Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current, June 26, 2019, Image 3

Hermiston herald., June 26, 2019, Page A3, Image 3

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Newspaper Page TextNEWS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2019 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3 Retailers prepare to lose plastic bags By JADE MCDOWELL STAFF WRITER T hose hundreds of plastic grocery bags stuffed under your kitchen sink are about to become a rare commodity in Oregon. Gov. Kate Brown signed House Bill 2905 on Thurs- day, banning single-use plastic grocery bags from stores and restaurants start- ing in 2020. The bill also requires stores to charge at least 5 cents per bag for paper bags instead of giving them out for free. Area stores are still con- sidering how they will adapt. Dave Mead, manager of Harvest Foods in Umatilla, said they had already been offering paper bags as an option and selling reusable bags. They also just pur- chased mesh bags that cus- tomers can use for produce. “We’re not sure yet how we’ll handle the meat department yet,” he said, noting the potential sanita- tion concerns of raw meat products leaking onto other groceries. The new law will likely drive a large increase in demand for paper bags, which Mead said he hoped would not cause a short- age. He said he understood the environmental concerns behind the law, but most stores have been using plas- tic because it’s cheaper. Staﬀ photo by E.J. Harris A single-use plastic bag sits in a drainage ditch on Thursday in Hermiston. The Oregon House approved a statewide ban on single-use plastic shopping bags. “This is a cost of doing business, and it gets passed on,” he said. Plastic bags are a major source of waterway pollu- tion and often turn up in the stomachs of dead sea tur- tles, dolphins and whales. Concern about their effects on wildlife and the envi- ronment in general have led 127 countries to ban or tax single-use grocery bags, according to the United Nations. In the United States, Cal- ifornia, Hawaii and New York have already enacted bans. Some individual cit- ies in Oregon, such as Hood River, had previously banned the bags via city ordinance. Brandt Koo, owner of the 11th Street Market in Herm- iston, said he questioned how much the ban would really decrease pollution. “It inconveniences peo- ple to make them feel bet- ter,” he said. His market uses sin- gle-use plastic bags now, but he said they would prob- ably switch to paper. A lot of the neighborhood mar- ket’s customers walk to the store, however, and he said he had yet to ﬁ nd a paper Drowning victims remembered for loving life By PHIL WRIGHT STAFF WRITER T he Umatilla County Sheriff’s Ofﬁ ce is investigating what led to the deaths of two people June 15 while boating on the Columbia River. Divers on June 17 recov- ered the bodies of Janice Arsenault, 44, of Umatilla, and Trenton Williams, 20, from Idaho, in the river near Bobby’s Beach, a small site along Highway 730 north about 10 miles east of Uma- tilla. Sheriff Terry Rowan said afterward that with the recovery complete, the focus can shift to ﬁ nding out what happened. According to the initial reports from the sheriff’s ofﬁ ce, Arsenault and Wil- liams fell off a boat. The driver of the boat, Richard Kirkendall, 41, of Hermis- ton, reported the pair were riding on the dive step of the boat and he noticed they were missing when he arrived on shore. Rowan said the case presents plenty of questions, including whether alcohol or other drugs played a role, which will be a matter for Dr. Rudy Stefancik, the county med- ical examiner. Rowan also said Williams did not pop up on local police databases, and the investigation will look into why he was here as well as the relationships between the three. He also expressed his admiration to members of the Umatilla Rural Fire Pro- tection District, which lost one of is own with Arse- nault’s death. She was a volunteer ﬁ reﬁ ghter for the local department. “That was pretty hum- bling to watch them stand- ing at attention on the dock waiting for the boats to come in, and then the procession from Hat Rock to Burns (the mortuary in Hermiston),” Rowan said. Janice Arsenault nault on its Facebook page: “It is dif- ﬁ cult to write this through the Arsenault tears and heartache, as we continue to process this sudden and tragic loss for us all. Janice’s positive outlook on life, contagious laugh, and her desire to live life to its fullest will be missed. We are glad that she was part of our family too. “Words alone cannot express the appreciation and gratitude we have to all of those individuals and groups who stepped forward to help up our agency, our family, in our efforts to bring home our sister. You stood steadfast by our side in our greatest moment of need. Thank you. “May we all ﬁ nd solace in knowing that Janice is in a better place and will forever be watching over us.” Last week an impromptu memorial started as peo- ple began leaving ﬂ owers and other items outside the Umatilla ﬁ re station. Arsenault was a stu- dent and employee at Blue Mountain Community Col- lege. Jacelyn Keys, director of BMCC’s Hermiston Cen- ter, was Arsenault’s supervi- sor. She recalled Arsenault as a dynamic and outgoing personalty. One of Arsenault’s joys outside studying was riding her Harley Davidson motor- cycle. She recently returned from a rally with family and friends, Keys said, but Arse- nault did not let blood lines draw the boundaries of who she called family. “I don’t know if that woman actually knew a stranger,” Keys said. Arsenault’s deﬁ nition of relaxing left folks in the dust. She earned her GED at the college, took classes to become a volunteer ﬁ re- ﬁ ghter and this spring earned her national EMT creden- tials. She also worked full time as an ofﬁ ce assistant and was a mother of four. “Janice did everything big,” Keys said. “She loved big. She laughed big.” But something small from her friend was really sticking with Keys who said she is not a morning person. While she arrived at work at 8 a.m., she would be content not to engage with anyone until 10. Arsenault told her she needed to hear Keys tell her, “Good morning.” Arse- nault pushed for her work day to begin on a