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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.