SINGING ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION IN THE AMERICAN DREAM. SEE A15
HermistonHerald.com
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 2019
$1.00
INSIDE
NEW PAPERS
EO Media Group is expand-
ing its reach in Eastern
Oregon with the purchase
of the La Grande Observer
and Baker City Herald.
PAGE A12
friendly faces
NEW REPORTER
The Hermiston Herald has
a new face in its news-
room.
PAGE A3
SUMMER CAMP
Hermiston High School
announced its schedules
for summer sports and
band camps.
PAGE A11
BY THE WAY
Oregonians will offi -
cially be paying sales tax
in Washington starting
July 1 after Gov. Jay Ins-
lee signed the bill ending
the practice of retailers
waiving sales tax for Ore-
gon residents who show
identifi cation.
Instead,
Oregonians
who paid more than $25
in state sales tax for the
year will be able to sub-
mit tax forms and receipts
to the state once a year
requesting
reimburse-
ment. The forms have not
yet been created and made
available.
• • •
The Navy Explo-
sive Ordnance Disposal
Mobile Unit 11 will con-
duct a demolition disposal
at Naval Weapons Sys-
tem Training Facility in
Boardman on Thursday
and Friday.
The Navy postponed
a previously scheduled
attempt due to unfavorable
weather.
Activities on those days
may cause dust clouds,
smoke, audible detona-
tions and ground vibration.
• • •
Cancer survivors and
supporters from through-
out the region are prepar-
ing to take steps to raise
awareness and money
to fi ght the disease. The
Relay for Life of Uma-
tilla & Morrow Coun-
ties is Saturday, June 15
See BTW, Page A2
Staff photo by Jade McDowell
Members of the Good Shepherd Hospital Auxiliary present a check for $23,000 to the Good Shepherd Community Health Foundation during a
volunteer luncheon.
Good Shepherd volunteers recognized
for their contributions
By JADE MCDOWELL
NEWS EDITOR
W
hen people walk through the doors
at Good Shepherd Medical Center
they are often worried or scared
about what they might fi nd — a
life-changing diagnosis, perhaps, or a fam-
ily member in pain.
Good Shepherd’s volunteers can help
provide a friendly, comforting presence in
those moments.
Ken Freeman sits in the medical cam-
pus’s new building on the north side, greet-
ing patients and providing directions for
those who are lost.
“I enjoy being around people,” he said.
“Any time I can help someone, that’s where
my heart is.”
He donates his time for about four hours
a day, fi ve days a week, and gets to know
the familiar faces.
“I’ve gotten to be friends with a lot of
them who go down to the heart rehab,” he
said. “I kid around with them.”
Freeman is one of the few male volun-
teers who were present at Good Shepherd
Health Care System’s volunteer apprecia-
tion luncheon last Thursday. Most of the
hospital auxiliary’s volunteers are women.
Joyce Dye, 90, is one of several vol-
unteers who are still going strong in their
ninth decade. She volunteers in the day
surgery area for about 10 hours a week.
“It’s mostly reception work,” she said.
“I help get charts out for the nurses, I make
sure the families know where their patient
Staff photo by Jade McDowell
Cindy Schaan, director of volunteer services for Good Shepherd Health Care System, and
Tim Glass, president of the Good Shepherd Hospital Auxiliary, speak to volunteers at an
appreciation luncheon.
is, I get them coffee.”
She said she enjoys being able to do
things to help the families out as they’re
worried about their loved ones.
She used to be chair of the hospital’s
See FRIENDLY, Page A16
TO VOLUNTEER
Anyone interested in volunteering for
one of Good Shepherd Health Care
System’s volunteer programs can pick up
and application and background check
form at the hospital gift shop.
PERS continues to eat into city budget
By JADE MCDOWELL
NEWS EDITOR
8
08805 93294
2
As Hermiston city offi cials budget
for the coming fi scal year, the costs of
the Public Employee Retirement Sys-
tem continue to grow.
City manager Byron Smith wrote in
the forward to the proposed 2019-20
budget that the city’s general fund was
seeing a 25% increase in PERS costs,
on top of steep increases over the past
few years.
“This will not be sustainable for
many more years,” he said. “This
increase is eating up most if not all of
our revenue growth.”
In the police department, for exam-
ple, PERS expenses are increasing by
$210,000. Police Chief Jason Edmis-
ton said the continued increases restrict
his ability to add new personnel.
The city council will vote on the
2019-20 budget during their June 10
meeting. The budget includes a 2.75%
cost of living increase for employ-
ees, and maintains current staffi ng lev-
els at the equivalent of 120 full-time
employees.
Capital projects
While Hermiston will continue its
investment into new capital improve-
ment projects over the next year, many
of the projects slated for 2019-20 will
be less visible than recent undertak-
ings such as the new senior center. The
city plans to upgrade the computer sys-
tem that runs its water and sewer sys-
tem, improve a well and a lift station,
replace underground storage tanks and
expand the Geer Road water line.
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
See PERS, Page A16
A 1 million-gallon water tower is one of the City of Hermiston’s biggest
capital improvement projects for the 2019-20 fi scal year.