positive note. Keys said over time she gave in. “I think the last two mornings,” Keys said, “I miss that the most.” Trenton Williams Jared Warren of Hermis- ton recalled his friend Wil- liams as a life-loving buddy ready for just about any adventure. “That guy was never stuck at his house,” Warren said. “He was always look- ing for something to do.” Warren said Williams hailed from Kuna, Idaho, and moved to Eastern Ore- gon for work. “He and I were hired out together at the rail- road last March. We were good friends since then.” Williams lived in Pend- leton but came to Warren’s home to enjoy video games and barbecues. Williams recently got into rock climb- ing, and earlier this year bought a motorbike. Warren said Williams “absolutely loved” the machine and recounted the fun they had when he rode on the back with his friend. “It was just so funny,” he said. “Two bigger-sized guys riding a motorbike. They had to videotape it, it was so funny.” The past few weekends, Williams took to spend- ing time on the Columbia River and hanging out with Arsenault. Warren described Williams and Arsenault as friends. He said it was unfortunate his friend died so young. “Trent was a good kid,” Warren said. “He always had a smile on his face. He was just positive about everything. He might have been ornery about it, but he was always positive.” bag with good enough han- dles to allow them to carry home more than one bag at a time. “We sell a lot of beer and drinks that are pretty heavy,” he said. Major retail chains, such as Walmart and Safeway, have already been deal- ing with such a ban in other states and cities. “Walmart is aware of Hermiston resident injured in crash OREGON CITY — A Hermiston woman suffered serious injuries June 19 in a head-on crash near Oregon City. Oregon State Police also reported three other crashes that day claimed four lives statewide. Lucia Smith, 28, was southbound on High- way 99E near milepost 16 when a northbound Toy- ota Tacoma crossed the centerline, smashing into her Jeep Commander. An ambulance took Smith to Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. State police received a driving complaint at 3:53 p.m. about the Toyota just before the crash. The driver, Hosein Reslmn, 36, of Milwaukie, also suf- fered serious injuries, and an emergency aircraft ﬂ ew him to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, Portland. Imagine The Difference You Can Make DONATE YOUR CAR 1-844-533-9173 FREE TOWING TAX DEDUCTIBLE Help Prevent Blindness Get A Vision Screening Annually Ask About A FREE 3 Day Vacation Voucher To Over 20 Destinations!!! Charlie is a very sweet 3 year old whose family gave him up as grandma was no longer able to care for him. Because of this he does have a bit of neediness when he first meets you until he realizes you won’t leave him. Very playful, loves to play with other dogs. Is overweight and needs to stay on a diet. GOLFING FOR A CAUSE SATURDAY, JULY 6 BIG RIVER GOLF COURSE He is good with kids, dogs, prefer no cats as he will chase them. He is potty trained and crate trained. M EE T CHARLIE! TITLE SPONSOR $60.00 ENTRY FEE: Includes greens fee for 18 holes, pastries before & lunch after the tournament OPEN TO MEN & WOMEN OF ALL SKILL LEVELS Four person Scramble Limited to fi rst 120 golfers 8:00am: Check-in opens. Teams & hole assignments announced. 9:00am: Shot gun start Conclusion of tournament: Lunch, awards ceremony 1055 S. Hwy 395, Suite 313 Hermiston, OR 97838 541-289-5454 • Fax: 541-289-5456 www.hermistoncornerstone.com State police reported two Arizona residents died Wednesday in a crash near Crane. Joyce and Arnold Arends were driving east in a GMC Yukon when it went off the road and onto the shoulder, came back onto the road and rolled multiple times before com- ing to rest on its top. The Arends died at the scene. Two other crashes also were deadly. Randy Darnell, 61, of Bay City, died when his Mazda left Highway 6 near Tillamook and hit a tree. Carol Sedano, 65, of Waldport, was heading south on Highway 99W near Junction City when her Toyota Corolla crashed into an oncoming Buick Rea, which then smashed into a tree. Jeffrey Taylor, 68, of Corvallis drove the Buick. He died at the scene. HERMISTON HERALD PET OF THE W EEK The ﬁ re district posted this message about Arse- CORNERSTONE the legislation and will be ready to comply with any new laws,” Tiffany Wil- son, director of communica- tions for Walmart, said in an email. In February, the company announced new initiatives to reduce plastic waste not only from the bags people use to carry their groceries home, but also in the pack- aging for products. One of its goals is to “achieve 100 percent recyclable, reusable or industrially compostable packaging for its private brand packaging by 2025.” It also set up bins at stores for people to drop off their used bags to be recycled into new ones, and is developing alternatives to plastic prod- ucts like single-use forks. “This announcement sends a positive signal to the marketplace, espe- cially in the United States,” Steve Alexander, CEO of the Association for Plas- tics Recyclers, said in a statement. “We applaud Walmart for establishing such a strong recyclable packaging goal and encourage others to pur- sue similar ambitions.” Oregon’s plastic bag ban is also joined by a bill requiring restaurants to only give plastic straws to cus- tomer who speciﬁ cally ask for them. A third bill, which would have banned styro- foam take-out containers, did not pass. Please contact Big River Golf Course to reserve a cart at 541-922-3006. (carts are not included in the entry fee) For more information, contact Dave Hughes at 541-571-7293. Mark Sargent, DVM • Brent Barton, DVM Eugenio Mannucci, DVM, cVMA • Jana von Borstel, DVM, cVMA Small and Large Animal Care Mon: 8-6 Tue - Fri: 8-5 Sat: 8-12 Emergency Service 541.567.1138 80489 Hwy 395 N Hermiston www.oregontrailvet.com PLACE YOUR AD HERE! Contact Audra at 541.564.4538 Today! If interested in him please go to fuzzballrescue.com and fill out an application. If you aren’t able to adopt, but would like to donate you can through PayPal by going to fuzzballrescue.com, or you can mail in donations to Fuzz Ball Animal Rescue PO Box 580 Hermiston, OR 97838