REGION
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
East Oregonian
HERMISTON
Page 3A
HERMISTON
Cultural groups celebrate diversity City to take over
Steelhead Park
By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN
East Oregonian
Hermiston, in the middle
of the Eastern Oregon desert,
may not immediately spring
to mind as a hub of cultural
diversity.
But a group of locals
is working to change that
perception, with a recent
event highlighting cultures
from around the world.
“We were brainstorming
on how to provide an educa-
tional and cultural experience
for the community,” said
Jesus Rome, one of the
people responsible for the
celebration, “Around the
World in One Fun Day.” The
event featured performers
and educational booths
from six different groups:
Made to Thrive African
Drum Ensemble, Polynesian
Cultural Group, Filipino
Cultural Group, Yakima
Valley Aztec Dancers, and
groups representing Nepalese
culture and Native Americans
performed and had booths at
the event, which drew a small
gathering after Hermiston’s
Funfest on July 8.
In addition to those cultural
groups,
the
Hermiston
Cultural Awareness Club
also helped plan the event.
That group is best known for
organizing the town’s annual
Martin Luther King Jr. Peace
Walk.
Suva Shakya, who is
Nepalese, was one of the
organizers of the event. A
Hermiston resident for nearly
a decade, Shakya said he
has noticed a lot of positive
changes since he arrived
with the way the town reacts
to people from different
cultures.
“When I moved here, I
found the culture different,”
he said. “I felt like people
looked at me like I didn’t
belong.”
Shakya said he feels
websites like Facebook have
changed things, bringing
people together and exposing
them to new ideas and places,
even if they’ve never been
there.
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
Photo contributed by Jesus Rome
An Aztec performer blows a conch shell at the Hermiston “Around the World in One
Fun Day” event.
Photo contributed by Suva Shakya
Prabha Subedi and Dina Upadhyah hold the Nepal flag
in their booth at Hermiston’s “Around the World in One
Fun Day” event.
Tile and Marvin Hamilton,
from the Polynesian Cultural
Group, said they got to
know the other organizers
of the event through various
avenues, but all shared an
interest in spreading cultural
awareness in the community.
“Jesus and I started
talking,” Marvin said. “We
found out about people from
different areas, and found
that there’s a lot of people
from different countries and
cultures here. We wanted
to recognize what makes us
unique and special — and
also just (have) a fun time.”
Rome’s wife, Dawn, said
the event was impressive for
a first-year endeavor.
“Several years ago, Jesus
and I went to an event in
Walla Walla — a fantastic
multicultural event that
they’ve been doing for years.
I really felt like our event, the
entertainment we had rivaled
theirs.”
Dawn, a Hermiston resi-
dent since about 2000, also
said she has seen the commu-
nity become more receptive
to different cultures.
“People used to be in a
little bubble,” she said.
She recalled a time when
even celebrating Martin
Luther King Jr. Day was not
a given.
“It used to be a very
different place,” she said.
“We do have the Round-Up,
and rodeos and things that are
the culture of this place, but
there’s more than that now. I
think people are more open.”
The groups hope to make
the “Around the World” event
an annual gathering, but it’s
not sure how it will evolve.
“The goal of having it
after Funfest was to capture
some of the crowds, and we
didn’t capture as much of that
as we’d have liked,” Rome
said. The group is looking
at holding their own event
instead, or possibly running it
alongside Funfest instead of
afterward.
But they’re happy with
what they learned from the
event, and hope that those
attending learned something
new.
“I think that’s the whole
key,” Rome said. “Providing
education to families, and
becoming a culturally inclu-
sive community.”
Fire restrictions increased on private forestland
East Oregonian
The Oregon Department
of Forestry is increasing
fire restrictions on private,
state, county, municipal and
tribal lands across northeast
Oregon.
Additional
restrictions
will go into effect beginning
Wednesday, and fall under
ODF’s Regulated Use Closure
for the Northeast Oregon
District — which includes
Umatilla, Union, Baker and
Wallowa counties, as well as
small portions of Morrow,
Grant and Malheur counties.
“The increased restric-
tions are put into place to help
prevent human-caused fires,”
said Matt Howard, Wallowa
unit forester for ODF. “The
fuel conditions have reached
the point where we need to
try and prevent as many fire
starts as possible.”
