A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2018
LOCAL NEWS
Bounds bound for
judicial committee
Hermiston lawyer
nominated twice
for powerful bench
rules when the rules don’t
suit you is bad enough, but
in government it fuels cyni-
cism, partisanship, and pub-
lic disgust.”
Neither senator has issued
By ANTONIO SIERRA
a “blue slip” in favor of
STAFF WRITER
Bounds, a stamp of approval
from senators when the pres-
Ryan Bounds will go ident nominates a judicial
before the Senate Judiciary candidate from their home
Committee on Wednes- state. Federal judge candi-
day, bringing him one step dates don’t usually advance
closer to the bench of the to a committee hearing with-
Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of out a that slip.
In a student-run pub-
Appeals despite the objec-
tions of Oregon’s
lication Stanford
two senators.
University in the
A
Hermiston
1990s,
Bounds,
native and an assis-
then an undergrad-
tant U.S. Attorney
uate, railed against
for the District of
“multiculturalists”
on campus, uni-
Oregon,
Bounds
versities that pun-
was twice nomi-
nated by President
Ryan
ished or expelled
Bounds
Donald Trump for
students accused of
the court, and was
rape without prov-
recommended for a hearing ing their case “beyond a
along with three other can- reasonable doubt,” students
didates by a bipartisan com- protesting a union-busting
mittee appointed by Sens. hotel, and the idea of “sensi-
Ron Wyden and Jeff Merk- tivity” after intoxicated ath-
ley as well as U.S. Rep. letes vandalized a gay pride
statue.
Greg Walden.
Wyden and Merkley,
After the op-eds were
both Democrats, released a publicized, Bounds said
joint statement on Monday he regretted “the objec-
excoriating the Senate Judi- tionable words and views
ciary Committee, which is recited from three or four of
controlled by Republicans, my college op-eds (that) do
for holding the hearing in not reflect the views I have
the wake of their objections hewn to as a lawyer and,
because of
“inflamma- frankly, as a grown-up.”
tory writings revealing his
Although both Oregon
archaic and alarming views senators oppose Bounds,
about sexual assault, the neither sits on the Senate
rights of workers, people Judiciary Committee.
of color, and the LGBTQ
If Bounds receives
community.”
approval from the commit-
“It’s a shame the U.S. tee and confirmation from
Senate Judiciary Committee the full U.S. Senate, the
is further diminishing any 44-year-old will achieve a
sense of respect for comity historical rarity.
The last time federal
and fairness in the Senate,”
the senators wrote. “For six judicial nominees advanced
years while Democrats con- to the Senate Judiciary
trolled the Senate and Pres- Committee without a blue
ident Obama was in office, slip from both home state
no judicial nominee moved senators was in 2003 and
forward over the objec- 2004, and none of the four
tions of the home state sena- candidates were confirmed,
tors. Refusing to play by the according to McClatchy.
STAFF PHOTO BY JADE MCDOWELL
Clara Beas Fitzgerald, left, encourages the eating contest’s youngest competitor during Hermiston’s Cinco de Mayo
celebration Saturday. More photos on page A15.
Cinco de Mayo offers celebration of culture
By JADE MCDOWELL
STAFF WRITER
Hermiston’s Cinco de
Mayo event spread across
more real estate than ever
this year as the celebration
of Mexican heritage took
over the grassy acres of the
Eastern Oregon Trade and
Event Center.
Rainstorms
Saturday
and Sunday afternoons may
have kept a few people away
from the weekend-long
event, but crowds were still
enjoying a mixture of carni-
val rides, food booths, con-
tests, a beer garden and live
entertainment. State and
local political candidates
were also out in force, set-
ting up booths and meeting
with constituents ahead of
next week’s election.
Itzahiana Uriarte, one of
the three Cinco de Mayo
court members, was enjoy-
ing a few tacos Saturday
before stepping up on stage
to introduce the court and
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help with an eating contest.
She said she saw her role
on the court as a representa-
tive of Latino culture in the
community, and was hon-
ored to speak at the Hermis-
ton city council recently.
“It was mostly my mom’s
idea because she thought, I
don’t know, that I was capa-
ble, and then I got excited
about the thought of it,” she
said.
People sometimes incor-
rectly refer to Cinco de
Mayo as “Mexican inde-
pendence day,” but Uriate
explained the celebration
marks the day that Mex-
ico defeated a larger and
more well-equipped army
in the Battle of Puebla. Uri-
ate said winning the battle
was a “great victory” to cel-
ebrate as a way for Mexi-
can-Americans to recognize
their Mexican heritage and
culture.
Jessica Rodriguez, who
was visiting the celebration
from Pasco with Ricky Chi-
cas, also alluded to Cinco
de Mayo as a celebration of
heritage.
“It just brings back mem-
ories of the culture, and we
can interact with people
who came from the same
area as us,” she said.
Part of that cultural cel-
ebration, of course, is also
the traditional food, she said
as she started in on a plate
of authentic tacos from her
parents’ food stand set up at
EOTEC.
Rodriguez and Chicas
said they were impressed
with Saturday’s event, and
Chicas said he was looking
forward to the live bands
starting later.
Alejandra Aviles, who
was watching some of the
contests going on Satur-
day afternoon, said she was
also looking forward to the
bands. She said she comes
to Hermiston’s Cinco de
Mayo celebration every year
in anticipation of the music.
Before the bands came
on, a series of contests were
held on the stage. The first
was an eating contest, which
challenged a table full of
children to eat six Gansitos,
a chocolate-covered cake
with cream and berry filling.
The winner of the day
(and the La Palma gift cer-
tificate) was Edwin Velasco,
9.
“I feel great, and I say
thank you to the other kids
who worked hard to win
too,” he said after his big
win.
Before the contests
began, the national anthem
of Mexico and the national
anthem of the United States
of America were both sung,
and city councilor Clara
Beas Fitzgerald thanked
everyone for coming and the
sponsors of the event, which
was in a new location this
year after outgrowing down-
town and Butte Park.
“Every year it is bigger
and more beautiful,” she
said in Spanish.