A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2022
OFF PAGE ONE
CANDIDATES
Continued from Page A1
important topics in the town:
homelessness, internet connectiv-
ity, housing and the city’s growth.
Davis vs. Linton
Davis spoke of her experience
on the council, having won her seat
in 2010. Her priorities, she said,
include capital improvement proj-
ects, the Eastern Oregon Trade and
Event Center, youth activities, the
police department and broadband
internet service. After seeing the city
work for years on solving its home-
less problem, she said it must forge
partnerships with the county.
She also praised the city for its
growth. New infrastructure, she
said, was important to encouraging
housing development. She said she
wants to continue working on these
projects.
Linton spoke on her desire to
improve veterans’ services, men-
tal health, housing and job training.
Hermiston, she said, faces some dif-
ficult days ahead, but it can meet the
FOOD
Continued from Page A1
was sorry, but we weren’t
going to do that.”
Such a situation, he said,
would have made things
worse for both customers
and vendors.
He said that his goal is to
create fun. A Hermiston res-
ident, Hunt said he wished
for the pod to be a lively
place for people — kids
and families, in particular,
to gather. Music plays, and
banners wave. The pod, he
said, is an attraction for peo-
ple who might not have any-
thing else to do.
“If we can play music and
have a place for people to go,
maybe they won’t get into so
much trouble,” he said.
Customers enjoy pod
Rosa Alonzo, Umatilla
resident, made a special trip
to eat at the food pod on Fri-
day. She said, though she
likes Magui’s, one of the
nine trucks, the best, she will
choose different restaurants
when she arrives. While she
eats at one, the people who
accompany her often get
food from different places
before sitting down at one of
the benches at the pod.
“We come out here quite
a bit,” she said. “We enjoy
the variety of foods.”
Hermiston residents Shay
Godden and James Wiggins
were at another table on Fri-
day. They heard of the Fili-
pino food at the pod. Though
they only rarely came to the
McCANN
Continued from Page A1
“He was beloved by all,
probably one of the best
mayors I’ve ever served
around, Burgener said. “He
loved the city, got involved
and did everything he could
for the city.”
This death was unexpected,
Burgener said. McCann had
heart issues, he added, but he
and others were shocked by
his passing and were not ready
for it. This is hitting Stanfield
very hard, he said.
Jerry Carlson, Stanfield
finance director, said he is
among the people affected by
this loss.
“I started a little bit after
he started with the city in
1979, when he was police
chief and I was hired to be
city recorder,” Carlson said.
He said McCann was a
hard worker, who would
“dive in and do what was nec-
essary” to complete a task.
“When they city was
flooded, it required people
Kathy Aney/Hermiston Herald
Hermiston City Council candidates express their views at a candidates forum April 12, 2022, at the Hermiston
Community Center.
needs of its residents if it remains
committed to caring for people in
need. In addition, she said, the town
can use four new police officers.
Both candidates spoke of their
involvement in the city. Each serves
on city boards and volunteers. Lin-
ton is a frequent visitor and speaker
at city council meetings.
Barron vs. Stradley
A special education teacher, Bar-
ron said he is driven to serve others.
He was first appointed to his seat in
2018 and won his first election in
2019. He said he has learned much
in the last few years. Funding the
police and working with Umatilla
pod previously, they dined
there on Friday to try lumpia.
While there, they said
they were enjoying the
atmosphere.
“It’s kind of like the fair,”
Godden said. Wiggins, who
has worked at various fairs,
agreed. Like the fair, the pod
is lively, they said.
Vendors stories
Godden and Wiggins
obtained their Filipino food
from Maureen Dickens,
owner of Twisted Filipino
Variety Cuisine.
Dickens said she is from
the Philippines, where her
family operated restaurants.
It gave her experiences with
food and a love of the restau-
rant business.
“Ever since I was little,
we had a restaurant,” she
said.
Three weeks in busi-
ness, she said this is her first
restaurant in the U.S. She
offers foods from her native
country, Hawaii, America
and more.
Her American offerings,
she said, include chicken
tenders, which are popular.
Her husband, she said, is
retired, and she is semi-re-
tired, which is why she
said she prefers food truck
work over opening a reg-
ular restaurant. It is easier,
though still hard, she said.
Tim Wilson, Krack
Burger owner, was taping a
menu to his truck on Friday,
his first day of operations.
Foods, such as burgers, hot-
dogs, shakes and ice cream,
were all on that menu.
to stay up all night,” Carl-
son said. McCann was one
of those people who was
up all night, only to work
the next day.
Also, Carlson spoke of
other times, when McCann
went the extra mile. When
the city was short vari-
ous officials, Carlson said,
McCann stepped in to per-
form extra work.
“He was never shy about
helping out,” Carlson said.
