REGION
Saturday, July 23, 2022
East Oregonian
A3
PENDLETON
Council to vote on referring a psilocybin ban to voters
By JOHN TILLMAN
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — Pend-
leton City Council is holding
a public hearing and vote on
placing an initiative on the
November ballot banning
psilocybin product manu-
facture and service centers
in Pendleton. Umatilla
County Board of Commis-
sioners approved a similar
measure earlier this month,
and Hermiston City Council
is considering another.
While Oregon’s 2020
Ballot Measure 109 to legal-
ize the hallucinogenic mush-
rooms passed statewide,
64% of voters in Umatilla
County opposed it. Thus,
cities and counties need to
vote anew to ban psilocybin
manufacture and services
in their jurisdictions.
Pendleton Mayor John
Turner said the council had
the fi rst reading of the proposal
Tuesday, July 19, and will vote
on it at the council’s meeting
Aug. 2.
There is strong support for
the ban, but the council didn’t
discuss it July 19, Turner said.
Ballot Measure 109 estab-
lished the Oregon Psilocy-
bin Advisory Board to make
recommendations to the
Oregon Health Authority on
scientifi c studies and research
into the safety and effi cacy
of the psychoactive drug in
treating mental health condi-
tions. The advisory board also
recommends requirements,
specifi cations and guidelines
for providing psilocybin
services in Oregon.
The advisory board devel-
ops a long-term strategic
plan for ensuring psilocy-
bin services become a safe,
accessible and affordable
therapeutic option for all
appropriate persons 21 years
of age and older in Oregon.
It also monitors and studies
federal laws, regulations and
policies regarding psilocybin.
Measure 109 directed the
advisory board to submit
recommendations for rules
and regulations to the OHA
before June 30, 2022.
Oregon Psilocybin Advi-
sory Board voted to recom-
mend “milligrams” as the
measurement standard. Facil-
itators need a standard dose
in order to know how much
psilocybin a client should
receive. The board’s products
subcommittee recommended
10 mg doses for extracts and
0.5 grams for fruiting body
and mycelium products at its
June 22 meeting.
Summer construction projects dot Pendleton $4K grant a boon to
Hermiston speech
pathology business
By JOHN TILLMAN
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — Pendle-
ton city workers and contrac-
tors are busy on city streets
this summer.
State contractors replaced
and removed street lights on
Southeast Court Avenue and
made sidewalks accessible
to wheelchairs in the spring.
And city crews have been
working on replacing a storm
system on Byers Avenue that
was from the 1920s.
“We could do the water
pipe replacement with
in-house crews,” Pendleton
Public Works Director Bob
Patterson said. “If the project
is over $200,000, we have
to bid it out. We like to use
in-house, because they’re
better at working with the
public. It’s the old three-
legged stool. Speed, quality
and cost: you can have only
two.”
He also said fi ber optics
companies are laying cable
all over town.
“There have been issues
through city rights of way,”
Yasser Marte/East Oregonian
A construction crew Wednesday, July 20, 2022, works on curbs and gutters on Southeast
Third Street and Goodwin Avenue in Pendleton.
he said. “They use multiple
subcontractors.”
Pendleton is using diff er-
ent contractors for its street
overlay work. American
Rock Products, formerly
Pioneer Asphalt, is at work
repaving now, Patterson
reported. For Southeast
Byers Avenue, Southwest
10th Street, around the
former Pendleton Grain
Growers’ building, and
Southeast Fourth Street
between Emigrant and
Dorion avenues, the city is
using Humbert Asphalt of
Milton-Freewater.
“We haven’t used them for
a long time,” he said.
Public Works Superinten-
dent Jeff Brown described
an ongoing curb, gutter and
street overlay project on
Southeast Goodwin Avenue
and Southeast Third Street
near the Pendleton Animal
Welfare Shelter.
“We’re putting in the curb
and gutter on the north side
of Goodwin now,” he said.
“Then we’ll do most of the
south side before paving.”
CTUIR provide update on fi sh hatchery
By ANTONIO
ARREDONDO
East Oregonian
MILTON-FREEWATER
— Native fish are coming
back to the Walla Walla
River.
