A2 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015
LOCAL WEATHER
HACKETT:
continued from page A1
bly would have, but a teacher
made a huge difference in my
life, and then I came to faith
through a wonderful person,
and those two things revolu-
tionized my life.”
After high school, in 1967,
he received a draft notice to
serve in the Vietnam War, so
he enlisted for four years in
the Air Force to receive ad-
ditional training. During his
last two years, Hackett began
an internship in ministry and
spent most weekends speak-
ing at church services and
youth events. His career blos-
somed from there.
“In October 1971, when I
got my honorable discharge
from the Air Force, my wife
(Wanda) and I — we had
married by that time — we
immediately started full-time
Christian ministry, and we’ve
been doing it ever since,” he
said.
The couple traveled
around the United States and
Canada — starting four new
churches and helping start
others — before ending up in
Hermiston.
“In 2007, the church here
asked us to come interview,”
he said. “We did some re-
search on Hermiston and
said, ‘Boy, that sounds like a
really progressive community
that wants to go forward,’ and
we were excited to come.”
Hackett began meeting
regularly with a group of oth-
er religious leaders, and when
former Mayor Bob Severson
attended one of the meetings
several years ago, he asked if
the group would serve as an
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“None of us have ever
heard of anything like that in
a city,” Hackett said. “I don’t
know of any other city that
has something like that. My
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amazing idea, Bob. Let me
give some thought to that.’ It
came together wonderfully,
and I think it’s just been sig-
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Hackett said the commit-
tee serves as a point of contact
between community and faith
leaders and has established
several programs to help the
community.
Local churches have ad-
opted all of the Hermiston
schools, not to proselytize,
but to provide treats for the
staff and help as requested.
The committee also works
with the police department,
he said, and assists with the
Community Accountabili-
ty Board for juveniles with
criminal offenses and a men-
toring offshoot, It’s Just Din-
ner.
“It’s been consistent that
well over 90 percent of the
students that go to the ac-
countability board never
re-offend, and that’s huge,”
Hackett said. “In fact, one
of the problems in the last
few months is they’ve gone,
‘You know, we haven’t had
enough customers.’ What a
great problem.”
The Faith-Based Advi-
sory Committee is current-
ly developing a program to
train mentors to help parents
develop skills to reduce the
number of at-risk families in
the community.
Hackett said he will miss
working on the committee
with the “great group of peo-
ple” with whom he has had
the privilege to work.
Although he is narrowing
his focus, he will contin-
ue as pastor at Living Faith
Church and plans to attend
City Council meetings occa-
sionally.
Hackett said he has fo-
cused on writing in recent
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books — and plans to con-
tinue ministering in print as
well.
“I love doing the writing,
and I’m hoping — I’m not
thinking about retirement,
it’s not on my radar, maybe
it should be at 66, but it’s not
— but, if I retire, I hope that
I can do that, just continue
writing and making a differ-
ence that way,” he said.
Councilman Rod Hardin,
one of the council members
on the Faith-Based Adviso-
ry Committee who is also
the principal at Hermiston
Christian School, said Hack-
ett is an outstanding leader
who was always willing to
give of himself to make a
difference in the community.
“He’s done a fantastic
job, and we’re going to miss
him, but we want him to be
able to do what he needs to
do, and I’m sure he won’t
disappear into the sunset,
because that’s not his na-
ture,” Hardin said. “He’s
one of those guys that’s a
problem solver, and, if he
thinks there’s something
that needs to be changed,
he’ll be right there.”
NEWS IN BRIEF
Hermiston FFA plant
sale coming up
The Hermiston High School FFA annual
plant sale fundraiser is coming up. The Herm-
iston FFA Plant Sale will be from 3:30 p.m.
to 6:30 p.m. May 8 and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
May 9 or until all the plants are sold.
Plants may be purchased in the HHS green-
house, 600 S. First St., on the north side of the
high school.
The plants for sale include hanging bas-
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by the plant propagation and horticulture class
at Hermiston High School, in which students
learn everything from how to create the best
fertilizer to how to raise plants from cuttings of
other plants. The money raised from the plant
VDOHZLOOEHQH¿WWKHKLJKVFKRRO))$SURJUDP
Lions Club hosting murder mystery
The Umatilla Irrigon Lions Club is present-
ing a murder mystery and potato bar at 7 p.m.
May 15 at the Umatilla Senior Center and 7
p.m. May 16 at the Family Worship Center
in Irrigon. The cost is $5 per person and in-
cludes a baked potato bar and dessert, as well
as coffee and/or water. This is a fundraiser for
the Lions Club. For more information on how
to become a member of the cast, please call
Cathy Putnam at 541-922-3281.
