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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 6, 2019)
DAWGS POST HUGE WINS AGAINS WA-HI, KAMIAKIN » PAGE A8 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2019 HermistonHerald.com $1.00 INSIDE HISTORY City leaders were discuss- ing a new park next to Hermiston High School 50 years ago. PAGE A2 REMEMBERED A Hermiston High School student is remembered as a ‘beautiful soul’ after being killed in a car crash PAGE A3 SHOWTIME See photos of Hermiston students backstage during opening night of “The Wizard of Oz” PAGE A13 Snow Day BY THE WAY Carol Frink retires Blue Mountain Com- munity College’s Small Business Development Center will be looking for a new director after Carol Frink of Hermiston announced she is retiring March 31. The regional center, which operates on a mix of federal and state funds and support from BMCC, offers free assistance to business owners or pro- spective owners looking to start a business, expand, retire or make other changes. According to a news release from the college, Frink greatly increased the center’s productiv- ity during her three-year tenure. In 2018 the cen- ter served 418 clients, resulting in 29 new busi- ness starts, 91 jobs cre- ated, 12 jobs retained and $1,783,803 in loans obtained. • • • American Pickers is coming to Oregon in April. The History Channel show features Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, who travel the country looking for valuable and unique collections of antiques. The show is looking for leads on collections that could potentially be See BTW, Page A14 Heidi Zumwalt, 3, screams as she sleds down the hill behind Hermiston Public Libary Monday afternoon. (Don’t worry, she was having fun) By JADE MCDOWELL AND JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN STAFF WRITERS A February snow storm can be good news or bad news, depending on who you are. Drivers weren’t loving the snow when it started falling, but sled- ding enthusiasts and children who got to stay home from school on Tuesday didn’t mind it. As snow fi lled the air Monday after- noon, some Hermiston families wasted no time grabbing their sleds after school. Mara Kelly said her kids Dominic Kelly, 7, Adrick Kelly, 7 and Tiago Kelly, 10 were eager to go sledding after school. The family didn’t wait until the snow stopped falling to head to the hill behind Hermiston Public Library. “We like being out in the snow when it’s snowing,” she said. Olivia Bands and Nick Meeks bundled up Zaylynn Bands-Meeks, 6, in a light blue coat and snow pants and brought her over to the same hill to fi t in some sled- ding Monday afternoon as well before the hill got too trampled. “We have to get it while it’s fresh,” Bands said. “She loves anything water related, including snow.” Amelia Zumwalt, 5, and Heidi Zum- walt, 3, zoomed down the hill on sleds over and over again as the falling snow quickly covered up their tracks. It didn’t take long for more families to arrive at the hill, which is one of mostly-fl at Hermis- ton’s few good sledding spots. According to the National Weather Service, Hermiston accumulated fi ve to six inches of snow, and Pendleton had accumulated three to four inches. Tuesday left plenty of time for chil- dren to play in the snow after Hermis- ton, Umatilla, Stanfi eld, Echo and Mor- row County school districts all canceled school. For Hermiston students, it was a temporary reprieve — they now have to make up the day on Friday, Feb. 15, which they originally had off school. On Tuesday the hill by the library was covered with kids of all ages having fun, with some attempting to stand up on their sleds, or pile six people onto one inner tube. Other sledders took to Butte Park. While kids were celebrating the snow, it was bad news for anyone trying to drive in it, particularly on the interstate. Inter- state 84 and 82 were littered with wrecks throughout Monday and Tuesday, and Interstate 84 was closed on the west- bound side from Pendleton to La Grande, then Baker City and fi nally Ontario on Monday. Josh Smith, a paramedic with Uma- tilla County Fire District, said crews have only responded to three weather-related wrecks in their coverage area since the snow started falling on Monday. He said no one has been seriously injured in any of them. Hermiston Police Department Capt. Travis Eynon reported offi cers responded on Monday to seven vehicle crashes. He posted a message on the depart- ment’s Facebook page urging drivers to go slower than usual and plan for longer See SNOWDAY, Page A14 Latino Business Network provides connections, skill building By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN STAFF WRITER 8 08805 93294 2 Hispanic and Latino residents make up about a quarter of Uma- tilla County’s population, but busi- ness ownership in the county doesn’t refl ect that number. Some local orga- nizations are working to make own- ing and operating a business easier by overcoming cultural and language barriers. The Latino Business Network is one such organization. Run through the Hermiston Chamber of Com- merce, the group was started about six years ago by chamber members and Latino business owners. The group brings in speakers each month, including fi nancial advisors, lawyers and medical providers. They also aim to bridge the gap some Latino business owners may feel when operating businesses. “Some business owners have mentioned how they feel a little bit of distance, or a barrier with the city,” said Jonathan Lopez, a mem- ber of the Latino Business Network. He said for some businesses, there’s a language barrier which can limit them from asking questions about laws or codes for their businesses. “It can be tough if they have ques- tions or concerns and don’t know how to go about that because of a language barrier,” he said. Lopez said local business own- ers have come to the Latino Business Network with a variety of requests — from questions about codes to physical issues with their businesses. “There was a gentleman not too Staff photo by E.J. Harris See BUSINESS, Page A14 Martin Villanueva, owner of El Rodeo Club restaurant, has been part of the Latino Business Network for a couple of years.
