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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 3, 2019)
OFF PAGE ONE Saturday, August 3, 2019 Camping: Homeless could face fines Continued from Page A1 • Camping on public prop- erty is prohibited unless autho- rized by the city manager. • Police can remove violat- ing campsites with 24-hour notice, although the notice requirement can be waived if authorities believe the camp contains illegal activity, a public safety threat, or is an impediment to city business. • Sleeping in a public building is prohibited. • Sleeping on a public bench between the hours of 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. is prohibited. • Violators of the ordinance can be fined up to $500. Kerns said the new pro- posal is less restrictive than the current law, and it isn’t meant to specifically target the homeless. She added that public buildings and facilities are meant for use by the pub- lic, but there was also in the public interest in using those facilities for what they were meant for. But Kelly Simon, a staff attorney for the ACLU of Ore- gon, was skeptical of the law. She referenced the recent Martin v. City of Boise case in the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled that criminalizing outdoor sleeping or camping violated the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution. “It looks like Pendleton recognizes that federal law has established a right to rest and they’re punishing people anyway,” she said. Although the offenses listed in the ordinance aren’t criminal, she thought it still violated the ruling by penaliz- ing the homeless for sleeping in public spaces. If she were a Pendleton res- ident, Simon said she would be concerned that the pro- posed ordinance would fur- ther entrench homelessness by fining people who couldn’t afford housing and exposing the city to further liability and lawsuits. The East Oregonian con- ducted its interview with Kerns before talking with Simon. Kerns did not return a follow-up phone message about Pendleton’s potential liability as of press time. One of the main resources for the homeless in Pendleton is Neighbor 2 Neighbor Pend- leton, which offers a warm- ing station in the winter and a weekly day center in the summer. On a bright and warm Wednesday afternoon, home- less residents gathered at Neighbor 2 Neighbor’s South- east Court Avenue facility to access its showers and get out of the heat. As volunteers processed people in the lobby and offered them fresh clothes, some members of Pendle- ton’s homeless community expressed their concerns with the proposed ordinance. Across four interviews, multiple homeless people admitted to being charged with criminal trespassing, but added that banning many forms of outdoor camping and sleeping was not the answer. Mark Woodger was blunt in his assessment of the pro- posed ordinance. “I think it’s sick,” he said. Woodger said eating, breathing, and sleeping are essential for life and the ordi- nance would make the latter difficult to do. DJ Haney, who identified himself as a “local homeless rapper,” was also upset at the proposal, predicting that more homeless would get high on meth to stay awake and avoid encounters with police. At least one day cen- ter user didn’t think the law would affect him that much. Greg Carter, who said he prefers to live life on the streets, said he thinks his preferred camping spot is secluded enough that he’ll avoid detection. Despite the homeless peo- ple’s concerns, Councilor Paul Chalmers said he sup- ported the ordinance. Chalmers said he didn’t want to be perceived as heart- less, but constituents were reporting feeling unsafe in public places because of the homeless presence. Noting that that he was speaking for himself and not the council, Chalmers said there were resources in Pend- leton to get people off the street so they wouldn’t violate the city’s laws. The meeting will be held at the council chambers in city hall, 500 S.W. Dorion Ave. East Oregonian A9 Fair: Full time for those involved Continued from Page A1 entertainment and drinks. He recommends those attending the Farm-City Pro Rodeo plan ahead and head out early to avoid congestion. This is the third year that the fair will be hosted at EOTEC. Davis was hired last spring to manage the event grounds, and is orig- inally from Pennsylvania. He said he works 360 days a year, and of those days, fair prep really starts to ramp up on July 15. “That’s when fair people start knocking on my door,” he said. From there, it’s all about logistics. There’s grass to be grown, water to be routed and dust to be abated as fair week approaches. Of course, there’s dirt maintenance in the arena ahead of the Farm-City Pro Rodeo too. As Davis puts it, footing is everything, and the naturally sandy ground cover provides a good foun- dation for proper arena dirt. “That’s our claim to fame,” he said. The carnival rides, which take up a sizable chunk of the grounds, won’t be fully up and ready until right before the fair starts. Davis explained that last year, one of the chief com- plaints from fair-goers was that there wasn’t enough space for people to sit. This year, the fair has a stock of new sponsored Staff photo by Julianah Matamoros A worker attaches parts to a ride during setup for the Uma- tilla County Fair Friday afternoon. The Umatilla County Fair runs Aug. 6-10 at the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center in Hermiston. wooden benches to be dis- tributed about the grounds. There will be an increased number of tents for sitting, and chairs in the Event Cen- ter building for those who wish to take advantage of the air conditioning. Not to mention a sturdy fleet of water misting stations that are ready to be distributed fair-wide. Davis said that in the future, expansion of the Event Center building could mean rethinking the layout of the fair, but that for now, the fair and EOTEC are still learning how to navigate the new space together. “It’s a growing relation- ship,” Davis said. Anyone involved in the fair can tell you, it’s a full- time affair. Claire Sponseller, a 4-H agent, said that 4-H students start prepping for Uma- tilla County Fair in Octo- ber, whether they’re exhibit- ing livestock or presenting a cooking project. “The fair is a big ‘a-ha’ moment and sigh of relief for kids and their families,” she said. She noticed that this year, while the number of exhibi- tors has flatlined, the num- ber of exhibits is ever-in- creasing. She said that 4-H nearly maxed out livestock pens this year, and they’ll have to do some planning for the next fair. Sponseller, originally from Idaho, has been going to fairs all her life. But she said some of her students’ families are new to 4-H and the county fair, and that a lot