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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (May 13, 2020)
OFF PAGE ONE A10 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2020 Restrictions: Continued from Page A1 Hodges said he doesn’t believe Umatilla County should wait any longer to allow gatherings and reopening of businesses and churches, however. And when they do open, he said, they shouldn’t be required to take down peo- ples’ information so they can be contacted and asked to quarantine in the event they were exposed to the virus. He also doesn’t want to see people required to wear masks to do their jobs, or to be vaccinated in order to enter an establishment, once one is available. He called those type of safety measures recommended by public health experts “medical tyranny,” and said efforts to track the virus are turning America into a sur- veillance state. “There has never been a government in history that has taken rights away from people, and then given them freely back,” he said. “It’s never happened, and we don’t think it will here.” He rejects the idea that people who are protesting for businesses to reopen are “selfi sh,” a message he said he is getting a lot on social media from people con- cerned about the increased spread of COVID-19 expected from relaxing social distancing rules. He said he is trying to protect peoples’ consti- tutional rights, and pro- tect people from negative effects of social distancing, such as increased rates of depression and abuse. “People are being cut off from the things that keep them healthy physically and spiritually,” he said. Beef: Continued from Page A1 customers’ needs.” The Tyson Fresh Meats plant in Pasco, Washing- ton, shut down on April 23 after an outbreak among workers there, including a few Umatilla County resi- dents who tested positive. They reopened on May 5 with additional safety pre- cautions, including masks for employees and tem- perature checks. Teresa Horn, who co-owns Eastern Oregon Mobile Slaughter in Herm- iston with her husband Ted, said she has three to four rows of sticky notes with orders — about 40 as of Monday. “It has been crazy,” Horn said. “We are so busy we can’t catch up. People got their stimulus checks and now they are stocking up on food. There is about a week’s wait for an order. If you want half a beef, it could be a minimum of a month.” If you raise your own beef, Eastern Oregon Mobile Slaughter will pro- cess if for you. But for oth- ers, Horn said they rely on getting product from the processing plants to fi ll orders. “As we get the meat, we are fi lling orders,” Horn said. “The phone has been ringing nonstop.” While the smaller bou- tique beef processing com- panies are keeping plenty busy, the grocery stores are having to put limits on what people can buy — just like they still are doing Contributed photo Ina Abercrombie, left, director of the Irrigon Boardman Food Pantry, receives a donation from Kelly Sanders of the Hermiston Lions Club. Staff photo by Ben Lonergan, File The sidewalks in downtown Hermiston sit empty on a Friday afternoon in early April. A group of Hermiston residents is pushing to reopen the town and put an end to social distancing requirements. Cherie Bumpaous, who owns The Pheasant Bar and Grill, said business there is down 95% since the gover- nor ordered bars and restau- rants to switch to takeout and delivery only. She said she wants to see businesses be allowed to reopen, even if there have to be some extra sanitation measures in place. Delivery would still be available for those who are at higher risk of complica- tions from COVID-19, such as the elderly or those with conditions such as asthma or high blood pressure, as well as those who live with or work with them. “If you’re afraid to get sick, stay home,” Bum- phous said. “People who are healthy and not afraid should be able to go out and about.” She said she supports Hodges’ efforts to ask Umatilla County and the city of Hermiston to hold town hall meetings about COVID-19 regulations, and believes that businesses should hire an attorney if they need to in order to fi ght regulations they feel are unconstitutional. Tricia Munoz, who runs Yo Country Frozen Yogurt with her husband and is also an indepen- dent medical billing spe- cialist, said she joined the Reopen Hermiston move- ment because she believes all COVID-19 restrictions need to be lifted. “I feel they’re just an overtaking by the gover- nor, and she’s abusing her power and allowing small businesses to go under,” she said. Munoz said she had to lay off employees and let product go to waste. Even if businesses are allowed to reopen, Brown’s social dis- tancing restrictions are too onerous, she said, includ- ing a ban on self-serve that would require extra employees for Yo Country to implement. “It would be almost $24 an hour just paying for labor,” she said. “You think we’re going to sell that much yogurt every hour?” