Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current, November 25, 2020, Image 7

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Hermiston herald., November 25, 2020, Page 7, Image 7

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Newspaper Page TextBUSINESS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2020 Contractors open new business in Hermiston HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A7 Club 24 gyms hand over management to stay open HERMISTON HERALD Cortes General Contractor LLC in Hermiston is now open for business. Louis Cortes Jr. said the business he and his father Louis Cortes Sr. opened will focus on “roof- LQJVLGLQJIUDPLQJGHFNVVWRUDJHDQGPRUH´ He said right now they are working on building WKHLU RI¿FHV EXW SHRSOH FDQ FXUUHQWO\ UHDFK WKHP for a free estimate or information about the com- pany by emailing cortescontractor@icloud.com or calling 541-314-5149. Restaurants say $55 million not enough to prevent closures By JIM REDDEN OREGON CAPITAL BUREAU Restaurant and other business organizations say the $55 million prom- ised by Oregon Gov. Kate Brown for pandemic relief LV D JRRG ¿UVW VWHS EXW not nearly enough to pre- vent widespread closures caused by her temporary “freeze” to slow the spread of COVID-19. Brown’s two-week statewide freeze on indoor DQGRXWGRRUGLQLQJLQGRRU exercise and entertainment activities — and social gatherings of more than six unrelated people — took effect on Nov. 18. It will last for four weeks in 0XOWQRPDK &RXQW\ DQG Brown said it could be H[WHQGHGHOVHZKHUHWRR The day before the IUHH]H VWDUWHG %URZQ¶V RI¿FH DQQRXQFHG WKH IHG- eral CARES Act funds will be prioritized for busi- nesses in the hospitality LQGXVWU\WKRVHKXUWE\WKH IUHH]H RUGHU VPDOO EXVL- QHVVHV DQG WKRVH IURP %ODFN 1DWLYH $PHULFDQ and other historically dis- advantaged communities. It will be distributed by WKH FRXQWLHV ZKLFK ZLOO each receive a base amount RI SOXV PRUH funds on a per capita basis to distribute. “Our iconic main street EXVLQHVVHV KDYH VDFUL¿FHG too much already in this SDQGHPLF´%URZQVDLG -DVRQ %UDQGW SUHVLGHQW and CEO of the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging $VVRFLDWLRQ KDG SUHYL- ously called for the Ore- gon Legislature to create a %75 million relief fund for businesses. “Our industry applauds the decision by Gov. Brown to create a $55 mil- lion relief fund with an emphasis on supporting hospitality businesses. The support represents a start- ing point for much needed federal action to assist Oregon’s restaurants and KRWHOV LQ ¿JKWLQJ WKURXJK WKHXSFRPLQJPRQWKV´KH said. 6DQGUD 0F'RQRXJK president and CEO of Ore- JRQ %XVLQHVV ,QGXVWU\ opposed the freeze before it was announced but said OBI was happy to see the fund set up. “We remain very con- cerned about the devas- tating impact the closures will have on small busi- QHVVHV DFURVV RXU VWDWH´ she said. “Many may not survive this latest blow. While this fund won’t off- set all of the inevitable EXVLQHVVORVVHVLWZLOOKHOS many.” ³,W¶V D VWDUW´ VDLG .DW\ &RQQRUVFKDLURIWKH,QGH- pendent Restaurant Alli- DQFH RI 2UHJRQ ³EXW LW will not go a long way with all the debt that’s already been created by the crisis and the shutdown that are occurring.” The alliance is push- ing for a special session of the Oregon Legislature in December to provide more relief and to legalize the sale of cocktails to-go. 2Q :HGQHVGD\ 6SHDNHU of the House Tina Kotek also called for a Decem- ber special session of the Legislature. Connors also said Brown’s ban on outdoor dining is especially unfor- tunate because many restaurant and bar owners recently have spent tens of thousands of dollars on WHQWV KHDWHUV DQG RWKHU equipment to cope with the wet weather. She noted that Washington Gov. Jay Inslee allowed outdoor dining to continue when he banned indoor dining last week. %UDQGW 0F'RQRXJK and Connors all said health experts agree that peo- ple not taking precautions at social gatherings are causing COVID-19 cases WR VSLNH LQ 2UHJRQ QRW restaurants and bars. PROTECT YOUR LOVED ONES WITH PROPER PLANNING We assist with: Wills and Estate Planning, Real Estate Transactions, Probate and more. BENDIXSEN LAW, P.C. 245 E. Main St., Suite E, Hermiston • 541-567-5564 Hours: Monday-Thursday 8:30am-5:00pm By JADE MCDOWELL NEWS EDITOR As gyms and most other recreational facilities shut down under Gov. Kate Brown’s executive order for D WZRZHHN ³IUHH]H´ VRPH Umatilla County gyms are taking unique steps to stay open. &OXE ZKLFK RZQV locations in Hermiston and 3HQGOHWRQ KDV QRWL¿HG members that during the shutdown it will be turning over control of its facilities to Tawtnuk Wellness Insti- WXWH ZKLFK ZLOO RSHUDWH WKH gyms as “wellness clinics.” Hermiston Athletic Club in Hermiston posted a simi- lar message on its Facebook page. The website