BUSINESS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2021 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A7 1055 S. HWY 395, STE 111 HERMISTON, OR 541.567.6151 Jade McDowell/Hermiston Herald Tesia Hunsucker, owner of Tesses Creative Messes in Umatilla, stands with her son, Aurelias Garcia, 1, in her shop on Wednesday, June 23, 2021. New craft store opens in Umatilla By JADE MCDOWELL NEWS EDITOR Tesia Hunsucker is hop- ing more people will shop locally for art supplies now that she has opened a craft store in Umatilla. The Irrigon woman opened Tesses Creative Messes at 1300 Sixth St., Suite D, in Umatilla on June 8 after she got frustrated at the lack of options for buy- ing paint, canvases and other supplies. If Walmart doesn’t have what she needs in stock, she said, she usually has to go to the Tri-Cities to pick it up. So Hunsucker decided to open her own store with craft and art supplies. Her selection is pretty small so far, but she hopes to expand it, and to get customers to put items on her “cus- tomer wish list” to give her a better idea of what’s in demand. “I’m trying to up my inventory, but it’s kind of diffi cult if people aren’t tell- ing me what they want,” she said. The store sells canvas, paint, yarn, fabric scraps and other supplies, in addition to paintings by Hunsucker. In the back of the store, behind the counter, is a space with tables that Hunsucker said people can pay $6 an hour to reserve for activities related to painting, sewing, scrap- booking or other crafts. She said she hopes to host some craft nights there her- self, and is looking for peo- ple who are interested in get- ting paid to host classes in the space. She had her son, Aure- lias Garcia, who turns 2 next month, in the store with her, and said Tesses Creative Messes is a “kid friendly” place where families are welcome. For more information, visit the store’s website at tessescreativemesses.com. www.hermistonchamber.com Chamber Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00am-4:00pm WELCOME TO THE CHAMBER SUMMER BUSINESS LUNCHEON Featured Sponsers July 13th, 2021 11:45 am -1:00pm $20.00 a ticket Bennett Botanical Gardens 32632 E Punkin Center Rd, Hermiston, OR 97838 Community Sponsers Prizes & guest speakers! Fireworks industry facing shortages By JADE MCDOWELL NEWS EDITOR Shipping problems are causing a fi reworks short- age at local stands, accord- ing to suppliers. Lesley Phillips, who runs the Black Cat fi re- works stand near Grocery Outlet in Hermiston, said much of the inventory she ordered is on a ship at the Port of Tacoma thanks to a shortage of longshore- men and truck drivers. As a result, she said Friday, June 25, she thinks she may be sold out before the Fourth of July. “I advertised we would be here until the Fourth, and then two days later I found out I’m only getting half my shipment,” she said. The problem seems to be a national one — Phan- tom Fireworks, one of the nation’s largest retail fi re- works companies, put out a statement urging consum- ers to buy early this year. “Like many other industries, the fi reworks industry has also experi- enced delays due to ship- ment challenges facing the global market,” said Alan L. Zoldan, Phantom exec- utive vice president. “The good news is that we pre- pared early in anticipation of high demand again this year, and are encouraging Phantom customers to do the same.” Phillips said she has heard from other people who sell fi reworks in the area that they are also hav- ing problems. “We’re all kind of in the same boat (no pun intended) because it all comes from China,” she said. Cami Satterwhite, who runs two fi reworks stands in Pendleton, said her ship- ment of fi reworks this year was about $10,000 short. That’s about half her typi- cal supply. She expects they will lose about $2,000 worth of profi t this year due to the shortage. And they will be sold out well before July 4. “If people want them, they better come get them,” she said. Satterwhite said her brother, who owns a fi re- works booth in The Dalles, and a friend who owns a stand in Baker City, each told her they only received about half their usual sup- ply this year. Hermiston-area resi- dents can support veter- ans by purchasing their fi reworks from the stand hosted by Hermiston’s American Legion Post 37 outside of Walmart. Post Chaplain Aaron Wetterling, a Vietnam vet- eran, said in a news release that veterans will be staff - ing the stand and all pro- ceeds from the sales will go to support veterans. “We are Vets help- ing Vets,” he said. “That’s what the American Legion is all about.” Wetterling said all vol- unteers selling fi reworks at the American Legion took two “intense” training classes on fi reworks and had to pass a test, so they know what they’re talking about if shoppers have questions. They can direct people toward something that won’t produce loud noises that might scare pets, if that’s what they’re looking for, for example. “Your average depart- ment-store clerk doesn’t know a ‘Revolution’ from a ‘Pop-it,’” Wetterling said. “We do.” Like other fi reworks stands, Cathy Stolz of the American Legion said their stand received fewer fi re- works to sell than in pre- vious years, particularly when it comes to the big packages, as fi reworks remain stranded in ships off the West Coast. The fi reworks stand is guarded each night by armed American Legion members, she said, and during the day features a large swamp cooler and several fans to help keep the temperature down. 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