of learning takes place during the week of the fair. “It’s a culture. You either like it or you don’t,” she said. “It’s a whole new community.” Permits: Energy projects have been in the works for years without breaking ground Continued from Page A1 Baker said, the permits to build the two projects have expired. Neither are under con- struction, and Summit Ridge has sought delays for a decade. “They could have started construction at any time in the last several years,” Baker said. Perennial Wind has been in the works for five years but has yet to break ground, and it has filed to delay construction for two more years. The sit- ing council plans to take that up at a public hearing Aug. 22 at 5:45 p.m. at the Riverfront Room, 2 Marine Drive N.E., at the Port of Morrow in Boardman. Baker said the state should not allow these proj- ects to linger for years on end without construction. Gary Kahn, one of the attorneys for the plain- tiffs in this case, emailed attorneys with the Oregon Department of Justice’s Natural Resources Section to confirm if the pending applications were invalid and would not receive state approval. He asked for a swift response because Monday is the deadline for someone to request a con- tested case in the Summit Ridge Wind Farm matter. Patrick Rowe, attorney with the Natural Resources Section, responded: “DOJ and ODOE [Oregon Department of Energy] have just begun evaluating the Court’s decision and assessing how ODOE will handle applications that are currently being processed. We will not have com- pleted that evaluation nor reached any decisions prior to the deadline for the sec- ond opportunity to request a contested case in the Summit Ridge Wind Farm matter.” Todd Cornett, assistant director for Energy Facility Siting, sent this reply: “We are still reviewing the Ore- gon Supreme Court’s rul- ing to determine how it will affect amendments in pro- cess and proposed amend- ments for energy facilities.” Baker said with the new rules out, siting energy facilities reverts back to the longer and more public pro- cess, and the projects in the pipeline can reapply under that process. He also said he and the other attorneys for the prevailing side are confident the state even- tually will reach the con- clusion the permits are as invalid as the rules. Bulls: Death, mutilation of multiple bulls in Harney County spurs probe Continued from Page A1 are no entry wounds. A metal detector revealed no bullets. According to climate data from the National Weather Service, the past month has had no major lightning storms in the area that could have killed cattle. Colby Marshall, vice president of Silvies Valley Ranch, said there were no outward signs of a struggle — no rope burns on trees, no scattered hoof prints, no strangulation marks. The bulls, he said, look like they simply fell over and died. “Maybe they were poi- soned,” said Jenkins. But if they were, it could not have happened by natu- ral causes. Jenkins said Ty Campbell, the prop- erty owner’s son, along with Clint Weaver, the cow boss, scoured the prop- erty looking for poisonous plants but found none. Jenkins said a nec- ropsy to find out the cause of death was not possi- ble because when the bulls were found, they were already past the 24-hour window when a veteri- nary inspection would have been effective. Marshall, the ranch’s vice president, said the bulls had probably been dead for two to three days when they were found. The bulls had lived on a 140,000-acre ranch and resort in Seneca, south of John Day. Dr. Scott Camp- bell, a veterinarian, owns the ranch. Marshall said that even though livestock workers are on the property with the cattle every day, it’s a rough, forested terrain so it’s understandable that the bulls weren’t found for a few days. Hermiston, Oregon Contributed photo One of the five mutilated bulls discovered July 31 in Malheur National Forest about 20 miles north of Burns. “People always seem surprised that a cattle rancher wouldn’t notice some of his animals are dead right away,” said Jerome Rosa, executive director of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association. “What they don’t realize is the enormity of these prop- erties. Unless you’re in a plane or helicopter, you can’t see everything that’s happening.” Even stranger than the deaths, said Jenkins, are the mutilations. Only a few pieces of the body were removed on each animal — the anus, scrotum, testicles and tongues. One bull was also missing its penis and the tip of one ear. According to Rosa of the OCA, it’s not unusual to find small body parts missing in natural preda- tory cases. When coyotes and wolves find a carcass, Rosa said, they often go for the easy pickings first, chewing off parts like tes- ticles and tongues. What’s strange about this case is that the areas with missing parts don’t appear to have been chewed. Deputy Jen- kins said the wounds, when examined, appeared clean-cut. “The parts were defi- nitely cut out with a sharp blade,” he said. “There weren’t any signs of pred- atory eating or chewing. They were cut out by at least one person.” The Oregon Cattlemen’s Association has offered a reward of up to $1,000 to anyone who can provide information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible. A separate $25,000 reward is also being offered by an interested party. “Whenever there’s a case like this, all the con- spiracy theorists come out,” said Jenkins. “Some say it was done by aliens. Others say it’s a cult doing a satanic practice. Some even think it’s the govern- ment. It’s a little ridiculous. I’m confident some person or group did this, and we’re trying to get to the bottom of it.” Those with information about the case, said Jen- kins, should call the Har- ney County Dispatch Cen- ter at 541-573-6156. Marshall, of Silvies Val- ley Ranch, advises ranch- ers and other people to be careful. “This is a very danger- ous situation. I want people to be extra careful to pro- tect themselves and their livestock. It makes me sick that our gentle bulls were killed and mutilated in this way,” he said. Bulls. Broncs. Music. Drinks. Dancing. Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Family Night Youth Night Ladies Night Columbia Basin Party Night $5 tickets for kids 12 & under. Rodeo tickets include admission into the Umatilla County Fair. A night designed to support FFA & our youth. Rodeo action & complimentary wine tasting. Music, drinks, and dancing at Chute 8 after the rodeo. Aug. 7-10, 2019 TICKETS ON SALE NOW! www.FarmCityProRodeo.com Admission to Umatilla County Fair included with purchase. 1705 E Airport Rd, Hermiston, OR 541-564-8500 General Seating Handicapped Seating Handicapped Companion Seating Child (Wednesday) Military (Thursday) Reserved Seating $17 $17 $17 $5 $10 $20
