WINNER OF THE 2020 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2021
HermistonHerald.com
EasternOregonMarketplace.com

COVID-19, Funland
Playground among
2021 stories
Hermiston Herald
As 2021 comes to a
close, we remember the
many stories. From the pan-
demic to Funland, VFW
troubles to a bank robbery,
this past year is one for the
history books. A full recap
of this eventful year could
be much longer than this,
but here are a few happen-
ings that shaped us.
January 2021
School protest: In the
fi rst week of the year, about
20 students and parents pro-
tested the continued closure
of Hermiston School Dis-
trict schools. It was Mon-
day, Jan. 4, when about 20
people stood outside the
school district’s offi ces with
signs pushing for a return
to in-person classes. Stu-
dents voiced their opinions,
with one student upset that
he would miss out on oppor-
tunities to play sports. Other
students also expressed the
opinion that online school
was not as good as in-per-
son studies. Soon after the
start of the protest, Superin-
tendent Tricia Mooney vis-
ited with the protesters to tell
them that the district, too,
missed in-person school.
COVID-19
continues:
Umatilla County contin-
ued to see new COVID-19
cases. In mid-January, Uma-
tilla County Public Health
announced 483 new cases in
Umatilla County Jan. 6-12.
Three new deaths of peo-
ple with COVID-19 were
also announced during that
period. This brought the
total of reported deaths in the
county to 61. Meanwhile, the
state death total was 1,613.
There was some good news,
however, as the Oregon
Health Authority reported
100,783 vaccinations as of
Jan. 11.
Hermiston VFW Post
4750 worries of declining
membership: The Hermis-
ton branch of the Veterans
of Foreign Wars has “barely
enough members to hold all
the positions of the post,”
Harold Roberts said. Roberts
was, at the time, the new post
commander for the Hermis-
ton group. He said the VFW
may have to close its doors
permanently if new mem-
bers did not join.
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald, File
February 2021
Students return: Local
school districts began return-
ing students to the classroom
in February. Precautions
included having students use
sanitizing wet wipes to wipe
down their desk and chair
every time they come into a
classroom or leave it. Uma-
tilla brought back all its stu-
dents by Feb. 1 for “hybrid”
studies, meaning that half
of the students would split
their days between online
and in-class days. Hermiston
and Stanfi eld school districts
returned all of their students
by Feb. 16.
Vaccination eff ort builds:
Previous to the schools
returning students, Hermis-
ton High School hosted vac-
cination clinics in its park-
ing lot. As Oregon opened
COVID-19 vaccinations to
school employees and child-
care workers at the end of
January, many educators
were in line to receive shots
at HHS. The vaccinations
were given via drive-thru
clinics, with people able to
receive their jabs while still
in their cars. Also, Umatilla
County seniors, age 80 and
up, were receiving vaccina-
Christina Garcia, right, receives her fi rst shot of the COVID-19 vaccine from Sharon Waldern during a vaccination clinic at Good
Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston on Feb. 12, 2021. Garcia, who works as a caregiver, said she had been anxiously waiting
to get her vaccine. “I was really excited to be able to get it today,” she said.
tions. Umatilla County Pub-
lic Health announced on Feb.
5 it was scheduled to receive
400 doses of the COVID-19
vaccine to begin vaccinating
elderly residents the follow-
ing week.
Money for Funland:
A $250,000 investment
through the U.S. Depart-
ment of Agriculture’s Rural
Economic
Development
Loan and Grant Program
was announced to help pay
for Funland Playground in
Hermiston. The Butte Park
playground burned down in
a suspected arson in 2019,
and the city was rebuild-
ing the site with a larger,
improved version. It was
planned to be made of mate-
rials less susceptible to van-
dalism or arson.
Distinguished Citizens
Awards: The Hermiston
Chamber of Commerce’s
annual Distinguished Cit-
izens Awards banquet was
held, and award recipients
were announced. Cindy
Middleton won Woman of
the Year honors. Ken Huber
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald, File
Hermiston School District Superintendent Tricia Mooney, right, speaks to protesters outside
the school district offi ces in Hermiston on Jan. 4, 2021.
was named Man of the Year.
The Bob Severson Rotary
Business of the Year award
was presented to M&M
Potato, Inc., of Hermiston.
The Merit of Honor award,
given to honor service and
leadership in the community,
went to Doug Alvarez.
March 2021
Local COVID-19 num-
bers decrease: From March
3-9, Umatilla County saw
55 new reported cases of
COVID-19, which was down
from 77 in the seven days
prior to that. The county did
not report any new deaths in
See Review, Page A8
TRCI inmates donate goods to Agape House
Hermiston Herald
A club of men in custody at Two Rivers Correc-
tional Institution, Umatilla, donated approximately
200 pounds of goods to Agape House in Hermiston.
The inmates are members of the Paradigm Shift
Club, a leadership group that strives to improve the
quality of life for adults in custody and the commu-
nity through charitable donations and social events,
according to a press release from TRCI,
The leadership group on Dec. 13 started a food
drive. Inmates can donate new food and personal
care products to local charities from their weekly
purchases before leaving the commissary. The items
they donated included candy, snack cakes, peanut
butter, toothpaste and toothbrushes.
“In just three days, approximately 200 pounds
of items were collected, an estimated $700 value,”
according to the press release. “The club decided tan-
gible donations were important for participants to see
the impact of their donations. In prison, snacks, treats,
and preferred personal items are gold. Seeing what
they contributed was rewarding to those involved.”
Dennis Aiken, volunteer at Agape House, a non-
profi t food bank in Hermiston, picked up the dona-
tions Dec. 17.
The food drive will continue until the end of the
month, the press release also reported, and all dona-
tions from the food drive will go to other local food
banks and shelters.
INSIDE
Two Rivers Correctional Institution/Contributed Photo
Staff at Two Rivers Correctional Institution, Umatilla, load donations from the Paradigm Shift Club on Dec. 17, 2021, into a truck for
Agape House, a nonprofi t food bank in Hermiston. The club is a leadership group of men in custody at the state prison and strives to
improve the quality of life for inmates and the community through charitable donations and social events.
A2  Irrigon mayor profi led in
‘Three Minutes’
A3  Hermiston School District
social workers help students
A6  New Year events planned
for area
A7  Big money comes to Eastern
Oregon hospitals