COMMUNITY
A2 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
THREE MINUTES WITH ...
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2020
HERMISTON HISTORY
SUNDI
MARTIN-MARQUEZ
Owner of Umatilla Cab Company
When and why did you move to Hermiston?
We kind of relocated here from the Portland area.
When my mom fell sick here about 13 years ago,
we laid down roots. I started Umatilla Cab Co. on
the side, and it just kind of grew.
What is your favorite place to eat in
Hermiston?
We’re about to try Panda Express, so we might
have a new one. I like the Broken Barrel (in Stan-
fi eld) a lot, and I like Delish Bistro.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Family is everything. Two out of three of our sons
are here with us, so spending time with them. That,
and helping in the community. Whatever we can do
to give back to the community. I also like to bake
and make candy. We were out (last week) deliver-
ing homemade Almond Roca and taxi passes.
What surprises you about Hermiston?
There’s a lot of good in Hermiston. People passing
by on the highway, they see an Army depot, tumble
weeds and sand (until) you really get into the meat
and potatoes of this town.
What was the last book you read?
Well, I love “The Outlander” series by Diana
Gabaldon. It touches on my heritage, and the
books are much better than the movies. I also just
bought “Girl, Wash Your Face” by Rachel Hollis.
What website or app do you use most other
than Facebook?
I’m not on social media much. Not because we’re
not into it, but I feel that one on one interactions
are a dying trend. I love those one-on-one connec-
tions and phone calls. We use the iExit app, it’s a
wonderful resource in our community. I also use
Daily Mail. Reading is a pastime gone by, and I
enjoy keeping up on news and world events.
If you could travel anywhere, where would
you go?
Australia — with all the wildlife I think it’d be
neat. If I was going to pick somewhere in the U.S.,
I would love to see New Orleans or Philadelphia.
I’m interested in history.
What is the funniest thing that’s ever hap-
pened to you?
There are so many things. I’ve had some crazy
stuff, but nailing down just one is tough.
What is one of your goals for the next 12
months?
Spend more time with our grandkids. Also, we’d
like to take some time and expand in our business
and representing the city of Hermiston. I am going
to sign up for a couple classes at BMCC, too.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
Our business. Umatilla Cab and Hermiston Taxi.
We’re so proud. I think one of my biggest accom-
plishments is when the city asked us to do the
ticket program for senior and disabled citizens.
Now that we are involved with that and the WORC
program (giving subsidized rides to work), I feel
tickled. We couldn’t be any happier.
Printed on
recycled
newsprint
HH fi le photo
Hermiston Rohrman Fund owner Chuck Rohrman congratulates longtime employee Flloyd Hess on his retirement in January
1995.
25 YEARS AGO
Jan. 3, 1995
The Umatilla County Dis-
trict Attorney’s offi ce has dropped
charges against Martin Prado stem-
ming from a July drive-by shooting.
Robert Hill, deputy district attor-
ney, said the disappearance of Fran-
cisco Garcia — their primary wit-
ness in the case — prompted the
dismissal without prejudice of three
attempted murder counts.
“Without prejudice” means that
were Garcia to surface, the charges
could be refi led against Prado any
time within the three-year statute of
limitations.
“This leaves a bad taste in my
mouth — having to dismiss — but
we will refi le when we can get a
case,” Hill said. “Eventually, there’s
a possibility we can hook up Garcia
and proceed.”
Prado was accused of fi ring sev-
eral shots at rival gang members from
a car Garcia was driving through a
Hermiston neighborhood.
Garcia was arrested within 24
hours of the shooting at his home in
Irrigon. He disappeared after posting
$12,500 bail.
There are several rumors over Gar-
cia’s fate. His attorney, Robert Clahn,
said he was very likely dead as a result
of revenge for the shooting.
50 YEARS AGO
Jan. 1, 1970
Three teenage brothers and their
11-year-old cousin are alive today in
what their families termed a “Christ-
mas miracle.”
The four youths received severe
electric shock and came close to being
electrocuted in a near tragedy Christ-
mas day when they picked up an irri-
gation pipe to get a rabbit out of it and
came in contact with a high voltage
wire as they started to stand the pipe
on end.
The four youths were Don Brandt,
18; Jerry Brandt, 16; Bill Brandt, 13;
and Mike Brandt, 11.
Mrs. Don Brandt related that the
families had gathered for Christmas
dinner at the home of the boys’ grand-
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fritz Brandt,
on Buttercreek Highway near Buck’s
Corner and the boys had gone outside.
