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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 9, 2019)
PREP VOLLEYBALL: Dawgs pluck Falcons in 3 | SPORTS, B1 E O AST 143rd Year, No. 254 REGONIAN WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019 $1.50 WINNER OF THE 2019 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD UMATILLA COUNTY 3 now in race for commissioner Staff photo by Kathy Aney, File An AR-15 at the 2018 Pendleton Gun Show at the Pendleton Convention Center featured a “TRUMP MAKE AMERICA GREAT” grip. The AR-15 is a semiautomatic rifl e that usually shoots 5.56 mm rounds. It has a de- tachable magazine so users can put in 5-, 10-, 30-, or even 60- and 100-round magazines. AR-15 puts aesthetics at heart of gun debate By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian P Dorran Gomolski By JONATHAN LEVINSON Oregon Public Broadcasting SALEM — The AR-15 has taken center stage in the American gun debate. But at its heart, the AR-15 is a rifl e that has been modifi ed to look and feel a certain way. The emphasis on its appearance, however, has shaped how the country regulates fi rearms, to the frustration of many gun owners and gun control advocates alike. The AR-15 is a semiautomatic rifl e that usually shoots 5.56 mm rounds. It has a detachable magazine so users can put in 5-, 10-, 30-, or even 60- and 100-round magazines. The rifl e that likely comes to mind is black and has any number of after- market attachments. Maybe there’s a grip attached under the barrel or a scope that, to some, might look like it’s made for a sniper. The rifl e is eas- ily customized and that’s part of its popularity. But it’s also the source of a running joke in the fi rearms community. “I get ARs in here that weigh 20 pounds, they have so much shit on them,” said Jon Bush, a gunsmith in Vancouver, Washington. “Whatever you want to put on, including your coffee grinder.” Bush is a competitive shooter and said the AR-15 is great for that purpose. “Any platform you can shoot faster and accurate for competition gives you an edge,” Bush said. But, he added, “hunting-wise, an AR is not that great.” He thinks people love their ARs for other reasons. It’s an image. Lopez ENDLETON — Three Hermiston men are the early contenders in the pri- mary race for the Umatilla County Board of Commissioners. Dan Dorran, Mark Gomolski and Jonathan Lopez each look to serve in place of Commissioner Bill Elfering, who is not seeking re-elec- tion to the Position 3 seat on the county board. Dorran is a long-established local fi gure, having served on the county fair board for 20 years until he stepped down in 2017. He also served on the state County Fair Commission from 2014 to 2018 and on the board of directors for Herm- iston’s Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center from 2011 to 2017. He dove back into county busi- ness with a stint on the county’s Charter Review Committee. Gomolski, too, served on that committee. He also is in his fi rst term as a member of the Hermiston School Board STILL TIME TO FILE FOR PRIMARY Candidates have until March 10, 2020, to join Dan Dorran, Mark Gomolski and Jonathan Lopez in the primary race for Position 3 on the Umatilla County Board of Commissioners. and has served on Hermiston’s His- panic Advisory Committee since 2016. Lopez also is on the Hispanic Advisory Committee and is a mem- ber of the Latino Business Network. Gomolski managed Elfering’s campaign for commissioner four years ago, and the two remain friends. Gomolski said he wants to take the reins from Elfering. “I know Bill has a lot of eco- nomic development plans in the works, and I would like to make sure those things come to fruition,” Gomolski said. He wasn’t able to talk more Tuesday due to an appointment, and Dorran’s voicemail indicated he was traveling Tuesday morning. See Commissioner, Page A10 Staff photo by Ben Lonergan Flags fl y outside of the Umatilla County Courthouse in Pendleton on Tuesday afternoon. See Guns, Page A10 School bond refi nance could lower tax rates By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian PENDLETON — With the con- struction projects funded by the Pendleton School District bond long since completed, the public is in the midst of paying off the bill. But Pendleton taxpayers could end up paying less than expected, a development that could impact property tax statements. At a Pendleton School Board workshop Tuesday morning, Michelle Jones, the district’s direc- tor of business services, told board members that staff was exploring refi nancing the bond, which was originally valued at $55 million. Jones said the district and investment bank Piper Jaffray have been engaged in discussions on taking advantage of low inter- est rates and refi nancing the dis- trict’s bonded debt. If the district agreed to it, the school system could see $3-3.5 million in savings, Jones said. “It’s a great deal,” school board chairman Gary George said. Jones said the district could take multiple approaches to how they might use those savings. The district could make the cuts across the board, allowing them to reduce the dollar-per-thousand rate from $2.40 to $2.11. Jones said the district could also use a “step” approach, mean- ing the district could go out for another bond without having to raise the property tax rate. Regardless of how much the public pays, taxpayers are on the hook for the foreseeable future: Jones said the bond is set to expire in 2038. Pendleton voters’ large invest- ment in the school system was used to overhaul the district’s aging facilities, especially at the elementary school level. Using proceeds from the bond, the district demolished the old Washington and Sher- wood Heights elementary schools, building new, larger schools in their place. The district heavily renovated the old Hawthorne school, turning it into the Pendleton Early Learn- ing Center, a centralized kinder- garten and preschool. The new schools allowed the district to consolidate Lincoln Primary School, which became the district’s central offi ce, and West Hills Intermediate School, which now houses the Pendleton Technology and Trades Center and Hawthorne Alternative High School. After the burst of activity in the fi rst few years following the bond, the district began addressing proj- ects further down their priority list, culminating in an auditorium renovation and track replacement at Pendleton High School and the demolition of the old district offi ce in 2017. The bond refi nance is already on the agenda for the board’s Oct. 14 meeting. Jones said the board’s action would allow district staff to negotiate the refi nance, which they would hope to close by the end of the year.