WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2016
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3
LOCAL NEWS
County backs $1.5 million loan to EOTEC
By JADE McDOWELL
Staff Writer
The Umatilla County Com-
mission has agreed to back a $1.5
million loan to the Eastern Ore-
gon Trade and Event Center with
full faith and credit, if the city of
Hermiston is willing to make the
same guarantee.
The EOTEC fundraising com-
mittee is attempting to raise $2
million for construction of the new
fair and rodeo grounds outside of
Hermiston by March 1. For donors
who want to break up large contri-
butions over two to ¿ve years, the
committee plans to access the full
sum upfront by taking out a loan
for the pledged amount and then
using those pledged contributions
to pay back the loan.
Committee member Nate Ri-
vera told the commission that
the Hermiston School District
had used a similar tactic to raise
money for Kennison Field and as
of the fourth year no donors had
defaulted on their promised con-
tribution.
He said so far the EOTEC com-
mittee had raised about $450,000
and expected to be able to raise
more once the loan program was
in place.
“We’re working the phones, and
people have been great,” he said.
The original plan was for the
loan to be backed using the EO-
TEC property as collateral, but
county council Doug Olsen point-
ed out in December that EOTEC
— formed by an intergovernmen-
tal agreement between the coun-
ty and the city of Hermiston —
could not do that. Since the state
constitution prohibits counties
from using land as collateral for
loans, EOTEC couldn’t do that
either.
The resolution on the agenda
at Tuesday’s meeting offered full
faith and credit backing for up
to $750,000 in loans to EOTEC,
with the assumption that the city
of Hermiston would back the oth-
er half of the loan. But Rivera told
the commission that the banks
needed both partners to of¿cial-
ly back the entire $1.5 million on
paper, however they might end
up splitting it up in the event of
a default.
Commissioner Bill Elfering
proposed that the number be in-
creased to $1.5 million and that
a clause be added that made the
backing contingent on the city
of Hermiston’s willingness to
also guarantee the $1.5 million.
Commissioner Larry Givens vot-
ed with Elfering in favor of that
resolution, with Commissioner
State will revamp Highway 395 this spring, summer
Traffic delays
and detours
will affect nearly
17,000 cars a day
By JADE McDOWELL
Staff Writer
As the Oregon Depart-
ment of Transportation gears
up for a summer of con-
struction on Highway 395 in
Hermiston, the department is
putting an emphasis on driv-
er safety.
The corridor through the
center of Hermiston will be
the subject of a major re-
paving project from March
through the end of August.
The department will grind
out the old asphalt and place
two inches of new pavement
on the six-mile section of
highway from Southeast
Fourth Street to Highway
730. All intersections will get
ADA-compliant wheelchair
ramps and a cement median
will replace the yellow traf¿c
delineators at the intersection
of 395 and Elm Avenue.
ODOT public informa-
tion of¿cer Tom Strandberg
said as much work as pos-
sible will be done at night
to reduce the impact on ad-
jacent businesses. One lane
in each direction will always
be open, but the work will
disrupt traf¿c Àows through
the corridor, which sees an
average of 16,850 vehicles
per day.
Strandberg said safety
along the busy stretch of
highway has been an in-
creasing concern for ODOT,
especially after two serious
crashes north of town late in
2015.
“Whenever you have a
situation like that where it’s
heading out of town but you
still have all those businesses
along there and there’s ¿ve
lanes, it’s tricky,” he said.
Strandberg urged drivers
who use the Highway 395
corridor to pay extra atten-
tion to their surroundings
and to reduce distractions
while driving, which will be
especially important during
the construction period.
“ODOT will continue to
work with the city of Herm-
iston to improve safety, but
it is paramount that all mo-
torists, bicyclists and pedes-
trians take extra caution and
be mindful of each other,”
he wrote in a news release.
“Safety is everyone’s re-
sponsibility.”
Between 2010 and 2014
there were 450 crashes re-
ported on Highway 395 be-
tween milepost 10 (just north
of Stan¿eld and Highway
730. Ninety percent of those
occurred in the six-mile
stretch between Southeast
Fourth Street and Highway
730.
According to ODOT data,
those crashes resulted in two
fatalities, 15 serious injuries,
90 moderate injuries and 228
minor injuries. The full data
set isn’t in for 2015, but there
was another fatality reported
on Highway 395 near Bag-
STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS
Vehicles pass a turn-lane barrier at the intersection of Highway 395 and Elm Avenue on
Wednesday in Hermiston.
ODOT has identified the
Highway 395 corridor from
Stanfield to Umatilla through
Hermiston as one of the
busiest — and most danger-
ous — in Eastern Oregon.
Here are the numbers from
2010-2014.
Vehicles per day
16,850
Total crashes
450
Fatalities
2
Serious injuries
15
Moderate injuries 90
Minor injuries
228
gett Lane in October 2015.
The majority of crashes
reported between 2010 and
2014 were classi¿ed as rear-
end crashes or crashes during
a turning movement. Half of
the reports listed following
too closely or failure to yield
as the primary cause, while
excessive speed or distracted
driving were cited as a cause
in 20 percent of the crashes.
Thirty-three
of
the
crashes happened on ice or
snow-covered roads. Most
were two-vehicle crashes.