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 79,756 deaths from COVID-19 in the United States as of May 11, which is higher than yearly fl u mortality numbers, but Munoz said she believes the government is falsify- ing COVID-19 numbers. “If people are worried, then that’s their right to stay home and self-quarantine,” she said. with toilet paper. Columbia Harvest Foods in Umatilla is limit- ing customers to two packs each of beef, chicken and pork. “It’s happening every- where,” owner Dave Meade said. “Safeway and Costco have had to do that too in this temporary dis- ruption in the supply chain. We get inventory daily, but if you are missing half of your load, we have to make sure we can get everyone something.” While restrictions have affected large families and those who like to meal plan and prepare for the week, Meade asks that shoppers be patient. Janelle Carrera of Herm- iston has a family of eight she has to keep fed. They do grocery pickup from Walmart, but have to go into the store to get meat — something they have had to do almost daily as of late. “We try to shop in bulk for the week,” Carrera said. “Meal planning is a big thing for us. Right now, we have to plan to what is available. My three oldest are teenage boys. When I cook, it’s like cooking for a crowd.” Carrera and her family make their own pasta or dumplings on a daily basis, and she cooks three meals a day. “I don’t know where it all goes,” Carrera said. “They eat constantly. I’m lucky they will eat left- overs, if there are any. Because of the (meat) limit, I’ve had to get creative.” Meade said he under- stands the frustration of the shoppers, but assures that it won’t last forever. “We understand the frustration of the con- sumer,” Meade said. “Meat is essential, especially at dinner. We’ve been buy- ing what we can. We have brought in ground turkey to try and fi ll the need. Peo- ple may have to make mul- tiple trips to the store, and that disrupts how they plan. We expect this to be over sooner than later.” CORONAVIRUS During this serious time, Burns Mortuary of Hermiston encourages everyone to follow the guidelines of CDC to help protect themselves and our communities from the COVID-19 virus Please heed this advice. BURNS MORTUARY HERMISTON HERALD The Hermiston Lions Club recently presented checks to two local food pantries to support fami- lies in need due to COVID- 19. The Irrigon/Boardman Food Pantry was given $1,000, and Echo’s Ches- ter Food Pantry received $1,750. Irrigon/Boardman Emergency Assistance Center is North Mor- row County’s food pan- try and not only provides food for families in need but also rent support, pro- pane for heating and cook- ing, as well as other assis- tance. Echo’s food pantry is operated by the local Kiwanis Club and helps with food needs within their community. Mike Duffy, president of the Echo Kiwanis, said in a statement in response to the support by the Hermiston Lions that the effort was an impressive one. May 12th-17th Please wear a mask for your protection & ours or call ahead and use our Drive thru. Purchase a face mask inside for $5-$7 20 SAVE $10 ON THIS GREAT GIFT FOR DAD! % OFF • Plus Plus Building Bricks $34.95 • Bulk Yogurt Pretzels & Chocolate Gummy Bears 685 W. Hermiston Ave. Hermiston, Oregon (541) 567-6474 $1.00 OFF Take & Bake Pizzas Order online and save with flat-rate shipping at Umatilla.PictorialBook.com Order by mail now (discount expires 6/21/20): ☐ Ship my order to me: $34.95 plus $6.95 shipping and handling per book. Order will be shipped to the address below. Quantity: ___ x $41.90 = $______ total Payment method: ☐ Check/Money Order Credit card orders can be placed online: Umatilla.PictorialBook.com Name Address 1475 N. First St. in Hermiston Open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. with a lunch closure from 1-2 p.m. $44.95 plus shipping offer expires 6/21/20 • Now Brand Vitamin D & D3 Supplements • Kitchen Items & Gifts Phone: (541) 289-3000 Email: uecbrc@gmail.com “The Lions and Kiwanis share a commu- nity spirit of service and volunteerism,” he said. “It is impressive how quickly the Lions have put together this giving program in answer to the virus. We want to thank Hermiston Lions, and those others as well who, through support of service groups, help to make our communities a better place.” The Hermiston Lions Club still welcomes requests for assistance, ranging from $500 to $2,000, to support local charities in the commu- nities of Echo, Stanfi eld, Hermiston, Umatilla, Irri- gon and Boardman with their extraordinary needs related to COVID-19. Applications should be sent to Bill Kuhn, club president, at wjk.kuhn- lawoffi ces.com. In that email should be a descrip- tion of the need, how much is needed and con- tact information. 541-567-0272 2150 N. First St., Hermiston of Hermiston & Hermiston Crematory www.burnsmortuaryhermiston.com Hermiston Lions provide support to local food banks We’re here to assist your farm or small businesses with Covid-19 relief. City State Phone E-mail Zip From the archives of Athena Public Library, City of Echo, Milton-Freewater Area Historical Society, Pendleton Round-up, Tamástslikt Cultural Institute and Umatilla County Historical Society Send form and payment to: East Oregonian 211 SE Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or call 800-522-0255