The electric shock had knocked all of
the boys unconscious but Don recov-
ered fi rst and ran to his grandparents’
home for help.
Family members rushed to the
HH fi le photo
Courtney J. Bivins, daughter of Noel Payne and Mike Bivins, was the fi rst baby
born in Hermiston in 1995.
scene, Mrs. Brandt said, and found
Bill on his knees, Mike unconscious
and Jerry in convulsions. All four
boys were rushed to Good Shepherd
Hospital.
Three of the boys were released
from the hospital Friday, with only
Jerry remaining. Mrs. Brandt said that
Don suffered burns on his fi ngertips
and toes, Jerry was burned on the face
and shoulder, and Bill and Mike each
had scalp burns.
75 YEARS AGO
Jan. 4, 1945
Monday will be a big day in the
lives of primary grade students in the
Hermiston schools. On that day they
will begin moving into the new build-
ing recently completed by the U.S.
government. Acceptance papers were
signed this week by Supt. W.G. Kers-
bergen, representing the District 14
school board.
According to Mr. Kersbergen, the
fi rst three grades will occupy the new
building.
2) D.W. Bliss, manager of the units
at Victory Square as well as Ordnance,
has received a new ruling rescinding a
previous order which opened the units
at Victory Square to anyone. During
the past several months anyone in
need of housing was eligible but under
the ruling only those listed by govern-
ment authorities are eligible.
100 YEARS AGO
Jan. 3, 1920
There is a package in the local
post offi ce that was evidently being
sent as a Christmas gift to a Mr. and
Mrs. Beavert of somewhere unknown
to Postmaster Skinner, whose occult
powers have not been strong enough
to penetrate the abiding place of those
people.
He’d be a wonderful postmaster,
we claim, if he could send that pack-
age to its intended destination, for the
only address on it is, “From Eva and
George to Mr. and Mrs. Beavert.” Just
like that. So it still reclines on the shelf
in the post offi ce, waiting for “Little
Eva” or George to come readdress it.
2) County Commissioner Dunning
has been making a survey of the dam-
age sustained to roads from the recent
fl oods that caused washouts in several
places in Umatilla County. His opin-
ion is the damage to highways will
set the county back about $20,000 to
$25,000.
The washout of the large fi ll on the
old road leading to Stanfi eld from this
end of the county will cost consider-
able to repair, but probably the most
expensive will be the repair of the
bridge and pavement near Saxe, which
were washed away by the recent fl ood
in Wildhorse Canyon. Roads in the
Milton-Freewater section suffered
from damage also.
VOLUME 115 • NUMBER 1
Chris Rush | Publisher • crush@eomediagroup.com • 541-278-2669
Jade McDowell | News Editor • jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4536
Jessica Pollard | Reporter • jpollard@eastoregonian.com, 541-564-4534
Echo group receives boost from Pacifi c Power
HERMISTON HERALD
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.
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Members of the Echo
Heritage
Association
recently received a grant
from the Pacifi c Power
Foundation.
Lori Wyman, regional
business manager for
Pacifi c Power, delivered
a check for $1,030, which
will be used for restoration
of a neck stole that has been
a part of St. Peter’s Church
in Echo for decades.
The neck stole is one of
several items being restored
as part of a current project
of the EHA to restore inte-
rior properties. The items,
said Michael Duffy in a
press release, are unique to
Echo’s old church. Some
of the pieces, he said, have
been a part of St Peter’s
since early 1900s.
The stole will be restored
by Kate and Mitch of MPF
Conservation of Portland.
Photo contributed by Michael Duff y
The Pacifi c Power Foundation recently provided a donation to the Echo Heritage Association.
MPF is widely renowned
for their expertise and
exceptional attention to
detail when restoring his-
torical items, Duffy said.
Echo Heritage Associa-
tion was established in the
fall of 2018. The EHA’s
mission is “… to pre-
serve the history of Echo
by restoring, preserving
and enhancing the Echo
St. Peter’s Church for the
benefi t of future genera-
tions and to create a busi-
ness model dedicated to
sustaining its preservation
and use.” For more about
the Echo Heritage Associ-
ation, visit www.echoheri-
tage.org.
The Pacifi c Power
Foundation was created
in 1988 by Pacifi Corp,
an electric utility serv-
ing 1.8 million custom-
ers in six Western states.
For more information, visit
www.pacificpower.net/
foundation.