NEWS
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2022
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3
Superintendent announces retirement
Dirksen spent more
than 40 years in Morrow
County schools
By ANTONIO SIERRA
Hermiston Herald
Superintendent
Dirk
Dirksen recently announced
his retirement from the Mor-
row County School District,
a decision he almost made
11 years ago.
In an interview Dec. 29,
Dirksen said he consid-
ered retiring back in 2011
when he still was a princi-
Umatilla
County
buys VFW
building
It may be used for
community corrections
By ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Herald
The fl agpoles are as
empty as the parking lot at
the old Hermiston VFW
building, but this will not
long be the case, accord-
ing to John Shafer, Umatilla
County commissioner. The
building at 45 W. Cherry
Ave., Hermiston, will some-
day house the Umatilla
County Community Cor-
rections, following a recent
purchase. The building cost
$450,000.
The “for sale” signs are
still up on the building, but
Shafer said the sale is all but
complete, as the purchase
was approved by Umatilla
County
Commissioners.
Also posted on the building,
a notice of the VFW’s clo-
sure hangs in the window
of the front door. The notice
states Post 4750 is closed on
order of the VFW Depart-
ment of Oregon, because of
“failure to establish a meet-
ing quorum or elect the
required offi cers” while on
suspension.
The Hermiston VFW’s
loss, however, is UCCC’s
gain, as Shafer said the com-
munity corrections depart-
ment is in dire need. Cur-
rently housed at the Staff ord
Hansell Government Center,
915 S.E. Columbia Drive,
Hermiston, county correc-
tions has run out of space,
he said.
The offi ce, which is serv-
ing a growing area, is staff ed
by people who hardly have
room to function, Sha-
fer said. He stated that staff
must vacate their offi ces
when group meetings are
held. Also, according to the
commissioner, some staff
are operating in cramped
conditions; they are work-
ing in offi ces that had been
closets.
“We have employees
who are in hallways with
laptops,” Shafer said. With-
out space for desktop com-
puters or desk phones, they
are using laptops and cell
phones to conduct business.
Shafer said the move is
“up in the air,” as he does
not know exactly when
community corrections will
relocate.
“Once closing hap-
pens, we’re going to have
to do a complete remodel
of the new building and go
from there,” he said. Issues,
including material acquisi-
tion, will aff ect the timeline
for moving the department.
“I’d like to be in there by
the end of the year,” he said.
Based upon initial inspec-
tions, Shafer said the build-
ing will be “taken down to
the studs.” He stated that the
building is in good shape,
but its layout is not “what
we need it to be.” It is a big,
open space, he said, which
will require walls for secu-
rity and privacy.
He said by leaving,
UCCC will make room in
the Staff ord Hansell build-
ing for the district attor-
ney’s offi ce, the fair offi ce or
something else.
“Nothing is set in stone,”
he said.
pal at River-
side Junior/
Senior High
School in
Boardman.
But when
the super-
Dirksen
intendent
position
opened up, he ended up add-
ing more than a decade to a
41-year career in Morrow
County as a teacher, coach,
administrator and chief
executive.
Dirksen said the retire-
ment was planned and he
felt that it was the right time
to step down.
“I’m not getting any
younger at this point,” he
said.
During his time as super-
intendent, he said he was
proud of the district’s
improved graduation rates
and the partnerships it had
established with organiza-
tions to improve the dis-
trict’s “wraparound” ser-
vices for students, such as
mental health and career
technical education.
Dirksen has come a long
way from his days as a
teacher at Columbia Mid-
dle School, which eventu-
ally became Irrigon Junior/
Senior High School. But he
will stay busy through the
end of his tenure in July as
the district readies itself to
seek a new bond in May.
Dirksen said the district
will release more details
on the bond in the months
ahead, but the school board
has committed to putting
a bond proposal in front of
Morrow County voters in
the spring.
Dirksen said all schools
in Heppner, Boardman and
Irrigon will get some sort
of infrastructure or secu-
rity upgrade if the bond
passes in 2022. He added
that they will also focus on
specifi c areas, like reno-
vating the aging exterior of
A.C. Houghton Elementary
School in Irrigon.
