WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2018 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3 NEWS STAFF PHOTO BY JADE MCDOWELL This Hermiston toddler, shown wearing a helmet to protect an opening in his skull, is back home after being accidentally shot by a sibling on Nov. 10. The family agreed to the photograph on the condition that his name not be attached. FILE PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS Toddler who was shot is home from hospital Cans and bottles sit ready to be sorted at Hermiston’s BottleDrop center. List of recyclables expands By JADE MCDOWELL STAFF WRITER Oregonians now have more incentive to recycle their old Gatorade bottles and Red Bull cans. Oregon’s can and bottle deposit law has expanded in 2018 from soda, beer and water to include a long list of other beverages whose con- tainers can now be redeemed for a 10 cent deposit. “Generally, if you can pour it and drink it, it’s cov- ered,” a notice on the Ore- gon Liquor Control Com- mission’s website says. There are still excep- tions for wine, distilled spir- its, infant formula, milk and meal-replacement bev- erages. But an updated list of containers now includes sealed containers between 4 ounces and 1.5 liters for cof- fee, tea, juice, energy drinks, sports drinks, protein shakes, kombucha and several other beverages. The Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative, which runs the BottleDrop center in Hermiston and works with beverage distrib- utors throughout the state to coordinate recycling of more than 1.2 billion containers per year, wrote in a news release that it had invested more than $3 million in new machinery, includ- ing $2 million in Bottle- Drop centers and $1.1 mil- lion in new sorting machines at grocery stores to prepare for the change. It also added 16 new employees, several new trucks and trailers and expanded capacity at a plas- tic recycling facility in St. Helens. “The expansion of the bottle bill that starts on Jan. 1 is an important step toward bringing the success of the bottle bill in line with the kinds of products that are out there today, keeping more litter out of Oregon’s beau- tiful natural areas, and mak- ing sure that those containers are getting recycled,” wrote Jules Bailey, chief steward- ship officer of the OBRC. Many recyclers have stopped accepting plas- tic containers due to new restrictions from China that have stopped overseas exports of mixed plastics. But according to the OBRC news release, 100 percent of the plastic collected by the cooperative at grocery stores and BottleDrop cen- ters is processed in Oregon. That means plastic contain- ers such as juice bottles that have been headed to landfills in recent weeks can go back to being recycled. “The inclusion of new beverage products in the bottle bill is a testament to the enduring success of Ore- gon’s bottle deposit system,” John Anderson, president of the OBRC, said in a state- ment. “We’ve worked hard to prepare so that Oregonians will experience a smooth, hassle-free transition.” According to the OLCC website, in 2016 a total of 64 percent of beverage con- tainers eligible for a deposit refund were returned for a refund in 2016. A full list of included and excluded beverage contain- ers can be found online at www.oregon.gov/OLCC/ EOTEC tasks VenuWorks for longterm planning By JADE MCDOWELL STAFF WRITER VenuWorks took over management of the East- ern Oregon Trade and Event Center Tuesday, but as the transition happens there are still unresolved questions about the project’s relation- ship with its anchor tenants. During a meeting Friday, EOTEC board members disagreed on policy deci- sions regarding the Umatilla County Fair, including who would own improvements made to EOTEC property on behalf of the fair and what responsibility EOTEC had to provide office space for fair staff. Nate Rivera, who has been acting as interim man- ager of EOTEC, said fair staff had been told they needed to vacate one of the two offices they have been using in order to make room for VenuWorks. The com- pany plans to have three staff on-site — an adminis- trative assistant at the front desk, a general manager in Rivera’s former office and an operations manager in a second office. The fair employee who had been occupying that office was asked to move into the building’s ticket booth, also located in the administrative area of the event center. Board chair Byron Smith said the longterm lease signed by the Uma- tilla County Fair only spec- ified that EOTEC would provide two office spaces, but not where those spaces would be. But board mem- ber Dan Dorran said the fair board’s understanding of the lease had been that the two offices that were used by the fair this year were being reserved for their exclusive use in the future, too. “We’re losing office space that was dedicated to us,” he said. “This can be worked out, but I don’t want us to forget the two main reasons for this facility were for the fair and the rodeo.” Larry Givens, board member Rivera said asking the fair staff to move into the ticket booth wasn’t a slight on the fair, but merely an acknowledgment that every- one using EOTEC didn’t have all of the resources and space they need and com- promise had to be made. While he and Smith empha- sized the need for EOTEC to operate successfully year- round and not just during fair week, board member Larry Givens said the “real purpose” of the project was to provide a new home for the fair and the Farm City Pro-Rodeo. “This can be worked out, but I don’t want us to for- get the two main reasons for this facility were for the fair HAPPY NEW YEAR! Stop by and see what’s new! and the rodeo,” he said. “I don’t want to shortchange them because a lot of dona- tions were made with the fair and rodeo in mind.” At the behest of the fair board, John Eckhardt of Knerr Construction pre- sented an option to turn the small first aid station inside the event center into another office by moving its doorway from the lobby to the office area. He said a remodel would likely cost about $15,000. During the fair, first aid could then be moved to the build- ing near the barns used