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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 14, 2018)
REGION Wednesday, February 14, 2018 East Oregonian Page 3A Carbon sequestration proposed Board accepts as ‘cap-and-trade’ alternative PHS principal’s PENDLETON By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Bureau SALEM — Oregon’s forestry and environmental regulators would study “sequestering” carbon as a possible alternative to penalizing emissions under a bill before the House Agricul- ture Committee. Lawmakers are currently debating a controversial and prominent “cap-and- trade” proposal under which companies that exceed a ceiling on carbon emis- sions could buy credits from those that fall below it. Timber companies and several lawmakers are advocating for a less publicized carbon-related bill that would require the Department of Environmental Quality and Department of Forestry to evaluate using “natural ecosystems” to absorb and store carbon while promoting economic develop- ment, as well as using tax incentives for companies to reduce carbon emissions. Under House Bill 4109, the study would also examine “regional approaches” to reduce carbon emissions “other than adopting or participating in a greenhouse cap-and-trade system.” Oregon’s annual wildfires emit more carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, fine particulates and volatile organic compounds than industrial sources or vehicles, said Rep. David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford, the bill’s chief sponsor. Supporters of HB 4109 argue it would encourage discussions about thinning over-stocked federal lands that are prone to catastrophic forest fires. There’s also an opportunity to direct harvested timber toward novel products such as “cross-laminated timber,” or resignation Courtesy Oregon Department of Forestry As Democrats in the Legislature propose a “cap-and-trade” carbon mea- sure, timber companies and several lawmakers are advocating for a bill that would require the Department of Environmental Quality and Depart- ment of Forestry to evaluate using “natural ecosystems” to absorb and store carbon as an alternative. CLT, which is used for larger-scale buildings. These objectives can be accom- plished without sacrificing “viewsheds” or native fish — otherwise, projects would just wind up in court, said Ken Humberston, a member of the Clack- amas County Board of Commissioners. However, the bill encountered some mild criticism from the Nature Conser- vancy, an environmental nonprofit. While the group supports carbon sequestration to fight climate change, the science isn’t yet conclusive as to the best return-on-investment for carbon sequestration, said Catherine Macdonald, its Oregon conservation director. The study should be expanded to include Oregon State University and to examine the most effective methods to increase carbon sequestration, she said. A work session on HB 4109 is sched- uled for Feb. 15, which is the legislative deadline for the proposal to be approved by the House Agriculture Committee. BRIEFLY Boardman overpass repaired, traffic back to normal BOARDMAN — The Interstate 84 overpass at exit 164 in Boardman and the eastbound lanes of the freeway were re-opened to regular traffic Monday after a week of work and final inspections. The bridge that connects north and south Boardman had been restricted to one lane controlled by flaggers since Monday, Feb. 5, when several girders on the underside of the overpass were damaged by an over- sized load on the freeway. According to the Oregon Department of Transporta- tion, the eastbound freeway lane closure was needed to facilitate repair work. ODOT bridge crew members chipped out the damaged concrete, constructed forms around the girder sections and pumped new material into the forms to complete the repair. Jeremy Wolf wins BOT runoff election After an extended campaign season, voters approved Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Board of Trustees Vice Chair Jeremy Wolf to keep his seat. According to a CTUIR press release, Wolf won a runoff election Monday against challenger Shana Radford 375-277 more than three months after the two candidates deadlocked at 370 votes a piece in the November election. In accordance with tribal law, Wolf continued his duties as vice-chair but wasn’t sworn in for another term along with the rest of the eight-person board in late November. Wolf will be formally sworn in at a ceremony at the Nixyaawii Governance Center General Council Chambers on Friday at 9 a.m. Under tribal government, the General Council is comprised of all tribal members 18 years and over and has its own officers. The General Council elects the Board of Trustees, the governing body who set policy and make final decisions on tribal affairs. Fire at River Point Farms damages building HERMISTON — Umatilla County Fire District crews knocked down a fire that broke out he continued, is two board members are behind Gree- nough’s resignation, but he Pendleton High School did not identify who. “I’m here to tell you principal Dan Greenough drew supporters urging the it’s causing distrust in our school board to hold off on community,” he asserted. Lauren Richards, PHS accepting his resignation. The pleadings did not student body president, said students respect Greenough work. Greenough, now in and he has established a his fifth year as principal, practice of asking seniors submitted his resignation their opinions and their plans for the last month. The future. That move drew shows he cares speculation from about students, some community she said. members about No one why he wanted from the board to step down responded to any effective June of the comments. 20, including The speakers Pendleton busi- and several ness owner Andy others, including McAnally, who Greenough supporters who last week posted a letter to the school board kept quiet, left the meeting on his Facebook page ques- moments later. The board tioning why Greenough was voted 7-0 to accept the personnel report, which leaving. Greenough’s Greenough has not included returned calls from the resignation. The district has posted East Oregonian and did not attend Monday the job opening, and Gree- responsibilities night’s board meeting. But nough’s McAnally and two more expanded to include over- Greenough supporters seeing the Pendleton Tech- nology and Trade Center, addressed the board. PHS administrative which houses Hawthorne secretary Becky Anderson Alternative High School said if any board member and some of the district’s was the cause of the resig- career technical education nation, now was the time to programs. The board also held do better. She also praised a closed-door meeting Greenough as principal. McAnally stepped up to discuss the evaluation next. He handed board of Superintendent Chris members copies of the Fritsch, who has been