In the meantime, the
Morrow County School
Board is preparing for
a post-Dirksen future.
On Dec. 17, the board
announced it was work-
ing with the Oregon School
Boards Association to iden-
tify and hire the district’s
next superintendent.
The district also formed
a superintendent screening
committee that will review
applications and even could
observe some of the opening
interviews. Interested com-
munity members had until
Thursday, Jan. 6, to apply,
and the board will select
committee members by Jan.
10.
The superintendent posi-
tion closes on Feb. 16. Mor-
row County joins the Pend-
leton School District in
looking for a new leader.
Pendleton Superintendent
Chris Fritsch also recently
announced his intent to
retire after nearly fi ve years
in Pendleton. The Pendle-
ton School Board already
started its own search.
Rebuilding life, one page at a time
Former Hermiston
resident becomes
author with ‘The Little
House Saw’
By ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Herald
Former Hermiston resi-
dent Anna Lee Landin pub-
lished her fi rst book, “The
Little House Saw.” It is a
story of rebuilding oneself
after one’s world has crum-
bled. For Landin, it is a per-
sonal story, which she has
infused a lot of heart.
The book has received
local attention lately, as it
was read to a large gath-
ering of children at The
Next Chapter Bookstore in
Hermiston.
Also, 300 of the books
were recently donated to
Eastern Oregon Mission to
be given to people at Mar-
tha’s House and Agape
House.
Many of the books
were also given to children
through last month’s Christ-
mas Express giveaway.
In a recent phone call
with the Hermiston Her-
ald, Landin expressed hap-
piness about the book cir-
culating in town, especially
among people in need.
“The Little House Saw”
tells the story of a house
that starts off like all the
other houses in its neigh-
borhood. This house, how-
ever, collapses. When it
begins to rebuild itself, the
little house decides to be
diff erent. Its corners, its
colors and its landscaping
Anna Lee Landin/Contributed Photo
Little House Saw,” though
her main audience is chil-
dren. Young people, when
dealing with hard times
or isolation, need to have
hope in the future, she said.
So when children read the
book, and they see the pos-
itive outcome for the little
house, they may realize the
happy ending that is possi-
ble for them, too.
Landin quoted a line
from her book, as follows:
“But the little house knew
that it would all be okay.
Sometimes, it takes time
when fi nding your way.”
She said she hopes to
pass on a positive message
to children, encouraging
them to be their true selves
and to love others for their
own diff erences. This is an
important lesson nowadays,
she said, as entire world
seems polarized. Landin
said she would like to see
more people come together.
Anna Lee Landin is a former Hermiston resident who
recently authored her fi rst book, “The Little House Saw.”
Writing and
publishing the book
take a diff erent form from
neighboring houses. It dif-
fers, as well, from its previ-
ous look.
In this children’s story,
onlookers to the little house
are divided. Some people
do not like the house’s new
appearance. For those peo-
ple who like it, though, the
new little house is an inspi-
ration which encourages
other houses to make their
own unique changes.
Landin explained that the
book is her attempt to tell a
universal story. She said
that every person, at some
Landin had long wanted
to write a book, she said.
She called it a “bucket
list item.” When the idea
for this story came to her
in 2019, though, she had
an “Ah-ha” moment; she
would write this story,
and she would do it right
away.
That year, as the world
was going into a pandemic
lockdown, she decided to
write her story and have it
illustrated by Italian art-
ist Daniela Volpari. For the
two years that followed,
she worked with Volpari,
point in life, will undergo a
cataclysmic event. During
this event, a person might
start rethinking life and
then begin anew.
Landin had this experi-
ence herself, years ago, fol-
lowing the end of her fi rst
marriage. At that time, she
said she thought about how
she wanted to live her life.
Like the little house of her
story, she decided to be
diff erent.
She said that an adult
who has a similar experi-
ence as hers will be able
to relate to and enjoy “The
forming a “human connec-
tion” with someone on the
other side of the world. In
addition to putting the book
together, she arranged to
publish it herself.
Self-publishing is a
risk, she said. According to
Landin, a typical self-pub-
lished book will sell 250
copies in its entire life. In
contrast, she said, her book
has already sold 2,000 cop-
ies of the 5,000 that she
printed.
