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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (July 29, 2015)
A6 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015 HISTORY Tradition started with one mayor and one pickup truck Editor’s Note: The fol- loZiQJ ZDs ¿ rst SXElished as an editorial headlined ³&oPPon JroXnd´ in the $XJ edition of the +erPiston +erald A three-hour drive west on Interstate 84 can some- times seem like a trip to another world, but a few hearty souls led a voyage of exploration Friday, which could reap untold rewards. Representatives from Eastern Oregon — and Hermiston in particular — set off on a journey to ne- gotiate a treaty of sorts with 3ortland city of¿ cials. 7he Hermiston-area ambassa- dors car- gifts HISTORY ried to give to lead- ers and residents of Port- land in a gesture of good faith and friendship. 7he party carried prod- ucts common to our native soil — watermelons, on- ions, potatoes, carrots and other produce. 7he group was warmly received in that somewhat foreign land known as Portland. 7he trip was purely a promotional tour and that is nothing to be ashamed of because there are many people west of the Cascades who remain ignorant of the people, places and products produced in Eastern Ore- gon. Hermiston Mayor Frank Harkenrider is to be com- mended for successfully capturing the attention and interest of Portland Mayor “Bud” Clark, city employ- ees and the metropolitan media. With two pickup loads of produce donated by area farmers and businesses, Harkenrider, Clark and their colleagues have done more MELLONS: continued from Page A1 “7hey’re associated with good times and happy children.” Pat Walchli of Walchli Farms said the giveaway helps promote the com- munity. 7hese days you “don’t see many places in the Northwest where people don’t know about Hermiston watermelons,” he said, and it’s good that even though the water- melons are the main draw the city is giving away lo- cally-grown potatoes and cantaloupes too. “It just makes people more aware of what’s growing in the North- west,” he said. Shirley Parsons, pres- ident-elect of the Herm- iston Chamber of Com- merce, will be helping pack up produce to send to Portland on Friday. She said she went to a few produce giveaways and jumped at the chance for the chamber to be in- volved in restarting the tradition. “It’s exciting. It’s fun,” she said. “People lined the streets when they knew we were coming before ... My hope is that Portland understands Hermiston is wonderfully famous for our watermelons but we’re so much more.” A lot has changed since Hermiston ended the Portland giveaway in 2007. Hermiston returns to Portland this year as the biggest city in Eastern Oregon, with state cham- pion football and wres- tling teams and a growing list of new construction around town. For the first time since Harkenrider’s first trip to Portland, Ed Brookshier is not city manager. Byron Smith, Hermis- ton’s new city manager, said when he heard about the tradition, and heard that Portland Mayor Char- lie Hales had expressed interest in starting the watermelon seed-spitting rivalry again, he liked the idea. “I think it’s kind of a cool thing for the biggest city in the state to have a relationship with one HERALD FILE PHOTO Frank Harkenrider (left) gets help from Bob and Skip Walchli in loading up a pickup with watermelons to take to Portland City Hall in 1991 for the À rst watermelon ´tailgate party” to promote Hermiston area agriculture. to educate the masses in the Willamette Valley than a hundred press releases and promotional pamphlets could ever hope to achieve. Harkenrider and the civ- ic, agricultural and business leaders of the Hermiston area have distinguished themselves as ambassadors for the entire region. 7his area is de¿ ned by more than the area con- tained within the city limits of Hermiston and deserves recognition for more than its crop of watermelons. Although Clark will be gone from Portland City Hall next year, hopefully the next mayor of Oregon’s largest city will be equally receptive to accepting a visit from one of the state’s largest agricul- ture-producing areas. With any luck, the Herm- iston-Portland giveaways will be annual events that will continue. 