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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2015)
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3 COMMUNITY Helping agricultural workers 6KHSKHUG 0HGLFDO &HQWHU %OXH 0RXQWDLQ &RPPXQLW\ &ROOHJH &$3(&2 DQG KRXVLQJ DJHQFLHV and an evening forum for farm- workers and their families to deter- mine where improvements could be made. Campos-Davis said OHDC will analyze the data and complete a BY SEAN HART report within the next couple months HERMISTON HERALD and try to develop solutions to prob- 7R DGGUHVV JDSV LQ VHUYLFHV IRU lems. IDUPZRUNHUV 2UHJRQ +XPDQ 'H- At a previous forum about two velopment Corporation hosted two \HDUVDJRKHVDLGSDUWLFLSDQWVLGHQ- forums in Hermiston Monday. WL¿HGDQHHGIRUPRUH(QJOLVKFODVV- OHDC Operations Director Mar- HV VR 2+'& SXUFKDVHG ODQJXDJH WLQ&DPSRV'DYLVVDLGWKHQRQSUR¿W software to provide the service. organization gathers feedback from ³7KHUHZDVQ¶WHQRXJKDFFHVVWR its clients and partners to determine (QJOLVKFODVVHV´KHVDLG³0RVWRI ways to better provide services to WKH FRPPXQLW\ FROOHJHV KDG WKRVH people with agricultural jobs. but the hours weren’t convenient. 0RQGD\ 2+'& KRVWHG DQ DI- ... We have a computer lab in our ternoon forum attended by agencies +HUPLVWRQRI¿FH,WKLQNZHKDYH WKDWSURYLGHVHUYLFHVVXFKDV*RRG RU FRPSXWHUV DQG WKH\ DOO OHDC hosts forums to identify and address service gaps KDYH5RVHWWD6WRQHRQWKHUHVRSHR- SOHFDQOHDUQ(QJOLVK´ $W WKLV \HDU¶V DJHQF\ IRUXP Campos-Davis said a lack of trans- SRUWDWLRQ WR %0&& FKLOGFDUH DQG awareness about available services ZHUH LGHQWL¿HG DV DUHDV LQ QHHG RI improvement. At the farmworker IRUXP KH VDLG WUDQVSRUWDWLRQ DQG FKLOGFDUHZHUHDOVRLGHQWL¿HGDORQJ ZLWK DFFHVV WR KLJKHUSD\LQJ MREV services after 5 p.m. and more En- glish classes and better interactions ZLWKODZHQIRUFHPHQWRI¿FLDOV “Most people are not aware of what services are available and KRZWRDFFHVVWKRVH´KHVDLG³7KDW could end up as an action item in the IXWXUHQRWMXVWIRUIDUPZRUNHUVEXW how do we bridge (awareness) gaps PRYLQJIRUZDUG"´ $V RQH RI VL[ 2+'& RI¿FHV LQ WKHVWDWHWKH+HUPLVWRQRI¿FHSUR- vides training and employment ser- YLFHV&DPSRV'DYLVVDLG ³:H KDYH EHHQ D QRQSUR¿W LQ 2UHJRQ IRU DERXW \HDUV RU VR primarily working on training and services for those in the agriculture ¿HOG´KHVDLG³7KH+HUPLVWRQRI- ¿FH LV UHDOO\ IRFXVHG PRUH RQ WKH employment and training aspect. :H RIIHU MREUHDGLQHVV FODVVHV UH- VXPHFODVVHVLQWHUYLHZFODVVHV:H do have a lot of short-term training there directly with employers to help them look at our clients in a different ZD\´ He said some clients are unable work because they do not have SURSHUZRUNDWWLUHDQG2+'&FDQ help. He said OHDC also works with employers to reimburse up to half of on-the-job training expenses for clients. “We have a good relationship ZLWKVHYHUDOHPSOR\HUVLQWKHDUHD´ he said. “We recognize it takes time DQG PRQH\ WR WUDLQ VRPHERG\ XS and I think we have a good record of helping employers lower their WXUQRYHU UDWH$ERXW SHUFHQW RI the folks we serve that leave the pro- gram each year are leaving because they found a full-time job — in the ZRUNIRUFHZRUOGWKDW¶VDSUHWW\KLJK mark — and most of them are still ZRUNLQJWKHUHD\HDUODWHU7KHIRONV here are really doing a good job not just placing them with any job that FRPHVDORQJEXWPDNLQJVXUHLW¶VD JRRG¿W´ &DPSRV'DYLV VDLG DOWKRXJK many of Oregon’s farmworkers DUH/DWLQR2+'&KHOSVDQ\FOL- ents who work in agriculture. For PRUH LQIRUPDWLRQ YLVLW RKGFRUJ RUFDOOWKH+HUPLVWRQRI¿FH Hansell supports greater