WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2018
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A7
NEWS
Umatilla County tourism jumps in 2017
By ANTONIO SIERRA
STAFF WRITER
Oregon’s tourism indus-
try has seen persistent state-
wide growth this decade,
and Umatilla County is no
exception.
Travel Oregon released a
new report Thursday about
the tourism industry impact,
including detailed estimates
for each county.
According to the report,
Umatilla County generated
$165.5 million in direct tour-
ism spending in 2017, a 13
percent increase from 2016
and a 3.1 percent increase
since 2010. That figure also
accounts for 60 percent of
the direct spending in the
11-county Eastern Ore-
gon region. Other statistics
showed jobs, earnings and
tax revenue derived from
tourism had all risen in recent
years.
A Travel Pendleton coor-
dinator for four years before
he became Pendleton Con-
vention Center manager, Pat
Beard said he wasn’t sur-
prised that the figures showed
growth in Umatilla County
tourism.
Beard said Umatilla
County has started to real-
ize the economic potential of
tourism in recent years.
STATE
Total Direct Spending: $11.8 billion
Jobs: 112,200
Earnings: $3.3 billion
Total Tax Revenue: $1.2 billion
EASTERN OREGON*
Total Direct Spending: $383 million
Jobs: 5,930
Earnings: $123 million
Total Tax Revenue: $17 million
Local Tax Revenue: $5 million
UMATILLA COUNTY
Total Direct Spending: $165.5 million
Jobs: 2,480
Earnings: $52.4 million
Total Tax Revenue: $6.3 million
Local Tax Revenue: $1.7 million
Source: Travel Oregon
*Eastern Oregon includes Umatilla, Morrow, Baker, Gil-
liam, Grant, Harney, Malheur, Sherman, Union, Wallowa
and Wheeler counties.
HH FILE PHOTO
The Hermiston Holiday Inn Express opened in 2017 as another option for tourists to Umatilla
County.
“We’re just barely scratch-
ing the surface of what can be
done,” he said.
Many statistics were fairly
flat from 2014-2016, before
seeing a substantial jump in
2017. Beard theorized that
a strengthening economy
aided the tourism industry in
2017 in addition to low fuel
prices that made road trips
attractive.
Gail Nelson, Umatilla
County economic develop-
ment and tourism coordina-
tor, pointed to some more
local factors that could have
boosted tourism.
2017 was the first full
year of operations for the
new 93-room Holiday Inn
in Hermiston, which pro-
vided more lodging revenue
for events like the Umatilla
County Fair and the Farm-
City Pro Rodeo.
Nelson said tourism
efforts in Athena, Mil-
ton-Freewater and the Uma-
tilla Indian Reservation also
provide options for tour-
ists. But ultimately, Pendle-
ton remains the top tourism
attraction in the region.
According to the report,
tourists in rural communities
tend to stay in private homes
rather than a hotel room, and
Umatilla County is no dif-
ferent. When visiting, 39.9
percent of overnight tourists
stay at a hotel, motel or short-
term vacation rental while
45.3 percent use a private
residence.
Travel Oregon provided a
wide array of statistics state-
wide and locally, but Nelson
said one figure sticks out —
the 2,480 jobs in the Umatilla
County tourism industry in
2017, a 2.2 percent rise from
the year before.
WORSHIP
COMMUNITY
Spring Fling draws area vendors
By JADE MCDOWELL
STAFF WRITER
Everything from tacos to
turtles were on sale at Stan-
field’s Spring Fling down-
town on Saturday.
The market took over
Coe Avenue for the day
offering up food, crafts, art
and vendors for items such
as Tupperware and Scentsy.
Susan Kendrick of Ione
was there selling jew-
elry and Western-themed
purses. She said she sets
up her booth at markets on
the weekend to raise money
for the Stormy Kendrick
Memorial
Scholarship,
which she gives to a local
student each year in honor
of her son.
“Anything local I can do,
I try to get out there,” she
said. “I’m glad to be here.”
Around noon she said
crowds had been pretty
steady so far, and she
enjoyed seeing people stop
by and check out her wares.
She originally started sell-
ing beadwork necklaces she
made herself but has since
expanded.
Charles Hlawek was set
up on the edge of Coe Ave-
nue selling freshly made ket-
tle corn, which he churned
Seventh-day
Adventist Church
Saturdays
Sabbath School........9:30 a.m.
Worship Service......11:00 a.m.
English & Spanish Services
567-8241
855 W. Highland • Hermiston
STAFF PHOTO BY JADE MCDOWELL
Kim La Plant, right, who works under the name Ozark Hippie, shows one of her paintings to a
customer at the Stanfield Spring Fling on Saturday.
out over an open flame. He
said he came down for the
market from the Tri-Cities
because he knows organizer
BeAnn Smith from her time
working on the Hermiston
Farmer’s Market. Hlawek
said he also plans to be at the
Hermiston market this year,
which has been rebranded
as the Maxwell Market and
moved to Thursday nights
on South First Street.
He said he was excited
about the thought of some
new life being breathed into
that market. Saturday, how-
ever, he was focused on the
Stanfield market.
