COMMUNITY
A2 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
THREE MINUTES WITH ...
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2020
HERMISTON HISTORY
BENNETT
CHRISTIANSON
When and why did you move to Hermiston?
I was born in Hermiston in 1985 and lived here
through high school. Then left for college in 2003
and ended up moving my family back here in 2016.
What is your favorite place to eat in
Hermiston?
Tough, there is a lot of good places, but hard to
beat Hales, for the hometown Hermiston tradition.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love hunting, fi shing, camping, or just being with
my family.
What surprises you about Hermiston?
Just how much it’s changed, developed, and grown
since I was a kid growing up here. It is exciting to
see and be a part of so much progress and where
we are headed as a community.
What was the last book you read?
The “Jack Reacher” series by Lee Child.
What website or app do you use most other
than Facebook?
I like to use Twitter for news and sports
information.
If you could travel anywhere, where would
you go?
Hawaii with my family.
What is the funniest thing that’s ever hap-
pened to you?
Probably getting asked to be a part of 2020 Herm-
iston Dancing with the Stars for anyone that has
ever seen me dance, or perhaps attempt to dance,
in my life...
(For photos of Christianson’s win on Saturday, see
Page A11)
What is one of your goals for the next 12
months?
I hope to continue to work hard to grow and
develop my company, Christianson Realty Group,
while supporting all the brokers that work with me
in each of their individual career goals.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
Without question, my family. My beautiful wife
Rylee and our three amazing kids, Mia (5), Kalli
(3) and Luke (1). They’re an incredible, daily
blessing to me.
Printed on
recycled
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VOLUME 114 • NUMBER 3
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
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.
SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Letters Policy: Letters to the Editor is a forum for the Hermiston Herald
readers to express themselves on local, state, national or world issues. Brevity
is good, but longer letters should be kept to 250 words.
No personal attacks; challenge the opinion, not the person. The Hermiston
Herald reserves the right to edit letters for length and for content.
Letters must be original and signed by the writer or writers. Anonymous
letters will not be printed. Writers should include a telephone number so
they can be reached for questions. Only the letter writer’s name and city of
residence will be published.
HH fi le photo
Port of Umatilla economic development director Bryon Grow, eft, and Hermiston city manager Ed Brookshier inspect a 48-
inch pipe ready to be laid in Hermiston in 1995.
Burn victims recovering after trailer fi re
25 YEARS AGO
Jan. 17, 1995
The city of Hermiston is explor-
ing ways to make parents responsi-
ble for their delinquent children.
City manager Ed Brookshier,
prosecutor Dave Hadley, city attor-
ney Rusty Brewer and municipal
judge Dan Hill are discussing what
a parental accountability ordinance
may involve.
Acting Hermiston police chief
Jerry Roberts said an ordinance of
this type would be a “great idea.”
“We know we have some parents
out there who aren’t controlling their
children. This will hopefully make
them accept responsibility,” Roberts
said.
2) A mother and child critically
injured in a trailer fi re less than a
week before Christmas are making
steady progress toward recovery at a
Portland hospital, said husband and
father Richard Bergman.
Rebecca Bergman is in good
spirits, he said. Fears that she may
lose some of her extremities are
unfounded. She should be out of the
hospital in two to three weeks follow-
ing additional surgery.
The Bergman’s four-month-old
son, Mitchell, has retained his sight
despite doctors’ earlier predictions.
He lost his fi ngers in the blaze. He has
been in surgery three times since the
fi re.
50 YEARS AGO
Jan. 15, 1970
Support for the stand that the
Hermiston Coordinating Council, and
particularly its chairman, Joe Burns,
has taken on the extremely controver-
sial nerve gas issue was made public
this week.
In a letter from the Hermiston Min-
isterial Association to Burns, the nine
ministers signing the letter strongly
backed Burns and took strong issue
with those who had let personalities
become uppermost in argument.
The letter stated:
“In the continuing controversy over
the shipment and storage of nerve gas
at the Umatilla Army Depot, we, the
undersigned, communicate to you and
others our concern for what is happen-
ing to the name and character of the
personalities most vocal and visible.
“We regret the emotional impul-
siveness and immaturity which leads
us to put ‘good’ or ‘bad’ labels on oth-
ers according to their support or oppo-
sition to the views we happen to hold.
