REGION
Friday, August 24, 2018
Independent candidate invited
to first gubernatorial debate
By PARIS ACHEN
Capital Bureau
All three major political
party candidates have been
invited to the first of three
major gubernatorial debates
before the Nov. 6 general
election.
Children First for Oregon,
along with television station
KOIN and Pamplin Media
Group, will host the first
major debate of the election
season Oct. 2 with an atyp-
ical format: Children will
pose all of the questions to
the three candidates.
Incumbent Gov. Kate
Brown, a Democrat, will face
off with GOP nominee Rep.
Knute Buehler, a Bend ortho-
pedic surgeon, and Indepen-
dent Party of Oregon nomi-
nee Patrick Starnes, a cabinet
maker from Brownsville.
The “Debate for Oregon’s
Future” marks the first time
Oregon children and youth
will ask all of the questions
in a gubernatorial debate,
according to Children First
for Oregon, an nonprofit
child advocacy organization.
“We are so excited about
the opportunity to highlight
the voices and questions and
issues impacting children’s
lives through this debate,”
said Tonia Hunt, executive
director of Children First
for Oregon. “This is a great
opportunity to hear directly
from young people in Ore-
gon about what is happen-
ing to them and what issues
matter to them on a day-to-
day basis but also how that
affects their future.”
Children First for Oregon
is accepting applications on
its website from children and
youth who would like to par-
ticipate. Applicants can apply
online at https://www.cffo.
org/debate/ as well as submit
a question and learn how to
submit a 30-second applica-
tion video.
The event “will be a lot
more interesting and infor-
mative for voters than tradi-
tional debates, partly because
it will be tougher for the can-
didates to blow off questions
from young people or switch
to prepared talking points,”
said John Schrag, execu-
Patrick Starnes
Gov. Kate Brown
Rep. Knute Buehler
tive editor at Pamplin Media
Group.
KOIN 6 anchor Jeff
Gianola and Portland Tri-
bune education reporter
Shasta Kearns Moore will
facilitate the questions and
give participants advance
tips on how to make sure the
candidates answer their ques-
tions, Hunt said. The debate
is scheduled for 7 to 8 p.m. in
the Portland area at a venue
to be determined. The debate
will be broadcast live by
KOIN.
The Independent Party
has threatened legal action
if debate hosts fail to include
their nominee in debates.
Party officials cited a rela-
tively new law that requires
hosts to either invite all
statewide candidates from
all major political parties to
public debates and forums,
or alternatively, report a cam-
paign contribution to the can-
didates who were allowed to
participate.
The campaign finance law,
adopted in 2017, requires
disclosure of $750 or more
of spending by individuals
and nonprofit groups that ref-
erence, and effectively cam-
paign for or against, a can-
didate within 60 days of a
general election. Previously,
people and groups had to
report that type of spending
only when they included spe-
cific words such as “elect” or
“vote for” in public commu-
nications. House Bill 2505
exempts from the require-
ment nonpartisan candidate
debates or forums “when all
major party candidates for
the state office have been
invited to participate.”
The IPO became Oregon’s
third major political party in
2015 after party members
accounted for more than 5
percent of those registered to
vote in the 2014 general elec-
tion. Schrag said his initial
reluctance to include Starnes
in the debate stemmed from
wanting to give maximum
time to candidates who have
orchestrated a serious cam-
paign such as raising a signif-
icant amount of money.
“For me, it’s a math issue:
There will be only a few tele-
vised governor candidate
forums this year, and each
forum has a hard start and
stop time, which means there
is a finite number of minutes
for questions and responses,”
Schrag said.
Starnes said he had not
been invited to debates Oct. 4
by KOBI-TV in Medford and
Oct. 9 hosted by KGW-TV
and The Oregonian, as of
Thursday, Aug. 23.
“I am hoping this breaks
the logjam loose,” Starnes
said. “I’m looking forward to
the debate, especially hearing
the questions from the young
people of Oregon because
they aren’t going to ask the
questions we usually get,
and we are going to have to
explain things in a way they
can understand. It’s going to
make it more real and more
State police identify cornfield runner
HERMISTON — Oregon
State Police identified the car
thief suspect who escaped
Wednesday into a cornfield
near Hermiston as Marco
Antonio Garcia.
