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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (June 16, 2018)
Page 8A BUSINESS East Oregonian Saturday, June 16, 2018 HERMISTON EOT celebrates new building, ownership By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian Eastern Oregon Telecom’s new headquarters are much larger than their previous ones, but it was still crowded on Thursday night as doz- ens of supporters and employ- ees gathered to celebrate the new building. The building wasn’t the only change they were marking. EOT announced two weeks ago that its parent company, Umatilla Electric, had sold it to senior management. “This is exciting new times for all of us for a lot of reasons and I’m so grateful you’re here to cele- brate,” Franell told the group. Longtime members of the “EOT family” came from as far away as Las Vegas, California and Pendleton (which is “at least as far,” Franell joked) to celebrate with drinks and hors de’voeurs and drawings for gift baskets from local businesses who get their internet and phone service through EOT. The new building, located at 2180 S.E. Kelli Blvd. in Hermis- ton behind the old Hermiston Foods plant, provides more office space for staff, extra restrooms, a recep- tion area, increased amenities like a mail room and a large shop that allows the company to park its vehi- cles and equipment indoors and on Staff photo by Jade McDowell Debbie Pedro, left, presents a plaque to Paul Keeler and Joe Franell of Eastern Oregon Telecom at the company’s ribbon cutting for their new building. site. The extra room should come in handy as Eastern Oregon Telecom starts on the new, employee-owned leg of its journey. Franell said the new owners are still consulting with attorneys and employees before deciding how that will work. The company also expects to do some strategic planning before expand- ing into new service areas, which will likely result in additional staff. EOT currently has about 3,500 customers. On Thursday Franell introduced the current staff to attendees before the ribbon cutting ceremony, not- ing their roles in making EOT run smoothly. The senior management team includes Franell, Chief Finan- cial Officer Paul Keeler and Chief Operating Officer Richard Holbo. Franell said when Keeler came to work for EOT he “changed the business forever” and got the com- pany on a strong financial footing. EOT has been providing services since 2001, and Franell said those in the room who had been custom- ers since the beginning knew that they had gone through some rocky times. “For those who have seen the early days, it’s astounding how well we have come along,” he said. He said after years on the Greater Hermiston Area Chamber of Com- merce board, it was fun to be the recipient of one of the chamber’s ribbon-cutting ceremonies for the first time. Chamber director Debbie Pedro said Franell and EOT have always been a “great partner” for the chamber and in the community and it was exciting to see them get such a beautiful new building. “We feel very fortunate, and proud of what you’ve accom- plished,” she said. ——— Contact Jade McDowell at jmc- dowell@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4536. Alcohol study ends due to funding, credibility problems By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer WASHINGTON — The U.S. government is shutting down a study that was supposed to show if a sin- gle drink a day could prevent heart attacks, saying ethical problems with how the research was planned and funded undermine its credibility. The National Institutes of Health used money from the alcohol indus- try to help pay for a study that ulti- mately was expected to cost $100 million. It’s legal for NIH to use industry money in addition to tax- payer dollars for research as long as certain rules are followed. The problem: An NIH investigation con- cluded Friday that a small number of its employees had close contact with industry officials that crossed those lines. Some of those interactions “appear to intentionally bias” the study so that it would have a better chance of showing a benefit from moderate alcohol consumption, said NIH Deputy Director Lawrence Tabak. Those employees, from the NIH’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, then kept their interactions with industry secret, he said, even after the NIH started the normal process for asking compa- nies or other outside groups to help fund a research project. Those actions cast “doubt that the scientific knowledge gained from the study would be actionable or believable,” Tabak told a meeting of the NIH director’s advisers. Another concern: Some outside experts who had reviewed the study plans raised concerns that it was too small and too short to address the potential problems of a daily drink — such as an increased risk of can- cer or heart failure — and not just potential benefits such as a lowered risk of a heart attack. “Purely on scientific grounds, I never really quite understood why this trial was being done,” Dr. M. Roy Wilson of Wayne State Uni- versity told NIH Director Francis Collins after hearing the investiga- tion’s conclusions. People who have a glass or two of wine — himself included, he said — “don’t do it for health reasons.” The research was supposed AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File to track 7,800 people who were assigned to take either a drink a day, or totally abstain, for several years. Only 105 people had enrolled by last month, when Collins tempo- rarily