NEWS
A14 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
Citizens
Continued from Page A1
the community, donating
money and time to a long
list of organizations. He
provides 400 tickets each
year for FFA students to see
the Farm-City Pro Rodeo,
sponsors the calf-dressing
contest, purchases multi-
ple 4-H and FFA animals at
the auction each year, and
donated much of the irriga-
tion equipment used to sup-
port the Umatilla County
Fair.
“I don’t know if any
kid ever came in here that
didn’t leave with some-
thing,” Frasier quoted one
of Lyons’ employees.
He described photos and
letters displayed at Lyons’
business from people who
shared the impact Lyons
had on them as a young
person.
“They say if you fl y the
Educators
Continued from Page A1
recently nominated for a
Read180 educator award.
“My favorite saying
of hers is ‘It’s OK not to
know, but it’s not OK not
to try,’” said student Max
Hernandez in her nomina-
tion video. “I really feel
like that’s what stands out.”
When Fisher isn’t teach-
ing, grading, serving on the
educator leadership team
for Hermiston High School
or advising the school’s
National Honors Society,
she’s also a building repre-
sentative for the Hermiston
Association of Teachers.
“That was really import-
ant to me,” she said. “Part
of me thought, I don’t need
more to do. But the big-
ger part of me wants to
continue to improve edu-
cation for students and
teachers. When teachers
are supported in their jobs
they pass those outcomes
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020
fl ag, you’d better walk the
walk, and the fl ag he fl ies
says, ‘I care about youth,’”
Frasier said.
Awards at the banquet
are always kept a secret
ahead of time, but Woman
of the Year Cindy Meyers
was especially shocked.
As a Hermiston Chamber
of Commerce ambassador,
she would normally be in
the loop on who the cham-
ber was giving awards to,
but had been given a fake
name.
“I’m speechless,” she
said, wiping away tears as
her family joined her on
stage.
Presenter Bob Green, a
fellow chamber ambassa-
dor, called Meyers a woman
of integrity who was hum-
ble, resourceful, diligent,
elegant, witty, thoughtful
and many other traits that
make her a role model. He
highlighted her service in
community organizations,
such as Altrusa Interna-
tional, Agape House and
Umatilla County Fire Dis-
trict #1’s board.
He also highlighted her
professional successes as
a vice president at Banner
Bank. He said her excel-
lent customer service was
well known, and she had
attended weddings and
funerals of longtime cus-
tomers with which she had
formed bonds.
“As a banker the past
37 years she has excelled
as one of the most accom-
plished bankers in the area,
in the words of her peers,”
Green said.
The
Bob
Severson
Rotary Business of the Year
went to Medelez Inc., a fam-
ily owned, Hermiston-based
trucking company.
Presenter Tammy Smith
said they started in the early
1980s with just three pieces
of equipment, and today
have more than 150 trucks
and more than 300 employ-
ees. Their business provides
support along Hermiston’s
supply chain, from farms
like AgriNorthwest to pro-
cessing plants like Lamb
Weston to retailers like
Safeway.
Beyond that, they have
been major sponsors of
projects such as Kennison
Field, community events
such as the Farm-City Pro
Rodeo, and nonprofi ts such
as Farmers Ending Hunger
and the Agape House.
As the Medelez brothers
took the stage to accept the
award, Benny Medelez said
they wouldn’t be success-
ful without their employees,
and the support community.
“We came here in 1974
because we thought Herm-
iston would be a good place
to raise our families, and we
were right,” he said.
The Merit of Honor
Award went to Made to
Thrive, a Hermiston non-
profi t that helps at-risk
youths participate in extra-
curricular activities. The
organization pays fees, pro-
vides equipment and snacks,
gives rides to practices,
encourages parent involve-
ment and sends mentors to
cheer on students at their
games and performances.
Made to Thrive was
started by Kriss Dam-
meyer in 2014 and has since
helped more than 1,500
children ages 4-18 in Uma-
tilla County. Presenter Phil
Hamm said Dammeyer has
the foresight, energy and
commitment to make a real
difference in the community.
“She’s not afraid to shed
light on the sadder parts of
the community, but she’s
always ready with a solu-
tion,” he said.
Hamm said she exempli-
fi es what it means to love
one’s neighbor, and read
letters that explained how
Dammeyer had changed
students’ lives for the better.
“We have our heads
down and just going, and
sometimes we don’t take the
time to refl ect on the impact
we are making,” Dammeyer
said as she accepted the
award.