Police spent nearly five
hours searching for a man
who crashed a stolen vehicle
into a guard rail near Herm-
iston and ran into a nearby
cornfield. State police Thurs-
day morning reported Gar-
cia, 32, faces charges for
unauthorized use of a vehi-
cle, hit and run (for dam-
aging property), attempt to
elude in a vehicle (felony)
and on foot (misdemeanor),
reckless driving, speeding
FRIDAY, AUGUST 24
up to age 12. Children under 8
should be accompanied by an
adult. (Roberta Lavadour 541-
278-9201)
YARN CLUB, 10 a.m.-12
p.m., Hermiston Public Library,
235 E. Gladys Ave., Hermiston.
(541-567-2882)
FAMILY HISTORY WORK-
SHOPS, 10 a.m., Church of Je-
sus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
850 S.W. 11th St., Hermiston.
Workshops, photo scanning and
more. (Stephanie Blackburn 541-
567-6251)
HIP & HANDMADE, 11 a.m.-
12 p.m., Pendleton Center for the
Arts, 214 N. Main St., Pendleton.
Free drop-in project class for
adults. (Roberta Lavadour 541-
278-9201)
IRRIGON FARMERS MAR-
KET, 3-7 p.m., Irrigon City Hall
parking lot, 500 N.E. Main Ave.,
Irrigon. Local vendors, local pro-
duce, crafts and more. (Aaron
Palmquist 541-922-3047)
BROADWAY BLOCK PAR-
TY, 3-7 p.m., downtown, Broad-
way Street, Milton-Freewater.
Bounce houses, face painting,
5K run, food trucks, live music
by Diego and the Detonators,
adult beverages (21 and older)
and more. Free and suitable for
all ages. (Alex Hedges or Norm
Saager 509-440-3530 or 509-
520-2183)
more than 100 mph and driv-
ing while suspended.
State court records show
Garcia lived in Boardman
in 2017, when he pleaded
guilty for conspiracy to
deliver methamphetamine.
According to the plea
petition, Garcia made a deal
to sell the drugs to a buyer for
$50. He received a sentence
of 30 days in jail and three
years probation that started
Nov. 6, 2017. Court records
also show he has convictions
in Morrow County in 2014
and 2015, including theft,
unauthorized use of a vehi-
cle and meth possession.
COMING EVENTS
STORY AND CRAFT TIME, 2
p.m., Echo Public Library, 20 S.
Bonanza, Echo. (541-376-8411)
AFTER SCHOOL 3-ON-3
BASKETBALL, 3:15-5 p.m.,
Pendleton Recreation Center,
510 S.W. Dorion Ave., Pendleton.
For ages 13-18. Free. (Casey
Brown 541-276-8100)
GIB OLINGER ELEMENTA-
RY DEDICATION, 5 p.m., Gib
Olinger Elementary School, 1011
S. Mill St., Milton-Freewater.
Dedication at 5 p.m., ribbon cut-
ting at 6 p.m., salmon barbecue
at 6:30 p.m., (tickets available at
the chamber and the school) Har-
vest of Art show 4-8 p.m. Free.
(Jennifer Konrad 541-938-5563)
VFW BINGO, 6 p.m., Herm-
iston VFW, 45 W. Cherry St.,
Hermiston. Doors open at 6 p.m.,
games begin at 7 p.m. Everyone
welcome. (541-567-6219)
SATURDAY, AUGUST 25
IMAC BREAKFAST FUND-
RAISER,
7:30-10:30
a.m.,
Stokes Landing Senior Center,
150 Columbia Lane, Irrigon.
Benefits the Irrigon Multicultural
Arts Center project. Costs $4.50.
(Peggy Price 541-567-3806)
FREE FOR ALL, 9:30-10:15
a.m., Pendleton Center for the
Arts, 214 N. Main St., Pendle-
ton. Free art classes for children
Mirasol Family
Health Center to
hold health fair
Saturday
Mirasol Family Health
Center in Hermiston is hold-
ing a health fair on Saturday.
The fair is 10 a.m. to 2
p.m. at the health center,
589 N.W. 11th St. It will
include wellness exams,
immunizations, $10 sports
physicals, music, free tacos
from Tacos Xavi, games and
a dunk tank. The event is
free and open to the public,
although children getting
immunizations or exams
must be accompanied by an
adult.
