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HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS » PAGE A4
ALL FUN AND
NO-CARVE
UMATILLA
GOES ALL-OUT
» PAGE A14
» PAGE A15
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2019
HermistonHerald.com
$1.50
BY THE WAY
Warming
Station
trainings
scheduled
ELECTION DAY COMING UP
Groups educate voters
The
Hermiston
Warming Station is feel-
ing grateful for Wild-
horse, Good Shepherd,
Walmart Distribution
Center, Umatilla Elec-
tric Cooperative and Til-
lamook for the generous
grants received.
The winter shelter is
100% volunteer run and
privately funded through
donations and grants.
Donations can be made
to P.O. Box 433, Hermis-
ton, OR 97838. For more
information or to volun-
teer, call 541-289-2150.
The upcoming train-
ing schedule for volun-
teers is: Saturday from
9-10:30 a.m.,
Sunday
from 3-4:30 p.m., Mon-
day from 6-7:30 p.m.,
See BTW, Page A16
FALL BACK
Staff photo by Jade McDowell
Umatilla County Commissioner Bill Elfering, left, explains the county charter ballot measures Wednesday night at a forum in Hermiston. He
is seated next to Marlene McClintock of the Umatilla County Republicans.
Also encourage turnout
ahead of Nov. 5 election
By JADE MCDOWELL
NEWS EDITOR
Daylight Saving Time
ends on Sunday at 2 a.m.
when clocks are turned
backward one hour to 1 a.m.
Sunrise and sunset will be
earlier, which means more
light in the morning.
E
lection Day is next Tues-
day, and groups are
making last-ditch efforts
to educate voters and encourage
them to turn in a ballot.
Hermiston voters are faced
with three measures — a school
bond, a language change in the
county charter and an amend-
ment that would change the
way county commissioners are
elected. So far only about 10%
of voters have voted.
During a town hall in Herm-
iston last Wednesday night,
Umatilla County commissioner
Bill Elfering said there had been
some confusion about Mea-
sure 30-133, titled “Changes
Law Enforcement Department
to Sheriff’s Offi ce in County
Charter.”
The amendment to the char-
ter would not affect the func-
tion of the sheriff’s offi ce, but
merely changes the words “Law
Enforcement Department” to
“Sheriff’s Offi ce” in the char-
ter to make it clear which law
enforcement agency is being
referred to.
“There is absolutely zero
change in anything about who
the sheriff is or what he or she
does, this is simply a name
change,” Elfering said.
The other county measure
would change the way elec-
tions for county commissioner
are held.
Under the current sys-
tem, every race for a seat on
the board of commissioners
See Elections, Page A16
Walden says he won’t seek re-election in 2020
By GARY WARNER AND JESSICA POLLARD
EO MEDIA GROUP
HH fi le photo
8
08805 93294
2
Rep. Greg Walden wears a Make Onions Great Again hat during a visit to the
BMCC campus in 2017 in Pendleton.
U. S. Rep. Greg Walden, the only
Republican in Oregon’s congressio-
nal delegation, announced Monday
he will not run again in 2020.
“I will not seek re-election to
the U.S. House of Representatives,
nor election to any other offi ce,”
Walden, 62, said in a video state-
ment. “Instead I will close the pub-
lic service chapter of my life, thank-
ful for the friends I’ve made and
the successful work we’ve done
together.”
Walden’s departure means the
2nd Congressional District seat will
be up for grabs for the fi rst time in a
generation. Walden was fi rst elected
in 1998 and won 10 re-election bids.
He beat Democratic opponents by
more than 60% of the vote in his
heavily Republican district until
Jamie McLeod-Skinner of Terre-
bone held him to 56% in 2018.
The 2nd Congressional District
includes Umatilla, Morrow, Baker,
Union and Wallowa counties, as
well as most of Eastern Oregon and
much of Southern Oregon. Walden
is from Hood River. He is the only
Republican among the fi ve House
members from Oregon. Both U.S.
senators — Ron Wyden and Jeff
Merkeley — are Democrats.
Walden became the 22nd Repub-
lican member of Congress to
announce their retirement before the
2020 election, which will include
See Walden, Page A16