A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2015
COMMUNITY • FROM PAGE A1
EOT bringing ultra-fast Internet to Hermiston
BY JADE MCDOWELL
EO MEDIA GROUP
Internet in Hermiston
is about to get a whole lot
faster.
Eastern Oregon Telecom
has announced it is bring-
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work — boasting speeds 100
times faster than the average
broadband Internet — to
Hermiston and parts of Uma-
tilla, Irrigon and Boardman.
The telecommunications
company estimates the ul-
tra-fast Internet will con-
nect to about 8,000 homes
and businesses by the end
of 2016.
CEO Joseph Franell
said about 200 homes in
Hermiston and on Umatil-
la’s Main Street are already
hooked up, with a second
phase of 550 homes in the
works. The new Internet
speeds, which can down-
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tion movie in 36 seconds,
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more Internet capacity that
Franell said has skyrocket-
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“Anyone who is at all
connected understands the
voracious appetite for con-
nectivity,” Franell said.
More and more people
are using the Internet to
watch television and play
games, but Franell said
it’s about more than just
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broadband will improve
residents’ ability to do ev-
erything from paying bills
to taking college courses
online. It will also increase
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and government entities
that spend all day upload-
ing and downloading data.
Franell said, once the
project is done, all of
Hermiston, as well as
the commercial corridor
of Umatilla, Irrigon and
Boardman, will have bet-
ter Internet connectivity
than Portland and Salem.
He said when Google Fiber
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in Kansas City, the prices
of homes connected to the
lightning-fast Internet in-
creased by 17 percent and
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to the area.
“When you start looking
for economic development
in the region, robust tele-
communications is certainly
going to help our economy
continue to grow,” he said.
Eastern Oregon Tele-
com was created by Uma-
tilla Electric Cooperative
about 13 years ago to help
the community, and Franell
said the company is as fo-
cused on serving the com-
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That’s why it is reinvesting
so much revenue into cut-
ting-edge technology for
the Hermiston area.
EOT is working with a
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ny called Huawei to create
the infrastructure (known
as Gigabit Passive Opti-
cal Network) necessary to
bring Internet speeds of
1,000 mbps to the area.
Bill Gerski, Vice Pres-
ident of Sales for Huawei
USA, said in a news release
WKDWWKHFRPSDQ\ZDVH[FLW-
ed to bring its technology to
the Hermiston area.
“Rural communities in
America, which are typical-
ly under-served by broad-
band, are beginning to rec-
ognize the economic and
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fast and reliable connec-
tivity,” he said. “Huawei is
committed to working with
rural carriers and communi-
ties across the U.S. to help
them get connected.”
Mayor David Drotz-
mann said in a statement
that the high speed Internet
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and economic opportunities
in the area.
“Super-fast,
reliable
and affordable broadband
connectivity is becoming
increasingly important in
helping our community and
businesses stay competi-
tive,” he said.
VISIT:
continued from page A1
a year to Umatilla schools,
alone.
On the subject of Com-
mon Core State Standards,
however, Wyden said he
feels the system needs to do
a better job at meshing ac-
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He said the CCSS haven’t
reached that point yet.
Community members
voiced their concerns of
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ship trade agreement that
the federal government is
currently in the process
of negotiating. Wyden
said, while he thinks of-
ficials need to do a better
job of being open to pub-
lic constituents about the
process they are taking
in developing that agree-
ment, he feels it will ben-
efit individuals across the
nation.
“In Oregon, one out of
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international trade,” he
said. “I’m going to do ev-
erything I can to come up
with a fresh approach.”
Wyden said his ap-
proach involves less se-
crecy over trade. He said
secrecy just makes people
cynical about what is tak-
MAEGAN MURRAY PHOTO
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden speaks with community members
and students about his efforts to make Oregon a better
place Friday during a town hall meeting at Clara Brownell
Middle School.
MAEGAN MURRAY PHOTO
Umatilla High School student Bradley Bensen shows U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden how the robotics
team’s robot operates during Wyden’s visit to Umatilla Friday morning.
ing place. He said he also
wants to enforce the laws
already established more
aggressively. Lastly, he
said more accountability
is needed over discussion
on trade agreements.
“It’s very important
that the entire proposal is
out in front of the public
before the president signs
it,” he said.
