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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (July 26, 2017)
WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 2017 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A9 FROM PAGE A1 MAYOR continued from Page A1 His tenure on the city council was not always with- out controversy. He survived a recall election in 2012 and escaped losing his seat by two votes in 1998. And not everyone was supportive of naming the new senior center, scheduled to be complete in late 2017 or early 2018, the Harkenrider Center. He also had many supporters, howev- er, who voted “Harkie” back into office repeatedly through the decades. Harkenrider always con- sidered his push for the city to hire its first city manager — Tom Harper — the best thing he did for the city. “I love this town,” he said in 2014. “I’ve given my heart and soul to the city. I made a lot of mistakes but I made some good votes too.” Harkenrider’s profession- al career was mostly spent at Union Oil Distributorship, where he started working with his father George, also a former Hermiston city coun- cilor and mayor. Later he spent five years working for PGG before retirement. He served in the armed forces, deploying to Guam and the Philippines after World War II. He was born in Hermis- ton, and intensely proud to be a native — and was se- lected as the city’s Man of the Year in 1987. Harkenrider and his wife Beverly were married in on Nov. 4, 1954 in a double ceremony with her sister and sister’s fiance. He is survived by Beverly, three daughters and five granddaughters. His youngest grand- daughter, Kacie Jo Upper- HERALD FILE PHOTO Lt. Col. Dan Vawter (left) of the Oregon National Guard accepts 6.6 acres of city-owned land in a presentation with Mayor Frank Harkenrider (right) in December 1991. The property, located in southeast Hermiston, was presented for construction of a new armory. Earlier plans to build near the Hermiston Butte were blocked by community opposition. “I’m sorry I was maybe against the other spot (at the butte),” Harkenrider said to Vawter, “but I think it worked out for the best.” FILE PHOTO Frank Harkenrider passes out cantaloupes grown in Hermiston at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland during an event promoting Hermiston and the produce grown here. and got to sneak in some basketball-watching on the side,” she said. It was Harkenrider who took a truck full of water- melons to Portland in 1991 and handed them out on the street, beginning a tradition that lasted for 17 years and was revived two years ago. Harkenrider was there for the resurrection of the giveaway in 2015. He kept photos of the events in the bookshelf full of scrapbooks in a small room of his home lined with Hermiston-related photos and memorabilia. During his time on the council he provided a deep institutional memory. As news of Harkenrider’s passing spread on Facebook, residents commented that he will be missed, calling him a “wonderful man,” a “huge part of our great town” and “the nicest man I ever met.” PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY MARK MORGAN Hermiston Mayor Drotzmann, former Hermiston Mayor Harkenrider, former Portland Mayor Bud Clark and then- Portland Mayor Charlie Hales pose for a photo during the 2015 watermelon giveaway. man, said he used to babysit her from the mayor’s desk and take her to everything from parades to a mayors’ convention in Seaside. As a kid she knew “everyone” at city hall from her time sitting at the press desk with color- ing books and dolls. “I definitely have fond memories of sitting color- ing and waiting for Grandpa to run the city and come up with his next wacky idea to make Hermiston grow,” she said. He wasn’t afraid to be himself, she said, and worked tremendously hard for the city he loved. She said he through thick and thin.” • • • If you are driving across the river to attend the Tri- City Water Follies activi- ties, go shopping for school clothes or have a night out, be aware that new distract- ed driving laws in Wash- ington state make it illegal to have your cell phone or other electronic device in your hand while driving or even while stopped at a traffic signal. You can also now get a ticket for eat- ing, smoking, reading or grooming while driving. If you are ticketed under the new law a first offense may cost you a $136 fine. A sec- ond offense withing 5 years results in a $234 fine. For more information on the law and its consequences see http://wadrivetozero. com/distracted-driving/. • • • You can submit items for our weekly By The Way column by emailing your tips to editor@hermiston- herald.com or share them on social media using the hashtag #HHBTW. Follow the Hermiston Herald on Twitter at @Hermiston- Herald. class sizes, while continuing to explore the possibility of re-introducing a bond to up- grade facilities. “We’ve begun that process and gone out to the commu- nity,” she