Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 16, 2020)
FROM PAGE ONE A10 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 Air quality issues lead to closures By JADE MCDOWELL NEWS EDITOR Smoke from wildfi res burning around Oregon and nearby states has pushed Hermiston’s air quality to hazardous levels over the past week. The Air Quality Index is the Environmental Pro- tection Agency’s ranking of air quality on a scale of 0 to 500, categorizing air quality as good, moder- ate, unhealthy for sensitive groups, unhealthy for all, very unhealthy and hazard- ous, with anything over 300 considered hazardous. On Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 15, Hermiston’s air quality was at 386, accord- ing to the Department of Ecology’s AirNow website. Hermiston School Dis- trict canceled school for the afternoon of Monday, Sept. 14, due to air quality. Human resources manager Jake Bacon said some of the district’s buildings, where Graduate: Continued from Page A1 “In the face of serious challenges, these students have shown a lot of heart and a lot of grit in stay- ing focused on their educa- tional pursuits,” said Ore- gon OSHA Administrator Michael Wood. “These awards represent an oppor- tunity for us to help them as they continue moving for- ward on their respective paths.” Anguiano stands out to be sure. At Hermiston High School, not only did Angui- ano help her family, but she worked several part-time jobs while also advocating in Salem and Washington, D.C., for career-technical education funding as part of the Family Career & Com- munity Leaders of Amer- ica. She served as executive vice president and president for Oregon FCCLA, and was even a candidate for a national offi cer role her junior year. She also helped start the Health Occupational Safety Association at HHS, which is a career-technical educa- tion organization focused on health careers. Anguiano remained active as she entered college in 2018. Staff photo by Ben Lonergan A smoky haze hangs over downtown Hermiston on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020. teachers broadcast lessons to students participating in dis- tance learning, were expe- riencing deteriorating air quality. “Some of the buildings At Whitman, she is dou- ble-majoring in American government/politics and Chinese language & litera- ture, and is on track to grad- uate in May 2022. Anguiano envisions a career of help- ing build “mutual under- standing among different diverse communities.” Now tri-lingual, Angui- ano hopes to one day work in international affairs, which is why learning the Chinese language and cul- ture was so appealing. She spent a summer abroad in Kunming, China, the capital of the Yunnan province. She then went back that win- ter to visit friends she had made. A semester abroad in Shanghai this coming school year was put on hold due to COVID-19, but is expected to be rescheduled for 2021. Though Anguiano dreams of possibly running for Congress “in the distant future,” she would like to fi rst teach English in China while pursuing a master’s degree in the country. “I need a break from education in the U.S. and experience something new,” she said. “I really enjoy learning from people who have a different back- ground from me. I learn, but I also challenge others. It would be nice to just try something new.” were getting a little hazy,” he said. Other workplaces in East- ern Oregon also announced closures related to the smoke, including Wildhorse Resort & Casino, which announced it was closing on Sept. 15, and not reopening until Thursday, Sept. 17. The Umatilla County Cir- cuit Court locations in Pend- leton and Hermiston, and the Morrow County Circuit Court in Heppner will close each day at 3 p.m. for the rest of the week. According to the Ore- gon Health Authority, Ore- gonians should be avoid- ing wildfi re smoke as much as possible, particularly in areas deemed hazardous. OHA states breathing in hazardous or unhealthy air full of tiny particles can cause health effects that include watery or dry eyes, a persistent cough or wheez- ing, scratchy throat, irri- tated sinuses, headaches, shortness of breath, asthma attacks or heart attacks. The health authority states on its website that children, the elderly and those with heart or lung conditions are most at risk for serious side effects from unhealthy or hazardous air. They recommend that peo- ple with health conditions consult their primary care provider if their condition gets worse while the smoke is