THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2021
146th Year, No.21
WINNER OF 16 ONPA AWARDS IN 2021
DECEM BER
INSIDE
8–15, 2021
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BRINGING IN THE GREEN
Christmas trees sellers face higher costs, competition with artifi cial trees
$1.50
PAGE 12
in Eagle
/Blue Mounta
PAGE 16
BMCC
hires new
COO amid
changes
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Christmas trees fi ll stands Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, at the Scouts BSA Troop 700 lot in Pendleton. The troop used a donated truck to pick up their
order of roughly 180 trees.
By ERICK PETERSON
and BEN LONERGAN
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — Despite industry-wide
supply chain issues, increased wholesale
prices and more competition, local Christ-
mas tree vendors reported they have plenty
of tress, but prices at some lots are higher
than in past seasons.
The Scouts BSA Christmas tree lot along
Southwest Court Avenue in Pendleton on
Saturday, Dec. 4, was able to get its full order
of trees.
“We haven’t gotten much attention yet,
but it’s picking up,” said Alexander Krokosz,
senior patrol leader for the Pendleton Scouts
BSA Troop 700.
“We were lucky that all the droughts and
fi res did not aff ect the trees we wanted,”
Holly Krokosz said.
She is the troop’s committee chair and
said the lot sources trees from the Mollala
area each year. The troop used a donated
truck to pick up their order of roughly 180
trees.
“We have regular folks that come through
year after year,” she said.
The Scouts use the money raised
through the sale of Christmas trees to
help fund trips to summer camp and other
PENDLETON — Blue Moun-
tain Community College fi lled a key
part of its organizational chart a few
weeks after reshuffl ing it.
The college announced Friday,
Dec. 3, that it had hired Pat Sisneros
to serve as its next chief operating
offi cer. In his new role, Sisneros will
be one of only a handful of employ-
ees who report directly to President
Mark Browning and oversee some
of BMCC’s less front-facing depart-
ments, such as fi nance, technology
and facilities.
Sisneros comes to Eastern Oregon
from Everett Community College in
the Seattle metro area, where he’s
served as vice president of college
services since 2009. Prior to that, he
spent 14 years as a business owner
and teacher.
In a press release, Blue Mountain
touted Sisneros, a graduate of the
University of Pennsylvania’s Whar-
ton School of Business, and his eff orts
at “fi nding innovative effi ciencies,
fostering partnerships with local and
regional businesses (and) indigenous
tribes.”
“Pat’s background is just what we
need here at BMCC,” Browning said
of Sisneros, who starts Jan. 3. “He has
owned and operated a private sector
business, he has signifi cant experi-
ence both from the instructional side
and business operations side that will
be key to helping to position us to be
successful as we move forward with
the New Blue”.
Sisneros will serve as BMCC’s
second chief operating offi cer after
the position was created over the
summer.
Reorganizing the
reorganization
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Tyler Hall loads a Christmas tree into a pickup Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, at the Scouts BSA
Christmas tree lot in Pendleton.
excursions. Holly Krokosz said the troop
wants to ensure any scout who wants to go
to camp is able to afford to do so either at
a reduced rate or for free.
The lot will run through Saturday, Dec.
11, stock permitting.
See Trees, Page A6
As BMCC eliminated 16 posi-
tions, including several layoffs, the
college also rearranged its admin-
istrative structure under the direc-
tion of interim President Connie
Green. The college scrapped its
coterie of vice presidents and
created two top administrative
positions under the president:
executive vice president and chief
operating officer. David Shellberg
was named BMCC’s first COO, but
he departed shortly after transi-
tioning into the role.
John Fields became executive
vice president, a position focused
on academics and student services,
and was given oversight over
several new dean positions. But
less than a year into the reorgani-
zation, BMCC already is making
changes to it.
See BMCC, Page A6
Council denies
Marigold appeal
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — The
Marigold Hotel will remain
closed for business.
The Pendleton City Coun-
cil on Tuesday, Dec. 7, unan-
imously voted to uphold the
city staff ’s decision to suspend
and revoke The Marigold’s
business license following a
Nov. 9 shooting at the 105 S.E.
Court Ave. building.
The Marigold owner
Shivam Patel appealed the
city’s decision, giving the
city council the opportunity
to either affi rm the revocation
or reverse it. The council held
a hearing where both Police
Chief Chuck Byram and Patel
were allowed to make their
cases.
A three-month promise
Patel and his attorney,
Matthew Lowe, assured the
council the owner would
take a much more active
role in The Marigold going
forward.
Patel told the council he
focused on the health of his
family at the outset of the
pandemic, wanting to protect
his chronically ill grandpar-
ents.
See Marigold , Page A6
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Matthew Lowe, a lawyer representing Shivam Patel, owner of The Marigold Hotel in
downtown Pendleton, references Patel during the Pendleton City Council meeting Tues-
day, Dec. 7, 2021, while laying out part of Patel’s plan to play a more active role in the
management of the hotel