REGION
Thursday, December 3, 2020
East Oregonian
A3
Protesters oppose governor’s business shutdowns
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian, File
Lyle Brown, 88, tees off at Big River Golf Course in Umatilla on
March 26, 2020. The Umatilla City Council voted on Tuesday,
Dec. 1, 2020, to purchase the course for just over $2 million.
City council approves
purchase of golf course
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
UMATILLA — Big
River Golf Course in Uma-
tilla will be under new own-
ership in 2021.
The Umatilla City Coun-
cil voted on Tuesday, Dec.
1 to purchase the course for
just over $2 million.
The course’s owners,
which include various mem-
bers of the Hosek family,
had already announced last
month that after 13 years of
ownership, they are plan-
ning to sell to the city.
“This golf course has
been a labor of love for over
a decade and we are truly
grateful for the experience,
the tremendous friend-
ships made, and the endless
amount of support we have
received from members
and patrons throughout the
years,” they wrote.
According to the sale
agreement, the city will
purchase the golf course,
its water rights and all of
its equipment for just over
$2 million and take over
operations on Jan. 1, 2021.
During the council meet-
ing, finance director Melissa
Ince said the city would
finance $1.7 million through
Banner Bank and the rest
would come from the city’s
reserves and money left
over from a recent land sale.
Before the meeting, City
Manager David Stockdale
told the East Oregonian
there were several reasons
for the city to invest in the
course when its collection of
partners decided to sell.
First and foremost, he
said, the course generates
economic benefits for the
community by drawing visi-
tors, and serves as an amen-
ity for area residents. While
a golf course may go out of
business if its private own-
ers are not successful in
turning a profit, Stockdale
said the city would have
more flexibility to supple-
ment the course from its
general fund during a bad
year if needed.
“Big River Golf Course
is one of our premier recre-
ational features in the com-
munity, and we wanted to
make sure it will stay there,
and will always be here,” he
said.
The golf course also
comes with a valuable water
right and an already estab-
lished point of diversion in
the Columbia River, which
Stockdale said will be help-
ful for the city’s overall
efforts to expand its water
infrastructure,
including
developing its surface water
right. The course also adds
value to the undeveloped
property the city owns adja-
cent to the course, where
they hope to see housing
built someday, and pre-
serves better access to the
property.
One of the city’s goals
is to create more “destina-
tion” events for Umatilla,
and Stockdale said the golf
course could possibly be
used for a concert or other
event during the “shoulder
season” when fewer peo-
ple are using the course but
it is not too cold to hold an
outdoor event. He said as
the city looks to expand
its recreational offerings,
ownership of the course
also opens up opportuni-
ties, such as golf classes and
tournaments.
According to Stockdale
and the statement by Big
River Golf Course, during
2021 the city plans to con-
tinue the course’s current
business model, includ-
PEDESTRIAN
BRIDGE FUNDING
SOUGHT
UMATILLA — During the
Tuesday, Dec. 1, Umatilla
City Council meeting, the
council voted to apply
for matching funds from
Business Oregon for the
money the city expects to
receive from the Federal
Emergency Management
Agency for replacement
of a pedestrian bridge
and water line.
The bridge, which
connects the South Hill
neighborhood with
Umatilla High School and
Clara Brownell Middle
School, was broken in
half, along with the water
line underneath, during a
flood of the Umatilla River
in the spring of 2019. The
city has been working
with FEMA and other
government agencies
since then on plans to
replace it.
City Manager David
Stockdale said the
process was a long one
because getting permis-
sion to do any construc-
tion work on waterways is
difficult, and they wanted
to raise the bridge and
make other adjustments
to the previous design so
that it doesn’t get washed
out again.
He said he hopes to
see construction of the
bridge and accompany-
ing water main during
2021, finishing up in early
2022.
During the meeting,
the council authorized
city staff to submit an
application to Business
Oregon’s Infrastructure
Finance Authority for a
grant of $175,000 for the
water line and a grant
of $500,000 and loan of
$950,000 for the bridge,
which together would
make up the required
25% match for FEMA’s
funding.
