NEWS
A6 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2020
Parks and recreation department faces uncertain summer
By JADE MCDOWELL
NEWS EDITOR
Some of the city of
Hermiston’s summer recre-
ation programs will go on
and some are already can-
celed, but opening the city’s
aquatic center remains in
question.
The state has dictated
that swimming pools, water
parks, playgrounds and pic-
nic shelters remain closed
during Phase One of Ore-
gon’s reopening. But Larry
Fetter, Hermiston’s parks
and recreation director,
said the Hermiston Family
Aquatic Center could open
in some form later in the
summer if Umatilla County
meets the criteria to move on
to higher phases.
“Local governments can
impose higher standards (for
reopening) but they can’t
impose lower standards,”
Fetter said.
He said the department
has made conditional job
offers to lifeguards and swim
instructors, with the under-
standing that the aquatic
center may not open at all
this summer. It is unclear
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
The pools at the Hermiston Family Aquatic Center sit empty
on Monday morning in the shadow of Hermiston Butte.
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
A sign at the Hermiston Family Aquatic Center advises that the facility is hiring summer staff
and lifeguards. The city of Hermiston is weighing its options surrounding the reopening of
facilities, such as the aquatic center.
so far at what phase public
swimming pools would be
allowed to open, and Fetter
said if it comes too late in the
summer it might be a strug-
gle to staff the pool after
some lifeguards have moved
on to other job opportunities.
He said they are making
the necessary preparations to
open if they are able, how-
ever, and will adjust to the
social distancing guidelines
the state places on them.
“What that looks like is
anyone’s guess,” Fetter said.
The splash pad at Butte
Park, which is a combina-
tion of playground and water
park, will also remain closed
for now.
Hermiston’s parks remain
open in general, however,
along with its trails and disc
It has been a couple of
decades since Hermiston got
to name a new school, but
that chance has come again.
Hermiston School Dis-
trict is accepting submis-
sions to name the new ele-
mentary school it plans to
build in 2021 on East The-
ater Lane.
Current school district
policy states that Hermis-
ton school names must ref-
erence a famous American,
the school’s location (for
example, the street it is on or
a nearby geographical fea-
ture), or a community mem-
ber who has not been active
in the school or community
for at least fi ve years. Other
names can be submitted
with a written justifi cation
of why they should be con-
sidered despite not fi tting the
above criteria.
None of Hermiston’s
current elementary schools
— Desert View, Rocky
Heights, Highland Hills,
West Park and Sunset — are
named after a person.
The
district’s
only
school named after a per-
son is Armand Larive Mid-
dle School, named after a
former superintendent who
served Hermiston in the
1950s through 1970s. When
the district asked for sugges-
tions 25 years ago for what
is now Sandstone Middle
School, fi nalists included
Henry Ott Middle School,
Doris
Bounds
Middle
School, Ed Bensel Middle
School, Tom McCall Mid-
dle School, Hermiston Des-
ert Middle School and Farm
City Middle School.
Name suggestions can
be sent in through an online
survey at www.surveymon-
key.com/r/TC9GRS2 that
will be open throughout the
COMMUNITY
HH fi le photo
A sign at Hermiston High School thanks voters for their
support of the bond that will build a new elementary school
on Theater Lane.
month of May. Once ideas
are gathered, the school
board will select fi nalists for
the public to vote on.
“By opening the process
up to the public, we expect
to fi nd names that are truly
representative of Hermis-
ton’s diversity and creativ-
ity,” Superintendent Tricia
Mooney said in a statement.
“Each school is a fundamen-
tal part of this community,
and it’s important that the
community is connected to
each school.”
The new elementary
school will be paid for by a
bond passed by Hermiston
voters in 2019. The $82.7
million bond plus $6 million
state matching grant will
also pay for a new annex on
the high school, replacing
Rocky Heights Elementary
School with a larger build-
ing, improvement of traffi c
fl ow in front of schools and
purchasing land for future
growth.
Pinning ceremony honors local graduate, daughter
HERMISTON HERALD
An event held in Cocoa
Beach, Florida, recently
celebrated milestones in
the careers of mother and
daughter in a joint pinning
ceremony attended by fam-
ily, friends, and co-workers.
The program began with
the playing of the National
Anthem by Elyssa Isaly on
her fl ute. U.S. Air Force
Lt. Col. Laura (Herd) Isaly
was promoted to her cur-
rent grade by Lt. Col. Mat-
thew Allen. After the read-
ing of the offi cial promotion
orders, Allen administered
the Oath of Offi ce and Lt.