Dennis Burke, CEO
PARK RULE:
police department to monitor
and babysit individuals such
as this, but I believe that is
continued from page A1
consistent with our goal of
dinance states, “Defacing, addressing livability issues in
mutilating or damaging any the city of Hermiston.”
buildings, equipment, tables,
Recreation
Supervisor
benches, signs or other public Dan Earp said he believes
property in any public park the new language would be a
is prohibited,” Edmiston rec- positive step.
ommended adding, “This in-
“I think it will help,” he
cludes any person using park said. “I don’t think that it will
equipment in any manner QHFHVVDULO\ ¿[ WKH SUREOHP
other than the intended use or but, obviously, any little help
design.”
we can get and partnering
The current ordinance with other departments of the
VSHFL¿HVWKDWEUHDNLQJWKHSDUN city is moving in the right di-
rules is a class A violation, and rection.”
Edmiston recommends autho-
Jackie Myers and Doug
UL]LQJ RI¿FHUV WR EDQ SHRSOH Primmer, the committee’s
who break the rules from the City Council liaisons, said the
park for 30 days.
proposed ordinance change
“I believe an addition such would address the issue and
as this will give the police make the parks more enjoy-
GHSDUWPHQW WKH OHJDO MXVWL¿- able to the public.
cation to stop a person who is
“I do think it’s a problem,
sitting on a countertop inside and I think it’s a necessary
the cook shack designed for thing so the police depart-
food preparation and actu- ment can have a way to actu-
al cooking and advise them ally make something happen
to move on or be cited,” he there,” Myers said. “I think
said. “... This will require the it’s better than what we have
at Good Shepherd Medi-
cal Center, asked Wyden
about the 96-hour rule,
which requires medical fa-
cilities to send patients to
other facilities if they are
unable to get treated with-
in 96 hours. He said Good
Shepherd may be perfect-
ly capable of caring for
that patient, but, instead,
it has to spend the money
and resources to ensure
now, and I think it’s a way for
them to actually be able to en-
force these ordinances.”
3ULPPHUVDLGKLV¿UVWFRQ-
cern when considering a new
rule is whether it will be too
restrictive or if it could be
misused, but, after reviewing
this change, he did not believe
that would be the case.
“I think it just gives the po-
lice department one more tool
WRKHOS¿[DSUREOHPDQRQ-
going situation,” he said. “We
don’t want to take anything
away from people. We don’t
want to restrict access, but we
do need to give (the police)
a tool that can help save our
parks and help save the area
from just being misused and
abused.”
that patient is transferred.
Wyden agreed some
changes to that law are
Student Spotlight:
p g Did You Know?
Kevin Hawman
Hermiston
BMCC Precision Irrigated Ag Student
K ev grew up on his family’s farm in Hermiston, and
Kevin
when he got to BMCC, he wanted the precision
whe
w
irrigated
irr
r rig
agriculture program to have its own pivot.
E
ve the go-getter, Kevin was able to raise more than
Ever
$6
60
6
$60,000
in donations towards a new pivot. He then
wo
w
worked with Valley Irrigation to obtain a $30,000
d
disc
di
i scou
ount
nt o
discount
on the pivot’s price. Valley Irrigation was so
i mpr
im
pressed with
h Kevin’s tenacity that its leadership invited Kevin to
impressed
Omah
Om
aha,
h a, N
ebraska,
ebr
eb
raska, to see V
Omaha,
Nebraska,
Valley’s headquarters in person earlier this month.
BMCC is proud to call Kevin one
o of its outstanding students!
Have you heard about the BMCC bond?
BMCC wants to continue to provide a high-quality education for students so they can
succeed like our many distinguished alumni! Check out the bond page on our website to
learn more about how BMCC could continue to provide an affordable education for family-
wage jobs, a safe and secure learning environment and protect the community’s
investment. Look for the bond on the May 19, 2015, ballot!
www.bluecc.edu/about-bmcc/bond-measure
BMCC is an equal opportunity employer and educator.
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Custer’s 16 th Annual
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should be made to prevent
those illnesses, which
would decrease costs.
Wyden said he introduced
a Medicare reform bill in
January called the Better
Care, Lower Cost Act,
which would encourage
providers to do more with
prevention while also
treating the illness.
lue ountain
ommunity ollege
MENTAL HEALTH
LIFEWAYS PENDLETON
needed.
“It means well ... but
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ibility,” he said.
Wyden also addressed
health care costs, stating
90 percent of Medicare
payments are for people
with chronic diseases like
diabetes and heart dis-
ease. He said more effort
Over 150 Professional
Artists and Crafters!
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600 NW 11th St., Suite E-37 • Hermiston • www.gshealth.org
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600 NW 11th St., Suite E-37 • Hermiston • www.gshealth.org
To Advertise In The Medical
Directory, Please Call Jeanne
At 541-564-4531