Hermiston
Herald
ld
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2016
HermistonHerald.com
TIGERS
TAKE STATE
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ABOUT TOWN
Chuckwagon
congratulates
graduates
Cathy Stolz and the
crew at the Chuckwagon
Cafe want to congratulate
area graduates.
During the month of
June, 2016 graduates
of all ages will receive
a free surprise dessert.
Also, parties of eight or
more will receive a 20.16
percent discount.
The cafe is located
at 81027 Highway 395
North, Hermiston. For
more information or to
make reservations for
large parties, call 541-
567-6329.
STAFF PHOTO BY GARY L. WEST
Graduates return to their seats after receiving their diplomas while waiting for other classmates to receive theirs Saturday, June 4, at Hermiston High
School.
!
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More than 300 students
earn diplomas as part
of Hermiston High’s
2016 commencement
Hermiston Herald
M
ore than 300 students
earned diplomas from
Hermiston High School
as part of this year’s se-
nior class.
About 290 of them
participated in commencement
ceremonies Saturday, June 4, at
the school.
Now all that’s left for the class to
do as a group, according to the class
prophecy presented by Madilyn
Hofbauer is to “watch our friends
grow fat and bald on Facebook.”
See GRADS, A14
STAFF PHOTO BY GARY L. WEST
Tom Spoo, principal of Hermiston High School, prepares to greet each graduate from the Class of 2016
on the stage during the commencement ceremony. Behind him on the dais are Bryn Browning, assistant
superintendent, and Ginny Holthus, chair of the school board, and Wade Smith, deputy superintendent.
STAFF PHOTO BY GARY L. WEST
The section leaders for choir, three of whom graduated Saturday,
pose for a group photo with the choir director in the commons
after the commencement ceremony. Left to right are: Robert
Crane, junior bass section leader; Tanner Smith, tenor section
leader; Joshua Rist, choir instructor/director; Alanna Ellis,
soprano section leader; and Corrina Tiboni, alto section leader.
STAFF PHOTO BY GARY L. WEST
Preston Pederson looks back over his shoulder into the crowd after
receiving his diploma during commencement ceremonies Saturday, June
4, at Hermiston High School.
Farmworker housing project
proposed in Morrow County
By GEORGE PLAVEN
Staff writer
Threemile Canyon Farms is
looking to add a new housing de-
velopment west of Boardman for
200 to 800 seasonal workers who
are needed to grow more organic
crops.
But fi rst, Morrow County must
approve a zoning change for the
property on Tower Road south of
Interstate 84. The land is currently
zoned Space Age Industrial, which
does not allow seasonal farmworker
housing as a permitted use. Instead,
Threemile Canyon Farms wants the
land zoned for Exclusive Farm Use,
which would allow the project to
move forward.
The Morrow County Planning
Commission met May 24 to review
the zoning request, and continued
that hearing for its next meeting on
Tuesday, June 28. Planning director
Carla McLane said the commission
will make its recommendation to
the county court, which has fi nal say
on the matter. The commission will
meet at 7 p.m. at the Bartholomew
Building in Heppner.
Threemile Canyon Farms is
owned and operated by R.D. Offutt
Company, which is working on a
deal to buy 66 acres from the city
of Boardman through its real es-
tate branch — PROfuutt Limited
Partnership — to build farmworker
housing along the east side of Tow-
er Road. The property is outside of
the city’s urban growth boundary,
across from the Boardman Airport.
Organic farming has become
more of an emphasis at the farm in
recent years, with 7,800 acres now
in organic peas, corn, onions, car-
rots and other vegetables. General
manager Marty Myers has said they
hope to expand to over 12,000 or-
ganic acres in the next two years.
See HOUSING, A14
Head Start
drives
away with
donations
HERMISTON HERALD
When Umatilla Mor-
row Head Start recent-
ly went car shopping at
Rogers Toyota in Hermis-
ton, they drove away with
more than a vehicle.
The conversation with
sales staff by UMCHS
Deputy Director Aaron
Treadwell led to a dia-
logue with Glenn Silaski,
general manager of Rog-
ers Toyota of Hermiston.
Silaski said the dealership
wanted to get more in-
volved with the commu-
nity, particularly children
and families — Treadwell
had plenty of ideas.
A few days later, Si-
laski, Treadwell and
UMCHS Executive Di-
rector Maureen McGrath
were in a classroom at
the Victory Square Head
Start Center, playing with
a group of the center’s
4-year old students. Silas-
ki learned how the Head
Start program operates,
including
information
about a broad spectrum
of programs targeted at
young children and their
families.
The visit led to Rogers
Toyota contributing $2,500
to Head Start. Silaski then
nominated UMCHS for
the Toyota Dealer Match
Program. The program
will match an approved
local dealership’s contri-
bution to a charity of its
choice. Several weeks lat-
er, a second $2,500 check
arrived, bringing Toyota’s
contribution to UMCHS to
$5,000.
The Toyota contri-
bution will be used for
Head Start programs that
provide early childhood
education, nutrition, child
care referral and home
visiting services.
For more information
about Head Start, con-
tact Treadwell at 541-
564-6878 or atreadwe@
umchs.org.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY SUE
DAGGETT
MacDonal Rivas, teacher
assistant; Aaron Treadwell,
deputy director; Glenn
Silaski, general manager
Rogers Toyota; Maureen
McGrath, executive
director; and April Williams,
education manager; visit a
Umatilla Morrow Head Start
classroom in Hermiston.