Many of her book sales
have been in Hermiston,
and she said she is grate-
ful for the support. Herm-
iston is still her home-
town, she said, though she
has lived outside of the
town for years. Life has
taken her to live in Cali-
fornia, Maryland, Hawaii
and more, she said, but
she described Hermiston
as her hometown. This is
where she lived the longest,
and it remains the home of
many friends and family
members.
“I love Hermiston,” she
said.
She said she “writes con-
tinuously,” but she has not
yet written a second book.
Writing a book is time-con-
suming, she said. As the
mother of four children,
including 4-year-old twins,
she said she is not exactly
sure when she will have a
second book. In the mean-
time, she said she will sim-
ply enjoy the experience of
her fi rst book.
“It’s been incredible to
me,” she said. “It’s been
mind-blowing.”
Victory Baptist pastor and family arrive in Hermiston
Nick Coleman looks
forward to contributing
to community
EDITOR’S NOTE
This story is part of an
annual series by the
Hermiston Herald called
“Our New Neighbors,”
which introduces the
community to people
who have moved here in
the past year.
By ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Herald
Coming to Hermiston
from the outskirts of the
Portland area, Nick Cole-
man, 39, is new to Eastern
Oregon.
Coleman is the new lead
pastor for Victory Baptist
Church, 193 E. Main St.,
Hermiston. He has been in
Hermiston only since Dec.
18. Still, he said he had seen
enough of the town to be
impressed. Also, he added,
his family was enjoying the
area. Coleman’s wife and
two children are with him
in Hermiston.
“We have loved it so
far,” he said. “We come
from a small town, and
we’ve come to appreciate
the community of a small
town, the feel and the pace
of life.”
Coleman has been mar-
ried for 16 years. His chil-
dren, ages 15 and 12, were
entered into Hermiston pub-
lic schools.
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald
Pastor Nick Coleman poses for a portrait Dec. 28, 2021, at
Victory Baptist Church in Hermiston. He is the new lead
pastor at the church having arrived Dec. 18.
He admitted he has an
advantage not shared by
all newcomers to town.
As a pastor, he immedi-
ately enters a community
of people who support him
and give him direction.
When placing his children
into schools, for example,
he has spoken with mem-
bers of his congregation
who are teachers in the
district.
“We’re getting to know
people in the church, and
they have been awesome,”
he said.
After only a few days in
Hermiston, Coleman had
been shown around town.
The meal at Hale’s Restau-
rant & Lounge was “really,
really good,” he said, and
the omelet was so big he
could not fi nish it. He said
Shiki Hibachi Sushi was
“outstanding.”
Coleman also said he
soon plans to hike the
Hermiston Butte and looks
forward to exploring Fun-
land Playground, local
parks, golf courses, the
McNary Dam and more. He
even said he would be open
to going fi shing, though he
said he does not have much
experience with it.
Born in Olympia, Wash-
ington, he is not a complete
stranger to the area; Eastern
Oregon is not like a foreign
planet to him, he said. His
family did move to Vienna,
Austria, for a while, though,
before returning stateside to
live in the Tri-Cities, where
he attended Richland High
School.
He spoke of fi nding
his religious path in high
school. He had a Chris-
tian retreat in which he felt
“convicted” of his sin, and
he suddenly experienced
a need to change his life
and follow God. He, then,
started leading faith-based
groups.
Coleman attended Cor-
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ban University, a private
Christian school in Salem,
before going on to do grad-
uate work in theology, min-
istry and biblical studies.
Victory Baptist is his
fi rst church as lead pas-
tor. He said he likes the
church, which he said reg-
ularly pulls in around 100
congregants for a typical
Sunday service. He said
many are committed to
volunteering and making
things work.
“That gives us a lot of
potential to impact our com-
munity,” he said. “We’re
downtown, and we want to
serve our community and
be a presence and act with
gospel love to our friends
and neighbors.”
Still, he has good feel-
ings for the place he has
left. He called it a fantas-
tic community, where he
gained experience with
church work, made friendly
connections with commu-
nity members and raised his
children.
“It was hard to leave, but
we thought that this move
was right for our family,”
Coleman said. “I think God
was calling us here.”
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