education funding Senator talks proposed bills, other legislation BY MAEGAN MURRAY HERMISTON HERALD Area superintendents have been saying for months that the proposed funding for education in the coming bi- HQQLXP LV LQVXI¿FLHQW DQG during a town hall meeting LQ+HUPLVWRQ6DWXUGD\VWDWH Sen. Bill Hansell echoed WKHLU FRQFHUQV DUJXLQJ WKDW more funding should be al- located to schools. Hansell was in Hermis- ton at Stetson’s Steakhouse to answer questions and comment on proposed bills currently working their way through the Oregon Senate and House of Representa- WLYHV(GXFDWLRQKHWROGWKH GR]HQSHRSOHLQDWWHQGDQFH should be a priority for the state. “If you look at Oregon’s UHFRUG QDWLRQDOO\ ZH DUH near the bottom in most categories of the kids that DUHJUDGXDWLQJNLGVWKDWDUH SDVVLQJWHVWV´KHVDLG³,W¶V MXVWUHDOO\VDG´ Hansell said it is hard for politicians to say they want to support schools when the proposed funding isn’t enough to support current programs and operations. He said he has been dis- cussing with Hermiston Su- perintendent Fred Maiocco how the proposed funding would impact the Hermiston School District. Hansell said the full Ways and Means Committee had LWV ¿UVW PHHWLQJ 7KXUVGD\ QLJKW VSHFL¿FDOO\ IRFXVLQJ MAEGAN MURRAY PHOTO State Sen. Bill Hansell talks with Hermiston community members about bills he is sponsoring this legislative session. on the education budget. While the Oregon House of Representatives passed a $7.255 billion budget WKLV ZHHN VXSHULQWHQGHQWV have said it isn’t enough to sustain current operations. Hansell reiterated super- intendents’ statements that $7.5 billion would maintain current service levels for students across the state. ³&XUUHQWO\ WKH 'HP- ocrats have the votes to SDVV ZKDWHYHU WKH\ ZDQW´ KH VDLG ³7KH\ DOVR SOHGJH WKDW WKH\ ZLOO LI WKH PDLQ forecast shows any kind of increase of revenue to our FDXFXV SOHGJH WR WDNH percent of that and put it into HGXFDWLRQEXW,¶PXQZLOOLQJ WRUROOWKDWGLFH7KHUHPD\ not be anything. We need to IXQGRXUNLGV´ Hansell also explained to residents a handful of the dozens of bills he is sponsor- ing or co-sponsoring during this legislative session. One of those bills that hits a lit- tle closer to home includes 6%ZKLFKZRXOGDOORZ people to sell baked goods LQ D VPDOO KRPHEXVLQHVV setting without having to meet requirements set for professional businesses. “We have a Mennonite lady in our town in Athena that likes to make bread and bakery goods that she sells WR KHU QHLJKERUV´ +DQVHOO VDLG³7HFKQLFDOO\VKHFDQ¶W do that because her kitchen hasn’t been inspected by the Department of Agriculture. She also doesn’t have the SDFNDJLQJWKH\UHTXLUHDQG she doesn’t list all the ingre- GLHQWV´ Hansell said the bill exempts those types of home businesses. He said home-business owners who HDUQXSWRLQDQQXDO income could be exempt. Hansell is also sponsor- LQJ 6% ZKLFK ZRXOG SURYLGHWHDFKHUVDWD[ credit if they spend their own money on school sup- - C ONCLUDED - C ONCLUDED plies. He’s also sponsoring 6%ZKLFKZRXOGDOORZ cities to explore alternative options for taking care of health hazards in neighbor- ing areas outside city limits that do not include annex- ation or extending city ser- YLFHV OLNH VHZHU DQG ZD- WHU 7KH LVVXH KH VDLG KDV particularly affected Mil- ton-Freewater. Hansell also talked about several bills he does not VXSSRUW LQFOXGLQJ 6% DQG 6% ZKLFK GHDO with gun control. ³%RWK RI WKRVH , DP D QRYRWH´KHVDLG³:HNHSW WUDFN RQ 7KXUVGD\ DQG LQ RXURI¿FHZHKDGHPDLOV VD\LQJGRQ¶WYRWHRQWKLV´ Hansell said he is also against