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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 11, 2019)
Dems, White House forge new North American trade deal | NATION/WORLD, A6 E O AST 143rd Year, No. 298 REGONIAN WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2019 $1.50 WINNER OF THE 2019 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD NATION Dems unveil 2 articles of impeachment Trump faces abuse of power and obstruction of Congress charges By LISA MASCARO AND MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press Staff photo by Ben Lonergan Fourth-grade teacher Jill Deutz reads Chris Van Allsburg’s book “Just a Dream” to students during class on Tuesday afternoon at McKay Creek Elementary School in Pendleton. FULL HOUSE? Schools facility reports show which schools are nearing capacity By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian P ENDLETON — Only a few years out from a cap- ital improvement bond, two Pendleton School Dis- trict-commissioned facility studies gave the school system good marks on its buildings. “Due to the recent bond passage, the lion’s share of the district’s needs regarding their facilities have been met,” the long range facilities plan concludes. “Security, accessibility, early learning and building systems being their priority.” The studies don’t recommend any building replacements or expansions, but they do reveal some other facts about the district. Like which schools are nearly full and which facilities have plenty of room for more. But maintenance is not direly needed at any district building, with newer facilities like Washington and Sherwood Heights elementary schools literally needing $0 in maintenance. “I don’t think there was a lot of sur- prises,” said Michelle Jones, the dis- trict’s director of business services. The studies were done by Scott Staff photo by Ben Lonergan McKay Creek Elementary School is nearing its capacity for enrollment. The school, initially built in 1963, has 258 enrolled students as of December 10, 2019. Marshall, a principal architect for Straightline Architecture, a firm with offices in La Grande and Boise. Over the course of the studies, Marshall examined each facility, its mainte- nance needs, enrollment and capacity. Jones said the district commis- sioned the studies to have some- thing in hand in case school officials sought another bond and a matching grant from the Oregon Department of Education. WASHINGTON — House Demo- crats announced two articles of impeach- ment against President Donald Trump on Tuesday, declaring he “betrayed the nation” with his actions toward Ukraine as they pushed toward historic proceed- ings that are certain to help define his presidency and shape the 2020 election. The specific charges aimed at remov- ing the 45th president of the U.S.: Abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, flanked by the chairmen of impeachment inquiry com- mittees at the U.S. Capitol, said they were upholding their solemn oath to defend the Constitution. Trump responded angrily on Twitter: “WITCH HUNT!” Voting is expected in a matter of days by the Judiciary Committee, which begins deliberations Wednesday, and by Christmas in the full House. The charges, if approved, would then be sent to the Senate, where the Republican majority would be unlikely to convict Trump, but not without a potentially bit- ter trial just as voters in Iowa and other early presidential primary states begin making their choices. In the formal articles announced Tuesday, the Democrats said Trump enlisted a foreign power in “corrupting” the U.S. election process and endangered national security by asking Ukraine to investigate his political rivals, including Democrat Joe Biden, while withholding U.S. military aid as leverage. That ben- efited Russia over the U.S. as Ameri- ca’s ally fought Russian aggression, the Democrats said. Trump then obstructed Congress by ordering current and former officials to defy House subpoenas for testimony and by blocking access to documents, the charges say. By his conduct, Trump “demon- strated he will remain a threat to national security and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office,” the nine-page impeachment resolution says. “If we did not hold him accountable, he would continue to undermine our election,” Pelosi said later at a forum sponsored by Politico. “Nothing less is at stake than the central point of our democracy — a free and fair election.’’ After decrying the Democrats’ announcement, Trump headed to Penn- sylvania for a re-election campaign rally. First, he tweeted that to impeach a president “who has done NOTHING wrong, is sheer Political Madness.” The outcome, though, appears See Schools, Page A8 See Impeachment, Page A8 Barbara Levy seeks seat in Oregon House By KATHY ANEY East Oregonian ECHO — Barbara “Bobby” Levy announced Tuesday she will run for the Oregon House of Representatives. Levy hopes to replace Rep. Greg Barreto, R-Cove, who said in Novem- ber that he won’t seek re-election. She said her bid to represent District 58 stems from a desire to give Eastern Oregon a strong voice. “Eastern Oregon is too often over- looked and undervalued by Salem,” she said. “People here know better than anyone how special our land and resources are and how to best utilize them.” Levy, whose resume includes farming in Echo, rejects the ste- reotypes thrust upon farmers and ranchers. “There is a misconception that if you are a farmer or rancher that you’re not a conser- vationist,” she said. “In order to be a suc- cessful farmer or rancher, by nature you’re a conserva- tionist. You’re a stew- Levy ard of the land. Some people in urban areas get that, but many don’t.” Levy, who was born in La Grande, has experienced leadership in several different arenas. She represented Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District on the Oregon Fish & Wildlife Commission, which encompasses all of Eastern Oregon and is the state’s largest geograph- ically. Levy eventually chaired the commission. She taught business classes at Blue Mountain Community College. She is president of the Eastern Ore- gon Women’s Coalition, which she cofounded, and helped establish the Eastern Oregon Economic Summit. She and her husband, Robert, co-manage their family farm near Echo where they raise hay and Levy has a business raising guardian dogs to protect livestock against preda- tors. Breeds include, among others, Kuvasz, Kangal shepherd and Anato- lian shepherd. Levy holds master’s degrees in education and business administra- tion from Eastern Oregon University and Portland State University. Levy said she plans on listening closely to constituents about what they want and need. As a new ODFW commissioner in 2006, she visited all five districts in a quest to discover what issues were most important to Oregonians. She said she plans to bring that same mindset to this new role. Of course, she said, she’ll keep the welfare of Eastern Oregonians top of mind. “I’m passionate about rural Ore- gon,” Levy said. “It’s where I live.” District 58 includes Union and Wallowa counties, part of Umatilla County and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. ——— Contact Kathy Aney at kaney@ eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0810. INSIDE Knute Buehler, an orthopedic surgeon who represented Bend in the state House until an unsuc- cessful run for governor in 2018, announced Tuesday he will seek the Republican nomination for Oregon’s 2nd Congressional Dis- trict, which includes Umatilla and Morrow counties. Page A2
