DRONE FLIGHTS
PREP BASEBALL
SCIENTISTS USE AERIAL
VEHICLES IN LOCAL TESTS
BULLDOG FRESHMAN
NOT JUST A MANAGER
PAGE A3
SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015
City Council
to consider
approving new
subdivision lots
SPORTS PAGE A9
YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER
HERMISTONHERALD.COM
PROBLEMS WITH PANHANDLERS
BY SEAN HART
HERMISTON HERALD
New houses could be
built on 45 new lots if the
Hermiston City Council ap-
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three separate subdivisions
Monday.
The council will con-
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for different plan phases at
Highland Summit, Desert
Sky and Castle Homes sub-
divisions, which could add
more than $40,000 to the
city’s tax base when the de-
velopments are completed,
according to city staff re-
ports in the council agenda
packet.
The Hermiston Plan-
ning Commission signed
off on the plats Wednesday,
subject to approval by the
Hermiston Irrigation Dis-
trict.
The Highland Summit
proposal covers 16 acres in
the existing development. It
would create 21 new 7,500-
to 8,500-square-foot lots.
The lots would be zoned
R2 — duplex residential.
About 10 acres would be
reserved for future use.
Each of the proposed
single-family homes would
be valued at approximately
SEE LOTS/A18
SEAN HART PHOTO
Joseph Day holds a sign asking for help Thursday afternoon in Umatilla as a Umatilla Police Department code enforcement vehicle drives past. Umatilla
Police Chief Darla Huxel said the city is looking into options to address potential safety concerns caused by panhandling near roadways.
Residents want begging off Umatilla
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same people holding signs asking for
money every day. He said the activity
has grown over the last two years he
Many people entering Umatilla has worked at the truck stop, and it is
from the freeway are greeted by peo- negatively impacting the city by pre-
ple holding signs asking for help, and senting the wrong image.
residents have complained about the
“As an appearance for Umatilla,
panhandlers and their effect on the WKDW¶VWKH¿UVWWKLQJSHRSOHVHHLVWZR
city’s appearance and image.
or three people at the only stoplight in
Several people expressed con- town lined up asking for money,” he
cerns at the Umatilla City Council said. “It doesn’t say much for the city.
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said they are working on a plan to ad- when they come off the freeways.”
dress the situation but cannot simply
Wilkins said he is not sure where
ban people from panhandling.
the panhandlers live, but he has seen
On Thursday, Tim Wilkins, man- some of them walk to vehicles and
ager of Crossroads Truck Stop near drive away after leaving their favored
the Interstate 82 offramp on High- spot on the side of the road. He has
way 730 where most of the panhan- since banned them from parking on
dling takes place, said he sees the business property.
BY SEAN HART
TODAY’S WEATHER
Windy
High: 58º Low: 37º
OUTLOOK
• SUNDAY
A few clouds
High: 63º Low: 36º
• MONDAY
Mostly sunny
High: 67º Low: 43º
A complete weather forecast is
featured on page A2.
HERMISTON HERALD
Another manager of a business
in Umatilla, who did not want her
name published for fear of retaliation,
said she saw one of the panhandlers
walking toward Crossroads pushing
a wheelchair and then later saw him
using the wheelchair as though he
were disabled.
“It makes me angry,” she said.
“It’s ridiculous that they dupe people
like that. It’s pretty sad.”
Crossroads bar manager Car-
ol Welch said the panhandlers are a
“horrible, horrible nuisance.” She
said they used to come into the bar,
but they bothered customers, so she
now kicks them out of the business
and off the property.
SEE RESIDENTS/A6
‘Down,
out and
hungry’
BY SEAN HART
HERMISTON HERALD
Joseph Day sat near the
southbound interstate of-
framp in Umatilla Thurs-
day afternoon holding a
cardboard sign asking for
help from the many people
who drove through the in-
tersection of Interstate 82
and Highway 730.
Someone rolled down
SEE HOMELESS/A6
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Public hearing on
annexation
scheduled for April 21
Find the Hermiston Herald on
Facebook and Twitter
and join the conversation.
FOR LOCAL
BREAKING NEWS
www.HermistonHerald.com
BY JESSICA KELLER
HERMISTON HERALD
Approximately 25 acres of land
near the Interstate 84 and Highway
395 interchange on the outskirts of
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ing open for development.
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consider annexing the acreage at
its next meeting this month fol-
lowing a public hearing. The city’s
planning commission recommend-
ed the council annex the land, tar-
geted for commercial develop-
ment, at its meeting Wednesday.
By annexing the land, situated
across from the Pilot Travel Cen-
ter truck stop and gas station at the
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stands in the way of progress at
the site. Bringing the land from
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ies into city limits paves the way
for providing water and sewer ser-
vices, as well as police protection,
to the site, City Manager Blair
Larsen said.
The public hearing later this
month is more of a formality, he
said.
“There isn’t really anybody op-
posed to it, but we would certainly
like to see it developed,” Larsen
said, adding the affected proper-
ty owners are in favor of the an-
nexation because they would like
to pursue selling their respective
acreage.
With those acres inside city lim-
its, interested developers would
only have to secure a land pur-
chase and make arrangements to
SEE ANNEXATION/A18
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Phillips’ intricate
perception, knowledge
of horses expressed in
work on display
BY SEAN HART
HERMISTON HERALD
Hermiston Herald $1.00
© 2015 EO Media Group
Hermiston artist Linda Phil-
lips sees the world as a series of
exquisite details, and she focuses
on bringing the intricate colors and
shapes to life on her canvas.
The artistic instinct always
came naturally to her, Phillips
said at a reception in her honor
Thursday at the Hermiston Public
Library, where a collection of her
art, primarily featuring horses, is
Tips for artists
Hermiston artist Linda Phillips said, in
addition to focusing on subject matter
they know, artists should also focus on
their collection by:
• Building a large portfolio of work
• Framing it the very best they can aff ord
• Showing it everywhere and anywhere
on display throughout the month.
Phillips said some people can
sing and some can dance, but,
while she can do neither, drawing
has always been easy for her. She
can express the intricacies she per-
ceives in the things she loves, such
as dogs and horses, to the rest of
SEE PHILLIPS/A18
SEAN HART PHOTO
Hermiston artist Linda Phillips poses beside one of her pieces on display
at the Hermiston Public Library this month. Phillips enjoys focusing on the
details to create lifelike images.
