NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
A2
Bend Bulletin must
fire employees prior
to selling newspaper
Oregon senator must
give notice before
going to Capitol
gized minutes later for his
comments.
“This is a very, very seri-
ous thing,” said Sen. James
Manning, a Democratic
committee member and one
of only two African-Ameri-
can members of the Senate.
“If I had made those com-
ments, I would have been
drug out of the Capitol, at
minimum.”
Boquist said in an inter-
view last week the troop-
ers lacked legal authority to
apprehend senators. Gov.
Kate Brown, a Democrat act-
ing on Courtney’s request,
ordered the state police to
bring the boycotting sena-
tors to the Senate so a quo-
rum could be established and
a vote conducted on the cli-
mate-change bill.
At the hearing, Boquist
read from a prepared state-
ment, announcing he is suing
Courtney and others. He
refused to be questioned by
committee members.
“Whether Kate Brown
and/or Peter Courtney issued
troopers an illegal order will
now be determined in a court
of law,” Boquist said.
Brenda Baumgart, an out-
side attorney for the Sen-
ate, testified that while her
investigation continues, the
By ANDREW SELSKY
Associated Press
SALEM — A Republican
lawmaker who threatened
the Senate president and Ore-
gon State Police on the eve
of a revolt by GOP senators
over a climate-change bill
must give notice before com-
ing to the Capitol, where state
troopers will beef up their
presence, a Senate commit-
tee decided Monday.
The committee of two
Democrats and two Repub-
licans unanimously passed
the motion near the close of
a hearing into Sen. Brian
Boquist’s conduct that lasted
several hours. The hearing
room in the Oregon State
Capitol was jammed with
onlookers, including many
of his supporters who held
small American flags.
Boquist, a Republican
from Dallas, warned on June
19 that if the Oregon State
Police were sent to force him
to return during a walkout
by GOP senators that they
should “send bachelors and
come heavily armed.” He
also told Senate President
Peter Courtney that “hell
is coming to visit you per-
sonally” if he sent the state
police after him. He apolo-
By MEERAH POWELL
Oregon Public Broadcasting
AP Photo/Andrew Selsky
State Sen. Brian Boquist reads a statement on Monday to
the Senate special committee on conduct in Salem.
Senate should take steps to
ensure it maintains an intim-
idation-free and safe work
environment. She had said
in a memo to legislative offi-
cials that the customary prac-
tice in such cases is to pre-
vent the person who made
threats from returning to the
workplace.
The Senate commit-
tee members decided that
Boquist must give at least 12
hours written notice that he
planned to come to the Capi-
tol, and that Oregon troopers,
who provide security in the
building, beef up their force
by a couple of troopers while
Boquist is present. That, the
committee members said,
should show that the Senate
is taking the security con-
cerns of others seriously.
Baumgart had said some
Senate members and employ-
ees have reported concerns
about their safety and that of
others, but she did not iden-
tify them.
Forecast for Pendleton Area
TODAY
WEDNESDAY
Partly sunny
Partly sunny
87° 62°
86° 61°
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
Partly sunny
SATURDAY
Partly sunny and
pleasant
Partly sunny and
pleasant
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
87° 62°
90° 62°
90° 62°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
90° 66°
90° 67°
92° 65°
94° 65°
95° 67°
OREGON FORECAST
ALMANAC
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Seattle
Olympia
68/61
80/59
82/59
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
88/64
Lewiston
71/63
90/67
Astoria
68/59
Pullman
Yakima 86/65
71/59
88/67
Portland
Hermiston
73/63
The Dalles 90/66
Salem
Corvallis
68/60
Yesterday
Normals
Records
La Grande
82/56
PRECIPITATION
John Day
Eugene
Bend
71/60
76/52
84/56
Ontario
89/65
Caldwell
Burns
81°
58°
87°
57°
104° (2012) 40° (1981)
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
Albany
69/61
0.00"
Trace
0.06"
4.55"
5.10"
5.76"
WINDS (in mph)
87/62
84/51
0.00"
0.02"
0.08"
9.59"
6.49"
7.65"
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Pendleton 78/54
70/62
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
HERMISTON
Enterprise
87/62
79/61
80°
52°
87°
57°
106° (1968) 41° (1911)
PRECIPITATION
Moses
Lake
73/60
Aberdeen
81/62
81/62
Tacoma
Yesterday
Normals
Records
Spokane
Wenatchee
73/62
Today
Medford
Wed.
