WINNER OF THE 2020 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2020
HermistonHerald.com
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UPDATES
Extended
jobless
benefi ts
reduced
HERMISTON HERALD
Beginning Dec. 13,
the Oregon Employ-
ment Department has
announced
that
its
Extended Benefi ts pro-
gram will be reduced,
from up to 20 weeks of
benefi ts to up to 13 weeks.
Extended Benefi ts pro-
vides extended unem-
ployment insurance ben-
efi ts during times of high
unemployment rates in
the state. According to
a news release from the
department, based on
federal guidelines, if the
average unemployment
rate in the state is below
8% but above 6.5%, then
up to 13 weeks of addi-
tional benefi ts are avail-
able. If the average unem-
ployment rate is above
8%, the number of addi-
tional weeks of benefi ts
increases to 20. Oregon’s
rate is now below 8%.
“We know the ben-
efi t extension has been
a critical safety net for
many Oregonians, and
this reduction in avail-
able benefi ts will be pain-
ful,” said David Gersten-
feld, acting director of
the Oregon Employment
Department, in a state-
ment. “We are calling on
our federal elected lead-
ers to help Oregonians
and pass legislation that
will allow us to quickly
provide benefi ts to those
still facing hardships.
We stand ready to imple-
ment any new or contin-
ued benefi t programs as
quickly as possible, so
that Oregonians are able
to make ends meet while
the pandemic continues
to spread.”
Some Oregonians who
have already received
13 weeks of EB may be
able to receive Pandemic
Unemployment
Assis-
tance benefi ts before that
program expires on Dec.
26, 2020. Oregonians can
apply for PUA through the
employment department’s
online claims system.
Other COVID-19 help
is also set to expire soon,
including Oregon’s mora-
torium on evictions, which
will expire at the end of
2020.
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald
Line crews from Umatilla Electric Cooperative lower the Hermiston Christmas tree onto a trailer for its journey from a Hermiston home to Festival Street
in downtown on Monday, Nov. 30, 2020.
Holiday cheer
Christmas events planned for Hermiston
By JADE MCDOWELL
NEWS EDITOR
COVID-19 may have canceled
a lot of things in 2020, but it is not
canceling Christmas in Hermiston.
The city is making an effort to
provide some holiday cheer despite
restrictions on gatherings.
On Monday, Nov. 30, the city
installed its annual giant Christmas
tree on the festival street down-
town. With the help of equipment
and workers from Umatilla Elec-
tric Cooperative, the city removed
the tree from a local home and
brought it downtown, where it was
“planted” on Northeast Second
Street next to city hall, in prepara-
tion for decorating.
City residents won’t be able to
gather in person to celebrate the
tree’s lighting this year, but Parks
and Recreation Director Larry
Fetter said the city plans to lives-
tream a tree-lighting event on its
social media platforms from 5:30
to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 3.
The program will include carol-
ing, reading Christmas stories and
Santa Claus throwing the switch to
light the tree.
“It will be a little like the old
radio days, sitting by the fi re lis-
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald
Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center General Manager Al Davis swaps
out an extension cord while working on the Festival of Lights display at
EOTEC on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020.
“IT LOOKS NICE. WE’RE KIND OF
EXCITED OTHER PEOPLE
GET TO ENJOY IT.”
— Brenda Smith, Hermiston. Brenda and Whitley Smith donated the city’s
Christmas tree, which had grown too big for their yard.
tening to the Christmas program,”
Fetter said.
Afterward, people will be able
to come down on their own time
to take photos with the tree, which
will be lit up each night throughout
the month.
This year’s tree was donated
by Brenda and Whitley Smith of
Hermiston, from their yard. Brenda
said the tree was there when they
bought the house about 29 years
ago, and it’s “grown pretty big” in
the years since. The Smiths were
concerned about its growth into the
nearby power lines, Fetter offered
to take it off their hands for free
and give it new life as the down-
town Christmas tree, they took the
offer.
“We decided it was probably
time to let other people enjoy it,”
Brenda said.
She said she drove down
after UEC removed the tree and
installed it downtown, and she was
proud to see it there.
“It looks nice,” she said. “We’re
kind of excited other people get to
enjoy it. We’ve enjoyed watching
the birds in it. They’ll be surprised
See Holiday, Page A8
Community group
serves 1,100 meals
By BEN LONERGAN
STAFF WRITER
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald
John Lauck hands Thanksgiving meals to drivers at the drive-thru Community Fellowship Dinner in Hermiston on
Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020.
INSIDE
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purchase Big River Golf Course
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are expected to arrive in Oregon
mid-December
A small army of volunteers
descended on Hermiston High
School on Thanksgiving Day to
help serve roughly 1,100 meals for
the annual Community Fellowship
Dinner.
The board of the Community
Fellowship Dinner has been plan-
ning its holiday meals since at
least August, working to navigate
the potentiality of a shutdown on
indoor dining or other limits to
gatherings.
“We planned for a shutdown,”
said Jan Cassens, the kitchen man-
ager and vice-chairwoman of the
A7 Cryptocurrency ATMs could
be available in Umatilla County
next year
Community Fellowship Dinner.
In addition to navigating restric-
tions on gatherings and dine-in
service, Community Fellowship
Dinner prepared for a potential
increase in demand for food with
fewer people traveling and eco-
nomic hardships resulting from the
COVID-19 pandemic.
“We increased by about a
third,” said Cassens. “Last year
we did 945 meals and this year we
planned for 1,500.”
With 1,500 meals comes a
hearty supply of food and volun-
teerism. Cassens said she and the
See Dinner, Page A8
A10 Reduced revenue during
pandemic causes concerns for city
of Hermiston