NEWS
WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2022
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3
‘Unfortunate nightmare whirlwind’
mation, and it notifi ed visi-
tors to check their email for
more information if they had
scheduled appointments.
The DMV website stated
the Hermiston and Hep-
pner offi ces were both closed
Thursday. There was no fur-
ther mention about when they
would reopen.
Hermiston, Heppner
DMV closed for a day,
reopened but staffi ng
problem remains
ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Herald
The Hermiston DMV was
closed for a day it would ordi-
narily be open.
Posted hours on the front
door are Monday, Tues-
day, Thursday and Friday,
8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday,
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Still, the doors were
locked at 2:30 p.m. on Thurs-
day, April 28. A sign on the
door Thursday explained the
reason.
“This offi ce is closed
due to staffi ng,” the sign
read. Also, it guided people
to the DMV website, ore-
gondmv.com, for more infor-
Upset people at the
door
People were frustrated as
they arrived at the Hermiston
DMV and found the doors
locked.
“I came a long ways to
come here, and now it’s not
even open,” Sarah Krebs, of
Ione, said. She had wanted to
update her driver’s license.
She said her license was
set to expire on her birth-
day, Sunday, May 1, and she
would need to update it by
then.
The Pendleton DMV was
Port of Morrow receiving
new executive director
Hermiston Herald
Lisa Mittelsdorf starts
as the Port of Morrow
executive director May 9.
Mittelsdorf
is
the
port’s economic develop-
ment director. The port
announced the move in a
press release April 27.
Mittelsdorf has been
with the Port of Morrow
for more than 30 years,
working closely with
previous directors, the
announcement stated. As
executive director, she will
be responsible for the man-
agement and administra-
tion of port activities.
Port of Morrow Com-
mission President Rick
Stokoe said Mittelsdorf is
an exceptional leader.
“Lisa’s successful col-
laborations with her many
board positions, strong
community and business
partnerships and experi-
ence managing success-
ful teams will elevate the
port’s success as we con-
tinue to be the second
largest port in the state,”
he said according to the
release.
Port Commissioner Joe
Taylor in the release com-
plimented
Mittelsdorf’s
experiences and relation-
ships as “a huge advan-
tage not only with our port
partners but also with our
county, region and state.
The port commission
began an internal search
to fi ll the position, which
was left vacant by the
death of Executive Direc-
tor Ryan Neal in January.
By April 4, it received let-
ters of interest from candi-
dates and then conducted
interviews. According to
the release, there were
three very qualifi ed inter-
nal applicants who made
the decision diffi cult.
The commission also
thanked all the candidates.
open, according to the DMV
website, and Krebs said she
would try it, as she got back
into her vehicle and left.
Another disappointed per-
son, Dominick Giefi ng, had
been waiting in front of the
Hermiston building, located
at 810 S. Highway 395.
He said he had been at the
offi ce the day prior but was
not able to get his driver’s
license because he had for-
gotten his eyeglasses.
“This is the biggest incon-
venience ever,” he said. “They
should be open. DMVs don’t
help people. They just make
their lives harder.”
His
mother,
Mina
Edwards, was sitting in her
vehicle out in front of the
DMV with her son. They are
both from Ione.
She said they had been
through a lot of bureau-
cracy on the road to get Gief-
ing’s license. She had tried
the DMV’s customer service
phone number, but had not
received help after half an
hour of being kept on hold.
“It’s been an unfortunate
nightmare whirlwind,” she
said.
Problem remains after
reopening
On Friday, April 29, the
Hermiston DMV reopened.
As the Heppner offi ce is ordi-
narily closed on Fridays, it
was not open then.
“We’re suff ering across
the state,” David House,
DMV spokesman, said. He
called the situation “criti-
cal,” stating that the DMV is
receiving a fraction of the job
applications it had in previous
years.
