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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 9, 2017)
INSIDE MAN VS. BEAST: COWBOYS TAKE ON TOP STOCK AT FARM-CITY PAGE A10 Hermiston Herald WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2017 HermistonHerald.com $1.00 INSIDE CARNIVAL RIDES RIDE SAFETY A TOP PRIORITY FOR FAIR, CARNIVAL VENDOR PAGE A3 MORROW COUNTY MORROW COUNTY FAIR RUNS NEXT WEEK IN HEPPNER PAGE A8 STATE PRIDE HERMISTON REPRESENTS OREGON IN LITTLE LEAGUE REGIONAL TOURNEY PAGE A11 BY THE WAY MORE SPACE BIGGER FAIR Fair fi rst day full of adjustments, excitement By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN STAFF WRITER D uring opening day of the Umatilla County Fair, vendors and participants were busy getting used to a lot of new things — and preparing for the big crowds to come. Most people noted that the biggest change this year is the size of the venue. “It’s a bigger footprint up here,” said Mary Corp, regional administrator for the OSU Ex- tension Service, who oversees 4-H entries for the fair. “People should wear good walking shoes and maybe split it up into a couple of visits.” Many of the fair logistics will be different this year too, such as parking. There are several lots around the EOTEC grounds, and a daily parking pass costs $5. A season fair parking pass, valid for the entire week, is $20. Passes can be purchased from parking lot attendants and must be paid for in cash. ABOVE, Hermiston Mayor Dave Drotzmann walks around one of the livestock barns at the Umatilla County Fair on Monday in Hermiston. STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS Because the grounds are so large, “people movers,” or small trolleys towed by tractors, will be circling the grounds all week, taking people from the more distant parking lots up to the fair entrance. On Friday and Saturday, Mid-Columbia Bus Company will provide a free shuttle ser- vice between the fairgrounds and four loca- tions in Hermiston: the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce parking lot, Hermiston City Hall parking lot, the Walmart parking lot near Mc- Donald’s, and at Hermiston High School park- ing lot near Weber Field. The shuttle will run from 2 to 10 p.m. In the animal barns, many said they were getting used to the space. “Once all the kinks are worked out, it’s going to be absolutely wonderful,” said Alice Dyer, superintendent of small animals for the fair. Dyer said the students show their animals on Wednesday and Thursday, but the fi rst cou- ple of days are busy for another reason. “We individually vet-check every single an- imal,” Dyer said. Leah Smith, the FFA advisor at Hermiston High School, said her students have had to make some adjustments to the new venue. “They’re mostly positive adjustments,” she said. “We don’t have to pen our animals to- gether as much anymore.” She said the students don’t have as much space to store their own things, which is a chal- lenge. “We’re defi nitely at a loss for tack space,” she said. “We will need to adjust that next year. And parking, there’s maybe been some frustra- tion. But the facilities are beautiful, and next year, it’s going to be spot-on.” Law enforcement will have their hands full this year, as well. “It’s just so much bigger,” said Umatilla County Sheriff Terry Rowan. “We need to be very fl uid this week. As the week progresses, we will likely fi nd some wrinkles that we need See FAIR, A9 ‘It’s a bigger footprint up here. People should wear good walking shoes and maybe split it up into a couple of visits.’ Mary Corp, regional administrator for the OSU Extension Service There will likely be a va- riety of opinions about the new fair and rodeo facili- ties at the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center as this week’s Umatilla Coun- ty Fair and Farm-City Pro Rodeo are hosted for the fi rst time at their new home. But an early review was offered Monday by T.J. Korkow of Korkow Rodeos, one of the stock contractors providing livestock for the rough stock events. “I think it’s awe- some,” Korkow said of the new arena and stock pens be- hind the rodeo arena where his bulls and bucking horses will spend then week. Kor- kow and his livestock were unloading at the new arena Monday afternoon. • • • Hermiston High School senior Dayshawn Neal was featured last week in the Or- egonian’s sports staff’s list of the top 50 football players to watch in the 2017 season. The Oregonian list said the Bulldogs receiver is likely to top 1,000 yards this sea- son, after 51 receptions, 911 years and 12 touchdowns as a junior. The Bulldogs are schedule to open the season on the road for a non-confer- ence game on Friday, Sept. 1, against Union High School of Vancouver, Washington. We are just over three weeks away from the season open- er. • • • Umatilla High School brought home a couple of awards from the Technology Student Association’s na- tional conference, held June See BTW, A9 New grounds opened Work done, ribbon cut, fair begins By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN STAFF WRITER STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS Echo FFA members junior Bobbie Sharp, top left, gets a hand from junior Kaylee Murstig, second from bottom left, and junior Lexie Cox, top right, while decorating their goat pens on Monday at the Umatilla County Fair in Hermiston. About 100 people crowded into the foyer at the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center main building Monday evening, hours from the start of the facility’s biggest event to date. On the eve of the 105th Umatilla County Fair, backers of EOTEC and community members cut the ribbon on the facility and cheered the efforts it’s taken to get to this point. It was a culmination of years of planning and work and many expressed relief that the roughly $16 million project was fi nally coming to fruition. “If you’re like me, you were nervous up un- til today,” said Hermiston Mayor David Drotzmann. “There was a lot of anxiety and nervousness that things wouldn’t get done. But I’m excited and proud to be here.” Drotzmann, along with City Manager Byron Smith and Umatilla County Com- missioner Larry Givens, both members of the EO- TEC board, talked about the work it’s taken to get the facility up and running. “In 2012, we had just signed away the Umatilla County Fairgrounds,” Giv- ens said. “I was more than scared. I thought, was this an absolute disaster? But people have pitched in. I went down to the old fair- grounds last Saturday, and thought, how did we man- age to survive in that spot?” Smith said it was excit- ing to see the place fi nally fi ll up with vendors. “There have been lots of bumps,” Smith said. “But nothing we couldn’t over- come.” See RIBBON, A9