OREGON GETS READY TO FALL BACK CROSS-COUNTRY: DAWGS FINISH FIRST IN HOME MEET REGION, A3 SPORTS, B1 E O AST 143rd Year, No. 256 REGONIAN FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2019 $1.50 WINNER OF THE 2019 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD Your Weekend Hidden • Oktoberfest Pendle- ton, Pendleton Round-Up Grounds • Echo Corn Maze, Echo • Boardman Quilt Show, Boardman Senior Center FOR TIMES AND LOCATIONS CHECK COMING EVENTS, A5 Weekend Weather FRI SAT SUN 58/30 59/40 60/37 Initiative process for folks with power A system hailed for giving people power doesn’t work for political outsiders By SAM STITES Oregon Capital Bureau SALEM — David Smith wanted to create meaningful change. The retired Eugene real estate appraiser of 45 years watched year after year as seniors in his commu- nity were forced from their homes, unable to keep up with climbing property tax rates. He decided to seek a change in Oregon law to reduce seniors’ prop- erty tax burden by 75 percent. He set out to get his idea put on the bal- lot in Oregon to let voters decide. Smith fi led his prospective peti- tion with the state Elections Divi- sion in July, but he quickly encoun- tered a system better suited to those with political power or a vast lobby behind them. “The process was so onerous that it’s almost impossible unless you have an entire fl eet of people disabilities Living with disabilities not easily seen presents unique challenges Staff photo by Ben Lonergan Echo resident Vera Burres faces diffi culties fi nding appropriate resources for dealing with her hidden disabilities due to her lack of prox- imity to those resources. By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian E CHO — When people meet Vera Burres, they don’t always know she has a disability. Burres fell down the stairs at a friend’s home in 2004 and spent four months in a coma after striking her head. Now she said, her entire left side occasion- ally goes numb, putting her at risk of falling if it happens while she’s walking. She can’t drive because she’s at a high risk for sei- zures. She said she also experiences other side effects off and on, such as short-term memory loss, favoring one side while walk- ing and or jumbling her words if she speaks too quickly. “People don’t believe me,” she said. “They say, ‘You’re just drunk.’” The skepticism can hurt, but sometimes it goes beyond that. Burres said she has had requests for accommodations denied in the past, such as when the post offi ce in Echo turned down her application to have mail delivered to her home instead of a post offi ce box downtown. Darrin Umbarger, CEO of Clearview Disability Resource Center in Pendleton, said when he travels to workplaces and schools to advocate for accessibility, he See Disabilities, Page A8 “A LOT OF DISABILITIES ARE INTERMITTENT, YOU HAVE A GOOD DAY, A BAD DAY. IT’S REALLY HARD WHEN YOU DON’T LOOK LIKE SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH YOU, BUT INSIDE YOU’RE DYING.” — Darrin Umbarger, CEO of Clearview Disability Resource Center RESOURCES FOR LIVING WITH DISABILITIES The Aging and Disability Resource Con- nection of Oregon website (www.adrco- foregon.org) connects people with local resources, searchable by ZIP code and by the type of service needed. The information is also available by calling 1-855-673-2372. Department of Human Services at 1-855- 503-7233. Accredited Centers for Independent Living can provide peer counseling and other resources for individuals living with disabil- ities. The Eastern Oregon Center for Inde- pendent Living’s Pendleton offi ce is at 322 S.W. Third St. or by phone at 541-276-1037. The Senior Medical Patrol works to em- power seniors and adults with disabilities to prevent health care fraud and abuse. They can be reached at 1-855-673-2372. Clearview Disability Resource Center is located at 307 S.W. Sixth St. in Pendleton or by phone at 541-276-1130. Suspected abuse, neglect or fi nancial ex- ploitation of elderly people or adults with disabilities can be reported to the Oregon Disability Rights Oregon provides advo- cacy and investigations into violations of rights for people with disabilities. They can be reached at 1-800-452-1694. Crimes motivated by prejudice against a person’s disability or perceived disability are hate crimes. Hate crimes should be reported to the local police and can be followed up by tips to the Oregon De- partment of Justice (justice.oregon.gov/ crimereporting/hatecrime) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (1-800-225-5324). See Power, Page A8 Downtown projects seek to obtain, or hold onto, public money By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian PENDLETON — The business formerly known as The Lodge is going electric, in more ways than one. Crews from Gordon’s Electric were in and out of the old Elks Lodge at 14 S.E. Third St. this week, preparing the building for its relaunch as Elec- tric Sundown. Owner Lance Leonnig started a new limited liability company to manage the building called Cowboy Lodge, but the facility will do busi- ness under the more unusual title. “I wanted something that defi nitely popped,” he said. Leonnig said he’s already started booking private events for Electric Sundown and is in discussions with a teacher to let a gymnastics class use a portion of it for a studio. It’s a shift in focus from when the business was known as The Lodge, which centered around a monthly series of concerts hosted at the sec- ond-fl oor auditorium. The Lodge operated for fi ve months before Leonnig dissolved the com- pany and dropped two local business partners, referencing “heavy losses” taken during Round-Up week. Although he’ll miss the big shows on the second fl oor, Leonnig said he’s turning his attention to the Stag Bar on the ground fl oor. He also wants to spend time improving the exterior. While the original vision for The Lodge included a vintage electric sign that would hang out front, Leonnig said he’s now See Downtown, Page A8 Staff photo by E.J. Harris, File The scaff olding was removed from the renovation on the second story of the Sister’s Cafe building last year, exposing the fi ve grand windows on the facade of the old Robinson building on Main Street in Pendleton. The owners of the building received a $126,000 fa- cade grant from the Pendleton Development Commission.