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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 28, 2015)
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3 COMMUNITY Students get excited about their futures Armand Larive career day offers youths new perspective BY MAEGAN MURRAY HERMISTON HERALD As Morrow County Deputy District Attorney Richard Tovey spoke about the cases he prose- cutes to a group of students Friday at Armand Larive Middle School, about a dozen hands shot up from students hoping to ask a question. “Have you ever been at court and realized they were innocent?” one student asked, which was followed by, “How long did you have to go to school for?” Tovey said afterward that he was happy to answer any and every question Friday because he knew students were getting the chance to explore what he does for a living so they could see if they wanted to go into law as a profession, themselves. “It’s fun,” he said of the event Friday. “It’s our second year do- ing it and it is always interesting … They have a lot of questions.” Tovey was one of a number of speakers at the school Friday at its annual career day. Throughout the ¿UVWKDOIRIWKHGD\VWXGHQWVJRWWR attend a selection of presentations from people who know their ca- reers best. Speakers ranged from QXUVHV DQG GRFWRUV WR ¿UHPHQ John Deere representatives and news anchors. The speakers gave a brief summary of what they did and then answered students’ ques- tions. During a presentation from Good Shepherd Medical Center, registered nurse Marie Hughes answered questions about how she became a nurse. She told stu- dents that it requires at least an as- sociate degree, though now many hospitals require nurses to have a bachelor’s degree. Other students asked about how surgeries were performed on babies and the steps it takes to prepare for surgery. Hughes invited student volunteers up to take them through the process of sanitizing and getting into all their gear as another student ex- perienced what it was like to get ready for surgery as a patient. “This allows them to experi- ence this for themselves,” she said. “We are all a part of the surgical team at Good Shepherd. We talked about the surgical career path, an- MAEGAN MURRAY PHOTO Marie Hughes, a registered nurse at Good Shepherd Medical Center, talks with students at Armand Larive Middle School during their career day Friday morning. esthesia, the members of the team, from the doctors to the nurses.” The students seemed to enjoy the opportunity to learn about so many careers in one place. “This is like a once-in-a- lifetime kind of opportunity,” eighth-grader Melani Pursel said. “It’s one of those things where it could completely change your mind about what you do.” Eighth-grader Megan Baskins said she appreciated getting to ask questions about a variety of different career paths she might be interested in pursuing. “You get a deeper look into it,” she said. Baskins said she was most in- terested in learning how KEPR action news operated. She said she wants to be an actor and musi- cian, and it gave her a glimpse of what it is like to be on television. Eighth-grader Jordyn Law- son said he was also interested in hearing from the news station representatives because he and a few friends are planning on start- ing a YouTube channel. He said hearing from televi- sion professionals gave him an idea of what it takes to produce a successful show. “You get to interact with peo- ple that you wouldn’t normally be able to,” he said. “Most people FDQ¶WMXVWZDONLQWRDQRI¿FHDQG ask questions about what they do for a living. With this, you get the chance to see what they do on a deeper level.” Overall, the career day wel- comed about 30 professionals. ALMS teacher Cori Applegate said the school started hosting a career day more than 10 years ago. She said the goal with the events is to introduce students to careers available to them so they can begin thinking about class- es they may need to take in high school or college. “We try to get a wide variety of presenters (and) careers,” she said. “In reality, all students will not be attending college, even though that is a goal we talk about. Knowing the variety of careers out there may start them thinking earlier than later.” Advisory group eying three possible senior center sites BY SEAN HART HERMISTON HERALD The group selecting a new site for the Hermiston Se- nior Center has narrowed the search to three possible loca- tions. Hermiston Parks and Rec- reation Director Larry Fetter presented information about the committee’s search pro- cess and answered questions after the senior center lunch Tuesday. On behalf of the senior cen- ter, the city acquired a $2 mil- lion Community