REGION
Tuesday, April 12, 2022
East Oregonian
A3
MILTON-FREEWATER
Umatilla County commission
candidates make their pitches
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
MILTON-FREEWATER
— At the third commission-
ers forum sponsored by the
Umatilla County Republican
Party, the candidates leaned
into their sales pitches.
Whether it was playing up
their personas as accomplished
political leaders, experienced
business owners or ardent
conservative activists, the
nine candidates who attended
the Friday, April 8, event at the
Milton-Freewater Commu-
nity Building tried to use their
personal experiences to stand
out from the pack.
The forum drew full atten-
dance from all the candidates
for both seats up for election
on May 17. The Position 1
seat is open and has drawn
six candidates: Bob Barton
of Hermiston, Jesse Bonifer
of Athena, Susan Bower of
Pendleton, David Nelson of
Pendleton, Cindy Timmons
of Milton-Freewater and
Alvin Young of Hermiston.
Position 2 Commissioner John
Shafer is running for reelec-
tion against HollyJo Beers and
Rick Pullen, both of Pendleton.
Despite the large fi eld, the
candidates did reach a consen-
sus on some issues. Nearly all
the candidates opposed the
Umatilla County Charter
Committee’s recommendation
to hire a county manager. The
one holdout came from Pullen,
a former county employee,
who said the committee’s
recommendation should have
gone to the ballot.
“They bring that to the
commissioners, it’s expected
from the committee, that their
18 months, was not just a waste
of time (and) the commission-
ers will bring that recommen-
dation forward,” he said.
Beers, an activist with the
right wing militia group Three
Percenters, said she aimed to
improve transparency in the
county, partially born out of
her own frustration in trying
to reach elected offi cials.
“I fi nd it very diffi cult a lot
of times to be able to reach any
official in this campaign to
talk to them,” she said. “They
even don’t answer the phone
because they’re busy, and I
understand that, but they don’t
call you back either.”
Shafer touted his endorse-
ments from all of Umatilla
County’s legislative and U.S.
House representatives and
said he delivered on improv-
ing the county’s mental health
services. With the Legislature
appropriating money to the
county to build a new mental
health facility, Shafer said
he was ready to continue the
eff ort.
“We’re going to build an
acute psychiatric care facility,”
he said. “There’s already one
in Hermiston that Lifeways
shut down. It was like some-
body sucked the oxygen out of
the room. It’s been my mission
to open up another one. And
if we can’t get that one built,
we’re going to build another
one.”
Barton, a contractor, on a
question about allowing a city
to absorb exclusive farm use
land to be absorbed into an
urban growth boundary said
he would be open to it if the
land in question was low-value
farmland.
“We’re going to have to
develop properties, ladies and
gentleman,” he said.
Bonifer, a Three Percenter
and business owner, said the
county needed to prepare for
natural disasters, including
fi res, fl oods and earthquakes,
but also should look into
acquiring food preserves for
more conspiratorial outcomes.
“I believe we are looking
at World War III and possibly
a civil war,” he said. “So we
need to be prepared for that as
well.”
Nelson frequently refer-
enced his time in the Oregon
Senate, where he represented
the county for more than a
decade. Nelson said he could
leverage his relationships in
Salem to benefi t the county
while drawing on his experi-
ence crafting state budgets to
manage the county’s fi nances.
“I know what budgets are
all about and I think that’s one
of the most important things
in Umatilla County,” he said.
The only candidate in the
fi eld from Milton-Freewater,
Timmons told the hometown
audience that she ran for board
of commissioners to make
sure her part of the county had
representation. She also high-
lighted how she was managing
her campaign budget, using it
as an example of effi cient and
eff ective leadership.
“If you look at (my
campaign account), I am in
the positive and I continue to
be that way,” she said. “And
I think that’s a good example
of how you should run your
fi nances. You should run in the
black. You should stay within
your means.”
Following the May 17
election, the two candidates
in each races that garner the
most votes will move on to a
November runoff .
Fire breaks out at Pendleton bakery
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — A fi re
broke out Saturday night,
April 9, at Rolling Stone
Bakery on Main Street, Pend-
leton. But the business still is
fi lling orders.
Pendleton Fire Chief Jim
Critchley said the callout for
the fi re at the business, 213 S.
Main St., came at 7:34 p.m.
Firefi ghters were on the scene
a couple of minutes later and
had water dousing fl ames by
7:40 p.m. Critchley said fi ve
minutes after that, the fire
was out.
Smoke from the fi re wafted
into neighboring businesses
and residences, and fi refi ght-
ers checked those as well.
