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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (July 6, 2018)
CHILD DROWNS IN POOL OSU’S ABEL TOP FROSH LIFE IN TRUMP’S CABINET REGION/3A SPORTS/1B NATION/6A FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2018 142nd Year, No. 185 Your Weekend • • • One dollar WINNER OF THE 2017 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD HERMISTON Wildhorse Pow Wow all weekend in Mission EO Playboys rock out Saturday in Echo Movie in the park in Pendleton, Ione For times and places see Coming Events, 6A Weekend Weather Fri Sat Sun 92/57 84/55 90/60 Staff photo by E.J. Harris Pruitt EPA leader Pruitt resigns Customer Kricket Nicholson grabs her sandwich as Patrick Hunt, owner of the Southern Twain BBQ food cart, stamps her punch card on Thursday in Pendleton. Hunt, a Hermiston resident, wanted to open his cart in Hermiston but could not due to the city’s limited licenses. Food trucks on the table City reconsidering restrictive rules that limit operation and number of licenses By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt resigned Thursday amid ethics investigations of outsized security spend- ing, first-class flights and a sweetheart condo lease. With Pruitt’s departure, President Donald Trump loses an administrator many conservatives regarded as one of the more effective members of his Cabinet. But Pruitt had also been dogged for months by scandals that spawned more than a dozen federal and congressional investigations. Talking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump con- tinued to praise his scan- dal-plagued EPA chief, say- ing there was “no final straw” and he had not asked See EPA/8A igo Garcia is a lucky man — he has one of only three mobile food vending licenses available in Hermiston. Every morning he drives his taco truck down from Pasco and parks across the street from the Hermiston post office, laying out food and firing up the grill in time to open by 10 a.m. Cus- tomers park in the public lot there and order up tacos, carne asada, torta and more to eat in their cars or sitting on their tailgates. Garcia opened Tacos Gar- cia less than two years ago, but before that he spent years cook- R Staff photo by E.J. Harris Alex Benitez, left, and Javier Diaz fill orders in a Tacos Xavi food cart on Wednesday in Butte Park during the Fourth of July Celebration in Hermiston. ing in restaurants and at home. “I’ve been doing this all my life,” he said. He’s grateful to have the opportunity to operate in Herm- iston, but he said some of the city’s rules for mobile food ven- dors make it difficult. He can’t provide anywhere for customers to sit, for example, and he has to drive his truck back up to Pasco each night. “I don’t understand why they say I have to move,” he said. The Hermiston City Council adopted a mobile food vending ordinance in 2013 after months of study and debate. Food trucks are required to move each night, are subject to certain design and safety standards, must pro- vide parking and can’t provide seating. When the rules were put into place, 10 food trucks were oper- ating in town. The council said once the city issued its first round of $500-per-year licenses that would be the number of licenses available in the city. Only three of the businesses chose to obtain a license, and since then new vendors can only open in Herm- iston if another truck closes and gives up its license. See TRUCKS/8A Hermiston watermelons In-development solar farm nearing another harvest PENDLETON gets complaints over glare By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian Commuters making the eastbound trip into Pend- leton are reporting being greeted with more than the “Welcome to Pendleton” sign. As Cypress Creek Renewables continues to install solar panels along the southern slope of the Airport Hill, driv- ers are saying early morn- ing sunshine reflecting off the panels is temporar- ily blinding them on their way into town. Pendleton Airport Man- ager Steve Chrisman said he has fielded complaints himself and forwarded them on to Cypress Creek. For the company’s part, a Cypress Creek spokes- man said it’s taking the Famously sweet summertime treat just about ready By GEORGE PLAVEN EO Media Group Staff photo by E.J. Harris Sunlight reflects off of solar panels being assem- bled on the west side of Pendleton on Tuesday as eastbound traffic drives down Interstate 84. complaints seriously. “All of our projects meet FAA standards for no hazard of glare,” Cypress Creek Public Relations Director Jeff McKay said in as statement. “Photo- voltaic panels are designed to absorb as much light as possible and are treated with an anti-glare coat- ing. Reflective light from photovoltaic solar installa- tions is shown to be sim- ilar to that of a flat body of water and well below See GLARE/8A One of Eastern Oregon’s most popular — and deli- cious — crops is back in season. Famous Hermiston watermelons are nearing harvest as summer tem- peratures rise into the 90s and triple digits. High heat should help to ripen the fruit quickly, and growers antic- ipate they will begin pick- ing in earnest between July 10-15. “I think we’re pretty much on schedule,” said Patrick Walchli, with Wal- chli Farms. “Quality-wise, it’s by all indications look- ing pretty good, as far as the fruit set.” Hermiston watermelons may be a niche crop in terms of overall acres, with about 750 total, but figure promi- nently in the city’s identity and civic pride. Driving north into town on Highway 395, the Herm- iston logo emblazoned on the water tower features a watermelon backdrop along with the slogan, “Where Life is Sweet.” And it isn’t just the locals who have a sweet tooth for Hermiston melons. Shop- pers can find the specially branded fruit in Portland, Seattle and all across the West Coast. Some ship- ments have even gone as far as Texas and Georgia. The secret lies in the region’s sandy soil and des- ert climate, which provides a perfect combination of hot, dry days and cool nights. See SWEETNESS/8A
