COMMUNITY
A2 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
THREE MINUTES WITH ...
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2019
HERMISTON HISTORY
25 YEARS AGO
NOV. 29, 1994
MARTHA TORRES
First grade teacher at
Sunset Elementary
When and why did you move to Hermiston?
My parents lived here before I was born. They
went to visit my grandparents in Mexico, which is
where I was born, and I’ve lived here ever since.
When I went to Eastern Oregon University, we
moved out there for a little bit.
What is your favorite place to eat in
Hermiston?
La casa de mi abuelita — or my grandmother’s
house. That’s my favorite place. She cooks every-
thing, her salsa verde is the best. Anything she puts
her hands on is amazing.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I’m married and I have three kids. They keep us
busy, so I spend a lot of time with my family.
What surprises you about Hermiston?
Something that doesn’t surprise me, but that I’m
proud of, which is the educational support for all
students in Hermiston. I’m proud of how we are
supporting all student as diversity in Eastern Ore-
gon increases.
What was the last book you read?
I love reading, and I have a lot of favorites. One
recent one that I loved was “Born a Crime” by
Trevor Noah; it’s his memoir. I like fi ction, but I
like memoirs too.
What website or app do you use most other
than Facebook?
Probably Instagram or Pinterest.
If you could travel anywhere, where would
you go?
I would travel all over South America. Anywhere
with a rainforest and that kind of climate. I want to
know more about that area. I don’t travel much but
that would be amazing.
What is the funniest thing that’s ever hap-
pened to you?
When I was in high school, our neighbor’s kid
would sometimes wander into our house through
the kitchen door. One time I was hanging out in the
kitchen doing dishes and my little sister, who was
two at the time, was hugging on my leg and pulled
down my pants. Little did I know our neighbor was
just about to come through the kitchen door, and
I had to yell at him to go away! My sister didn’t
mean to do that, but we still talk about it today.
What is one of your goals for the next 12
months?
Probably to start my master’s program this year.
I would like to focus on educational leadership or
trauma. Right now, I’m doing a lot of research. I
am interested in trauma-informed teaching and I
want there to be teachers that look like me.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
I’m so proud of my children. I have an 11-year-old
and a 14-year-old at Armand Larive, and my old-
est is going to turn 16 in two weeks.
Printed on
recycled
newsprint
After years of haggling between
the City of Hermiston and the state,
Hermiston is getting an Oregon
National Guard armory.
“It takes a while for some of
these things to come to fruition,
but we’ve fi nally got it done,”
said guard spokesman Col. Mike
Caldwell.
Congress has authorized $1.5
million for the new facility. The
state is kicking in another $685,000.
For that price, Hermiston will
get a 20,000 square foot building on
city-owned property on Columbia
Drive near Blue Mountain Commu-
nity College’s west campus.
2) Only about 300 people
attended the annual Thanksgiving
Day Community Fellowship Din-
ner at the Hermiston Senior Center
Thursday.
Organizer Laurie Ball said she
suspected the number was down
from almost 500 last year because
of better weather for traveling and a
higher employment rate.
HH fi le photo
Kindergarteners Logan Rock, left, and Corey Kelly enjoy a Thanksgiving meal in
their classroom in 1994.
50 YEARS AGO
NOV. 27, 1969
In this fast-moving age of jets
— even moon trips — time still
rates as a limited resource, judging
from a study of young homemakers
recently completed by the Depart-
ment of Home Management at Ore-
gon State University.
Maybe it’s because space-age
developments haven’t fi ltered down
to the level of daily homemaking
chores.
Mrs. Melionee Echols, while
enrolled in the OSU Gradu-
ate School, conducted research
designed to identify young home-
makers’ management problems. She
interviewed 50 women who had
married in their teens. They ranged
in age from 17 to 22, and had been
married from six months to three
years.
When Mrs. Echols asked the
young wives about specifi c home-
making jobs, those that gave them
trouble were more often related to
lack of time than any other resource.
Insuffi cient time was blamed for
their diffi culties in planning meals,
preparing food, sewing and caring
for the house.
75 YEARS AGO
NOV. 30, 1944
Mr. and Mrs. F. C. McKenzie
this week received a letter from
Thomas S. Wagley, Capt., Co. K,
322 Inf., Commanding, telling of
the manner in which Pvt. Francis
McKenzie met his death. The letter
follows:
“Your son, Francis, who was a
member of my command, died of
wounds received in action on the
afternoon of 1 October 1944 at
Angaur Island.
“You have the deepest sympa-
thy of the offi cers and men of this
organization in your bereavement.
Francis was held in high regard by
all members of this command. He
was a splendid soldier and of out-
standing character, and his dis-
play of great courage and fearless-
ness under enemy fi re was a great
inspiration to every one of us. It is
regrettable that men of his caliber
must have to pay the supreme sac-
rifi ce, but he gave his life fi ghting
for the great cause in which we all
believe. His loss will be deeply felt
by his many friends.
“Francis was killed when his
squad moved in to take an enemy
strong point which had held the
Company up for a number of hours.
