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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (April 21, 2018)
REGION Saturday, April 21, 2018 City Council candidates talk taxes and budget at forum By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian With less than a week to go before ballots go out, four candidates for Pendleton City Council had a literal platform to share their platform. At a city council forum hosted by the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce at the Pendleton High School audi- torium, Ward 1 candidates Chuck LeValle and Carole Innes and at-large candidates Jake Cambier and Rex More- house shared the spotlight. Following brief opening statements, the candidates answered audience questions about taxes, water and the Oregon State University Extension District ballot measure. Morehouse approached his time on the microphone with bravado, contrasting himself with Cambier, the incumbent councilor and a retired radiologist. “If I wanted to go to a doctor, I’d go to Jake,” he said. “But if I wanted to know anything about city government, I’d go to me.” Morehouse said Pendle- ton’s tax burden was higher compared to elsewhere in the county and he would hire an “efficiency expert” to help the city save money. “I think an efficiency expert would be the greatest thing Pendleton has ever done,” he said. Cambier said he’s felt the effect of the city’s recent spate of water rate increases, adding that his base rate his risen from $50 per month to $74. He said the city needed the money to repair its aging water infrastructure, but promoted Helping Hands’ utility assistance program for families living below the poverty line. A retired auditor, Innes said the city has done “a darn good job” in keeping employment levels static among the municipal work- force and commended the “historical things” going on at the Pendleton Unmanned Aerial Systems Range. Given a look at the city’s budget at a recent council workshop, Innes said the city should raise revenues rather than cut costs. LeValle, a hospital lab technician who was appointed to the council in March, didn’t want to impose any new taxes on residents and said the city needed to grow their tax base by capturing the professionals who commuted into town from elsewhere in the county. When talking with other residents, LeValle said he grows frustrated when people talk about all the amenities in Hermiston. “I tell them, ‘They’re building it with our dollars,” he said. Toward the end of the forum, a man in the audience asked Cambier why he voted with the rest of the council to put the OSU Extension District measure on the ballot. Rather than an endorse- ment, Cambier said it was a procedural move to allow Pendleton residents to vote on the matter. He compared it to marijuana sales, an issue the council was poised to ban outright before public outcry led members to put it on the ballot. Although neither were involved with the council at the time, both Innes and LeValle said they would have both voted to put the measure on the ballot, although the latter called the measure a “shell game.” When audience members began argue with each other over the extension district, Megan Lauer, the chamber’s interim executive director, firmly ended the event. Lauer said the chamber was unable to get in contact with the third Ward 1 council candidate, David Chorazy. ATHENA — A white Jacobite Rose imported from Scotland will be planted in Hesketh Rose Garden in Athena City Park. The flower has been a longtime Scottish symbol of freedom, said Sue Friese, Athena Caledonian Games president. The rose, donated by the Scottish Country Shop of Portland, is being planted in memory of Mark Seltmann, former vice president of Athena Caledonian Games. The public is invited to a special ceremony Sunday at 3 p.m. at Athena City Park. The event will include a piping tune, created in dedication to Seltmann by Eric Albert of Eugene, which will be played electronically. Also, the Inland Northwest Musicians Chorale will perform “Morning Has Broken” and “Sky Boat Song.” For more information, contact Friese at athenacaledoniangames@gmail.com. thank you Sponsors The Umatilla County Historical Society extends a warm thank you to the families, individuals and businesses who sponsored our third annual Trivia Games. These generous sponsors ensured the success of this import- ant spring fundraiser. Trivia Games provides an evening of fun, food, and mind-stretching questions, which highlight the heritage and diversity of Umatilla County and Oregon. Drug Takeback Day aims to limit improper access to prescription medication By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN East Oregonian Local businesses and police departments are working to make a dent in the opioid epidemic by limiting its primary source — the home medicine cabinet. Next Saturday, April 28, is National Prescription Drug Takeback Day, and people can get rid of unused pills at several locations throughout Umatilla and Morrow counties. Boardman and Pilot Rock will set up temporary drop-off locations, and there are permanent disposal boxes in the Hermiston and Pend- leton police departments, Hermiston’s courthouse, the Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center in Pendleton and Carlson’s Drug in Umatilla. Mike Stensrud, the prescription drug overdose prevention coordinator for Eastern Oregon, said the temporary disposal options are important, but he is working to expand perma- nent disposal locations around Eastern Oregon as well. Right now, he said, several larger cities in the area do not have permanent disposal boxes, including Milton-Freewater, Baker City and Ontario. “I’m actively seeking a pharmacy or police depart- ment in those locations to take on the responsibility of providing such an important community resource,” Sten- Congressman Greg Walden, center, discusses signal sidearm, a camera that acti- vates when officers draw their guns, with Captain Scott Clark, right, and Chief Ja- son Edmiston on a visit to the Hermiston Police Department on Friday. srud said in an email. “We’re looking to avoid drug abuse as well as accidental overdoses by children. To a child, one or two opioid pills is enough to cause death.” Stensrud said national surveys on drug use and health show that drug dealers are not the primary cause of opioid distribution. According to the survey, he said, those misusing opioids get them from a friend or a relative 70 percent of a time, and a doctor 19 percent