REGION
Saturday, May 25, 2019
East Oregonian
A3
Texan takes the reins at Wallowa Lake State Park
By ELLEN MORRIS
BISHOP
Wallowa County Chieftain
There’s a new manager
at Wallowa Lake State Park
these days.
Mac Freeborn arrived in
April, and has picked up the
management reins at one of
Eastern Oregon’s most pop-
ular and revered state parks.
The 216-acre reserve serves
more than 400,000 day-use
visitors per year, and its
popularity is growing. It’s
currently the 12th most pop-
ular place to camp in all of
Oregon’s state parks, serv-
ing almost 90,000 camp-
ers in 2018, up 6% from the
previous season.
Freeborn hails from
Texas, where he worked in
and managed a number of
parks and recreation areas.
Wallowa County Chieftain Photo/Ellen M. Bishop
Mac Freeborn, the new manager at Wallowa Lake State Park,
inspects the foundation for the park’s new micro hydro pow-
er generation plant.
Most recently, that included
the Guadalupe Mountains
National Park, as well as
other state and local facil-
ities. Most were parks that
included water and boating,
which makes him a natural
for Wallowa Lake.
Freeborn is enthusias-
tic about his new position
LOCAL BRIEFING
PHS to celebrate
new greenhouse
Pendleton High School
has a new greenhouse, and
the FFA Chapter is celebrat-
ing with an open house on
Thursday.
The public is invited to stop
by from 5-7 p.m. at the Green-
house Open House and Drive-
Through BBQ.
Residents can stop by to see
the new greenhouse. Dinner is
available for $7 and includes
hamburgers, bag of chips and
potato salad. FFA students
will also be selling tomato,
dahlia and zinnia starts and
pots of succulents.
The new greenhouse,
which is 24 feet by 48 feet
in size, was funded through
Measure 98 funds, now called
High School Success).
Kylee Jensen, an agricul-
ture, science and technology
teacher and FFA advisor at
PHS, said the initial plan for
the greenhouse is a spring
plant sale, but they hope to
eventually expand and focus
on fall and winter plants, too.
The main classes working in
the greenhouse will be the
Plant Science class and the
Crop and Soil Science class.
“Students and FFA mem-
bers are really excited to see
what we plan to do with this
new greenhouse,” she said.
“I’ve also talked with several
community members and they
are excited to see it as well.”
DEQ fi nes
Pendleton, Lamb
Weston for
pollution
PENDLETON — The
city of Pendleton and Lamb
Weston Inc., Hermiston, were
among the recent entities on
the receiving ends of pollution
fi nes.
The Oregon Department
of Environmental Quality
announced 16 penalties total-
ing $299,249 for various envi-
ronmental violations in April.
Pendleton was the only city on
the list.
The DEQ reported the city
exceeded the total residual
chlorine effl uent limits in its
wastewater discharge permit
multiple times in 2017, and the
violations warrant a civil pen-
alty of $10,200.
Lamb Weston received a
$6,800 fi ne for discharging
wastewater on Sept. 21, 2018,
from its pipeline at the Herm-
iston facility into the Umatilla
River. According to the DEQ,
Lamb Weston discharge per-
mits prohibit releases into the
river because its “wastewater
contains pollutants in amounts
and concentrations that can
adversely affect water quality
and aquatic life.”
The environmental agency
allows Pendleton, Lamb
Weston and the other 14 enti-
ties to pay the fi nes, seek ways
to reduce them or appeal.
Public can learn
about Echo,
Stanfi eld and
Umatilla housing
study
STANFIELD — Echo,
Stanfi eld
and
Umatilla
announced the second and
fi nal open house for the pub-
lic to learn about the West
County Housing Study.
The open house is Friday,
6:30-8 p.m., at the Stafford
Hansell Government Center,
Hermiston. The consulting
team will present the draft of
the housing strategies report
with recommendations for
each city. Staff and the advi-
sors from each city will be
present to answer questions
and record input.
Stanfi eld
City
Man-
ager Blair Larsen said in the
announcement the study will
help set housing and land use
policy for the cities for the
next 20 years. Tamra Mabbott,
Umatilla community develop-
ment director, said the results
come at a “pivotal time” for
her city.
Umatilla had 66 new
homes in 2018, more than the
total for the previous decade.
The city will consider pro-
grams and measures to main-
tain that growth, she said in
the announcement.
For more information, con-
tact city staff from Stanfi eld,
Echo or Umatilla
and about being in Wallowa
County. “It just seems like
a place where I belong,” he
said. “Everyone has been
friendly and helpful. The
staff here is really con-
nected to this place, and
so for now, I’m just listen-
ing and learning from them.
