EASTER WEEKEND | MIXTURE OF EGG HUNTS, RELIGIOUS SERVICES ARE SLATED » PAGE A4
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018
HermistonHerald.com
$1.00
INSIDE
SLOW DOWN
WESTLAND ROAD HAS A NEW
SPEED LIMIT FOR THE NEXT
YEAR.
PAGE A3
Dramatic re-enactment shares
easter story
SHOWDOWN
TWO BULLDOG TEAMS
FACED OFF IN SOFTBALL, BUT
HERMISTON PULLED OUT THE
WIN.
PAGE A9
SPARKY AWARD
GRETCHEN ERICKSON
RECOGNIZED FOR HER WORK
EDUCATING STUDENTS ABOUT
FIRE SAFETY.
PAGE A13
BY THE WAY
Construction work has
begun on a new traffic sig-
nal at the intersection of
Elm Avenue and North-
west 11th Street.
The project, which also
includes some re-design of
the intersection, is being
handled by the Oregon
Department of Trans-
portation in partnership
with the city of Hermis-
ton and Good Shepherd
Health Care System, and
will also include a traffic
signal added to the inter-
section of Southwest
11th Street and Orchard
Avenue.
While it might not seem
like installing traffic lights
would take very long, the
amount of electrical work
involved means the project
isn’t slated to be complete
until November. Between
now and then expect that
there are times traffic may
be delayed or re-routed.
• • •
Hermiston’s
Dylan
Westfall was elected
Monday as the vice presi-
dent of Oregon FFA.
Elections took place on
the final day of the 2018
Oregon FFA state con-
vention at the Deschutes
Fair & Expo Center in
Redmond. Nearly 1,500
FFA members — or
“blue jackets,” as they
call themselves — from
102 chapters attended
the convention to com-
pete in career develop-
ment events, attend work-
shops and network with
colleagues.
Westfall and the rest of
the leadership team will
See BTW, Page A18
FILE PHOTO
Portraying Jesus, Ricardo Mendoza lies on the ground at the seventh station where Jesus falls for the second time during the 2016 “Way of the Cross”
re-enactment. This year’s event is Friday at noon in Hermiston.
By TAMMY MALGESINI
COMMUNITY EDITOR
T
FILE PHOTO
Actors portraying Roman soldiers participate in the 2015 production
of the “Way of the Cross.” Presented by Our Lady of Angels Catholic
Church, this year’s event is Friday at noon.
he “Way of the Cross,” a
re-enactment of the events
leading up to the crucifix-
ion of Jesus Christ, offers
a stirring visual reminder of the
biblical story of Easter.
Staged mostly by youths from
Hermiston’s Our Lady of Angels
Catholic Church, the dramatic
presentation features scenes from
Stations of the Cross — a series
of images that portray Jesus on
the day of his crucifixion. In its
21st year, the event begins Friday,
March 30 — Good Friday — at
noon in the church’s parking lot,
565 W. Hermiston Ave., Herm-
iston. The live actors will travel
along the streets acting out the
scenes, beginning with the First
Station when Jesus is condemned
to death by Pontius Pilate, who
then orders the Roman soldiers to
crucify him. The bi-lingual pre-
sentation also includes the sing-
ing of hymns and prayers.
The final few scenes take place
on the top of the Hermiston Butte
where two crosses will have been
erected for the presentation. The
person who portrays Jesus car-
ries his cross for the nearly 1-mile
route from the church to the butte.
Roman soldiers then place Jesus
on the cross and erect it between
two others that, according to the
Bible, are occupied by a pair
thieves.
The public is invited to attend,
following the entourage as they
make their way to the top of the
butte. Boards are set up at the
beginning of each scene, which
See RE-ENACTMENT, Page A18
New districts will impact services, taxes for some
By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN
STAFF WRITER
In May, Umatilla and Morrow
County voters will decide whether to
add two new districts to the tax rolls,
which would fund support staff and
operations for the Oregon State Uni-
versity Extension Service.
If passed, the districts would add
33 cents per $1,000 to taxpayers’ bills.
In Umatilla County, the tax would
yield about $1.7 million, and in Mor-
row, about $700,000. For a $150,000
home, it would add about $49.50 to an
annual tax statement.
As the vote approaches, locals are
looking at how the district will impact
their tax bill, as well as the services it
would provide.
Mary Corp, the Extension Ser-
vice’s regional administrator, has
been discussing the tax with various
groups in both counties. If passed, the
tax would go toward increasing edu-
cation programs such as 4-H and hir-
ing field support staff for the exten-
sion service, as well as some structural
improvements.
“You can only use supplies and
defer maintenance for so long,” she
said.
She said so far, reception for the
idea has been fairly positive.
“People have been very receptive
and interested in learning more about
the idea,” she said.
She said there has been some con-
cern about compression, and how add-
ing a new taxing district would affect
See DISTRICTS, Page A18
HH FILE PHOTO
Ryan Graebner, with Oregon State University, passes around potato
samples affected by nematodes during field day at the Hermiston