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.
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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.
Standard Ave.
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