REGION
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
East Oregonian
A3
EOTEC manager seeking more weekday bookings
Facility still aiming at
self-sufficiency in two
or three years
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
The Eastern Oregon Trade and
Event Center was booked for a
total of 210 events in 2018.
Al Davis, general manager of
EOTEC for the past year, told the
Hermiston City Council during
its Monday meeting that if they
take into account the 40 or so days
EOTEC is out of circulation for the
Umatilla County Fair and Farm-
City Pro Rodeo, “we’re pretty
busy.”
Last year’s events included 53
public events, 74 corporate book-
ings and 84 private events. The
event center already has more than
100 events booked for 2019.
“If you’re looking for a week-
end, you will be hard-pressed to
find one,” he said.
Weekdays are more of a chal-
lenge to fill, Davis said, and he’s
working on recruiting more busi-
ness conferences, corporate train-
Columbia
River
Treaty
flows with
change
East Oregonian
The public is invited to
learn more about the impor-
tance of water as Craig
Reeder discusses renegotia-
tion of the Columbia River
Treaty.
The event is part of a din-
ner meet-
ing hosted
by the Echo
Kiwanis.
People are
invited to
hear the pre-
sentation
Reeder
and
may
choose to purchase a lasa-
gna dinner. The event is
Wednesday, Feb. 20 at the
Echo VFW Hall, 210 W.
Bridge St. The meal, which
costs $5, will be served at
6 p.m. and the presentation
is at 6:45 p.m. People do not
have to eat in order to attend.
Reeder is currently CFO
of Madison Ranches and
operates the Reeder fam-
ily farm with his wife, Tina.
In addition, Reeder is the
chairman of the Northeast
Oregon Water Association.
Much has changed since
1961 when the Columbia
River Treaty was drafted.
New politics, technology,
environmental and agri-
cultural uses for water and
many more concerns have
made the original treaty
somewhat obsolete. This
May, Canada and the United
States have arranged to meet
in Washington D.C. to rene-
gotiate the Columbia River
Treaty.
To assist with planning,
those who are interested
in attending are asked to
RSVP by texting 541-379-
6992. For more informa-
tion, contact Joe Ramos at
509-366-3980.
———
Contact Community Edi-
tor Tammy Malgesini at
tmalgesini@eastoregonian.
com or 541-564-4539
ings and other events to fill
Councilor John Kirwan
those days.
said city staff presented
EOTEC is a good loca-
the draft parking plan to
tion for companies that
the EOTEC advisory com-
mittee Thursday and plans
want to do a training on
to present it to the planning
the east side of the state, he
commission Feb. 27.
said, but they have to know
Al Davis
Kirwan said Travis
it exists. The venue offers
Lundquist, who runs two
some unique options — for
example, Davis said RDO Equip- RV parks in the area, came and
ment likes having training ses- answered questions about RV
sions in the main room of the event parks and “brought a lot of enlight-
center because the large garage enment” to the committee. Mayor
door on the side allows them to David Drotzmann said the dis-
bring farm equipment right inside cussion with Lundquist and with
advisory committee members was
the building.
The city is working on plans for helpful.
“There were some great ideas
an RV park that will give EOTEC
a more stable source of revenue coming out of there and I think
year-round. Davis said the orig- we’re going to have a better project
inal goal when VenuWorks was as a result,” he said.
brought on board in January 2018
During Monday’s city council
to manage EOTEC was that the meeting, the council also approved
venue would become self-sustain- a franchise agreement with the
ing between years three and four, city of Umatilla.
and that’s still the goal.
Vadata — a subsidiary of Ama-
The RV park was stalled from zon — plans to use water from the
breaking ground in February after Regional Water System, which
the city planning commission uses the Port of Umatilla’s water
banned all new construction at right and is administrated by the
EOTEC until an overflow parking city of Hermiston, for new devel-
plan was submitted and approved. opments off Lind Road and West-
land Road outside of Hermiston.
City Manager Byron Smith said
the Lind Road development has
since been annexed into the city of
Umatilla, and Umatilla requested
that Hermiston pay a franchise fee
for the privilege of running water
infrastructure through Umatilla’s
rights of way. Smith reminded the
council that Hermiston charges
franchise fees to electrical utili-
ties, telecommunications compa-
nies and others who use Hermis-
ton’s rights of way.
