WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2022
9
OUTSKIRTS IRRIGON
Superintendent: Irrigon schools in need
BY ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Herald
It’s time to go back to the
drawing board, according to
Dirk Dirksen, Morrow School
District superintendent.
A $138 million bond to mod-
ernize and improve the district’s
schools was on the May 17 pri-
mary ballot, and it failed by
roughly 37% to 63% — 884
votes to 1,480.
This loss changes plans
throughout the district, Dirk-
sen said. It’s impact on Irrigon
schools is just part of the disap-
pointment.
“The plan for Irrigon High
School was to update safety and
security, remodel classrooms
and add a competition gymna-
sium,” he said.
According to the superin-
tendent, these improvements
would have created separation
between junior high and senior
high school students.
Not getting those things, the
school will continue the sta-
tus quo, he said — though this
means continuing with “safety
problems” and buildings that
are in “desperate need of repair.”
“In Irrigon specifically, the
building that needs the most re-
pair is A.C. Houghton Elemen-
tary,” he said. He added that it
is the oldest building in the dis-
trict, as a section of it is around
70 years old.
Fortunately, he stated, these
Irrigon schools are not growing;
enrollment is not surpassing
capacity. Other schools within
the Morrow School District are
growing, however, Dirksen said.
“In Boardman, there is
growth,” he stated. “And there’s
a lot of homes that are going
in, in Boardman. That’s going
to become a problem down the
road, with overcrowding.”
He said that some Boardman
schools could be overcrowded
as early as the next school year.
Meanwhile, the district will
consider next steps. Likely,
Dirksen added, there will be
“listening sessions” in which the
district solicits public opinions.
“We’ll see what people are
OK with, or not,” he said. “We
got a pretty clear message. The
last bond was too large.”
He said he is unsure about the
date of the next bond, though he
expressed his feelings that one
would be necessary.
Erick Peterson/Hermiston Herald
A.C. Houghton Elementary School in Irrigon, photographed Thursday, June 2, 2022, is the oldest building in the Morrow County School District.
Dirk Dirksen, MCSD superintendent, said it is in need of upgrades, which would’ve been made if a recent bond had been passed.
City manager: Irrigon Farmer’s Market bodes well for Irrigon
BY ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Herald
City of Irrigon/Contributed Photo
A picture from the 2021 Irrigon Farmer’s Market shows the sorts of produce available late in the season.
W ELCOME
The Irrigon Farmer’s Market is open for
business.
The market is at the Irrigon Event Plaza,
next to the Irrigon Chamber of Commerce
building, 420 N.E. Main Ave. Hours of op-
eration are 7-9 p.m. on Tuesdays, though
some sellers start a bit early and fizzle out a
bit before quitting time.
Vendors and visitors enjoyed the first day
of the market on May 31. Aaron Palmquist,
Irrigon city manager, said it went pretty well,
with seven booths, and a few dozen shoppers.
“The majority of the things that were
there were made at home,” Palmquist said of
the sale items.
Vendors posted pictures of their goods on
Facebook. Freeze dried candies, knit bags
and handmade toys were among the prod-
ucts in the photos.
Attendees to the event, he said, were
treated to many fun and interesting goods.
TO
Also, they had a beautiful, sunny day for
their shopping.
He said, there was not much produce, as it
is still early in the grow season. In the com-
ing weeks, he added, he expects more and
more fruits and vegetables. This is how the
market usually unfolds — with larger ven-
dors bringing in squashes, blueberries, pota-
toes and more as we approach the summer.
Palmquist said that this market will do
more than grow throughout the season; it
will expand in the coming years. An en-
closed gazebo, which is scheduled to be
ready for next year’s market, is planned to be
built with large windows and a rollup door.
Such a structure should be attractive to
vendors, who have voiced their preference
to operate indoors. If the weather gets too
wet or too windy, commerce can continue,
Palmquist said.
The gazebo, he said, should house other
events, too. According to the city manager,
the venue will host movie nights.
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City of Irrigon
(541) 667-4181
Morrow County, Oregon
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