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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (July 13, 2018)
REGION Friday, July 13, 2018 East Oregonian STANFIELD HERMISTON Odor complaints, citations spike at 3D Idapro Solutions plant By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN East Oregonian A pet food plant in Stan- field has received a string of complaints from citizens who say the odor from the facility is once again perme- ating the air. The 3D Idapro Solutions pet food processing facil- ity, on Hoosier Lane, has been the subject of daily complaints from residents. Since last summer, the facil- ity has had problems with an odor control device, called a scrubber, that burned in a fire at the plant. Though company executives came to Stanfield in October and presented a three-part plan to mitigate odors, citizens have been complaining that odors have gotten worse again. Stanfield City Manager Blair Larsen said in an email to the East Oregonian that the plant is now getting a citation nearly every day. He said he has been in commu- nication with the plant every week for most of the year. “For a 10-day period in early June, they had turned things around, and our com- plaints had dropped to only one or two per day,” Larsen wrote. But since then he said complaints have spiked again. The city continues to rely on their odor nuisance EO file photo The 3D Idapro Solutions plant in Stanfield is receiving nearly a citation a day for odor complaints from residents of the town. ordinance, which states that if the city receives com- plaints about an offen- sive odor from a property in city limits from at least four separate households in a 12-hour period, they can issue a citation. The ordi- nance states that the munic- ipal judge can set the fine anywhere from $0 to $2,000 per occurrence. Larsen said the judge had been escalating the fine, and he heard the most recent ones have been set at close to $500 each. Larsen said the compa- ny’s vice president said they are hiring a new general manager for the site. He said they are also again replac- ing equipment that had pre- viously been fixed, and installing additional equip- ment that will decrease the amount of time the mate- rial sits before going into the dryer. “They are saying that this will result in fresher mate- rial going in, and fresher material means less odor,” Larsen wrote. He said despite the increase in complaints, the city has not changed its process. “Our discussions with our city attorney have indi- cated that we don’t have any other options unless we decide to file a lawsuit against the company. The city council has chosen not to go that route at this time,” Larsen wrote. Some Stanfield resi- dents also started a Face- book group on Wednesday, which states that its purpose is for residents to share ideas and stories, and hopes to end the smell in Stanfield. So far the group, entitled “What’s That Smell!?!” has gathered about 60 members. MILTON-FREEWATER Grove Elementary fixtures go to ‘schoolyard’ sale By SHEILA HAGAR Union-Bulletin Steffany Esser is going in, come dust or shotgun shells. Esser, a social studies teacher at McLoughlin High School, is helping the Milton-Freewater Unified School District clean out Grove Elementary School in preparation for its closure. She will be part of a team of volunteers manning a “schoolyard” sale that starts Friday to sell off aged and unneeded classroom fixtures. The elderly school at 129 S.E. 15th Ave. is slated for demolition in the near future so a soccer complex can be con- structed on its site. Built in 1908 as Milton’s first school and added on to in 1956, the Grove campus is no longer cost-effective to maintain, Superinten- dent Rob Clark said. The district does not have the funds, nor is it reimbursed, for maintaining facilities that have historical signifi- cance, Clark added, noting the property will continue to serve Milton-Freewa- ter children as a soccer field. The town and district have moved on to prepare for the completion of the Gib Olinger Elementary School a few blocks north. The new school on Mill Street is set to open for the 2018-2019 school year. In the meantime, Grove has been used this summer by local police departments for active-shooter drills, hence those shell casings, Esser said. By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN East Oregonian A Hermiston High School graduate will be furthering her skills as a teacher and bringing a global component to her classroom as the recipient of a national teach- ing fellowship. Jennifer Macias Morris is a recipient of the NEA Foundation Global Learn- ing Fellowship. Morris One teacher from each state was selected for the fellowship, a yearlong program that helps teach- ers incorporate more global competency into their schools and communities. The Fellowship will end with a nine-day field study in South Africa. Macias Morris, a 2007 graduate of Hermiston High School, now teaches first grade at the Libby Cen- ter, a public school in Spo- kane, in a Spanish immer- sion program. She has also worked as a third grade Spanish immersion teacher in Seattle, and taught English in Chile when she was a college student. Macias Morris said her parents are both immi- grants, and that when she was younger, she was reluctant to embrace her own culture. But as she got older, she said learning about her parents’ journey and her heritage made her appreciate her background and others’, and encour- aged her to teach her stu- dents to do the same. She said she applied for the fellowship because it included a lot of compo- nents she wants to bring back to her students. She will continue teach- Juvenile injured in self-inflicted McNary shooting Staff photo by E.J. Harris Grove Elementary School will be torn down, to be