Hermiston
A4
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015
Farmers Ending
Hunger unveils
SAGE Center exhibit
Portland Mayor Hales
makes trip for event
By GEORGE PLAVEN
Staff Writer
By the time 2015 draws
to a close, Farmers Ending
Hunger e[pects to donate
nearly 4 million pounds of
fresh, locally grown food to
the Oregon Food Bank for
the year.
That’s a single-year re-
cord and about 1.5 million
pounds more than the orga-
nization managed in 2014,
but E[ecutive Director John
Burt said they can still do
more.
“There’s a big hunger is-
sue in this state,” Burt said.
“We need people to get in-
volved.”
A crowd of 85 people
gathered Saturday eve-
ning at the SAGE Center
in Boardman to celebrate
Farmers Ending Hunger,
including Portland Mayor
Charlie Hales and Oregon
Food Bank CEO Susannah
Morgan. The event also
doubled as an unveiling for
the new Farmers Ending
Hunger e[hibit at the SAGE
Center — Boardman’s visi-
tor center and regional agri-
cultural museum.
Fred Ziari, president and
CEO of IRZ Consulting
in Hermiston, founded the
nonpro¿ t Farmers Ending
Hunger in 2004 after learn-
ing Oregon was, at the time,
the nation’s hungriest state.
Today, one in ¿ ve Orego-
nians faces food insecurity.
Ziari said he hopes the mu-
seum display will continue
to galvanize Eastern Oregon
farmers to help feed their
neighbors.
“Just knowing this was
happening in our own state
was a shock to me,” Ziari
said. “This display will ed-
ucate permanently for hun-
dreds of thousands of people
coming through here.”
Farmers Ending Hunger
represents a collaborative
effort between more than
100 farmers, food proces-
B USINESS
sors and the Oregon Food
Bank to deliver much-need-
ed meals to families. On
average, about 284,000 res-
idents rely on emergency
food bo[es for meals. Of
those, 34 percent are chil-
dren.
Ziari said the organi-
zation was born not out of
charity, but a labor of love.
He recognized Amstad Pro-
duce for contributing 30
tons of potatoes per month;
Hale Farms for contribut-
ing 25 tons of onions per
month; and Threemile Can-
yon Farms for contributing
25-30 beef cows per month.
Enough wheat has also
been donated for roughly 5
million pancakes, Ziari said.
Much of that food ends up
on the west side of the state,
and Portland Mayor Hales
said he wanted to thank
those growers in person for
their generosity.
Seventeen percent of
Multnomah County’s pop-
ulation is food insecure,
Hales said, or about 116,000
people.
“You are right on the
forefront of an issue that
profoundly affects the peo-
ple I work for,” Hales said.
“I so value the substance
and the spirit of what you’re
doing.”
Morgan, who has served
as CEO of the Oregon Food
Bank since 2012, empha-
sized hunger remains a big
challenge in the state. How-
ever, the problem isn’t that
there’s not enough food, she
said, but a matter of gather-
ing and distributing dona-
tions to the hungry.
The Oregon Food Bank
stands ready to partner with
Farmers Ending Hunger
into the future, Morgan said.
“We will not rest until
we’ve eliminated hunger,”
she said.
Saturday’s event ended
with a $10,000 donation to
Farmers Ending Hunger
from Northwest Farm Cred-
it Services. Non-farmers
can also donate the organi-
zation’s “Adopt an Acre”
program.
Downtown businesses seeing more
customers on First Thursdays
By JADE McDOWELL
Staff Writer
Downtown business own-
ers in Hermiston have started
looking forward to the ¿ rst
Thursday of every month.
The date is set aside for
the Hermiston Downtown
District’s monthly open
house, which draws custom-
ers with sales, refreshments,
live entertainment and longer
hours.
“It’s been fun,” said An-
dee’s Boutique owner Bran-
di Howard. “It doesn’t even
feel like work, it’s just been
social.”
The boutique is usually
open until 5:30 p.m. but on
Thursday it was open until 7
p.m. Sweaters were 20 per-
cent off their regular price,
and customers were greeted
with a complimentary cookie.
Howard said people who
work until 5 p.m. like com-
ing to shop on a First Thurs-
day when they’re not as
rushed.
“I know it has brought
people downtown,” she said.
“And they spend longer in
the shops.”
Daniel Czayka of Ale[-
ander Daniel Jewelry Works
was offering 15 percent off
silver and gold jewelry and
free ¿ nishing and rhodium
plating on Thursday. He said
the First Thursday tradition,
started by the Downtown
Business Association earlier
this year, has been a great
success that the association
plans to continue in 2016.
“It drives a lot of people
here,” he said. “Probably 60
percent of the people I get
in on a First Thursday are
new.”
Ale[ander Daniel Jew-
elry Works is also celebrat-
ing its one-year anniversary
in Hermiston this month.
Czayka said being part of the
downtown district has been
a good e[perience and he
has enjoyed getting together
with other Main Street busi-
ness owners to plan things
like First Thursday and
Christmas decorations.
“I’m just looking forward
6TAFF 3H2T2 %< -AD( 0cD2W(//
Lights come on in downtown Hermiston as two shoSSers maNe their way to DeÀ ning Details
during November’s First Thursday open house.
to ne[t year,” he said. “I hope
we get more retail (down-
town).”