Fridays had the most crash-
es at 87, while Saturdays had
the fewest at 46.
Hermiston Police Chief
Jason Edmiston said in a
statement that in June 2015
the department reverted to
having an of¿cer on a motor-
cycle dedicated full-time to
traf¿c violations. In the next
six months the of¿cer issued
863 citations, mostly along
Highway 395.
“Law enforcement can
impact traf¿c with either ed-
ucation or enforcement,” he
said. “We would much rather
educate our citizens that dis-
tracted driving as a result of
passengers, electronic devic-
es, etc., is preventable.”
He said the highway is
unique because it has so
many business entrances and
exits along it —as well as a
high speed limit. Edmiston
said it would be important
for drivers to be especially
cautious and practice good
defensive driving during the
period of construction on the
highway.
One particular section of
the highway that has come
under scrutiny is the intersec-
tion of Highway 395 and Elm
Avenue. The intersection is
the busiest in northeastern
Oregon and is considered by
IN BRIEF
No leads in
cow slaughter
Heritage Station
hosts local author
Oregon State Police are
still looking for information
to track down whoever shot
and killed a 2-year-old heif-
er in a winter pasture along
Feedville Road.
Trooper Mitchell Gold-
man said several people
have called with tips since
local rancher Terry Ander-
son found the animal butch-
ered late last week, but no
serious leads.
“We’re just kind of hop-
ing someone will speak up,”
Goldman said. “It’s a pret-
ty big deal to shoot some-
body’s cattle like that.”
The culprit could face
extensive ¿nes or prison
time if caught. Theft of live-
stock is a Class C felony in
Oregon, dating back to the
old days of cattle rustling.
Anderson
reported
someone butchered his cow
in the ¿eld before apparent-
ly making a hasty getaway,
leaving most of the body
to waste. He is offering a
$5,000 reward for informa-
tion leading to a conviction.
The Oregon Cattlemen’s
Association has offered an
additional $1,000.
Goldman said there is
the possibility more than
one person was involved.
Anyone with informa-
tion should contact OSP at
541-567-3215 or call 1-800-
452-7888.
Heritage Station Muse-
um will host local author
Peg Willis as she introduc-
es her new book, “Rise
Above: The Heppner Flood
of 1903.”
The author will be on
hand for a Terri¿c Tuesday
event Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. at
108 S.W. Frazer Ave., Pend-
leton. Regular museum
hours are Tuesday through
Saturdays from 10 a.m. to
4 p.m.
Willis will share about
the unexpected cloudburst
that turned an otherwise
mild day into one that the
little community of Hep-
pner would never forget.
For more information, call
541-276-0012 or visit /www.
heritagestationmuseum.org.
Cultural center group
serves breakfast
The Irrigon Multicultural
Arts Center committee is host-
ing a fundraising breakfast.
The meal is Saturday,
Jan. 30 from 7:30-10:30
a.m. at Stokes Landing Se-
nior Center, 195 N.W. Opal
Place, Irrigon. The cost is
$4.50 per person. The group
of volunteers is raising mon-
ey in hopes of preserving
Irrigon’s 1921 school build-
ing. For more information,
call Peggy at 541-567-3806.
22 nD ANNUAL
Tri-Cities Sportsmen Show
Friday, Saturday, Sunday
January 16, 17, 18
at
in Pasco
Featuring
Outdoor Cooking Camp with
“CeeDub” Welch
N.W. Big Game Display
(Bring your trophy to be scored)
Indoor 3D Archery Range
Fly Tying Theater
Fishing Boats & Tackle
Daily Hunting & Fishing Seminars
ars
Daily Door Prizes
FREE Parking Everyday
Outdoor Cooking Camp
with CeeDub Welch!
Just for Kids
Lunker Lake – WIN CASH PRIZES!!!
Sportsmen’s Journal
Come and see the
N.W. Big Game Display
One-time 3 day admission
Adults ...............................................$9
Kids 6-12 years .................................
Kids under 6 ......................................FREE
.........
Sunday “Family Day”
2 adults and 2 children (6-12 year) ....
FIND US ON FACEBOOK
facebook.com/scishows
ODOT to be the second most
dangerous in Eastern Oregon
based on number of crashes
per vehicle. There were 34
crashes reported from 2011
to 2013.
In an attempt to reduce
the number of crashes there
each year ODOT put up tem-
porary barriers at the inter-
section to keep people from
turning left out of surround-
ing businesses. The plastic
barriers will be replaced with
a concrete median during the
repaving project.
George Murdock absent.
If the EOTEC fundraising com-
mittee raises at least $625,000 by
March 1 it will add a third live-
stock barn to the project. Another
$600,000 will buy 2,000 perma-
nent seats at the rodeo. The next
$700,000 will buy panels and pens
for livestock instead of renting them.
And the last $75,000 of the $2 mil-
lion goal would be used to add elec-
trical and water hook-ups to the RV
sites provided for exhibitors.
The EOTEC board’s regular
meeting, originally scheduled for
Friday, has been postponed until
Jan. 29 at 7 a.m. at the Stafford
Hansell Government Center.
F ea r w e a e ys to
Giv
l d 1 a 5 il 0 y
people of
courtesy
Grigg’s
Military discount with ID – $1 off any admission
PAY ONCE! Come back FREE all 3 days! FREE Parking!
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