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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 5, 2019)
WEEKEND EDITION BOMBERS DROP TWO LOSSES ON DAWGS SPORTS, B1 E O AST 143nd Year, No. 56 STEAMER TRUNKS COME FULL CIRCLE OUTGOING U.S. INTERIOR SECRETARY DEFENDS LEGACY LIFESTYLES, C1 RECORDS, A6 REGONIAN JANUARY 5-6, 2019 $1.50 WINNER OF THE 2018 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD Groundwork in place for water project NOWA leaders see hope for boosting farm production in 2020 By GEORGE PLAVEN EO Media Group It was a crisis more than 60 years in the making. The Umatilla Basin is home to some of the state’s most productive farmland, famously growing more than 200 differ- ent crops including wheat, corn, pota- toes and watermelon. Irrigation pivots dominate the countryside, transforming scrubby desert into lush, green fi elds. The development of the region’s farms and cities, however, came at a price underground. As early as 1958, regulators began to see groundwater declines in the Butter Creek area of Umatilla and Mor- row counties. Between 1976 and 1991, the Oregon Water Resources Department designated four critical groundwater areas within the basin — Butter Creek, Stage Gulch, Ordnance Basalt and Ord- nance Gravel — to address the shrinking aquifers. The designation allowed the Water Resources Commission to restrict groundwater pumping, taking once valu- able agricultural land out of production or returning it to dryland crops. “It is depressing, in the middle part of June, driving around these critical groundwater areas and seeing the lost opportunity,” said Craig Reeder, former vice president of River Point Farms in Hermiston, the largest grower of fresh onions in the country. Despite curtailing wells, regulators warn that groundwater levels have con- tinued to decline in the basalt aquifers, albeit at a slower rate. The declining aquifers and the need for irrigation water have led Reeder and others to seek creative ways to bal- ance the needs of the region. On the one hand, pumping groundwater wells should be minimized to allow the aquifers to recover. On the other hand, strict state rules protect the Columbia River and its endangered fi sh. Reeder now serves as chairman of the Northeast Oregon Water Association, or NOWA, a nonprofi t corporation founded in 2013 to seek and coordinate solu- tions to the basin’s water woes. The plan, revealed in 2014, involves building three massive new pipelines, up to 78 inches in diameter, to deliver Columbia River water to farms and ranches in the critical groundwater areas. By doing that, farm- ers would no longer have to pump water See NOWA, Page A3 Pacifi c Power customer Seth Peterson has seen a marked increase in his power bill between this year and last year. Staff photo by E.J. Harris Staff photo by E.J. Harris Ronnie Wick of Lincoln City receives a hug from Aaron Allen of Newport after Wick read a letter from a friend during a group counseling session at the Power House Treatment Center men’s house on Wednesday outside of Hermiston. TAKING BACK POWER Residents at Power House treatment center recover with peer groups, cognitive therapy By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN East Oregonian GET HELP Power House Treatment Center S itting in front of a group of his peers, a man named Corey Michaels unfolded two pieces of paper and, without knowing who they were from, began reading aloud. “This is defi nitely from my dad,” he said, after a few words. Corey was reading a “chang- ing places” letter, one of many exercises for residents at the Power House Treatment Center in Hermiston, a facility for people recovering from drug addiction. Sending requests out to friends and family, they hear specif- ics about how their drug use has impacted others. “What has been hard for you about being a family member or friend to Corey?” he read. “His drug use, and watching him sleep for days.” He paused to collect himself. Others in the room wiped away tears. “What would you like to say to Corey?” Men’s House: 541-567-2593 Women’s House: 541-567- 2949 Eastern Oregon Alcoholism Foundation Main Offi ce: 541-276-3518 Detox: 541-278-2558 Umatilla County Alcohol and Drug treatment Pendleton: 541-278-6330 Staff photo by E.J. Harris Hermiston: 541-564-9390 Clients have created a graveyard of painted rocks inscribed with the negative aspects of their lives they have given up as part of their treatment at the Power House Treatment Center women’s house outside of Hermiston. He paused for a moment, then read: “I’m proud you decided to get help on your own. It will be more than fun to do things with you now.” It can be tough for residents to hear those words from loved ones, but it often leads to intro- spection and emotional vulnera- bility crucial to their recovery. Tucked on the outskirts of town, Power House Treatment Center operates a men’s house and a women’s house, each Milton-Freewater: 541-938- 3988 focused on developing skills for recovery. Most residents arrive after going through detoxifi cation elsewhere, and stay at the inpa- tient facility for 60 to 90 days. See Treatment, Page A10 Power bills cause customer outrage By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian Dozens of Pacifi c Power customers in Pendleton are charged up over their elec- tric bills doubling and even tripling in cost from Novem- ber to December. The bills also show their power use shooting up, but the locals asserted they did not tap into any more juice than usual. Seth Peterson, 42, is among the many with the higher bills. He lives in an upstairs apartment on the 200 block of Southwest Third Street. He said he usu- ally pays about $60-$70 a month for electricity, but his latest bill is for $122. “My bill was double what is was last year,” hew said. “It’s just crazy.” Last December he used 654 kilowatts, according to See Bill, Page A10 CHI St. Anthony Hospital Family Clinic is recognized as a Patient -Centered Primary Care Home. What does that mean for you? • Better-coordinated care. • Healthcare providers who will help connect you • Listening to your concerns and answering with the care you need in a safe and timely way. • Healthcare providers who play an active role in questions. your health. • After-hours nurse consultation. 844.724.8632 3001 St. Anthony Way, Pendleton WWW.SAHPENDLETON.ORG Mon through Thurs, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. • Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sat and Sun, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are preferred.