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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 2020)
BUSINESS Wednesday, OctOber 21, 2020 HerMIstOnHeraLd.cOM • A7 Accounting firm starts construction on new offices By JADE MCDOWELL neWs edItOr Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald, File Customers check out at Smitty’s Ace Hardware in Hermiston in November 2019. ACE Hardware coming to Boardman By JADE MCDOWELL neWs edItOr Ace Hardware is expanding to Boardman. Tammy and Randy Smith, who own Smitty’s ACE Hardware and Smit- ty’s Outpost in Hermiston, announced they have pur- chased the former Board- man Hardware building at 202 N.W. First St. and are planning to open an Ace Hardware at the location. “We are doing a remodel and adding square footage so we won’t be opening right away,” Tammy Smith said. She said they hope to open in February 2021 if all goes well. Smith said they are excited to be part of the Boardman community, and feel there is a need for a store there. Like the Hermiston store, it will offer a wide variety of power tools, lawn care equipment and other hardware, but she said they will also add a couple of “niche markets” for Boardman. That includes RV parts and a fishing and boating department, in light of the RV park and marina. “It will be a little bit different (than the Herm- iston store),” Smith said. “We want to cater to the community.” She said people seem excited about the announcement, and some people have already reached out and asked to set up a business charge account with the new store. Construction is under- way for a new office build- ing for Barnett & Moro. The new offices will be located at the corner of Highway 395 and South- east Fourth Street in Herm- iston, across the highway from Safeway. Owner Dennis Barnett said the new, larger space will give the firm room to continue its growth. “The building we’re in now is a little tight for us,” he said. Barnett & Moro cur- rently has 14 accountants on staff, and Barnett said it will need to grow 16 or 17 in the next year and a half. The original firm began in the 1950s, and was pur- chased Barnett and Jerry Moro in 1984. They built their current offices — located at 495 E. Main St. — the next year. The site of the new firm has high traffic visibil- ity, but Barnett said it sat vacant for so long in part because of some site access issues that the firm has been able to solve. He said the building under con- struction will be a “beau- tiful brick building,” and on the triangular portion of Jade McDowell/Hermiston Herald Machines move dirt around the lot at the corner of Highway 395 and Southeast Fourth Street in Hermiston that will be home to a new office building for Barnett & Moro. “WE’RE GOING TO BE BUILDING A PLAZA THERE THAT WE THINK WILL BE VERY PRESENTABLE FOR THE COMMUNITY.” Owner Dennis Barnett the property where Fourth Street and 395 connect at an angle, they plan to build a plaza of flags. “We’re going to be building a plaza there that we think will be very pre- sentable for the commu- nity,” he said. Construction is expected to finish about Sept. 1, 2021, Barnett said. Barnett & Moro’s certi- fied public accountants pro- vide services that include personal tax assistance, business financial services and auditing. Oregonians to receive $5 million from unclaimed property program By PHIL HAWKINS OreGOn caPItaL bUreaU If you receive a letter in October stating you will receive a check from the state of Oregon in Novem- ber, don’t throw it out — it’s not a scam. Qualifying current and former Oregonians will begin receiving notifica- tions from the state that they will be mailed checks in November ranging from between $50 and $2,500. The funds are part of a historic distribution of unclaimed funds through the unclaimed property program, which is disburs- ing approximately $5 mil- lion this fall. The checks are funds — referred to as unclaimed property — that have been reported to the state by companies and organiza- tions that do business with Oregonians and have been unable to return the money to the correct owner. Common examples of unclaimed property include uncashed checks, forgot- ten bank accounts, secu- rity deposits, tax refunds, credit balances, investment accounts, payroll checks, refunds and more. Typically, people need to file a claim with the unclaimed property pro- gram to receive the funds they are owed. However, given the unprecedented financial uncertainties and difficulties many are fac- ing, the state has deter- mined, for the first time ever, the funds will be directly mailed to the cor- rect owner. The unclaimed property program holds more than $700 million in unclaimed funds for three million owners. To recover funds not dis- tributed this fall, property owners can file a claim at unclaimed.oregon.gov. The Unclaimed Property Program advises people who receive letters about the forthcoming checks to wait for the checks to arrive, as filing a claim may delay processing by 6 to 7 months. Questions about unclaimed funds can be directed to the Oregon Unclaimed Property Pro- gram by email (claims@ dsl.state.or.us) or phone at 503-986–5251 or 503-986-5200. 81600 Highway 395 North Hermiston, OR 97838 BONNEYSAG.COM www.BonneysAg.com 541-922-1213
