NEWS
A6 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019
Power Pro to close up shop
By JADE MCDOWELL
NEWS EDITOR
It’s a good time to be an electri-
cian in Hermiston, but not a good
time to need one.
As Amazon continues adding
data centers to the area, the tech
company worth more than $1 tril-
lion is poaching employees from
local electrical shops faster than
they can hire them. It’s gotten so bad
that Jon Patterson of Power Pro —
one of Hermiston’s three major elec-
trical contractors — is closing his
business.
“You can’t hire an electrician,”
he said. “Everyone is losing three to
four people a month to those guys.”
Patterson started Power Pro in
2001 out of his shop, and built his
building on Campbell Drive in
2006. Over the past 18 years he has
employed 99 different people as
full-time employees, he said, and
many more for part-time work.
He said he has enjoyed his time
building a business in Hermiston
and had “a lot of fun” doing it. The
community has been supportive,
and employees have formed close-
knit friendships.
“It’s really been a pleasure work-
ing here,” he said.
The past year has been much less
enjoyable, however, as employees
have walked off partially completed
jobs, lured away by high pay and
large signing bonuses for Amazon.
“I don’t mind if they’re ready to
leave the nest, but everyone at once
killed me,” he said.
Hermiston projects, both munici-
pal and commercial, have announced
delays in recent years due to a strug-
gle fi nding electrical contractors.
Patterson said his two biggest com-
petitors actually asked him to recon-
sider his decision to retire.
“That says something,” he said.
He predicted local electrical con-
tractors will have to raise wages —
and prices — signifi cantly to keep
employees from heading to Amazon.
“What’s going to happen here is
if you want something done to your
house you’re going to be paying
$200 an hour,” he said.
That will be a problem for some-
one besides Patterson to fi gure out.
He said he’s taking about a year off
to go build a cabin on some property
he owns, and then he will start think-
ing about what will come next.
He is auctioning off Power Pro’s
equipment, trucks and other sup-
plies through Mike’s Auction LLC
on May 31, which could provide an
opportunity for someone else in the
area looking to start or expand their
business.
Power Pro has performed a wide
range of commercial and municipal
jobs in the Pacifi c Northwest over
the years, from schools to stores.
Patterson said one of his favorite
jobs was doing lightning protection
on Forest Service lookout towers in
Library
art display
features local
artist
remote locations all over the Pacifi c
Northwest. As the Forest Service’s
“go-to” person for lightning pro-
tection, they used everything from
mules and ATVs to helicopters to
pack in supplies and equipment.
“We had a lot of fun on the
towers,” he said. “It was just like
camping.”
Patterson said despite closing the
business he plans to remain chair
of Blue Mountain Community Col-
lege’s electrical apprenticeship advi-
sory committee. He said if the state
wanted to help ease Eastern Ore-
gon’s electrician shortage it would
revise its particularly restrictive
rules for licensing and allow elec-
tricians to take on more than one
apprenticeship at a time.
He also encouraged teachers to
stop telling students that the only
way to make money was with a col-
lege education, when they can also
do very well in life after entering an
apprenticeship program.
T
here are still a few
days left to view the
artwork of Mariela
Caldera, which is on dis-
play at the Hermiston Pub-
lic Library.
Caldera, who went to
school in Stanfi eld, enjoys
traveling and some of her
artwork is infl uenced by
places she has visited. She
is currently fi nishing up her
fi nal term at Eastern Ore-
gon University where she
is studying business with a
minor in art.
The library is located at
235 E. Gladys Ave., Herm-
iston. For more informa-
tion, call 541-567-2882.
COURTS
Sentences
PENDLETON — The follow-
ing sentences have been
imposed in Umatilla County
courts:
FELONY
•Herbert William Hill Jr., 41, Irri-
gon, pleaded guilty to Driving
While Suspended/Revoked:
sentence to discharge.
•Christopher Scott Nelsen, 41,
Hermiston, pleaded guilty to
Possession of Methamphet-
amine: sentenced to 3 years
probation, 180 sanction units,
90 maximum jail units, 160
hours community service,
$200 fi ne, $2,300 fi ne-sus-
pended and 6 months driver’s
license suspension; pleaded
guilty to Fleeing or Attempt
to Elude Police Offi cer:
sentenced to $200 fi ne and 3
years driver’s license suspen-
sion; pleaded guilty to Giving
False Information to Police:
sentenced to 90 days jail and
$100 fi ne.
•Hector Elias Guerra, 36,
Hermiston, pleaded guilty to
Delivery of Heroin: sentenced
to 12 months jail, 2 years
post-prison supervision and
$200 fi ne.
Suits Filed
PENDLETON — The follow-
ing suits have been fi led
in Umatilla County courts
(interest, court costs and
fees not listed):
•Portfolio Recovery Associates
LLC vs. Kassandra R. Brooks of
Hermiston: seeks $1,821.17.
•Portfolio Recovery Associates
LLC vs. Brian D. Stone of Uma-
tilla: seeks $3,926.77.
•OneMain Financial Group LLC
vs. Robert C. White Jr.: seeks
$5,013.81.
•OneMain Financial Group
LLC vs. Jeff rey R. Evens: seeks
$7,380.92.
•Credits Inc. vs. Arianna
Amezcua of Hermiston: seeks
$707.46.
judgment for $972.06.
$1,616.15.
Judgments
•Credits Inc. vs. Stacy Skerjanec
of Hermiston: judgment for
$539.64.
