. It’s easy to access! %CNN, ext. 1 Monday through Friday 8 a.m.– 5 p.m. and we’ll help you set up your e-Edition and EastOregonian.com access. Or go to EastOregonian.com and click on “Login” in the upper lefthand corner to login, or activate your online ÃÕLÃVÀ«ÌvÀÌ iwÀÃÌÌi° Questions? Call, email circulation@eastoregonian.com or stop by 211 SE Byers Ave. in Pendleton, or 333 E. Main St. in Hermiston during business hours. P HONAK D IRECT C ONNECTIVITY H EARING A IDS • Direct connectivity to any cell phone * • Hearing aids used as a wireless head- set for hands-free calls • Excellent TV sound quality1 with hearing aids turned into wireless TV headphones Phonak direct connectivity hearing aids offer universal connectivity to any cell phone* regardless of the brand or operating system. With direct connectivity hearing aids, Phonak offers a solution that provides true hands-free functionality just like a Bluetooth® wireless headset. 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