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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (May 20, 2020)
OPINION READER’S FORUM Founded in 1906 WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020 A4 EDITOR’S DESK Let’s handle reopening right L ocal retailers, salons and bars rejoiced Friday after reopen- ing for the fi rst time in 67 days. However much peo- ple may have missed getting a haircut or a drink, business own- ers and their employ- ees were hit harder by the shutdown than mere Jade McDowell inconvenience. NEWS EDITOR Last week, I spoke of supporting businesses that had closed. This week, let’s talk about what we can do to help them as they reopen. The most important thing that everyone in our community can do is to help Umatilla and Morrow coun- ties reduce the spread of COVID-19. The state’s plan for reopening, crafted by public health experts, includes moving counties through a series of phases. To move on to a new phase, a county must see declin- ing numbers of confi rmed COVID- 19 cases, declining numbers of hos- pitalizations for respiratory illnesses and suffi cient hospital capacity to handle an increase. If a county sees a surge in cases, it can be bumped back down to a lower phase or complete reclosure. Moving into Phase One does not mean that COVID-19 is not still cir- culating in our community. It means Staff photo by Ben Lonergan A sign in front of Nookie’s Restaurant and Brewery in Hermiston advertises that the restaurant is open for business. that if you get it, the county now has the means to contact everyone who you exposed to the virus before you knew you had it, and local hospitals will have a bed for you if you’re one of the people who gets really sick. It also means that if you decide to hold a barbecue to celebrate your child’s graduation, and the next day you start feeling sick, and it turns out you had COVID-19 and passed it on to several guests, and some of them passed it on to their families, and now two of those people are in the hospital, your actions may lead to businesses across the entire county having to close again. You may not like that idea, and you may not agree that’s how it should be handled, but that’s the real- ity we live in. Now is the time for us to be con- siderate members of society by doing our part to stop the spread of COVID-19 as we begin to be able to reopen parts of the economy. That means following guidelines put in place for our safety, including stay- COLUMN LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Answers are available for businesses in need of help M any business owners have applied for or received funds from the Paycheck Protec- tion Program (PPP) and/or Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). We have received the following questions and want to share information we hope will be helpful. I have applied for the EIDL or the PPP and have heard nothing back yet. What do I do? You may call the cus- tomer service line, but be aware there are long wait times. The num- ber is 800-659-2955. For questions regarding PPP applications you may try contacting your lender. Greg Unfortunately, you may Smith just have to wait, as there are tens of thousands of applications, limited staff and amounts of money. I did not apply during the fi rst go-round of applications for the EIDL. Can I apply now? At this time, the EIDL is accept- ing applications only from agricultural businesses. Keep monitoring the web- site to see when (and if) they open it up again to other businesses. I applied during the fi rst round of funding but did not hear anything from SBA. Do I need to reapply? No. Existing applications will be processed on a fi rst come, fi rst-served basis. I have applied for the EIDL and the loan amount I have received requires collateral. I already have assets mortgaged or with a UCC fi l- ing. Do I still qualify for the loan? Yes, the SBA will take a subordi- nate position and if there is no collat- eral available, borrowers will not be denied the loan. I heard the maximum EIDL loan has been decreased. Is this true? Yes, the most current information we have is that the maximum loan amount for the EIDL has been reduced to $150,000. I received no notifi cation from the EIDL regarding the loan advance (grant), but the money just showed up in my account. Is this normal? Yes. They are just depositing the loan advance into your account so monitor it frequently. I obtained a PPP loan and want to hire back my employees. However, they are collecting more on unem- ployment and do not want to return. What should I do? Those collecting unemployment who turn down work stand a strong chance of losing their benefi ts except under certain circumstances. As long as you have documented their refusal to return to work you should not be penalized and can hire new employees to meet the required 75% threshold for loan forgiveness. I have not received either the PPP or EIDL and am self-employed. Can I apply for unemployment? Yes. Under the new Pandemic Unemployment Insurance Program (PUA), those who are self-employed, are independent contractors or “gig workers” can apply for unemployment