several “job-killing ELOOV´WKDWDUHFXUUHQWO\SUR- SRVHG2QHRIWKRVHKHVDLG would increase minimum wage to $15 per hour. ³7KH ODWHVW , KHDUG ZDV that the $15 minimum wage an hour was not going to get RXW RI WKH 6HQDWH´ KH VDLG DGGLQJ KRZHYHU WKDW KH isn’t on any of the commit- tees for the proposed bills he GRHVQ¶WVXSSRUWVRKHFDQ¶W weigh in for sure on the sta- tus of those bills. Area resident Dan Dor- ran asked Hansell about whether the Oregon kicker ZDV JRLQJ WR ³NLFN´ 2UH- gon’s kicker law is triggered when tax collections exceed what is expected by at least SHUFHQW,IWKDWRFFXUVWKH revenue gets returned to tax- payers. Hansell said he doesn’t NQRZ IRU VXUH EXW LQGLFD- WRUVDUHWKDWLWZLOO³NLFN´ “We are some $57 mil- lion above the threshold WR NLFN´ KH VDLG ³:H ZLOO know for sure in September whether or not what is going WRKDSSHQWKHUHRQWKDW´ Hansell said another bill he supports but has yet to VLJQLV6%ZKLFKZRXOG raise interstate speed limits. He said he believes the Sen- ate has the incentive to pass a speed increase for the in- terstate highway system. Hansell also talked about how Oregon needs a new transportation package. He said he is not in favor of the ORZFDUERQ IXHO VWDQGDUG which he says is impossible for petroleum companies to PHHW +H VDLG SDLUHG ZLWK DGGLWLRQDOJDVWD[HVWKHIXHO standards will receive a no vote from him. “What the Republicans said was this: You gotta FKRRVH´ KH VDLG ³:H DUH not going to support a low carbon standard and an ad- ditional tax on the transpor- tation package … We’re not going to give the consumers a double whammy at the gas SXPSV´ 5HJDUGLQJ RWKHU LVVXHV Hansell said he is optimis- tic the proposed water leg- islation to afford the region more access to water re- sources will come through. “It’s still in negotiations — still putting together the GHWDLOV LQ ¿QGLQJ D ZD\ WR PRYHWKDWIRUZDUG´KHVDLG ³7KHUHLVVRPHWDONZLWKWU\- LQJWRFDUYHLWRXWHDUO\´ Hansell said he feels peo- ple have done everything they can locally for the wa- WHUOHJLVODWLRQDQGWKHLVVXH is in the budget and Gov. Kate brown has committed to it. Other people in atten- dance asked Hansell how he feels Brown is doing in her new role. “I appreciate very much how she has handled the WUDQVLWLRQ´ +DQVHOO VDLG “She came in at a very awk- ZDUG VLWXDWLRQ DV ZH DOO know. I kind of use the illus- tration that we have the ship of state. We had left port with the current legislative VHVVLRQDQGZHDUHKHDGLQJ into what is called sign and die. In that voyage that we DUHDOODSDUWRIZHFKDQJHG FDSWDLQV EXW WKH WKLQJ WKDW WKH QHZ FDSWDLQ GLGQ¶W GR ZKLFKLVYHU\FULWLFDOLVVKH GLGQ¶WFKDQJHWKHFUHZ´ Hansell said it is to her credit that she stayed the course. He said he is pleased that she also seems to be in- terested in eastern Oregon. “She made some indi- cators of where she wanted to go — she communicated WKHVXSSRUWRIWKHZDWHUWKH unmanned aerial vehicles in WKH FLW\ RI 3HQGOHWRQ´ KH said. “I think she has done very well … A shout out to her for how she is handling WKLVWUDQVLWLRQ´ Saturday, April 18, 2015 Hermiston Conference Center 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Our Annual Meeting theme “Homegrown” will recognize an array of products grown and processed in our local area. Learn about UEC accomplishments in the past year, and what we expect in the year ahead. As always, attendance is free to UEC members. We hope your will join us! Featured Speaker J Judy Hill Lovins of Aspen Colorado, a A fine art photographer and “homegrown” native of Hermiston, will share her life story.