Tuesday, February 19, 2019
East Oregonian
A3
Umatilla County, deputy DAs reach labor deal
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
Umatilla County and its deputy
district attorneys have a tentative
deal on a new labor contract that
increases pay 2 percent a year for
three years.
The American Federation of
State, County and Municipal
Employees Local 3742-4 has rati-
fied the successor to the collective
bargaining agreement that expired
June 30, 2018, according to county
documents. Now the county board
of commissioners plans to decide
Wednesday to ratify the deal.
District attorneys work on sal-
ary. Under the previous labor con-
tract, beginning deputy district
attorneys received $4,413 a month.
New prosecutors under the new
deal start at $4,700. The prior pay
scale topped out at $7,084 for the
longest serving and most experi-
enced deputy district attorneys.
Those positions under the new
contract top out at $9,790 in the
third year.
The contract also includes heath
insurance, life insurance with a
$50,000 benefit and a maximum of
400 hours of vacation. The union-
ized employees receive 8 hours of
time off in the month of their birth-
day. Per the contract, that amount
rolls into their vacation accrual
balance if they can’t take the time
off in their birthday month.
The new contract spans July 1,
2018, through June 30, 2021, and
only covers the eight deputy dis-
trict attorneys in the office. District
Attorney Dan Primus is exempt,
as is the chief deputy prosecutor,
Jacklyn Jenkins, as well as legal
assistants and other staff. The
office also is shy three deputy dis-
trict attorneys.
The board of commission-
ers meets Wednesday starting
at 9 a.m. at the Umatilla County
Courthouse, Pendleton. The board
also will consider approving new
positions, including a legal sec-
retary for the district attorney’s
office to handle recording grand
juries. The total cost of that posi-
tion is $73,731, according to
county documents.
Grand juries determine charges
in most felony cases and review
public safety officer shootings.
Oregon was one of 12 states that
did not record grand jury pro-
ceedings. The 2017 Oregon Leg-
islature changed that. Multnomah,
Deschutes and Jackson counties
began recording grand juries in
2018, and the state’s remaining 33
counties have to get on board by
July 1 this year.
Special transportation fund
grants also are on the agenda.
The board will consider 12 state-
funded grants totaling $384,986
for cites and organizations to pro-
vide public transportation, along
with $224,593 to Pendleton and
$267,754 to Milton-Freewater in
pass-through federal funding to
enhance the mobility of seniors
and people with disabilities.
Pendleton tops the county’s list
for special transportation fund
grants with $104,079 for bus ser-
vices. Hermiston is No. 2 with
$61,014 for taxi tickets, and Mil-
ton-Freewater is third with $57,821
for bus and taxi services.
The special transportation
fund grants come with a big if this
year. Hal Gard, administrator of
the Oregon Department of Trans-
portation’s rail and public trans-
portation division, in early Jan-
uary notified agencies Gov. Kate
Brown called for eliminating the
$10 million the fund receives from
the state’s general fund. Gard in
the letter stated while the Legis-
lature will not finalize the bud-
get until June, agencies should be
ready for a 40 percent cut to those
grants.
Imbibe @Blue gives local flavor to annual fundraising event
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
Eastern Oregon artisans
helped bring in scholarship
money for Blue Mountain
Community College stu-
dents Saturday at the sec-
ond annual Imbibe @Blue
fundraiser.
Savory cheeses, rich
chocolates and local wines
tempted attendees of the
Mardi Gras-themed tasting
event on BMCC’s Pendleton
campus.
Laren Nebel of Arrow-
head Chocolates in Joseph
was offering up a table full
of chocolates with flavors
ranging from huckleberry
to habañero lime caramel.
“We use natural ingre-
dients where we can, we
use organic where we can,
we locally source where we
can,” she said.
“We’re trying to pack as
much flavor as we can into
one bite.”
She said she expected
most people to go for the
savory foods first and circle
back to the chocolate sam-
ples to end their night.
King cakes from Laven-
der Mercantile of Pendleton
were also tempting attend-
ees’ sweet tooth.
