A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2016
FROM PAGE A1 • COMMUNITY NEWS
Sheriff’s challenger Lehnert says demotion at Pendleton Police made him better
Pendleton corporal
running for Umatilla
County sheriff
crumbling and he needed
medication to deal with the
stress from combat.
“I didn’t want anybody
to know I was taking medi-
cation,” he said. “I was em-
barrassed and ashamed, so I
quit taking them.”
By PHIL WRIGHT
Staff writer
Even so, the record
shows Lehnert remained a
Umatilla County sher-
solid criminal investigator.
iff’s candidate Ryan Leh-
Roberts said those skills,
nert lost his sergeant rank
along with Lenhert’s abili-
with the Pendleton Police
ty to relate to others, made
Department in June 2009
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for not doing his job.
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Lehnert, who is chal-
liaison between the police
lenging incumbent Terry
department and public that
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demanded less on him and
plained the drop in rank
his family life.
came when he was strug-
Lehnert said he made a
gling with the transition
personal apology to Rob-
from living in a combat
erts for failing him and the
zone in Iraq to life back in
department. Roberts said
Eastern Oregon. The de-
Lehnert used the demotion
motion, he said, turned out
to establish the Apartment
to be better for the citizens
STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS
Watch Program, which in-
of Pendleton, better for the
volves dozens of property
police department and bet- Pendleton Police Cpl. Ryan Lehnert is running against incumbent Terry Rowan for Umatilla
managers and owners to re-
ter for him and his children. County sheriff.
duce crime.
“Yeah, it was a demo-
Since then, Lehnert said,
tion,” he said, “but I call it a for insubordination, unsat- his early 20s with the sher- he found he was in serious
isfactory performance, un- LII¶V RI¿FH EHIRUH MRLQLQJ GHEWKHVDLGDQGWKHH[SH- he grew as an individu-
blessing.”
The East Oregonian becoming conduct, inatten- Pendleton police. He made riences of war stayed with DO DQG DV D SROLFH RI¿FHU
requested and received a tion to duty and improper corporal in 2003. He also him. He also brought his and became a better dad.
was a member of the Ore- military attitude to work, Pendleton police detective
copy of the city’s person- radio use.
Pendleton Police Chief gon National Guard, and in ZKLFK WKH ¿OH VKRZV GUHZ Howard Bowen in 2013
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98 pages include his ranks Stuart Roberts said that re- 2004 he was a platoon ser- complaints from some of- even nominated Lehnert for
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and pay over his 15 years sulted in bumping Lehnert geant in Iraq overseeing of ¿FHUV
Still, Lehnert said, ca- boosted Lehnert to corporal
with Pendleton police and from a sergeant back to an 30 soldiers.
He returned home in reer advancement was im- in 2014. And in 2015, Leh-
several evaluations. It also RI¿FHU
Lehnert, 44, began his 2006 and resumed his job portant, and he rose to ser- nert took on the assignment
revealed the department
disciplined him in 2009 law enforcement career in with Pendleton PD. But geant. Yet his home life was of policing nearby Pilot
Rock, which struggled with
even maintaining a police
department.
Police Sgt. Charles
Byram evaluated Lehnert
in July and noted during
the past couple of years he
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turity and responsibility”
but still needs to work on
“prioritization and manage-
ment of duties, responsibil-
ities ... At times he allows
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ed trying to please every-
one.”
Roberts has endorsed
Lehnert for sheriff. He said
Lehnert carries an array of
leadership skills and he has
earned back his trust and
the trust of others in the de-
partment.
“I wouldn’t have en-
dorsed him if I didn’t be-
lieve he could handle this
opportunity,” Roberts said.
Lehnert began his career
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said, and believes it can do
better under his leadership.
He said he is ready for the
onus of shouldering a law
enforcement agency that
encompasses patrols, a jail,
dispatching calls for service
and more.
But he might not have
acquired what it takes to do
the job, he said, if he had
stayed a sergeant.
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industry partner with the
homebuilding program, but
owner Dave Smith is on
the school board and got
to know Hernandez while
interacting with the home-
builders in that capacity.
He was impressed with the
young man’s detail-orient-
ed approach to trim work
on the student-built home
and offered him a job do-
ing home restoration work
all summer, including trim
around windows and doors.
