LOCAL
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2020
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3
Drotzmann among candidates
running unopposed in May
By ANTONIO SIERRA
STAFF WRITER
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
/East Oregonian
Rogers Toyota of Hermiston offi cially broke ground on its new dealership and service center
Rogers Toyota
breaks ground on
new dealership
By JADE MCDOWELL
NEWS EDITOR
North Highway 395 in
Hermiston is about to get a
shiny new addition.
Rogers Toyota held a
groundbreaking ceremony
Thursday morning for its
new dealership on the corner
of Highway 395 and Punkin
Center, which will cover 7
acres of ground and include
a 30,000-square-foot main
building and a detailing
shop. It is expected to be
complete in November.
Owner Ryan Rogers
said when Larry Campbell,
who owned Hermiston’s
former Toyota dealership,
asked if he would be inter-
ested in buying the dealer-
ship in 2014, accepting that
offer was “one of the best
business decisions ever.”
The Hermiston community
has embraced Rogers Toy-
ota with open arms, he said,
making it an easy decision to
expand.
“Normally, I would be
nervous as heck to put this
big of an investment in, but
it’s a no-brainer,” he said.
Rogers’ father started the
company in 1971. At the
time, he was the youngest
Pontiac dealer in the country
at age 19, Rogers said. His
father taught him the impor-
tance of putting customers
fi rst.
At Thursday’s ground-
breaking, Hermiston Cham-
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
Rogers Toyota of Hermiston
president
and
owner
Ryan
Rogers
delivers
remarks Thursday during
a groundbreaking for the
company’s new dealership.
ber of Commerce director
Kimberly Nevil noted that
Rogers Toyota is a major
sponsor of many of Herm-
iston’s events, and said she
was excited to see their
growth.
“Of all the community
events the chamber does,
Rogers is always a partner,”
she said. “We’re very thank-
ful for Rogers.”
She and Umatilla County
Commissioner Bill Elfering
both praised the project for
helping to develop Herm-
iston’s main thoroughfare
through town.
The car dealerships up
and down Highway 395
have helped make the com-
munity a “car dealership
capital” in the area, Elfer-
ing said.
“We’re excited to see this
development here on this
corner, and excited to see
development all the way up
and down Highway 395,” he
said.
The dealership’s general
manager, Glenn Silaski, told
the East Oregonian that the
new dealership will address
crowding problems at the
current location farther south
on the highway, from park-
ing to bathrooms. There will
be space for more inventory
on the lot and twice as many
service bays, including three
enclosed
drive-through
lanes that will shelter people
from the weather as they get
out of their vehicle.
The business currently
employs 50 people, and
Silaski said the extra ser-
vice bays will result in hir-
ing additional staff after the
project is complete.
On Thursday, as heavy
construction
equipment
moved dirt around in the
background, Silaski told the
community members gath-
ered on a corner of the lot
that he understands peo-
ple are always skeptical that
construction projects will
stay on timeline, but he had
a good feeling about meet-
ing the projected timeline to
move into the new building
in November.
“Just since yesterday, you
can hardly recognize (the
site),” he said.
The project is being built
by McAlvain Companies,
Inc. of Boise.
School district announces
administrative changes
HERMISTON HERALD
Highland Hills Elemen-
tary School will still be run
by “Principal Bacon” next
year, but it will be a new
face at the helm.
Hermiston School Dis-
trict announced this week
that Principal Jake Bacon
will be stepping into the role
of human resources direc-
tor for the 2020-2021 school
year. His wife, Becky Bacon,
will step in as principal.
Becky is currently serv-
ing as dean of students for
Sunset Elementary School.
Jake is replacing cur-
rent Assistant Superinten-
dent of Human Resources
David Marshall, who has
been hired as superintendent
of the Brookings-Harbor
School District in Brookings
for the upcoming school
year.
“The district has made
it a priority to invest in
our staff and leaders, and
at this time we are fortu-
nate to be able to promote
from within,” Superinten-
dent Tricia Mooney said in a
statement.
“Our administrators will
have the opportunity to
apply the leadership skills
they have gained over the
years and I am confi dent that
they will contribute to the
success of the district.”
2020 PRIMARY CANDIDATES
Hermiston Mayor David
Drotzmann is running
unopposed this May. He is
in his third term after fi rst
being elected in 2012.
