A16 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
MENTAL
continued from Page A1
She added that while the
school’s counselors do a
great job, it’s hard for them
to keep up with the number
of kids that need help.
Neighboring school dis-
tricts often face similar con-
cerns — following the sui-
cides of young people in the
area, Hermiston organiza-
tions, including Good Shep-
herd, The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints
and Desert Rose Ministries
have all held events this year
to teach parents, teens and
others about recognizing
signs of depression and sui-
cidal ideation.
Torres-Medrano also has
a personal connection to the
subject. A Umatilla native,
she has suffered from depres-
sion and anxiety herself.
That, along with an abusive
background, had an effect on
her that she didn’t initially
realize.
“I didn’t learn about it
until people started reach-
ing out to me,” she said.
After finishing her bache-
lor’s degree, Torres-Medrano
took a year off before apply-
ing to medical school. As she
took time to address her own
STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS
Umatilla city councilor Selene Torres-Medrano puts up a flyer for a mental health fair on
Tuesday at the city hall building in Umatilla. Torress-Medrano is spearheading a first mental
health awareness month for the city of Umatilla and the Umatilla School District.
needs, she observed that oth-
ers may be struggling with
the same concerns.
“We have to give kids the
tools to deal with trauma,”
she said. “It’s not enough to
tell them that higher educa-
tion is important.”
For the Mental Health
Awareness Month project
Torres-Medrano is spear-
heading, week one (held this
week) is called “let’s talk
about it,” simply discussing
WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2018
FROM A1
with students and families
what it means to be aware
of mental health. Week two,
“mind and soul,” teaches
students how to be aware of
their thoughts and feelings.
Week three focuses on the
connection between physical
and mental health, and week
four highlights the impor-
tance of nutrition.
The daily activities and
tips include thought exer-
cises (“tell someone two pos-
itive traits about yourself”
or “ask an adult one thing
they do to help themselves
feel better”), physical activi-
ties like going for a 10 min-
ute walk, and healthy eating
suggestions.
The month will also fea-
ture several classes for par-
ents and community mem-
bers, including a Zumba
class and one about “good
mood foods,” showing par-
ents the connection between
eating well and feeling good.
The daily events will culmi-
nate in a 5K run/walk and
mental health fair on May 19.
Torres-Medrano said she’s
been amazed by the level of
support community mem-
bers have shown for Men-
tal Health Awareness Month.
At the city council meeting,
councilors adopted a proc-
lamation designating May
as Mental Health Month in
Umatilla.
Clara Brownell Mid-
dle School counselor Nayeli
Guzman said over the past
few weeks, the school has
seen an increase in suicidal
ideation. She said the coun-
selors make sure they let stu-
dents know they’re being
heard and can check in when-
ever they need.
She said throughout the
month, they will be put-
ting up posters about men-
tal health statistics, and mes-
sages encouraging students
to seek help if they need it.
Umatilla School District
superintendent Heidi Sipe
said she was excited for the
events this month.
“Students know it’s OK
to ask for help when needed
and understand that seek-
ing services is simply a part
of health and not a stigma,”
Sipe said. “I’m excited to see
Mental Health month rec-
ognized in our schools and
community, and hope it helps
engage others in the conver-
sation about supporting all in
our community.”
SWITCH AND GET
50% OFF
STAFF PHOTO BY ERIC SINGER
Drivers in the street stock class come around turn four at
Hermiston Raceway on Saturday night.
RACEWAY
continued from Page A1
fan. He got his start in the
sport in the late 1970s when
he started driving at the age
of 16. Over the course of
his career, which he ended
in 2006, Walden raced at
Hermiston several times. He
got into the sport through his
father Wayne Walden, who
also drove race cars at an
early age.
Wayne was a business-
man that “was always look-
ing for ways to make money,”
Greg said, and partnered
with three other individuals
to take on their hometown
Tri-City Raceway when it
became available in 1982.
Within three years, Wayne
became the sole operator of
the track. And along with
business acumen and a pas-
sion for racing, he devel-
oped a knack for promotion
and grew the fast half-mile
track into a popular one in
the Northwest.
Greg was in line to take
over what had become the
family business until the
track was sold in 1998. Greg
and his family then started a
screenprinting and embroi-
dery business in Kenne-
wick that year, and he used
his business as a reason to
remain involved at race-
tracks in the region, selling
souvenir T-shirts at many of
them. Being around the track
each summer while hold-
ing onto his passion for the
sport, Greg knew he wanted
to get back into track opera-
tions. He just had to wait for
an opportunity.
In only four months oper-
ating the Hermiston Race-
way, Walden has already
made plenty of upgrades
to the track that benefit
both drivers and fans. Most
significantly, more than
$12,000 was spent on fix-
ing the wooden grandstands
and making them safe for
spectators. Upgrades were
also made to lighting on the
concourse and in the pits, to
make the experience better
for race teams.
