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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 23, 2019)
NEWS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2019 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A9 IN BRIEF Sarah Bushore, an employee of the United States Census Bureau, explains on Oct. 15 the list of questions to be asked and how to properly count people living at more than one address, such as children with split custody or exchange students. The Umatilla County 2020 Census Complete Count Committee aims to count every person it can for the 2020 census. And most of that effort will go toward counting members of “hard- to-count” groups. The Complete Count Committee kicked off with a brainstorming session last week at the Pendleton Con- vention Center involving around 40 civic leaders, pub- lic offi cials, employees and others. Bob Waldher, Uma- tilla County planning direc- tor, said about 70% of peo- ple comply and report census data. But reaching 100% is the goal, and that takes fi nd- ing strategies to reach the “hard-to-count” groups, including seniors, children younger than 5, migrant workers and even renters. Sarah Bushore with the Census Bureau told the crowd A veteran’s town hall meeting and open house will provide an opportunity to visit with offi cials from the Walla Walla Veterans Administration. Veterans and community members can learn more about future healthcare options and the new Mission Act. The free event is Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. at the Port of Morrow, 2 Marine Drive, Boardman. Lunch and cake will be provided by Morrow County Veteran Services. For more information, contact Linda Wondra, Walla Walla VA public affairs offi cer, at 509-386-1117, linda.won- dra@va.gov or visit www.wallawalla. va.gov. Due to a forecast of inclement weather this past weekend, Blue Moun- tain Wildlife postponed its open house. The free event is this Saturday from 1-4 p.m. at 71046 Appaloosa Lane, Pendleton. The open house will feature tours, live music, a falconry demon- stration, raffl e prizes, refreshments and more. For more information, contact rap- tor@wtechlink.us, 541-278-0215 or visit www.bluemountainwildlife.org. The Blue Mountain Community College Veterans Resource Center wel- comes Vincent Vargas. The Hollywood actor-writer will speak Friday at 1 p.m. in ST-200 in the Science & Technology Building on the BMCC Pendleton campus. The Vargas event is free and open to the public. In addi- tion, a free lunch will precede the pre- sentation at noon. Known for his role in FX’s “The Mayans,” writing and acting in the short fi lm, “The Long Way Back” and the TV series, “Dads in Parks,” Vargas will share about his transition back from military active duty to civilian life. Vargas is a 15-year veteran of three combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan with the 75th Ranger Reg- iment’s 2nd Battalion based at Joint Base Lewis-McCord, Washington. He has vaulted to fame as an actor, writer, producer, blogger, podcaster, poet, busi- ness entrepreneur and social media per- sonality by publicly sharing his Army work and personal experiences with brutal honesty. His presentation will focus on his transition back from active duty to civilian life, and the challenges that came with that. For more information, contact Casey White-Zollman, vice president of col- lege relations & advancement, at 541- 278-5839 or cwhitezollman@bluecc. edu. For more about Vargas, visit www. vinnyroc.com. Umatilla County reaching for ‘hard to count’ during census the Constitution requires a count of all people residing in the country, not just of all citizens. Establishing resi- dency is a crucial component of the count, she said, and the rules of residency cover fi ve pages. But she said the bureau relies on two rules for most situations. The fi rst: Where do you stay most of the time? And when that does not work, where did you sleep April 1? Working in small groups, the participants came up with ideas ranging from get- ting churches to encourage parishioners to take part in the census to staffi ng tables with English and Spanish speakers at local Walmarts to get the word out. “We probably had like a hundred different ideas,” Waldher said last Wednesday. Next month, the commit- tee will meet to determine which of those are the most viable, which could mean which are the most afford- Blue Mountain Wildlife changes open house Actor and writer Vincent Vargas to speak at Friday BMCC Staff photo by Ben Lonergan By PHIL WRIGHT STAFF WRITER Veterans town hall provides healthcare information able. He said the commit- tee has a budget of about $10,000. County Commissioner George Murdock also attended the recent session. He said during a recent trip to Washington, D.C., with the National Association of Counties he learned the cen- sus helps the federal govern- ment distribute more than $1.5 trillion. “That’s $4,000 per per- son,” he said, and thus a major reason to get as accurate a count as possible. In addition to the the federal funds, Ore- gon also stands to gain a sixth representative in Congress. Murdock also told par- ticipants Umatilla County is not just leading Oregon in preparing for the census, it’s leading the nation. Out of 500 county commissioners at the meeting in D.C., he said, Umatilla County was among the 10 which could say its county has a complete count committee. Heppner Outreach rolls out Fall Festival Carnival games, craft projects, trac- tor rides, a vendor market, food and a beer garden are all featured during a Fall Festival in Heppner. The Heppner Outreach Committee invites people to come out for the fam- ily-friendly celebration. The event is Saturday from 3-9 p.m. at the Morrow County Fairgrounds, 74473 Highway 74, Heppner. Admission is $2 per per- son. Also, don’t forget to get a bite of apples donated by First Fruits and Dean Rill. The evening includes live music from 6-9 p.m., which will be provided by Dallin Puzey and Cory Peterson. Bucknum’s will be offering up cider and beer, including Ordnance Oktoberfest, Ordnance Fresh Hop IPA, Ordnance White Crow, as well as Coors Light, Two Towns Pacifi c Pineapple Cider and more. Also, a haunted house will be avail- able from 5-8 p.m., with the fi rst hour featuring a kid-friendly version with lights on and a no-scare walk-through. For more information, call the Hep- pner Chamber of Commerce at 541- 676-5536 or search www.facebook. com/heppneroutreach. IMAC serves Saturday breakfast A hearty home-cooked meal is avail- able during the Irrigon Multicultural Arts Center fundraising breakfast. The event is Saturday from 7:30- 10:30 a.m. at Stokes Landing Senior Center, 150 Columbia Lane, Irrigon. The cost is $4.50 per person. The group is dedicated to preserv- ing Irrigon’s 1921 school building and developing a regional art venue. For more information, call Peggy Price at 541-561-1737. Introducing James Whittum, MD Orthopedic Surgeon Good Shepherd Medical Group’s Advanced Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Institute is excited to announce the addition of new Orthopedic Surgeon, James Whittum, MD. Dr. Whittum is devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the bones, joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles, and brings over 25 years of experience to our community. “ I’m excited to join Dr. Jeremy Anderson in an established clinic and be an integral part of the growth of this community. ” Welcoming New Patients Advanced Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Institute 541.289.7075 620 NW 11th Street, Suite 201 Hermiston, OR 97838
