REGION
Saturday, April 24, 2021
A3
East Oregonian
Community garden gets
ready for planting season
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — The
Lovin’ Spadefuls Commu-
nity Garden in Hermiston was
abuzz with more than just the
insects as volunteers recently
held a work party to get the
garden in shape.
Onsite registration for plots
at the garden, available on a
fi rst-come-fi rst-served basis
for $10 for the season, will be
Friday, April 30, from 4-7 p.m.
and Saturday, May 1, from
9 a.m. to noon. The garden
is located on the Elm Street
side of the Good Shepherd
Health Care System campus.
Plots still available after the
on-site registration days will
be available for signup at the
Umatilla Morrow Head Start/
WIC offi ces.
As the garden celebrates
its 10-year anniversary this
summer, it boasts new ameni-
ties, including 10 raised plots.
Garden director Chelle
Hankinson said the raised
beds, lifted up a few feet off
the ground by wooden boxes,
are geared toward elderly
gardeners and those with
disabilities that make it diffi -
cult for them to kneel in the
dirt.
“We’re helping every
demographic we can,” she
said.
On April 17, volunteers
were using wood stain to help
protect the newly constructed
raised beds, while others were
putting together the irriga-
tion systems for them. Other
volunteers had already worked
to lay out the painted bricks
Jade McDowell/East Oregonian
Uppa Shakya, left, and her husband Suva Shakya paint wood
stain on the new raised beds at Lovin’ Spadefuls Community
Garden in Hermiston on Saturday, April 17, 2021.
that mark off each plot, and
painted buckets with colorful
inspirational messages.
Husband and wife Suva
and Uppa Shakya were work-
ing together to spread wood
stain over one of the raised
beds.
“We’ve been with the
garden since the beginning,”
Suva said. “Our daughter
running around over there
was in her belly when we
started.”
Uppa said they enjoy
bringing their children to the
garden each summer to teach
them how to grow their own
food. The family also enjoys
the fresh produce they receive
from it all summer, including
tomatoes, beans, okra, garlic,
onions and melons.
As the garden prepares to
open for the season, Hankin-
son said the community
continues to be incredibly
generous.
The new raised beds were
paid for by a $4,800 grant
from the Good Shepherd
Community Health Founda-
tion plus other private dona-
tions, including lumber from
Home Depot and irrigation
parts from Elmer’s Irrigation.
Hankinson said they plan
to create a small oasis of grass,
flowers and a bench in the
center of the garden this year
for people to rest from weed-
ing or planting.
Over the years the garden
has also added a security
camera system, a shed with
tools for garden members to
use, an improved irrigation
system, a greenhouse, new
signs and other amenities. The
Master Gardeners program
has a plot with culinary herbs
that this year will include
additional signs about how to
grow and use the herbs.
“I just keep reaching for the
stars, and they just keep fall-
ing into my hands,” Hankin-
son said.
LOCAL BRIEFING
Helix resident
honored at
‘Ageless Awards’
tour, was
appointed
as adjutant
general of
the Oregon
National
Guard in
Rees
1987 by
then-Gov.
Neil Goldschmidt. He would
become one of the state’s
longest-serving adjutant
generals over a period span-
ning 17 years.
HELIX — Maj. Gen.
Raymond F. Rees, of Helix,
was one of four Oregonians
honored at the ninth annual
Ageless Awards, celebrat-
ing community service later
in life, according to a press
release from the Oregon-
based nonprofi t AGE+.
The event, held virtu-
ally on Thursday, April
22, recognized remarkable
people 75 and older who
redefine societal expecta-
tions; live with purpose; and
serve their communities, the
press release said.
“Every person, regardless
of age, has the capacity to
contribute to their commu-
nity. This year’s Ageless
Award honorees make the
best of the gift of long life
and generously share it
in service to others,” said
AGE+ founder and Chief
Executive Officer Keren
Brown Wilson.
Rees, a Vietnam veteran
who received the Bronze
Star for his service during
a particularly dangerous
Hermiston City
Council to discuss
plan for stimulus
HERMISTON — The
Hermiston City Council
will discuss the city’s plans
for spending $3.6 million
coming to the city from
the American Rescue Plan
during its Monday, April 26,
meeting.
The American Rescue
Plan Act is the $1.9 trillion
federal stimulus package
passed in March. One part of
the act sends direct payments
to cities and counties, to help
them recover revenue lost
during the pandemic and to
VISIT US ON THE WEB AT:
create local programs to help
residents.
Hermiston is slated to
get $3.6 million — half this
summer, and the other half
in 2022. The city could also
receive additional funds
through state and federal
grants being created through
the act.
According to the agenda
packet for the meeting, some
ideas staff have brainstormed
include replenishing the
city’s general fund to make
up for lost revenue during the
pandemic, providing relief
funds to local businesses
aff ected by pandemic regula-
tions, creating an assistance
fund for utility customers
who fell behind on their bills,
or funding capital improve-
ment projects to help boost
the economy, such as road
improvements or broadband
connections.
The council will also
discuss adoption of a master
plan for the city’s sewer
collection system. The meet-
ing will take place at 7 p.m.
at the Hermiston Commu-
nity Center and will be
livestreamed on the city’s
YouTube page.
— EO Media Group
www.EastOregonian.com
Stanfi eld celebrates Arbor Day
Eldon Marcum fl ips hot
dogs at a Trucks, Tractors
and Trees event hosted by
the Stanfi eld Parks and
Recreation Department
at Bard Park in Stanfi eld
on Thursday, April 22,
2021. The event, an early
Arbor Day celebration,
featured free hotdogs
and trees, as well as a va-
riety of heavy machinery
for kids to explore.
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Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
NEW 2021 VENZA LE
$ 259 36 $ 2,999
PER MO.
MOS.
AFTER $750 LEASE BONUS
CASH APPLIED TO AMOUNT
DUE AT SIGNING
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TAXES AND FEES
NEW 2021 TACOMA
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