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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 29, 2015)
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3 FROM PAGE A1 HOME: Fieldstone No. 1 home amenities: continued from page A1 nity to close on the home. Allowing for 45 days for the sale to go through, the home should be ready to move in by late summer. Smith said, while the district had the option to sell the house following a more traditional route, he has spoken to at least three people who have expressed interest in pur- chasing the house, which prompted the school dis- trict to pursue the bidding process. “Technically we could go out and pound a sign into the ground ... but with all the interest, I think we might have a rush of people with ear- nest checks trying to pass me the checks before the sale sign is pounded into the ground,” Smith said. “Because we received so much interest from peo- ple, this seemed to make the most sense. HERALD FILE PHOTO 7his +erPiston +erald Àle Shoto IroP -anuary shows the outer shell oI the Àrst +erPiston 6Fhool 'istriFt studentEuilt hoPe 6tudents are now SerFent done with the SroMeFt and the sFhool distriFt announFed Slans to host another oSen house -une EeIore SlaFing the house Ior sale through a Eid SroFess -une SMUGGLER: continued from page A1 a horrible, horrible situa- tion.” Hackett contacted Northwest Medical Teams in Beaverton, Oregon, which agreed to provide the supplies. United Airlines al- lowed Hackett to bring ¿ve cases free of charge when he traveled to the area, he said, but the bulk of the supplies were sent across the ocean in two large ship- ping containers. “A large church in Ohio paid for us to get the con- tainers from Portland to New York, and a shipping magnate agreed to take the containers into the Adri- atic (Sea) at no cost,” he said. “Then we arranged for private boats — they were under siege, so all the ports were closed — so we had private boats come out into the Adriatic. They picked up all those medical • Three Bedroom plus Office/Den, two Bath, 2050-square-foot home • Premium home with top-of-the-line amenities • Energy Trust-certified home with enhanced insula- tion, premium efficient windows, conditioned space sealed ductwork, and state-of-the-art heating/ cooling systems • Energy efficient lights, and high-end appliances (double ovens, gas cook-top) • Exposed beam, vaulted great room, with tongue and groove ceiling (Rest of home 9 ft ceilings) • Whole-house sound system with built-in enter- tainment speakers • “Smart Home” with high speed fiber internet • Custom wood trim, cabinets, and doors • Hardwood floors and custom tile work • Granite counters • Central vacuum system • Security system • Water softener • Custom master bathroom, with jetted Jacuzzi tub and walk-in tiled shower • Double sinks in both bathrooms • Gas fireplace • RV parking, with utilities • Fully landscaped yard with sprinkler system and perimeter fence • Covered front and back porches • Insurance-backed home warranty “I think this is the best of both worlds,” Smith added. The school district plans to hire an appraiser to value the home to help determine a minimum purchase price that will be announced prior to bids opening. Smith said the reserve price will pro- vide a reasonable starting point for prospective buy- ers based on fair-market value as well as minimum funding the district will need for students to build the second home next year. Smith said students in the homebuilding pro- gram, including some from Stanfield and Uma- tilla, are currently finish- ing up the home’s exteri- or and will next focus on installing the hardwood floors, kitchen cabinets and countertops and plumbing fixtures. Smith said the home- building program is an educational opportunity for students on a number of levels. Students in the program, as well as other classes, are involved in every step of the process, from the actual construc- tion, to landscaping and marketing. Smith said Hermiston High School student Meghan Greene, who is interested in law, worked with him and a local attorney to draft all the covenants and re- strictions for the devel- opment. “So there’s so many different things for stu- dents to get involved in beyond swinging ham- mers,” he said. Smith said the district hopes people will attend the open house June 1, whether they are inter- ested in purchasing the home or not. “It is truly a top-tier home,” he said. “It is gor- geous.” People can review the timeline, bid information sheets and other associat- ed documents on the stu- dent homebuilding site at http://columbiabasinstu- denthomes.org/. supplies and took them in through private docks and smuggled them into Croa- tia.” Hackett said he helped hide the goods he brought on the plane in the “wheel wells and stuff” of private vehicles, which smuggled them in from the north. It was nearly 20 years, how- ever, before he learned the fate of the shipping con- tainers. “The hospital in Osijek, Croatia, had been bombed, and the doctor refused to leave the patients. She stayed there through the entire war, though it was on the front lines. I had the privilege, ¿ve years ago, of meeting her for the ¿rst time,” he said, as tears welled up in his eyes. “All those supplies got to her.” their children to follow in their footsteps. They have three children in full-time Christian ministry and two near Croatia. “In ’99, our middle daughter went to Croatia as a missionary and was working in what had been the front lines, working with war victims,” he said. “This was during the Koso- vo War, and she was within 20 miles of the bombing. There were towns and vil- lages where she was at that not a building was stand- ing. People were still living there. You’d see these can- dles all over, (people) living in the rubble, because that was home — not a building standing.” He said another daughter traveled to the area in 2004. Both are still there. Hackett said both daughters married people who were affected by the wars. “Both of their families lost everything,” he said. “One son-in-law, he and his family, their house was tak- en over by Serbia. They got out with the clothes on their back. His brother was se- verely wounded in the war. His dad lost everything be- cause the factory where he worked was leveled to the ground. “My other son-in-law, he lived in the city of Za- greb, so he wasn’t at risk because only one rocket ever reached the city, but his family, who lived in Dalmatia, they lost every- thing,” Hackett said. “They literally Àed over the moun- tains by foot with some cheese in their pocket and a couple loaves of bread and the clothes on their back.” pursued their ministry in other countries. “I think one of the most exciting things for Wanda and I, in the late ’80s, we began going into Eastern Europe, what, at that time, was behind the Iron Cur- tain,” he said. “We have smuggled Bibles, and we have done some other things. We’ve had some amazing encounters. “We snuck into the Kremlin one time and prayed throughout the Kremlin behind that red brick wall — that was in- teresting,” he said. “We did a prayer journey into Tashkent, Uzbekistan. We were constantly followed and harassed by the Se- curitate. We saw some amazing miracles in those trips.” Hackett said he has learned many lessons during his time in the min- istry. “I think one of the re- ally important things that both my wife and I learned was — the ¿rst time we had gone behind the Iron Curtain and we came back to the West — how amaz- ingly blessed we were to be born and raised in the United States and how much we take that for granted,” he said. “It’s far more joyful to live life giving and not getting, and I think our American culture has shifted from that. No matter how rich you are, that is a poor way to live.” Hackett said people should also be willing to forgive others and be thankful. “No matter the circum- stances, just be thankful and live in joy,” he said. “Every one of us has so much to be thankful for.” Returning to Croatia Hackett and his wife, Wanda, returned to the war- torn country after inspiring Lessons learned along the way Before focusing their efforts on the former Yu- goslavia, the Hacketts CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT CLASS Oregon - Utah - Valid 35 States PENDLETON Red Lion - 304 SE Nye Ave. May 19 th • 1:00 pm or 6:00 pm Walk-Ins Welcome! OR/Utah: (Valid in WA) $80.00 or Oregon only: $45 www.FirearmTrainingNW.com • FirearmTrainingNW@gmail.com 360-921-2071 Emily Ann Smith P ILOT R OCK H IGH S CHOOL Congratulations! We are so very proud of you. Love Mom & Dad 00 $ 25 . 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