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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (July 20, 2019)
WEEKEND EDITION EAST OREGONIAN WINS TOP PRIZE IN STATE NEWSPAPER CONTEST HERMISTON RACEWAY PREPARES FOR HEATED COMPETITION REGION, A3 SPORTS, B1 HIGHLAND DANCING MAKES A HOME IN EASTERN OREGON | LIFESTYLES, C1 E O AST 143rd Year, No. 197 REGONIAN JULY 20-21, 2019 Gun storage advocates fi le petition City steps up tax collection on Airbnb rentals EO SPOTLIGHT Supporters think lawmakers can pass a storage law in 2020 By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE Oregon Capital Bureau SALEM — Advocates are reviving efforts to require Oregon gun owners to securely store their guns. Supporters fi led an ini- tiative petition Thursday, July 18, to bring the issue to voters again in Novem- ber 2020 if the Legislature fails to pass similar legisla- tion next year. The petitioners — Henry Wessinger and Jenna Pas- salacqua, both of Portland, and Paul Kemp, of Happy Valley — want to reduce injuries and deaths asso- ciated with guns that have been accessed unlawfully, or by children. Supporters fi led a similar petition last year, but with- drew it after it became clear they didn’t have time to gather enough signatures in support to get it on the bal- lot. They then advocated for lawmakers to pass a storage law this year. But their idea collided with the legislative session’s fi ery politics. A major gun control bill, which included the storage requirements, was killed as part of negotiations in May, when Senate Republi- cans refused to attend fl oor sessions in protest of a new business tax. Gov. Kate Brown bro- kered a deal where major- ity Democrats would drop the gun bill and a second bill tightening vaccina- tion requirements for pub- lic school students to get the Republicans to come back. And when Senate Repub- licans walked out for the second time, spanning more than a week in late June, time was lacking to bring $1.50 WINNER OF THE 2019 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD Staff photo by Kathy Aney Bud tender Ashleigh Sauvie waits on a customer on a busy Sunday morning at Kind Leaf in Pendleton. One marijuana store in Pendleton has 100,000 out-of-area customers per year By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian ENDLETON — The parking lot at Kind Leaf in Pendleton started to fi ll Sun- day morning after the big music festival. Most of Staff photo by Kathy Aney the vehicles displayed Idaho license plates — travelers Nick Krenzler retrieves some hybrid buds for a customer on a stopping at one of Pendleton’s busy Sunday morning at Kind Leaf in Pendleton. three marijuana stores before leaving town. include his last name due to He said he has been to sev- Jake, his wife and their concerns because marijuana eral marijuana stores in Ore- close friends drove from is not legal in Idaho). They gon and liked what he found Idaho to take in their fi rst love to sightsee and travel, he at Kind Leaf. Pendleton Whisky Music Fest said, and they stayed at a hotel See Marijuana, Page A9 (the East Oregonian did not in Hermiston and dined out. P See Guns, Page A9 PENDLETON — The city’s vacation rental mar- ket used to revolve around Round-Up, but companies like Airbnb mean it’s now a year-round business. The number of Airbnb operants has grown large enough that the city of Pend- leton has taken steps to regu- late the emerging market. The city modernized its lodging tax ordinance in July 2018 to include “vacation rent- als by owner,” and on June 12, City Attorney Nancy Kerns sent out a letter to Airbnb operators to remind them that they too needed to obtain a city business license and pay the city’s lodging room tax. She also spelled out the penalties if any vacation rental owners failed to comply. “Violations of this ordi- nance, such as operating a lodging facility when not properly licensed and certi- fi ed, and failure to remit lodg- ing taxes to the City when due, are violations of City ordinance which are subject to citation and potential pen- alty of $500 per day in viola- tion,” she wrote. Five self-described Airbnb businesses acquired a license in June, although there are more listed on the Airbnb website. About a dozen property owners were offering up their homes to visitors in early November, a month that falls into the Pendleton tourism off-season. Websites like Airbnb and VRBO allow any property owner to act as a hotelkeeper. The websites offer a plat- form where the owner offers their room or house to poten- tial visitors, who book the vacation rental the same way they would a hotel room. Finance Director Linda See Airbnb, Page A9 PENDLETON Seattle Cossacks return to Bike Week By ALEX CASTLE East Oregonian PENDLETON — George Wright, 15, has been riding on the Seattle Cossacks’ signa- ture Harley-Davidsons since he was in the womb. When his mother, Leah Wright, was pregnant and informed his father, Jimi Wright, that her water had broken, Jimi ran to start the truck. As he ushered Leah to the vehicle, she shook her head. “No, I want to take the bike,” she said. “You want to take the bike?” Jimi responded, surprised. So with his mother 9 months pregnant with him, George took his fi rst ride on a motorcycle to the hospital. Jimi recalls feeling a sudden slap on his back as the nurses arrived and shepherded Leah into the hospital. An older woman had just hit him with her purse and was scolding him for his recklessness. “I had just wanted to feel the cold air,” Leah See Cossacks, Page A9 Staff photo by Ben Lonergan Members of the Seattle Cossacks Motorcycle Stunt and Drill team perform at the Pendleton Convention Center Friday af- ternoon. CHI St. Anthony Hospital Family Clinic is recognized as a Patient -Centered Primary Care Home. What does that mean for you? • Better-coordinated care. • Healthcare providers who will help connect you • Listening to your concerns and answering with the care you need in a safe and timely way. questions. • Healthcare providers who play an active role in your health. • After-hours nurse consultation. 844.724.8632 3001 St. Anthony Way, Pendleton WWW.SAHPENDLETON.ORG Mon through Thurs, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. • Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sat and Sun, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are preferred.