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