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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 30, 2015)
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2015 COMMUNITY HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A7 Wishful predictions for the new year N ew Year’s Day is be worked out and contri- my favorite holiday. butions from local donors I look forward to will make a difference in the clock striking midnight just how much permanent on Dec. 31 with the facilities work is able to be done in the facilities’ anticipation children early setup. display when waiting The goal is to raise for Santa Claus, the $2 million dollars Easter Bunny or the through private do- Tooth Fairy. What nations, which would will you bring me, oh be a little less than new year? $26 per person for The new year is every man, woman full of promise and Gary L. West and child in Umatilla possibility, and at SHADES County, which is cer- 12:01 a.m. Jan. 1, it OF GRAY tainly attainable. is still unspoiled by But the project needs a the realities of life than can tarnish a shiny new year. better, shorter name, not Not that the wear doesn’t an acronym that makes it give us character and ex- sound like a technology periences we will need to ¿UP LQVWHDG RI DQ HYHQW deal with other aspects of center. Even shortening the life. But, let’s face it, reality name to Eastern Oregon isn’t all that fun. In reality, Event Center would be bet- there are bills, responsibili- ter. No acronym. Just a ties, obligations and chores name. A name that explains to perform. Thinking about the po- its purpose would be great. tential of a new year is Improvements to 395 more like a daydream, For years, local drivers caught up in the fantasy of what it might be like to win have complained about the chaos that driving on High- the lottery. I’ve never been one to way 395 through Hermis- make new year’s resolu- ton has become. The com- tions, probably because I plaints have only grown know the things I think I louder as the population want to accomplish in the of people, and correspond- new year are very different LQJWUDI¿FYROXPHKDYHLQ- than the commitment and creased. As the main route perseverance to do the hard through town and prima- work to change, particular- ry business district, the number of businesses and ly changing myself. But this year, I make driveways into them have a few predictions, or re- increased. There are more quests, for what I’d like to places to turn and more see the community achieve cars turning into and out of those places. It’s no longer in 2016. So here are predictions/ VXI¿FLHQW WR ORRN OHIW WKHQ right, then left again before requests for 2016. the lanes of travel. EOTEC name change entering The Oregon Department The Eastern Oregon of Transportation is going Trade and Event Center will to install some permanent start hosting some events median barriers where the in 2016 and constructions WHPSRUDU\ WUDI¿F FRQWURO will continue in preparation posts were installed earlier to host the 2017 Umatilla this year at the intersection County Fair and Farm-City of Highway 395 and Elm Pro Rodeo. There are still Avenue. ,W¶V D ¿[ WKDW LV ORQJ ¿QDQFLDO DUUDQJHPHQWV WR overdue, but it will mean delays and detours. So peo- ple will still have plenty to complain about when trav- eling Highway 395 through town during the 2016 con- struction season. proposals and help shape what the education system DQGWKH¿UHDPEXODQFHSUR- tects systems will look like in our future. New motel There will be a new motel in Hermiston by the Hermiston School Dis- end of the year and con- trict and the Hermiston and struction has already start- 6WDQ¿HOG ¿UH GLVWULFWV ZLOO ed. A new structure rising again be turning to voters in the middle of town will to seek approval for chang- certainly get noticed, but it es in the way they do the should also be noted that public’s business going for- at least two other motels in ward and determining how the area have also recently added rooms to their facil- taxpayer money is spent. Hermiston School Dis- ities. People are coming to trict will likely be seeking Hermiston to do business, a new bond for school con- visit family and friends or struction and/or renovation participate in events and LQ HDUO\ $QG WKH ¿UH activities. That is certain- districts will once again at- ly good for the hoteliers, WHPSW WR RI¿FLDOO\ PHUJH local restaurants and retail Take advantage of oppor- businesses and the overall tunities to learn about both economy. Tax dollars at work New brand same as the old brand? The city of Hermiston may act on establishing a new brand this year. The city’s “You can GROW here” slogan, particular- ly the way it was painted on the water tower on the southeast entrance to the city on Highway 395, drew complaints and snickers. Perhaps the slogan, or part of it anyway, can still be salvaged. The fact is, Herm- iston’s brand — its identity — is and always has been about growth, change and progress. It’s about growth in numbers of people. It’s about the agricultural prod- ucts grown throughout the area. It’s about keeping an eye open for opportunities and being willing to pursuit them. The desire to establish an RI¿FLDO EUDQG ZLWK D ORRN and a logo, is something one would expect from a larger city launching a tour- ism or marketing campaign to recruit new industry. Such efforts are not in- expensive, though. Perhaps the city learned that lesson in its last branding cam- paign. At the very least, it will require a bigger expen- diture in paint to repaint the whole water tower at once. A brand is, after all, about image and perception. Gary L. West is editor of the Hermiston Herald and Hermiston editor for the East Oregonian. Reach him at gwest@hermiston- herald.com or follow him on Twitter @GaryLWest or on Facebook at www. facebook.com/journalist. glwest. iPhone 6s with coverage in the Middle of Anywhere. Switch now and save $550 per line when you purchase iPhone 6s and trade in a Smartphone. MEETINGS WEDNESDAY, DEC. 30 UMATILLA COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, 9 a.m., Umatilla County Courthouse room 130, 216 S.E. Fourth St., Pendleton. THURSDAY, DEC. 31 No meetings scheduled FRIDAY, JAN. 1 No meetings scheduled MONDAY, JAN. 4 HEPPNER PLANNING COMMISSION, 7 p.m., Heppner City Hall, 111 N. Main St. MORROW COUNTY HEALTH DISTRICT, 7 p.m., Irrigon Medical Clinic, 220 N.E. Main St. TUESDAY, JAN. 5 UMATILLA MORROW RADIO & DATA DISTRICT, 1:30 p.m., Boardman City Hall, 200 City Center Circle. IRRIGON PLANNING COMMISSION, 6 p.m., Irrigon City Hall, 500 N.E. Main St. BOARDMAN CITY COUNCIL, 7 p.m., Boardman City Hall, 200 City Center Circle. STANFIELD CITY COUNCIL, 7 p.m., council chambers, 150 W. Coe St. UMATILLA CITY COUNCIL, 7 p.m., Umatilla City Hall, 700 Sixth St. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 6 MORROW COUNTY COURT, 9 a.m., Port of Morrow, 2 Marine Drive, Boardman. HERMISTON AIRPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE, 4 p.m., Hermiston Airport lounge, 1600 Airport Way. BLUE MOUNTAIN BOARD OF EDUCATION, 5 p.m. work session, 6 p.m. regular meeting, Blue Mountain Community College Pioneer Hall boardroom, 2411 N.W. Carden Ave., Pendleton. UMATILLA RURAL FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT, 7 p.m., 305 Willamette Ave., Umatilla (McNary). MONDAY, JAN. 11 MORROW COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT SPECIAL WORK SESSION, 5 p.m., Sam Boardman Elementary School, 301 Wilson Lane, Boardman. The board will discuss the superintendent evaluation. HERMISTON SCHOOL DISTRICT, 6:30 p.m., district office, 502 W. 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