They are really the ones
who know the park and are
running it.”
Freeborn and the park
will be undertaking two
major projects in the next
year. There is the realign-
ment of the Wallowa Riv-
er’s channels, which will
include re-allocating about
30% of the river’s fl ow to
an old and soon-to-be-re-
furbished channel that runs
through the central portion
of the day-use area. That
will include construction of
new pathways and pedes-
trian bridges to cross the
stream, establishment of
riparian vegetation, some
resizing of parking areas,
and new interpretive signs,
all of which are presently
being designed.
Freeborn is enthusias-
tic about this project. “It’s
going to be great to connect
our visitors more closely
with the kokanee and the
river,” he said.
Establishing a new
“micro-hydro” power plant
is another “green” project
that has just started at the
park and will be completed
under Freeborn’s tutelage.
Developed in collaboration
with Wallowa Resources
and Pacifi c Power, the proj-
ect will pipe the park’s
water from its source higher
on Chief Joseph Mountain
into a turbine located near
the park’s old amphitheater.
The turbine will be
housed in a small log
cabin and will be visi-
ble to the public, complete
with an interpretive sign
that explains its functions.
The 150 kilowatts per year
that this micro hydro proj-
ect produces will save the
project’s owner, the Wal-
lowa Lake Service Dis-
trict, a municipal water
and sewer entity managed
by Wallowa County, about
$15,000 a year in energy
costs.
Freeborn is looking for-
ward to learning more about
his park and enhancing its
roles in Wallowa County.
“We are one of the major
attractions here,” he said.
“We can help people con-
nect better with this incred-
ible landscape.”
Morrow County Sheriff’s Offi ce
nets fl eeing rape suspect in trunk
East Oregonian
The Morrow County
Sheriff’s Offi ce early Thurs-
day caught a rape suspect
hiding in the trunk of a car.
Undersheriff
John
Bowles in a written state-
ment reported the sheriff’s
offi ce Tuesday at 6:54 a.m.
received a report of a sex-
ual assault that occurred at
a residence on Meenderinck
Farms south of Irrigon. Sgt.
Brian Snyder and Sgt. Nathen
Braun responded and talked
with a 21-year-old woman
who reported she was raped
by Pedro Lopez-Larios, 34,
of Boardman.
The sergeants found
Lopez-Larios in a bedroom
of the residence, but before
they could make a move on
him, he jumped out of a win-
dow, bolted and escaped into
a nearby 80-acre fi eld of pop-
lar trees.
Other Morrow County
sheriff’s deputies arrived,
set a perimeter and began
searching for Lopez-Lar-
ios. Deputies from the Uma-
tilla County Sheriff’s Offi ce
assisted with the use of two
drones.
After hours of searching,
however, law enforcement
had not found Lopez-Larios.
Snyder and Braun continued
the investigation, accord-
ing to Bowles, and Snyder
caught wind Lopez-Larios
was trying to leave Oregon.
Morrow County deputies
with backup from Hermis-
ton police conducted a traffi c
stop Thursday at 12:13 a.m.
and found Lopez-Larios in
the vehicle’s trunk.
The sheriff’s offi ce
arrested Lopez-Larios, took
him to the Umatilla County
Jail, Pendleton, and booked
him on charges of fi rst-de-
gree rape and sexual abuse.
The district attorney’s
offi ce later Thursday morn-
ing brought the preliminary
charges against Lopez-Lar-
ios, and Circuit Judge Daniel
Hill set the bail at $500,000.
The case has a probable
cause hearing Thursday.
Duck Race to make splash in Hermiston
A family-fun event offers
everything from a giant
infl atable obstacle course
and Knockerball to bouncy
houses and music.
Coordinated by Lead-
ership Hermiston Class 22,
Ducks Race the Rapids offers
outdoor fun, while also rais-
ing money to support Made
to Thrive. The nonprofi t
organization aims to stop the
cycle of child abuse, neglect
and poverty by providing
access to adventure activ-
ities, sports, music and the
arts to vulnerable youth.
Ducks Race the Rap-
ids is Saturday, June 1 from
11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at River-
front Park, Orchard Exten-
sion Loop, Hermiston. Peo-
ple are encouraged to bring a
picnic. Admission to the park
is free and tickets for activi-
ties will be sold by vendors
with a portion of proceeds
given to the cause.
