46/42
GOVERNMENT
SHUTDOWN
COMES TO END
GET READY
TO LAUGH AT
WILDHORSE
Prisons
face worker
shortages
NATION/6A
COMMUNITY/5A
OREGON/2A
TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018
142nd Year, No. 69
One dollar
WINNER OF THE 2017 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
HERMISTON
City to take over EOTEC
John Brenne
Longtime
Pendleton
councilor
dies at 73
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
Pendleton city councilor
and senior citizen advocate
John Brenne died Monday
morning of cardiac arrest. He
was 73.
Brenne’s wife, Patricia,
described his death as “a
shock,” but declined to make
further statement.
A 40-year veteran of the
city council, Brenne had
already fi led paperwork to
run for an 11th term in the
upcoming municipal elec-
tion. He represented Ward 1
on the council, which covers
a wide swath of central and
east Pendleton that includes
the downtown area, South
Hill and Riverside.
A city statement on
Brenne’s death described
him as a “fi erce advocate
for seniors and low-income
citizens,” a reputation he
cultivated since he was fi rst
elected in 1978 at the age of
33.
The longtime executive
director of Pendleton’s Foster
Grandparents
program,
Brenne supported creating
a low-cost public transpor-
tation system for seniors.
Other positions Brenne
took during his campaign
included increasing access
for disabled citizens in
public facilities, establishing
a youth center and creating
the Pendleton River Parkway
— seven years before the
fi rst leg of the river walk was
dedicated.
As news spread about
his death Monday, Brenne’s
colleagues and contempo-
raries remembered the city
council stalwart.
Phillip Houk served with
Brenne for 23 years, fi rst as
a fellow member of the city
council and then as mayor
See BRENNE/8A
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
The city of Hermiston and Umatilla County have decided to part ways in the management of the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center
in Hermiston.
Council, commission vote unanimously to end partnership March 1
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
The city of Hermiston will
become the sole owner of the
Eastern Oregon Trade and Event
Center on March 1 — if everything
goes according to plan.
The city council and Umatilla
County Commission each voted
unanimously Monday night to
negotiate a dissolution of the 2013
intergovernmental agreement that
formed EOTEC as a 50/50 partner-
ship and transfer full ownership to
the city.
“This is a little scary, but this
community has never backed down
from a challenge,” Mayor David
Drotzmann said.
Under a proposal presented by
Commissioner George Murdock,
the city would take full ownership
of and liability for EOTEC on
March 1, in addition to taking on
Ott Road and Airport Road that
surround EOTEC. While the city
would immediately be on the hook
for any unanticipated costs such
as a major maintenance problem,
EOTEC proposal:
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Hermiston Mayor Dave Drotzmann lists the benefi ts of moving the
Umatilla County Fair to the new site at EOTEC during a special joint
meeting of the Hermiston City Council and the Umatilla County
Commissioners on Monday in Hermiston.
the county would honor several
commitments it has already made to
the facility.
The county would continue
paying $75,000 toward operations
for fi ve more years. It would also
pay an additional $85,175 in 2018
and $75,399 in 2019 based on an
See EOTEC/8A
• City of Hermiston takes on
full ownership of and liability
for EOTEC in spring 2018
• City of Hermiston takes over
the portions of Ott Road and Air-
port Road surrounding EOTEC
• City of Hermiston agrees to
plan for storage facilities, offi ce
space and conference area for
exclusive use by the Umatilla
County Fair at EOTEC
• Umatilla County continues
paying its annual contribution
of $75,000 through 2022
• Umatilla County pays
$105,000 of construction
cost overruns
• Umatilla County pays
$595,000 toward proposed capi-
tal outlay for equipment, storage
and other needed investments
• Umatilla County pays
$85,175 in 2018 and $75,399
in 2019 to help cover initial
losses predicted by VenuWorks
• Umatilla County Fair lease
increases from $10,000 to
$100,000 per year
PENDLETON
Women’s march shares voice for change
By TAMMY MALGESINI
East Oregonian
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Between 350 and 400 people gathered in front of Pendleton City Hall Saturday
for the Women’s March in Pendleton.
Tears streamed down
the face of Lisa Ganuelas
while waiting for the start of
Saturday’s Women’s March
on Pendleton.
Overwhelmed
by
emotion, Ganuelas said it’s
imperative that all people
recognize that women are
important and women are
strong. Herself included.
The Mission woman is a
proud single mom who has
worked hard to raise her
children. After serving for 17
years as the legislative coor-
dinator for the Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian
Reservation, she now works
construction.
“I watch this president,”
she said, referring to Donald
Trump. “I’m ashamed.”
The march coincided with
the one-year anniversary of
Trump’s inauguration and
women’s marches that were
held around the world last
January — including one in
Pendleton. About 400 people
met outside the Pendleton
City Hall/Library complex.
After several speeches,
participants marched to
the courthouse steps where
several others spoke. The
group
then
continued
marching around the corner
up Main Street to Heritage
Station Museum, where
the event concluded with a
group singalong.
Vickie Read, who helped
organize the Pendleton
march, said there were many
reasons people participated
in the nonpartisan event.
See MARCH/8A