Col. Isaly was formally
pinned with her new grade
by her daughter, Elyssa
Isaly.
Following comments by
Allen and Lt. Col. Isaly,
Allen administered the
Nightingale Oath to Elyssa
Isaly, who graduated from
the Eastern Florida State
L. Isaly
E. Isaly
College nursing program
the previous evening. She
was then pinned by her
mother with her nursing
pin. The pinning ceremony
concluded with comments
by both recipients.
Lt. Col. Isaly, a 1992
graduate of Stanfi eld High
School, enlisted in the Air
Force in 1994 and served as
an A-10 aircraft crew chief.
She earned a bachelor’s
degree in computer engi-
neering from the Univer-
sity of South Carolina and
an Air Force commission in
2005. She earned a master’s
degree in computer science
from the Air Force Insti-
tute of Technology in Day-
ton, Ohio, in 2010. In 2017,
said, restrictions on larger
gatherings mean the cancel-
ation of summer festivals,
such as Spudfest and Mel-
onfest on the city’s festival
street.
The city still plans to have
its annual fi reworks show on
the Fourth of July. Fetter
said they will forgo the live
entertainment and booths set
up in the park during the day,
but people will still be able
to enjoy the fi reworks that
night from their cars, homes
or at a safe distance apart
from each other in the park.
WORSHIP
District accepting new
school name submissions
By JADE MCDOWELL
NEWS EDITOR
golf course.
On the recreation side,
Fetter said summer day
camps fall under the child
care category and will there-
fore be allowed to continue.
Phase One also allows for
gatherings of up to 25 peo-
ple if they stay 6 feet apart as
much as possible, which will
allow some of the depart-
ment’s other summer pro-
grams to continue. The lunch
program that offers free
meals for children at parks
will also go on as usual.
On the other hand, Fetter
she earned an Air Com-
mand Staff College Masters
of Military Operational Art
and Science degree at Max-
well AFB, Alabama. She is
currently assigned to Pat-
rick AFB, Florida.
Elyssa Isaly is a 2016
graduate of Edgewood High
School, Merritt Island, Flor-
ida, with an Associate of
Arts degree.
Lt. Col. Isaly is the
daughter of Ron Herd
of Stanfi eld and Margo
(Herd) Young of Meacham,
and Elyssa Isaly is their
granddaughter.
The Full Gospel Home Church
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
Our Lady of Angels
Catholic Church
565 W. HERMISTON AVE.
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
Office..............................567-5812
First Christian Church
“Proclaiming the Message of
Hope, Living the Gospel of Love”
Sunday School...9:15 am
Worship Service...10:30 am
Children’s Church 10:45 am
567-3013
775 W. Highland Ave., Hermiston
St. Johns
Episcopal Church
Join Us
On Our Journey
With Jesus.
Scripture, Tradition and Reason
Family service 9am Sunday
N.E. Gladys Ave & 7th, Hermiston
t. PH: 567-6672
We are an all inclusive Church
who welcomes all.
NEW BEGINNINGS
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
LANDMARK BAPTIST
CHURCH
125 E. Beech Ave. • 567-3232
Pastor David Dever
Located at Space Age Travel Center & Comfort Suites, Exit 182 on I-84
Sun. Bible Classes...................10:00am
Sun. Worship Service..............11:00am
Sun. Evening Worship..............6:00pm
Wed. Prayer & Bible Study......6:00pm
www.hermistonlmbc.com
Seventh-day
Adventist Church
Saturdays
Sabbath School........9:30 a.m.
Worship Service......11:00 a.m.
English & Spanish Services
567-8241
Hermiston Jr. Academy
1300 NW Academy Lane, • Hermiston
STRESS MANAGEMENT:
May 14, 12-1pm
LIVING WELL INTRODUCTION:
May 19th 2-3pm
FALL PREVENTION SEMINAR:
May 28th, 2-3pm
EXERCISE & NUTRITION
FOR A HEALTHY LIFE:
June 3, 12-1pm
ELECT DAN DORRAN ON MAY 19
Paid for by Friends for Dan Dorran. 242 E. Main St., Box 2020, Hermiston, OR 97838
Contact 541-667-3509 or healthinfo@gshealth.org to register
*Computer or smart phone required to attend classes*
To share your
worship times call
541-278-2678