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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 25, 2015)
SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2015 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3 COMMUNITY Eldrige to retire in 2016 as Umatilla Electric CEO Steve Eldrige, general manager and CEO of Uma- tilla Electric Cooperative announced he will retire next year as only the third general manager in the or- ganization’s history. “With UEC’s fortunes on the rise, with an engaged membership, an exception- al board and wonderful em- ployees, I am announcing the beginning of another new chapter in my life,” Eldrige told attendees of the cooperative’s 78th an- nual meeting April 18 at the Hermiston Communi- ty Center. “It has been my honor to serve the UEC membership for the past 43 years. You have entrusted me with work that mat- tered. Thank you.” Eldrige will retire in early 2016, but an exact date has not yet been an- nounced. The cooperative board of directors will hire a recruiting firm and con- duct a national search for a new manager. Jeff Wenholz, president of the Umatilla Electric board, said Eldrige is one the Northwest’s most re- spected utility managers and a powerful voice for the cooperative and other public power utilities. “He’s an important and valuable asset to UEC and will be greatly missed,” Wenholz said. Eldrige is credited with negotiating compromise with the Ore- gon Legislature on the Renew- able Portfolio Standard that Eldrige could save cooperative members about $35 million over the next 20 years. Eldrige was raised in Umatilla and studied elec- trical engineering at Ore- gon State University, grad- uating in 1972, which is the year he was hired as the co- operative’s engineer. He became Umatil- la Electric’s third general manager in 1990, succeed- ing Russ Dorran, who held the post since 1971. Umatilla Electric serves more than 14,000 custom- er accounts on about 2,300 miles of power lines in ser- vice territory from Board- man to the Blue Mountains. Umatilla Electric has grown from about $19.7 million in revenues in 1990 to an esti- mated $90 million in 2015. Eldrige also serves as chairman of Eastern Or- egon Telecom, the Good Shepherd Health Care Sys- tem Hospital board, Ru- ralite Services board and the Power Resources Coop- erative board and serves on the boards of PNGC Power, Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference Committee and Lightspeed Networks. McNary Heights students celebrate Earth Day Free recycling event Saturday Acceptable items must be separated HERMISTON HERALD The city of Hermiston is offering a chance to get rid of a variety of diffi- cult-to-dispose items for free today. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., people can recycle vari- ous materials at the Uma- tilla Electric Cooperative parking lot, 750 W. Elm Ave., Hermiston. The items must be sep- arated before the event because each different type will be handled sep- arately. Only certain items can be recycled: bro- ken-down cardboard, mixed paper, mixed plas- tics, used and uncontam- inated motor oil in five- gallon-or-less containers, undamaged car batteries, unbroken pallets, elec- tronics, appliances, scrap metal, compost, clean wood up to 12 inches in diameter with no nails or treatments, upholstered furniture, concrete up to two square feet with- out rebar, latex- and oil- based paint and stain in labeled containers and unmounted tires. Alzheimer support group Monday JESSICA KELLER PHOTO McNary Heights Elementary School students play a game of animal food chain freeze tag, where some of the children wearing animal masks were predators and the others prey, at the Who is Eating Whom station during the school’s Earth Day celebration Thursday at McNary Dam. Students had visited up to six stations set up covering a range of topics, from What’s Swimming in Our Water to park ranger animals. The Alzheimer Asso- ciation Support Group meeting will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday. The meeting place has been moved to the Good Shepherd Medical Cen- ter Medical Pavilion, just north of the hospi- tal in the same parking lot. The group will be meeting downstairs in room M1. In addition to visiting and sharing thoughts and concerns, the group will hear from guest speaker Toni Skin- ner, who will discuss in- come cap trusts, Miller Trusts, conservatorships, guardianships and pow- er of attorneys. In May, the meeting has been re- scheduled for May 18. For more information, call 541-390-1158. Richland man killed, Echo man injured in crash A Richland man died and an Echo man was injured following a traf- fic crash Wednesday af- ternoon on Highway 207 outside of Hermiston. According to an Or- egon State Police press release, at 1:13 p.m., troopers from the OSP Hermiston and Pendle- ton offices responded to a reported fatal crash on Highway 207 near mile- post 1 in Morrow County. Preliminary inves- John Sm ith 07 /08/7 2 05/02/12 You w ill forever b e in ou r hearts. M om & D ad A ctu al size of ad (1x2) tigation revealed a red 2009 Honda Fit, operated by Neal Reau, 35, from Richland, Washington, was traveling southbound when for an unknown reasons the vehicle failed to negotiate a curve and crossed into the north- bound lane, sideswiping a white 2009 Chevy pick- up towing a flatbed trail- er driven by Theodore Bither, 44, Echo. Bither was transported to the hospital in Heppner with minor injuries. Reau was pronounced dead at the scene. The highway was closed for approximately five hours while troop- ers investigated. Morrow County Sheriff’s Office, Morrow County Rural Fire Department and the Oregon Department of Transportation assisted at the scene. OSP troopers are con- tinuing to investigate the crash. R em em ber you r loved one by placing a M em orial ad for them . O n ly $ 25 Ru ns Satu rday, M ay 23 rd in the Emily Ann Smith P ILOT R OCK H IGH S CHOOL Congratulations! We are so very proud of you. Love Mom & Dad Please have you r info in by F riday, M ay 15th N am e of D eceased: D ate of Birth: D ate of Passing : M essag e: (please lim it to 20 w ords inclu ding "from ") 25 . 00 $ Private Party Only Your Name: You r N am e: A ddress: C ity: State: Z ip: Phone N u m ber: Fill ou t this form an d su b m it it alon g w ith a pictu re to: Pau la Sm ootz at 211 SE Byers A ve., Pendleton, O R 97 801 or em ail psm ootz@ eastoreg onian.com • 541-27 8-267 8 Phone Number: Graduate's Name: Graduate's School: Message to Graduate: Tell your favorite graduate how proud you are in our Graduation 2015 special section in the East Oregonian and Hermiston Herald & share their "Then" & "Now" Photos! Publishes: May 30 th Send in your text and photos to psmootz@eastoregonian.com or bring to Paula at the East Oregonian office by May 18 th . Mailing address: Attn: Paula Smootz 211 SE Byers Ave., Pendleton, OR 97801