Today's Weather
Local 5-Day Forecast
Wed
Thu
4/29
Fri
4/30
69/40
Sat
5/1
75/44
Sun
5/2
5/3
81/46
78/45
Partly cloudy skies
during the morning
hours will become
overcast in the af.
Sunshine. Highs in
the mid 70s and
lows in the mid 40s.
Mostly sunny. Highs
in the low 80s and
lows in the mid 40s.
Mostly sunny. Highs
in the upper 70s and
lows in the mid 40s.
Sunshine. Highs in
the upper 70s and
lows in the mid 40s.
78/44
Sunrise Sunset
5:47 AM 8:01 PM
Sunrise Sunset
5:46 AM 8:03 PM
Sunrise Sunset
5:44 AM 8:04 PM
Sunrise Sunset
5:42 AM 8:05 PM
Sunrise Sunset
5:41 AM 8:07 PM
Oregon At A Glance
Portland
64/43
Salem
66/41
Eugene
64/40
Medford
66/38
Pendleton
63/39
Hermiston
69/40
La Grande
62/33
Bend
56/23
Ontario
74/40
Burns
66/35
Klamath Falls
65/31
Area Cities
City
Albany
Ashland
Astoria
Baker City
Bend
Brookings
Burns
Coos Bay
Corvallis
Eugene
Hi
65
64
56
62
56
64
66
57
65
64
Lo
41
38
44
30
23
47
35
44
40
40
Cond.
pt sunny
pt sunny
pt sunny
windy
pt sunny
pt sunny
pt sunny
pt sunny
pt sunny
pt sunny
City
Florence
Grants Pass
Hermiston
John Day
Klamath Falls
La Grande
Lakeview
Lincoln City
Mcminnville
Medford
Hi
60
68
69
61
65
62
67
58
64
66
Lo
41
39
40
32
31
33
31
44
40
38
Cond.
pt sunny
mst sunny
cloudy
pt sunny
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pt sunny
pt sunny
City
Newport
Pendleton
Portland
Redmond
Roseburg
Salem
Springfield
The Dalles
Tillamook
Vale
Hi
56
63
64
62
67
66
63
67
59
74
Lo
42
39
43
27
41
41
38
43
40
42
Cond.
pt sunny
pt sunny
pt sunny
pt sunny
pt sunny
pt sunny
pt sunny
pt sunny
pt sunny
mst sunny
Cond.
rain
cloudy
pt sunny
sunny
sunny
City
Houston
Los Angeles
Miami
Minneapolis
New York
Hi
77
87
89
70
71
Lo
56
64
73
41
51
Cond.
mst sunny
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t-storm
mst sunny
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City
Phoenix
San Francisco
Seattle
St. Louis
Washington, DC
Hi
89
68
62
72
75
Lo
64
51
47
49
57
Cond.
sunny
pt sunny
pt sunny
mst sunny
mst sunny
National Cities
City
Atlanta
Boston
Chicago
Dallas
Denver
Hi
58
57
59
76
77
Lo
47
45
39
53
49
Moon Phases
UV Index
Wed
First
Full
Last
New
Apr 25
May 4
May 11
May 18
©2010 American Profile Hometown Content Service
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
4/29
4/30
5/1
5/2
5/3
6
High
6
High
6
High
6
High
6
High
The UV Index is measured on a 0 -
11 number scale, with a higher UV
Index showing the need for greater
skin protection.
0
Attention Current and Former
Hanford Workers
• SEC petition recently submitted for approval to cover
DOE contractors and subcontractors who worked at
the facility from 1984 to 1990 (with some exclusions)
• Many workers will now be eligible for monetary and
medical benefits that were previously denied under
dose reconstruction
• Eligibility is based on work history and type of
work-related illness
Join us for an Important Meeting on the
Recently Extended Special Exposure Cohort (SEC)!
Tue. May 5
Wed. & Thur. May 6-7
Meeting
Locations:
10am & 3pm Times & 10am
& 6pm
Hilton Garden Inn
Red Lion Hanford House Hotel
401 E. Yakima Ave.
Yakima, WA 98901
802 George Washington Way
Richland, WA 99352
• Learn if you qualify for benefits up to $ 400,000 through
the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation
Program Act (EEOICPA)
• Learn about no-cost medical benefit options
• Learn how to apply for consequential medical conditions
and impairement re-valuations
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MY POWER BILL?
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Give us a call or visit www.umatillaelectric.com to learn
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888.903.8989
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541-567-6414 or 541-481-2220
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(888) 465-5701
11