SW 4-8
ENE 4-8
Boardman
Pendleton
76/59
WSW 6-12
NW 6-12
SUN AND MOON
Klamath Falls
78/47
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2019
Tuesday, July 9, 2019
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
5:15 a.m.
8:46 p.m.
1:34 p.m.
12:46 a.m.
First
Full
Last
New
July 9
July 16
July 24
July 31
NATIONAL EXTREMES
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 106° in Laredo, Texas Low 33° in Boca Reservoir, Calif.
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Sen. Alan Olsen, one of
two Republican commit-
tee members, said that con-
cerned him, and that the
panel should be able to ask
them about their concerns.
Baumgart said a full
report would come in a
month or two, and it would
include who raised concerns.
“I think that this type of
situation is grave, it is egre-
gious, it is serious, and is one
that puts the branch (the Leg-
islature) at risk” if interim
measures are not taken, she
told the committee.
Boquist made his threats a
day before Republican sena-
tors began a nine-day walk-
out on June 20, with the GOP
caucus saying the climate bill
would harm their rural con-
stituents. The bill aimed to
dramatically reduce green-
house gases by capping car-
bon emissions and requiring
businesses to buy or trade for
an ever-dwindling pool of
pollution “allowances.”
A new court filing outlin-
ing the sale of Central Ore-
gon’s only daily newspaper
shows that all employees of the
Bend Bulletin and other publi-
cations must be terminated
before Rhode Island Suburban
Newspapers takes control.
The Rhode Island company
plans to buy Western Com-
munications’ Central Oregon
publications for more than $2
million.
As a part of the sale agree-
ment, Western Communi-
cations must terminate all
employees at the Bend Bulle-
tin, the Redmond Spokesman
Weekly and other publications
including Go! Weekly enter-
tainment tabloid and Bend
Homes monthly.
“Effective as of the end of
business on the day immedi-
ately prior to the Closing Date,
Seller shall terminate all Busi-
ness Employees,” the filing
states.
The Rhode Island company
could re-hire any employees at
its discretion.
This comes after West-
ern Communications filed for
bankruptcy in 2011 and again
this past January. As of late
May, Western Communica-
tions owed roughly $30 mil-
lion in debt.
It had listed its Bend head-
quarters for sale at $20 mil-
lion in 2017. The Rhode
Island company will lease
space there for a monthly rate
of $10,000.
Neither party is allowed
to talk about the terms of the
agreement, though documents
are publicly available in bank-
ruptcy court.
The Rhode Island com-
pany is also bidding on
another Western Communica-
tions paper, and its real estate,
in California — the Sonoran
Union Democrat.
Two Oregon-based media
groups are buying other West-
ern Communications’ publi-
cations. Last week, the court
authorized the terms of sale
for Country Media and EO
Media Group to buy the com-
pany’s other Oregon publica-
tions in La Grande, Baker City
and Brookings and another in
Crescent City, California.
A judge will review the
purchase agreement between
Rhode Island Suburban News-
papers and Western Commu-
nications at a hearing later this
month.
Western Communications
didn’t immediately respond to
a request for comment.
Southern resident orcas spotted
after unusual absence
SEATTLE (AP) — Break-
ing an unprecedented run of
days this summer without fre-
quenting their home waters,
J, K and even possibly L pod
southern resident orcas were
recently seen on the west side
of San Juan Island.
The Seattle Times reports
that the endangered orcas had
not been here this summer,
except for one visit by J pod,
in a brief lap around San Juan
Island one day in early May.
They immediately left. How-
ever, on Friday, the Cana-
dian Department of Fisher-
ies reported that members
of all three pods, J, K and L,
were seen on the west coast of
Vancouver.