Fire prevention measures
include:
• Open fires are prohib-
ited, including campfires,
charcoal fires, cooking fires
and warming fires, except
at designated locations and
state parks.
• Debris burning is prohib-
ited, including the use of burn
barrels.
• Chainsaw use is prohib-
ited between the hours of 10
a.m. and 8 p.m. Chainsaws
are allowed during all other
hours, though cutters need
to have an ax, shovel and
minimum
8-ounce
fire
extinguisher on hand at all
times. In addition, one-hour
fire watch is required after
cutting.
• Mowing dried grass with
power-driven
equipment,
as well as cutting, grinding
or welding metal, is also
prohibited between 10 a.m.
BRIEFLY
Class takes flight
with RC planes
and quadcopter
PENDLETON — An
introductory class for youths
is scheduled on designing
and building RC planes or
quadcopters — sometimes
called drones.
The RC Workshop is
Saturday, Aug. 5 from
9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at
Grecian Heights Park, 1910
S.W. Athens, Pendleton.
Participants should bring
lunch, water, chairs and
sunscreen.
The fee is $20 and people
need to register by Tuesday,
Aug. 1.
Pendleton Parks &
Recreation is partnering
with the Pendleton Props
RC Club to bring the fun
and excitement of RC planes
and quadcopters to youths
in Pendleton. The group
looks forward to introducing
and teaching kids about
designing, building and flying
remote-controlled aircraft.
The class will demonstrate
how aerodynamics work,
different build processes and
how to fly RC.
The aircrafts are made
using foam board and hot
glue, and are non-powered
free flight aircraft that
are launched from a
catapult launcher. Prizes
will be given to farthest
flown, straightest flight
and best concept. Parents
To find the medallion made of gold
You’ll need to be on the right side of the track.
Could it be close to the Hotel Williams of old
Maybe Maxwell is hot or cold
Don’t be fooled by a plastic sack
The annual National Night Out Treasure Hunt is underway in Hermiston.
The rules and first clue were printed in Tuesday’s East Oregonian and an
additional bonus clue appears in Wednesday’s Hermiston Herald. The
person who finds the golden medallion will win an ice cream social block
party Tuesday, Aug. 1 as part of the National Night Out activities. When
you find the medallion, you must immediately contact the Hermiston
Police Department. If it’s after 6 p.m., leave a message for officer Tim
Miears at 541-667-5112.
S.U.R.E. sets river
beautification
project
PENDLETON —
S.U.R.E. (Stewards of the
Umatilla River Environment)
have set a river clean-up
event in Pendleton.
For those who have
adopted a stretch of the river
parkway, this is a fun way
to gather with friends and
organization members to
pitch in and clear trash from
the parkway and riverbank.
In addition, other individuals
and families are welcome
to come out and help in
the beautification project.
— Byron Smith,
Hermiston city manager
including arms supporting
the Hermiston city logo
and self-irrigating hanging
flower baskets. The project
will cost $79,788 total, but
will result in some energy
savings and rebates due to
the switch to LED lighting.
Hermiston Energy Services
superintendent Nate Rivera
said the electrical outlets at
the base of the poles will
also have more capacity
than the current ones,
which should reduce the
number of times vendors
overload and short out the
system during events.
City finance director
Amy Palmer gave her
last financial report to the
city council. Palmer is
resigning to take care of
an ailing family member.
Mayor David Drotzmann
praised her for the “lead-
ership and hard work” she
had provided in helping
the city accomplish its
goals of financial stability
and accountability. Palmer
got a little emotional
when talking about how
she had arranged to leave
the city’s investments in
a place where they can
safely “ride” for at least six
months as the city selects
and trains a new depart-
ment head.
“I shouldn’t really get
choked up about money,”
she laughed. “But I take
my job very seriously.”
The
council
also
discussed the final weeks
of preparation for the
Eastern Oregon Trade and
Event Center before the
Umatilla County Fair and
Farm-City Pro Rodeo from
Aug. 8-12. City manager
Byron Smith, who is also
the chair of the EOTEC
board, said that the grounds
are bigger and better than
the old venue on Orchard
Avenue, but the public
should be prepared to be
patient while some of the
bumps are worked out in
the first year.
“This will not be 100
percent smooth,” he said.
“But it will be nice, it will
be good and it will get
better every year.”
———
Contact Jade McDowell
at
jmcdowell@eastore-
gonian.com or 541-564-
4536.
