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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 28, 2016)
Hermiston Herald ld WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 HermistonHerald.com Page 3 Health & Fitness Day promotes wellness SPECIAL N SECTIO E: INSID $1.00 FALL 2016 & CAR BULLDOGS SUFFER FIRST LEAGUE LOSS CARE ABOUT TOWN Umatilla County ends burn ban Page 10 Burning is OK again in Umatilla County. The county board of commissioners lifted the ban. The change to cooler, wetter weather prompted the board to allow non- agricultural burning to resume. The change went into effect Thursday and excludes any land under the jurisdiction of the state of Oregon, the United States government, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation or a fi re district. Farmers and residents who wish to burn need to check the Umatilla County website at www. co.umatilla.or.us and click the link for “Burn Information,” or call the county burn line at 800- 305-2876 or 541-278-6397. Open burning in the unincorporated areas and outside fi re districts requires a permit. Contact the county planning department at 541-278- 6252 or the county website for a permit applications. Open house asks for ideas on festival street PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY CLAYTON HAIGHT Christina Haight, Bekah Tolman and Breena Wadekamper help promote an I Love My City free car wash Saturday at Les Schwab Tires in Hermiston. Congregation reacts to tragedy with acts of kindness for community By JADE McDOWELL Staff Writer T ragedy can bring a community together or tear it apart. After losing a member of their congregation to a murder-suicide that left three people dead and shocked the city, parishioners at Hermiston Assembly of God are doing their part to bring people together. On Saturday about 70 volunteers spread across Hermiston, clad in bright red T-shirts with the words “I Love My City” emblazoned across their chests. They held two free car washes, handed out food and drink at the parks, hosted a block party and went door to door offering to pray with anyone who needed it. Pastor Terry Haight said the congregation hopes to make the I Love My City concept a regular presence in town. “We’ve got (the slogan) on our chest, so people can see it,” he said, “but we want them to feel it, too.” The idea for the campaign came as the church helped with a community candlelight vigil and a me- See LOVE, A16 STAFF PHOTO BY JADE McDOWELL Kaitlyn Bicknell and Bekah Tollman, both 15, wash cars for free during an “I Love My City” event hosted by Hermiston Assembly of God on Saturday. Umatilla hosts health and wellness event Hermiston Herald Agencies across Uma- tilla and Morrow counties are getting together to host a town hall they hope will spark efforts to increase health and wellness. The Umatilla Learning Connection Town Hall will be Oct. 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Umatilla High School. According to a news re- lease from Umatilla School District, the gathering will be based on the premise that healthy students are better learners and “will focus on strengthening local net- works, stimulating action and engaging the communi- ty in supporting the link be- tween health and education.” RELATED STORY Local agencies also recently held a family health and fi tness day event at Hermiston High School. See related story and photos inside on Page A3. “I think every one of us wants to help improve our schools and neigh- borhoods, our families and ourselves,” Umatilla superintendent Heidi Sipe said in a statement, “but we aren’t quite sure where to start. This is an opportu- nity to actually step up and make a positive difference collectively, for our com- munity and by our com- munity.” A similar event was held in Tillamook by the Oregon Dairy and Nutri- tion Council and prompt- ed the Tillamook County Commission to declare 2016 a “Year of Wellness.” Umatilla’s town hall will feature presentations and discussion on research, success stories and local needs. Participants will be asked to commit to school wellness with time and resources during the next school year. Participants will in- clude local educators, farmers, city offi cials, the Oregon Dairy and Nu- trition Council, Umatilla School District, Umatilla County, OSU Extension SNAP-Ed, InterMoun- tain Education Service District, Good Shepherd Health Care System, Uma- tilla-Morrow Head Start and Oregon Department of Education. The event is free but space is limited and partic- ipants must RSVP to Ang- ie Treadwell by Oct. 7 at angie.treadwell@ore- gonstate.edu or 541- 567-8321. Lunch will be provided. For more infor- mation contact Rikkilynn Larsen at larsenr@umatil- lasd. Residents who want input on a new festival street in downtown Hermiston are invited to an open house on Oct. 10. The event will kick off the planning and design of the $1.25 million project, which will run along Northeast Second Street in front of City Hall from Main Street to the planned Harkenrider Center. Cities use “festival streets” as event spaces that are open to vehicle traffi c during normal hours, but can easily be blocked off and converted into a public gathering space for events such as the Eastern Oregon Arts Festival. The Hermiston Urban Renewal Agency and a citizen advisory committee plan to work over the next 10 to 12 months designing the project, with construction beginning in the fall of 2017. The open house is Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 180 N.E. Second St. Sheriff ’s offi ce provides ‘Back- packs for Kids’ The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Offi ce, in coopera- tion with the Salem-Keizer Education Foundation, has provided 114 backpacks fi lled with crayons, pens, pencils, notebooks and other school supplies to eight local schools. Foundation Director Krina Lee, along with her husband, delivered boxes of schools supples and backpacks to the sheriff’s offi ce on Aug. 26. The idea was thought up by Lee’s brother, Umatilla Coun- ty Reserve Deputy Dave Shotts. Sheriff’s offi ce staff fi lled each of the backpacks, which were delivered recently to Athena Elementary, Echo School, McNary Heights Elementary, Pilot Rock El- ementary, Rocky Heights Elementary, Stanfi eld Ele- mentary and the Pendleton and Milton-Freewater school districts.
