Hermiston
Herald
HermistonHerald.com
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016
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TANGLED WEB OF AWARDS
ABOUT TOWN
Highway 395
project begins
in Hermiston
Upgrades
to
the
Highway 395 corridor
through Hermiston be-
gan Monday.
The Oregon Depart-
ment of Transportation
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control signals at Jennie
Avenue and upgrade the
control systems at six
other intersections.
This week, survey
work began to upgrade
86 sidewalk ramps along
the highway to meet up-
dated ADA and safety
standards.
The
department
plans to begin the re-
paving part of the proj-
ect, which will stretch
from Southeast Fourth
Street to Highway 730,
in May. The majority of
the work requiring lane
closures will take place
between 7 p.m. and 7
a.m. to minimize disrup-
tion.
Updates on the proj-
ect will be posted at
w w w. t i n y u r l . c o m /
ODOT-Region5.
Hermiston second-
fastest growing
school district
in the state
STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS
Debbie Pedro speaks after being named the Woman of the Year during the Hermiston Distinguished Citizens Awards Banquet
on Wednesday in Hermiston.
AWARD WINNERS SURROUNDED BY
FAMILY, FRIENDS AND LITTLE WHITE LIES
By JADE McDOWELL
Staff Writer
A
fter years of sneaking around
to make sure recipients at the
Hermiston Chamber of Com-
merce Distinguished Citizens
Awards were surprised by the
honor, this year it was cham-
ber director Debbie Pedro’s turn to be sur-
prised.
Pedro was named 2015 Woman of the Year
at the end of Wednesday’s banquet after mas-
ter of ceremonies Bryan Wolfe “accidentally”
mixed up the order of Man of the Year and
Woman of the Year.
“I don’t even know what to say because
I’m so surprised,” Pedro said, wiping away
tears. “It took a lot to pull this off.”
Rep. Greg Smith, who presented the award,
said Pedro deserved it for the long list of civic
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cant amount of statewide recognition she has
STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS
Bob Green, executive director of the Good Shepherd Community
Health Foundation, accepts the Spirit of Excellence Award during the
Hermiston Distinguished Citizens Awards Banquet on Wednesday in
Hermiston.
See AWARDS, A16
Hermiston
School
District is the sec-
ond-fastest
growing
school district in the
state of Oregon, accord-
ing to a report by the
Oregon Department of
Education.
The district grew at
a rate of 3.71 percent
over the last year, far
surpassing the state av-
erage of .97 percent. It
ranks as the 29th largest
district out of 212 in the
state.
Hermiston
School
District started the
school year with more
than 5,500 students.
The growth of more
than 200 students from
the year before was
more than double what
a Portland State Uni-
versity study predicted,
lending an even greater
sense of urgency to the
district’s search for new
ways to increase the ca-
pacity of its schools.
The district currently
uses 24 modular class-
rooms to supplement its
regular buildings, which
is four more than were
being used last time the
district went for a bond
measure.
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By JADE McDOWELL
concrete island will make
it easier for pedestrians to
The Hermiston City cross the road between the
Council approved two hospital and the Oxbow
agreements Monday to in- Trail, and the work will
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intersection of High-
problems at the en-
way 207 and Elm
trance to the hospital
Avenue near Good
campus.
Shepherd
Medical
The total cost of
Center.
the project will be
Work on the proj-
about $1.6 million.
ect is scheduled to
Half of that will be
begin at the end of
paid by an Oregon
Drotzmann
the year.
Department of Trans-
The redesign of
portation grant, one
the intersection will also fourth by the city and one
add a lane that will allow fourth by Good Shepherd
drivers traveling south on Healthcare System.
Highway 207/11th Street
Mark Morgan, assistant
to turn left into Good Shep- city manager, said Good
herd Medical Center. A Shepherd expressed interest
Staff Writer
in the project back in 2014.
Expanding the hospital that
year resulted in about 300
more trips through the in-
tersection each day.
On Monday the coun-
cil approved an agreement
with ODOT to accept the
grant, and approved a sec-
ond agreement with Good
Shepherd.
Morgan said shortly be-
fore work begins on the
Elm Avenue intersection at
the end of the year, ODOT
will also be installing a traf-
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of 11th Street and Orchard
Avenue a few blocks south
of the hospital.
In other council news, on
Monday the council gave
approval to the Eastern
Oregon Trade and Event
Center to take out a loan
of up to $1.5 million. The
city and Umatilla County
have each pledged to back
the loan with full faith and
credit.
The loan will be used
to allow donors to spread
large donations out over
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giving EOTEC the upfront
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in time for the 2017 Uma-
tilla County Fair and Farm-
City Pro Rodeo.
City Manager Byron
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department felt comfortable
backing the loan because
the only money borrowed
would be the amount that
donors had signed a legal-
ly-binding agreement to
pay back.
“We are very comfort-
able the city will not ever
have to act on that full faith
and credit,” he said.
The EOTEC fundraising
committee has raised more
than $600,000 in the past
couple months, toward a
goal to raise $2 million.
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council took on Monday
was to direct the city re-
corder to post notice about
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line to run for mayor and
municipal judge in the May
See SIGNAL, Page A16