Dawn Alderman said the
personal-sized cakes, made
with an almond pastry fill-
ing, paid tribute to the Mardi
Gras theme but were actu-
ally more in the French style
than New Orleans style.
Lavender
Mercantile
sells items from their laven-
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Lori Kennedy of the Don Carlo winery pours a glass of wine as her husband Tim looks on Saturday at the second annual Im-
bibe @Blue at Blue Mountain Community College.
der farm out of a storefront
on Main Street, but Alder-
man said they also have a
“little mini bakery” that
specializes in French cakes.
She said she was excited
to be back at Imbibe @Blue
for a second year.
“Last year there were a
lot of people,” she said. “It
went really well. It was a fun
event.”
At the cheese table peo-
ple could sample an array
of cheeses from Tillamook
and ones from Great Pacific,
donated by Sylvia Clawson.
Shannon Franklin and Lau-
rie Post, who were handing
out samples, said the most
popular seemed to be an
English cheddar with whole
grain mustard from Great
Pacific.
Alex Hedges was giving
out tastings of wines from
Blue Mountain Cider Com-
pany and Watermill Winery.
The companies were
started in 2003 by apple
farmers in Milton-Freewater.
On Saturday, Hedges was
offering a variety of wines
— sweet and savory, red
and white — and craft cider
made from locally grown
apples and grapes.
“This is our first time
(at Imbibe) so we’re very
excited to be down here,” he
said.
Prodigal Son was serv-
ing Packard IPA and Bruce/
Lee Porter. Proprietors Jen-
nifer and Tim Guenther said
the college has always been
very supportive of Prodigal
Son and they were happy to
help out in return by sup-
porting the scholarship
fundraiser.
In addition to the tastings
from various local artisans,
attendees could also sam-
ple traditional New Orle-
ans appetizers from Simply
Catering such as crab cakes
and Cajun shrimp.
John Fields, vice pres-
ident of instruction for
BMCC, was enjoying the
appetizers Saturday night.
He is originally from New
Orleans, and said the muf-
fulettas (a type of sandwich
from New Orleans) were
excellent.
Fields, who has worked
for BMCC since July, said
he was pleased to see so
many people come out and
support the Blue Moun-
tain Community College
Foundation.
He said he has person-
ally seen students helped
through the foundation.
Not only does the foun-
dation hand out traditional
scholarships, but Fields said
when students face barriers
to staying in school, foun-
dation director Margaret
Gianotti has given them a
them a gift card for grocer-
ies or helped get their car
fixed so they can continue
to pursue their education.
“This
helps
make
that possible,” he said,
acknowledging
the
crowded room.
Morrow County deputies find crash victim after 4-hour search
East Oregonian
A Boardman man who fled a
rollover crash on Interstate 84 on
Thursday night was found hours
later, unresponsive and suffering
from severe hypothermia about 4
miles from the crash.
It took help from multiple agen-
cies searching through knee-high
snow and sub-freezing tempera-
tures, but authorities found Jus-
tin Don Connell, 26, and took him
to the hospital where he is recov-
ering. Charges are pending as the
investigation continues.
The Valentine’s Day night
search began at 11:36 p.m., accord-
ing to a press release from the
Morrow County Sheriff’s Office,
when a single vehicle crash was
reported at milepost 175.
The vehicle was on its top and
the driver had fled. Connell was
last seen walking along the east-
bound lanes of the freeway.
With the temperature at 23
degrees, heavy fog blanketing the
area and blood found in the vehi-
cle, responders knew finding Con-
nell was urgent. Deputies Thomas
Way and Taylor Wasserman found
tracks and started to follow them
on foot, while Sgt. Nathen Braun
and deputies Gordon Adams and
Colleen Neubert searched nearby
roads.
Tracks in the snow indicated
that Connell was running, chang-
ing directions and going in circles,
possibly trying to elude deputies,
and had fallen down several times.
It also appeared he was making
snow angels.
At 2:30 a.m., with snow falling
harder and the temperature drop-
ping, the pursuit became a search
and rescue. The sheriff’s office
called for backup from Umatilla
County Search and Rescue and the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife K9 unit.
