OFF PAGE ONE
Tuesday, February 1, 2022
East Oregonian
A9
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian, File
Mike Thorne delivers a few remarks to attendees after receiv-
ing Pendleton’s 2019 Man of the Year award Jan. 17, 2020, at
the 64th Annual First Citizens Banquet at Wildhorse Resort &
Casino, Pendleton. Thorne recently won a seat on the board
of directors for the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Mu-
seum, Oklahoma City.
Museum:
Continued from Page A1
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Community members gather Friday, Jan. 28, 2022, for the annual Pendleton Chamber of Commerce’s First Citizens Ban-
quet at the Pendleton Convention Center.
Banquet:
Continued from Page A1
the presentation. Cambier’s
favorite hobby is his grand-
children.
One fi nal accolade came
from another nominator: “He
is someone I try to emulate
and someone my children
can look up to. He is not just
a leader but a teacher who is
laying the groundwork for
the next generation. I look
forward to watching this
man make Pendleton a better
place for years to come. He
still has a lot to teach us.”
The chamber presented
other awards to showcase the
best and brightest of Pend-
leton.
The President’s Award
The President’s Award
went to Cheri Rosenberg,
Pendleton Chamber of
Commerce executive direc-
tor.
The President’s Award is
given at the discretion of the
Chamber president, Velda
Shelter:
Continued from Page A1
cold. This past winter, when
temperatures dropped below
freezing, existence became
uncomfortable, they said.
Seeing this, multiple
community-minded people
stepped up to help to open and
maintain a daytime warming
shelter in Hermiston.
The warming shelter
opened Jan. 3 at the former
Sears building on Highway 395
in Hermiston. Cots, food and
board games were available to
people in need. At fi rst, it was
open during hours when the
Hermiston Warming Station
was closed. Some people trav-
eled from one station to the
other, avoiding the cold.
In recent weeks, the shelter
has been open from 6:30 a.m.
to noon, daily. Organizers said
they lacked enough volunteers
to keep it open all day. It is clos-
ing for good at the end of Janu-
ary.
Organizers reported 37
individuals stayed at the shel-
ter during January, and many
Credits:
Continued from Page A1
quality permit.
According to DEQ,
Threemile Canyon used
excess natural gas at the
digester to dry leftover solid
manure, which is recycled as
animal bedding. The viola-
tions occurred from June 2019
to September 2020, for which
the farm was fi ned $19,500.
Tyler Lobdell, staff attorney
at Food & Water Watch, said
companies that participate in
the LCFS must comply with
all environmental laws.
Even as CARB was review-
ing Threemile Canyon’s LCFS
application, Lobdell said the
farm was using excess natu-
ral gas.
“Under these circum-
stances, CARB should have
never granted Threemile’s
LCFS application,” he said.
“But the agency has the oppor-
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Pendleton City Councilor Dr. Jake Cambier delivers his ac-
ceptance speech Friday, Jan. 28, 2022, after winning Man
of the Year at the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce’s First
Citizens Banquet at the Pendleton Convention Center.
Arnaud, who chose Rosen-
berg for her unwavering
dedication to the Pendleton
community and our local
businesses.
Arnaud in a statement
described Rosenberg as
hardworking, dedicated,
committed, positive, ener-
getic and innovative. She
of them stayed multiple days.
Kris Barnum was among
the people who helped make
the shelter possible. She cred-
ited multiple people in the
community for their work.
Cathy Lloyd, of Stepping
Stones, also thanked people
for their help.
“We’ve really appreciated
all of the people the volunteers
who have given hours and
the people who have donated
supplies, food and drink,”
Lloyd said. “And the cities
who have come through with
volunteers, they’ve been great.
People have been very positive
and helpful.”
Barnum and Lloyd said
Mike Atkinson, of Atkinson
Staffi ng, was important to the
station’s existence because he
provided the building. He was
planning renovations for the
structure, but had no other use
for it during January. In addi-
tion, he off ered electricity and
supplies.
Others helped, too.
Umatilla and Hermiston
city governments provided
staffi ng during the early days of
the daytime warming station.
And the city of Umatilla
tunity and obligation to correct
that error now.”
Jennifer Maleitzke, a
spokesperson for R.D. Off utt,
said Threemile Canyon takes
environmental compliance
seriously and corrected the
situation immediately after
receiving the notice from DEQ
in October 2020. The farm has
paid the fi ne, she said.
Maleitzke said the
complaint filed by Food &
Water Watch ignores the fact
Threemile Canyon is turning
a waste product into renewable
energy. Renewable natural gas
is considered carbon neutral
and is fully compatible with
the existing gas distribution
infrastructure.