Some vendors had their
attention split over multi-
ple markets Saturday, as the
Open Air Market in Echo
and Crafters in the Pas-
ture in Hermiston were run-
ning at the same time. Jose
Gutierrez of Potteryplus in
Hermiston said his business
First Christian
Church
also had a stall at Crafters in
the Pasture.
“We’re doing double
duty,” he said.
The Potteryplus booth
featured small, colorful tur-
tle sculptures and larger
peacock statues. Sitting on
the corner across from the
kettle corn, the peacocks
drew in passerby to the mar-
ket, which stretched down
Coe Avenue past the city
council chambers.
“Proclaiming the Message of
Hope, Living the Gospel of Love”
Sunday School 9:15am
Worship Gathering 10:30 am
Children’s Church 10:30 am
567-3013
775 W. Highland Ave., Hermiston
Call Today!
541-289-5433
1060 W. Elm, Suite #115,
Hermiston, OR
(across from Good Shepherd Medical Center)
www.apd4kidz.com
Office Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-4pm
CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
Worship Service 10:30 AM
Sunday School 9:00 AM
Pastor J.C. Barnett
Children’s Church &
Nursery Available
700 West Orchard Avenue
P.O. Box 933
Hermiston, Oregon
541-567-8441
Episcopal Church
MENTAL
HEALTH
Join Us On Our
Journey With Jesus.
LET US BE THE ONE THAT HELPS!
St. Johns
Episcopal Church
Join Us
On Our Journey
With Jesus.
Scripture, Tradition and Reason
• Adult, Child and Family Therapy
• Psychiatric Evaluation and Treatment
• Mental Health and Crisis Services
• Confidential and Professional Care
LIFEWAYS PENDLETON Crisis Phone: LIFEWAYS HERMISTON
331 SE 2nd St.,
595 NW 11th St.,
866-343-4473
Pendleton, OR 97801
Hermiston, OR 97838
Office: 541-276-6207 WWW . LIFEWAYS . ORG Office: 541-567-2536
Family service 9am Sunday
N.E. Gladys Ave & 7th, Hermiston
t. PH: 567-6672
We are an all inclusive Church
who welcomes all.
ll.
Grace Baptist Church
555 SW 11th, Hermiston
567-9497
VISION CARE
COUNSELING
Eye Health & Vision Care
Robert D. Rolen , O.D., LLC
235 SW 3rd
Phone 567-7678
Rev. Ed Baker - Rev. Nina Baker
Sunday:
Sunday School........10:00 am
Worship...................11:00 am
Evening Service........7:00 pm
Wednesday Service..7:00 pm
“Casting all your care upon him;
for he careth for you.”
1 Pet. 5:7
NEW BEGINNINGS
MEDICAL DIRECTORY
PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY
The Full Gospel
Home Church
Nursery provided for all services
Sunday School - 9:30 AM
Worship - 10:45 AM
6:00 PM
Wed Prayer & Worship - 7:00 PM
“Proclaiming God’s word,
growing in God’s grace”
Optometric Physician
1520 W ORCHARD AVE
Sunday Worship Service
10:30 am Classes for Kids @ 9:15 am
SEEKING JESUS, SHARING LIFE,
SERVING PEOPLE
www.hermistonnazarene.org
LANDMARK BAPTIST
CHURCH
125 E. Beech Ave. • 567-3232
Pastor David Dever
Sun. Bible Classes...................10:00am
Sun. Worship Service..............11:00am
Sun. Evening Worship..............6:00pm
Wed. Prayer & Bible Study......6:00pm
www.hermistonlmbc.com
First United
Methodist
Church
Hermiston
191 E. Gladys Ave , Hermiston OR
Sunday Worship 11am • 541-567-3002
Nursery available Check us out on Face Book
Worship Livestream at herfumc.com
Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors
Rev. Dr. Jim Pierce, pastor
Our Lady of Angels
Catholic Church
115 W. Hermiston Ave. Suite 130
541-567-1837
565 W. HERMISTON AVE.
URGENT AND FAMILY CARE
FAMILY DENTISTRY
HERMISTON FAMILY MEDICINE &
URGENT CARE
Sports & Dot Physicals • Minor Injuries • Family Care • Minor Surgeries
We accept Medicare & some Advantage Medicare plans
Family Dentistry
NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY
~ N ew Patients Welcome~
HOURS: Mon.-Sat.
7:30am-7:00pm
541-567-1137
236 E. Newport, Hermiston
(across from U.S. Bank)
541-567-8161
995 W. Orchard Ave., Hermiston
Ryan M. Wieseler, D.D.S .
To advertise in the Medical Directory, please call:
Jeanne at 541-564-4531 or Audra at 541-564-4538
DAILY MASS: Monday-Friday
...............................English 7:00 am
Thursday...............Spanish 6:00 pm
SATURDAY:.........English 5:00 pm
...............................Spanish 7:00 pm
SUNDAY:..............English 9:00 am
..........................Bilingual 11:00 am
..............................Spanish 1:00 pm
Offi ce..............................567-5812
To share your
worship times call
541-278-2678