A10 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2017
Herald Business
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Gail Nelson takes on
economic development
The county’s hiring
committee
interviewed
Gail Nelson is leaving three candidates last week.
the Pendleton Chamber of Nelson won’t start in the
Commerce to become eco- job until Feb. 1.
nomic development and
She said that is by
tourism coordinator for design. This is a busy time
Umatilla County.
of year for the Pendle-
ton chamber, and
Nelson has been
the
chamber’s
she said that wait-
ing until the sec-
executive direc-
ond month of 2018
tor since 2011.
provides time for
Umatilla County
the board to search
Human Resources
for and hire a new
Director Jennifer
chamber director.
Blake announced
Nelson
will
Wednesday
that Gail Nelson
work with Com-
Nelson accepted
the new position with the missioner Bill Elfer-
ing, who heads up eco-
county.
Nelson said she does nomic development for the
some economic develop- county. Elfering said Nel-
ment and tourism work in son has the skills and abili-
her role with the chamber, ties to “land her feet on the
so the county job should ground running.” He said
Nelson already is familiar
be a fine fit.
“On some levels I think with key economic needs
it can be similar,” she said. for the area, such as work-
“And it is a new challenge, force housing.
“We’re excited to have
too. I’m always looking to
try something and chal- her coming our way,” he
lenge myself.”
said.
HERMISTON HERALD
Computer shop re-opens
after technician shortage
By JADE MCDOWELL
STAFF WRITER
A Hermiston computer
shop is back open for busi-
ness again after Ama-
zon hired away all of its
technicians.
“They’re definitely in
high demand right now,”
said Jon Farrester, whose
hiring allowed M2 Net-
nerds to re-open after being
closed for almost a month.
Amazon, under the name
VaData, has multiple data
centers at the Port of Uma-
tilla and Port of Morrow,
and is working to construct
more off Westland Road
in Hermiston and Lind
Road near Umatilla. Uma-
tilla County Commissioner
Bill Elfering has said in the
past that each building rep-
resents 40 to 60 employees.
Farrester said the staff
of M2 Netnerds also
includes owner Michael
Calame and an intern, but
the business is still looking
to hire more technicians.
M2 Netnerds offers
home services — includ-
ing file recovery, virus
removal, networking and
refurbishing — as well as
IT consulting and other
services for businesses.
With the addition of Far-
rester, the shop has now
added web services such as
website design and search
engine optimization.
Farrester said he hails
from the Bend area, where
he had his own computer
business for years and
also worked as the Jeffer-
son County School District
webmaster.
In addition to owning
M2 Netnerds, Calame also
owns M2 Machmedia, a
wireless internet provider.
M2 Netnerds is located
at 1565 N. First St., Suite
B, next to Quiznos Subs.
It is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Monday through Friday.
For more information call
541-567-1918.
Christmas tree permits
available on national forests
‘Tis the season for a hike
in the woods to find the per-
fect Christmas tree for the
family.
Permits are now avail-
able on the Umatilla, Wal-
lowa-Whitman and Mal-
heur national forests, and
fourth-graders are once
again eligible for a free per-
mit as part of the Every
Kid in a Park initiative
through the National Parks
Foundation.
Christmas tree permits
are $5, and limited to one
per household. Fourth-grad-
ers may receive a free per-
mit by presenting a voucher
from everykidinapark.gov
to their local national for-
est office. Students must
be present to claim the free
permit.
Permits may also be pur-
chased from any forest ser-
vice office or participating
local businesses, including
Smitty’s Ace Hardware in
Hermiston.
Christmas trees must be
cut at least 50 feet away
from any road, and the max-
imum height for trees is 14
feet. Trees cannot be cut on
private land, in wilderness
areas, designated camp-
grounds, active timber sales
or existing tree plantations.
For additional info, call
the Forest Service office in
Pendleton at 541-278-3716.
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STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS
Shoppers Cathy Michael, center, and Marilyn Gardner, right, talk with shop owner Brandi Howard about shoe styles while
shopping at Andee’s Boutique in March in Hermiston.
Small businesses ask shoppers to buy local
Greater Hermiston Area
Chamber of Commerce
director Debbie Pedro said
she hasn’t compiled a list of
Hermiston businesses hav-
ing sales that day, but if peo-
ple check businesses’ Face-
book pages or just hit the
stores on Saturday they
should find plenty of shop-
ping opportunities at places
like Lucky Endz Gifts.