on district policy outlining the job since last summer. their duties, sat at the mic After the meeting, the board voted 7-0 to extend and read through the list. “The requirements of Fritsch’s contract a third the school board do not — I year, through June 2020, repeat, do not — require along with extending the intervening in the adminis- termination without cause clause of the contract from tration,” he said. The public perception, six months to one year. By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian Photo contributed by Oregon Department of Transportation Work crews repair the damaged overpass above Inter- state 84 in Boardman. Tuesday afternoon inside a building at the River Point Farms processing plant. The building, on East Walls Road, was undergoing some maintenance work when a small fire broke out in the roof and walls. The fire caused about $2,000 worth of damage. Battalion Chief J.W. Roberts said the fire was caused by someone cutting metal during the mainte- nance work. He said the fire took between 10 and 20 minutes to extinguish. Food for Fines benefits area needy People who have racked up library fines can receive forgiveness while helping others in need. Organized by the Umatilla County Special Library District, area libraries are participating in Food for Fines. Patrons can gather up overdue books or other library materials (CDs, DVDs and magazines) or settle up with their local library to take care of fines by making a non-perishable food donation. Food received during the program, which runs from Feb. 19-28, will be distributed to the nearest food bank. Each food item donated will forgive $1 in fines, up to $5. Donations will waive library fines only — the program doesn’t include fees for lost or damaged items. Donated food needs to be in its original packaging. Glass containers, outdated items and opened packages will not be accepted. This library community food drive presents a great opportunity for residents to give back to the community and learn about the programs and resources libraries have to offer, said Erin McCusker, UCSLD director. Area libraries participating in the program include all public libraries in Umatilla County. For more information, contact McCusker at 541-276-6449, director@ ucsld.org or stop by your local library. Meeting provides information about dyslexia PENDLETON — Parents, educators and friends are invited to learn more about dyslexia. Decoding Dyslexia Oregon is a grassroots movement that is driven by a need for conversations with school districts and policy makers regarding dyslexia. The goal is to raise awareness, empower families to support their children and improve resources for students with dyslexia. An informational meeting is Thursday, Feb. 22 from 5:30-7 p.m. at InterMountain Education Service District, 2001 S.W. Nye Ave., Pendleton. People can provide input regarding establishing a regular meeting time. Scott Smith, a regional instructional coach with ESD, will facilitate the discussion. In addition to sharing about the needs of the community, participants can gain support from others. For more information, contact Smith at scott. smith@imesd.k12.or.us or 1-888-437-6892. For more about the grassroots effort, visit www. decodingdyslexiaor.org. Education foundation seeks scholarship applicants HERMISTON — The Hermiston Education Foundation will award eight scholarships of $2,500 each to 2018 Hermiston High School seniors. Important factors in the evaluation of applicants include academic scholarship, community service, leadership and financial need. The nonprofit organization started its scholarship program in the spring of 2017. HEF also awards grants to district personnel for projects that enhance the educational experience of students. The application is due by Friday, March 23, with interviews to follow. Applications are available at the high school counseling office. For more information, visit www.hermistoneducation foundation.org, call George Clough at 541-314-3182 or write HEF, P.O. Box 1096, Hermiston, OR 97838. ——— Briefs are compiled from staff and wire reports, and press releases. Email press releases to news@ eastoregonian.com The Place for Lovebirds 2/14 Cineplex Show Times $5 Classic Movie • 12:00 PM An Affair to Remember Fifty Shades Freed (R) 4:50 7:20 9:50 Peter Rabbit (PG) 4:30 7:00 9:20 The 15:17 To Paris (PG13) 4:40 7:10 9:30 Winchester (PG13) 4:20 6:40 9:10 Hostiles (R) 4:00 6:50 9:40 * Matinee Pricing wildhorseresort.com 541-966-1850 Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216 W ednesday , F ebruary 14 Valentine Dinner Specials Special entine Val Bleu Cheese Topped Sirloin etiz App ers & Fire Roasted Salmon Desserts with Mango Salsa CALL FOR RESERVATIONS 541.278.1100 PENDLETON Violent crime rises, property crimes fall By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian Violent crime in Pend- leton rose 48 percent from 2015 to 2016, according to the city police department’s latest crime report. Pendleton police collects the crime data the FBI uses in its National Incident Based Reporting System, which tracks 49 crime categories. For that reason, Pendleton Police Chief Stuart Roberts explained the data is a year old when the FBI releases it. Pendleton police inves- tigated 46 violent crimes in 2016, 15 more than the year before. The department handled four rapes in 2015 but 11 in 2016. Three of those met the definition for forcible rape, according to the report, while the others were statutory in nature, meaning they involved people under 18 years who are more than three years apart in age. The department also saw an increase of aggravated assault for the second year in a row: nine in 2014, 20 in 2015, and 32 in 2016 Larceny, however, fell from 637 cases to 435, and overall property crime dropped 17 percent. The Pendleton Police department has 24 officers, one more than what it had in 1968. The report shows total calls for service rose almost 7 percent to 20,403. Roberts also advised crime data “is merely a reflection of outcomes” and ”does not necessarily repre- sent the true picture.” While the statistics have value, he cautioned they “should not be used to evaluate, rank or compare the effectiveness of an entity or agency in and of themselves.” STUDENT OF THE WEEK Riley Lankford Senior - Pilot Rock HS Senior Riley Lankford is the Pilot Rock High School Student of the Week. Riley is a friend to all and meets everyone with a smile. He is an excellent student and is involved in many activities around the school including leadership, National Honor Society and various sports. One activity he proudly started is “Cookies with God,” a non-denominational group of students and adults who meet at lunchtime once a week. Staff and students can depend on Riley to be a positive mentor in all aspects of school. Congratulations Riley! 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