NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A7
Hermiston event toasts
another great year
Erick Peterson/Hermiston Herald
Irene Miller and family members pose for a photo at her birthday party Saturday, Oct. 9,
2021, at the Harkenrider Senior Activity Center, Hermiston.
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald
Bottles of Sno Road Winery’s 2019 cabernet sauvignon line a table Saturday, Oct. 9,
2021, during the Hermiston Downtown District’s Cork & Barrel wine and beer tasting
event on Festival Street in Hermiston.
Hermiston woman, loved ones
celebrate 100 years of life
By ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Herald
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald
People gather Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021, on Festival Street in Hermiston for the Hermiston
Downtown District’s Cork & Barrel wine tasting event.
Irrigon Chamber of Commerce
seeks big things for small town
By ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Herald
With the slogan “cultivat-
ing community,” The Irri-
gon Chamber of Commerce
seeks to build partnerships
and improve businesses
throughout the town. The
chamber hosted an informal
meet and greet Sept. 30, to
let people know the chamber
is there and ready to serve.
Brenda Shockman, Irri-
gon Chamber of Commerce
executive director, said
chamber board members had
planned a bigger promotion
of their services prior to the
pandemic. A year ago, they
had wanted to have a cele-
bration of their new offi ce.
Also a visitor center, the
chamber’s offi ce is at 420
NE Main Ave., near the
town’s city hall.
The chamber has occu-
pied the building since
November 2020, Shock-
man said, but board mem-
bers did not feel comfort-
able promoting its presence
until recently. Now, as the
chamber is settled and they
believe the end of the pan-
demic is in sight, they feel
the chamber is ready.
Local government offi -
cials and other visitors
joined Shockman and cham-
ber board members for the
recent event.
Shockman said one of
her goals with the cham-
ber is to attract new volun-
teers to greet visitors. She
also said she wants to help
Irrigon businesses as they
strive to grow. She has many
contacts, she said, and she
Erick Peterson/Hermiston Herald
The Irrigon Chamber of Commerce on Sept. 30, 2021, opened its
new chamber and visitor center at 420 N.E. Main Ave., Irrigon.
thinks she can be helpful by
introducing people to one
another.
Irrigon
is
growing,
Shockman said. The com-
ing arrival of Dollar Gen-
eral is one sign of the town’s
growth. Each new business
brings new jobs to town,
which excites her.
A former local teacher,
with many years in the area,
she knows the area well. She
grew up in Irrigon and lives
there now.
She recognizes peo-
ple are sleeping on Irrigon.
The town does not attract
the businesses or the peo-
ple who overlook it for other
Eastern Oregon cities. Many
locals, she said, who still
know Irrigon as “the place
with some fruit stands.”
She points to new ser-
vices, such as the new pavil-
ion, as a sign the town is
“growing and growing in
the right direction,” she said,
and is the sort of place peo-
ple should want to be.
“We’re getting more visi-
ble,” she said.
She also wanted to add
new members to the cham-
ber, perhaps even members
who are outside of Irrigon.
Many Irrigon residents work
and shop at businesses in
Hermiston, Umatilla, Board-
man and other nearby towns.
It makes sense, she believes,
for those businesses to join
the Irrigon Chamber of
Commerce. A new cham-
ber website, www.irrigon-
chamber.com, shows people
how they can participate in
the chamber and in the town.
Job opportunities, advertis-
ing and local news are just
some of the things that can
be found on the site.
Nearly 70 members are in
the chamber.
They welcome anyone to
visit the new offi ce, though
visitors should notify the
director prior, because there
are not yet offi cial business
hours. The phone number
is 541-571-0599. The email
is irrigonchamber@irrigon-
chamber.com.
PET OF THE WEEK
SEVERAL CATS UP
FOR ADOPTION
Several cats up for
Hermiston
resident
Irene Miller and many of
her loved ones celebrated,
Saturday, Oct. 9, as Miller
neared her 100th birthday.
She who would turn 100
two days later, enjoyed a
party Saturday at the Har-
kenrider Senior Activity
Center, Hermiston.
In addition to partying
with her family, who trav-
elled from locations as far
as Colorado, friendly pass-
ersby also wished her well.
Miller greeted friends for
a “drive-by celebration,”
in which people drove
past the senior center, stop
briefl y and then shouted
out a greeting to the new
centenarian. This was done
to limit potential COVID-
19 exposure.
At the party, Miller’s
loved ones boasted of her
health and strong mental
capacities.
“I keep telling people
I’m an S.O.S — slower,
older and smarter,” Miller
said.
She said she has two
secrets to good living: a
sense of humor and a posi-
tive attitude.
Miller said she had been
looking forward to her
100th birthday for about
10 years. It meant a great
deal to her, she said, to be
in the company of her three
daughters, their husbands,
their children and grand-
children. Short a cou-
ple of close family mem-
bers, who were not able
to be at the party because
of a COVID-19 scare,
there were more than 20
attendees.
