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A12 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2018 NEWS Homeless numbers increase tenfold By PHIL WRIGHT STAFF WRITER Case managers for Com- munity Action Program of East Central Oregon had a problem with their 2017 count of the area’s homeless population. The point-in-time census counted 55 homeless people in Umatilla County, one in Wheeler County and none in Gilliam or Morrow coun- ties — the regions where the nonprofit aims to help low-income populations. Glenda McDaniel, one of those CAPECO case man- agers, said the figure was surprising because it was so small. They conducted a sec- ond count at the end of the summer, that time finding 64. Still lower than their estimates. The latest count came Jan. 31, and it revealed 557 homeless people in the four counties. “We knew the numbers were out there,” McDan- iel. “And there are probably even more.” Gilliam and Wheeler counties had no docu- mented homeless popula- tion. But 46 were counted this time in Morrow County, including 17 females and 18 males in Heppner. Umatilla County had 511, with 292 HH FILE PHOTO A homeless woman who identifies herself as “Nana” and Christopher Stad of Kennewick panhandle at the Hermiston Walmart store in December. in Pendleton, 123 in Herm- iston, 51 in Athena, 44 in Milton-Freewater and one in Echo. Males outnumbered females 274 to 252, and 31 people did not identify their gender. The census found they ran the gamut when it came to where they spend the night: 1.4 percent squatted; 15.1 percent stayed on the street; 40.6 percent stayed with friends. “A lot of people are one paycheck away from losing housing,” McDaniel said. Susie Stuvland and Sean Ruud, fellow case manag- ers, said the organization examined its methodology and added more volunteers to arrive at a more accurate picture of the area’s home- less situation. The effort included talking to school districts to find homeless students and going to where the homeless gather, from churches to The Salvation Army to the banks of the Umatilla River. They also worked on asking better questions and asking ques- tions in better ways. “It’s more just making sure we’re doing it appro- priately, going to the right places and talking to the right people,” Ruud said. The higher number shows the area has greater needs than previously thought, Stuvland said, and that opens the door to more grant funding for CAPECO and other institutions to combat homelessness, including schools. Ruud, Stuvland and McDaniel also are part of Home 4 Hope, a local coali- tion that helps the homeless. The group held its annual forum March 8 in Pendle- ton, where about 30 mem- bers identified key obstacles for the homeless and brain- stormed solutions. Previous forums helped hatch the idea of warming stations in Hermiston and Pendleton, and this time McDaniel said she hoped the forum would address two big hurdles for the homeless: a place to get mail and phone service. McDan- iel said both are essential for people to connect to every- thing from employers to the Social Security Admin- istration, which requires an address to receive benefits. Stanfield hires new principals Harkenrider center surges with donation as a baseball coach. She said they screened applications in late February and interviewed the top Stanfield School District will wel- three. She said the committee was united come two new principals for the 2018- in their support for hiring Sheller. 2019 school year. Last week the board The position became vacant when Bur- ton was appointed to the superin- unanimously approved the hire of tendent’s position, after Liscom Steve Sheller as the next princi- pal of Stanfield Secondary School, announced her resignation. Burton and of Lacey Sharp as the princi- had previously served as the prin- cipal of the secondary school. She pal of Stanfield Elementary School. said the interim principal for the Both will begin their positions July remainder of the school year was 1, 2018. Sheller is currently an athletic hired in late February. The interim, director, science teacher and year- Steve Sheller Wayne Kostur, is Burton’s father book advisor at Irrigon Junior/ and was the interim superinten- Senior High School, and has been at that dent of Stanfield School District for the school for four years. He served as the 2013-2014 school year. Burton said she football coach at Stanfield for the 2013- cannot supervise Kostur directly, so an 2014 school year. He has also taught in InterMountain Education Service Dis- trict employee has been appointed as his Umatilla and Hermiston. Sharp is the interim principal at Stan- immediate supervisor. Burton said that field Elementary, and was the vice princi- Kostur retired from the Molalla River pal under superintendent/principal Shelley School District six years ago, but many Liscom, who resigned at the end of 2017 years ago he had worked in the Athe- and was placed on paid leave shortly after. na-Weston School District. She said she Stanfield Superintendent Beth Burton turned to him when the position became said she posted the open principal posi- open because she couldn’t think of any- tion for two to three weeks, and got sev- one else who would be able to start the job eral applicants. A group of school employ- immediately. ees were on the hiring