Hernandez said that type
of cosmetic work was his
favorite part of building a
home.
the program for Hermis-
ton School District, said
he always impresses upon
the students that their
work in the homebuilding
class is being observed by
more than 20 local em-
ployers over the course of
the year.
“I tell them, ‘We’re on
a job interview every day
out there,’” he said. “The
person watching you could
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Students from Hermis-
WRQ8PDWLOODDQG6WDQ¿HOG
will be building a third
home in the Fieldstone sub-
division during the upcom-
ing school year.
HOMES:
continued from Page A1
“If that was the path they
wanted to take, I think this
is one of the best programs
you can have,” he said.
Randy Multon of Mr. In-
sulation said Cody Boggs
worked with one of his
HPSOR\HHV RQ WKH ¿UVW VWX-
dent-built home in 2014-
2015 and afterward that
employee recommended
him to Multon for an open
position at the company.
Boggs, who graduated in
2015, has worked for Mr.
Insulation for about a year.
“Now he’s doing jobs by
himself,” Multon said.
He said he is always
JUDWHIXOWR¿QGVRPHRQHLQ-
terested in installing insula-
tion, because it’s a job a lot
of people won’t do because
the insulation irritates their
skin too much.
Carlos Hernandez, who
will return to the student
homebuilding program as a
high school senior this fall,
lucked into a summer job
with O So Kleen through
his involvement with the
program.
O So Kleen, which
repairs smoke and wa-
ter damage in addition to
“It’s what people see
when they walk in the
house,” he said.
He said O So Kleen was
a fun summer job, and he
enjoyed the chance to try
working without a teacher
or mentor constantly look-
ing over his shoulder.
“It’s a great opportuni-
ty to take what I’ve been
learning and put it to work,”
he said.
Smith said he was im-
pressed with the quality of
Hernandez’s work as he
watched him work on the
student-built home.
“I saw Carlos’s enthusi-
asm, and I had some work
to do this summer,” Smith
said. “I saw his skill level
and motivation. He’s enthu-
siastic and very safety-con-
scious.”
Jason Knutz of Inland
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ley after he graduated from
high school, and Bailey
recently got accepted as
a plumbing apprentice.
Knutz said he enjoyed be-
ing an industry partner for
the program and working
with students like Bailey
who are “eager to learn.”
“I have no doubt the
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him,” he said.
Curt Berger, who runs
ARENA:
na lighting isn’t included in
the accepted bid, Smith said
worst-case scenario would
continued from Page A1
be transitioning to a day-
board had received two time rodeo.
Before the motion went
bids, one from Bothum
Construction and another to a vote, board member
from Kirby Nagelhout Con- Kim Puzey questioned
struction Company. Both whether the arena would be
bids were several hundred done in time for the 2017
thousand dollars over the Farm-City Pro Rodeo.
“The paint’s gonna be
proposed $4 million budget
wet on the stalls and pan-
for the arena.
Because interested com- els,” he asked. “but it’s
panies have already seen JRLQJ WR EH UHDG\ IRU QH[W
the plans and design, the year’s rodeo?”
Smith responded, “Yes,
bidding process should be
quick. Revised bids are that’s the plan.”
On Thursday, Jeff De-
due Aug. 31 and the board
hopes to vote on a bid Fri- swert from Kirby Nagel-
hout Construction sent an
day, Sept. 2.
Byron Smith, Hermiston email that said, “After a
city manager and EOTEC great deal of thought and
FKDLU LV FRQ¿GHQW WKLV ZLOO consideration, I believe that
JLYH WKH ERDUG WKH ÀH[LELO- the best course of action at
ity it needs to meet the $4 this point is for us to allow
million budget and move the board to consider what
forward with construction. is in the best interest of the
Because of the timeline, project. We will no longer
Smith said the board wasn’t pursue the project nor will
able to do much in the way we protest any decision that
of re-design, but once they is made.”
After Friday’s board
have someone under con-
tract, they can work with meeting, Deswert said the
that company on cost-cut- company would be inter-
ting redesigns. The board ested to see what the board
also has committed to sends out, but it would like-
reaching out and doing ad- ly not persuade the compa-
ditional fundraising. If are- ny to submit another bid.
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