SPECIAL SECTION
HONORING LOCAL FIREFIGHTERS FOR NATIONAL FIRE PREVENTION WEEK
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2017
HermistonHerald.com
$1.00
INSIDE
3 MINUTES WITH
MEET GLENN PURCELL, WHO
HAS A UNIQUE PROFESSIONAL
HOBBY, AND WE’RE NOT
BLOWING SMOKE.
PAGE A2
IN PROGRESS
CITY COUNCIL TOURS NEW
SENIOR CENTER UNDER
CONSTRUCTION IN HERMISTON.
PAGE A3
PLACE YOUR BIDS
ALTRUSA READIES FOR
ANNUAL AUCTION WITH
OKTOBERFEST THEME.
PAGE A4
SCOREBOARD
BULLDOGS, VIKINGS, TIGERS
AND COUGARS RECORD WINS.
PAGE A11
BY THE WAY
Do you have a license
to be doing that?
STAFF PHOTOS BY JADE McDOWELL
(TOP) Volunteer Isaiah Luna, left, and Edy Pablo Calmo toss bean bags
outside the SAGE Center during the Morrow County Harvest Festival
Saturday. (RIGHT) Nathan and Keri Heideman of Crappy View Farm and
Stuff show off their wares at the SAGE Center during the Morrow County
Harvest Festival Saturday.
SAGE Center hosts Morrow
County event
By JADE McDOWELL
STAFF WRITER
More locally grown and locally made
products than usual were on display at Board-
man’s SAGE Center Saturday during the an-
nual Morrow County Harvest Festival.
The event drew families from all over the
area to shop for produce and participate in
free mule rides, games and crafts. Activities
were spread between the outside of the build-
ing and indoors, where attendees could also
check out the SAGE Center attractions.
Anita Meinke, from Umatilla, brought her
son, 6, to the event for their fi rst time at the
SAGE Center.
“I really enjoyed the inside,” she said. “It
was our fi rst time and I was really impressed
with what they have in there. It’s very educa-
tional.”
She said they also had fun riding the mule-
drawn wagon, and she was glad her son had
somewhere to run around outside.
“It’s a fun family event,” she said.
In addition to offering residents a fami-
ly-friendly activity, the Harvest Festival was
an opportunity for vendors to show off their
wares and gain new customers. Nathan and
Keri Heideman of Crappy View Farm and
Stuff near Ione said it was their fi rst time
participating in the event. They had a table
upstairs with jewelry, crafts and other items
made from things found on their farm.
“It’s a good event,” Keri said. “I like that
it really shows our community off and what
we’re about. I think a lot of people don’t un-
derstand agriculture. It’s nice for people to see
where their food comes from.”
Jolene O’Neal of Boardman has a small
business selling items she crochets, paintings
of her husband’s and crafts made by a friend.
She goes to a few bazaars a year and last year
sold more than 100 crocheted hats with a hole
at the top for a ponytail or messy bun. At her
booth Saturday she said she wished she had
more time to go look around at other vendors’
displays.
“I like being involved in local stuff,” she
said. “I know a lot of people, so it’s nice to see
some familiar faces.”
See HARVEST, Page A16
Boardman to get new apartments
Ground will be broken next
week on what will become Board-
man’s largest apartment complex.
At 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct.
17, BC Contracting and PROffutt
Limited Partnership will break
ground on a 240-unit apartment
complex at 220 NE Columbia
Ave. in Boardman.
Full construction on the proj-
ect is expected to begin by the
end of October.
Boardman’s rental units are
almost at capacity and, according
to a statement from PROffutt, the
facility will nearly triple the num-
ber of rental units in the city.
PROffutt is an offshoot of
the R.D. Offutt company, which
owns RDO Equipment Co. John
Deere dealerships in Hermiston,
Pendleton and Pasco, Washing-
ton, as well as Threemile Canyon
Farms in Boardman.
“We saw a need and an oppor-
tunity for a new, more modern
place for the residents of Board-
man to live and we took it,” said
Scott Neal, president of PROffutt
Limited Partnership, the Real Es-
tate division of R.D. Offutt Com-
pany. “This project has been in
the works for some time and we
are looking forward to bringing
this new addition to a growing
city.”
PROffutt, headquartered in
Fargo, North Dakota, owns, op-
erates and manages real estate
across the country including com-
mercial, agricultural, industrial,
single-family and multi-family
properties.
The company said a sales and
marketing offi ce will open sev-
eral months before the project is
completed to assist prospective
future tenants. More information
about the project, its amenities
and fl oor plans of the apartments,
will be available in 2018.
Boardman has faced a housing
shortage as the Port of Morrow
has grown, adding hundreds of
jobs quickly. In 2015 the East Or-
egonian reported that 68 percent
of workers at the port commuted
from out of town, outnumbering
the total population of Boardman.
Rentals are in particularly short
supply, causing the Boardman
Community Development Asso-
ciation to start offering $5,000
grants to homebuyers in 2015.
Boardman has an estimated 3,383
residents.
Hermiston Police De-
partment used its Facebook
page this week to recognize
the anniversary of the death
of a fallen offi ce from the
city’s past. Offi cer Ronald
Kilby was killed in the line
of duty 58 years ago, on Oct.
8, 1959. “In honor of Offi cer
Kilby’s service and ultimate
sacrafi ce, today, we remem-
ber,” HPD said in its post.
• • •
Hermiston Police also
used Facebook to warn the
public about people who
may be soliciting door-to-
door illegally and without
a solicitor’s license. The
latest incident involves re-
ports of people going from
house to house offering to
paint address numbers on
the curb for a fee. The de-
partment advises people
how to obtain a license and
makes it clear that the effort
is not sponsored, endorsed
or authorized by the city of
Hermiston.
• • •
With Veterans Day
just around the corner, the
Hermiston Chamber of
Commerce is gearing up to
salute those who have served
our country. As a way to
thank and honor current mil-
itary personnel, veterans and
their families for their cour-
age, dedication and sacrifi c-
es, the event will feature a
free breakfast and program.
Debbie Pedro, chamber ex-
ecutive director, said they
are seeking photos of local
veterans/military personnel
in uniform to include in the
slide show that will play
during the Friday, Nov. 10
event. Kelly Schwirse will
be gathering those photos
from those who haven’t pre-
viously submitted one. Peo-
ple can send them via kel-
ly@hermistonchamber.com
or drop it off at the chamber
offi ce, 415 S. Highway 395.
Photos must be submitted by
Monday, Nov. 6.
• • •
More than six dozen
athletes from Hermiston/
Pendleton Special Olym-
pics Local Program #510
recently raised more than
$6,000 during the annual
Bowlathon, held Oct. 7 at
Desert Lanes in Hermiston.
See BTW, Page A16