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NEWS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A7 Restaurants and bars get new look during shutdown By JADE MCDOWELL NEWS EDITOR When patrons return to their favorite bars and restaurants, some of them may look a little differ- ent since the last time they visited. Some businesses that had extra time on their hands while they were shut down during Umatilla County’s return to baseline used the time to remodel, clean and perform mainte- nance on their building. The Cozy Corner Tav- ern on Main Street in Hermiston redecorated with new tables, paint and an upgraded bar. “It was just a little facelift,” Anna Shuttle- worth said. She said all of the work had been needing done for a while, and the shutdown was a good excuse to do it. The tavern had not yet reopened its full kitchen between the fi rst baseline shutdown in March and the second in July, but Shut- tleworth said they have reopened the kitchen now and are back to offering their regular menu. They also have new hours. At Ye Olde Pizza Shoppe in Hermiston, the restaurant is in the process of getting a fl oor-to-ceiling upgrade and will soon get a new exterior paint job as well. During Hermiston’s major growth spurt of the 1940s, homes were often made of old wooden ammunition boxes from the Umatilla Army Depot. Ye Olde Pizza Shoppe co-owner Kim Gillette said Staff photo by Ben Lonergan The redecorated Cozy Corner Tavern on Main Street in Hermiston sits empty shortly before opening on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. Staff photo by Ben Lonergan A message on a newly installed chalkboard at the Cozy Corner Tavern on Main Street in Hermiston welcomes patrons back to the redecorated bar on Sept. 1, 2020. she has acquired the boxes from a home being torn down and is using them throughout the remodel, including over the bar. Even the rope handles are being repurposed into light fi xtures. The restaurant will also hang historical photographs of Hermiston buildings. “We were trying to do something fun and local. ... I wanted to do something with the history of Herm- iston,” she said. The fi rst fl oor currently has about six tables open for dine-in, Gillette said, but most customers are still using takeout. She said the restaurant has been fortu- nate through the pandemic that they have not been hit as hard fi nancially as some other eateries. “We miss our cus- tomers, but people were already used to carry-out and delivery,” she said. The Hermiston Tavern didn’t do a major renova- tion during their shutdown, but did do small upgrades, such as new signs and an upgraded jukebox. They also added plexiglass bar- riers between video lottery machines to help keep cus- tomers safe. Manager Bill Foster said most of what they did was cleaning and reorga- nizing so that more tables and chairs would fi t in the space. They also went through and cleaned and organized the back areas that customers don’t typi- cally see, but had accumu- lated four decades worth of miscellaneous items. “We got rid of a lot of behind-the-scenes clutter,” he said. “It will be nice for us to be able to use that space.” Although bars and restaurants were allowed to offer food on a takeout and delivery basis during baseline status, Foster said the Hermiston Tavern only offers a few snack items, so they closed down com- pletely when the county returned to baseline. “Financially, it would have made zero sense for us,” he said of trying to do takeout. Desert Lanes Fam- ily Fun Center still can’t open its bowling back up until Umatilla County moves back to Phase 2, but the center offered take- out meals in baseline and now offers dine-in options as well. In the spring and early summer, staff took the time during the closure to upgrade lighting, tables and other features in the bowling area, and remod- eled the center’s lounge, which is now a more fam- ily-friendly area open to minors accompanied by an adult. In Umatilla, Java Junk- ies completed a remodel in June. The original shutdown in March also inspired Daren and Paulette Dufl oth of Umatilla to trans- form the Riverside Sports Bar and Lounge into The Bridge. The change — which moved the business from a sports bar and strip club to a family-friendly bistro — included a fl oor- to-ceiling remodel of the inside of the building. Daren Dufl oth said the remodel is complete indoors, although the restaurant is still wait- ing on city approval for the plans to install a shade structure over the new out- door seating area. “Other than that, we’re pretty much online,” he said. Dufl oth said so far the support has