A4 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2017
COMMUNITY
Morrow County faithful keep fair tradition alive
Fair has gotten
smaller, but
continues to
attract locals
By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN
STAFF WRITER
The Morrow County
Fair, in its 104th year, start-
ed on Wednesday and, by
Thursday was bustling with
a crowd of locals, some of
whom have been coming to
the fair for a long time.
“We were born and raised
in Heppner,” said Sandra
Blanke, who was there with
her brother and sister-in-law
Gary and Doris Jones. “We
entered in the fair when we
were growing up. Our grand-
ma often won blue ribbons.”
Many of the longtime res-
idents of Heppner said the
fair has continued to attract
a faithful crowd of locals,
but acknowledged that it’s
smaller than when they fi rst
started attending — like the
town of Heppner itself.
“The population differ-
STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS
Janae Warren, 9, of Vancouver, Wash., holds a La Mancha/
Boer cross goat kid at the Morrow County Fair in Heppner.
ence from when we were
growing up, it’s probably a
third of what it used to be,”
Blake said.
But they noted that pro-
grams like FFA and 4-H were
still going strong, thanks to
the parents and teachers who
keep them going.
One of those 4-H students
is Heppner resident Faith
Futter, 11, who entered two
pigs in the fair. This year was
her fi rst experience showing
animals, and she said she
had learned quite a bit from
the experience.
“I decided to show to start
saving money for college,”
Futter said. “And I just love
(pigs). They’re cute.”
Futter’s two pigs, Bubba
and Lily, won red ribbons at
the fair. Futter said she was
hoping for blue, but was OK
with the outcome.
She said she learned a lot
about the care of the animals
— and that they often have a
mind of their own.
“I like how they have
different personalities,” she
said. “They can be very
playful, or rude.”
Ashley Price, 16, had
been showing animals for
a few years, but hoped this
year would net her some
top prizes for her steer,
Midnight. The Boardman
resident was busy spraying
her animal with medium ad-
hesive and pro gloss, as he
stood patiently in a blocking
chute.
“I love it,” Price said. “It’s
a bigger animal, so it’s more
challenging, but gives you a
step into the real world.”
Price said she hopes to
continue raising steers once
she graduates.
People sat in the shade
and ate lunch provided by
the Bank of Eastern Oregon,
whose staff volunteers to
cook burgers and fries each
year for fairgoers.
Joycekay Hollomon sat
with her great-grandchil-
dren, who were visiting
from Alaska, and took in
the scene playing out in her
hometown.
She, too, noted the chang-
es in the fair since she moved
to Heppner 55 years ago.
“The people here work
very hard to hold it together
and make it work,” she said.
“A lot has changed,” Hol-
lomon said. “It’s diminish-
ing, for one. We don’t have
nearly the interested popula-
tion to keep the displays up.
When I fi rst started coming
here, we had a carnival.”
She commended the fair
organizers for what they’ve
done in the last few years,
with exhibits like a reptile
show and a bounce castle to
keep kids entertained.
Hollomon said the fair
has its own unique touch-
es that keep people coming
back. One, she said, is the
rodeo.
“Friday and Saturday
night is the big rodeo,” she
said. “But Sunday is strict-
ly county. You have to be
related or graduated from a
school in the county to take
part. It’s kind of unique, and
very laid back. They start
with the little-bitty kids. It’s
kind of interesting if you
have lots of people partici-
pating, which I’m lucky to
have a lot of.”
Hollomon said through-
out the years, she had helped
out with various aspects of
the fair, from 4-H sewing to
supervising different events.
Fair secretary Ann Jones
said the fair had undergone
some changes in the last few
years with board members
and technology, but the over-
all event was consistent.
“We have a few new peo-
ple, but it’s mostly returning
vendors,” she said. Jones
said there were about 30
vendors this year, including
a woman selling waffl es on
a stick from Portland, and a
lemonade stand from Cur-
lew, Washington.
Deputies from the Mor-
row County Sheriff’s De-
partment said they’d be
patrolling the grounds all
weekend, but this year
would be unique.
“It’ll be interesting to see
people coming in from the
eclipse crowd, looking for
something to do,” said Dep-
uty Glen Diehl. But he said
so far, there had been no is-
sues.
“It’s a nice, quiet family
atmosphere,” he said.
Murder mystery skewers the host
By TAMMY MALGESINI
COMMUNITY EDITOR
A delicious barbecue
meal is featured during
the upcoming murder
mystery dinner theater
event presented by Agape
House.
However, before the
barbie even gets fi red up,
a mate’s getting skew-
ered. With an Australian
barbecue theme, the menu
features a choice of ma-
ple bacon chicken or ro-
tisserie pork loin. The
meal, catered by Nookie’s
restaurant, also includes
corn on the cob, baked
beans and coleslaw. The
cost is $30 per person.
“Bump Off at the
BBQ” is Saturday at 5:30
p.m. at the Maxwell Sid-
ing Event Center, 145 N.
First Place, Hermiston.
Guests are invited to
enjoy the meal while at-
tempting to crack the case
before their chicken gets
cold.
It seems someone is
as mad as a cut snake at
Willy Willy, the host of
the barbecue. There are at
least 6 potential suspects
all with a reason to want
him dead.
For tickets or more in-
formation, call 541-567-
8774 or 541-571-7293.
Printed on
recycled
newsprint
VOLUME 111 ● NUMBER 34
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
STAFF PHOTO BY TAMMY MALGESINI
Trish Rossell of Hermiston acted in a past murder mystery
fundraising dinner. Agape House is hosting “Bump Off at
the BBQ” Saturday at Maxwell Siding Event Center.
To contact the Hermiston Herald for news,
advertising or subscription information:
• call 541-567-6457
• e-mail info@hermistonherald.com
• stop by our offi ces at 333 E. Main St.
• visit us online at: hermistonherald.com
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