“We are proud to provide
RNG as an alternative fuel for
transportation vehicles and
contribute to carbon reduction
goals,” Maleitzke said. “The
path of innovation isn’t perfect
but it is necessary if we are to
continue to meet the nutri-
tional needs of our population
also continues to add to
“other duties as assigned” in
creative ways.
Tourism Excellence
Award
The Get Wild in Pendle-
ton Collaboration Team rode
off with the Tourism Excel-
lence Award.
covered the costs of cab service
to the shelter.
The Hermiston Warm-
ing Station provided cots, Joe
Sharon and the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints sent
volunteers, local businesses
and individuals sent food. This
was a group eff ort, according
to Lloyd.
“People were really good
about stepping up,” she said.
Two people who stepped up
recently were at the daytime
warming station and spoke
of their time there. Michelle
Sanders and Lua Seteni both
were volunteers. Ready to
provide for needy people, they
sat at tables that were fi lled
with food and supplies.
“I have a friend who does it,
and they said they didn’t have
enough people,” Sanders said.
This being the case, she
decided she would help. A
member of the LDS Church,
she said she is responsible to
assist other people.
Seteni said she also is a
member of the church, and she
said she feels aiding others is
something she should do.
“It means a lot,” she said,
“to serve other people.”
as well as ensure the long-term
sustainability of our planet.”
Stanley Young, commu-
nications director for CARB,
said the agency is looking into
the matter and will do its own
fact-fi nding before taking any
action.
At stake is a potentially
valuable revenue stream for
large dairies such as Threemile
Canyon. The USDA Economic
Research Service wrote in
2011 that, even with moderate
carbon off set prices, the sale
of credits could substantially
increase revenue for farms
with digesters.
For example, a dairy with
at least 2,500 animals could
generate $419 million in reve-
nue over 15 years with credits
valued at $13 per ton of carbon.
That is about 46% of the total
value of dairy digesters.
At $13 per ton, it would not
be profi table for dairies with
fewer than 250 head to adopt a
digester, the researchers deter-
mined.
Tourism is a large part
of Pendleton, and while the
pandemic has limited the
ability of visitors to travel
here, locals have not stood
back to wait for the end of
this pandemic.
Instead, many people
have been innovative in
trying to bring in tourists,
according to the chamber,
but the collaborative team
that put together Get Wild
in Pendleton took it over the
top.
Rounding out the list
of award winners are the
following:
Volunteer of the Year:
Andy VanderPlaat, Pend-
leton Cattle Barons Board
president.
Employee of the Year:
Ronda Thornburg, execu-
tive secretary of the Pendle-
ton School District.
Boss of the Year: Kelli
and Rodney Bullington,
owners and operators of
Oregon Grain Growers
Brand Distillery.
Business of the Year:
Pendleton Underground
Tours.
“They not only bring
a wealth of experience in
diverse fields but also a
passion and commitment to
the history and lifestyle of
the American West that will
surely benefi t our museum,”
Shirley said.
Thorne had multiple
conversations spanning a
six-month period with John
Wroten, chairman of the
nominating committee. The
Texas man, Thorne said,
expressed interest in diver-
sifying the board’s member-
ship. With most of the
members hailing from Okla-
homa, Texas and California,
as well as some representa-
tion from Arizona, Colorado,
Wyoming and a smattering of
other states, Thorne said his
election to the board makes
him the lone representative
from the Pacifi c Northwest.
“There’s more to the
story of the American West
than the stereotypical high
plains cowboy,” Shirley said.
“Bringing on board members
from all corners of the nation
helps cultivate different
perspectives.”
Shirley said Thorne brings
a wealth of information and
experience to the board,
including as a businessman,
a leader and “as a true west-
erner.”
“We’re excited to see the
ideas he, and all members of
the board, bring to the table
in the coming years and how
they all help us continue to
lead The Cowboy forward,”
she added.
A family wheat farmer
born and raised in Pendleton,
Thorne’s grandfather was a
homesteader. Thorne served
on the Pendleton Round-Up
Board of Directors from
2006-10, which included
chairing the committee for
the Centennial Grandstand
Project.
“I have tremendous inter-
est in putting forward Pend-
leton and the community and
how it plays into the Western
heritage this country enjoys,”
Thorne said. “The museum
also focuses on Native Amer-
ican culture and that fi ts right
in with what we have in our
area with the Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian
Reservation.”
Shirley said the museum’s
board, curators and team
members work hard to show
the history of the American
West from all perspectives.
For those who can’t make a
trip to Oklahoma, she said a
wealth of online and social
media content is available.
“No matter where you are
in the world, we try to make
it possible for people to expe-
rience The Cowboy,” Shirley
said.
For more information,
visit www.nationalcowboy-
museum.org or search www.
facebook.com/ncwhm.
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