been “fantas- tic” for their new look and new menu, particularly their pizzas. Since Uma- tilla County moved back into Phase 1 they are offer- ing dine-in and takeout. Umatilla County being sent back to baseline a few days after the business’s grand reopening was a set- back, however, Dufl oth said. They shut down com- pletely for 10 days, and then reopened for take- out only for another week and a half before they were able to move back to dine-in services. “We had some really good momentum, and then (the governor) shut us down, and we’re trying to get that momentum back,” he said. Blue Lives Matter parade shows support for police Photo contributed by Mary Cahill Marion Hatley and his wife Charlene Hatley watch a car parade out the window of their home for Marion’s 87th birthday on Aug. 28, 2020. A socially distanced birthday greeting By JADE MCDOWELL NEWS EDITOR As COVID-19 contin- ues to put a damper on cel- ebrations, particularly for people in high-risk groups, car parades are becoming a popular way to celebrate milestones. On Friday, Aug. 28, longtime Hermiston resi- dent Marion “Sarge” Hat- ley turned 87. According to information sent to the Hermiston Herald by his family, friends and family decided to show their sup- port for Marion and his wife Charlene by putting together a parade past their Hermis- ton home. Family, friends, grand- children and great-grand- children circled the block with signs on their vehicles. According to the mes- sage from the Hatleys’ fam- ily members, the couple have only left their home for medical appointments since the fi rst of March, and have only been able to meet their newest great-granddaughter, who is now 4 months old, and see other grandchildren through the window. “It’s hard on a daily basis for so many missing fam- ily now, and we couldn’t let the day go by without let- ting him know how special he is to all, and celebrate Photo contributed by Freedom of the Road Riders Club Motorcycles and cars drive through Umatilla County for a “Blue Lives Matter” parade on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020. The long line of motorcycles, classic cars and pickup trucks paraded through Umatilla, Stanfi eld and Hermiston in a show of support for law enforcement. The parade went past police stations in each of the towns and the Oregon State Police offi ces. According to fl iers advertising the event, it was open to “all those who support law enforcement” as a way to show support for police. Organizers estimated after the event that there were about 40 motorcycles and 50 vehicles participating. Photo contributed by Mary Cahill Family of Marion Hatley wish him a happy 87th birthday through the window of his home on Aug. 28, 2020. his special day. It was small but with big sentiment, ‘We love you Papa!’” wrote fam- ily friend Jacque Prior, who planned the event. 541-567-0272 2150 N. First St., Hermiston September 1st-6th Call ahead and use our Drive thru. Purchase a face mask inside for $5-$7 $ 1 .00 OFF Mango Madness Smoothie Take & Bake Pizza ONE DAY SALE Sept. 4th 8 am -6 pm With more than EasternOregonMarketplace.com WEDNESDAY, AUG. 12, 2020 HermistonHerald.com UPDATES Umatilla County opens COVID-19 relief small business program HERMISTON HERALD Small businesses in Umatilla County can get a $5,000 grant as money from the federal govern- ment’s COVID-19 relief package continues to trickle down to Umatilla County. Umatilla County Eco- Development nomic announced the start of a new small business relief program in a Aug. 6 press release, stating the county intends to distrib- ute $5,000 grants to qual- ifying businesses propor- tionately throughout the county. According to the city of Hermiston, the city is partnering with the county to provide extra funds for the program from the city’s portion of the fed- eral CARES Act, reserv- ing a total of $745,000 VSHFL¿FDOO\IRU+HUPLVWRQ businesses. The county states that eligible businesses, including sole propri- etors, must be directly affected by the state’s orders, COVID-19 through a closure or other mandated changes to the business. Business must d and headquartere also be operating in the county and employ 50 people or fewer. only can business A submit one application DQG QRQSUR¿WV DUH QRW eligible. The deadline to apply is Aug. 26 and business owners can apply for the grants at www.umatilla- county.net/grants. Paper applications are avail- able at local city halls, where they can also be submitted. Staff photo by Ben Lonergan Umatilla County taken on the fi rst day of the 2020 her lamb prior to having her picture Katelyn Griffi n takes a moment