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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 29, 2020)
A7 OFF PAGE ONE East Oregonian Thursday, October 29, 2020 Warming: ‘It’s a germ factory in the best of times’ Continued from Page A1 Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian, File The Pendleton Convention Center has been particularly hard hit as a result of the economic downturn, as it derives the majority of its revenue from a lodging tax and event fees. Budget: Continued from Page A1 center and downtown Pendleton have a symbi- otic relationship, and when one suffers, the other one does as well. In addition to the decrease in overnight stays, the convention cen- ter is also limited in what kind of events it can recruit, with indoor events limited to 100 people. Beard said the facility has pivoted to trying to bring in professional meet- ings that can use the excess space for social distancing. “People are sick of Zoom meetings,” he said. “They’re not as effective as face to face.” The city budgeted money for the equivalent of six positions, but most convention center employ- ees have been reassigned to other departments that need the help. Beard said the conven- tion center’s budget will be lower than the $1.1 mil- lion budget it was desig- nated over the summer, and he intends to share more defi nitive numbers at a city council meeting in a few weeks. City Manager Robb Corbett said the city will have to wait to see how other forms of city revenue shake out. While the city is cur- rently expecting only a slight decrease in property tax revenue, they won’t know until November what that number actually looks like. And while Corbett anticipates there will be a dip in state gas tax rev- enue, he said council dis- cussions to use urban renewal money on street repair could offset the loss. Pandemic or not, the urban renewal district con- tinues to hand out new grants. Charles Denight, the associate director of the Pendleton Development Commission, said coun- cil members approved a $12,595 grant to help fund a seating area for a new Travel Oregon mural in the space where We Sell Stuff used to be at 342 S.W. First St. The project is being headed by Old West Fed- eral Credit Union and has a total budget of $31.489. sleeping on a cot in the same room as several other guests. An ordinance recently passed by the Hermiston City Council allowing such temporary shelters in indus- trial zones, however, ruled out the project’s planned location by including a pro- vision they must be at least 1,000 feet from parks and schools, and co-located on a site with an existing indus- trial use. Stepping Stones board chair Cathy Lloyd said the group is still look- ing at options for locations outside Hermiston city lim- its and funding options. For now, however, the Warming Station will con- tinue to provide emergency nighttime shelter from the end of November through February. Volunteer recruitment While the goal is to open each night during the sea- son, last year the shelter had to close on some nights due to a lack of volunteers. Fran- cis said the board is con- cerned that fears of COVID- 19 will prevent people from volunteering this year. Volunteers will be required to wear masks, hand sanitizer stations will be available and the board has swapped out fabric fur- niture for items more eas- ily sanitized, and other pre- cautions will be taken to ensure safety. The board is currently looking at install- ing plastic dividers between cots. Even if the warming sta- tion doesn’t have enough volunteers to staff the shel- ter overnight, Francis said, they are committed to at least being open until Jade McDowell/East Oregonian A sign on the back door of the Hermiston Warming Station give directions for people wishing to drop off donations. VOLUNTEER TRAINING SESSIONS The Hermiston Warming Station is off ering the dates listed below for volunteer trainings. All volunteers must be at least 18 years old, have completed a training and passed a background check. Please RSVP in advance through the warming station’s Facebook page. Wednesday, Oct. 28, 7-8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, 6-7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, 12-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, 6-7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, 11 a.m. — 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9, 10 p.m. each night so guests can come in and warm up for a little bit and have some soup. If people aren’t inter- ested in volunteering, they can donate money for sup- plies and volunteer back- ground checks, or donate single-serving, microwav- able cups of soup or mac- aroni. To donate, call the Warming Station at 541- 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, 12-1:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, 7-8:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, 12-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, 7-8:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, 6-7:30 p.m. 303-3256 to set up a time. Pendleton Pendleton nonprofi t Neighbor 2 Neighbor is attempting to offer the ser- vices of the Pendleton Warming Station without using the warming station’s usual facility. Neighbor 2 Neighbor Executive Director Dwight Johnson said the board recently voted to suspend overnight stays at the orga- nization’s 715 S.E. Court Ave. building while looking at alternative sites for the homeless to sleep by Nov. 15, the warming station’s usual opening date. Johnson said the deci- sion was “painful,” but the right call given the lim- itations of trying to offer a socially distant sleeping center during the COVID- 19 pandemic. He added homeless resi- dents can be especially vul- nerable to the effects of the virus, and the logistics of trying to operate Neighbor 2 Neighbor’s small facility were too great to overcome. “It’s a germ factory in the best of times,” he said, adding that it was usually the common cold that cir- culated among lodgers and volunteers. Neighbor 2 Neighbor’s preferred alternative is to start a voucher program with a local motel, allow- ing the people who use the warming station to have a warm place to sleep, while still socially distanc- ing themselves from one another. Johnson said his group is working with the Commu- nity Action Program of East Central Oregon on getting funding for the program. On Oct. 25-26, Neighbor 2 Neighbor did a trial run, with the warming station opening as an intake center before sending lodgers out with a motel voucher. Johnson said Neighbor 2 Neighbor is looking at other alternative sites for a warm- ing station and he recently met with City Manager Robb Corbett to help with the search. P SPA LAY IT REMEM CE A SAF BE ND E WI R TO WEA TH R YO A LIT UR TLE MAS K! ! n e p O w o N AT FAMILY PACKAGE $ MON–THU 45 Prices subject to change. Package is good for up to six people. Call 541-966-1690 to book your reservation. BRING THE WHOLE GANG AND ENJOY BOWLING & PIZZA! Includes: ♦ 90 minutes bowling ♦ Shoe rental ♦ One Large Pizza (up to 3 toppings) A GAME CHANGER FOR FAMILY FUN Choose the way you play! Breakthrough the traditional sense of bowling with our state- of-the-art scoring system. Choose from casual and fun, or advanced competitive play. Whatever you choose, you’ll find Quaking Aspens Lanes to be a real game changer for all ages. 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