He added that he will miss
his friend, but that the rest of
the town will miss him, too.
Burgener said that the
Stanfield City Council would
discuss options for selecting a
new mayor at a city council
meeting Tuesday, April 19.
According to Burgener,
the council would discuss
whether to appoint a fellow
councilor to fill the role or
select a different person from
their community.
The city council meeting
came after the Herald went
to press. Please visit www.
hermistonherald.com
for
updated information.
County on homelessness are a cou-
ple of his priorities, he said. And he
stated he wants to see more public
and private partnerships, as what is
being done currently in Hermiston.
“Hermiston is a town — but one
that is transitioning,” he said.
He added it should continue to
grow, though it should maintain its
small-town feel.
Stradley, former Umatilla County
Housing Authority executive direc-
tor, retired in 2019, said housing
is an important issue. We must, he
said, draw in developers and work
on making affordable housing.
“There are ways to do it,” he
said. “I have the experience.”
“I’m new to the food
truck industry, but not to the
restaurant business,” Wilson
said.
He said he had a restau-
rant in the Tri-Cities that was
bought out by his ex-wife.
“She didn’t want a part-
ner, and I totally under-
stand,” he said.
Now a Hermiston resi-
dent, he said he is excited
for this business venture.
Restaurants are fun, he said,
and food trucks are boom-
ing. He said he expects to do
well.
Berenice Rodriguez, of
Alma’s Express, said she is
optimistic, too. She serves
smoothies, nachos, burgers,
biscuits and gravy, breakfast
burritos and more, and she
said business is good.
“We wanted to have our
In addition, he spoke on mental
health and drug recovery services.
Spicerkuhn vs. McCarthy
Spicerkuhn was first appointed to
the council and then won an uncon-
tested special election in March
2021 to retain his seat. At the forum,
he spoke of his community involve-
ment and his work as a lawyer. His
background in law, he said, is help-
ful to the council. Also, he said he
is interested in helping small busi-
nesses grow in Hermiston.
The incumbent pointed out
that Nike is in the Portland area
because it started there and grew.
The next big Hermiston company,
own business and not work
for anybody else,” she said.
Having worked for others at
restaurants and other trucks,
she said she has long wanted
to have her own business
and not be beholden to
someone else.
Kalani Morales, a worker
at Bobablastic, offers orange
chicken, churros, boba tea
and more. She said that this
business is good for her. She
has a job at Panda Express in
Hermiston. By also working
at the pod, she can earn extra
income while enjoying her-
self, too.
“I like it, I really do,” she
said. “It’s fun.”
Dalene Hadley, of the
Grizzly Grill, offers grilled
cheese sandwiches, corn
dogs, fries and more. She
said she has been operat-
he said, could be one that starts
small, becomes successful and
expands. For that reason, the city
should find ways to help its small
businesses.
McCarthy, a past city councilor,
spoke of his community involve-
ment and volunteer work. A sales
manager for local radio station
KOHU, he is someone, he said, who
loves his town and wants to see it
thrive.
McCarthy spoke of his interest to
improve walkability in Hermiston,
as well as boosting internet, attract-
ing apartment and house developers,
adding new infrastructure and devel-
oping the city’s relationship with the
Hermiston Chamber of Commerce.
The mayor’s assessment
David Drotzmann, Hermiston
mayor, was among the attendees
at the forum and afterward said
he was impressed with the candi-
dates. Looking around at the crowd
of around 70 people, Drotzmann
remarked that it was good to see so
much public involvement, too. In
all, he spoke of it as a very posi-
tive evening.
ing this business for around
10 years, but has frequently
moved during that time.
Now, she said, she plans to
stay still, with the exception
of a few upcoming events.
“I like it,” she said. “The
people here are really good,
and it’s less work.” Being
in a fixed location, she does
not have to bother much
with hooking and unhook-
ing utilities.
Throughout the renova-
tions, one truck was able to
stay open because it oper-
ates on the other side of a
short fence from the other
restaurants.
Tacos Garcia is the
restaurant. The owner is
Rigoberto Garcia.
Garcia said he is happy
to see a filled pod. Yes, they
are within a short distance of
his food truck. And, yes, he
said, some customers may
choose to eat at other food
trucks instead of his. Still,
according to Garcia, the pod
attracts many customers,
bringing many diners to his
truck for his wide selection
of tacos, burritos and more.
“There’s enough for all of
us,” he said of the custom-
ers. “And I like my neigh-
bors. There’s business for
everybody.”
More changes to the
pod are coming, Hunt said.
According to Hunt, live
bands will perform starting
in the middle of May.
The pod is open seven
days a week, 11 a.m. to
around 7 p.m., though not all
vendors are open each day.
Some vendors might expand
to offer breakfast, Hunt said.
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