in the air. While people are indoors, OHA recom- mends they keep windows and doors closed and keep the fresh air intake on their air conditioning closed and the fi lter clean. They should avoid vacuuming, which stirs up the particles already inside the home, or doing activities that would increase air pollution, such as burning candles or smoking. “Running a high effi - ciency particulate air (HEPA) fi lter or an elec- tro-static precipitator (ESP) can also help you keep your indoor air clean,” the web- site states. “If you do not have an air conditioner and it is too warm to stay inside with the windows closed, seek shelter elsewhere.” When driving, people should keep their windows closed and their air condi- tioning set to recirculate air inside the vehicle. Echo: Continued from Page A1 Gov. Kate Brown has convened a state task force of stakeholders to address the fl ooding, but Echo and Stanfi eld-area property owners along the river have also formed the Mid-Uma- tilla River Coalition, or MURC for short. Slaght said the coalition hopes the end result of their efforts will be soundly engi- neered projects along the river that prevent fl ooding while also protecting the river’s ecosystem. “You’ve got to protect the fi sh, you’ve got to pro- tect the wildlife, but you’ve also got to protect human life and property,” he said. “We really need federal help to get different pieces of the puzzle rolling.” Lloyd Piercy is one of the farmers who has been severely impacted by 2020’s fl oods. He esti- mated he lost 6 to 8 acres of his farm when the river changed course, not to mention the “devastat- ing,” widespread destruc- tion of assets, such as blue- berry bushes and trellises. It took heavy equipment and weeks of work by hand crews to clean things up, which the farm had to pay out of pocket. Staff photo by Jade McDowell, File Trucks drive through a fl ooded road just outside Echo in February. “Our crop was probably half of what it should have been, and we spent weeks after weeks scooping gravel out of there, trying to make it farmable again,” he said. Piercy said he wants to see the Bureau of Recla- mation fi x its berms near his property that washed away during the fl ood, and to clear the tree trunks and other debris off dams and canal diversions along the river that he said pushed water outward onto sur- rounding properties. He said MURC was bringing together some “really energetic, bright people” to work on prob- lems along the river, and he hopes the coalition is able to effect those changes and others. “I’ve had fl ooding every year for the last four years; this is just the worst of it,” he said. “It really does need to be dealt with, and it can’t just be one farmer.” Steel on the inside where it matters most. Shops priorities Garages Commercial Industrial www.WSBNW.com A hundred years from now it will not matter what My bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove... but the world may be different because I was important in the Life of a Child. 855 • 668 • 7211 Sandy, OR S199177-1 PET OF THE TAMÁSTSLIKT CULTURAL INSTITUTE W EEK We’re Reopening! Sausey is a precious boy who is approx 10 months old. He is good with cats and dogs. He will be ready for his forever home at the end of the month. Tuesday, Sept. 22 11am-2pm SAUSEY Mark Sargent, DVM • Brent Barton, DVM Eugenio Mannucci, DVM, cVMA • Jana von Borstel, DVM, cVMA Small and Large Animal Care Mon: 8-6 Tue - Fri: 8-5 Sat: 8-12 Emergency Service 541.567.1138 MEET 80489 Hwy 395 N Hermiston www.oregontrailvet.com Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, animal shelters need our help more than ever. Please donate to your local shelter, or offer to foster an animal in need. If interested please go to fuzzballrescue.com and fill out an application. If you are not able to adopt, but would like to foster or donate, visit fuzzballrescue.com or you can mail in donations to Fuzz Ball Animal Rescue, PO Box 580, Hermiston, OR 97838 We are opening the Museum Store and Kinship Café for limited hours, Tuesday through Saturday, 11am-2pm. The permanent exhibits are not open. Kinship Café is offering take-out orders only, with a limited menu. Call 541.429.7702 to have your order ready upon arrival. Please note that safety measures will be in force with masks and social distancing required. We look forward to seeing everyone again! Museum Store, Kinship Café Only Open limited hours: Tues-Sat, 11am-2pm Exhibits remain closed Pendleton, OR | www.tamastslikt.org | 541.429.7700