The agreement the council
directed Smith to sign gives Uma-
tilla 5 percent of the revenue gen-
erated from the water system
within Umatilla city limits. Smith
said Vadata would pay the fee to
Hermiston, which will turn the
money over to Umatilla.
Kirwan made the motion to
approve the agreement, but also
pointed out that it would cost the
city to collect and send the fees. He
asked that the city’s administrative
costs for the Regional Water Sys-
tem be considered in future dis-
cussions about rates for the system.
The council also approved a
hangar lease with Gorge Aviation
Symphony to host chamber music festival Saturday
Event features
world premiere of
Raven Chacon’s
new work
East Oregonian
The focal point of the
Oregon East Symphony’s
Winter Chamber Music Fes-
tival is the world premiere
of a new work by composer/
artist Raven Chacon.
Commissioned by the
symphony and Crow’s
Shadow Institute of the
Arts, the piece features a
chamber ensemble com-
prised of musicians
Advance tickets
from the Oregon
are highly recom-
mended for the pop-
East Symphony and
ular event.
student percussion-
ists from Nixyaawii
Also, while in
Community School.
Eastern
Oregon
The
Winter
coaching
musi-
Chacon
cians on the perfor-
Chamber
Music
mance of his com-
Festival is Saturday
at 6:30 p.m. in the Vert Clu- missioned work, Chacon
broom, 345 S.W. Fourth St., is working with Crow’s
Pendleton.
Shadow to produce a series
In addition to a collec- of lithographic prints to be
tion of chamber ensembles incorporated into the com-
performing works in an mission score. An art-
intimate atmosphere, wine ist’s reception and repri-
and hearty hors d’oeuvres sal performance will take
prepared by the symphony place Sunday at 1 p.m. at
board of directors will be Crow’s Shadow, 48004 St
Andrews Road, Mission.
served.
Rep. Walden to hold Morrow
County town hall
U.S. Rep. Greg Walden announced plans to
hold a town hall meeting Monday in Board-
man. The Republican from Hood River stated he
is excited about continuing the series of public
events he started in January.
The public meeting is Monday starting at
9:15 a.m. at the Sage Center Theater, 101 Olson
Road, Boardman. The date and time, however,
are subject to change due to weather and sched-
uling in the U.S. House.
Monday’s town hall meeting will represent
Walden’s 158th town hall meeting and seventh
town hall in Morrow County since 2012.
Buttercreek Boys postpone
February rehearsal
HERMISTON — The February rehearsal
meeting of the Buttercreek Boys has been
postponed.
The group of seasoned musicians strum up
old-time music the second Wednesday of each
month from 6-7:30 p.m. at Chuckwagon Cafe,
81027 Highway 395 North, Hermiston. There
is no cover charge. However, due to inclement
weather, this month’s event is on hold. The cafe
will close at its regular time of 2 p.m.
For more information, call the cafe at 541-
567-6329, or visit www.chuckwagoncafe.net.
BMCC puts off exhibit reception
PENDLETON — Due to weather conditions,
the Betty Feves Memorial Gallery is postponing
the reception for Marie Noorani’s “How it Looks
on Paper.”
The exhibit runs Feb. 18 through March 14
at the gallery, in Pioneer Hall at Blue Mountain
Community College, 2411 N.W. Carden Ave.,
Pendleton. A reception will be held Thursday,
March 14 from 4:30-6:30 p.m., on the exhib-
it’s closing day. The gallery is open Monday
through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
and by appointment by calling 541-278-5952.
For more information, contact gallery direc-
tor Lori Sams at 541-278-5952, lsams@bluecc.
edu or visit www.bluecc.edu/community/feves-
art-gallery. For more about the Richland, Wash-
ington artist, go to www.marienoorani.com.
EO Forum feels the beat
PENDLETON — The upcoming Eastern
Oregon Forum presents Our Music featuring
J.D. Kindle and Friends.
The event is Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. in
St. Anthony Provider Spotligh t
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Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216
Fernando!” sung by mez-
zo-soprano Alexis McCar-
thy, Devienne’s “Suite No.