And Ken Balcomb, found-
ing director of the Center for
Whale Research, emailed the
Times Friday morning and
said: “J and K and maybe
some L off my house in Haro
Strait now.”
Still, the whales’ scar-
city in what has long been
their core summer habitat in
the inland waters of the Sal-
ish Sea between the U.S. and
Canada has scientists scram-
bling, with research scheduled
but their star subjects nowhere
in sight. Yet, whale watch tour
operators are having one of
their best years ever. Sight-
ings of transient orcas — or
Bigg’s killer whales — have
reached unprecedented num-
bers, humpbacks are enjoy-
ing a spectacular comeback
and gray whales, seals and
sea lions also are keeping the
tourists coming.
At the root of it all is food.
Transients are feasting
on abundant harbor seals,
rebounded in number since
they were protected from
hunting by the 1972 Marine
Mammal Protection Act,
which similarly has benefited
other protected marine mam-
mals. Their resurgence is one
of the great conservation suc-
cesses of our time.
However, a bad year for
chinook salmon, the south-
ern residents’ primary food,
particularly in the Fraser
River, is thought to be driv-
ing the southern residents
away this summer in search
of sustenance.
While the resident orca
dearth is unprecedented, it is
not unexpected, researchers
say. It’s consistent with a lon-
ger-term trend.
Ken Balcomb, of the Cen-
ter for Whale Research, is
charged by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration with keeping
a current photo identification
catalog and population statis-
tics on the southern residents.
“For the past 10 years, I have
been reporting that the trend
in (southern resident killer
whale) occupancy of these
inshore waters is decreasing,
and we are going to have to
gear up for more work in the
western Strait of Juan de Fuca
and along the coast.”
Balcomb said he also has
seen similar trends in Puget
Sound, with the southern res-
idents rarely coming around
anymore except for chum runs
in the autumn and winter.
“There is simply no rea-
son for them to come into
inshore waters unless they are
following significant runs of
salmon,” he said.
Brad Hanson, a research
biologist with the NOAA’s
Northwest Fisheries Science
Center in Seattle, has for
the last 15 years spent sev-
eral weeks in June surveying
the southern residents in the
waters of the San Juan Islands.
But he was skunked this year
despite two weeks in the field
in last month that included
a run toward the coast in the
Strait of Juan de Fuca after
Canadian colleagues reported
seeing the southern residents
off Vancouver Island. Bad
weather turned the U.S. sur-
vey crew back.
Neah Bay is starting to
look like a better base for
tracking the whales than Fri-
day Harbor, Hanson said.
Meanwhile, the Bigg’s are
being seen plenty.
Monika W. Shields with
her co-authors in a December
2018 paper reported record
sightings of Bigg’s killer
whales in the inland waters
of the Salish Sea. The tran-
sients also are taking a big
bite out of the local seal popu-
lation, Shields and her co-au-
thors reported, with the tran-
sients in the Salish Sea eating
more than 1,000 seals in 2017
alone.
Their avid predation must
be considered as salmon man-
agers mull killing seals to pro-
tect declining salmon runs,
the authors wrote. Seal pop-
ulations have actually begun
to level off, and even decline
— while the population of
Bigg’s killer whales has dou-
bled since 1990, according to
the paper.
Jeff Friedman, owner of
Maya’s Legacy Whale Watch-
ing and U.S. President for the
Pacific Whale Watch Associ-
ation, could have told you that.
His customers this week
saw dozens of Bigg’s killer
whales, including families
with multiple babies, and
often witness epic open sea
orca takedowns of seals and
sea lions, Friedman said. In
one recent encounter, the
sea-mammal eating orcas
were tossing the pelt of a Stel-
lar sea lion in the air — all that
was left of it — seemingly just
for fun.
“It’s incredible to see,”
Friedman said. “You really
get a sense of their power
and coordination, you really,
really get that you are looking
at an apex predator.
“We have gotten so used
to the sad story of the south-
ern residents, we forget there
are animals that are doing
really well.”
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
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showers t-storms
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rain
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