The Confederated Tribes
of the Umatilla Indian Reser-
vation on July 13 shared addi-
tional information about its
fi sh hatchery on the South
Fork of the Walla Walla
River.
The hatchery, 9 miles
southwest of Milton-Freewa-
ter, was originally completed
in 1996 as an adult fi sh facil-
ity. Built with the intention to
add on to the original project,
that fi nally came to fruition in
July of 2021.
During the past two years,
CTUIR has added incuba-
tion facilities, early rearing
and grow-out buildings, and
research and feed storage
rooms. It also includes a new
visitor center where those
Jon Lovrack/Contributed Photo
The Walla Walla Hatchery sits next to the South Fork Wal-
la Walla River 9 miles southwest of Milton-Freewater. The
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation re-
cently completed a host of upgrades to the facilities.
coming can see the fi sh.
“It took a lot of painstak-
ing time to work through
(permitting) issues, fund-
ing issues, and contractual
issues,” CTUIR artificial
production supervisor Jon
Lovrak said.
Construction began on the
hatchery in January 2020,
but was quickly halted due to
extreme fl ooding one month
later. That fl ooding that was a
blessing in disguise: the origi-
nal fl ooding was not prepared
for fl oods of that nature.
“If the fl ood would have
come later, we would’ve had
to start over,” Lovrak said.
After the building was
completed more than a year
later, it was time for fish
to come in. The facility is
programmed to produce
500,000 spring chinook
salmon, but in its fi rst year
only received 165,000
partially reared fi sh, which
were released in April.
Lovrack said the hatchery
will be closer to capacity in
2022 with 485,00 fi sh, all of
which have been reared from
the egg stage.
Approximately 80% of
the fi sh are released in the
South Fork and Walla Walla
Rivers, with the remaining
fi sh released in the Touchet
River. Lovrak said reinte-
grating chinook back into
the ecosystem will be a great
help, not only to the tribe but
the entire area.
“The ecosystem will
thrive better with salmon
back in it,” Lovrak said. “We
hope in the long term the
returns are around 5,000.”
For those interested in
touring the hatchery, visiting
hours at the new visitor center
are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Monday through Friday.
ODOT holds open house for bridge replacements
By SHANNON
GOLDEN
The Observer
LA GRANDE — The
Oregon Department of Trans-
portation plans to replace the
Meacham Creek and Union
Pacifi c Railroad Bridge in
2024, a project that is esti-
mated to cost $6.9 million.
According to ODOT, the
bridge, on the Interstate 84
Frontage Road at milepost
239, is structurally defi-
cient and does not provide
adequate clearance between
piers and the railroad tracks.
“We do routine bridge
inspections every two years,
and that’s how it was deter-
mined that we needed to
replace this bridge,” said
Erin Winterton, a trans-
portation project manager
working on the Meacham
bridge renovation.
T he t r a n spor t at ion
department noted several
concerns about the bridge
in its report, including the
poor condition of the rail
and deck, severe concrete
deterioration, cracks in
the pavement and concrete
grinders, insuffi cient clear-
ance between the piers and
the railroad tracks and the
though, and became a member
of the National Association for
the Self-Employed in April
HERMISTON — Roxana last year.
NASE is a large organi-
Lieberg Jordheim of Hermis-
ton received a $4,000 grant zation that aims to support
from the National Association self-employed individuals
for the Self-Employed for her and small businesses. Among
business, Li’l Talkers Speech other programs, it off ers assis-
tance with taxes, health care
Therapy.
Li’l Talkers, at 115 W. and more.
Jordheim first looked at
Hermiston Ave., Suite 100,
Hermiston, off ers numerous the grant when she became
services, including language a NASE member, but one of
development, social skills and the requirements was to be
articulation/phonology ther- a member for a minimum of
apy.
six months. So when those
Jordheim grew up in Grand six months came around,
Forks, North Dakota, and like by November, she applied.
most college students was not However, such a grant would
quite sure which career she not just be awarded to anyone.
wanted to pursue. When she
“It was an extensive
discovered a “communica- process, with only serious
tion sciences and amplifi ca- businesses being considered,”
tion disorders” program in her she explained. “A full busi-
local college’s course catalog, ness plan, along with docu-
she decided to try it out.
mentation of startup costs,
“From that point
12-month projection,
and accompanying
on, I was hooked,”
she said.
plans for growth were
Jordheim spent six
required as part of the
more years obtaining
application process.”
her master’s degree,
According to John
and upon completing
Hearrel, NASE’s vice
it, she was ready to
president of Member-
start working.
