Pendleton 12U softball sweeps first round | SPORTS, B1
E O
AST
143rd year, No. 188
REGONIAN
Tuesday, July 9, 2019
$1.50
WINNER OF THE 2018 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
Owners reach
deal for sale
of Hamley
businesses
Hermiston
Board of
Education
endorses
bond
proposal
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — The sun
could be setting on the court
battles over all things Hamleys.
Blair Woodfield and Par-
ley Pearce have been locked
in a legal dispute to split their
ownership of the iconic Ham-
ley western store, steak house
and related ventures in down-
town Pendleton. Woodfield put
a stick in the spokes of that pro-
cess in 2018 when he declared
bankruptcy to prevent an auc-
tion. But a June 17 court filing
in the case states Woodfield and
Pearce are ready to let it go.
“The Partners having nego-
tiated are now in agreement to
liquidate the Hamleys holdings
in Pendleton and to otherwise
wind up all their jointly owned
LLCs in an orderly manner,”
according to the motion and
notice to settle. To accomplish
that, Woodfield, Pearce and
their main creditor, Idaho-based
HIPO, a limited liability com-
pany, “agreed to hold an auction
sale for all the Hamleys assets.”
Woodfield in 2016 tried to
work a deal from the Confed-
erated Tribes of the umatilla
Indian Reservation near Pend-
leton to buy the Hamley compa-
nies for $2 million, but Pearce
never agreed to that.
under the terms of the new
deal, HIPO offered $2.5 mil-
lion for the four limited liability
companies that control Hamley
businesses. The offer is good
for 10 days for Woodfield’s
approval, then would drop to
$2 million and face “potential
overbids.” Anyone wishing to
bid more than $2 million would
have to put it in writing and give
it to HIPO’s lawyer, Britta War-
ren of Portland. Bidders prov-
ing they can make good on the
cash within eight days meet at
her office for an auction lasting
four hours.
Any party submitting a qual-
ified overbid, according to the
filing, can attend the auction,
along with Woodfield, Pearce,
HIPO’s representative and the
lawyers.
The sale of the Hamley assets
to HIPO or the highest bidder
shall close within 10 days of the
bankruptcy court approving the
agreement or within eight days
after the end of the auction.
The deal does not set a date
for the auction. That could
come during the confirmation
$82.7 million
measure to
be placed on
November ballot
By JESSICA POLLARD
East Oregonian
HeRMIsTON
—
The
Board of Education unani-
mously approved a recommen-
dation on Monday night to put
an $82.7 million bond measure
on the ballot this November.
The proposed bond would
fund a number of projects,
including the replacement of
Rocky Heights Elementary
School with a larger capacity
building on the same property
and the construction of a new
elementary school on property
owned by the district on The-
ater lane.
The bond would also fund a
multi-use annex for Hermiston
High School, further elemen-
tary school improvements and
be used to purchase more prop-
erty to address projected stu-
dent capacity.
According to the Hermis-
ton school district website,
the Facility Planning Commit-
tee estimated the elementary
schools would exceed capacity
by the 2020-21 school year and
Hermiston High School by this
coming school year.
“With support from our res-
idents, we’ll be able to keep
up with the growing demand
for classroom space and main-
tain quality instruction at each
of our campuses,” said Board
of Education Chair Karen
sherman.
A recent press release issued
by the school district stated that
the bond wouldn’t raise prop-
erty taxes, and that taxpayers
can expect to keep the $0.40
reduction per $1,000 assessed
value which took effect when
the district paid off its pre-
2008 debt last month.
The district’s last bond pro-
posal, which was rejected by
voters in 2017, was for $104
million dollars.
“Even though we were
unsuccessful last time,” said
Vice Chair of the Board of
Education Josh Goller, “the
need is still there.”
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
Greg Red Elk competes during the golden age competition at the 25th Wildhorse Pow Wow Sunday
afternoon.
By BEN LONERGAN
East Oregonian
M
IssION—dancers dressed
in colorful regalia and cer-
emonial clothing spread
across the lawn at the start of the
25th anniversary of the annual
Wildhorse Pow Wow as the air
filled with the sound of drums and
singing.
As dancers made their way
around the circle to the beat of the
drums, the voice of Jerry Meninick
boomed across the loudspeaker to
announce upcoming competitions.
Meninick, a longtime announcer
for the event, has witnessed the
growth and resilience of the pow
wow since its first years.
“The vision of the event was to
help others, and in that, I believe
we have succeeded,” he said. “I
feel as though the dreams have
been realized for the people here.”
From the rather humble begin-
nings of the event, the number of
competitors has grown while win-
nings have swelled to more than
$90,000 in cash and prizes.
This year’s host drum, Sharp
Shooter, from St. Paul, Minnesota,
led off the drumming rotation fol-
lowed by a variety of competition
drums representing tribes from the
United States and Canada. Drums
traded off for each dance compe-
tition as the afternoon continued.
Dancers of all ages were given
the opportunity to compete in a
variety of competitions, includ-
ing traditional, fancy, golden
age, chicken and jingle dances.
Between competitions, intertribal
dances welcomed tribal mem-
bers of all ages and genders to
dance together and express their
individual styles.
For many competitors, and for
the spectators, the event was not
just about the prizes. Chaska
John, 17, and his younger
brother Jason, 4, of yakima,
Washington, have been com-
peting in the event for as long as
they can remember.
“It’s simple, I came to see
family and dance; it’s cool to
see the same people every year,
and watch them grow.” John
said. “I don’t think anything has
changed, and that’s what I love
about it.”
In addition to the dance and
drum competitions, traveling
vendors served a variety of tra-
ditional foods and Native amer-
ican arts and crafts.
For more Pow Wow
photos go to page A7
See Hamley, Page A8
Merkley fields questions in Boardman
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
BOaRdMaN — Concern for
children in america’s classrooms,
homes and border security perme-
ated discussion at a town hall with
Sen. Jeff Merkley in Boardman on
Saturday.
The senator advocated for more
education funding, more early
childhood education opportunities
and changes in the way the country
handles minors crossing the south-
ern border in response to several
questions from a crowd of about two
dozen people at the saGe Center.
Doctors and lawyers with access
to child detention centers at the bor-
der have described young children
packed into facilities without access
to clean clothes, soap, toothbrushes,
sleeping mats and other items. One
town hall attendee described the
government’s treatment of unac-
companied minors and those taken
from their parents as an “abomina-
tion” and asked Merkley what Con-
gress and everyday citizens can do.
Merkley said he was deeply trou-
bled by the reports and what he had
seen in his own visits to the border,
including a former Walmart that
had been built to house 300 boys but
instead held 1,500. He said the for-
profit businesses that run the deten-
tion facilities on behalf of the gov-
ernment were paid $750 per child
per day, giving them no incentive to
find placements with family or fos-
ter homes.
“They have every incentive to
keep kids in there as long as they
can,” he said.
He advocated for a return of the
Family Case Management Program,
which assigned caseworkers to fam-
ilies who were considered low flight
risks and helped them get set up
with housing and other necessities
See Townhall, Page A8
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