EOCCO Insurance has
also donated backpacks for
children who get wellness
exams.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 26
EVANGELIST MISHAYLE NO-
HEA, 11 a.m., Mission Assembly
of God Church, 47328 Short Mile
Road, Pendleton. Nohea will share
her testimony of her near death ex-
perience, the reality of Jesus, Heav-
en and Hell, and her deliverance
from cancer. Everyone welcome.
(Vern Kube 541-377-1880 or 541-
276-0310)
MONDAY, AUGUST 27
EARLY MORNING BASKET-
BALL, 6-7 a.m., Pendleton Recre-
ation Center, 510 S.W. Dorion Ave.,
Pendleton. All ages. Free. (Casey
Brown 541-276-8100)
PRESCHOOL STORY TIME,
10:30 a.m., Athena Public Library,
418 E. Main St., Athena. For ages
birth to 6. (541-566-2470)
PENDLETON SENIOR MEAL
SERVICE, 12-1 p.m., Pendle-
ton Senior Center, 510 S.W. 10th
St., Pendleton. Costs $3.50 or
$6 for those under 60. Pool, puz-
zles, crafts, snacks, Second Time
Around thrift store 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For Meals On Wheels, call 541-
276-1926. (Tori Bowman 541-276-
8/24 - 26
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East Oregonian
Page 3A
IRRIGON
Morrow County
plans new building
for north county
Commissioners
gather input
through town hall
meetings
By JAYATI
RAMAKRISHNAN
East Oregonian
Residents of Morrow
County are being asked
to give input about a new
building planned for con-
struction in Irrigon, which
will house county services
that are currently scattered
around the northern part of
the county.
The new building will
be constructed on the site
that now holds the county
planning department, the
justice court, and parole
and probation. The existing
building will be torn down,
and the new one will house
the current services, as well
as the sheriff’s office, the
juvenile department, vet-
eran’s services, and some
office space for the district
attorney, county commis-
sioners and other county
officials.
County commissioners
are in the process of hold-
ing town hall meetings to
gather input from commu-
nity members, asking what
they want the building to
look like, how big it should
be, and what kind of growth
they can anticipate.
County Commissioner
Melissa Lindsay said the
cost is still undetermined,
but estimated it will come
in somewhere between $4
million and $5 million for
the entire project. Lind-
say said the commissioners
have not yet made a deci-
sion about how the proj-
ect will be financed, but
the money will likely come
from one of the county’s
two main sources — the
general fund, or Strategic
Investment Program (SIP)
agreement funds that the
county already has from
contracts with wind power
and other energy compa-
nies located in the county.
Lindsay said the county
began looking at a com-
pletely new facility when,
after a walk-through with
a building inspector, they
determined the building’s
quality was not worth
upgrading
“The planning depart-
ment and the justice court
really outgrew it,” she said.
She said at the first town
hall on Tuesday in Board-
man, about 15 people
showed up. The next meet-
ings are Monday, Aug. 27
at Heppner City Hall (111
N. Main St., Heppner),
Wednesday, Aug. 29 at Ione
American Legion Hall (325
W. Second St., Ione), and
Thursday, Aug. 30 at Irri-
gon City Hall (500 N.E.
Main Ave., Irrigon). All
meetings are from 5:30 to
6:30 p.m.
Lindsay said the offices
will
not
immediately
account for any new staff,
but it’s something they’re
considering, as they keep
up with the expanding north
end of the county, espe-
cially with growth from the
port.
She said there is no offi-
cial start date for the con-
struction yet, but commis-
sioners hope to get things
started before the end of the
year, weather permitting.
“We hoped to break
ground going into this fall,
but in order to engage the
public with meetings, we
had to delay it a little,” she
said.
“As a commission, we
agree we want to get it
done as quickly as possi-
ble, and have a good, oper-
ating building for services
in north county,” Lindsay
said.
CHI St. Anthony Hospital
Family Clinic
CHI St. Anthony Hospital Family
Clinic is recognized as a Patient
-Centered Primary Care Home.
What does that mean for you?
• Better-coordinated care.
• Listening to your concerns and answering ques-
tions.
• After-hours nurse consultation.
• Healthcare providers who will help connect you
with the
care you need in a safe and timely way.
• Healthcare providers who play an active role in
your health.
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wildhorseresort.com • 541-966-1850
Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216
HOURS
Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are preferred.
CHI St. Anthony Hospital Family Clinic
3001 St. Anthony Way, Pendleton, OR 97801
541.966.0535 • 541.278.4597 (fax)