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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 28, 2018)
WRESTLING » MEET ALICE TODRYK, HERMISTON’S CHAMPION FEMALE WRESTLER SEE SPORTS, PAGE A10 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2018 HermistonHerald.com $1.00 INSIDE DÉJÀ VU Stanfield dehydration plant catches on fire for fourth time in just over a year. PAGE A3 OFFICER INJURED HERMISTON POLICE CPL. DOUG GILL RECEIVED 15 TO 20 STICHES AFTER BEING DRAGGED BY A SUSPECT’S CAR. PAGE A6 PREPPERS UMATILLA COUNTY MAKES PROGRESS ON PREPARATIONS FOR POTENTIAL MEGA- EARTHQUAKE. PAGE A8 BY THE WAY DMV moving next to Shari’s Nobody will be waiting in line at the Hermiston DMV office on March 7-9. The office will close those days as the DMV moves to a larger office nearby. The new office is in the Hermiston Plaza at 810 S. Highway 395, next to Shari’s Cafe & Pies, and will have both a bigger lobby and more parking space. The old office will close at 5 p.m. on March 6 and the new one will open at 8 a.m. March 12. The DMV opened in its current location in 1981 with four counters to serve customers and added a fifth counter in 1999. Over the following two decades, the area’s customer needs outgrew the office’s lobby and parking lot capacity, according to a press release. Customers can visit OregonDMV.com to find office hours and locations and renew your vehicle registration, file a change of address or file notice of the sale of your vehicle. STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS Chris Finley laughs while being presented with flowers from Dorothy Smith after being named Woman of the Year at the Hermiston Distinguished Citizens Award Banquet on Wednesday in Hermiston. TOP OF THE LIST Hermiston Woman of the Year a staple at local farmers markets By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN STAFF WRITER H ermiston Woman of the Year 2018 Chris Finley was so surprised by the award, it didn’t quite register until after she’d left the stage. “I’m stunned,” she said. “I’m still shaking.” Finley was honored last week for her involvement with the Hermiston Farmers Market, the Victory Baptist Church and various city organizations, as well as her presence as an avid Hermiston Bulldogs fan. Finley moved to Hermiston in 1979 as a single mother of two boys. She married her husband John in 1994, and has been involved in community-wide endeavors, inlcuding several years as a city coun- cilor and an active Chamber of Com- merce member. Finley was also recognized for her work and presence at the local farm- ers market. She and her husband started Finley’s Fresh Produce in 2008, grow- ing pesticide-free fruits and vegetables. While her husband handled the farm- ing aspect, Finley dealt with most other aspects of the business — working farm- ers markets in Hermiston, Pendleton, Walla Walla and Tri-Cities; delivering produce; managing the office and doing publicity. The Finleys grow melons and corn, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, potatoes and string beans, among other crops. The couple are in the process of sell- ing a portion of the business to another family, but will remain part-owners and retain some involvement in the farm’s operations. Finley said while she will miss see- ing her regular customers, she’s start- ing to enjoy retirement. She now fills her time with volunteering at Victory Baptist Church, and with part-time work at Sev- erson Accounting during tax season. Other awards Finley wasn’t the only who expressed shock at being recognized with one of Hermiston’s top awards last Wednesday. When Roger Bounds was honored as Man of the Year, he said there must have been some mistake. Bounds said his father would always tell him that Hermiston was in the per- fect place to succeed, located along the river, railroads, and highway — benefits Bounds said are only possible because of the people that live here. Bounds has seen the community grow, arriving when he was five years old. After coming back from Vietnam, he worked in banking and real estate, and has also volunteered in the community, including as a coach and as a Boy Scouts troop leader. A new award this year was presented to a Hermiston booster, even though he See LIST, A16 SEE A15 FOR MORE PHOTOS See BTW, A16 Question, Persuade, Refer: helping those at risk for suicide By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN STAFF WRITER When in doubt, ask. That’s the message those attend- ing the QPR suicide prevention train- ing Thursday learned. About 85 people attended one of five sessions at Good Shepherd Medical Center, where they learned how to identify signs of someone who may be at risk for suicide, and learned methods for de-escalating the situation and referring them to someone who can help. The training, called QPR, stands for “Question, Persuade, Refer” — the three steps that people can take to help a person they think may be suicidal. Trainings were led by Umatilla County Health Prevention Educa- tion Coordinator Amanda Walsborn. It included information about how to recognize warning signs as well as a role-playing session. Walsborn led the class through an exercise where they were asked to recognize myths and facts about suicide. A common myth, she said, is that talking openly with some- one about suicide will put the idea in their mind. “It’s a really common fear,” Wals- born said. “But the majority of folks feel relieved that someone has rec- ognized they’re suffering, and cares enough to reach out.” She added that someone is either thinking about suicide or not — See SUICIDE, Page A16 STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS Brandon Hammond, Erin Stocker, Tyson Stocker, 14, and Ron Gibbs participate in a role-playing activity while taking a suicide prevention training Thursday at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston.