for Tawtnuk Wellness Institute describes WKH LQVWLWXWH DV IXO¿OOLQJ “the holistic wellness of all communities by convert- LQJ KHDOWK FOXEV J\PV DQG ¿WQHVV FHQWHUV WR ZHOOQHVV facilities” and offers only WZR OLQNV RQH WR DQ LQWDNH form for Club 24 and one for Hermiston Athletic Club. It OLVWV2ULHQ)LDQGHUZKRKDV in the past described him- self to the Hermiston Herald as the CEO of Club 24 and owner of Hermiston Athletic &OXEDVLWVRZQHUDQG&(2 According to informa- tion provided on the Club ZHEVLWH PHPEHUV RI LWV gyms in Oregon and Wash- ington will be able to work out on-site during the shut- down if they bring a doctor’s note prescribing exercise or LIWKH\¿OORXWDQLQWDNHIRUP for Tawtnuk Wellness Insti- tute. Tawtnuk will conduct a temperature screening at WKH GRRU UHTXLUH VLJQLQV IRUFRQWDFWWUDFLQJSXUSRVHV conduct “enhanced clean- ing protocols” and require masks at all times. Some DPHQLWLHV VXFK DV VKRZHUV DQGVDXQDVZLOOEHFORVHG ³2YHUDOO WKH ORRN DQG feel should be close to what you are used to when it comes to Club 24 facili- ties with direct changes that will only make our facili- ties cleaner in order to allow you to keep improving your KHDOWK´ DQ HPDLO WR PHP- bers stated. The email also outlined WKH ¿QDQFLDO GLI¿FXOWLHV that Club 24 has faced this \HDU WKURXJK VKXWGRZQV when Umatilla County was LQ EDVHOLQH RU 3KDVH DQG through people canceling their memberships. “Cherished colleagues KDGWR¿QGQHZMREVEHFDXVH other businesses were able to be open when we were Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald The Club 24 location in Hermiston, as well as those in other parts of Oregon and Washington, is turning over control of their facility to Tawtnuk Wellness Institute, which will operate the gyms as “wellness clinics.” QRW´WKHHPDLOVWDWHG Those concerns echoed other complaints that gyms in Oregon have made during the latest shutdown. The Statesman Journal reported that Courthouse Club Fit- ness in Salem was stay- LQJ RSHQ LQ GH¿DQFH RI WKH JRYHUQRU¶V H[HFXWLYH RUGHU quoting a statement from RZQHU-RKQ0LOOHUWKDW³$V a result of the harm done to RXU EXVLQHVV IURP WKH ¿UVW VKXWGRZQ ZH ZLOO QRW VXU- vive another closure.” The article stated other gyms in Salem had indicated they were also considering stay- ing open. Executive Order 20-65 by Gov. Kate Brown states that from Nov. 18 to Dec. 2 the state is implement- ing closures and restric- tions on gatherings to slow the spread of COVID-19 in light of hospitals “sounding the alarm” that they could be overwhelmed if cases con- tinue on their current trend. “The cycle of this virus is such that if we are seeing FDVHUDWHVWRSSLQJ SHUGD\QRZWKDWPHDQVRXU hospitals are headed for very GDUNGD\VDKHDG´WKHH[HF- utive order states. “Actions taken now will help prevent lives from being lost — not MXVW IURP &29,' EXW also from other diseases or accidents that lead people WR QHHG KRVSLWDOOHYHO FDUH which they would not be able to get if hospital beds and hospital staff are fully occupied with COVID-19 patients.” The order lists facilities that must close during the WZRZHHN IUHH]H LQFOXGLQJ ³J\PVDQG¿WQHVVRUJDQL]D- WLRQV´ EXW GRHV QRW JR LQWR GHWDLODERXWWKHGH¿QLWLRQRI a gym. Club 24 did not answer an email and phone message left Nov. 18 asking for fur- WKHU FODUL¿FDWLRQ DERXW KRZ its facilities would qualify as something other than a gym under the governor’s orders. Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Admin- istration has conducted much of the enforcement on orders issued by Brown in regards to business oper- ations during the pandemic. Spokesperson Aaron Cor- vin said in the case of Club LWZRXOGEHKDUGWRNQRZ exactly whether its current operations are an OSHA violation without knowing more details about exactly how things are operating. He said if someone makes a complaint about a busi- ness not following COVID- PDQGDWHV 26+$ ORRNV into the complaint. Some- times they can work with the business owner to “sat- isfactorily” resolve the com- plaint without opening a for- PDOHQIRUFHPHQWSURFHVVKH VDLG ZKLOH RWKHU WLPHV WKH agency might end up issuing ¿QHVDQGRWKHUSHQDOWLHV HAPPY THANKSGIVING from our families to yours BURNS MORTUARY of Hermiston & Hermiston Crematory 685 W. Hermiston Ave. Hermiston, Oregon (541) 567-6474 www.burnsmortuaryhermiston.com Here for you when you need us. Hard times happen. If they do, ask us about payment assistance and billing options available to you. Discover more at: www.UmatillaElectric.com +HUPLVWRQ2IÀFH %RDUGPDQ2IÀFH 750 W. Elm Ave. Hermiston, OR 97838 (541) 567-6414 400 N.E. Eldrige Drive Boardman, OR 97818 (541) 481-2220 TURNING 65? Confused about Medicare? Get answers from a trusted local resource! Call me for a complimentary PERSONAL CONSULTATION today! JOSH GOLLER 125 SE 7th St., Hermiston, OR 541-289-7261 www.simmonshealthinsurance.partners