A4 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
IN BRIEF
Banquet shines on
Irrigon
The Irrigon Citizen Rec-
ognition Banquet honors
the people and businesses
that make the town a spe-
cial place to live and work.
People are invited to
help celebrate during Time
to Shine. The event is Fri-
day from 5-8 p.m. at Stokes
Landing Senior Center, 195
N.W. Opal Place, Irrigon.
Tickets are $25 in advance
or $30 at the door. A social
hour at 5 p.m. features ap-
petizers and no-host wine
and beer. Dinner, prepared
by chef Donna Eppenbach,
is at 6 p.m. and the awards
ceremony starts at 7 p.m.
For more information or
tickets, call 541-922-3857.
They also can be purchased
at the Bank of Eastern Ore-
gon in Irrigon.
Student performance
to fund fi eld trip
The Awesomely Cre-
ative Theater, a group of tal-
ented Irrigon High School
students, will present the
“Diary of Anne Frank.”
Entirely staged and di-
rected by students, the
production is Friday and
Saturday. The curtain time
is 7 p.m. each night in the
school’s Cafetorium, 315 E.
Wyoming Ave., Irrigon.
The play is based on
writings by Anne Frank, a
young Jewish girl. She re-
ceived a diary on her 13th
birthday and began writing
about things typical teenag-
ers would — daily events,
her thoughts, school and
boys. Within a month, her
entire life changed.
The diary chronicles the
next two years as her fami-
ly is in hiding to avoid be-
ing captured by Germans.
The diary was retrieved and
later returned to her father
when he returned from the
war. Several years later, her
father had it published.
There is no admission
charge for the performanc-
es, but donations will be
accepted. The drama club
members are raising mon-
ey to be used to attend a
performance of “West Side
Story”. For more informa-
tion, contact Linda Pedro
at 541-922-5551 or linda.
pedro@morrow.k12.or.us.
Former hardware store ‘ace’ retires
Retirement event
features ‘Hug Specials’
By TAMMY MALGESINI
Community Editor
Despite not possessing the
last name of Smith, a long-
time store manager at Smit-
ty’s ACE Hardware, was one
of the family, said Randy
Smith, who has owned the
store with his wife, Tammy,
since 2009.
Randy’s parents, Bob and
Vickie Smith, hired Mike
Hug as the assistant manager
in 1992. Several years later,
he received a promotion.
“I remember Vickie gave
me some business cards and
it had ‘manager’ on them,”
Hug said with a laugh.
“That’s how I knew I was
promoted.”
Hug, a 1971 graduate
of Imbler High School,
came to Hermiston for
a job at Down’s Supply.
After working there for
a handful of years, he
worked at Cycletown for
a year. His tenure with the
Smiths came when they
had an opening at Coast to
Coast, the store’s franchise
name prior to becoming an
ACE Hardware store. Hug
worked a month shy of 25
years before retiring in De-
cember.
The store is hosting a re-
tirement barbecue, inviting
customers to come in and
STAFF PHOTO BY TAMMY MALGESINI
The public is invited to a retirement event for Mike Hug, who retired as store manager after
nearly 25 years at Smitty’s Ace Hardware in Hermiston. The Friday, April 28, event will
feature free food and ‘Hug Specials’ throughout the store.
wish Hug well. The event
will be held Friday, April
28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
at ACE Hardware, 1845 N.
First St., Hermiston. Free hot
dogs, soda and cake will be
served. In addition, there will
be “Hug Specials” through-
out the store.
Vickie Smith said Hug
jumped right in and was
willing to do what was asked
of him. His detail-oriented
personality, Vickie said, was
a great fi t in helping run the
business.
“Shortly after we hired
him, he said, ‘So, what am I
supposed to be doing?’ I said,
‘Well, I want you to make
Bob’s job easier.’ And, he did
that,” Vickie said.
Bob Smith, agreed, that it
was great to have Hug as part
of their management team.
Hug’s past retail experience,
work ethic and genuine in-
terest in the success of the
store made him a valuable
employee, Bob said.
“He was truly a people
person,” Tammy Smith said.
“He wanted to do right by the
people, whether it was the
store staff, the customers or
whoever he came in contact
with.”
Another longtime em-
ployee, Carla Hoyt, human
resources and fl oor manager,
worked with Hug throughout
the years. She said he took
time to train and work indi-
vidually with new employ-
ees to ensure the shopping
experience for customers
was a positive one.
Hoyt said Hug’s commit-
ment to the company over-
fl owed into the community.