replaced by a soccer field, and the all the school’s fixtures go on sale this Friday. Plus? Bookshelves for days. And it all has to go — no reasonable offer refused. From chairs to desks to old elec- tronics to magazine racks, all will be priced at $1, $5 or $10, with the pro- ceeds split between Mac-Hi’s National Honor Society, Varsity Club and cheer- leading groups. Students from those organizations will be on hand to help shoppers. Since the sale space is crowded and a bit dis- organized, the setup will be along the lines of using a personal shopper, Esser said. “Tell us what you’re looking for and they can go get it.” The sale is cash only, and the goal is to clear $1,000 for club coffers. Esser’s biggest hope is that the pre- dicted heat wave in the Walla Walla Valley won’t cook their chances of a good turnout, she added. The sale will take place 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday and begins again Satur- day at 8 a.m. with a flexible end time, depending on sales. For more information call, the dis- trict office at 541-938-3551. ing while completing online coursework for the fellowship, which includes learning how to work with other community members and teachers to teach stu- dents about the importance of cultural understanding. “I believe kids should learn about this, espe- cially with every- thing that’s going on in the world, and come up with their own opin- ions,” she said. In teaching younger students, Macias said she tailors lessons about chal- lenging subjects. “I come up with kid- friendly language,” she said. “The whole point is not to scare them, but help them understand.” This year, she taught her students a unit on immi- gration, connecting it with current events, including DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). “I asked them to think about if their par- ents wanted to move to another country because they wanted to make more money, or if a kid their age left on their own, because they were in danger or because they wanted to be with their parents,” she said. She said she tries to teach her students about current events, and includes guest speakers. She had her mother, who emigrated to the U.S. at 17, come and talk to her class. Students also learn about specific problems facing their city, state, and country, such as food insecurity. “We talk about what’s going on in the world, and get different perspectives,” Macias Morris said. the state to weigh in. A long list of topics being considered included more flexibility for annexation, more mental health fund- ing, steps to solve the Pub- lic Employee Retirement System’s unfunded lia- bilities, local control over speed limits, more money an artist’s reception Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the library, 502 S.W. Dorion Ave., Pendle- ton. In addition to Graham sharing about her artistic inspiration, light refresh- ments will be served. The library is open Mon- day through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Fri- day/Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more informa- tion about library programs, call 541-966-0380 or visit www.pendletonlibrary.wee- bly.com. UMATILLA — Uma- tilla police are looking into a shooting in a McNary neighborhood Wednesday afternoon. Around 5 p.m., police were called to Chenowith Street for reports of a male who had a gunshot wound. Police Chief Darla Huxel said the 16-year-old victim was taken to Good Shepherd Medical Center, Hermiston. Huxel said the boy suf- fered an accidental, self-in- flicted wound to his left hand while handling a handgun. She said the victim and 7/13-15 some of the witnesses were Cineplex Show Times not being cooperative, and $5 Classic Movie • 7/18 • 12pm Singin’ in the Rain that the police had not yet found the gun. The par- $5 Children’s Classic Movie • 7/18 • 10am Madagascar ents were not home at the Free Small Popcorn & Small Soda time of the incident, and are SKYSCRAPER (PG13) cooperating with the police. 1:40* 6:40 4:20 9:20 City council prepares statewide priorities for sessions HERMISTON — The Hermiston City Council on Monday discussed legisla- tive priorities for the upcom- ing year. The League of Ore- gon Cities creates a list of priorities ahead of the ses- sions and asks cities around Graduate gets national teaching fellowship BRIEFLY HERMISTON East Oregonian Page 3A for infrastructure, property tax reform and protection of franchise fees. City Manager Byron Smith said franchise fees, which telecommunications companies pay to place their infrastructure on city-con- trolled rights of way, are the city’s second largest source of revenue after property taxes. Telecommunications companies have started to suggest that the shouldn’t have to pay those fees and should have more control over the rights of way and the League is interested in a preventative bill strengthen- ing the cities’ position. Athena C aledonian G ames July 13-15th = Sunday, July 15 = 11:15 - 2:00 pm Caledonian Ceilidh Th e Way We Were memorabilia sharing at open mic Athena Clan of Mid Columbia School of Highland Dance - 1:00 PM Athena Royal Highland Guard - 1:30 PM Picnic sack lunches with Caledonian vendors Bring a blanket and enjoy music, dancing and sharing in the park! Graham’s work featured in new library display PENDLETON — The colorful paintings of Pend- leton artist Judith Graham will grace the walls of the ramp and meeting room at the Pendleton Public Library. The public is invited to ANT-MAN AND THE WASP (PG13) 1:50* 4:30 7:10 9:50 JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM (PG13) 1:00* 4:00 7:00 10:00 INCREDIBLES 2 (PG) 1:30* 4:10 6:50 9:30 THE FIRST PURGE (R) 12:00* 2:20* 4:40 7:20 9:40 * Matinee Pricing wildhorseresort.com • 541-966-1850 Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216
