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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (July 8, 2015)
B USINESS Hermiston A4 WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2015 NEWS IN BRIEF Hermiston gas prices lower than state average Average retail gasoline prices in Oregon have risen 0.3 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.14 per gallon on Sunday, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 1,307 gas outlets in Oregon. This compares with the na- tional average that has fallen 0.6 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.77 per gallon, ac- cording to gasoline price web- site GasBuddy.com. The lowest price in the Hermiston was area was $2.96 at the Space Age and Pilot stations off Interstate 84, ac- cording to the GasBuddy app. Multiple stations were selling regular unleaded for $3.00 a gallon. The highest price in the area was listed as $3.20 per gallon at the Texaco station in Umatilla. Including the change in gas prices in Oregon during the past week, prices Sunday were 83.6 cents per gallon lower than the same day one year ago and are 11.8 cents per gallon higher than a month ago. The national average has increased 1.2 cents per gal- lon during the last month and stands 88.5 cents per gallon lower than this day one year ago. “From LA to Chicago to New York, motorists saw a promising trend at the pump this past weekend that contin- ue to edge lower today,” said Gregg Laskoski, GasBud- dy senior petroleum analyst. “That may run counter to con- sumer expectations but this is what we’ve seen in recent years when summer prices showed nominal but gradual decline through June and July. Water dollars to start fl owing $50M funding package passes Legislature BY GEORGE PLAVEN STAFF WRITER Oregon’s budget will include $50 million for water development and ef¿ ciency projects in a funding package approved Friday by the Joint Committee on Capital Con- struction. That’s good news for northeast Oregon farmers trying to pump more irrigation water from the Co- lumbia River to expand the region’s agricultural economy. Prior to his resignation in Febru- ary, former governor John Kitzhaber called for $51.6 million in a state- wide water development account to help pay for new water supplies and restoration. Gov. Kate Brown also backed the request after her appoint- ment. What the committee ultimately Substation fi re causes a power failure A failed voltage regulator caused a power failure for 1,344 Umatilla (lectric Co- operative customers July 1. A regulator at the Colum- bia Substation caught ¿ re, causing an outage that lasted from about 4:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. east of Hermiston. U(C wants to remind the public to call immediately to report a power outage so crews can get to work diagnosing the problem and repairing it. Umatilla (lectric customers can call 888-465-5701. If the power goes out, turn all lights and appliances ex- cept for the refrigerator to the “off” position. Do not open the refrigera- tor or freezer. A freezer that is at least halfway full can keep food from spoiling for 24 to 48 hours during a power out- age if no one lets warm air in. Grills can be used to cook food if the power is off but should only be used outdoors. approved was $20 million in lottery bonds and $30 million in general obligation bonds to accomplish that goal. Part of the money could be used for pipes and infrastructure to pump additional Co- River wa- WATER lumbia ter onto farms be- tween Hermiston and Boardman, growing high-value crops such as potatoes and onions. The proposal, crafted by the Northeast Oregon Water Associa- tion, has taken months of careful negotiations to make sure they bal- ance conservation interests. Now, state dollars are of¿ cially in place to move forward with the project’s ¿ rst phase. “The legislature has worked so hard on our region’s behalf, and on behalf of the state of Oregon to provide a pathway for sensible, multi-bene¿ cial water development efforts to move forward,” said Bob Levy, a Hermiston farmer and sec- retary of NOWA. Heat wave ripens melon crop High temperatures have been good news for melon growers BY GEORGE PLAVEN STAFF WRITER Hermiston watermel- ons are showing up at area farm stands and will soon be arriving at super- markets throughout the region, thanks to this sum- mer’s hot start. Growers like Jack Bellinger couldn’t ask for better MELONS w e a t h - er to grow the Hermiston area’s signa- ture fruit. “(verywhere I go, I’m seeing a lot of melons in the ¿ eld,” said Bellinger, owner of Bellinger Farms in Hermiston. “This could be a year for the books.” The juicy secret lies in the region’s unique desert climate, said Phil Hamm, director of the Hermiston Agricultural Research and (xtension Center, said the Columbia Basin’s desert climate make for a longer growing season and the combination of hot days and cool nights means higher sugar content in the fruit. Watermelons