SUBMIT COMMUNITY NEWS
Clue No. 2
are welcome to help and
participate with their child.
To register, visit www.
pendletonparksandrec.
com or stop by the parks
office, 865 Tutuilla Road.
For more information, call
541-276-8100.
and 8 p.m.
• Smoking is prohibited
except in vehicles on
improved roads, in boats on
the water or within a cleared
area.
• Fireworks, exploding
targets and tracer ammuni-
tion are all prohibited.
So far this year, northeast
Oregon has experienced
seven human-caused fires
that have burned 22.6 acres
on private land. Similar
restrictions are also in effect
on public land, including the
Umatilla, Wallowa-Whitman
and Malheur national forests.
The city of Hermiston
is adding a new park to its
books.
On Monday the city
council voted unanimously
to approve an agreement
with the Oregon Depart-
ment of Fish and Wildlife
to take over Steelhead
Park, a five-acre piece of
land along the Umatilla
River south of Highland
Avenue.
The city hopes to even-
tually build a boat launch
and restrooms at the park,
but its primary reason for
acquiring the land is to
build the planned West
Highland Trail through
a corner of the property,
looping the trail from
Highland Avenue under the
bridge and into Riverfront
Park next door.
The property is mostly
undeveloped other than a
small gravel parking area
near the road. The city has
agreed to make improve-
ments in exchange for
ODFW giving it to them
for free.
“There’s a lot of poten-
tial for passive recreation,”
parks
and
recreation
director Larry Fetter said.
The
council
also
approved a resolution
allowing the Oregon
Department of Trans-
portation to enter into
negotiations on the city’s
behalf for the 20-foot
rights-of-way needed to
build the West Highland
Trail parallel to the south
side of Highland Avenue.
Part of that resolution
states that eminent domain
could be used to condemn
property if a deal cannot be
reached, but city manager
Byron Smith said the reso-
lution is just a formality
and the city isn’t planning
to exercise that power.
“It’s not our intent,” he
said. “In fact, we would be
likely to change the design
if it came to that.”
The resolution passed
5-1, with Doug Primmer
stating he wouldn’t vote
for anything that could lead
to condemnation and Rod
Hardin declaring a conflict
of interest because he is
the principal at Hermiston
Christian Center & School,
which is one of the prop-
erties affected. Clara Beas
Fitzgerald was absent.
On Monday the council
also approved a new batch
of light poles for Main
Street as part of the Herm-
iston Downtown Associ-
ation’s efforts to beautify
the area. The 14 new light
poles will be black with
more decorative features,
“This will not
be 100 percent
smooth. But it will
be nice, it will be
good and it will get
better every year.”
And a few able-bodied and
sure-footed people with
appropriate footwear, who
are willing to venture into the
water, are needed to remove
trash from the river. While
the water level is low, algae
makes the rocks very slippery.
Those planning to help
are asked to meet Saturday,
Aug. 5 at 9 a.m. at Stillman
Park, 413 S.E. Byers Ave.,
Pendleton. After a safety
briefing and assignments,
people will work on clean-up
efforts until 11 a.m. Recycling
efforts are coordinated by
Pendleton Robotics.
Afterwards, volunteers
are invited to return to the
park for a barbecue lunch.
Members of VFW Post 922
will be manning the grills
and the Baha’i Community
is providing dessert.
To ensure there are
enough gloves, trash bags,
refreshments and food for
lunch, RSVP to kbbrown@
eastoregonian.com.
Submit information to: community@eastoregonian.com or drop off to the atten-
tion of Tammy Malgesini at 333 E. Main St., Hermiston or Renee Struthers at 211
S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton. Call 541-564-4539 or 541-966-0818 with questions.
Please Welcome
Aimee Rogers, MD
Urologist
Now Scheduling Appointments
541-966-0535
Dr. Rogers is originally from Southern California and
graduated from Loyola University in Chicago. She
attended medical school at the University Of Louisville
School Of Medicine, and completed her residency in
Urology in Morgantown, West Virginia at West Virginia
University. She then spent three years at Reid Hospital
in Richmond, Indiana. Dr. Rogers is Board Certifi ed,
American Board of Urology. Dr. Rogers has purchased a
home in Pendleton and looks forward to being involved
in the community.
St. Anthony Clinic
3001 St. Anthony Way
Pendleton, Oregon
www.sahpendleton.org