by law enforcement. Rivera said security personnel for events at EOTEC use the first aid station as their base, so they would also have to be moved somewhere else. Givens said the ideal solution would be to have a separate building for the fair, similar to the mer- cantile building the Farm- City Pro Rodeo built on their own dime next to the rodeo arena. Then the fair staff could have office space year-round, especially during the weeks surround- ing the fair when they ramp up to eight staff. They could also have storage and a con- ference room they could use without being charged. Eckhardt roughly esti- mated such a building would cost about $700,000. Rivera said the EOTEC board hired VenuWorks to provide professional exper- tise in running the venue, including creation of a busi- ness plan and longterm stra- tegic plan. It made sense, he said, to let them come in, get to know the project and its r Sale! Winte off 10% hade! any s 541-720-0772 541-567-4305 • Hwy 395, Hermiston www.thecottageonline.com Mon-Sat 8am-8pm • Sun 12pm-5pm FREE estimates! www.mybackyardbydesign.com tenants, and make recom- mendations before the board made decisions about things like remodeling. In the end, the board agreed to hold off on making the fair vacate an office and revisit the issue during their January meet- ing after VenuWorks came on board. They also held off on making a decision on who would own and/or con- trol improvements made to EOTEC on behalf of the fair or other organizations. The livestock auction commit- tee got permission Friday to install a system of panels around the animal-weighing stations to increase “safety and animal-control,” and last week the fair received permission to install some roofing structures over storage containers on the property. “People who have donated things are asking are they ours? Are they the fair’s? Are the EOTEC’s?” Givens said. The board’s next meet- ing is scheduled for Jan. 26, although Smith said there may be a special joint meeting with the Uma- tilla County commission and Hermiston city coun- cil on Jan. 22. Rivera also requested that board mem- bers attend the city’s Jan. 10 planning commission meeting. EOTEC obtained a variance from the plan- ning commission for park- ing during the fair and rodeo, but conditions set for that variance were not met, and Rivera said the planning commission has requested testimony as to why they were not met. Need to Protect Your Patio? We can help! PaƟo Covers Pergolas · Sunrooms Retractable Awnings Screen Rooms Sun/Solar Shades & More! License #188965 By JADE MCDOWELL STAFF WRITER A Hermiston toddler shot in the head on Nov. 10 is home with his family and walking around. Based on interviews and forensic evidence, Hermiston Police Depart- ment believe the boy, 2, was accidentally shot in the head by his seven-year- old sibling with a Beretta handgun that their mother kept in a vehicle. No crim- inal charges have been filed in connection with the case. The family is not being identified in order to pro- tect the identities of the two minors involved. But the boys’ mother said the toddler has been home from Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland for two weeks and is walk- ing around and interacting normally with family. He has another surgery scheduled and has to wear a helmet for the time being to cover the opening in his skull. His mother said she has noticed his reflexes have seemed “a little slow” and doctors have said it is too soon to tell what lin- gering effects he may have in the future, but they told her the area of the brain that was injured is “pretty forgiving” at such a young age. The family considers his recovery a miracle. On the day of the inci- dent, the boy’s mother was having trouble starting her car and was outside the vehicle trying to figure out what was wrong when the seven-year-old got out to join her. In a moment she said she will always regret, she told him to get in the car and stay there. Some- time after, she heard a bang and her son’s shouts of “Mommy, mommy, the baby is bleeding!” Seeing her son covered in blood and rushing him to the hospital was terrifying, she said. She hopes other parents learn from the hor- rifying experience her fam- ily went through and never leave a loaded gun where young children can access it, like the unlocked case she used. “Don’t leave things like that in the reach of your children,” she said. “I’m thankful my son made it, but if it had been off by just a little bit he wouldn’t be here.” Gunshot victim discharged from hospital BOARDMAN — A man found with a gun- shot wound last week in Morrow County has been released from the hospital. Kyle Ulrich, 47, was discharged from Good Shepherd Medical Center on Thursday. Oregon State Police responded to Love’s Travel Stop near exit 159 on Interstate 84 on the morning of Dec. 21 after a caller reported that Ulrich, with a gunshot wound, had flagged them down. Ulrich told police that he had been kidnapped in another part of the state and held captive in an unknown location for sev- eral days before being taken to Morrow County and shot. According to OSP, detectives are still investigating the case and trying to substantiate those claims. HERMISTON’S STAND UP COMEDY EVENT COMING SOON! Melonville Comedy Festival Saturday, January 27 Hermiston community Center The 25th edition of the Melonville Comedy Festival will feature three headline stand up comedians. These comics are in demand corporate show entertainers. CORY MICHAELIS A comic who appears in clubs in Las Vegas, Seattle, New York and Los Angeles. Cory has been on the stage of several Comedy Festivals KERMET APIO A Hawaiian native, Kermit has been working in standup comedy since 1990. His credits include Las Vegas, Seattle and Aspen Comedy Festivals and everyday life. Gabriel is based in Olympia. DEREK RICHARDS Derek is a comic who has worked USO Tours, the Bob and Tom Show and you can hear him on Siri- us/XM Satellite Radio. Tickets $35 per person Sponsor: Doors open at 7pm, Show starts at 8:00 Tickets available at Hermiston Chamber of Commerce at the Cornerstone Plaza Reserve Tickets at: 541-561-7488 • NO REFUNDS • 21 & OVER