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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 6, 2018)
SALVATION ARMY BANQUET RINGS IN CHRISTMAS SEASON REGION/3A TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2018 143rd Year, No. 15 One dollar WINNER OF THE 2018 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD BETTY KLEPPER 1936-2018 Klepper left her campsite better than she found it Retired plant scientist broke barriers, started Umatilla River cleanup By KATHY ANEY East Oregonian or 82 years, Betty Klepper lived life on her terms. She broke away from her southern belle upbringing and passed up a more traditional life as wife and mother for a rich career as an internation- ally known plant scientist. She filled multiple passports with trips around the world. Thirteen years ago, Klep- per cheated death. Even exceptional lives eventually end, though. On Oct. 26, Klepper watched television in her living room. Longtime friend and roommate Fern Oliver heard a gasp and rushed over. Klepper was gone. F Contributed photo Betty Klepper, who traveled around the world during her life, boards a plane as a young woman. Officials confident election systems are secure Oliver suspects the aortic aneurysm residing in Klepper’s heart finally burst. In the aftermath, many are reflecting on Klepper’s remarkable life of achievement. The scientist’s resume overflows with accomplish- ment. Degrees from Vanderbilt and Duke universities. Teaching and research at Auburn and in Australia. Work as a plant physiologist in Richland, Washington, and finally at the USDA Columbia Plateau Conservation Center in Pendleton. In Pendleton, she led a team that researched the mysteries of root systems. She co-au- thored some 200 publications. Klepper broke glass ceilings along the way. She was the first woman to edit a major agricultural jour- nal (Crop Science), be elected as a fellow of the Crop Science Society of America and later serve as president of that organization. In 2010, Oregon State University See KLEPPER/10A ELECTION DAY 2018 Voting for beginners By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE Oregon Capital Bureau SALEM — State and county officials say they have buttressed the state’s voting systems against intruders. “I am confident that Ore- gon’s voting system is as safe as it can be from mali- cious outside entities,” Steve Trout, state elections direc- tor, said in a statement. “That being said, we continue to evaluate and improve our security processes to ensure our systems are secure.” Elections officials reiter- ated the security of Oregon’s procedures amid national concerns about foreign interference in this year’s midterms and reports earlier this month that Oregon voter information was being ped- dled online. A majority of Americans are concerned about possi- ble technological interfer- ence in voting systems. According to survey results published this week by the Pew Research Cen- ter, 55 percent of Americans aren’t confident that U.S. elections systems are secure from hacking and other tech- nological threats. Respondents — 66 per- cent — were more confident in the security of state elec- tions systems. See SECURE/10A Staff photo by E.J. Haris Seniors Daphny Chen, left, and Maggie Scanlan, right, listen to Samuel Attridge talk on Monday about what he learned about the voting process by taking part in a mock election last week at Pendleton High School. PHS mock election delivers real benefits By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian endleton High School stu- dents would elect Knute Buehler to the governor’s mansion, send U.S. Rep. Greg Walden back to Congress and preserve Oregon’s sanctuary state status. About 200 students in Brian Johnson’s and Brian Whitten’s government classes participated last week in a mock, mid-term election. Students voted 99-66 for Republican Buehler over Gov. Kate Brown, Democrat, and 103-68 for Republican Walden over Democrat challenger Jamie McLeod-Skinner in the race for Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District. The students also voted down all statewide ballot mea- sures save Measure 102, which allows local bonds for financing affordable housing with nongov- ernmental entities. “The purpose of conducting a mock election is to demonstrate to students how one becomes an informed voter (a characteristic of a responsible citizen), how to vote, and the importance of vot- ing,” Johnson said. “We spent about four days on the whole pro- cess. A lot of time.” Seniors Samuel Attridge, 17, P 2018 Oregon primary turnout by age group * Group Ages 18-34 Ages 35-49 Ages 50-64 Ages 65 and over Source: sos.oregon.gov Statewide Umatilla Morrow Eligible voters: 718,454 Eligible voters: 12,498 Eligible voters: 1,587 Ballots returned: 94,787 Ballots returned: 1,349 Ballots returned: 179 Percent voting: 13.2 Percent voting: 10.8 Percent voting: 11.3 Eligible voters: 633,666 Eligible voters: 9,307 Eligible voters: 1,289 Ballots returned: 154,597 Ballots returned: 2,041 Ballots returned: 298 Percent voting: 24.4 Percent voting: 21.9 Percent voting: 23.1 Eligible voters: 660,479 Eligible voters: 10,613 Eligible voters: 1,593 Ballots returned: 263,533 Ballots returned: 4,138 Ballots returned: 703 Percent voting: 39.9 Percent voting: 39 Percent voting: 44.1 Eligible voters: 647,584 Eligible voters: 10,092 Eligible voters: 1,507 Ballots returned: 395,249 Ballots returned: 5,977 Ballots returned: 920 Percent voting: 61 Percent voting: 59.2 Percent voting: 61 *Select voter turnout totals for the May 15, 2018 primary election. Daphny Chen, 18, and Mag- gie Scanlan, 17, said getting informed meant they and the other students read the Oregon League of Women Voters on the pros and cons of Oregon’s bal- lot measures. They watched one of the televised debates between Brown and Buehler. They read articles in the East Oregonian on the Umatilla County com- missioner race and the Second Amendment Ordinance. They also said candid discussions were essential, and Johnson chal- lenged students to question what they believed and why. “He plays a good Devil’s advocate,” Attridge said. Many of the students start with what they have heard from parents or other adults, Scanlan said, but students learn to move beyond that small circle. She also said she may think a fellow student’s notions are off base, but the class helped her to real- ize others may think that of her Phil Wright and Alan Kenaga/EO Media Group notions. Chen said students learn “peaceful, civil discourse” and to search for common ground. “It also makes you see it’s not just black and white,” she said. “There’s a lot of gray.” Attridge said that came through in the discussion on Mea- sure 105, which would repeal the law limiting state and local police agencies from enforcing federal immigration laws. Students dif- See MOCK/10A
