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SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 2015
Port, city to
review potential
agreement on
zoning dispute
Proposed
resolution to be
made public at
each agency’s
meeting Jan. 6
BY SEAN HART
HERMISTON HERALD
A potential agreement to
resolve a zoning dispute be-
tween the Port of Umatilla
and City of Umatilla will be
made public Tuesday when
the Port Commission and
City Council discuss the
matter at their respective
meetings.
Both parties agreed to
postpone oral arguments
before the Oregon Land
Use Board of Appeals in
anticipation of a local res-
olution after the potential
agreement was reached
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each agency, including two
council members and two
commissioners,
behind
closed doors Dec. 22.
Discussion about the
agreement is on the agenda
for both the Port Commis-
sion meeting at 1:15 p.m.
SEE DISPUTE/A16
TODAY’S WEATHER
Mostly cloudy
High: 36º Low: 29º
OUTLOOK
• SUNDAY
Showers
High: 38º Low: 37º
• MONDAY
Afternoon showers
High: 53º Low: 42º
A complete weather forecast is
featured on page A2.
YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER
HERMISTONHERALD.COM
Resources available for the homeless
Editor’s note: This is the fourth
articOe in a ¿Ye-part series about
homelessness in the community
CONNECTING HOMELESS
PEOPLE TO RESOURCES
to households needing long-term
assistance. Many of the area’s
health agencies also offer free
Rossell said, when someone and affordable services to those in
comes to the warming station for need.
BY MAEGAN MURRAY
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HERMISTON HERALD
what help that person needs and know where to go, and volunteers
Hermiston Warming Station what resources are available if a help with that.
chairwoman Carol Johnson and particular service is desired and
“For example, we might have a
volunteer Trish Rossell regularly make a referral if necessary.
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Locally, Rossell said, there are apartment, but she’s staying with
lives are of people living on the agencies that work with people to us because her heat was turned
streets.
REWDLQ ¿QDQFLDO DVVLVWDQFH RU IUHH off,” she said. “We know who can
Fortunately, a number of resourc- or discounted daycare options help her get that service restored.”
es or programs in the community for children. As well, Hermiston
For families, Martha’s House
are available to provide assistance to Pet Rescue will house pets over may also be a resource. The house
homeless people. The challenge is night when their owners stay at has living quarters, complete with
MXVWDPDWWHURIJHWWLQJLQIRUPDWLRQ the warming station, and organiza- beds, a sink and a microwave and
about those services to them.
tions like Agape House also offer other items for families, laundry
“Getting the word out has been free showers for homeless people rooms and more. People also can
our biggest obstacle,” Rossell said. and food.
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Additionally, Johnson said, community service hours and save
isn’t easy if you don’t have a phone CAPECO’s Moving Forward Pro- up money to pay for a rental de-
or computer.”
gram can provide rental subsidies posit and rent when they leave.
WHO ARE THE
HOMELESS?
Johnson said the circumstanc-
es of people in the homeless com-
munity differ. Some, she said,
are seeking employment but are
hindered by having no address,
phone or work-appropriate cloth-
ing.
Johnson said, according to
the National Low Income Hous-
ing Coalition, Oregon residents
must work 72 hours per week at
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two-bedroom apartment without
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cent of their income.
“This means independent hous-
ing is simply out of reach for many
working people,” she said.
Rossell said, in Hermiston,
Hermiston artist
uses art to cope
with stress and
depression
BY MAEGAN MURRAY
HERMISTON HERALD
Before Hermiston resi-
dent Samantha Gunn found
painting, her world was a
much darker place.
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Gunn said she suffered from
depression. To help her cope,
she decided to start drawing,
and after taking some art
classes at school, she realized
she had found her passion.
Whenever she started
feeling down, she picked up
a pencil, a piece of charcoal
and slowly sketched out a
portrait. Gunn said it provid-
ed her a temporary escape
and a way to ease her mind.
“It was therapeutic for
me,” she said. “It still is ther-
apeutic for me.”
Gunn said she never
thought she was good at her
craft, however. Until recently,
she hadn’t shown her paint-
ings and charcoal sketches to
anyone but family members
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teacher, Denise Smith.
In the last few years,
Gunn, now 27, has begun to
show her art to more people,
PEACEFUL PASTIME
MAEGAN MURRAY PHOTOS
Hermiston resident Samantha Gunn paints a portrait of her dog Wednesday afternoon in her home studio.
and their responses have been
positive, she said. During the
last several months, family
members and friends have
started commissioning por-
traits from Gunn.
Gunn said the positive re-
sponses to her work has left
her dumbfounded.
“I am really amazed at
how much attention I’ve
One of Saman-
tha Gunn’s
favorite portraits
is one that she
did of President
John F. Kenne-
dy. She said she
enjoys painting
portraits of
those who have
inspired her.
gotten,” she said. “I never
thought in my entire life that
I would be showing and sell-
ing my art.”
Gunn said, while the ma-
MRULW\ RI KHU UHTXHVWV IURP
family members and friends
are for portraits of people or
pets special to them, she said
SEE GUNN/A8
Working through the ranks
Find the Hermiston Herald on
Facebook and Twitter
and join the conversation.
FOR LOCAL
BREAKING NEWS
HPD officers describe
moving up in a law
enforcement career
www.HermistonHerald.com
HERMISTON HERALD
BY SEAN HART
HERMISTON HERALD
© 2015 EO Media Group
After more than 11 years of expe-
rience in law enforcement, Hermis-
WRQ3ROLFH'HSDUWPHQWSDWURORI¿FHU
Chris Martin will take the next step
in his career Monday: a promotion
to the newly created corporal posi-
tion.
)RXURIWKHFXUUHQW+3'RI¿-
cers will be promoted to help pro-
vide support to their supervisors,
four sergeants who answer directly
to the operations captain, who an-
swers to the police chief.
Martin, 47, was hired as a full-
WLPH RI¿FHU LQ DIWHU EHLQJ D
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his new role.
“Basically, we’ll be there to aug-
ment the sergeants,” he said. “If
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Umatilla
working on
commercial
zone changes
BY SEAN HART
Editor’s note: This is the third
in a four-part series on becoming a
poOice of¿cer and moYing up in the
ranks
Hermiston Herald $1.00
SEE HOMELESS/A16
SEAN HART PHOTO
Hermiston Police Department Patrol Sgt. Kelly Parsons sits at his desk at
Hermiston Police Department. He has been an ofÀcer for more than years.
He started at HPD four and a half years ago and was promoted to sergeant two
years ago.
out on the road. We’ll be able to become an automotive technician
KHOSRI¿FHUVPDNHGHFLVLRQVLIWKH\ and worked in that profession for
need help.”
SEE MARTIN/A6
Martin said he went to school to
Umatilla’s 120-day mor-
atorium on new strip clubs
has almost expired, but the
Umatilla Planning Com-
mission plans to request an
H[WHQVLRQ WR ¿QLVK D FRP-
mercial zone overhaul that
would regulate where all
businesses can open in the
city.
Umatilla City Planner
Bill Searles said state law
allows for a moratorium
to be extended for an ad-
ditional six months, and he
plans to ask the City Coun-
cil to do so this month. The
original ban was enacted in
September, and commis-
sion members continued
working on new commer-
cial zoning regulations at a
meeting Tuesday but only
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WR EH DOORZHG LQ WKH ¿UVW
zone.
SEE ZONING/A16
