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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 27, 2016)
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2016 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A7 LOCAL NEWS Earth Day at McNary Dam More than 600 students attend and the opportunity to pet Alfred, a boa constrictor. “I was worried, but it’s going pretty good so far,” Pine said. “They (the younger students) thought it was awesome. I was really impressed they en- joyed it as much as they did.” On the other side of the ponds, juniors Arely Ortiz and Yesenia Flores taught about pollution and recycling. “It’s a big topic in the world, and it’s affecting everybody in their daily lives,” Ortiz said, adding it is important to introduce the topic to elementary students. “I hope that they understand that cleaning up after themselves is go- ing to make a huge differ- ence in our world. It may not seem like much with one person, but if every- one does it, it will change everything.” Professional organiza- tions, such as Blue Moun- tain Wildlife rehabilitation and education, also partic- ipated in the event, which was open to all students at McNary Heights Elemen- tary. By JENNIFER COLTON Staff Writer Children in tie-dyed T-shirts walked the trails below the McNary Dam on Thursday as Earth Day came to life for almost 700 students. All classes from Mc- Nary Heights Elemen- tary, clad in color-coded T-shirts, trekked down to the dam for a full day of hands-on experiments and exploring nature trails, all designed to give young students a fun and inter- esting way to look at the world around them. Students from the ad- vanced biology class at Umatilla High School led eight different stations scattered around the prop- erty, teaching younger students about everything from peacock plumage to pollution. Elijah Pine and Ethan Holiday, for example, taught about snakes through puzzles, lessons, STAFF PHOTO BY JENNIFER COLTON Junior Ellery Jones tends to plants Monday in the greenhouse at Hermiston High School. The student-raised plants will be on sale to the public this Friday and Saturday. Growing a proit Hermiston students sell plants for fundraiser riculture educator Alyssa Davies said. This week, student have put inishing touches on the plants and hanging baskets to make sure products are ready when the sale opens on Friday. “Students put in a lot of hard work and effort for these plants, and it’s a visual representation of what we’ve learned and what we’ve accomplished,” said Ellery Jones, a junior. “We’re learning skills for the future.” Thirteen different types of lowers and six different types of vegetables will be available in the sale. Most plants cost about $2, and hanging baskets cost $30. “I think our community takes a lot of pride in the fact students have grown these,” Davies said. “This is a great learning tool for these students, and the community supports that.” All proceeds from the sale will go toward the Hermiston FFA program. The sale runs from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. ed his hand to the Hispan- ic community, who cares about the Hispanic commu- nity,’ and so we wanted to have him there,” de la Cruz said. Last year, the Cinco de Mayo celebration includ- ed a Cinco de Mayo court made up of young women chosen to represent the His- panic community at events like the Umatilla County Fair for the rest of the year. Clara Beas Fitzgerald, who organized the pageant last year, said a string of bad luck with medical is- sues meant there was no one available to organize the pageant this year. Last year’s winners — Sara Lo- mas, Hillary Fernandez, Jennifer Garcia, Maribel Marin and Brissa Gutierrez — will serve as the Cinco de Mayo court for an addi- tional year and those that are not away at school will participate in community events. De la Cruz called the Cinco de Mayo event (tech- nically on Primero de Mayo this year) a “multicultural” celebration that was meant for the entire city to enjoy, regardless of their own cul- tural heritage. “Everyone is invited to come and have fun,” he said. By JENNIFER COLTON Staff Writer STAFF PHOTO BY JENNIFER COLTON Second-grader Kendra Chaves meets Alfred the snake Thursday at McNary Dam. More than 600 students participated in Earth Day activities at the McNary Dam. Thousands of plants will be up for grabs this week- end for the annual Hermis- ton FFA Plant Sale. Flowers, herbs, vegeta- bles and even cacti will be on sale for the fundraiser, and each plant represents weeks or months of work from Hermiston High School students. The process begins in January, when students be- gin to start products from seed. About 60 students — 20 in each of Herm- iston High’s horticulture and propagation classes — maintain the greenhouse, STAFF PHOTO BY JENNIFER COLTON Flowers ill the greenhouse at Hermiston High School in preparation for a fundraiser sale to the public this Friday and Saturday. and two greenhouse man- agers, also students, take care of the weekend water- ing and fertilizing. “In an average week, we spend about 70 percent of our classroom time out here watering, fertilizing, pinch- ing, transport(ing) and just taking care of plants,” ag- VENUE: continued from Page A1 town at 1 p.m. on Sunday. A stage with live dancing and music will be set up on Second Street in front of City Hall and food vendors will be in the parking lot across from City Hall until sundown. De la Cruz said there will be more vendors, more entertainment and more pa- rade entries this year, as the event continues to grow. He said it has also gained more sponsors over the years, including many in the agri- cultural community. This year’s parade grand marshal will be Hermiston High School Principal Tom Spoo. De la Cruz said while Spoo was still principal HERALD FILE PHOTO Musicians with Mariachi de los Temerosos serenade the crowd at a previous Cinco de Mayo celebration in Hermiston. at Armand Larive Middle School he was instrumental in starting several initia- tives to involve Hispanic parents in the school. Since he became the high school principal, de la Cruz said, Spoo has been a regular attendee at Hispanic Advi- sory Committee meetings and has helped put togeth- er district-wide programs such as the one that brings in volunteers to provide Spanish translation during parent-teacher conferences. May 8th Let your mother know how much she is appreciated & loved! Publishes in the Hermiston Herald May 4th Publishes in the East Oregonian May 7th SAMPLE Happy Mother’s Day For a very special mother! Your Name Turn in a photo & short message for your mom. Runs in EO & the HH for only $25 per spot Contact: Stephanie Newsom 541-278-2687 • snewsom@eastoregonian.com Your Name: Phone Number: Mother’s Name: Message: Send in, or drop by your photo and information to: 211 SE Byers, Pendleton, OR 97801 333 E. Main, Hermiston, OR 97838 or email snewsom@eastoregonian.com “We thought, ‘Here is a person who has extend- McKay Creek Estates Celebrate Life At Prestige Senior Living, we believe life should be a celebration! Studies have shown that up to 70% of what you feel is aging, is optional. The key to active, successful aging is your lifestyle. It is about wellness and nurturing body, mind and spirit. Join us for one of our complimentary educational seminars that promote healthy, fulfilled living, at every age. THURSDAY, MAY 19, 3:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Worried About Falling? 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