committee, as well “The board loved him when he was as board chair Scott Morris, in his capacity here,” Burton said. By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN STAFF WRITER EOU gets ‘rural university’ designation By JADE MCDOWELL STAFF WRITER Eastern Oregon Uni- versity has always been a home for students looking for a smaller, more rural college experience in Ore- gon, but that role is now official. The La Grande-based university has been des- ignated by the state legis- lature as Oregon’s Rural University. “It defines our role in the state and shows our unique mission,” said Tim Seydel, EOU’s vice president for university advancement. The designation — which passed both cham- bers of the legislature unanimously and was signed by the gover- nor earlier this month — doesn’t come with a boost in state funding or new rules for how the univer- sity is run. But Seydel said it could help set EOU apart when applying for state and federal grants for pro- grams that are targeted toward helping first-gen- eration college students, for example, or those from rural communities. “When they say, ‘Why Eastern?’ we can say, ‘That’s what we do,’” he said. Seydel said it could also help with recruitment at the university, which was at 3,016 students during the fall term. He said some students are searching for a smaller, more rural expe- rience where their profes- sors know them by name. Many of those students come from Umatilla and Morrow counties. Uma- tilla County students have made up roughly nine per- cent of EOU’s enrollment for the last decade, and this year there are 311 students from Umatilla County and 48 students from Morrow County. The university has increased recruitment efforts in both counties as it looks to boost its numbers. Rep. Greg Smith, who sponsored the bill, agreed that the designation as Oregon’s Rural Univer- sity could help EOU with recruitment of students from rural areas who don’t want to attend school in a big city. “They’ll know that they’ll be coming to an environment they’ll be comfortable in,” Smith said. Officials in other parts of the state have sometimes eyed closing the small uni- versity as a way to save the state money, so Smith said he also felt the designa- tion will remind lawmak- ers from more urban areas of EOU’s importance in serving Eastern Oregon residents. Jer Pratton of Hermis- ton, who serves on EOU’s board, said being Oregon’s Rural University sets EOU apart from the state’s other public universities and helps define the universi- ty’s purpose. “When funding issues come up it sends a better message and we can advo- cate for EOU in a stronger position,” he said. Pratton said as a fiscal conservative he was wor- ried about the university’s financial position when the board of trustees was cre- ated in 2014 (before that, a single board oversaw all of Oregon’s public univer- sities). But he credited the board, its financial com- mittee, then-interim uni- versity president Jay Ken- ton and current president Tom Insko — who is an EOU alumnus but came from a business, not edu- cation, background — with working together to help turn the situation around and put the university on solid financial footing. HERMISTON HERALD Hermiston area seniors recently received a huge boost from the Umatilla Electric Cooperative. Tami Sinor, UEC mem- ber services representa- tive, was welcomed by the seniors in early February during a lunch at the parish hall at Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church. She deliv- ered a check for $25,000 from the Co-op’s Commu- nity Giving Program. The money will be used for the Harkenrider Senior Activity Center project. Judy Ford- ice, senior center secretary, said the donation was a very pleasant surprise. While construction of the facility is edging closer to completion, the move-in date likely won’t take place until late summer. In the upcoming months, con- struction will move outside with the development of an extensive parking area, including additional handi- cap spaces and a bus drop- off area. The new location PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY JUDY FORDICE Umatilla Electric Cooperative member services representative Tami Sinor, center, recently presented a donation to Hermiston Senior Center representatives Irene Miller, president, and Virginia Beebe, vice president. is in the 100 block of North- east Second Street between East Ridgeway and East Gladys avenues. Meanwhile, the senior meals will continue to be served at the parish hall. The group is appreciative of the temporary home after moving out of their old site when the property was sold. “We have so many things coming at the senior cen- ter right now,” Fordice said. “It’s amazing.” For more informa- tion, call 541-567-3582 or search Facebook, which is updated often, for “Hermis- ton Senior Center.” Visit us online at www.HermistonHerald.com SHE ALSO SERVED: An Eastern Oregon celebration of women in military service A remarkable exhibition featuring 20 portraits of Oregon women military veterans on display March 23 & 24 at the SAGE Center in Boardman, Oregon RECEPTION March 23 - 4:30pm Guest Speaker: Elizabeth Estabrooks Oregon Women Veterans Coordinator LIONESS March 24 - 11:00am Friday, March 23rd Noon-7pm Saturday, March 24th 10am-5pm Sage Center - 101 Olson Road, Boardman, OR