— Jade McDowell,
East Oregonian
ing honoring current mem-
berships, trail fees, rent-
als, book money and other
arrangements already in
place.
Stockdale said once
the city owns the course
it does plan to make some
improvements to the irriga-
tion system to increase effi-
ciency and automation, and
add some other enhance-
ments, including additional
hazards.
“There will be some
nice changes out there that
I think will be welcomed by
the golfers,” he said.
The Oregon Secretary
of State’s business regis-
try lists 10 partners for the
course. Megan Olsen, who
manages the course, said the
statement from Nov. 25 is a
good reflection of how they
feel about the years they
have enjoyed running the
course. They stated that the
city of Umatilla shares “the
same love for the course that
we will always have” and
they believe the course will
be in great hands.
“We will walk away from
this experience with full
hearts and gratitude,” they
said. “Thank you again for
all of your support through-
out the years. The friend-
ships made during our time
at Big River will always be
cherished. If we aren’t able
to see you in person before
the end of the year, then we
will see you out golfing!”
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Roughly 20 protesters gathered outside of the Umatilla County Courthouse on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020, to take a stand
against Gov. Kate Brown’s business shutdowns and support the reopening of businesses in Umatilla County. Former Uma-
tilla County commissioner candidate HollyJo Beers was among those organizing the event, and acknowledged the virus is
a concern but insisted the business shutdowns were an overreach of the governor’s power. “You don’t usually quarantine
healthy people, you quarantine the sick,” she said. “If you’re sick or if you’re compromised then you need to stay home
and everybody else needs to have the freedom to live and earn a living and go to church, and do all these things in this
county and in the state.”
Brown announces updates to risk levels
Morrow, Umatilla
counties both
considered
Extreme Risk
COUNTY RISK CATEGORIES
East Oregonian
SALEM — Oregon Gov.
Kate Brown announced on
Tuesday, Dec. 1, updates
to county risk levels under
the state’s new public health
framework to reduce trans-
mission and protect Orego-
nians from COVID-19.
Starting Dec. 3 through
Dec. 17, 25 counties, includ-
ing Morrow and Umatilla,
Union and Baker counties,
will be in the Extreme Risk
level, five counties will be
High Risk, two counties
will be Moderate Risk and
four counties will be Lower
Risk.
“Counties that are fac-
ing extreme risk of virus
spread will need to continue
with strict health and safety
measures, similar to the
two-week freeze,” Brown
said. “I want to stress that
there is no zero-risk cate-
gory. Until COVID-19 vac-
cines are widely available
and we have high partic-
ipation, health and safety
precautions will remain in
place so that schools, busi-
nesses, and communities
can reopen — and stay
open.”
The framework uses
four different risk levels for
counties based on COVID-
19 spread and assigns
health and safety measures
for each level.
“I am asking all Ore-
gonians to take these mea-
sures seriously,” Brown
said. “The best way to pro-
Effective Thursday, Dec. 3
Lower Risk: (4)
Gilliam
Sherman
Wallowa
Wheeler
Moderate Risk (2)
Harney
Tillamook
High Risk (5)
Benton
Clatsop
Coos
Curry
Lake
Lane
Linn
Malheur
Marion
Morrow
Multnomah
Polk
Umatilla
Union
Wasco
Washington
Yamhill
Lincoln
Extreme Risk (25)
Baker
Clackamas
Columbia
Crook
Deschutes
Douglas
Grant
Hood River
Jackson
Jefferson
Josephine
Klamath
EXTREME RISK RESTRICTIONS
Gatherings with people outside of your
household will be limited to a maximum of
six people with a recommended limit of two
households.
Restaurants, bars, and other eating and
drinking establishments will be limited to a
maximum of 50 people for outdoor dining
only, with only six people per table. Takeout is
strongly encouraged.
Indoor recreation, fitness, and entertainment
establishments, including gyms, will remain
closed.
