NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2021
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3
Echo Market wraps up 2021 season New drop-in peer
centers opening to
help with addiction
By ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Herald
The Echo Market ended
the fi nal day of its season
Saturday, Oct. 2, as it had
every other day through-
out its inaugural year —
with happy vendors, joyful
attendees and one extremely
busy organizer.
Teres Fair, Echo Mar-
ket founder and organizer,
rushed from one booth to
another as she made sure
everyone was satisfi ed. In
the minutes before the mar-
ket’s opening, she hardly
had time to take a breath.
“I feel really good. We
had a great season,” she
said.
She, who also owns the
Jack Correa Ranch, said she
believes the market reached
many vendors and visitors
who will return next year.
Likely, she said, they will
spread the word of the mar-
ket, thereby attracting even
more people.
“The big story here is
that big things can happen
here,” Fair said. “We’re
a small town with a big
market.”
She also said several
other people deserve credit
for the community event
and the vendors played a
big part. Around 40 vendors
operated Oct. 2 at the mar-
ket, which attracted 350-
400 attendees.
Mike Duff y, Echo Heri-
tage Association president,
expressed his amazement
with Fair and the mar-
ket. He said he was unsure
about this event at its out-
set. Fair promised to “do
what she could” with the
market, Duff y said, and in
the end Fair exceeded every
expectation. Duff y said
there is “every indication
that it’s going to work again
next year.”
Duff y, who has lived
in Echo 22 years, said he
expects the Echo Market
will be his town’s signature
event. He has seen events
come and go, he said, but
this one is diff erent. In con-
By ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Herald
Erick Peterson/Hermiston Herald
Ruben Harris, local farmer, stands beside his booth Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, during the last
day of the season of the Echo Market. Harris, who brings vegetables to the Echo Market,
said he has enjoyed the market.
trast to some other events,
this market is linked to
Echo’s identity as a small
town. Having small sellers
selling handmade or home-
grown goods fi ts the small-
town feel of Echo, Duff y
said.
Also, he added, Fair, a
local farmer, is the “per-
fect person” to host such an
event. Her contacts, work
ethic and passion for Echo
all make her a terrifi c orga-
nizer, Duff y said.
Josh English, owner
of Pendleton Woodcraft-
ers, had been to six of the
Echo Market events prior to
the fi nal one. Having only
missed one of them, he said
he really enjoyed his expe-
rience. In addition to selling
his wood products, he also
created games for children
to play at the market.
He said he has already
started trying to fi gure out
items to make and sell at
next year’s Echo Market.
“That’s what the off -sea-
son is for,” he said. He will
return with new goods, he
said. These woodcrafts will
be items no one has ever
seen before, he promised.
Haley Winters, fl ower
seller at the market, started
her booth around June,
when her products began
to bloom. She fi rst became
aware of the market from
family members who were
also attending. With the
success they were enjoying,
it made sense to Winters to
also open a booth.
Winters operates a busi-
ness, Seed and Trowel
Flowers, out of her home.
She said she enjoys this
market, and she will come
back next year.
“It’s been fun,” she said.
Ruben Harris has a
larger farm in Echo, and he
pulls three to fi ve acres each
year for farmer’s markets.
“We like it a lot,” he
said of the Echo Market.
The atmosphere makes it
a pleasant home for his
squash, pumpkins and other
vegetables. He said he will
return next year.
Shareana Pittam, owner
of Simple Blessing Designs
and Wooly Love Rabbitry,
was operating two separate
booths, one for each of her
businesses.
“We love it, and we’re
very popular here,” she said
of her company’s partici-
pation at the market. Chil-
dren in particular fl ock to
her rabbits and guinea pigs
so they can pet them. She
said she plans to return next
year.
Katie Munoz, a mer-
chandizer for children’s
clothes, also is a Hermiston
resident. She owns Dot Dot
Smile with Katie Munoz.
She was at the market with
children’s clothing for sale.
She has been to four of
the Echo markets, as well
as markets and events in
Hermiston, Irrigon and
Heppner. She likes the Echo
Market.
“This is a fun one,” she
said. “There’s always a lot
of vendors, and I like the
small-town feel.”
She said this is a fun,
friendly market, and she
plans to return next year.
Though Fair deemed this
season a success, she said
there is room for growth
and next year will be bigger
and better.
Locals struggling with
substance use are get-
ting new places to seek
some help.
The Oregon Washington
Health Network is opening
three drop-in peer centers
next week, one in Pendleton,
one in Hermiston and one in
Milton-Freewater. The cen-
ters will off er “low-barrier
access for individuals and
families that are struggling
with substance use,” said
Amy Ashton-Williams, the
network’s executive direc-
tor. “Our purpose is to off er
some support and guidance.”
Ashton-Williams said the
“peer movement has really
exploded” in recent years,
and it has given people with
“lived experience” a chance
to help other people. That
is, a “peer,” who has a per-
sonal history with recovery
and addiction, can help other
people. They can share their
own stories, relate to others
and possibly even chart the
recoveries of others.
Family members of peo-
ple in crisis do not always
know
about
available
resources or the best next
step, she said. Someone in
that situation can meet with
one of the center’s “peers,”
people who are experienced
with and understanding of
life’s many diffi culties.
The peers also are there to
help individuals in recovery,
seeking to end their use of
alcohol or other drugs or to
make their addictions safer.
The network in such cases,
directs people to harm-re-
duction resources, such as a
needle-exchange program.
Professional staff work
at each center, Ashton-Wil-
liams said. The Hermiston
Center has two peer men-
tors, Pendleton has three
peer mentors and Mil-
ton-Freewater has two peer
mentors and two peer men-
tor supervisors. They all
vary in education, as some
have high school diplomas
or GEDs, some have bach-
elor’s degrees and others
are completing their mas-
ter’s degrees. All staff , Ash-
ton-Williams said, regard-
less of schooling, are
familiar with resources and
able to help.
The centers, Ashton-Wil-
liams said, are open to cli-
ents of diff erent ages. They
will even be able to help
adolescents. Peers are also
available by phone and ser-
vices are free.
The centers also can help
people with English or Span-
ish-language services, Ash-
ton-Williams said. When
individuals walk in, they
will be met by someone who
looks like them, speaks their
language and knows their
culture, provided they speak
either English or Spanish.
“That was very import-
ant,” she said. Spanish lan-
guage speakers, a large por-
tion of her service areas,
have a history of being
neglected by programs sim-
ilar to hers, she said.
She added, these cen-
ters will meet a great need.
She said she fears increasing
overdose rates in Umatilla
County. The pandemic, she
said, is likely exacerbating
problems, isolating people.
The Oregon Washington
Health Network will host
grand openings Wednesday,
Oct. 6, at each of the drop-in
peer centers. The times and
locations are as follows:
• 9-10 a.m. at the Herm-
iston Center, 165 S.W.
Third St.
• 12-1 p.m. at the Pendle-
ton Center at 200 S.E. Hai-
ley Ave,, Suite 105/106.
• 3-4 p.m. at the Milton
Center at 410 N. Main St.,
Milton-Freewater.