benefi ts. Visit www.workinginoregon. org and click the Cares Act link in the yellow banner at the top of the page to learn about the program and to apply. What documentation does the PUA require to apply? You are not required to provide doc- umentation at the time of application, but will complete and sign a certifi ca- tion stating the information you pro- vided is true and correct. However, in case your application is reviewed, you will need to have proof of your income. This would include your tax return, 1099s, etc. As the economy opens, where can I fi nd information on the guidelines required for my business? Visit https://govstatus.egov.com/ or-covid-19. It will provide you all the latest information specifi c to your busi- ness. We will continue to provide busi- ness owners the most up to date infor- mation we have and are here to assist you. ——— Greg Smith is the executive advi- sor of the Umatilla Electric Coopera- tive Business Resource Center located at 1475 N. First St., in Hermiston. To contact the center for free, confi dential advice on applying for aid call 541- 289-3000 or email uecbrc@gmail.com. CORRECTIONS Printed on recycled newsprint VOLUME 114 • NUMBER 18 Chris Rush | Publisher • crush@eomediagroup.com • 541-278-2669 Jade McDowell | News Editor • jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4536 Jeanne Jewett | Multi-Media consultant • jjewett@hermistonherald.com • 541-564-4531 Audra Workman | Multi-Media consultant • aworkman@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4538 To contact the Hermiston Herald for news, advertising or subscription information: • call 541-567-6457 • e-mail info@hermistonherald.com • stop by our offi ces at 333 E. Main St. • visit us online at: hermistonherald.com The Hermiston Herald (USPS 242220, ISSN 8750-4782) is published weekly at Hermiston Herald, 333 E. Main St., Hermiston, OR 97838, (541) 567-6457. ing 6 feet apart, wearing a mask in public, washing our hands frequently, staying home if we have a cough and continuing to reduce the number of people we are in contact with. It’s not fun, but it will save lives. And don’t bother telling me that some lives don’t matter as much because they’re over the age of 60 or have an underlying condition like heart disease. Some of those people who are at high risk for complications from COVID-19 are now put in a diffi cult position as their workplaces reopen. A rallying cry for those pushing for reopening is “If you’re scared, stay home,” but not everyone can work from home. And those with underly- ing health conditions, like diabetes, are often the least able to quit their jobs because they need the health insurance provided by their employer to cover the exorbitant cost of insulin and other treatments. So when you’re out and about, remember that while you may be cel- ebrating the chance to get a manicure or sit down at a restaurant, the per- son serving you is putting their health at risk to do so. They may be scared, but feel unable to stay home. So be polite. Don’t whine about rules you don’t like. Give others plenty of per- sonal space. Tip well. And consider ordering your food to go. We’re not out of the woods yet. Periodical postage paid at Hermiston, OR. Postmaster, send address changes to Hermiston Herald, 333 E. Main St., Hermiston, OR 97838. Member of EO Media Group Copyright ©2020 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. A funny story Somehow I got some of that bright pink road paint on the side of my truck and stopped by Rogers Toy- ota to see if they could tell me what to use to remove it. The gentleman in the service department came over and took a look at it and all of a sudden I noticed him scratching it and off came the paint. Oh well, modern chemicals aren’t always the answer, and I gave the guys in the service department a good laugh. Mike Mehren Hermiston CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES STATE REP. GREG SMITH, DISTRICT 57 900 Court St. NE, H-482 Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1457 Email: Rep.GregSmith@state.or.us ——— STATE SEN. BILL HANSELL, DISTRICT 29 900 Court St. NE, S-423 Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1729 Email: Sen.BillHansell@state.or.us ——— GOV. KATE BROWN 160 State Capitol 900 Court Street Salem, OR 97301-4047 503-378-4582 Email: www.oregon.gov/gov/Pages/ share-your-opinion.aspx ——— MAYOR DAVID DROTZMANN 180 NE Second St. Hermiston, OR 97838 ddrotzmann@hermiston.or.us 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. OBITUARY POLICY The Hermiston Herald publishes paid obituaries. The obituary can include small photos and, for veterans, a fl ag symbol at no charge. Expanded death notices will be published at no charge. These include information about services. Obituaries may be edited for spelling, proper punctuation and style. Obituaries and notices may be submitted online at hermistonherald.com/obituaryform, by email to obits@ hermistonherald.com, by fax to 541-276-8314, placed via the funeral home or in person at the Hermiston Herald or East Oregonian offi ces. For more information, call 541-966-0818 or 1-800-522-0255, x221.