7he potential for an exchange of products and ideas between the two cities can serve to better ed- ucate residents on both sides of the mountains. Although the differences between east of the smaller cities,” he said. “It’s a way to build goodwill.” Smith, Mayor Dave Drotzmann, several city HERALD FILE PHOTO 7hen0ayor Frank Harkenrider of Hermiston sits behind the desk of thenPortland 0ayor ´Bud” Clark. Clark with the gray beard is behind Harkenrider along with other members of the Hermiston delegation that made the trip to Portland in 199 to promote Hermiston watermelons in Portland. $lso pictured (left to right) are BeYerly Harkenrider Pam 4uick *ary 4uick (d Brookshier Sandy Cassens Portland 0ayor ´Bud” Clark 'uWayne White *lenn <oungman Pat Wheelhouse Pete Wheelhouse and -onnie Cassens. 7he tradition, which stared with one pickup load in 1991, did continue and it grew to a small convoy of trucks and people. It also moved from Portland City Hall to the space known as Portland’s living room, Pioneer Court- house Square. It evolved from giving melons and produce to city staff and of¿ cials to give away produce in the square to the public, who happened by or turned out speci¿ cally for the event. But the tradition ended after the giveaway in 2007. However, this weekend the tradition returns, thanks to the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce and city of Herm- iston. And most particularly with the thanks and gener- osity of many of the same farmers and ag companies, like the Walchlis, Bellingers, and Bud-Rich who donated produce in those early years, contributing again and still. 7oday, there is a whole foodie culture boom in Port- land, fueled by people with a profound interest in knowing where their foods came from and how far it has traveled to their market or table. It is further heightened by celeb- rity chefs preparing signature dishes built on a foundation of 1orthwest foods and À a- vors. 7here couldn’t be a much better time to return Umatilla and Morrow counties, and the foods grown here, to center stage in Portland, where Har- kenrider and Hermiston farm- ers put it 24 years ago. May this be the revival of an annual tradition that is still ongoing and that we are still talking about 24 years hence. *ar\ / :est is editor of the Hermiston Herald and Hermiston editor for the East 2reJonian He Zas also edi- tor of the Hermiston Herald in and Zrote the ³&ommon JroXnd´ edito- rial 5eaFh him at JZest# hermistonheraldFom or folloZ him on TZitter # *ar\/:est or on )aFeEooN at ZZZfaFeEooNFom MoXrnalistJlZest councilors, the Harken- riders and other city of- ficials will be in Portland on Friday. Speeches and seed-spitting contests between Hermiston offi- cials, Portland Commis- sioner Dan Saltzman and state Rep. Greg Smith will start at 11:30 a.m. in Pioneer Square, followed by a produce giveaway. 7hey will be giving out watermelons, potatoes and cantaloupes donated by Walchli Farms, Bell- inger Farms, Bud-Rich Potato and a fourth grow- er that wished to remain anonymous. and west, large and small, are profound, we share much in common. 7hanks to mayors Har- kenrider and Clark, we have discovered common ground. • • • AUGUST 11-15, 2015 RESERVED TICKETS ON SALE NOW! $ 12 (does not include admission) Tues. Aug. 11 • 9pm Wed. Aug. 12 • 9pm DUSTIN LYNCH JOHN MICHAEL MONTGOMERY CARNIVAL WRISTBANDS $ 23 $30 (until August 10) after fair starts SAVE $7 when you purchase early! Available at: • Fair office • Fiesta Foods • Hermiston Chamber • Pendleton Chamber • Columbia State Bank Thurs. Aug. 12 • 7pm Thurs. Aug. 12 • 9pm ANTIFAZ MAR-K DE TIERRA CALIENTE Fri. Aug. 14 • 9pm Sat. Aug. 15 • 9pm HINDER WARRANT Call or stop by the Fair office 515 W. Orchard, Hermiston 800-700-FAIR (3247) www.umatillacounty.net/fair Visa & Mastercard gladly accepted In the Watering Hole: LIVE MUSIC: Tues & Wed - Brady Goss; Fri & Sat - Blue Tattoo