with Event Center in Hermiston. at the Eastern Oregon Trade and Show on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020 Youths drop off animals for a socially distanced Fair week for the Umatilla County Fair kicked off, like everything else in 2020, in an unprecedented way at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11. There were no corn dogs or rides, no concerts or jugglers. But there were still animals. Youths (or their parents) showed up early Tuesday morn- ing with their lambs, saying goodbye for the week before the animal they spent the sum- mer raising was weighed, photo- graphed and sent off to await the Staff photo by Ben Lonergan Youth Livestock Auction at the day of end of the week. Other animals the livestock check-in on the fi rst Juliann Bruce leads her lamb to will get their turn throughout the ed Youth Livestock Show on Tuesday, the 2020 Umatilla County Fair Modifi and Event Center in Hermiston. week. 11, 2020, at the Eastern Oregon Trade Blake Betz, an 18-year-old Aug. FFA student who has shown ani- mals at the fair every year since KH ZDV ¿UVW ROG HQRXJK VDLG KH would miss the usual experiences of fair week, even though he still got the experience of raising his steer, Lil’ Smoky. “In years previous I’ve looked forward to seeing friends from — Kendall Cooper6WDQG¿HOG other towns that I don’t usually get to see, and get a week off and “IT’S SUCH A VITAL THING THAT THE COMMUNITY IS NOT JUST GOING TO FORGET ABOUT IT.” eomediagroup.com 50 Please maintain 6 feet social distancing while in the store. For more photos from the fair, see this story at hermistonherald. com. have fun hanging out,” he said. Kendall Cooper, 17, an FFA VWXGHQW IURP 6WDQ¿HOG VDLG WKLV ZDV KHU ¿IWK \HDU UDLVLQJ D PDU ket hog for the fair. She said her hog, a Yorkshire-Hampshire cross named Belle, was looking good and should make weight. She said when the FFA stu- dents got their animals in March, school had just shut down and so they had an inkling that if they went through with raising an ani- mal to show, fair week probably wouldn’t look exactly the same as they were used to. Cooper said normally during the week, particularly during the Youth Livestock Auction, she is making connections with people See Fair, Page A12 Council OKs $9.6 million in bonds for new city hall By JADE MCDOWELL NEWS EDITOR 20% Off The most valuable and respected source of local news, advertising and information for our communities. county fair Online By JADE MCDOWELL NEWS EDITOR 30 % Regular Retail on OFF Clearance Items Fair Modifi ed Youth Livestock An early goodbye ALL % COMPENDIUM OFF BOOKS & (excludes Thoughtfulls Cards) JOURNALS WEEK LONG SALE All Solaray Products 14,500 copies Staff photo by Ben Lonergan of land, near the city’s wastewater the possibility of off ering 8 acres The city of Hermiston is weighing for senior citizens. plant, for a potential housing development INSIDE A3 Hermiston Herald inserts masks into newspapers mailed to subscribers treatment A3 Four candidates so far for Hermiston City Council race The Hermiston City Council authorized the sale of up to $9.6 million in bonds to pay for a new city hall and renovation of the lower level of the Hermiston Pub- lic Library during their Monday, Aug. 10 meeting. The city plans to build a new, larger, three-story city hall on the site of the current city hall at 180 N.E. Second St. The interior of the previous city hall was dam- DJHG GXULQJ D ¿UH LQ WKH EXLOG ing’s HVAC system in December 2019, but the council had already set a goal to start working toward building a new city hall sometime A7 Chamber puts land up for sale in the next few years. They cited overcrowding that had pushed staff into other buildings, and a lack of wheelchair accessibility. City Manager Byron Smith told the council that based on pre- liminary designs, ArchitectsWest had given a “high-level” estimate of $9 million for the project, but the $9.6 million approval would give some wiggle room if costs came in higher than expected. Smith said they expect to have a ¿UPGHWDLOHGFRVWHVWLPDWHRQFLW\ hall by mid-October. Paying off $9.6 million in bonds would require a $470,000 annual payment, Smith said, See Council, Page A12 A11 School district narrows new school names down to three of the Hermiston Herald now mailed directly to homes in west Umatilla County and north Morrow County, there has never been an easier way to get your message into thousands of local homes each week. Reach new customers in new ways with the help of advertising professionals at the Hermiston Herald. Jeanne Jewett Angela Treadwell 541-564-4531 541-966-0827
