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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 2020)
WINNER OF THE 2020 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2020 HermistonHerald.com EasternOregonMarketplace.com TIGER STRONG Stanfi eld rallies for fi ve young men injured in car crash By JADE MCDOWELL NEWS EDITOR FUNDRAISERS In a year that has pushed peo- ple apart physically, tragedy in Stanfi eld has brought the com- munity closer together. Five young men ages 14-20 — three current Stanfi eld Sec- ondary School students and two recent graduates — were injured in a rollover crash on Sept. 29 outside Hermiston. Since then, community members have hosted several fundraisers for the three most seriously injured. “The outpouring of love through all of the donations is so greatly appreciated!!!” orga- nizer Angie Hallgarth wrote on a GoFundMe page for Gabriel Monkus, who was transported via Life Flight to Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane the night of the crash. “Prayers are still very much needed for Gabriel as well as for his family. Thank you all so very much!!!” Another GoFundMe account has been set up for Armando Nunez, who was also seriously injured and sent via Life Flight to Spokane, Washington, and his brother Eduardo, who, according to the GoFundMe page, broke his leg in the crash. On Thursday, Oct. 1, about 100 community members gath- ered for a candlelight vigil at Bard Park for the young men. It wasn’t the reunion that Stan- fi eld Secondary School Principal Steve Sheller had hoped to have with his students, he said. “Whatever you’re feeling now — whatever it is — it’s OK,” he told the crowd as the sun set. “If you feel sad, that’s OK. If you feel fearful, that’s OK. If you Online fundraisers have been set up for three hospitalized victims of the Sept. 29 single vehicle rollover that injured fi ve young men from Stanfi eld. To donate to Gabriel Monkus’s medical bills, visit gofundme. com/f/benefi t-for-gabe- monkus. To donate to Armand and Edu- ardo Nunez, visit gofundme. com/f/help-for-nunez-family. Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald Stanfi eld community members gather for a candlelight vigil at Bard Park in Stanfi eld on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2020. don’t know what to feel, that’s OK. ... What’s not OK is to do it alone.” According to Umatilla County Sheriff Terry Rowan, deputies were dispatched for the report of a crash on North Loop Road to the east of Hermiston at about 10:15 p.m. The Oregon State Police and its crash reconstruction unit is assisting the sheriff’s offi ce in the investigation, but statements at the scene indicated a 2012 Toyota Camry lost control and left the roadway while traveling in excess of 100 mph. The vehicle severed a power pole and three of its occupants were ejected, Rowan said. All fi ve were then transported from the scene to Good Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston before three were fl own to Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane. Rowan identifi ed the driver of the vehicle as 19-year-old Edu- ardo Nunez. During the candlelight vigil, Sheller directed his comments to the students there, telling them Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald See Vigil, Page A9 Stanfi eld Secondary School Principal Steve Sheller pauses while speaking at a candlelight vigil on on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020, for a group of fi ve past and present Stanfi eld students injured in a car crash on Sept. 29, 2020. Corn mazes, pumpkin patches ready for fall fun By JADE MCDOWELL NEWS EDITOR For people worried the pan- demic might have canceled their favorite fall activities, several options are back for another year. The Echo Corn Maze opened its fi fth season on Friday, Oct. 2. The 8-acre maze is located at 100 N. Dupont St. in Echo. In addi- tion to the main maze, which takes approximately one hour to complete, the property also includes smaller mazes for young children, a pyramid of hay bales for climbing, a zipline, pump- kin patch and fi re pits that can be reserved for group gatherings. Owner Gina Tyhuis said her family started the maze fi ve years ago to celebrate the adop- tion of her son. Now, each year is a celebration of that anniversary for their family. This year they had to do extra work to bring the maze back, after the entire property was cov- ered by water during the exten- sive fl ooding of the Umatilla River in February. “We fl ooded in the spring and had to start over, so that’s what’s pushed us back some,” she said as she worked to wrap up prepa- rations on the day before the maze opened to the public. INSIDE Hermiston Herald, File Hermiston residents Hope Smith and Angelica White, both 13, walk through the path at the Echo Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch in 2019. The maze has reopened for the 2020 season. She said the community par- ticipation is always “awesome,” including sponsors and volun- teers who help make it possible. The maze opened Friday, Oct. 2 and will stay open through A2 Video of candidate forums available for upcoming races the end of October, Tuesday through Sunday. The haunted Field of Screams version will be available Oct. 17, 24, 30 and 31 from 7-9 p.m. Several spe- cial events, including a pumpkin A3 County commissioner candi- date Dan Dorran says he will stay in the race after DUII arrest carving demonstration by artist Roger Pope, are also scheduled throughout the month. In light of COVID-19, masks will be required on the property and hand sanitizing stations will A7 Umatilla welcomes three new businesses to town be available. Guests are asked to keep 6 feet apart from other groups and not visit the site if they are experiencing any symp- toms of illness or have recently been exposed to COVID-19. For more information on the maze, including hours and pric- ing, visit echocornmaze.com or call 509-528-5808. Bellinger Farms and Gour- met Shoppe at 1823 S. Highway 395 in Hermiston will be offer- ing its pumpkin patch seven days a week. This year’s experience includes a hay bale maze and games, such as corn hole, a photo station and tractor rides. Visitors can also buy food and drinks from the shop and The Gathering Place restaurant. The pumpkin patch is offering an outdoor pay station and san- itation stations for COVID-19, and is requiring social distancing on the property. For more information, includ- ing times and prices, visit the Bellinger Farms and Gourmet Shoppe Facebook page or call 541-567-5870. While Halloween events may look different than usual this year, most cities are still holding socially distanced events. See Fall, Page A10 A8 Hermiston RV park runs on solar power
