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A16 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAy, JuLy 31, 2019
FUNLAND
Continued from Page A1
the culprit of the arson). Com-
mittee members said they felt
those upgrades were important to
include in plans for the new park.
Fetter said some community
members had suggested moving
the playground to a more visi-
ble location, but committee mem-
bers said they felt that the current
location at the center of Herm-
iston was best, not to mention it
would be more cost-effective to
rebuild there.
“This is the heart of our com-
munity,” Mayor David Drotz-
mann said. “Just because some-
one stuck a knife in there and
twisted it to make us feel bad,
doesn’t mean we should give in.”
How much will the project
cost?
The cost of the playground will
depend on the design and materi-
als used, but Fetter told commit-
tee members he thought it would
likely fall somewhere around $1
million.
Where will the money come
from?
The city will receive a
$750,000 payout from its insur-
ance company for the play-
ground. On top of that commit-
tee members hope to raise about
$300,000 from sponsorships
and individual donations. Fetter
said the city has already brought
in some donations, such as the
$6,000 raised by local churches
during the I Love My City wor-
ship service, and service clubs
and businesses have already let
him know they are interested in
donating once fundraising efforts
officially launch.
What features will be
included in the new playground?
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
Hermiston Parks and Recreation director Larry Fetter (right) assists Kayla
Sandlyn and Dylan Duke in locating a wooden fence board carved with
the name of Dylan’s father Scott Duke, who passed away several years
ago.
The committee discussed
including many of the same types
of features as the previous itera-
tions of Funland, broken up into
one area for children under 6 and
another targeted toward children
ages 6-12.
They hope to include some
educational elements and themed
decorations such as watermelons
or tractors, and plan to include
some features that are more
accessible for children with var-
ious disabilities.
Funds permitting, they would
also like to add at least one addi-
tional picnic shelter to the area,
as Fetter said the current shelter
is in use all summer for birthday
parties and other celebrations. In
addition, Fetter proposed turning
the irrigation shed near the play-
ground into a larger building that
would include restrooms and a
concession stand.
The stand could be rented out
to the person who submitted the
best proposal, or the Tiki Hut next
to the splash park could be moved
there. The Tiki Hut owner does a
great job of keeping an eye on
the splash pad, Fetter said, and it
would be nice to have the same
kind of watchful eye on Funland
as well.
What is happening to items
from the old playground?
All items with names on
them, including plaques and the
fence pickets featuring names of
donors, have been removed from
the burned structure, which will
be demolished within the next
couple of weeks after salvage
work is complete. Fetter said the
fence pickets are too corroded to
reuse, however.
How can we help?
The Funland committee will
examine proposals from play-
ground designers next week and
choose a company to work with
on a design. Once that happens
they plan to solicit community
feedback on the design through
public meetings and other efforts
that will be announced in the
future.
As with previous builds,
there will be opportunities to
make donations in order to have
names on fence pickets and other
items. Donations — which will
be tax-deductible — will be col-
lected through the Greater Herm-
iston Community Foundation and
passed on to the city.
Fetter said he envisioned about
40% of the construction of the
playground being done by con-
tractors, 40% done by parks staff
and 20% done by the community.
But committee members said vol-
unteer work should play a more
prominent role if possible.
“The
more
community
involvement, the more ownership
people feel,” Ric Sherman said.
FUNLAND
COMMITTEE
MEMBERS
Martha McClusky
Charles Clupny
Leah Lutz
Ric Sherman
Lindsey Lloyd
Kelsey Volk
Patricia Alder
Jackie Myers
Rod Hardin
David Drotzmann
PARADE
Continued from Page A1
food or treats, listen to some music
and then enjoy the parade.”
In addition to monthly First
Thursday events, other upcom-
ing Hermiston Downtown District
activities include the Annual Side-
walk Sale (Aug. 8), MelonFest
(Aug. 17), Farm to Junk (Sept.
21) and Harvest Fest (Oct. 5). For
more information, to volunteer or
serve as a vendor, visit www.face-
book.com/hermistondowntown or
call 541-667-5026.
Free fair shuttle
Next week a free shuttle to and
from the fair will help fairgoers
and rodeo patrons avoid traffic and
parking fees.
The shuttle runs from 4 p.m.
until 1 a.m. on Aug. 6-10 and will
make continual loops between
Hermiston city hall (180 N.E. Sec-
ond St.) and the east gate of the
fairgrounds at the Eastern Oregon
Trade and Event Center (1705 E.
Airport Road).
In its first year the shuttle ran
earlier in the day, but this year’s
later schedule will allow people
to stay for the rodeo and evening
concerts and get back into town
safely after a night of drinking at
the Wildhorse main stage or Chute
Eight.
Fair manager Angie McNalley
said the shuttle is being sponsored
by the city of Hermiston and run
by Kayak Public Transit. While
school buses from Midco have
been used some years, she said this
year’s buses will be air-conditioned
and handicapped-accessible.
Gates open for the fair on Tues-
day, Aug. 6. Presale rates for car-
nival tickets will be available until
Aug. 5.
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