said. “We know we might have some bigger class sizes ... at this point some trust needs to be rebuilt.” When board members asked Mooney whether she had any questions for them, she asked what they were looking for in an interim su- perintendent. Board members said they hoped to find someone who would not just maintain the district, but actively move it forward. “I want someone who will help us be in a better spot 18 months from now,” said board member Ginny Holthus. The other two candidates interviewed via Skype. The first, Richard Rundhaug, is an education consultant in Phoenix, Arizona. He had previously served as a su- perintendent for the Willcox Unified School District, and an assistant superintendent for the Coolidge Unified School District. Brazeau was the principal of Hermiston High School from July 2007 to June 2012, and recently retired as the superintendent of the Central School District 13J in Independence. STAFF PHOTO BY KATHY ANEY Frank Harkenrider (right) stands with Hermiston Mayor David Drotzmann at the official groundbreaking of the Harkenrider Center in Hermiston earlier this year. loved sports and went to many Portland Trail Blazers games after Upperman’s sis- ter Kelly Robinson became a Blazer Dancer. “He loved supporting her “Harkie embodied the true spirit of Hermiston and of course was Herm- iston’s BIGGEST FAN!” Kelly Schwirse wrote on the Hermiston Herald’s Facebook page. “He will be missed dearly.” Mayor David Drotzmann offered up condolences as well in a statement on behalf of the city. “We’re extremely sad- dened to hear about the passing of Frank Harkenrid- er; undeniably Hermiston’s ‘greatest cheerleader.’” he said in a written statement. “This community would not be where it is today without Frank’s nearly five decades of direct service to the City of Hermiston. I think naming the new Harkenrider Center after Frank was the least we could do to honor his un-ri- valed level of community service.” BY THE WAY BTW continued from Page A1 Kara Taylor of US Bank is serving as the board’s trea- surer and Tammy Smith of Smitty’s Ace Hardware and Tim Mabry of Credits Inc. joined the board as new members. Shirley Parsons of American West Prop- erties was also recognized for her service as outgoing board chair. Executive di- rector Debbie Pedro said the year “has not been an easy one, and I knew Shir- ley would be able to lead us MOONEY continued from Page A1 She cited her familiarity with the district, staff and community as positives, as well as her investment in the schools as both a staff member and parent. Mooney also discussed her experience with em- ployee handbooks and eval- uations, policy review and union negotiations. “I’m passionate about the district,” she said. “I have the ability to look at things from different perspectives.” Mooney said it is import- ant to support teachers and staff as they face growing Introducing Silk hearing aids from Signia Nearly N earl invisible! Easy on the ears, easy on the eyes TRCI inmates raise $7,266 for backpack program HERMISTON HERALD The Agape House al- ready has a third of its funding for the coming school year’s backpack program thanks to a fund- raiser by inmates at Two Rivers Correctional Insti- tution. TRCI chaplain Don Hodney presented a check for $7,266 to Agape House director Dave Hughes on Thursday. The money will go to a program that sends a backpack full of food home with students in poverty to help feed them through the weekend. Hughes said the money presented by Hodney is enough to get the program through about a third of the 2017-2018 school year. He said the donation is just the latest example of the pris- on staff and inmates being a “great support” to the Agape House. “We’re thrilled,” he said. “It’s just great. Two Rivers is such a great com- munity partner.” Hodney said in the past, a committee of inmates has come up with fund- raisers that have raised about $4,000 for the Agape House’s Christmas meals for families, so Thursday’s donation was almost dou- ble anything they’ve done before. The committee wanted to do another fundraiser sooner than Christmas and came up with the idea to let residents of the prison place orders of approved snack food like trail mix or candy from Wal-Mart, with the profits going to the backpack program. Hodney said considering an incarcerated person’s paycheck may be $25 a month, most of which goes toward toiletries, the orders represented a sig- nificant investment for the more than 700 men who participated. “It’s not about the in- dulgence,” he said. “I’ve been told over and over again that they’re happy to be able to do something for someone else.” 33rd Annual JULY 29TH ALL DAY LONG IRRIGON MARINA PARK IRRIGON, OR 97844 BREAKFAST • 6:30 – 10:00 ▪ HOT COFFEE (Hosted by The Irrigon Moose Lodge) DOWNTOWN PARADE • 10:00 CRAFT VENDORS • FOOD VENDORS • KID’S GAMES WATER SLIDE • DUNK TANK • CAR SHOW AND!!! HELICOPTERS!! 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