Walden
has
also
revamped the racing sched-
ule at the track. Races are
held every other Satur-
day night now instead of
weekly, in hopes of attract-
ing more cars each night to
create a better product. He
also aims to keep the races
moving quickly, limiting the
downtime and creating con-
stant action. Pre-race qual-
ifying was eliminated, and
the races will line up based
on points standings. And tro-
phy dashes are replaced with
heat races prior to the main
events.
“As long as it’s entertain-
ing and fast-paced,” Walden
said. “We’re a form of enter-
tainment, and if we think
we’re just in the racing busi-
ness, then it doesn’t work.
We’re in the entertainment
business, it’s got to be excit-
ing. We want to deliver a
good program for the fans
and racers, and with that
we’re able to sell it to busi-
nesses to bring their people
out.”
Hermiston Raceway has
been open for two races now
following Saturday’s West
Coast Late Model Series
headliner, and Walden is
impressed with the early
results. The attendance has
been solid, with the grand-
stands being nearly at capac-
ity on Saturday. And the few
dozen cars competing has
made for good entertain-
ment for the fans.
Walden also credits
numerous track employ-
ees — from pit crew to the
flagger to the scorers — that
remained from previous
regimes as a big part of the
early success, too.
“The team I inher-
ited want to see it thrive,”
Walden said. “They want to
be proud of the place where
they spend their time and
that’s important.”
Racing returns to Herm-
iston on May 19 with North-
west Pro 4 Alliance stock
cars, as well as the typical
late models, street stocks,
super mini and mini stocks,
legends, bombers and hornet
classes.
“I’m just excited there’s
hope,” Walden said. “Last
night we camped in Herm-
iston, in my motor home at
(former) Umatilla Speedway
and I told my wife, ‘How in
the world did I end up here
running this race track?’ I
never thought that, but it
came available and some-
body had to so why not me?”
NO TRADE-IN REQUIRED
Choose from the latest
Samsung Galaxy Smartphones
Prices vary. Promotional pricing requires purchase of a new qualifying Smartphone, Total Plan, new line, new customer
port-in, credit approval and Device Protection+, and comes via monthly bill credit on a 30-mo. 0% APR and $0 down Retail
Installment Contract. Taxes and certain charges, such as USF and RCRF, apply. Additional terms and restrictions apply.
U.S. Cellular ® was ranked “Highest Network Quality Performance among
Wireless Cell Phone Users in the North Central Region” by J.D. Power.
Disclaimer: U.S. Cellular received the highest numerical score in the North Central region in the J.D. Power 2016 V2, 2017 V1 and V2 and 2018 V1 (tie) U.S. Wireless Network Quality Performance Studies. 2018 Volume
1 study based on 38,595 total responses from five providers, measuring the network quality experienced by customers with wireless carriers, surveyed July–December 2017. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.
Things we want you to know: New consumer or small business (20 lines or fewer) port-in and Total Plan required. Purchase of device via 0% APR 30-month Retail Installment Contract, credit approval and Device Protection+
required. Tax due at sale. Taxes and certain charges, such as USF and RCRF, apply. A Regulatory Cost Recovery Fee applies; this is not a tax or government required charge. Additional fees, taxes, terms, conditions and
coverage areas may apply and vary by plan, service and phone. Offers valid at participating locations only and cannot be combined. Minimum monthly price of Device Protection+ is $9.99 per Smartphone. A service fee/
deductible per approved claim applies. You may cancel anytime. Property insurance is underwritten by American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida and provided under a Master Policy issued to U.S. Cellular. You will
be the certificate holder on U.S. Cellular’s Master Policy for loss/theft benefits. Service Contract Obligor is Federal Warranty Service Corporation in all states except CA (Sureway, Inc.) and OK (Assurant Service Protection,
Inc.). Limitations and exclusions apply. Ask an associate for more details. Offer applies to base-memory model only. Offer: 50% off the current full retail price of qualifying base-memory model Smartphone will come via
monthly bill credit on a 30-month Retail Installment Contract; 0% APR. Bill credit applied within three bill cycles and ends when balance is paid. Line must remain in good standing. In the event of cancellation of service,
customer will be responsible for the entire Retail Installment Contract balance. The early upgrade program is not available with this offer. Kansas Customers: In areas in which U.S. Cellular receives support from the Federal
Universal Service Fund, all reasonable requests for service must be met. Unresolved questions concerning services availability can be directed to the Kansas Corporation Commission Office of Public Affairs and Consumer
Protection at 1-800-662-0027. Limited-time offer. While supplies last. Trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. See store or uscellular.com for details. ©2018 U.S. Cellular