HERMISTON ADDS TWO MORE WINS TO ITS RESUME | A10
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019
INSIDE
FLOODING
High water knocks out
a bridge in Umatilla and
fl oods homes in eastern
Umatilla County as the
county declares a state of
emergency.
PAGE A3
ARRESTS
HermistonHerald.com
$1.00
fun
Easter
hops into the area
Two men were charged
last week in connection to
a 2018 murder.
PAGE A3
JIU-JITSU
Brian Morizi, a NoGi
Jiu-Jitsu world champion,
is now taking students in
Hermiston.
PAGE A7
BY THE WAY
Homes for
Heroes comes
to Hermiston
Some Hermiston res-
idents will now be able
to benefi t from a national
program that provides real
estate assistance to teach-
ers, health care workers,
fi refi ghters, law enforce-
ment, emergency medics,
veterans, and active and
reserve military.
Hermiston’s John L.
Scott Real Estate offi ce is
now offering the “Homes
for Heroes” program,
where those who serve in
certain professions can get
signifi cant savings when
they buy, sell or refi nance
a home.
The Homes for Heroes
program is comprised of
real estate and lending spe-
cialists around the United
States, as well as local and
national businesses.
Every time some-
one uses the Homes for
Heroes program for a real
estate transaction, the pro-
gram donates a portion of
the earnings from the sale
to the Homes for Heroes
Foundation, which pro-
vides assistance to people
in those professions who
are looking for homes.
To fi nd out more about
the program and how to
use it, visit HomesForHe-
See BTW, Page A2
File photo
Savannah Torres paints a bunny nose on a girl during the 2016 Peter Rabbit Breakfast. This year’s event is Saturday at First United Methodist Church in
Hermiston.
By TAMMY MALGESINI
COMMUNITY EDITOR
A
rea churches and organizations are get-
ting a jump start on the Easter bunny,
offering fun weekend activities to cele-
brate Easter.
Participation is free, unless otherwise noted.
Events include:
HERMISTON
Butte Park
•1245 N.W. Seventh St.
•Friday, 8:15 p.m.
The Easter bunny is getting an early start,
hopping on over to Butte Park for the annual
Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt. Sponsored by the
Simmons Agency, thousands of fi lled eggs will
be hidden in the dark. Children 10-and-under
are invited to bring a fl ashlight and gather eggs.
Don’t be late because the Easter bunny won’t
wait. (541-667-5018)
United Methodist Church
•191 E. Gladys Ave.
•Saturday, 7:30-10:30 a.m.
Hop on over for the 32nd annual Peter Rab-
bit Breakfast. The all-you-can-eat meal features
pancakes, sausage, fruit, coffee and juice for $5
(children under 5 are free). In addition, there
will be face painting, crafts, an egg hunt and
a visit by Peter Rabbit. Money raised goes to
Methodist church camp scholarships and Made
to Thrive. (541-567-3002)
Hermiston Church of the Nazarene
•1520 W. Orchard Ave.
•Saturday, 10 a.m.
Families with special needs are invited to an
Easter egg hunt. The event, which is wheel-
chair accessible, is designed to offer Eas-
ter fun in a supportive environment where
parents, siblings and friends may assist.
(541-567-3677)
Living Faith Church
•1611 Diagonal Blvd.
•Sunday, 9 a.m. & 10:45 a.m.
After the children’s Easter programs,
which feature a “Toy Story” theme, those
attending are invited to participate in Eas-
ter egg hunts. There are 5,000 eggs with
chances to win special games and prizes,
including a giant Easter basket fi lled with good-
ies. (541-567-4486)
BOARDMAN
Boardman Marina Park
•1 Marine Drive, N.E.
•Saturday, 9:15 a.m.
The event begins at 9:15 a.m. with a meet-
and-greet with the Easter bunny, face painting
and bouncy houses. Bring your smiles for pho-
See EASTER, Page A12
Illustration by vecteezy.com
New 48-unit apartment complex announced in Hermiston
By JADE MCDOWELL
8
08805 93294
2
A new apartment complex is
coming to Hermiston in the spring
of 2020.
Northwest Housing Alternatives
has broken ground on a 48-unit com-
plex at 605 S.E. Sixth St. and 605
S.E. Seventh St. across from Cot-
tonwood Apartments. Construction
is expected to last for about a year.
The new complex, known as
Hermiston Family Housing, will
be affordable housing available to
residents making 60% of the area’s
median income.
Hermiston’s housing market has
been tight in recent years as growth
outpaces development, and the city
has made several efforts to remove
barriers to development through ini-
tiatives, such as adjustments to zon-
ing and setback requirements.
City planner Clint Spencer said
the NHA project has been “in the
pipeline” for about three years now,
so he couldn’t credit those new ini-
tiatives. But the new complex will
benefi t Hermiston nonetheless.
“It’s defi nitely going to help add
some options for families,” he said.
He said the Hermiston Family
Housing project had been slow to
get off the ground due to problems
working out the fi nancing. One thing
that has kept developers from add-
ing apartment complexes to Herm-
iston in recent years, he said, is that
single-family housing has remained
affordable enough that developers
fi nd they would need to charge rents
that would compare to the cost of a
mortgage.
Staff photo by Jade McDowell
See APARTMENTS, Page A12
Construction is underway for Hermiston Family Housing, a new 48-unit
apartment complex on Southeast Sixth Street.