Besides the awards pre-
sented by the chamber,
Umatilla County Fire Dis-
trict #1 also presented their
Fire Service Award to Jes-
sica Marcum, the district’s
community
paramedic.
Marcum visits patients in
their homes to help pre-
vent future ambulance rides
and emergency room vis-
its. Preventative actions
she takes include measures
such as auditing the home
for fall risks, making sure
the patient is taking their
medications correctly and
performing blood pressure
checks and other tests.
Stanton said Marcum
“truly embodies the word
professionalism” and rep-
resents the district well.
“She has almost by her-
self grown the program to
be one respected throughout
the state,” he said.
along,”
She’s also prepping for
a few triathlons this spring,
including the Walla Walla
Onion Man triathlon in
May.
“Mrs. Fisher is very
dedicated to the constant
improvement of her craft,”
said Superintendent Tri-
cia Mooney at the Distin-
guished Citizens Awards
last week.
“Not only does she
work tirelessly to help stu-
dents learn and improve,
but her students do so at an
above-average rate.”
Fisher wasn’t the only
educator to receive high
praise at last week’s award
ceremony. Each year, the
district selects an educator
of the year for each school.
Art Club.
“Mrs. Silver’s class-
room is constantly buzzing
with activity,” Mooney said
last week. “She encourages
her students to fi nd ways
to artistically improve their
immediate surroundings.”
ways, and with all types of
students,” Mooney said.
feel proud of their daily
accomplishments.”
Desert View
Elementary
Rocky Heights
Elementary
First grade teacher Shelly
Lillie recently fi nished serv-
ing on the Desert View lead-
ership team.
“Mrs. Lillie will drop
everything to help her col-
leagues. She always makes
time for staff in need and
is a champion for students,
wanting the best for each
and every one,” Mooney
said.
A Title I teacher at Rocky
Heights, Holly Moss helps
coordinate parent nights,
gather data and run stu-
dent learning intervention
meetings. “Her patience is
unmatched, and her care
for others is extraordinary,”
Mooney said.
Elementary School. Accord-
ing to her peers, she stays
ahead of the curve and her
students are better for it.
“She strives to cre-
ate activities and lessons
that challenge her students.
She is the queen of rigor,”
Mooney said.
Hermiston High
School
In addition to Fisher,
art teacher Nici Silver was
selected as an educator of
the year at the high school
level. Silver teaches AP
Media Art and advises the
Armand Larive Middle
School
Melissa Purswell teaches
sixth grade at Armand Lar-
ive. She also heads up the
Armand Larive Kindness
Club.
“Mrs. Purswell cares
about every student, whether
a Bullpup or not, and she is
dedicated to growing them
as students and as individu-
als,” Mooney said.
Sandstone Middle
School
According to staff and
students at Sandstone, music
teacher Daniel Allen is
known as “Mr. Awesome.”
“He is a team player, and
he epitomizes the idea of
how learning can happen
all the time, in all kinds of
Highland Hills
Elementary
Marian Koenig teaches
kindergarten at Highland
Hills. She is known for
using rhymes and music to
keep her students involved
and engaged.
“Ms. Koenig is a ded-
icated
teacher,
who
instills the love of learn-
ing in her students,” said
Mooney. “Upbeat and bub-
bly, her teaching style
helps each of her students
Sunset Elementary
Shawna Yeager teaches
physical education at Sun-
set Elementary School.
Her peers know her for
her fl exibility and caring
personality.
“She does not seek
attention and is happy to
quietly work in the shad-
ows, but Sunset folks know
how valuable she is,” said
Mooney. “(She’s) a great
example of a Sunset Star.”
West Park Elementary
Amy Springstead teaches
second grade at West Park
District Offi ce
At a district level, Pam
Schaffeld is the special edu-
cation facilitator. According
to her peers, she is highly
organized and driven.
“Mrs. Schaffeld is a solu-
tion-oriented
individual.
She strives to create pro-
cesses that are easy to under-
stand and that support stu-
dent learning and needs,”
Mooney said.
Mooney was also named
as the district’s Administra-
tor of the Year, for recent
accomplishments including
completing a doctorate in
education, being appointed
to the Oregon Quality Edu-
cation Commission and
helping the district pass an
$82.7 million bond.
A portion of each sale in February will benefit
Altrusa ’ s KARE Project
which provides shelter, clothing, personal
hygiene, and other items to homeless
students in Pendleton.