Outdoor recreation, fitness, and entertainment
activities, including outdoor gym activities,
will be allowed, with a maximum limit of 50
people.
tect those closest to you is
by maintaining physical
distance from others, avoid-
ing gatherings, wearing a
face covering, staying home
when sick, and keeping up
with good hand hygiene.”
The Oregon Health
Authority will examine
and publish county data
weekly. County risk lev-
els will be reassigned every
two weeks. The first week’s
data will provide a “warn-
Retail stores, grocery stores, pharmacies, and
indoor and outdoor shopping centers and
malls will be limited to a maximum of 50% of
capacity, with curbside pickup encouraged.
Faith institutions, funeral homes, mortuaries,
and cemeteries will be limited to a maximum
of 25% of capacity or 100 people indoors
(whichever is smaller), or 150 people outdoors.
Office workplaces will be required to utilize
remote work to the maximum extent possible,
with offices closed to the general public.
Personal services businesses will be allowed
to continue to operate with health and safety
measures currently in place.
Long-term care facilities can allow limited
outdoor visitation, following current rules.
ing week” to prepare coun-
ties for potential risk level
changes.
The next assignment of
risk levels will take effect
Dec. 18.
The order came amid
a spike in cases as more
Oregonians planned travel
during the Thanksgiving
and upcoming Christmas
holidays. The state reported
1,244 new confirmed
and presumptive cases of
COVID-19 and 18 deaths
on Dec. 2, a day after 1,233
new cases and 24 deaths
were reported on Dec. 1.
The 24 deaths are the high-
est for a single day since the
pandemic began, accord-
ing to the Oregon Health
Authority.
The state has had 78,160
cases and 953 deaths since
the virus was first reported
in the state at the end of Feb-
ruary, the state reported.
LOCAL BRIEFING
Willow Creek
Reservoir health
advisory lifted
HEPPNER — The Ore-
gon Health Authority lifted
a recreational use health
advisory issued for Willow
Creek Reservoir in Mor-
row County, according to a
press release.
The health advisory was
issued on Sept. 3.
Water monitoring shows
that the level of cyanotox-
ins in Willow Creek Reser-
voir are below recreational
guideline values for people.
However, officials advise
recreational visitors to be
alert to signs of cyanobac-
teria blooms. Blooms can
develop and disappear on
any water body at any time
when bloom conditions are
favorable. Only a fraction
of waterbodies in Oregon
are monitored for blooms
and toxins.
People, and especially
small children and pets,
should avoid recreating
in areas where the water
is foamy, scummy, thick
like paint, pea-green, blue-
green or brownish red in
color, if a thick mat of blue-
green algae is visible in the
water, or bright green cells
are suspended in the water.
Umatilla County
records 50th death
from COVID-19
UMATILLA COUNTY
— Umatilla County Pub-
lic Health announced the
county’s 50th COVID-19
death in a Wednesday, Dec.
2, press release.
According
to
the
release, the deceased was
a 94-year-old male who
tested positive on Oct. 27
and died Nov. 12 at Ava-
mere at Hermiston. The
release said the individual
had underlying medical
conditions.
The county also reported
67 new cases in the county
on Dec. 2, according to the
Region 9 COVID-19 dash-
board. Umatilla County has
recorded 4,468 total cases
of COVID-19 since the
start of the pandemic ear-
lier this year.
Morrow
County
reported seven new cases
on Dec. 2, bringing the
county’s total to 671 total
cases. The county has
reported seven deaths.
— EO Media Group
Morrow County
Health Department
Departmento de Salud del
Condado de Morrow
541-676-5421
541-676-5421
Drive-Thru Flu Vaccine
Vacuna de la gripe desde su carro
December 4, 2020 • 10:00am-6:00pm
4 de Diciembre, 2020 • 10:00am-6:00pm
Morrow County
Strong!
There will be
FREE masks and
hand sanitizers!
AC Houghton Elementary - Parking lot
1105 N. Main Ave NE, Irrigon, OR 97844
El Condado de
Morrow Fuerte!
Habra mascarillas y
desinfectante para
manos GRATIS
Estacionamiento de la escuela AC Houghton
1105 N. Main Ave NE, Irrigon, OR 97844