HH fi le photo
William Gray, 12, from Scout Troop 530 in Hermiston, wakes up from sleeping
overnight in a snow cave near Tollgate in 1995.
We believe you have been the victim
of such impulsiveness.
“Further, we register our protest at
the false, cruel and unfair caricature
that has been drawn by some biased
news reports and the content of some
letters in reference to your community
leadership and your personal point of
view.”
75 YEARS AGO
Jan. 18, 1945
The Hermiston Red Cross sew-
ing unit is becoming well known. It
was tendered high regard by produc-
tion chairman Mrs. Laing at a recent
county Red Cross board meeting.
A fi ne attendance was noted at the
sewing unit Tuesday. A complete pair
of pajamas was made during the sew-
ing period and another afghan com-
pleted and two more are nearly ready.
Five afghans were sent to McCaw
hospital in Walla Walla this week.
The ladies are now intent in fi lling the
February quota of service kits, having
sent in 50 kits just before Christmas.
2) Depredations by stray dogs over
the west end of the county have been
extensive this year as well as for sev-
eral years past. At present the law does
not apply for payments except for
losses sustained by sheep men.
The meeting of farmers at the Farm
Bureau Friday night voted unani-
mously that the secretary write Uma-
tilla County representatives in the
present legislature with a view of
amending the present state law to
include losses sustained by poultry
men as well as the sheep men.
100 YEARS AGO
Jan. 17, 1920
R.C. Challis, owner and opera-
tor of the City Market and Grocery,
sprung a surprise on his grocery cus-
tomers Wednesday morning when
they began to come in to make pur-
chases for the day. This was caused by
empty shelves drawing their attention
on that morning, where the day before
rested tier upon tier of grocery goods
and canned commodities.
The transformation scene was
enacted Tuesday evening after a short
conference between members of the
fi rm of the Kingsley Mercantile Co.
and Mr. Challis, at which time the
Kingsleys purchased all of the gro-
cery stock and removed it that evening
from the City Market to their store.
Mr. Challis will from now on deal
exclusively in meats, and vegetables
and fruits in their season. He fi gured
that by disposing of his large grocery
stock he could give the public better
service in the meat line.
Threemile Canyon Farms harvests OSU award
HERMISTON HERALD
Threemile
Canyon
Farms was recently recog-
nized with the Coopera-
tor of the Year Award from
the Oregon State University
Extension Service.
The award honors indi-
viduals and businesses who
have made a signifi cant
contribution to OSU Exten-
sion in program involve-
ment, support and commu-
nity service.
Veterinarian Jeff Wen-
dler and his team at
Threemile Canyon Farms
and Columbia River Dairy
have been strong supporters
of the Morrow County 4-H
program for the past fi ve
years, said Erin Heideman,
a 4-H educator with OSU
Extension-Morrow County.
In addition to making
monetary donations, Heide-
Photo contributed by Erin Heideman
Threemile Canyon Farms recently received the Oregon State
University Extension Service Cooperator of the Year Award.
Pictured during the presentation were Anita Azarenko, OSU
interim vice provost Outreach & Engagement; Drs. Jeff &
Jessica Wendler of Threemile Canyon Farms; Erin Heideman,
OSU Extension-Morrow County; and Lindsey Shirley, OSU
Outreach & Engagement associate provost.
man said, they have staff
expertise to propel the 4-H
program and its youths for-
ward. It’s through this sup-
port and innovation, she
said, that Morrow County
has developed two new
leading programs for 4-H
— reaching 150 youths and
their families each year.
The development of a
Farm Field Day and the
Dairy Heifer Project pro-
grams provide hands-on
learning on how large dair-
ies operate and how stu-
dents can prepare for a
career in the dairy fi eld.
Heideman said their genu-
ine friendship and involve-
ment in the county 4-H
program has fostered rela-
tionships and experiences
that couldn’t be gleaned
elsewhere.
“The working relation-
ship and friendship devel-
oped with Dr. Wendler
and his team has benefi ted
the members of Morrow
County 4-H,” Heideman
said. “We look forward to
many more years of devel-
oping opportunities for our
county youth together.”
Threemile
Canyon
Farms, Heideman said, are
leaders in the agricultural
industry on so many levels.
She called it an “organiza-
tion that truly puts youth
fi rst.”