More than an hour later, at
3:46 a.m., responders located Con-
nell. Deputies carried him to a
vehicle and took him to a Board-
man ambulance, which trans-
BRIEFLY
Babies boogie at the
library on Wednesdays
HERMISTON — A program spe-
cifically for children up to 4 years old is
offered weekly at the Hermiston Public
Library. Baby Boogie is each Wednes-
day at 10 a.m. at 235 E. Gladys Ave.,
Hermiston. The program is designed to
engage children with music, improve
their motor skills, spark creativity and
supporting early literacy development.
Parents are encouraged to bring
their little ones. For more information,
call 541-567-2882 or visit www.herm-
istonlibrary.us.
Living Blue Democrats
cancel meetings
HERMISTON — A group of Dem-
ocrats that were meeting monthly
in Hermiston have canceled upcom-
ing gatherings. Living Blue had been
meeting the third Sunday of each
month. For questions, Bernie Sander-
son at 541-626-9189 or cln42da87@
yahoo.com.
Republican women
announce essay contest
PENDLETON — Graduating
seniors from select area schools and
those currently attending Blue Moun-
tain Community College are invited
to submit an entry for the scholarship
essay program presented by the Round
Up Republican Women.
Eligible students must attend school
in Pendleton, Hermiston, Echo, Helix,
Pilot Rock, Stanfield or Ukiah. Stu-
dents in private, alternative or home
schools in the area may apply. The
group will present a $500 scholarship.
Students are asked to write on the
topic “Is a border wall immoral?”
The essay, along with transcripts
and two letters of recommendation,
including one from an educator, must
be submitted by Sunday, March 31. A
winner will be determined by Tues-
day, April 30. Submissions can be sent
to rounduprw@gmail.com or Round
Up Republican Women, P.O. Box 984,
Pendleton, OR 97801. For questions,
call 541-969-2677.
Donor sets challenge for
Blue Mountain Wildlife
A call out of the blue could help
Blue Mountain Wildlife generate the
seed money for massive upgrades at its
Pendleton facility.
The nonprofit announced Monday
that it was launching its “Soar Higher”
fundraising campaign.
From now until April 20, every dol-
lar donated to Blue Mountain Wildlife
will be matched up to $25,000.
Blue Mountain Wildlife Execu-
tive Director Lynn Tompkins said the
new fundraising drive was made pos-
sible by Linda Wolcott of New Mexico,
who visited the rehabilitation center for
wild birds south of Pendleton.
Although it’s been several years
since the visit, Blue Mountain Wild-
life left enough of an impression that
when she decided to make a charitable
donation, she picked up the phone and
called Blue Mountain Wildlife.
Tompkins said renovations will
include a wildlife hospital, indoor and
outdoor classrooms, new displays for
the “ambassador” birds, and caretaker
and intern housing.
People can make donations by vis-
iting the Blue Mountain Wildlife web-
site or writing checks to the nonprofit’s
71046 Appaloosa Lane, Pendleton, OR
97801 address.
Donors can also give money in per-
son at the U.S. Department of Fish
and Wildlife Winter Birds event on
Saturday.
Blue Mountain Wildlife is set to
release two bald eagles back into the
wild at 10 a.m. the McNary Environ-
mental Education Center, 64 Maple St.,
Burbank, Washington.
The event runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
and also includes birding tours, chil-
dren’s activities, and live bird exhibits.
ported him to Good Shepherd
Medical Center, Hermiston. He
was later transferred to Kadlec
Reigonal Medical Center in the
Tri-Cities.
In the press release, Undersher-
iff John A. Bowles thanked Board-
man fire and ambulance crews,
Oregon State Police, Josh Hind-
man and Matthew Pells of USFW,
and Umatilla County Search and
Rescue for being on standby, as
well as his deputies for their effort
in the search.
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
Return your application
packet no later than March 1, 2019.
(Postmark does not count.)
Submit application to:
Emily Smith, Volunteer Services 2801
St. Anthony Way, Pendleton, OR 97801
EmilySmith@chiwest.com • Questions? Call 541-278-2627