Jordheim
ship and Aff ili-
Jordheim moved to
ate Programs, “Li’l
Hermiston in August 2016 and Talkers Speech Therapy was
began working for the school chosen for this Growth Grant
district. After several years, award because it demon-
she decided to start her own strated a well-defi ned plan for
speech therapy business.
growth ranging from execut-
“I have always had the idea ing new marketing initiatives,
of a private practice in the purchasing new equipment or
back of my mind, but I did not other creative ways to grow
really begin to think of it as a and expand.”
viable option until the spring
“I have had diffi culty fi nd-
of 2021,” she said.
ing grants opportunities appli-
Li’l Talkers Speech Ther- cable to my business, so as of
apy opened Nov. 1, 2021. Jord- now, this is the sole grant I
heim still was working full have been awarded,” Jordiem
time for the Hermiston School said. “I was very grateful and
District, so she only had one surprised to be awarded this
client at that time. Now, she grant.”
sees roughly 30 clients and
With the grant money,
also has more referrals being Jordiem plans to purchase
processed.
“primarily sensory integra-
“It has grown very quickly tion” items that augment
in just a few months,” Jord- communication, such as a
heim said.
voice generator. She also said
And she is the lone she would like to hire a speech
employee at Li’l Talkers.
language pathology assistant
“I have 21 years of expe- within the next year.
rience as a speech language
While her self-run small
pathologist, but I have always business renders her busy, she
worked in a school system or thoroughly enjoys it.
for another agency. Calling
“I absolutely love work-
insurance companies, billing, ing with children,” Jord-
and navigating the business iem said. “I think the best
world and the medical world part of my job is being able
have defi nitely been a chal- to help kids communicate
lenge,” she said.
more eff ectively and help-
Jordheim knew she would ing parents support their
need financial assistance, children at home.”
By MCKENZIE ROSE
For Hermiston Herald
bridge’s one-way traffic
allotment.
Winter ton noted in
ODOT’s suffi ciency rating
scale, the bridge, which was
built in 1925, scored a 38.5
out of 100.
“The bridge deck and the
bridge rail especially need
attention,” she said.
Due to a variety of main-
tenance needs and increas-
ing maintenance costs, the
department opted to replace
the bridge completely rather
than make repairs to the
existing one. The project
involves removing the exist-
ing bridge and constructing
a wider one that accom-
modates for two-way truck
traffi c and that has suffi cient
clearance.
The project will go out
to bid in September 2023
and construction is sched-
uled for spring and summer
2024. According to the state,
the project will require road
closure. Vehicles will be able
to make a detour around the
construction via I-84 Exit 234.
The department will
provide more information
about the project’s impacts
closer to construction.
There will be an in-per-
son open house about the
project Tuesday, July 26,
at 5 p.m. at the ODOT
Meacham Maintenance
Station, 64462 Old Oregon
Trail Road, Meacham.
ODOT encourages local
residents and businesses to
visit the project’s website for
more information. For those
who want to keep up-to-date
LeeAnnOttosen@UmpquaBank.com
UmpquaBank.com/Lee-Ann-Ottosen
on the project, the depart-
ment offers a sign-up on
the website for Northeast
Oregon news releases.
WHAT
DOES AN
AUDIOLOGIST
DO?
Audiologists diagnose, manage, and
treat hearing and balance problems.
They work with all patients from
newborns to older people. The first
step toward healthy hearing starts
with a medical history review and
evaluation of current health. Next, the
audiologist will perform various tests
to help diagnose the problem. They
will help you to manage the condition
through a customized treatment
plan which may include hearing
aids, aural rehabilitation, or
balance therapy.
541-276-5053
2237 SW Court, Pendleton • renataanderson.com/resources/