A4 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2017
COMMUNITY
Transformer joins tractors, more at County Fair parade
By EMILY OLSON
FOR THE HERMISTON HERALD
A celebrity visitor with
Hollywood
connections
may have been the fan fa-
vorite at Saturday’s Uma-
tilla County Fair Parade,
over the numerous local
businesses, dignitaries and
rodeo royalty.
“I’m going to see Opti-
mus Prime,” said Bentlee
Dean, 3. His family drove
him from La Grande for his
fi rst-ever fair parade, just
to see the souped-up truck
featured in “Transformers:
The Last Knight.”
Scott Teeples of Hermis-
ton agreed that’s what made
this year’s fair special. He
staked out his spot along
the route at 8:30 a.m. and
took his twin grandsons,
Gerrel and Jackson, 3, to
peek at the big rig before
the start of the parade.
Teeples couldn’t deny
that he was just as excited
about the truck as the boys
were. As Optimus Prime
passed — boasting blue and
red fl ames and movie-qual-
ity sound effects — Gerrel
and Jackson jumped up and
down, brimming with won-
der.
The truck paraded as part
of a nation-wide tour pro-
moting the Paramount Pic-
STAFF PHOTO BY EMILY OLSON
Bentlee Dean, 4, salutes a passing entry decked with fl ags
during Saturday’s parade in Hermiston.
STAFF PHOTO BY EMILY OLSON
Optimus Prime, customized for the movie “Transformers: the Last Knight,” drives down
Hermiston Avenue during Saturday’s Umatilla County Fair Parade.
tures movie franchise and
Western Star truck compa-
ny. It was one of nearly 120
entries that moseyed down
Hermiston’s
downtown
and beyond, completing a
miles-long route. The path
saw only slight alterations
this year, still ending near
the old fairgrounds even
though the fair has moved
Printed on
recycled
newsprint
VOLUME 111 ● NUMBER 32
Gary L. West | Editor • gwest@hermistonherald.com • 541-564-4532
Tammy Malgesini | Community Editor • tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4539
Jayati Ramakrishnan | Reporter • jramakrishnan@hermistonherald.com • 541-564-4534
Jade McDowell | Reporter • jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4536
Jeanne Jewett | Multi-Media consultant • jjewett@hermistonherald.com • 541-564-4531
Shannon Paxton | Offi ce coordinator • spaxton@hermistonherald.com • 541-564-4530
Audra Workman | Multi-Media consultant • aworkman@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4538
Dawn Hendricks | Circulation District Manager • dhendricks@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4540
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Herald, 333 E. Main St., Hermiston, OR
97838, (541) 567-6457.
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to the Eastern Oregon Trade
and Event Center. Heat and
a smoky haze left by re-
gional fi res did nothing to
deter thousands of folks
from lining the streets.
Some were less inter-
ested in Optimus Prime,
instead looking forward to
the parade’s classic entries.
“I’m most excited about
the cheerleaders,” said Rey-
na Mendoza, 5, of Hermis-
ton. “I’d really like to be
one in high school.”
Her mom, Gracie, was
most excited to see the farm
equipment, explaining that
it’s not something she gets
to see on the street every
day.
“They’re so big,” she
said. “I’ve always wanted
to be in the fi eld in one of
them.”
Other attendees discov-
ered delightful surprises
along the way.
Emily Shontz, 9, traveled
from Castle Rock, Washin-
gon, to visit family for fair
week. The promise of candy
brought her to the parade,
but her favorite part was
receiving a free Hermiston
watermelon for showing
enthusiasm as a fl oat with a
super-sized slice from Wal-
chli Farms drove by.
“I had no idea they did
that here,” Shontz said,
adding that it left her even
more excited for the fair.
Sam Surber, 15, of
Hermiston, sourced some
surprises of his own. He
gifted balloon animals to all
the kids near his family’s
spot along the route.
He decided to bring his
balloon supplies because
his church, New Hope,
distributed balloons along
with their fl oat entry. Surb-
er knew they wouldn’t have
enough for everyone.
“I wanted to spread these
to all the kids around me,”
he said, estimating that
he’d made about 35 that
day. Some balloons suc-
cumbed to the heat, but a
sea of colorful fl owers and
swords still waved around
him, proof that Surber had
helped elevate the festive
atmosphere.
The Umatilla County
Fair is currently going on
at EOTEC, 1705 E. Airport
Road, through Saturday.
STAFF PHOTO BY EMILY OLSON
A girl scout on an ’80s themed fl oat shows some enthusiasm
for spectators during the Umatilla County Fair Parade.
STAFF PHOTO BY EMILY OLSON
Crews pass out Hermiston watermelons from Walchli Farms
on Saturday to spectators watching the fair parade.
Member of EO Media Group Copyright ©2017
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