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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (May 10, 2017)
WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 2017 Couple crowned prom king and queen By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN Staff Writer Donald and JoAnn Clay- ton didn’t go to their high school prom because of a lack of communication. “His story is, he asked me and I didn’t ever give him an answer,” said JoAnn with a laugh. “And my sto- ry is, he just presumed I’d go. So we didn’t go!” Fortunately, the Clay- tons got a second chance at the high school tradition, going to the Hermiston High School prom nearly 64 years after the one they missed. Earlier this school year, the couple was visiting Hermiston from Port An- geles, Washington, where they’ve lived for more than 40 years. At that time, Don- ald stopped in at the high school to have a chat with Principal Tom Spoo. He asked if he and his wife could stop by the Hermis- ton prom, and Spoo happily agreed. But what the couple didn’t know was that the school had some ideas of their own. District librari- an Delia Wallis, leadership advisor Dave Rohrman and students from the Hermis- ton Leadership class began planning ways to make the evening special for the cou- ple. “We had just intended to show up,” JoAnn said. Instead, the school treat- ed the Claytons to an eve- ning they won’t forget. They were chauffeured around by Fred Clark of the Hermiston Classic Car Club, in a 1951 Mercury. They were served dinner by Ford Bonney of Hale’s Restaurant, and stayed at Oxford Suites. At the prom, Donald was dressed in his Marines Corps uniform, and JoAnn donned a blue dress. The couple was seated at a spe- cial table, where students HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3 LOCAL NEWS CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Donald and JoAnn Clayton were selected as the Hermiston prom king and queen Saturday. The couple graduated from Hermiston High School in 1952 and 1953, but weren’t able to attend prom at that time. came up and chatted with them. Wallis said students were very interested in the Claytons’ story. “Several students hugged the pair, and oth- ers made a special point of thanking Donald for his military service,” Wallis said. The biggest surprise of the night, though, came a bit later in the evening. “They crowned us king and queen of the prom,” said JoAnn. “It was beauti- ful. The kids were gracious, and the faculty were just wonderful.” Students formed a circle around the couple as they danced to “You Belong to Me” by Jo Stafford. Students also took the opportunity that evening to hear about the Claytons’ life in Hermiston, long be- fore any of them were born. JoAnn, who was JoAnn Walker at the time, gradu- ated in 1952, the last class to graduate from the “old high school,” Hermiston Union High School, which later became the junior high. Donald was in the first class to graduate from the “new” school, in 1953. Donald joined the Marine Corps shortly after grad- uation in 1953, and used his “Senior Sneak Day” to enlist, instead of skipping school. After he had left for boot camp, JoAnn said she got a call from Donald. “He called me and said, ‘When I get back, we’re getting married.’” Students attending the 2017 prom also got a little bit of advice from the cou- ple, who got married Oct. 5, 1953 at the Methodist Church in Hermiston. “Be sure to pick the right person and then hold on,” JoAnn said. After Donald got out of the service, he enrolled at Washington State Uni- versity in 1957. After he graduated, the couple lived in Eastern Oregon and Washington for several years, before moving over to the west side of Wash- ington. They adopted three children, and now have nine grandchildren and a great-grandchild. The evening of the prom, the couple also got to en- joy some time with family members who came down for the occasion. “My sister in-law lives in Hermiston,” JoAnn said. “And my husband’s sister is from Spokane. My niece came down. Some of our family met us at Hale’s for dinner.” JoAnn said while the couple has lived in western Washington for a long time, they try to make it back to the place where it all began a few times a year. “We love Hermiston,” she said. “They’ve always been very good to us. “I still can’t believe it all happened,” JoAnn said. “My husband and I still look at each other and shake our heads.” Union Pacific replacing 10,000 railroad ties Part of statewide infrastructure investment Jacobs said, is to give the tracks in Hermiston a face lift and improve safety. UP has set aside $44.7 million to maintain rail- road tracks and $3.2 mil- lion to maintain bridges statewide. The railroad has already invested more than $300 million in Oregon rail infrastructure between 2012 and 2016, according to company figures. “Union Pacific’s tar- geted investments fund projects that