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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 2016)
INSIDE SPORTS BULLDOG BOYS BASKETBALL STAYS UNBEATEN Hermiston Herald WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2016 HermistonHerald.com $1.00 INSIDE REUNITED HERMISTON CLASS OF 1942 GATHERS FOR A REUNION. PAGE A2 WINTER FESTIVAL PROVIDES HOLIDAY SPIRIT ECHO LIGHTS UP THE SEASON WITH HOLIDAY EVENTS. PAGE A2 TWO FIRES IN TWO DAYS By JADE McDOWELL Staff Writer A 32 foot spruce tree draped in 5,000 LED lights is the centerpiece of Hermiston’s Winter Festival down- town. The festival kicked off last Thurs- day with a tree-lighting ceremony and visit from Santa Claus, but a reg- ular light show and four more nights of live entertainment are on the calen- dar between now and Christmas. Some downtown business are also featuring extended hours during the festival, including special deals for Men’s Night on Dec. 15, which fol- lows Ladies Night that took place on Dec. 1. Country musician Zac Grooms will perform from 6-8 p.m. that night at the stage next to the tree on Northeast Second Street next to the former RoeMark’s building, now owned by Simmons Insurance Group. Hermiston Parks and Recreation director Larry Fetter said when the tree went up that the event, in its sec- ond year, has served as a “dress re- hearsal” for the city’s planned festival street. The fi rst phase of the festival street will cover Northeast Second Street between Gladys Avenue and Main Street, converting it into a pedestri- an-friendly, curbless area with dec- orative brickwork, landscaping and other features. The street would fea- ture gates to close it to traffi c during activities like the Winter Festival or Eastern Oregon Arts Festival. Con- struction is expected to start in the summer of 2017. During last Thursday’s tree light- ing event, hundreds of people fl ocked downtown to enjoy the business deals, food vendors, cookie decorat- ing booth, fi re and a performance by Hermiston-grown band BBPD. “Isn’t this a great event?” Mayor David Drotzmann asked the crowd to cheers. “How awesome is this?” He said the city was excited to bring life and vitality to the down- town area during the holiday season. The Parks and Recreation Depart- ment put up a tree and light show last year, but after its inaugural run, Drotzmann said, they listened to feedback that it needed to be more impressive. “This year we made sure to put more lights,” he said. The festival area, located on the corner of Main Street and Southeast Second Street, will feature a light show and live music each Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening starting at 5 p.m. until Christmas. See LIGHTS, A7 FIRES DESTROY A HOME AND A RECREATIONAL VEHICLE. PAGE A3 WINTER TRACTION IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE RIGHT TREAD — ON YOUR SHOES AND YOUR TIRES — IN WINTER WEATHER. PAGE A4 HELPING HAND GROUP PROVIDING HOPE FOR THE HOMELESS GETS HELP. PAGE A4 EVENT SCHEDULE STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS Five thousand LED Christmas lights illuminate the 32-foot tall spruce tree that is the centerpiece of the Winter Festival in Hermiston. The light show runs for 10 minutes at the top of each hour from 5-8 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Dec. 9 Hermiston Jazz Band and Choir 6:30-7:30 p.m. Dec. 15 Zac Grooms 6-8 p.m. and Men’s Night downtown Dec. 16 Severe Family 6-8 p.m. Dec. 23 6-8 p.m. To Be Announced STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS People gather around a fi re pit to warm their hands Thursday during the Winter Festival in Hermiston. Farm Fair expands in 43rd year More space at EOTEC means more seminars, vendors By GEORGE PLAVEN Staff Writer STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS Juan Salamanca, left, and Antonio Echeverria, both of Hermiston, look at the front bucket on a Case tractor Wednesday at the Hermiston Farm Fair. The 43rd annual Hermiston Farm Fair debuted last week at its new home at the Eastern Ore- gon Trade and Event Center with a series of lectures on potato re- search in the Columbia Basin. And despite setting out more than 200 chairs in two meeting rooms, space was still limited to stand- ing-room only. It is a testament to how much the event and trade show has grown over the decades. See FAIR, A7 BRIEFLY Wildhorse Foundation announces grant allocations Hermiston Herald The Wildhorse Foun- dation recently announced its third quarter grants, in which $210,896.91 was disbursed to 30 recipients — including a maximum allocation to Windy Riv- er Elementary School in Boardman. The school will pur- chase new equipment and instruments as well as repair instruments for its beginning band pro- gram. This is the fi rst grant Windy River has received from the Wildhorse Foun- dation. Other local entities re- ceiving grants include: Hermiston Warming Station, $8,000 for op- erating expenses; and Umatilla-Morrow County Head Start in Hermiston, $10,000 to purchase a Toy- ota Corolla to be used by the Healthy Family home visiting staff. The foundation man- ages a community benefit fund established by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Res- ervation. The board con- siders quarterly grant ap- plications in the areas of public health and safety, education, the arts, his- toric preservation, gam- bling addiction services, salmon restoration, envi- ronmental protection and cultural activities. The next application deadline is Jan. 1. For more information, visit www.thewildhorse- foundation.com or contact Tiah DeGrofft at 541-966- 1628 or tiah.degrofft@ wildhorseresort.com.
