WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2017
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3
LOCAL NEWS
City opts in to OSU
Service District vote
HERMISTON HERALD
Voters in the city of
Umatilla will have a
chance to weigh in on the
proposed Oregon State
University Extension Ser-
vice District after all.
The Umatilla City
Council decided last week
to reconsider a resolution
putting the formation of a
new taxing district on the
May 2018 ballot. The res-
olution, which was pre-
viously rejected by the
council, this time passed
by a slim 3-2 margin with
councilors Roak TenEyck,
Selene Torres-Medrano
and Mel Ray in favor
and Michael Roxbury
and Mark Keith opposed.
Councilor Mark Ribich
was not present at Tues-
day’s meeting.
The reversal means
that every city in Uma-
tilla and Morrow counties
will now be able to vote
on whether the new tax
district moves forward. If
created, the district would
collect 33 cents per $1,000
of assessed value to help
support OSU Extension
programs, such as 4-H,
Master Gardeners and
both agricultural research
stations in Hermiston and
Pendleton.
It was Ray who ulti-
mately proved to be the
swing vote Tuesday,
changing his position after
he said he was contacted
personally by two resi-
dents wondering why they
would not be allowed to
have a say in the matter.
STAFF PHOTO BY JADE MCDOWELL.
Hermiston denies $10,000
water credit for EOTEC
By JADE MCDOWELL
STAFF WRITER
The city may co-own
the Eastern Oregon Trade
and Event Center, but
councilors weren’t show-
ing any favoritism Mon-
day when they denied the
EOTEC board’s request
for a $10,000 credit on its
sewer bill.
In September the cen-
ter switched to irrigat-
ing with water from Stan-
field Irrigation District,
but before that EOTEC
was using city of Herm-
iston water. City Man-
ager Byron Smith, who
represents the city on the
EOTEC board, said the
city charges sewer rates
in conjunction with how
much water a customer
uses, assuming most of it
drains into Hermiston’s
wastewater system to be
recycled by the city. In the
case of EOTEC, however,
most of the water bought
from the city was being
used for construction, irri-
gation and dust control.
“It didn’t need treated
(at the city’s recycled
water facility), it just went
into the ground,” he said.
In light of that, EOTEC
asked for a $10,000 credit
toward future sewer pay-
ments. Councilor Doug
Primmer disagreed.
“We don’t charge peo-
ple less in the summer-
time when they’re water-
ing their lawns,” he said.
“That water doesn’t go to
the sewer.”
Smith said water cus-
tomers can pay to install
Marine Corp veteran Aaron Wetterling, left, and Oregon National Guard veteran Ed Higginbotham eat together at the
Hermiston Veterans Day breakfast.
Veterans’ sacrifices recognized
a separate water meter
on their irrigation sys-
tems if they didn’t want
sewer charges attached
to that portion of their
water usage, but in the
end Primmer, Lori Davis
and Manuel Gutierrez
outvoted Rod Hardin and
Clara Beas Fitzgerald and
denied the credit.
On Monday the city
also approved a resolution
allowing businesses to
count city parking lots on
Orchard Avenue toward
their off-street parking.
City planner Clint
Spencer said the two lots,
comprised of 60 parking
spaces on either side of
Southwest Third Street,
seem to have been built
mostly for the Umatilla
County Fair, which has
moved. Several homes
and offices along Third
Street are zoned for com-
mercial use and up for
lease or for sale, and Spen-
cer said it made sense to
allow business opening
within 500 feet of the city
lots to count five spaces
of those lots to meet their
minimum off-street park-
ing requirements.
By JADE MCDOWELL
STAFF WRITER
Pastor Dean Hackett had tears in
his eyes as he tried to tell the veterans
in front of him how much their service
meant to him.
“I appreciate you more than I can
say for the sacrifices you have made,”
he said, his voice breaking.
Hundreds of people — mostly
veterans and their families — had
crowded into the Hermiston Con-
ference Center Friday morning for a
breakfast and program honoring vet-
erans. Hackett conducted the pro-
gram, wrapping up the speeches with
a passionate recounting of the attack
on Fort McHenry that inspired Fran-
cis Scott Key to write “The Star Span-
gled Banner” when he saw that the
American flag still stood over the fort
at dawn.
“She was severely torn and tattered
by the cannonade, but Old Glory was
still flying,” Hackett said, thanking the
veterans for continuing the defense of
the flag and the freedoms it stands for.
Rep. Greg Smith also
thanked the veterans for
their service, asking them
to stand as he praised them
for their valor and unselfish
sacrifices.
“They were ordinary people who
responded in extraordinary ways,” he
said of all the men and women who
have answered the call to defend
their country since the first shots of
the Revolutionary War were fired in
Lexington.
Smith also had the military spouses,
children, parents and siblings stand,
thanking them for their own sacrifices
as they kept the home fires burning
and spent countless nights fearing for
their loved ones’ lives.
Veterans Al Rafferty and David
Gallagher spoke about their own expe-
riences serving, and their gratitude for
the support they received after coming
home.
“I lost my best friend there and I
lost a lot of good friends,” said Galla-
gher, who fought in the Vietnam war.
He said the other day when a tire on
a truck blew he immediately dove for
cover, because 49 years after his ser-
vice those wartime experiences were
still with him.
Rafferty, a Marine Corps veteran
involved in Desert Storm, said joining
the VFW and Combat Veterans Motor-
cycle Association had provided him
with camaraderie and support, and he
encouraged other veterans present to
seek out similar groups.
“Being able to talk to other veter-
ans who have been in similar situa-
tions has really helped me cope with
some of the things I’ve struggled
with,” he said.
Following Hackett’s remarks,
dancers from Dance Unlimited per-
formed several patriotic numbers,
interspersed with singing by husband
and wife David and Alexis McCarthy,
who performed war-era hits from the
likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra
and Sonny and Cher.
Oregon National Guard veteran
Ed Higginbotham, who served with
the Pendleton unit in the 1970s, said
he was glad he came to the Greater
Hermiston Area Chamber of Com-
merce’s annual Veterans Day event.
“It’s a good breakfast,” he said.
“I enjoy the fellowship of seeing old
friends and folks that have served in
the community or are still serving.”
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Tuesday, November 21
• Home for the Holidays special section
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• American Profi le
• BLACK FRIDAY INSERTS:
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Sunday, November 19
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Doors Open: 11am • Warm-Ups: 2pm • Main Session: 2:30pm
Holiday Bazaar
Saturday, November 25
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10am – 5pm • River Events Center
Local Vendors – Holiday Shopping
Pictures with Santa & Kid’s Activity Table 1 – 3pm
Bealls
Big 5 Sporting Goods
Bi-Mart
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