suspended the study after a New York Times article first raised questions about the funding policy violations. On Friday, Collins announced he was completely shutting down the research. A trade war looms as Trump slaps tariffs on Chinese imports WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump brought the world’s two biggest economies to the brink of a trade war Friday by announcing a 25 percent tariff on up to $50 billion in Chinese imports to take effect July 6. Beijing quickly responded that it would retaliate with penalties of the same scale on Ameri- can goods — and it spelled out details to impose tariffs on 545 U.S. exports, includ- ing farm products, autos and seafood, according to the Xinhua state news agency. In announcing the U.S. tariffs, Trump said he was fulfilling a campaign pledge to crack down on what he contends are China’s unfair trade practices and its efforts to undermine U.S. tech- nology and intellectual property. “We have the great brain power in Silicon Valley, and China and others steal those secrets,” Trump said on “Fox & Friends.” “We’re going to protect those secrets. Those are crown jewels for this country.” The prospect of a U.S.- China trade war weighed on financial markets Friday. Your Ears. Your Brain. Your Hearing. Heppner chamber announces summer luncheons HEPPNER — During the summer, the Heppner Cham- ber of Commerce luncheons will occur the first Thursday of the month. The July 5 meeting will include an all-entities report and the Aug. 2 gathering will feature the Greater Eastern Oregon Development Cor- poration, who will discuss the Community Economic Development Strategy for Heppner. The regular sched- ule will resume in September. For more information or to register, contact 541-676- 5536 or heppnerchamber@ centurytel.net. PENDLETON DACHSUNDS ONLY Wiener Dog RACE REGISTRATION Pre-registration $10.00 • Day of Event $15.00 Forms available at CMEO or online at www.cmeo.org SILENT AUCTION • BOUNCY HOUSES • COSTUME CONTEST WITH MUSICAL GUEST: MO PHILLIPS! Proceeds from this event help maintain and update exhibits at the Children’s Museum Questions? contact us at 541.276.1066 or fi nd us on GOLD SPONSORS SILVER SPONSORS CHI St. Anthony Hospital • Dr. Andrew Bower ISU The Stratton Agency • McBee Surgical Clinic Pendleton City Club • Umatilla Electric Cooperative Wheatland Insurance • Wildhorse Resort and Casino McKay Creek Estates We need to talk about your driving. Hearing care wherever you are Driving represents freedom and independence for people of all ages. Asking an aging parent to hand over their keys can be a difficult and emotional conversation, even when safety is the main concern. Sometimes the hearing aid settings you like in the clinic perform differently in your everyday life. Now, instead of waiting until your next clinic visit, you can receive hearing aid adjustments wherever you are. So go ahead and take that trip. Do the things you like to do. Whether on vacation or just leading an active lifestyle, feel confident you’ll receive the adjustments you need to continue enjoying your activities with a simple request to your hearing care professional via the ReSound Smart 3D app. • How do I start the conversation? • When is the right time to bring it up? • How will they react? This could be one of the most challenging talks you’ll have with your loved one. We’re here to help. Call for an appointment to learn more about Brain Hearing and ReSound Remote Assist! 877-794-6355 The Columbia River Indi- an-caught salmon season opens Saturday. Nez Perce, Umatilla, Warm Springs and Yakama fish- ers will make their way to the Columbia River for the open- ing of the first commercial sea- son of 2018. They will harvest sockeye and summer chinook that will be available for pur- chase by the general public. Public sales locations include: Marine Park in Cas- cade Locks, Celilo Park, North Bonneville (one mile east of Bonneville Dam on the Wash- ington side), Hood River area, select farmers markets and Columbia Point in the Tri-Cit- ies. Before traveling to sales locations, the public is encour- aged to call the salmon mar- keting program at 1-888-289- 1855 to find out where the current day’s catch is being sold. When purchasing fish from the tribal fishery, peo- ple should bring a cooler with ice. Prices are set by individual fishers and purchasers should request a receipt. For more information about purchasing fish, visit www.critfc.org/harvest. Reg- ular salmon sales updates also are available on Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Com- mission’s social media sites. 400 BLOCK • MAIN STREET *Frank Lin, M.D., Johns Hopkins and the National Institute on Aging 2237 SW Court Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 Indian fishers salmon sales begin FRIDAY JUNE 22 You hear with your brain, not your ears. Studies show that individuals with hearing loss experience a 30-40 percent accelerated rate of cognitive decline * . This decrease in brain stimulation may contribute to brain atrophy * . The greater the rate of hearing loss the faster the decline of memory and thinking * . Exciting new hearing aid technology works to augment these natural processes for clearer, better hearing, just like the brain intended. Renata Anderson, MA Audiologist AAA Fellow, ASHA Credentialed BRIEFLY Visit TheyDeserveTheBest.com to learn more about transitioning your loved one from driver to passenger. McKay Creek Estates 1601 Southgate Pl. Pendleton, OR 97801 (541) 704-7146 www.PrestigeCare.com