I wish to express my own personal
sympathy for your loss.”
HH fi le photo
Debbie Pedro arranges ribbon on a tree for Victorian Gardens in 1994.
100 YEARS AGO
NOV. 29, 1919
The awful murder of J. N. Bur-
gess, recently appointed state high-
way commissioner, and George E.
Perringer, retired wheat rancher,
both of Pendleton, during a holdup
of Claremont tavern on the Linnton
Road near Portland on Friday night
of last week, stirred the people of
Umatilla County into a frenzy,
as both men were identifi ed with
affairs that had much to do with the
future welfare of this county and
were prominent in all matters hav-
ing to do with the onward progress
of Eastern Oregon.
On that fateful evening Burgess
and Perringer were taking dinner at
the tavern as guests of E. P. Mar-
shall, another Pendleton man, when
holdup of the place occurred.
On entering the room in which
the three were seated, the robber
told them to throw up their hands,
and it was probably because of a
none-too-quick compliance with the
order that the highwayman became
nervous and began shooting. Mr.
Burgess was killed instantly, as was
Mr. Perringer, Mr. Marshall escap-
ing injury from a shot fi red at him.
Quick work was made in the
capture of the murderer and the
other highwaymen that took part
in the holdup, and it gave Sher-
iff T. D. Taylor, close friend of the
dead men, who was on his way
home from Salem, real pleasure to
be one of the several offi cers that
hunted the assassins to their lair and
arrested them.
The prisoners taken were James
Ogle, an ex-convicts from Deer
Lodge, Mont. Penitentiary; Walter
Banaster, a cook, 23 years old; and
David Smith, a machinst, 23 years
old. Shortly after the arrest Ogle
made a confession to the deputy
district attorney, in which he said
he had, while intoxicated, agreed to
the holdup, and had been held prac-
tically a prisoner by the other two
from that moment until the arrest.
All this was changed Wednes-
day, however, when the three
pleaded guilty to the murder indict-
ment and were given life sentences
by the judge sitting on the case.
VOLUME 113 • NUMBER 48
Chris Rush | Publisher • crush@eomediagroup.com • 541-278-2669
Jade McDowell | News Editor • jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4536
Recovery mentors reach out to community
Jessica Pollard | Reporter • jpollard@eastoregonian.com, 541-564-4534
Tammy Malgesini | Community Editor • tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4539
Annie Fowler | Sports Editor • afowler@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4542
Jeanne Jewett | Multi-Media consultant • jjewett@hermistonherald.com • 541-564-4531
Audra Workman | Multi-Media consultant • aworkman@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4538
Dawn Hendricks | Circulation assistant • dhendricks@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4530
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CORRECTIONS
It is the policy of the Hermiston Herald to correct errors as soon as they are
discovered. Incorrect information will be corrected on Page 2A. Errors commited on
the Opinion page will be corrected on that page. Corrections also are noted in the
online versions of our stories.
Please contact the editor at editor@hermistonherald.com
or call (541) 564-4533 with issues about this policy or to report errors.
HERMISTON HERALD
The Mental Health &
Addiction
Certifi cation
Board of Oregon recently
highlighted the leadership
of Amy Ashton-Williams,
the director of Human Ser-
vices in Umatilla County,
and her team of Certifi ed
Recovery Mentors.
According to a state-
ment from the certifi ca-
tion board, Ashton-Wil-
liams has worked diligently
to integrate recovery men-
tors in the agency’s inten-
sive alcohol and drug out-
patient program over the
last four years. Clients
who have recovery men-
tors, Ashton-Williams said,
have a higher retention in
treatment, are more likely
to stay clean and sober, and
have less recidivism.
The team includes Tif-
fany Thomas, the peer men-
Contributed photo
Amy Ashton-Williams, director of Human Services in Umatilla
County, and her team of Certifi ed Recovery Mentors,
including Timmy Clark, Megan Torres, Marvella Ugarte, June
Kilgore and Tiff any Thomas, peer mentor supervisor.
tor supervisor, who also
offers free group supervi-
sion for peers working at
local mental health agen-
cies, outpatient substance
use disorder facilities and
residential facilities. The
county provides assistance
to the local agencies as a
way to coordinate services
and build a strong peer
community.
Recovery
mentors
include Timmy Clark and
Megan Torres, who have
been working in this capac-
ity during traditional work
hours. With the addition of
more grant funding, Ash-
ton-Williams said peer
mentors could be available
during evening hours as
well.
Also, in collabora-
tion with the State Opi-
oid Response Grant, recov-
ery mentors are available
at emergency rooms. They
are able to provide brief
interventions with indi-
viduals who are experi-
encing consequences from
their use. Ashton-Williams
and Thomas said that the
addition of June Kilgore
and Marvella Ugarte has
improved the county’s abil-
ity to connect with and pro-
vide support to community
members during and after
an emergency room visit.
For more informa-
tion, contact Ashton-Wil-
liams at amy.ashton-wil-
liams@umatillacounty.net
or 541-278-6330.