SPORTS
IRRIGON SWEEPS DOUBLE HEADER | PAGE A8
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2018
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HermistonHerald.com
INSIDE
QUICK RECOVERY
TODDLER INJURED IN
SHOOTING IS HOME FROM
HOSPITAL
PAGE A3
Moving forward
TALENT POOL
HHS SWIM TEAM HOSTS
TALENT SHOW FUNDRAISER
PAGE A4
GIVING SPIRIT
POLICE CHIEF REFLECTS
ON CHRISTMAS EXPRESS
GENEROSITY
PAGE A9
BY THE WAY
If you’re wondering
what to do with your old
Christmas tree, you can
drop it off at Butte Park
during the month of Jan-
uary. Look for signage on
the south end of the park,
and don’t forget to remove
all decorations fi rst, as the
trees will be fed through a
woodchipper and used as a
weed barrier around trees
and other landscaping in
parks.
• • •
A pair of Umatilla
School District students
are featured in “The
Promise of Oregon”
public education support
campaign
Jordan Lucky Pif-
her, who attends Clara
Brownell Middle School,
and Maria Moreno, a
Umatilla High School
student, are part of the
statewide public educa-
tion support campaign,
which offi cially debuted
in November 2014. It
aims to create public sup-
port to help meet the
state’s 40-40-20 goals and
increase student achieve-
ment and graduation rates.
Pifher was among
fi ve students across the
state who were featured
the week of Dec. 18 for
the campaign who com-
pleted the sentence begin-
ning with, “I am the Prom-
ise of Oregon because…”
He expressed interest in
becoming a veterinarian
and helping people’s ani-
mals. Also, a Dec. 12 spot
features Moreno, who
wants to study history. To
view photos and infor-
mation about the students
See BTW, Page A9
FILE PHOTO
Phil Hamm, director of the Hermiston experiment station, speaks at the grand opening of the Precision Irrigated Agriculture Center in the HAREC
campus in Hermiston, one of BMCC’s top accomplishments for the year.
FILE PHOTO
FILE PHOTO
Completion of construction of the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center
was one of the city of Hermiston’s top 2017 accomplishments.
Hermiston residents Joleen Pruett and her mother, Sharon Ekenstam, cut
fresh lavender during the 2017 Lavendar Festival, one of Agape House’s
top accomplishments for 2017.
HERMISTON HERALD
ing successfully host the Umatilla County Fair and Farm-City Pro Rodeo
there, according to City Manager Byron Smith.
“I think those are big accomplishments,” he said.
Starting construction on the Harkenrider Center, which will be home
to Hermiston’s senior center, along with winning a grant for new play-
ground equipment for Sunset Park were two other important accomplish-
ments Smith named.
As for the coming year, Smith said fi nishing the Harkenrider Center
and opening it for use by the city’s seniors will likely be one of the city’s
top accomplishments for 2018. He said the city is also looking forward
2017 was a busy year full of transitions for many Hermiston organi-
zations, but their work is not done yet. As the new year begins, a city,
community college, nonprofi t, school district and chamber of commerce
refl ect on what they accomplished in 2017 and how they will keep the
momentum going in 2018.
City of Hermiston
The city of Hermiston’s top accomplishment in 2017 was fi nishing
construction on the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center and help-
See FORWARD, Page A14
First New Year’s baby takes his time arriving
By JADE MCDOWELL
STAFF WRITER
Jose Phillip Escobedo may have been Uma-
tilla County’s fi rst baby of the new year, but he
took a long time getting here.
“I was not expecting a New Year’s baby. I
was expecting a tax break baby,” his mother
Jennifer Escobedo said.
Escobedo’s water broke Friday morning,
but little “Joey” didn’t arrive until 4:30 a.m.
Monday. He showed up a healthy 7 pounds, 4
ounces and 21 and a half inches.
“I’m excited he’s out,” his father Jose Esc-
obedo said. “I’m excited they’re both healthy
and I’ll be even more excited when they get to
come home.”
The baby is Jose and Jennifer’s fi rst. They
moved from Stanfi eld to Umatilla in Septem-
ber after buying a house in anticipation of his
arrival.
Jennifer said she and Jose had bought a bot-
tle of Martinelli’s sparkling cider to toast the
start of 2018 and discussed how they wanted
to spend New Year’s Eve together, not know-
ing they would be ringing in the new year in
the maternity ward of Good Shepherd Medical
Center.
“The bottle is still in the fridge,” she said.
Although Jennifer’s water broke on Fri-
day, she didn’t begin going into labor — a phe-
nomenon known as premature rupture of mem-
branes, or PROM. The longer labor is delayed
after PROM, the greater the chance of infection
for the mother or baby, so Jennifer was induced.
She said the hospital staff was very considerate
in starting the “least intrusive” medications fi rst
and working up, but even after the fi nal dose of
Pitocin Joey was still being shy.
“For some reason he didn’t want to descend,
See BABY, Page A14
STAFF PHOTO BY JADE MCDOWELL
Baby Jose Phillip Escobedo, also known as
Joey, is pictured with his parents Jose and
Jennifer Escobedo at Good Shepherd Medical
Center a few hours after Joey was born.