“I love this town,” she
said, because Hermiston is
a good place to raise chil-
dren. It also has given her
many opportunities to be
active. At the party, she
spoke of her involvement
in the hospital auxiliary,
DIRECTORY
St. Johns
Episcopal Church
Join Us
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541-567-6672
JOIN OUR INCLUSIVE
CONGREGATION
ON OUR JOURNEY WITH JESUS
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80489 Hwy 395 N
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Sunday School...9:00 am
Worship Service...10:30 am
567-3013
Services 9:00am Sundays
In-person or streaming
on Facebook or Zoom
775 W. Highland Ave., Hermiston
NEW BEGINNINGS
Seventh-day
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Worship Service 10:30 AM
Sunday School 9:00 AM
Pastor J.C. Barnett
Children’s Church &
Nursery Available
700 West Orchard Avenue
P.O. Box 933
Hermiston, Oregon
541-289-4774
Small and Large Animal Care
First Christian Church
LANDMARK BAPTIST
CHURCH
125 E. Beech Ave. • 567-3232
Pastor David Dever
Sun. Bible Classes...................10:00am
Sun. Worship Service..............11:00am
Sun. Evening Worship..............5:00pm
Tues. Creation Club (Sept-May)..4:30pm
Wed. Prayer & Bible Study......5:00pm
www.hermistonlmbc.com
adop!!!opjfpowejdpoiwajdoiwjao
Fuzzball Animal Rescue is in need
of Cat/Kitten food and supplies
(litter, wet and dry food)
Mon: 8-6
Tue - Fri: 8-5
Sat: 8-12
Emergency Service
Erick Peterson/Hermiston Herald
Irene Miller, of Hermiston,
looks for well-wishers
during her 100th birthday
party Saturday, Oct. 9,
2021.
and joyfulness and laugh-
ter,” said Judy Lovins, one
of Miller’s three daughters.
“We love her so much.”
“I love her deeply,” said
Edna Jean “Tara” Miller,
another of Miller’s daugh-
ters. “She’s such an inspi-
ration, just in terms of
her sharp mind, her soul,
her kindness, her sense of
humor and her service.”
The “baby” of the three
daughters, Kathy Crowley,
complimented her mother
for being “always there”
for her and all of her fam-
ily and friends.”
“I enjoy her humor,
her love and her beauty,”
Crowley said. Her mother
has taught her how to
be positive, driven and
sportsmanlike.
They are not alone in
loving Miller, according to
the trio of daughters. They
said this celebration would
have included 150 more
people if not for COVID-
19. At Miller’s last big
birthday smash, two years
ago, visitors packed the
senior center.
As a social person,
Miller has loved these
large gatherings. She also
loves going to Seattle
Mariner games and trav-
eling, things she has not
been able to do lately. But
she has, been able to keep
active with some of her
favorite things, as she still
meets friends for cards.
Ruth Ford, who often
plays cards with Miller,
was one of the people who
drove past the senior cen-
ter to off er birthday greet-
ings. They have known
each other 40 years.
“She’s not like a
100-year-old,” Ford said,
as Miller keeps score and
shuffl es when they play
pinochle and canasta.
The centenarian even fre-
quently wins these games.
Miller’s loved ones said
they are looking forward
to her next birthday party.
Church
CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
Mark Sargent, DVM • Brent Barton, DVM
Robert Thonney, DVM • Jana Parks, DVM, cVMA
the parent-teacher associ-
ation and the First Meth-
odist Church. She also
was a leader in her daugh-
ter’s groups — Camp
Fire Girls, Bluebirds and
4-H — when they were
children.
While Miller listed a
few of her accomplish-
ments and community
work, other partygoers
mentioned her other activ-
ities. She, along with her
family, sponsored two for-
eign students. Also, she
donated 23 gallons of
blood, worked for Habi-
tat for Humanity and was
president of the senior cen-
ter board. She even helped
to create the Harkenrider
Senior Activity Center,
people said.
She remains active, as
she enjoys playing cards
and bingo with friends,
children,
grandchildren
and great-grandchildren.
She also embroiders, cro-
chets and knits, creat-
ing hundreds of items that
remain treasured objects.
“She is so full of love,
Due to the
COVID-19
pandemic, animal
shelters need
our help more
than ever. Please
donate to your
local shelter, or
offer to foster an
animal in need.
If interested please go to fuzzballrescue.com and fill out an application.
If you are not able to adopt, but would like to foster or donate, visit fuzzballrescue.com
or you can mail in donations to Fuzz Ball Animal Rescue, PO Box 580, Hermiston, OR 97838
Hermiston Christian
Center & School
Sunday Gathering: 10:00 AM
Saturdays
Sabbath School........9:30 a.m.
Worship Service......11:00 a.m.
English & Spanish Services
541-567-8241
855 W. Highland Ave.
Hermiston, OR 97838
Sunday Prayer Gathering: 6:00 PM
Our Lady of Angels
Catholic Church
Iglesia Católica Nuestra
Señora de los Ángeles
565 W. HERMISTON AVE.
Nursery care is available 3 years & under
Kids Club available 4 years-5th grade
NEED PRAYER? CONTACT US!
1825 W. Highland Ave.
541-567-3480 | hcc4u.org
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565 W. HERMISTON AVE.
To advertise in the Church Directory, please contact
Audra Workman 541-564-4538 or email aworkman@eastoregonian.com