People are retiring or leav-
ing for other jobs, and not
enough new applicants are
stepping in to fi ll open posi-
tions, he said. The Med-
Erick Peterson/Hermiston Herald
The Hermiston DMV, 810 S. Highway 395, was closed on
Thursday, April 28, 2022, during normal business hours.
ford offi ce is at half its reg-
ular staff , and offi ces like
the Hermiston offi ce, which
he said operates with two or
three workers, can shut down
when a single person gets
sick and has to stay home.
There are 60 offi ces state-
wide, and many of them
are staff ed by two or three
employees, like the Hermis-
ton offi ce, he said.
He added that all of the
Oregon Department of Trans-
portation is facing this prob-
lem, not just the DMV.
House recommended that
people in need of services
visit the DMV website to see
if they can be helped that way.
Stanfi eld city manager turns down job off er
the city manager of Warren-
ton, said he was off ered the
Stanfi eld City Manager job but turned it down.
Ben Burgener will remain
“Housing costs were
in his current post, at
pretty extreme com-
least for now.
pared to what they
“The council and I
were willing to
are glad he decided to
off er,” he said.
stay,” Susan Whelan,
A
job
post-
incoming mayor for
ing for the posi-
Stanfi eld, said.
tion advertises a sal-
Burgener
Burgener,
who
ary of $110,000
was a fi nalist to be
to $140,000 plus
Hermiston Herald
“excellent benefi ts.”
He stated that his current
annual salary is $95,004.
Also, he cited “a lot hap-
pening in Stanfi eld” and
the “amazing people” at the
Stanfi eld job for keeping him
in town.
“In the end, there just was
not enough benefi t to incen-
tivize my family to want to
relocate from a great situa-
tion,” he said.
He added that his current
contract ends Sept. 16 and
will be up for renewal.
“I anticipate there would
be a pay increase with the
renewed contract,” he said.
Burgener will be work-
ing alongside a new mayor.
During the council’s April 18
meeting, it selected Whelan,
a fellow city councilor, to
succeed Mayor Thomas
McCann.
Echo Fire Department gets grant from Wildhorse
By WYATT TEGGINS
Hermiston Herald
The Echo Rural Fire
Protection District has
received a $20,000 grant
from the Wildhorse Foun-
dation to repair the fi re sta-
tion roof, helping to allevi-
ate the $26,000 price tag.
Operating on an annual
budget of $100,000, the dis-
trict already spent $25,000
on a new engine for a truck
in early July 2021. Then
the roof at the station began
leaking in late December.
“At fi rst, we thought
it would be an easy fi x,”
Fire Chief Delbert Gehrke
said, “but then insulation
began to fall into the fi re-
house, exposing a hole that
allowed you to see through
the ceiling.”
Gehrke decided to put
an application in with the
Wildhorse
Foundation,
despite only a couple of
weeks left in the applica-
tion window, hoping for
funds to help alleviate some
of the cost.
To his surprise, the foun-
dation was able to approve
the request and write the
grant in a short time.
The Wildhorse Foun-
dation uses 3% of the net
gaming revenue made at
the Wildhorse Resort &
Casino to invest in commu-
nity matters.
According to the Wild-
horse Foundations website,
thewildhorsefoundation.
com, since the foundation’s
indoctrination in 2001, the
organization has provided
$13 million to local cul-
tural, educational and public
health endeavors. In 2019
alone, the Wildhorse Foun-
dation provided more than
$1.1 million to 127 organi-
zations within the state.
Then
NOW
2022 Graduates
y
l
n
O
49
$
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Umatilla, Morrow & Gilliam County
Jennifer Smith
Good Shepherd
Outreach & Events
May is Older American's Month
Good Shepherd’s Community Health & Outreach
offers free health screenings for community
members of all ages!
Healthy Cooking on a Budget
Second Tuesday of the month (May 10, 2022)
High School Name
Congratulations Jen!
We are so proud of you!
Love, Mom & Dad
Walk with Ease
May 23 – July 1, M/W/F
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Name of graduate:
School:
Message:
Call 541-564-4538 or email
aworkman@eastoregonian.com
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COMMUNITY HEALTH & OUTREACH
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