“We just have to make sure
it doesn’t extend any where
else,” Critchley said.
Police and fire blocked
off the north end of the 200
block of South Main, and the
Pilot Rock Rural Fire Protec-
tion District also responded.
Critchley said no one was
in the bakery when crews
arrived.
Speaking the morning of
April 11, he said the cause of
the fi re appears to be electri-
cal, and the bakery won’t be
operating there for a while.
However, he said, the city
is allowing Rolling Stone to
Phil Wright/East Oregonian
Firefi ghters enter Antiques & Art on Main on Saturday night,
April 9, 2022, in downtown Pendleton, following a fi re at the
Rolling Stone Bakery next door.
use the facilities at the Pend-
leton Convention Center to
make good on orders. Critch-
ley also said businesses next
door to Rolling Stone, includ-
ing the Rainbow Cafe, had
some cleaning up to do after
the fi re, but otherwise could
continue to operate.
The Pilot Rock Rural Fire
Protection District responded
to the bakery fire as well.
Critchley said Pendleton was
able to reciprocate at about
1 a.m. on April 10, sending
one of the crews that was at
the Rolling Stone fi re to assist
with a fi re call in Pilot Rock.
Get ready, get set — grill
Buckaroo BBQ
Challenge doubles
prize purse
By TAMMY
MALGESINI
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — Call-
ing all backyard grill-
ers — registration is open
for the annual Buckaroo
BBQ Challenge. Organiz-
ers are seeking competi-
tors for the team event, held
April 30 during Pendleton
Cattle Barons Weekend.
The popular barbecue
contest is heating up with
a larger purse than ever
— $5,000 in prize money
is up for grabs, Kristen
Dollarhide of Travel Pend-
leton said in a press release.
Dollarhide, who also serves
as the Buckaroo BBQ
Challenge director, said
the Pacifi c Northwest BBQ
Association is sanctioning
the 2022 event.
“With the purse now
doubled from what it was in
the past, we hope we’ll get
a wide variety of competi-
tors — both local and from
around the Northwest — at
the event,” she said. “It’s
always a great event, and
we’re looking forward to
having a big crowd again
this year.”
Teams can show off their
sizzling skills with tri-tip,
baby back pork ribs and
chicken. The team entry fee
is $100. Open to 40 teams,
the registration deadline is
April 23.
Competitors will be
supplied with two trimmed
tri-tip roasts from Painted
Hills Natural Beef and
three racks of ribs from Hill
Meat Company. Contes-
tants will supply their own
chicken. Grill masters will
set up their cooking spaces
in a designated area of the
parking lot of the Pendleton
Convention Center.
The overall grand cham-
pion will pocket $1,025, and
the reserve grand champion
will take home $750. In
addition, fi rst through sixth
place will be awarded in
each meat category — with
cash prizes ranging from
$300 to $75.
Also, get ready to smoke
the tri-tip competition with
the coveted People’s Choice
Award. In addition to brag-
ging rights and trophies,
cash prizes will be dished out
to fi rst through third places.
People’s choice judging
buttons are $5 each, which
allows the public to sample
each contestant’s tri-tip
entry — no tasting samples
of chicken and ribs — and
then cast a vote for their
favorite. In anticipation of
the venue selling 300-400
sampling buttons, teams
may bring additional tri-tip
to barbecue for the people’s
choice contest.
E s t a bl i s h e d a s a
nonprofi t organization in
2008, Pendleton Cattle
Barons Weekend showcases
Western heritage. It ropes in
money to provide scholar-
ships to area students who
are interested in furthering
their education in the fi eld
of agriculture.
Activities in and around
the Pendleton Conven-
tion Center include a trade
show, an artistry show
and classes, the Western
Select horse and more. For
more information about
the April 29-30 event, visit
www.cattlebarons.net.
For more information
about the Buckaroo BBQ
Challenge, including rules
and to register, go to www.
pnwba.com/event-4748782.
For questions, contact Dollar-
hide at kristen@travelpend-
leton.com or 541- 276-7411.
HELLS
CANYON
RV EXPO
Pendleton Friends of the Library
B OOK S ALE
April 15th & 16th • 10am-5pm
Pendleton Public Library
502 SW Dorion Ave
APRIL
13-16
(Closed Sunday)
FREE ADMISSION
2022
I
East Oregonian, File
Cody McKillip tends to his meat during the Buckaroo BBQ Challenge on May 1, 2021, at the
Pendleton Convention Center. Organizers are seeking contestants for the April 30, 2022,
event, which takes place during Pendleton Cattle Barons Weekend. Teams must register
by April 23.
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