Shannon Snyder, owner
of De¿ ning Details, echoed
her fellow business own-
ers’ sentiments that First
Thursday open houses were
drawing e[tra shoppers
downtown, including a lot of
¿ rst-time customers.
“I think it’s growing ev-
ery time,” she said.
Snyder said she is e[cited
for the Dec. 5 open house,
when businesses will be
decked out in lights for the
holidays and Santa is e[pect-
ed to make an appearance.
If all goes well, she said,
the event will also introduce
people to the planned light
show on the side of the old
RoeMark’s building being
put together by the city of
Hermiston’s Parks and Rec-
reation department and the
Downtown Business Asso-
ciation.
BRIEFCASE
Space Age Fuel wins
industry award
and plans to e[tend that to its
other Oregon locations.
Space Age Fuel in Herm-
iston was recognized by Con-
venience Store News for the
best mid-sized remodel in the
business.
The Hermiston station is
the chain¶s À agship location.
Convenience
Store
News, a national magazine
that publishes industry re-
search and trends, gave the
award based on several de-
sign elements of the travel
center, including its sepa-
rate entrance for diesel fuel
customers. It also noted the
fresh and nutritious ready-
to-go meals for sale and the
“farm-to-table” approach
that keeps the convenience
store stocked with fresh pro-
duce year-round.
The magazine stated
Space Age Fuel updated the
Hermiston location’s brand
by “reimaging of colors, ¿ n-
ishes, lighting, cabinetry, ¿ [-
tures, graphics and signage”
U.S. Bank foundation
awards grant
Inland Northwest Musi-
cians recently announced it
received a $2,000 grant from
the U.S. Bank Foundation.
The money will be used
for operating e[penses during
its 2015-16 season. Since
2008, the foundation has
provided Inland Northwest
Musicians with more than
$24,000 in grants.
The award was presented
by Kara Taylor, branch man-
ager of U.S. Bank in Herm-
iston, to R. Lee Friese, direc-
tor of the Inland Northwest
Musicians ensembles, during
the July B2B luncheon of the
Hermiston Chamber of Com-
merce at McKenzie Park.
Inland Northwest Mu-
sicians is a nonpro¿ t orga-
nization whose mission is
to bring live orchestral and
HERMISTONHERALD.COM
choral music to the commu-
nities in northeastern Oregon
and southeastern Washington.
The organization does not
charge for its performances,
but does accept donations.
For more information,
contact Salli Ketchersid at
ketchersid@eotnet.net, 541-
314-5833 or visit www.
inlandnorthwestmusicians.
com.
Gym off ers Veterans
Day workout
A free community Boot
Camp Workout is offered in
recognition of Veterans Day
at Higher Power Fitness.
People are encouraged to
wear red, white and blue and
join the crew today at 5:30
p.m. or 6:30 p.m. at 1055
S. Highway 395, Suite 202,
Hermiston.
In addition, all veterans are
eligible for a free month of
group workouts throughout
the month of November.
6TAFF 3H2T2 %< -AD( 0cD2W(//
Pulled pork sliders were on sale for a dollar apiece at
Country Gourmet & BBQ during November’s First Thursday
event downtown.
VOLUME 109 ɿ NUMBER 60
Gary L. West
Jade McDowell
Editor
gwest@hermistonherald.com
541-564-4532
Reporter
jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com
541-564-4536
Tammy Malgesini
Sean Hart
Community Editor
tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com
541-564-4539
Reporter
smhart@hermistonherald.com
541-564-4534
Family Care Health
sets open house
Sam Barbee
Jeanne Jewett
Sports Reporter
sbarbee@hermistonherald.com
541-564-4542
Multi-Media Consultant
jjewett@hermistonherald.com
541-564-4531
An open house is planned
at Family Care Health, a
Medicare Advantage Plan,
which recently moved to its
new of¿ ce location.
Family Care members and
anyone curious about what a
Medicare advantage plan is,
and how it differs from stan-
dard Medicare or a Medicare
supplement, is encouraged
to stop by. This is especially
timely with the current Medi-
care open enrollment period,
which ends Dec. 7.
The open house is Thurs-
day from 3-7 p.m. at 433 S.
Main St., Pendleton. The of-
¿ ce is open weekdays from
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more
information, call 541-278-
3484.
Kim La Plant
For more information,
contact 541-289-5483 or
info@higherpower¿ tnessllc.
com.
Multi-media Consultant
klaplant@hermistonherald.com
541-564-4530
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 (. 0ain 6t.
• visit us online at: hermistonherald.com
The Hermiston Herald 8636 242220, ,661
8750-4782) is published weekly at Hermiston
Herald, 333 (. 0ain 6t., Hermiston, 25
97838, (541) 567-6457, FAX (541) 567-1764.
3rinted on
recycled
newsprint
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Delivered by carrier and mail Wednesdays
,nside 8matilla0orrow counties .......... $42.65
2utside 8matilla0orrow counties ....... $53.90
3eriodical postage paid at Hermiston, 25.
3ostmaster, send address changes to
Hermiston Herald, 333 (. 0ain 6t.,
Hermiston, 25 97838.
0ember of (2 0edia *roup &opyright 2015