Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 8, 2020)
NEWS A6 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2020 Local candidates adjust campaigns due to COVID-19 By ALEX CASTLE STAFF WRITER When a large part of political campaigns is about exposing yourself and your ideas to the public, a global pandemic isn’t the most con- ducive environment to run one. With Gov. Kate Brown ordering people to stay home and public health offi cials urging people to keep at least 6 feet between one another, traditional campaigning methods of candidates going door-to-door and holding events to meet the voters is no longer an option. Ahead of the May pri- maries, candidates for local offi ce in Umatilla County are adjusting to the new land- scape with a stronger empha- sis on social media and other means of communication while weathering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on their personal lives. HollyJo Beers, a candi- date for Umatilla County commissioner from Mil- ton-Freewater, was recently Maier Dorran laid off from her job as a can- vasser for the conservative think tank Freedom Foun- dation’s Washington state branch, she said March 28. “Well, I actually have more time to campaign now,” she said. Beers said she has a pen- sion and would be OK, but noted the pandemic’s eco- nomic impacts could limit some people’s ability to con- tribute to a local political campaign. Hermiston’s Dan Dor- ran, another candidate for Umatilla County commis- sioner, fi nally was freed of his 14-day self quarantine the end of March, which he invoked on himself after traveling for 23 days in his work as an operations and sales executive. Lopez “These are very interest- ing times,” he said, laughing. Dorran maintained his routine of completing an early morning run each day, but otherwise stayed inside and kept himself isolated even from his wife to not risk spreading something to her. The restrictions on large gatherings has forced Dor- ran to cancel his campaign receptions and plans for daily door-to-door meet- ings with voters, which he’ll potentially be supplanting with virtual town halls and one-hour presentations of different formats. Mark Gomolski, another county commissioner can- didate from Hermiston, said he’s going to be calling vot- ers, sending out emails and trying to set up some small- Gomolski Beers group video chats to connect with the public. Beers said some of the county commissioner candi- dates already participated in a candidate forum of sorts via a phone conference, which she’d like to see more of in the future. “I thought that worked really well,” she said. “It’s going to be different, but you’ve just got to get your name out there however you can.” When asked, all fi ve of the candidates for county commissioner were open to setting something up for them all to speak with the public, though it’s unclear what exactly that would look like at this time. While COVID-19 already has and will put a damper on campaigning for the foresee- able future, Patricia Maier, a county commissioner candi- date from Hermiston, is hop- ing her strategy of getting out to campaign early will pay dividends. “I’ve tried to be identifi ed with signs,” she said. “My car is marked, I went to city council meetings and senior meals in the community.” Maier said she believes she was the fi rst to get signs out in the community and that already meeting face- to-face with the area’s senior citizens was valuable, espe- cially with older popula- tions more vulnerable to COVID-19. But as the candidates move forward in the time of coronavirus, all acknowl- edged the power of social media in helping get expo- sure for them and their campaigns. “I think Facebook is going to play a much larger part than even any of us were expecting,” Dorran said. All the county commis- sioner candidates are either using their own personal Facebook page or have established one specifi cally for their campaign to try and share their message across the social media platform. While spreading their campaign message is import- ant, some of the candidates are also trying to spread information from govern- ment and health offi cials about the pandemic. “I’ve been trying to help with people who need sup- plies and keeping people informed,” said Jonathan Lopez, a county commis- sioner candidate from Herm- iston. “I’m not trying to do it as a political candidate, but just as a person who cares.” Lopez has postponed or canceled all campaign events he had planned through May; he said he doesn’t cur- rently have plans for how to make up for those unavail- able opportunities to speak with voters and fundraise. “Everybody, whether we like it or not, is being affected right now by this,” Lopez said. Umatilla County lags in census reporting amid COVID-19 disruption By ALEX CASTLE STAFF WRITER Census Day has come and passed, and Umatilla County is lagging behind the rest of the country in making sure they’re represented in the 2020 U.S. Census. “Had we not had the coro- navirus situation going on, I think Census Day (April 1) would have probably been in the news more than we’re seeing,” said Bob Waldher, Umatilla County planning director and member of the county’s Complete Count Committee. As of