of the time. “A drug dealer is only used four percent of the time,” he said. “So, it becomes apparent that getting rid of these dangerous medications properly is imperative in beginning to control the root of the problem.” But Stensrud said the problem extends beyond opioids, to any medication that can be easily abused. TRIVIA GAMES 2018 108 SW Frazer Avenue • Pendleton, Oregon 97801 541-276-0012 • www.heritagestationmuseum.org All medications, he said, can be disposed of at those drop-off locations. Rep. Greg Walden stopped in Hermiston on Friday, to discuss opioid abuse and prevention in Umatilla County. He talked with police chief Jason Edmiston about some of the challenges of reporting overdoses publicly, and Edmiston discussed some of the dangers for police offi- cers, such as fentanyl — a synthetic opioid that can be fatal if handled. Walden is chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which is currently holding hearings on the opioid crisis. He said he hopes for a vote on a group of bills aimed at opioid abuse prevention in May. Edmiston said in 2017 the Umatilla County Fire Department administered 30 doses of naloxone, a drug that reverses overdoses on prescription painkillers, heroin and fentanyl, and can save lives. “I fully expect to see that double,” Edmiston said. Walden said Oregon just received another $6.5 million from the 21st Century Cures Act this week, which he said will go toward fighting opioid abuse in rural areas. He said he recently finished a series of panels about opioid use, the most recent focusing on families who have lost children. “It helps us better under- stand what we need to try and change, legislatively,” he said. Edmiston said he would like to see pharmacies take a more active role in stopping over-prescription. “They see it — they can report it,” he said. Copper wire theft estimated at $10,000 at McNary Substation UMATILLA — Thieves who broke into the McNary Substation in Umatilla last weekend stole 29 copper ground wires, threatening both the safety of Bonne- ville Power Administration employees and endangering the equipment. According to the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office, sometime between April 13-16 thieves with knowledge of the substation and its oper- ation cut the cyclone security fence to get in, then cut multiple copper cables. The value of the cables and cost of the damage done is estimated to be more than $10,000. The station is the entry point from McNary Dam into the regional power grid. A BPA employee noticed the theft of the cables Monday, and each is marked with the words “Bonneville Power Administration” that can been seen when they are unfurled. “This is a serious concern on several levels,” said Doug Dailey, BPA physical security specialist, in a news release. “The number of copper grounds stolen creates a safety issue for our transmission employees and could have caused significant damage to equipment had it not been discovered.” Power transmission was not interrupted and the BPA is still determining what repairs and security measures need to be taken. Dailey said this is one of four similar thefts at substa- tions in the area in the past few months. On the weekend of April 6-9 a similar report was taken at the Umatilla Electric Company power transfer station on Despain Gulch Road in Stanfield. The thieves again seemed to have knowl- edge of the station, cut the padlock on the security gate and cut multiple grounding cables. Those cables had no security markings. Anyone with information about the theft is encouraged to contact the sheriff’s office at 541-966-3600. Cinco de Mayo Train Ride! Delicious Mexican Food Fantastic Grande Ronde Scenery! May 5, 11 a.m. Elgin, Oregon Mother’s Day Brunch May 13 Book online, eaglecaptrainrides.com or call 800.323.7330 4/23-24 4/20-22 Cineplex Show Times Cineplex Show Times $5 Classic Movie • 4/25 • 12:00 PM $5 Classic Movie • 4/25 • 12:00 PM The Big Chill I Feel Pretty (PG13) 4:40 7:10 9:40 The Big Chill I Feel Pretty (PG13) 11:40* 2:10* 4:40 7:10 9:40 Rampage (PG13) 7:30 • 3D 5:10 10:00 Rampage (PG13) 12:20* 2:40* 7:30 • 3D 5:10 10:00 Blumehouse’s Truth or Dare (PG13) 5:00 7:20 9:50 Blumehouse’s Truth or Dare (PG13) 12:10* 2:30* 5:00 7:20 9:50 A Quiet Place (PG13) 4:50 7:00 9:30 A Quiet Place (PG13) 12:00* 2:20* 4:50 7:00 9:30 Blockers (R) 4:30 6:50 9:20 Blockers (R) 11:50* 2:10* 4:30 6:50 9:20 * Matinee Pricing * Matinee Pricing wildhorseresort.com • 541-966-1850 wildhorseresort.com • 541-966-1850 Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216 Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216 Accepting New Patients GOLD LEVEL SPONSORS Harriet Isom • Mike & Jill Thorne SILVER LEVEL SPONSORS Jake & Cathy Cambier Cayuse Technologies Al & Tara Meunier George & Donna Murdock David & Alice Nelson Mack Temple RBH Group Tom & Patti Winn Page 3A The safe way to clear the medicine cabinet East Oregonian Everything’s roses with Caledonian games East Oregonian Thank you to local business owners, industry leaders, and trades union representatives. Together we can promote a homegrown workforce by letting youth know about career opportunities available right here in Eastern Oregon. CAPECO WorkSource Oregon Pendleton Parks and Recreation Portland General Electric Pendleton Bottling Company-Pepsi Umatilla County Eastern Oregon Correctional Institute Job Corps Newly Wed Foods Ironworkers Local Union 29 Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center Pendleton UAS Range Michael Breiling Umatilla County Public Health April Rabb Interior Design McCormack Construction Pendleton Center for the Arts Oregon Department of Transportation Umatilla County CDDP US Army Corps of Engineers Intermountain ESD Prodigal Son Eastern Oregon University Pendleton School District Hill Law Offi ce ROTC Pendleton Police Department Round Up City Plumbing Sign Men Smith Frozen Foods Wildhorse Pendleton Chamber of Commerce St. Anthony Hospital CTUIR Oregon State Police Oregon East Symphony Pendleton Whiskey Fest Umatilla County CARE Program Pendleton Psychiatric Services Pratt Dental Cuelo Properties US Army Corp of Engineers Ziegler’s Thompson RV Alex Muller Cabinets Kevin Porter Pacifi c Ag Kruse Construction Heritage Station Museum Interpath IUOE Local 701 Kirby Nagelhout Construction LiUNA OHSU Oregon Army National Guard Plumbers and Steam Fitters Praxis Medical Group RDO We are open from 7:30am - 4:30pm M-Th McEntire Dental 1100 Southgate, Suite 3 Pendleton OR 97801 541.276.5272