The fi ling deadline
for the May 19 primary
has passed without oppo-
nents for Drotzmann,
Umatilla County Sher-
iff Terry Rowan and Uma-
tilla County District Attor-
ney Dan Primus, meaning
they’re all but assured
new, four-year terms in
2021. Hermiston Munici-
pal Judge Thomas Creasing
is also running unopposed.
The open Position 3 seat
on the Umatilla County
Board of Commissioners,
on the other hand, had no
trouble attracting candi-
dates. The race to replace
retiring
Commissioner
Bill Elfering is set at fi ve
— Milton-Freewater can-
vasser HollyJo Beers,
Hermiston sales executive
Dan Dorran, Hermiston
school board member Mark
Gomolski, Hermiston busi-
ness owner Jonathan Lopez
and Hermiston business
owner Patricia Maier.
The two candidates who
receive the most votes in
the primary will advance to
a run off on Nov. 3.
Legislature
Despite the diffi cult polit-
ical terrain, Democrats fi led
for every legislative seat in
Northeast Oregon.
State Rep. Greg Barreto is
retiring, and the open House
District 58 seat attracted two
candidates for each primary.
Echo farmer Bobby Levy
and Elgin timber worker
Mike Nelson are compet-
ing for the GOP nomination.
Pendleton college student
Nolan Bylenga and Pend-
leton merchandiser Barbara
Wright are the candidates in
the Democratic primary.
In District 57, Repub-
lican Rep. Greg Smith of
Umatilla County
Commissioner, Position 3
HollyJo Beers
Dan Dorran
Mark Gomolski
Jonathan Lopez
Patricia Maier
Sheriff
Terry Rowan*
District Attorney
Dan Primus*
Hermiston Mayor
Dave Drotzmann*
Pendleton City Council
Mayor
John Turner*
Ward 1
Kevin Martin
Ward 2
Sally Brandsen
Melissa Shumake
Ward 3
Larry Anderson
Dale Primmer*
Morrow County
Commissioner, Position 1
Joseph Armato
Jim Doherty*
Joel Peterson
Michael Sweek
Sheriff **
Ken Matlack*
Heppner and Irrigon Demo-
crat Roland Ruhe have their
primaries to themselves.
Pendleton carpenter Gar-
rison Lee Alger is challeng-
ing Sen. Bill Hansell of Ath-
ena for the Senate District 29
primary. Whoever advances
as the Republican party’s
candidate will face Joseph
Democrat Mildred O’Cal-
laghan, a retired secretary, in
the general election.
Morrow County
With the exception of
county clerk, every Morrow
County offi ce is contested.
One of the races —
Boardman Police Sgt. Mark
Pratt’s challenge to incum-
bent Sheriff Ken Matlack
— will wait until Novem-
ber because there are only
two candidates. Incumbent
Position 1 Commissioner
Mark Pratt
Treasurer
Sabrina Bailey Cave
Cody High
Jaylene Papineau
Erik Patton
Clerk**
Bobbi Childers*
Justice of the Peace
Theresa Crawford
Glen Diehl*
Kelly Doherty
Oregon Senate Dist. 19
Republican
Garrison Lee Alger
Bill Hansell*
Democrat
Mildred O’Callaghan
Oregon House District 57
Republican
Greg Smith*
Democrat
Roland Ruhe
Oregon House District 58
Republican
Bobby Levy
Mike Nelson
Democrat
Nolan Bylenga
Barbara Wright
* Incumbent; ** Won’t appear
on ballot until November
Jim Doherty faces chal-
lenges from sheriff’s offi ce
dispatcher Joseph Armato,
farmer Joel Peterson and
chemical loader Michael
Sweek.
Morrow
County
employees Sabrina Bailey
Cave and Jaylene Papineau
are competing with former
Heppner Mayor Cody High
and sheriff’s civil records
deputy Erik Patton for the
open treasurer position.
Justice of the Peace Glen
Diehl, the incumbent, is fac-
ing challenges from county
chief deputy clerk Theresa
Crawford and rancher Kelly
Doherty.
If no one takes a major-
ity of the vote in the com-
missioner, treasurer or jus-
tice races, they will be
decided in a run-off in
November.
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80489 Hwy 395 N
Hermiston
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