LOCAL / OPINION
A10 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAy, AuguST 7, 2019
PHOTO OF THE DAY
Hermiston
spreads goodwill
with watermelon
giveaway
Contributed photo by City of Hermiston
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
Chloe Wilson bathes her pig Mario during load-in for the Umatilla County Fair on Monday afternoon.
Faring well during the Umatilla County Fair
Weather will be near the
hundreds for part of this
week
By JESSICA POLLARD
and ALEX CASTLE
STAFF WRITERS
Fair-goers be warned:
This week is predicted to
be a scorcher.
The hottest registered
temperature in Hermis-
ton this year, said National
Weather Service fore-
caster Rob Brooks, was 98
degrees on July 23. The
number could very well be
eclipsed by Wednesday.
According to the ser-
vice, temperatures in Uma-
tilla County could rise near
the triple digits throughout
the week with the week-
end potentially bringing
thunderstorms from the
mountains.
Brooks said the warm
and dry weather poses the
usual risks of fire, dehydra-
tion and other heat-related
ailments.
For the workers with
Davis Amusement Casca-
dia — which has been pro-
viding the fair carnival for
over 50 years — the hot
weather is not unfamiliar.
“When we’re working
in heat like this, one of the
most important things —
worker or customer — is
food,” said manager and
owner of Davis Amuse-
ment Michael Davis.
The company schedules
in breakfast, lunch, and
even a light dinner to keep
their workers full.
“We try to coach our
employees away from
energy drinks and sug-
ary soda toward healthier
drinks,” Davis said.
Visitors might get a lit-
tle wet if they visit the large
animal barn in the mid-af-
ternoon. Humans aren’t the
only ones seeking relief
from the heat.
“We’ll spray them down
sometimes,” said Carson
Davis, 13, Pendleton, who
shows sheep.
Exhibiting livestock at
the Eastern Oregon Trade
and Event Center means
shaded barns and built-in
water misting systems for
the larger animals.
“The beauty of being in
a new location is there was
a lot of forethought into
this,” said 4-H Agent Anna
Browne. “The barns are
really shady. At the old fair-
grounds, a lot of that was
out in the open.”
Smaller animals, like
rabbits and chickens, will
have frozen water bottles
in their cages so they have
something cool to lean up
against.
Browne said that the ani-
mals tend to acclimate to
the high temperatures fairly
well, but that with this year
being so hot, extra precau-
tions will be taken.
Kelly Shelton, fire-
fighter and paramedic with
Umatilla Fire District 1,
said they don’t deal with
overheating too often at the
Umatilla County Fair.
“It’s usually when peo-
ple haven’t been drink-
ing enough water,” Shelton
said. “The first thing we’ll
do is take them out of the
heat.”
“Try to stay in the shade
as much as possible,” Shel-
ton added.
According to the Mayo
Clinic, heat exhaustion can
be characterized by faint-
ness, cool skin and goose-
bumps during heat, fatigue,
nausea, and headache.
Heatstroke, which is the
most serious heat injury,
happens when the body’s
temperature goes above
104 degrees, according to
the Mayo Clinic. Some-
one with heatstroke might
stop sweating, experience
confusion and disorienta-
tion, have flushed skin and
headaches.
First aid can be found by
the small animal barn at the
fair.
Fair
attendees
can
find nearly 20 different
water-misting stations scat-
tered around the grounds to
help alleviate the stress of
the heat. In addition to that,
some vendors bring their
own stations.
“Hydrate,
hydrate,
hydrate,” said EOTEC gen-
eral manager Al Davis.
“We have water fountains
in the center and back by
the barns. There’s places.”
In addition to keep-
ing up on water consump-
tion, a little planning can
make unbearable heat more
tolerable.
Those looking to cool
off in the shade during
peak heat, which usually
occurs around 3 p.m., can
save their carnival rides for
after dusk, when the tem-
perature drops to more tol-
erable levels. They can opt
instead for events in the
barns — where fans and
shade are plentiful — or at
the air-conditioned event
center.
Ambassadors from Hermiston hand out watermelons
to Portland residents on Friday at Pioneer Courthouse
Square. Hermiston residents handed out 5,000 pounds
of Hermiston watermelons in about 15 minutes as
part of the annual giveaway, which seeks to spread
goodwill and knowledge about Hermiston agriculture
and provide opportunities to network between the two
cities. The watermelons were donated by local farms.
After opening remarks by Hermiston Mayor David
Drotzmann, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Portland
Commissioner Amanda Fritz, officials from both cities
took part in a watermelon seed-spitting contest. Rep.
Greg Smith, who represents Hermiston in the state
legislature, won the contest with a distance of 29 feet, 8
inches, beating contestants from both cities.
LETTER
Shame on flag thief
To the editor:
I’m more than disappointed. Someone stole my
American flag that was presented in my front
lawn. It was on a PVC stand and 3’ x 5’. I’m on
Social Security and 92 years old. The flag was a
gift from my son. I’m not sure what this world is
coming to. Shame on whoever is guilty.
Marjorie Brewer
Hermiston
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