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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (May 24, 2017)
SPECIAL SECTION INSIDE GRADUATION 2017; CONGRATULATIONS SENIORS! Hermiston Herald HermistonHerald.com WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2017 $1.00 INSIDE Back to the BIG STEP UP chalkboard Hermiston School Board looks at reasons for bond failure, how to move forward BULLDOGS TRACK AND FIELD TEAM LEAPS TO NEXT LEVEL AT STATE MEET PAGE A10 CITY DIGS IN HERMISTON BUDGET SHOWS WHERE DEVELOPMENT IS HEADED PAGE A3 IN MEMORIAM By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONIES BEGIN FRIDAY WITH FLAG LAYING PAGE A6 Staff Writer The Hermiston School District’s $104 million bond failed decisively in last week’s election, prompting questions from district employees, board members and the community: why did it fail, and what’s next for the schools? All told 3,950 people cast their votes on the bond, with 640 more votes (58 percent) going against the bond than in favor. County-wide, voter turnout was low, with only Sherman about 26 percent of eligible voters submitting ballots. The bond’s failure was a depar- ture from Hermiston’s history of passing school bonds. Since the mid- 1990s, the community has passed four school-related bonds to address a growing student population. The Maiocco most recent bond passage was in 2008, when the board rebuilt Sunset and West Park elementary schools, and Ar- mand Larive Middle School. OFFICE CLOSED HERMISTON HERALD WILL BE CLOSED THURSDAY FROM 9:30 A.M. UNTIL 1 P.M. FOR A FUNERAL AND ALL DAY MONDAY FOR MEMORIAL DAY. BY THE WAY HERMISTON HERALD FILE PHOTOS Above: Fifth-grade teacher Daylee Lathim helps a student navigate a tablet while teaching in one of the modular classroom units on the fi rst day of the 2016 school year at Rocky Heights Elementary School. Main photo: Signs supporting the school’s bond measure were prevalent in Hermiston during the campaign. Board discussions On Monday, the Hermiston School Board met for the fi rst time since the election to discuss the vote and its next steps. See SCHOOL, A16 Clean up, slow down and hurrah graduates Simmons Agency is lead- ing the charge in sprucing up downtown today. Activities include weeding, laying bark, planting fl owers and taking down lights from the street’s trees. They will be working from the morning through the afternoon, and the street will be closed off block by block so that volun- teers can work. The cleanup will start at 8:30 a.m. at the Roemark building. ••• Slow down! The Herm- iston Police Department’s traffi c offi cer will be switching from a motorcy- cle to a “quasi-unmarked” car, according to Police Chief Jason Edmiston. The car will still bear the logo of the Hermiston Po- lice Department on the side, but will not be as immedi- ately recognizable as a po- lice car. ••• Hermiston is losing See BTW, A16 Farmers’ market gears up for change in venue, fresh ideas By TAMMY MALGESINI Community Editor The excitement is almost palpable on the new Face- book page for the Hermiston Farmers’ Market. A new logo has been created. And a new face — BeAnn Smith — is over- seeing the weekly event. A planning meeting is set for Saturday, June 3 at 10 a.m. at Hermiston City Hall, 180 N.E. Second St. “I want it to be a place where you want to be on a Saturday morning — where you come to make new friends and try new things,” Smith said about her vision for the market. The market, which has mostly shared McKenzie Park with other events the past few years in addition to setting up in downtown Hermiston during special events, will fi nd a new home this season. It will be held on Hermiston’s proposed festival street on Northeast See MARKET, A16 FILE PHOTO Fresh onions line a table as Naomi and Ildefonso Zuniga of Finley’s Fresh Produce ring up customers at a past Hermiston Farmers’ Market. This year’s market opens Saturday, June 17 in the proposed festival street by city hall. Hermiston Offi ce: Pendleton Offi ce: GLENN SCOTT JENNIFER OLSON Veteran's Service Offi cer • 435 E Newport Ave. Veteran’s Service Offi cer • 17 SW Frazer Ph: 541.667.3125 • Cell: 541.848.8120 Ph.541.278.5482 glenn.scott@umatillacounty.net jennifer.olson@umatillacounty.net VETERANS SERVING VETERANS NS LET US ASSIST YOU WITH YOUR BENEFITS LE
