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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 23, 2015)
ABOUT TOWN School District seeks distinguished alumnus CELEBRATE THE SEASON STAFF PHOTO BY TAMMY MALGESINI 'HDQD&RUGHOOWDNHVDJURXSVHOÀHGXULQJD'HFZRPHQ·VSRWOXFNDQG&KULVWPDVVRFNH[FKDQJHSDUW\DWKHUKRPHLQ+HUPLVWRQ HOLIDAY GATHERINGS PROVIDES FESTIVE FUN, CHANCE TO CONNECT By TAMMY MALGESINI Community Editor T he holiday season provides a perfect oppor- tunity for people to get together, have fun and renew friendships. “We just get so busy with life that we don’t always take time to see people,” said Deana Cordell. “I’m glad we have the holi- days to remind us to do that.” The Hermiston woman recently held a pot- luck and Christmas sock exchange in her home. Attending the Dec. 12 event were women Cordell has met over the years at an informal coffee klatch. Preparation for the party, she said, was fair- Irrigon utility fees to increase See PARTIES, A18 HOLIDAY PARTIES Ugly Christmas Sweater Party •Wednesday, Dec. 23; 9 p.m. •The Pheasant, 149 E. Main St., Hermiston No cover. Dancing, karaoke and lip sync your favorite tunes. Bad Santa Costume Party •Saturday, Dec. 26; 9 p.m. •The Pheasant, 149 E. Main St., Hermiston No cover. Prizes for best costume, DJ music, beer pong and other games. STAFF PHOTO BY TAMMY MALGESINI +DOH\-RQHVÀQGVDQRUQDPHQWVKDSHGKDQGVRDSGLVSHQVHULQKHUVWRFNLQJ ZKLOH&DURO*UHHQHORRNVRQGXULQJD'HFZRPHQ·VSRWOXFNDQG&KULVWPDV VRFNH[FKDQJHDWWKHKRPHRI'HDQD&RUGHOOLQ+HUPLVWRQ Christmas Express, assemble! Volunteers fi ll an estimated 500 food boxes in less than an hour By GARY L. WEST HERALD EDITOR The Christmas Express is rolling, feeding families in Hermiston for its 46th year. Staff from the Hermiston Police Department and oth- er city departments gathered with their families Wednesday night at Thompson Hall on the Umatilla County Fairgrounds See FOOD, A18 Hermiston School Dis- trict is seeking nominations for its 2016 Distinguished Alumnus award. The award is granted an- nually to recognize excep- tional Hermiston graduates who went on to become leaders in their chosen pro- IHVVLRQDO¿HOG Last year’s Distinguished Alumnus was Stuart Al- len, who graduated from Hermiston High School in 1980. In 2001 he founded Allen Trust Company and Allen Capital Management and serves as president and CEO. Nominees must have attended Hermiston High School for at least two consecutive years prior to graduation, be considered a OHDGHU LQ WKHLU FKRVHQ ¿HOG with least 15 years of veri- ¿DEOH SURIHVVLRQDO VXFFHVV be active in community ser- vice, have a clean criminal background, have strong references and be willing to serve as a mentor to youth in the community. The 2016 Distinguished Alumnus will be revealed during Hermiston High School’s Evening of Ex- cellence on May 10, 2016, and will speak at the high school’s commencement ceremony on June 4, 2016. Applications are avail- able at Hermiston High School, the Hermiston 6FKRRO 'LVWULFW RI¿FHV DQG online at hermiston.k12. or.us. STAFF PHOTO BY GARY L. WEST -DVRQ(GPLVWRQFKLHIRISROLFHIRU+HUPLVWRQSURYLGHVLQVWUXFWLRQVWRYROXQWHHUV EHIRUHSDFNLQJRIIRRGER[HVEHJLQVRQ:HGQHVGD\'HFDW7KRPSVRQ +DOORQWKH8PDWLOOD&RXQW\)DLUJURXQGV Irrigon residents will see a slight increase on their sewer and water bills next year after the City Council voted to ad- just minimum rates. The council approved lowering bond fees for sewer and water as more users gradually come onto the system. The dif- ference, however, was shifted to the basic utility charges, resulting in an overall increase of $1.67 per month for single-fam- ily homes. City Manager Aaron Palmquist said the reve- nue will be dedicated to building reserve funds for infrastructure projects. In particular, Palmquist said the city’s water pipes are decades old and in need of attention. ³:H¶UH DOUHDG\ ¿QDQ cially strapped in debt,” Palmquist said. “We’re WU\LQJ WR EH JRRG ¿VFDO managers.” For a single-family home, the basic utility charge for sewer will be $46.17 and $14.88 for the bond fee. The basic utility charge for wa- ter will be $23.63 and $15.32 for the bond fee. All changes will take ef- fect July 1. Local businesses should contact Irrigon City Hall at 541-922- 3047 for their adjusted fee schedule. — GEORGE PLAVEN