“I think a lot of our local
businesses are participat-
ing in Small Business Sat-
urday,” Pedro said. “I know
a lot of our downtown mer-
chants are.”
Pendleton Chamber of
Commerce is currently ask-
ing local business owners
to submit information about
their Small Business Satur-
day participation. The cham-
ber plans to compile the list
and put it on their website
so that shoppers can know
before they leave the house
which stores will have sales.
Pedro said she received
gift bags, posters and signs
that chamber members will
be able to pick up from
the chamber offices to let
customers know they are
participating.
She said lots of chamber
members are also jumping
into the Black Friday frenzy
by offering sales on the day
after Thanksgiving.
“It’s really exciting to see
some of the businesses ramp-
ing up for that,” she said.
Pedro said whenever peo-
ple choose to do their shop-
ping for Christmas pres-
ents, buying local is always
a way to support friends and
neighbors.
“When you support your
local businesses, you’re sup-
porting jobs, and you’re sup-
porting the opportunity to
have great products avail-
able right here in the com-
munity,” she said.
Community Bank
collects cash for
charities
U.S. Cellular dials
in manager for
Hermiston, Pendleton
New administrator
for Morrow County
The annual holiday Char-
ity Drive for local nonprofit
organizations is underway
at each branch of Commu-
nity Bank.
Donation jars will be
available at each branch
through Wednesday, Dec.
20. Community Bank will
match donations of 50 cents
on each dollar, up to $500
at each branch. In 2016,
$24,440 was disbursed to
charities in communities
where the bank serves.
The Hermiston branch
of Community Bank is
located at 50 E. Theater
Lane. Money collected will
be donated to the Hermiston
Warming Station.
For more information,
contact marketing man-
ager Leah Johnson at ljohn-
son@communitybanknet.
com, 541-207-0717 or visit
communitybanknet.com.
Kimberly Goodhue was
recently named store man-
ager for the Hermiston and
Pendleton locations of U.S.
Cellular.
In
her
role as man-
ager, Good-
hue
leads
store asso-
ciates
in
helping cus-
tomers and
Kimberly
Goodhue
businesses
select
the
best plan and devices to
meet their needs. She has
more than eight years of
wireless experience, all with
U.S. Cellular.
Goodhue moved to East-
ern Oregon when she was
4 years old and likes living
in a small community. She
enjoys spending time with
her son, water sports and
snowmobiling.
“Kimberly’s passion and
leadership throughout her
U.S. Cellular journey is
inspiring and motivating,
and I am excited to have her
guide our teams in Pendle-
ton and Hermiston,” said
Erryn Andersen, director of
sales for U.S. Cellular in the
Pacific Northwest.
By JADE MCDOWELL
STAFF WRITER
Sandwiched
between
Black Friday and Cyber
Monday, Small Business
Saturday is on the calen-
dar once again for local
businesses.
The national movement,
which encourages people
to shop at local small busi-
nesses for the holidays, trick-
led into Umatilla County a
few years ago as downtown
businesses in several cit-
ies began offering special
deals on the Saturday after
Thanksgiving.
IN BRIEF
Sassafras blooms
with open house
For a chance to win an
artificial Christmas wreath,
RSVP to attend the grand
opening open house at Sas-
safras Flowers by Shera.
The event is Friday, Dec.
1 and Saturday, Dec. 2 from
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 611 E.
Highland Ave., Hermiston.
The event includes refresh-
ments and door prizes.
Sassafras Flowers is a full
service floral and gift shop.
Delivery service is available
in the surrounding areas.
For more information,
visit their Facebook page or
call 541-701-0717.
Morrow County will have
a new administrator start-
ing this month, filling a posi-
tion that has been open since
August.
Darrell Green will begin
Nov. 27, taking over the role
from interim administrator
Kim Cutsforth.
Green has been a Herm-
iston resident for the last 12
years and will relocate to
Morrow County for the job.
For the past four years, he has
served as the Blue Mountain
Community College JOBS
Program manager.
“My whole goal in find-
ing a job like (that) was to
live, work and be a part of
Hermiston,” he said. “I had
the same opportunity with
the position for Morrow
County.”
Green said he is still fig-
uring out exactly what his
priorities as administrator
will be, but he hopes to work
with others.