INSIDE
SWIM TEAM TALENT SHOW | PERFORMERS MAKE A SPLASH »
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2018
HermistonHerald.com
SEE STORY | A4
PHOTO PAGE | A15
$1.00
INSIDE
TAX BREAK
FIND OUT HOW LONG LAMB
WESTON WILL SKIP PAYING
PROPERTY TAXES ON ITS
$220 MILLION EXPANSION
A3
SECOND TRY
HERMISTON GRADUATE RYAN
BOUNDS RE-APPOINTED TO
NINTH CIRCUIT COURT
A8
JENSON
REMEMBERED
‘DEAN OF THE HOUSE’ BOB
JENSON DIED SATURDAY
A5, A11
HERMISTON
CUISINE
Try it.
You’ll like it.
BY THE WAY
New meters
allow smarter
energy use
Hermiston drivers will
be seeing more Umatilla
Electric
Cooperative
trucks around as workers
complete projects down-
town and along Northeast
Fourth Street.
Starting Thursday the
city will begin changing
out the light poles in the
downtown area, replacing
the standard utility poles
with decorative black ver-
sions featuring hanging
fl ower baskets and LED
lights. Crews will start
east and work west toward
Highway 395 and there
will be times that park-
ing spaces in front of busi-
nesses will be blocked by
equipment.
UEC crews have also
been performing “re-con-
ductoring” work on North-
east Fourth Street, which
involves replacing wires.
The work is related to the
new Hermiston East sub-
station that was recently
completed, and is in some
cases blocking a lane of
traffi c during the day.
Starting in the next
week or two and continu-
ing until May 1, Hermis-
ton Energy Services cus-
tomers will also see their
meters replaced, allowing
them to use an app to track
their electricity usage by
the day, the hour or even
STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS
Chef Diwash Neupane checks on some tandoori chicken cooking in a traditional Indian tandoor oven Friday at Indian Kitchen
and Steakhouse in Hermiston.
Hermiston sees increase in diff erent types of cuisine
By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN
STAFF WRITER
H
ermiston is experiencing
something of a food Renais-
sance, with restaurants fea-
turing the cuisines of several differ-
ent countries springing up in the last
few years.
A yet-to-open Italian restaurant is
the latest in a string of eateries in town
offering new options to diners. Last
week, an Indian restaurant opened in
the old Stockman’s Steakhouse, and
in November, a second sushi restau-
rant opened up on 395 and Elm —
only a year after the fi rst one.
Gaurav Bhatia, co-owner of the
new Indian Kitchen and Steakhouse,
said he thinks people are eager for
some different choices.
“People have been asking,” he said.
“People want to try new stuff. They
wanted to try Chinese, Thai, Japanese
— and Indian, too.”
Bhatia’s restaurant will feature a
rotating buffet with Indian vegetarian
and non-vegetarian dishes, as well as
some of the American fare featured at
the old Stockman’s restaurant.
He said he knew the combination
was unusual, but people seemed to be
interested even if they were new to
Indian food.
Zoe Zhou, the manager of Shiki
Hibachi Sushi, the second sushi
restaurant to open in Hermiston in a
See CUISINE, A16
See BTW, A16
New focus on ‘community’
Council changes name, policies at former conference center
By JADE MCDOWELL
STAFF WRITER
The Hermiston Conference Cen-
ter will now be known as the Hermis-
ton Community Center after the city
council approved a series of changes
in policy and pricing at the building.
The city of Hermiston’s parks
and recreation department took over
management of the center from the
Greater Hermiston Area Chamber of
Commerce on Jan. 1.
During Monday’s city council
meeting parks and recreation direc-
tor Larry Fetter said the goal of the
policies adopted by the city is to
“retain the original intent of the com-
munity center as a gathering space
and home for diverse cultural and
recreational programming.” The
city hopes now that the Eastern Ore-
gon Trade and Event Center plus the
new Maxwell Siding Event Center
can take over some of the weddings
and Quinceñeras previously held at
the community center, the re-named
Hermiston Community Center can
be used to foster more community
art, music and theater opportunities.
“We will evaluate programs that
use the community center and see if
maybe there isn’t a better home for
them,” he said.
See COUNCIL Page A16
STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS
The Hermiston Parks and Recreation department will be changing the name
and the signage at the Hermiston Community Center.