Ducks are available at
participating businesses —
Roger’s Toyota, the Hermis-
ton Chamber of Commerce,
Hermiston Parks & Rec-
reation, Atkinson Staffi ng,
Columbia Bank, O’Reillys,
the city of Umatilla, Smit-
ty’s Ace Hardware, Umpqua
Bank, Umatilla Electric
Cooperative and Delish Bis-
tro — for $5, while supplies
last. They will be dropped
in the river at noon. The per-
son whose ticket matches the
duck scooped up fi rst at the
fi nish line wins $1,000. Five
other prizes will be given.
Based in Hermiston,
Made To Thrive serves more
than 200 youths annually.
Support is provided by more
than 40 volunteers.
For more information
about the event, contact Fran
Rice, Leadership Hermiston
facilitator, at 541-571-7977 or
rices@eotnet.net.
Council to discuss renewal of public transit contract
Hermiston will also
discuss annexation
of property during
Tuesday meeting
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
The Hermiston City
Council’s regular meeting
will take place on a Tues-
day next week to avoid
Memorial Day.
The council will meet
at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at
city hall, 180 N.E. Second
St., to discuss renewal of
the city’s contract with
Kayak Public Transit and
to hold a public hearing
on annexation of property
for a new subdivision.
The annexation would
include 9.35 acres at 1290
W. Elm Ave. Accord-
ing to a memo in the
council’s agenda packet,
owner Richard Carpen-
ter intends to create a new
residential
subdivision
there with approximately
39 lots.
The city has already
received three letters tes-
tifying against the annex-
ation. One is from a neigh-
bor who does not want to
live next to other houses,
one is from a resident who
wants to see the property
The contract under
less densely developed
and one is from a repre- consideration would keep
sentative of landowners the city’s contribution to
who have a nearby piece Kayak at $125,000 for
of property for sale, stat- another two years.
ing there is “ample prop-
erty available already.”
Monday’s
agenda
includes renewal of the
city’s contract with Kayak
5/24-5/26
Public Transit. The tran-
Cineplex Show Times
sit service, owned by the
$5 Classic Movie
Confederated Tribes of
the Umatilla Indian Res- Showing Wednesday at 12PM
THE JERK
ervation, runs Hermis- Aladdin (PG)
ton’s free public bus sys- 1:00p* 3:50p* 6:40p
9:30p
tem, the HART.
John Wick: Chapter 3
Parabellum (R)
1:20p* 4:10p 7:00p 9:50p
Avengers: Endgame (PG13)
12:00p* 3:40p* 7:20p 9:10p
A Dog's Journey (PG)
11:40a* 2:00p* 4:30p 6:50p 9:40p
Pokemon Detective Pikachu (PG)
11:50a* 2:10p* 4:40p 7:10p
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (PG13)
Thursday, May 30th • 7:00p, 10:00p
Rocketman (R)
Thursday, May 30th • 7:00p, 9:40p
"Wilmon K Schuck Jr
"BILL SCHUCK" "Moe"
3/20/56-1/11/19
Celebration of Life • June 1st 1p-3p
Pendleton Eagles
Please join us for a luncheon to share
stories and memories of our brother
and his many friends.''
Celebration of Life
Potluck
Sunday, June 2, 2019
1 o’clock in the
afternoon
Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216
5/27
Cineplex Show Times
$5 Classic Movie
Showing Wednesday at 12PM
THE JERK
Aladdin (PG)
1:00p* 3:50p* 6:40p
9:30p
Salvation Army
Fellowship Hall
150 SE Emigrant Ave.
Pendleton, Oregon
For more information
or questions call Rose
at 541-567-4446
* Matinee Pricing
wildhorseresort.com • 541-966-1850
John Wick: Chapter 3
Parabellum (R)
1:20p* 4:10p 7:00p 9:50p
Avengers: Endgame (PG13)
12:00p* 3:40p* 7:20p 9:10p
Douglas L. Schuck
“Doug”, “Dougie” “Elwood”
July 8, 1948 -
June 26, 2018
3/12/57-5/11/19
Celebration of Life June 1, 1pm-3pm
Pendleton Eagles
Please join us in a combined
celebration for our beloved brothers,
Bill and Doug.”
A Dog's Journey (PG)
11:40a* 2:00p* 4:30p 6:50p 9:40p
Pokemon Detective Pikachu (PG)
11:50a* 2:10p* 4:40p 7:10p
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (PG13)
Thursday, May 30th • 7:00p, 10:00p
Rocketman (R)
Thursday, May 30th • 7:00p, 9:40p
* Matinee Pricing
wildhorseresort.com • 541-966-1850
Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216