strengthen our railroad tracks, in- crease safety and mini- mize delays as trains trav- el through communities across Oregon,” said Wes Hermiston Herald Union Pacific has been working for more than two weeks to replace rough- ly 10,000 railroad ties in Hermiston. The work is part of a $77.1 million investment in rail infrastructure across Oregon. Spokesman Justin Ja- cobs said the project began April 24 and should finish by mid-May. The goal, Lujan, vice president of public affairs for the rail- road’s Western Region in a previous statement. “Maintaining a healthy railroad is the foundation of our ability to serve cus- tomers and communities across the state.” UP plans to spend $3.1 billion across its entire rail network in 2017. Since 2000, the railroad has spent $51 billion and de- creased derailments by 40 percent, though last year’s high-profile oil train de- railment near Mosier has spurred concerns about rail safety across the Northwest. STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS A Union Pacific construction vehicle uses a mechanical arm to place new railroad ties along side of the railroad spur May 3 off of Umatilla River Road north of Hermiston. Hermiston business flag pole to be replaced with shorter version the situation they have decided to replace it with a 70-foot pole for safety reasons. Luckily no one was in- jured and no property was damaged when the pole came down in late April, Karlson said. “It just went right to the north and laid out on that One of Hermiston’s landmark flags will be replaced with something smaller after wind blew over the 138-foot flag pole at N.W. Metal Fabricators. The business on North Highway 395 has had the tall pole for 11 years, but owner Kerry Karlson said after looking over field,” he said. “We were very fortunate.” He said it looked like the old pole fell victim to the harsh winter after water got inside the base and repeatedly froze and thawed. “Then the winds just took it from there,” he said. EO Media Group names new COO EO Media Group find a successor to Perry with Heidi Wright has been the leadership capabilities to named chief operating officer help our company prosper in of EO Media Group, which the digital age. Her prior ex- owns the Hermiston Herald perience with family-owned and East Oregonian.. companies in our region is Wright succeeds John S. especially relevant.” Prior to joining Wescom, Perry, who is retiring after 44 Wright was publisher years in the newspaper of the Klamath Falls industry, including the Herald and News, last 12 with EO Media owned by Pioneer Group. News Group. She also Wright comes to worked as a publisher EO Media Group in Montana for Lee from Western Com- Enterprises. She has munications, owner of an undergraduate de- the Bend Bulletin and Wright gree and a master’s in other newspapers in Oregon and California. West- business administration from com also formerly owned the University of Montana. “Heidi has a lifetime of the Hermiston Herald. She is Wescom’s chief financial experience in the West,” not- officer and human resourc- ed Brown, publisher of East es director. She will join EO Oregonian and Hermiston Herald. “Her experience at Media Group in June. Steve Forrester, the presi- newspapers in Butte, Klam- dent and CEO of EO Media ath Falls and Bend make her Group, announced Wright’s well-suited to understand the hiring: “Our executive com- communities that EO Media mittee — composed of Kath- Group serves in rural Oregon ryn Brown, Susan Forrester and Washington — as well as Rana and me — is pleased to the extraordinary reach of the Capital Press, our agricultural weekly.” As chief operating officer, Wright will direct the busi- ness operations of EO Media Group and supervise publish- ers and corporate staff. The company’s headquarters are in Salem. “It’s an honor and privi- lege to be joining EO Media Group,” said Wright. “While I will miss my friends and colleagues at Western Com- munications, I am excited to become a part of the EO Me- dia Group family. My hus- band, Richard Schuurman, and I are looking forward to calling Salem home in the near future.” EO Media Group pub- lications include: The Blue Mountain Eagle of John Day, Cannon Beach Gazette, Cap- ital Press, Chinook Observer, Coast River Business Journal, The Daily Astorian, East Or- egonian, Hermiston Herald, Oregon Coast Today, Seaside Signal and Wallowa County Chieftain. Savings all month long? RDO DOES THAT. Green Tag Sales Event • One Month Only Savings With over 40 models to choose from starting at $1,499 2 , you can the right equipment for your needs. Stop by and meet with the experts to KHOSƟQGWKHULJKWPRGHOIRU\RX Wildhorse Resort & Casino presents the 5th Annual Mammoth Cup Golf Tournament Sunday, May 21 Wildhorse Resort Golf Course Great tee prizes, lots of side bets, free lunch and awards banquet! 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