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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (May 4, 2016)
Hermiston T-WOLVES TIE DOWN TITLES SPORTS Page 9 Herald ld HermistonHerald.com WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 Bulldogs battle for sweep $1.00 ABOUT TOWN Corrections staff celebrated at Two Rivers Hermiston taxi company out of service Page 3 SPORTS Page 9 By JADE McDOWELL celebrando la cultura Staff writer HERMISTON CINCO DE MAYO STAFF PHOTO BY JENNIFER COLTON Children walk in the Hermiston Cinco de Mayo parade, Sunday in Hermiston. HERMISTON EVENT CELEBRATES LATINO CULTURE By JENNIFER COLTON Staff Writer O n paper, Hermiston’s popula- tion is 37 percent Hispanic, and the actual numbers could be higher. Many of those res- idents have called Hermiston home for two or three gener- ations, and celebrations like Cinco de Mayo keep their history and culture alive. “This is a very symbolic event for our community,” said organizer Eddie de la Cruz. “This is an event that has gotten bigger and better every year, and we feel very privileged to have the sup- port of the community.” Cinco de Mayo, offi cially on Thurs- day, May 5, recognizes the day the Mexican Army, outnumbered and with limited technology, defeated the French Army in 1862. Sunday, Hermiston’s celebration of the holiday included a parade through downtown, a carnival, vendors, food and live entertainment across from Hermiston City Hall. Held for almost two decades at See HERMISTON, A14 STAFF PHOTO BY JENNIFER COLTON A mariachi band plays while horses — and their riders — compete in the caballo bailando competition Sunday in front of Hermiston City Hall. Boardman plans sizzling Cinco de Mayo event By TAMMY MALGESINI Community Editor The weather is heating up and organizers of the Boardman Cinco de Mayo festival are getting ready to serve up a sizzling time this weekend. Music, food and fun are featured during the event, which is Saturday from 4-10 p.m. at Boardman Ma- rina Park, located off Ma- rine Drive. Sponsored by the Morrow County Unifi ed Recreation District, there is no admission charge for the festival. Maria Richards, one of the event organizers, said the celebration is a little See BOARDMAN, A14 CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Folkloric dancers provide a colorful display during the 2015 Boardman Cinco de Mayo festival. This year’s event is Saturday from 4-10 p.m. at Boardman Marina Park. A year after the Herm- iston City Council voted to open up taxi service in the city to competition, Hermiston is down to one taxi company again. The phone number for Hermiston Transit Ser- vices was disconnected about a month ago, and a message returned via the company’s Facebook page confi rmed they are no longer in service. Umatilla Cab Compa- ny, the other service pick- ing up riders in Hermiston since the city did away with Hermiston Transit’s exclusive franchise, has seen its call volume shoot up in the last few weeks, owner Sundi Marquez said. “It’s a little bit over- whelming,” she said. The company is work- ing on adding more driv- ers and cars to its six-per- son staff to handle the increased client load, but Marquez said hiring qual- ifi ed drivers and putting them through the city’s background check pro- cess takes time. People in the meantime might have to wait longer than they’re used to for a cab. “We appreciate the pa- tience while we iron out the wrinkles,” she said. She said calling ahead to arrange rides instead of saying “I have a doctor’s appointment in 15 min- utes” helps. She also said contrary to rumor, Herm- iston Transit has not com- bined with Umatilla Cab Company, so she doesn’t have any answers for the people who have called to ask why Hermiston Tran- sit’s dispatch line no lon- ger works. Assistant city manager Mark Morgan said Herm- iston Transit Services still has a license from the city to operate, so if the busi- ness is no longer taking calls, it is a decision on their end. In October, however, the city revoked Hermis- ton Transit’s contract for the senior and disabled ride program. The pro- gram allows senior and disabled residents to pur- chase one-way ride tickets for $2 apiece, which cab companies can redeem at city hall for $6.15. City staff at the time said Hermiston Tran- sit broke the contract by giving a client a ride in a vehicle without proper insurance, while the cab company’s staff contend- ed the ride was a per- sonal favor and no ticket changed hands. Morgan said after that incident, Hermiston Tran- sit continued to offer long- time senior and disabled clients a $2 ride on its own dime, which caused a “signifi cant” drop in the amount of money the city was spending to subsidize the senior and disabled ride program, still running through Umatilla Cab Company. Taxi companies in larg- er cities are increasingly seeing competition from ride-sharing companies such as Uber, which uses an app to connect people needing rides with nearby drivers willing to use their own car to pick someone up in exchange for pay- ment.