spend all day taking in heat, which is turned into sugar as a source of energy, Hamm said. At night, the res- piration process slows down and all that sugar becomes stored. Hamm said nights in Hermiston are cool enough to allow the melons to retain more sugar, giving local fruits their distinctive sweeter flavor. “Basically, the net gain on the sugar they make is much higher than in other places,” Hamm said. Financial advisor receives award Hermiston-based ¿ nancial advisor .acie A. Levy of ¿ - nancial services ¿ rm (dward Jones has earned the ¿ rm’s Century Award for outstand- ing performance during 2014. Jim :eddle, the ¿ rm’s managing partner, said Levy is a leader in the ¿ rm and an example of what a dedicated (dward Jones ¿ nancial advi- sor can achieve. Levy was one of only 503 of the ¿ rm’s more than 14,000 ¿ nancial advisors to receive the Century Award. “Kacie has demonstrated unyielding dedication and enthusiasm for her business,” Weddle said. “I am proud to call her an (dward Jones ¿ - nancial advisor.” Levy said she is honored to receive the award. “I am one of those fortunate people who gets to make a living doing something I truly enjoy,” Levy said. “This industry is always challenging and sometimes dif¿ cult, but I enjoy helping the people of Hermiston meet their ¿ nancial goals. It is a pleasure to be recognized for my work.” (dward Jones, a Fortune 500 company, provides ¿ nan- cial services for individual investors. Levy works in the (dward Jones of¿ ce at 204 (. Main St., Hermiston. HERMISTONHERALD.COM STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS )DUPZRUNHUVFROOHFWZDWHUPHORQVIURPDÀHOGRZQHGE\ %HOOLQJHU)DUPVRQ)ULGD\RXWVLGHRI+HUPLVWRQ STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS AUPDQGR GH RREOHV VRUWV ZDWHUPHORQV E\ ZHLJKW )ULGD\ DW WKH BHOOLQJHU )DUPV VRUWLQJ ZDUHKRXVH RXWVLGH RI +HUPLVWRQ Crews began picking melons early last week at Bellinger Farms, about two weeks ahead of sched- ule. Harvest typically lasts through early October, Bellinger said, with sales peaking around Labor Day. It will be late this week or early next week before Hermiston watermelons start showing up at ma- jor grocery stores, but they are already available for sale at local produce stands. Bellinger hires between 80-85 seasonal workers to harvest roughly 260 acres of watermelon ¿ elds on the farm, from Hermiston to Irrigon. Working quickly, a pitching crew is usually able to ¿ ll a truck in 20- 30 minutes. Selling Herm- iston watermelons comes with a marketing advan- tage, as well as a responsi- bility, Bellinger said. Cus- tomers expect the best, and this year growers ex- pect to deliver. “I think it could be a year with really high qual- ity and really good yield,” Bellinger said. “This is the signature of our town.” In 2012, watermelons ranked as Oregon’s 25th largest crop by value, worth 27.7 million. VOLUME 109 ɿ NUMBER 42 GARY L. WEST JADE McDOWELL SAM BARBEE SEAN HART KIM La PLANT JEANNE JEWETT EDITOR gwest@hermistonherald.com 541-564-4532 REPORTER jmcdowell@hermistonherald.com 541-564-4536 REPORTER smhart@hermistonherald.com 541-564-4534 SPORTS REPORTER sbarbee@hermistonherald.com 541-564-4542 MULTI-MEDIA CONSULTANT klaplant@ hermistonherald.com 541-564-4530 MULTI-MEDIA CONSULTANT jjewett@hermistonherald.com 541-564-4531 To contact the Hermiston Herald for news, advertising or subscription information: • call 541-567-6457 • e-mail info@hermistonherald.com • stop b\ our of¿ ces at 333 E. Main St. • visit us online at: www.hermistonherald.com ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES Delivered by carrier and mail Wednesdays Inside Umatilla/Morrow counties ......................................................................................... $42.65 Outside Umatilla/Morrow counties ...................................................................................... $53.90 The Hermiston Herald (USPS 242220, ISSN 8750-4782) is published weekly at Hermiston Herald, 333 E. Main St., Hermiston, OR 97838, (541) 567-6457, FAX (541) 567-1764. Periodical postage paid at Hermiston, OR. Postmaster, send address changes to Hermiston Herald, 333 Printed on E. Main St., Hermiston, OR 97838. recycled A member of the EO Media Group Copyright ©2015 newsprint STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS +XQWHU 'RGVRQ OHIW DQG BURRNV BHOOLQJHU FXOO ZDWHUPHORQV EHIRUH WKH PHORQV DUH ZHLJKHG DQG VRUWHG DW WKH BHOOLQJHU )DUPV VRUWLQJ ZDUHKRXVH )ULGD\ RXWVLGH RI +HUPLVWRQ M eet the Au thor! M ary A. Johnson, Ph. D. - Speaking briefly and signing her book, “A Caregiver’s Guide: Insights into the Later Years” Thursday, July 9, 5:30 pm Hosted by Raphael Hoffman at Sundown Grill 233 SE 4th St., Pendleton Free & Open to the Pu blic Pendleton’s 1HZ0HPRU\&DUH 2SHQLQJ&HOHEUDWLRQ -XO\WK aSP Please join us! Tours offered, Apartments available! Enjoy refreshment, entertainment, and enter to win Pendleton Round-Up tickets 301 SW 28th Drive Pendleton, OR 97801 541.278.0666