She said he placed genuine
importance on donation re-
quests from community
organizations. In addition,
she said Hug participated in
community activities such
as the Cowboy Breakfast,
Hermiston Rotary and Relay
for Life.
Hug said the Hermiston
community has been a great
place to live. He’s impressed
with how the business com-
munity, farmers and indi-
viduals pull together for the
greater good.
“I’ve just enjoyed being a
part of that,” he said.
As far as retirement, Hug
has enjoyed spending time
with a pair of granddaughters.
In addition, he enjoys golfi ng
and is looking forward to
camping and four-wheeling
in the mountains.
Bob and Randy recalled
fi shing over the years with
Hug. One trip in particular,
Bob said Hug taught them
how to catch kokanee on
Wallowa Lake.
“He was part of our fam-
ily,” Vickie reiterated. “We
worked together a long time.
And we’ve been friends —
it was more than him just
working for us.”
Fundraiser hits the streets of Heppner for MS research
By TAMMY
MALGESINI
Community Editor
A regional effort to
raise awareness and re-
search funding for mul-
tiple sclerosis is planned
in Heppner.
The Eastern Oregon
MS Walk is Saturday,
April 22. Registration
and check-in starts at 9
a.m. at All Saint’s Epis-
copal Church, 460 N.
Gale St., Heppner. A
continental
breakfast
is available before the
walk. The well-marked
5K walk, which is
wheelchair accessible,
begins at 10 a.m. There’s
also a route map for a
10K walk. A lunch follows
at the church.
The tiny town has a big
heart when it comes to
supporting events, said co-
chair Merilee McDowell.
“Whenever you have a
worthwhile cause in this
area, everyone steps up to
help,” she said.
The 2016 walk brought
in a record amount for the
regional event, which has
been held in Heppner for
all but one year. More than
$14,000 was raised for the
National Multiple Sclerosis
Society Oregon Chapter,
said committee co-chair
Barb Orwick.
McDowell, who was
instrumental in spearhead-
Parking lot sale
benefi ts Agape House
A variety of items are
available for purchase
during a parking lot sale at
Agape House.
Clothing is fi ve items for
a dollar, a selection of furni-
ture and bicycles are priced
as marked and more than
25 bins of knick-knacks are
you-name-the-price. The
sale is Saturday from 8:30-
11:30 a.m. at 500 Harper
Road, Hermiston. Dona-
tions are welcome through
Friday.
Agape House serves in-
dividuals and families in
need. For more informa-
tion, to volunteer or make
donations to Agape House,
contact Dave Hughes at
541-567-8774.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017
COMMUNITY
ing the fundraiser 19 years
ago, has lived with the dis-
ease for 40 years. Over the
decades, she has seen the
benefi ts of raising money to
fund research.
When fi rst diagnosed,
McDowell said there were
no therapies for the disease.
Now, there are more than
a dozen FDA therapies for
people with relapsing/re-
mitting multiple sclerosis,
she said.
Multiple sclerosis is a
chronic disease that affects
the central nervous system.
Symptoms vary, including
changes in sensation, vi-
sual impairments, muscle
weakness,
coordination
problems, speech diffi cul-
ties, fatigue and pain. In
severe cases, MS results in
impaired mobility.
There is no set regis-
tration fee — donations of
any amount are welcome.
Participants raising $100 or
more can earn prizes.
Those unable to partic-
ipate on April 22 can still
help by registering as vir-
tual walkers. Virtual par-
ticipants can walk on their
lunch break, to and from
work or with other people
on another day.
People are encouraged
to pre-register at www.
walkms.org or by call-
ing 855-372-1331. Also,
walk-ons are welcome and
can register at the event.
For more information, call
McDowell at 541-571-
5853 or Orwick at 541-
256-0455.
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Printed on
recycled
newsprint
VOLUME 111 ● NUMBER 14
Gary L. West | Editor • gwest@hermistonherald.com • 541-564-4532
Tammy Malgesini | Community Editor • tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4539
Jayati Ramakrishnan | Reporter • jramakrishnan@hermistonherald.com • 541-564-4534
Jade McDowell | Reporter • jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4536
Jeanne Jewett | Multi-Media consultant • jjewett@hermistonherald.com • 541-564-4531
Shannon Paxton | Offi ce coordinator • spaxton@hermistonherald.com • 541-564-4530
Audra Workman | Multi-Media consultant • aworkman@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4538
To contact the Hermiston Herald for news,
advertising or subscription information:
• call 541-567-6457
• e-mail info@hermistonherald.com
• stop by our offi ces at 333 E. Main St.
• visit us online at: hermistonherald.com
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