1 in G major” featuring
symphony principal flut-
ist Cathy Muller, and an
appearance by the Pendle-
ton Brass Quintet.
Advance tickets are $25
per person and are available
at the symphony office, 345
S.W. Fourth St., Pendleton
Art + Frame, 36 S.W. Court
Ave., and via www.orego-
neastsymphony.org.
———
Contact
Community
Editor Tammy Malgesini at
tmalgesini@eastoregonian.
com or 541-564-4539
ST-200 (Science and Technology building) at
Blue Mountain Community College, 2411 N.W.
Carden Ave., Pendleton. Tickets are $5 at the
door and free for students.
In addition to his role as frontman of James
Dean Kindle & the Eastern Oregon Playboys,
the 2001 Pendleton High School graduate is in
his fourth season as executive director of the
Oregon East Symphony. A member of the Con-
federated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reserva-
tion, Fred Hill Sr. works as the cultural historian
at Nixyaawii Community School.
The Eastern Oregon Forum is a collaborative
effort between BMCC, InterMountain Educa-
tion Service District, the East Oregonian, Amer-
ican Association of University Women and Har-
riet Isom, a former United States ambassador.
For more information, contact Karen Parker at
541-966-3177 or karen.parker@imesd.k12.or.us.
Weston library announces
change in hours
WESTON — The Weston Public Library has
slightly changed its hours. The library is open
Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 8:30 a.m. to
1 p.m. and 1:30-5 p.m. and Tuesday and Thurs-
day from 12:30-6 p.m.
For more information, contact wcolibrary@
qwestoffice.net or 541-566-2378.
CHI St Anthony Hospital
Scholarships
OPEN TO ANYONE IN
UMATILLA OR MORROW COUNTIES
High school senior or
College students
pursuing a degree in healthcare.
Scholarships up to $1000 will be awarded.
Funded by the SAH Volunteers.
Download the application at
sahpendleton.org/scholarship
3001 St. Anthony Way
Pendleton, OR 97801
Return your application
packet no later than March 1, 2019.
(Postmark does not count.)
Call for your appointment today
541.966.0535
* Matinee Pricing
wildhorseresort.com • 541-966-1850
Hailing from the Navajo
Nation, Chacon is a com-
poser, performer and instal-
lation artist.
Each year, he teaches
20 students to write string
quartets for the Native
American
Composer
Apprenticeship
Project.
Also, Chacon is a part of
the American Indian arts
collective
Postcommod-
ity, with work displayed
internationally.
Additional
perfor-
mances during the evening
festival include Brahms’s
“Piano Quintet, Op 34” fea-
turing pianist James Cook,
the Donizetti aria “Oh Mio
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PALE RIDER
ISN'T IT ROMANTIC
(PG13)
4:10 6:30 9:00
HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U
(PG13)
4:30 6:50 9:10
THE LEGO MOVIE 2:
THE SECOND PART (PG)
7:10
4:40 9:30
COLD PURSUIT (R)
4:00 6:40 9:20
THE UPSIDE (PG13)
4:20 7:00 9:40
Services on Monday. The aviation
company has been managing the
Hermiston Municipal Airport for
a few months.
The airport did not previously
have a shop with mechanics to fix
and inspect airplanes in Hermis-
ton, but Gorge Aviation provides
that service. Assistant city man-
ager Mark Morgan said fuel sales
at the airport are up by 33 percent,
or about $62,000 since Gorge Avi-
ation Services took over.
The mechanics have been
housed in a private hangar, but
Ross Brandt Electric has recently
moved out of a larger city-owned
hangar and Gorge Aviation’s shop
will move into that hangar.
About $80,000 worth of reno-
vations are needed, and Morgan
said the agreement before the city
council Monday reduced the rent
by about $10,000 per year for five
years in acknowledgment of the
money Gorge Aviation Services
would be spending to upgrade
the city’s hangar. Morgan said the
money would be more than made
up to the city through increased
fuel sales from planes coming in
for repairs.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.SAHPENDLETON.ORG
Submit application to:
Emily Smith, Volunteer Services 2801
St. Anthony Way, Pendleton, OR 97801
EmilySmith@chiwest.com • Questions? Call 541-278-2627