•Credits Inc. vs. Joseph A. and
Nicole Tovar of Hermiston:
judgment for $825.23.
•Nationwide Recovery Service
vs. William Lewis Mesteth
of Hermiston: judgment for
$4,971.17.
•Credits Inc. vs. William L. and
Karina Venoy of Hermiston:
judgment for $1,552.95.
•Ray Klein Inc. vs. Heather Lan-
caster of Hermiston: judgment
for $389.
PENDLETON — Divorce
decrees were signed in Uma-
tilla County Courts for:
•Credits Inc. vs. Pedro and
Rachel Muniz of Hermiston:
judgment for $815.49.
Joshua L. Reddick and Serena
R. Reddick of Hermiston.
Marriages
Rigoberto Claudio Garcia, 31,
and Maria Domingo Domingo,
25, both of Hermiston.
PENDLETON — Marriage li-
censes have been registered
in Umatilla County for:
Charles Cody Case, 51, and
Brenda Yvonne Porter, 48, both
of Stanfi eld.
Hugo Elizandro Guzman
Rosales, 34, and Alba Luz
Alvarenga Hernandez, 40, both
of Umatilla.
Manuel Escalante Cardenas,
38, and Maria Teresa De
Jesus Hernandez, 29, both of
Umatilla.
Benjamin Edward Allen Green,
32, and Rachelle Renae Ara-
gon, 28, both of Hermiston.
Raul Garcia Torres, 36, and Ma-
ria Frania Covarrubias Espain,
33, both of Umatilla.
Carlos Jesus Carter, 37, of Uma-
tilla, and Sara Naomi Knox, 36,
of Astoria.
Ernest William Erickson Jr.,
26, of Irrigon, and Shavon
Lee-Onne Newton, 20, of
Hermiston.
PENDLETON — The follow-
ing judgments have been
rendered in Umatilla County
courts (interest, court costs
and fees not listed):
•Midland Funding LLC vs.
Christy McMillen (Jenner-Bru-
ton) of Hermiston: judgment
for $2,105.65.
•Credits Inc. vs. Gabriela Nieto
Balcazar of Boardman: seeks
$513.99.
•Midland Funding LLC vs.
Tara Machado of Hermiston:
judgment for $5,953.74 and
$2,421.26 in separate suits.
•Credits Inc. vs. Tori E. Cate-
Hinz of Hermiston: seeks
$1,267.66.
•Midland Funding LLC vs.
Jessica Christina of Umatilla:
judgment for $5,052.75.
•Capital One Bank vs. Bruce A.
Doty of Hermiston: judgment
for $5,532.58 and $2,137.93 in
separate suits.
•Credits Inc. vs. Tania J. Estrada
of Umatilla: seeks $3,801.80.
•Midland Funding LLC vs.
James Belew of Hermiston:
judgment for $821.92.
•Credits Inc. vs. Nadine E. and
Ward Borden of Hermiston:
judgment for $9,502.35.
•Midland Funding LLC vs.
Amber Westfall of Hermiston:
judgment for $822.59.
•Bonneville Billing & Collec-
tions Inc. vs. Nadia Canche
of Umatilla: judgment for
$177.71.
•United Finance Co. vs. Juan
Gomez Juarez of Hermiston:
seeks $5,645.36.
•Credits Inc. vs. Candy Espain
Garcia of Hermiston: seeks
$2,134.66.
•Credits Inc. vs. John T. and
Erin Lovett of Echo: seeks
$1,459.99.
•Credits Inc. vs. Elisa Reyes of
Hermiston: seeks $2,2522.45.
Alonso Gonzalez, 24, and
Sarah Kate Tabor, 22, both of
Hermiston.
$3,943.93.
•Midland Funding LLC vs. Janet
Doty of Hermiston: judgment
for $2,671.90.
•Midland Funding LLC vs. Ber-
enice Rodriguez of Hermiston:
judgment for $1,424.12.
•Swift Transportation Co. of
Arizona vs. Leslie Marsh: Seeks
$5,592.60.
•Credits Inc. vs. Vincent
Harrison and Ivette Arellano
Harrison of Irrigon: judgment
for $1,023.04.
•Elizabeth Melendrez vs. Col-
leen Louise Holmstrom: seeks
$125,000.
•Credits Inc. vs. Alicia Ponce
of Boardman: judgment for
$713.19.
•Cavalry SPV I LLC vs. Jessica
Christina of Umatilla: seeks
$2,108.20.
•Credits Inc. vs. Wendy and
Anthony Raymond of Umatilla:
judgment for $6,254.44.
•Portfolio Recovery Associates
LLC vs. Tina K. Wells: seeks
•Credits Inc. vs. Lazaro F.
Rodriguez of Umatilla/Irrigon:
•Bonneville Billing & Col-
lections Inc. vs. Terry D. and
Kristen Iverson of Hermiston:
judgment for $185.94.
•Credits Inc. vs. Paul Bailey
of Stanfi eld: judgment for
Adolfo Mendoza Barboza, 46,
and Ma Cristina Mejia Velasco,
45, both of Hermiston.
Kevin Wayne Benham, 58, and
Racel Bajado Inoferio, 36, both
of Hermiston.
Divorces
George Ross Westfall, 21, and
Claire Edean Wilson, 21, both
of Hermiston.
Santos Martin Lopez, 34, and
Odilia Sales Godinez, 34, both
of Hermiston.
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