Development Block Grant to build a new facility, and Fetter said an ad- visory group comprised of se- nior center members and others with connections to the center are weighing the pros and cons of three potential sites. One location is a vacant lot currently for sale behind Wal-Mart on Northeast As- pen Drive on the east side of Fourth Street. Fetter said the site is adjacent to other vacant lots that could potentially be used for future park develop- ments. Another location is at the corner of East Ridgeway Av- enue and Northeast Second Street near the historic school arch. Fetter said Second Street would have to be made into a dead end with a turn- around at the corner, and the site has little extra space for • Vapor Shop • Accessories SEAN HART PHOTO SEAN HART PHOTO People enjoy a meal Tuesday at the Hermiston Senior Center before a presentation by Hermis- ton Parks and Recreation Director Larry Fetter about the future of the center at a new site. future expansion, but the city already owns the property. 7KH ¿QDO ORFDWLRQ LV WKH building that formerly housed Goodwill on West Hermiston Avenue. Fetter said the struc- ture meets the size being con- sidered for the new senior cen- ter, but the building would have to be completely redesigned. “Every one of these prop- HUWLHV LV D GLIIHUHQW ¿QDQFLDO discussion,” he said. “...These are very different projects. These are very different prop- erties.” After the presentation, Fetter said the advisory group plans to have the sites ranked in order of preference within the next several weeks, and then required due diligence, including property appraisal and environmental assess- ments, will be performed on WKH¿UVWFKRLFH Julie Rosner, who is a member of the senior center Board of Directors and the advisory group, said any of the locations would be ac- ceptable. “Anywhere you put $2 million in Hermiston, it’s go- ing to be a good thing,” she said. “It’s going to be good anywhere.” Advisory group member Perry Hawkins, who served as the center’s liaison to the city during the grant applica- tion process, said the group is making progress. “It’s a step-by-step pro- Hermiston Parks and Rec- reation Director Larry Fetter gives a presentation at the Hermiston Senior Center about the new facility to be devel- oped with a $2 million Commu- nity Development Block Grant the city received. cess, but the nice thing is we’re in the process,” he said. “When it’s done, it’s going to be an awesome asset to the city. We’re going to make this thing so it will last for all of us. I’m just waiting for the day we can cut the ribbon and OHWWKHVHQLRUVKDYHWKHLU¿UVW meal.” Hawkins said many of the senior center members have been nervous about its fate because the current facility in the Umatilla County Fair- grounds must be vacated by the end of 2016 when the fair moves to the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center cur- rently under construction. During the presentation, some of the seniors in atten- dance expressed concerns with the city owning the building. Fetter said the senior cen- ter alone would not have qual- L¿HGIRUWKHJUDQWVRWKHFLW\ applied to build the facility VSHFL¿FDOO\ WR DFFRPPRGDWH the center’s needs. He said, IRU WKH ¿UVW ¿YH \HDUV WKH grant stipulates that no activ- ities can be held in the facility that target an audience young- er than 60 years old. After WKRVH ¿YH \HDUV KH VDLG WKH city plans to utilize the space when the seniors are not using it, but the center will always maintain the priority for use for any times between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Fetter said the senior center would never be kicked out of the facility. 541-667-4184 Mon-Fri 10am-6pm • Sat 10am-5pm 1055 S. Hwy 395, Ste. 333 • Hermiston, OR 97838 facebook.com/essenceemporium97838 Healthcare For All From Dr. Hibbert, Lacee, Jessica, Bailey, Heather, and Sarah 541-612-3707 36TH ANNUAL HERMISTON SPORTS BOOSTERS STEAK FEED & AUCTION Saturday, March 7th • 5:30pm Auction starts at 7:00pm Hermiston Community Center $ 40 on per pers For table reservations, call Paul 541-701-4518 or for more info., call Joe 541-567-5811 Everyone 21 years & over welcome. All proceeds will assist Hermiston High School boys and girl athletic programs. This ad generously donated by COLUMBIA STATE BANK a proud community supporter HERMISTONSPORTSBOOSTERS . COM At Mirasol Family Health Center, we believe that every individual has the right to quality healthcare. We are now accepting new patients of all ages. • Pediatrics • Adult healthcare • Obstetrics • We accept Medicaid and private insurance • Same day appointments available Mirasol Family Health Center 589 NW 11th in Hermiston | 541.567.1717 www.yvfwc.org
