WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2020
HermistonHerald.com
$1.50
INSIDE
DANCE OFF
2019 full of ups & downs
This year’s lineup of
Hermiston “stars” dancing
for the mirror ball trophy is
revealed. Page » A4
NEW LAWS
Oregonians will face new
regulations and protections
in 2020. Page » A6
FOOD STAMPS
Tightened requirements for
SNAP eligibility will aff ect
an unknown number of
Umatilla County residents.
Page » A9
HH fi le photo
Union Pacifi c Railroad announced in March that it would lay off 500 additional employees for the Hinkle Rail Yard outside of Hermiston.
BY THE WAY
SAIF to hold
ag safety
seminar
SAIF, Oregon’s not-
for-profi t workers’ com-
pensation insurance com-
pany, is offering a free,
half-day seminar on agri-
cultural safety and health
in Hermiston on Jan. 14
in English and Jan. 15 in
Spanish.
The seminars will
run from 9:30 a.m. to
2:30 p.m. at the Hermis-
ton Conference Center,
415 South Highway 395.
Lunch is included.
This year’s seminars
will focus on four topics:
respiratory personal pro-
tective equipment, work-
ing at elevation, safety
leadership for anyone,
and incident analysis
Anyone can attend,
even if they are not
insured by SAIF, but reg-
istration is required. Reg-
istration details and other
See BTW, Page A12
Hermiston residents vote for their top stories of the year
HERMISTON HERALD
2019 was a year of highs and lows
for Hermiston. A major employer closed
its doors, residents were furious about
a water rate increase and the city lost a
beloved playground to arson. But the
top headlines also tell a story of hope a
growth, from major new investments in
the community to voters passing a new
bond to pay for new schools for Hermis-
ton children.
Below are our top 10 stories of the
year, which we ranked with assistance
from a reader poll on our website:
1) Union Pacifi c lays off most of its
Hermiston employees
The railroad played a central role in
Hermiston’s origin story and was a reli-
able source of family-wage jobs for
decades, but that chapter came to a close
in 2019.
In March, employees told the Hermis-
ton Herald that Union Pacifi c had laid off
at least 80 employees at the Hinkle Rail
Yard over the past few months and closed
the yard’s hump. In May, the company
announced it was laying off an additional
195 employees, leaving only a skeleton
crew at the yard and closing the supply
warehouse and mechanical shop.
Oregon’s senators called for answers
from Union Pacifi c in a letter stating it
would “devastate this rural community by
See Year in Review, Page A12
HH fi le photo
Supporters of the Hermiston School District Bond react to learning of the passing of the
bond during an election party in November.
INSIDE
More photo highlights of 2019 and a list of more than 20
“honorable mentions” from our readers, Page A12
Helping hands continue after the holidays
By JESSICA POLLARD
STAFF WRITER
8
08805 93294
2
Each holiday season, fundraisers
and donation drives aid the missions
of nonprofi t organizations through-
out the community. But what hap-
pens when the season of giving is
over?
“A lot of people during the hol-
idays are reuniting with family,
they have a sense of community
and feel the need to donate,” said
Kathryn Chaney, executive direc-
tor of Domestic Violence Services
in Umatilla County. “After the hol-
idays, there might be a lull.”
But the ebb and fl ow isn’t a bad
thing for an organization provid-
ing support to domestic violence
survivors. After all, the amount of
clothing needed to support people
through the winter months is a lit-
tle higher than what’s required other
times of the year.
“We always need things through-
out the year — underwear, sanitary
products, blankets,” Chaney said.
“This time of year, we also need
coats and hats.”
She added that because holidays
can be cold, and a particularly emo-
tional time of year, the need for shel-
ter away from a domestic violence
situation can be heightened.
“It’s emotionally gratifying to
have a place to go this time of year,”
HH fi le photo
See donations, Page A12
Volunteer Doug Alvarez loads a box of food into the back of a vehicle during
the Christmas Express on Dec. 17, 2018, at Agape House in Hermiston.