Wednesday, Wald- her said roughly 28.5% of Umatilla County residents had submitted their informa- Staff photo by Ben Lonergan The U.S. Census Bureau is relying on self reporting after having suspended all events and door-to-door operations until at least mid-April. tion to the census. That trails both Oregon, which has 38% of its residents reporting across the state, and the aver- age response rate across all 50 states in the U.S., which is currently at 36%. The once-a-decade count has particular importance for Oregon, which could receive a sixth seat in the U.S. House of Representative in addition to the $1.5 trillion in federal dollars that will be distrib- uted based on the responses. Umatilla County is par- ticularly behind, but the COVID-19 pandemic has posed signifi cant challenges for the U.S.Census Bureau all across the country. While this is the fi rst time in history that people can be counted via telephone or internet, the questionnaire wasn’t rolled out until the middle of March, just when the cri- sis was escalating around the U.S. Stay home orders and social distancing guidelines have hamstrung efforts to remind people about being counted by canceling events and plans for door-to-door knocking. The U.S. Cen- sus Bureau has already sus- pended all fi eld operations until at least mid-April and Community hospice agency to pilot online grief support to tri-county area HERMISTON HERALD Walla Walla Commu- nity Hospice is offering teleconferencing grief sup- port groups to Walla Walla, Columbia and Umatilla counties. Hospice offers its grief support to every adult in its tri-county service region who has experienced a loss. The individual does not have to have been a recipient of hospice services. At this time, the 10-week groups are facilitated by staff mem- bers and guided by “Under- standing Your Grief,” a book by grief counselor Alan Wolfelt. The 10-week pilot group begins on Tuesday, April 14 from 5:30-7 p.m. In order to create an intimate and safe environment, the group is closed to new members after the second session on April 21. To be able to partici- pate, participants will need a computer, laptop or tab- let with internet connectiv- ity. A smartphone with the Zoom app can also be used. Some technical support will be offered. All the support offer- ings are at no cost to attend- ees. To fi nd out more, visit wwhospice.org/griefsup- port or call 509-525-5561. Because the 10-week groups are closed to new members, it is suggested that people register by April 10 by call- ing the number above or by sending an email to info@ wwhospice.org. delayed starting counts for the homeless and people liv- ing in groups, such as dorms and nursing homes. The deadline for self-re- porting has also been pushed back from the end of July to mid-August, though Wald- her said that’s likely to be extended even longer. But while coronavirus is disrupt- ing the census, the county is encouraging residents to take advantage of their new opportunities to be counted. “Now is a good time, peo- ple are cooped up at home so it’s the perfect time to fi ll it out online,” Umatilla County Commissioner John Shafer said. In fact, both Shafer and fellow Umatilla County Commissioner Bill Elfering said they submitted their info online earlier this week. “It’s a simple process for anyone to get online and take care of,” Elfering said. The Umatilla County Complete Count Committee, which was one of the fi rst of its kind in the U.S. when it was formed in October 2019, is also looking for new ways to get the word out there during the pandemic. With the help of Pac/West Communications, the com- mittee is distributing mate- rials about the census in lunch bags and homework packets that are being given to students with all schools switching to distance educa- tion for the rest of the year. MEDICAL DIRECTORY DENTURES Blue Mountain Denture Center TROY STEWART - LICENSED DENTURIST 1300 6th St., Suite G, Umatilla, OR 97882 2194 Court Ave., Baker City, OR 97814 (541) 519-4696 • (541) 523-4752 Eye Health & Vision Care Robert D. Rolen , O.D., LLC Optometric Physician 115 W. Hermiston Ave. Suite 130 541-567-1837 Call Today! 541-289-5433 1060 W. Elm, Suite #115, Hermiston, OR (across from Good Shepherd Medical Center) www.apd4kidz.com Office Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-4pm COMPREHENSIVE CARE A BETTER WAY TO ORAL HEALTH Ryan M. Wieseler, D.D.S, PC 541.567.8161 • 995 Orchard Avenue • Hermiston www.desertdentalsmiles.com HERMISTON FAMILY MEDICINE & URGENT CARE Sports & Dot Physicals • Minor Injuries • Family Care • Minor Surgeries We accept Medicare & some Advantage Medicare plans NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY HOURS: Mon.-Sat. 7:30am-7:00pm 541-567-1137 236 E. Newport, Hermiston (across from U.S. Bank) LET US BE THE ONE THAT HELPS! • Adult, Child and Family Therapy • Psychiatric Evaluation and Treatment • Mental Health and Crisis Services • Confidential and Professional Care LIFEWAYS PENDLETON Crisis Phone: LIFEWAYS HERMISTON 331 SE 2nd St., 595 NW 11th St., 866-343-4473 Pendleton, OR 97801 Hermiston, OR 97838 Office: 541-276-6207 WWW . LIFEWAYS . ORG Office: 541-567-2536 To advertise in the Medical Directory, please call Jeanne at 541-564-4531
