COMMUNITY
A6 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022
Melon Fest offers slice of summer fun
Event is Aug. 20 in
downtown Hermiston
BY TAMMY MALGESINI
Hermiston Herald
With watermelon season in full
swing, Hermiston’s signature fruit
will take centerstage during an all
day festival.
Melon Fest returns Saturday,
Aug. 20, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on down-
town Hermiston’s Festival Street.
In addition, activities will spill over
onto East Main Street. Presented by
the Hermiston Downtown District,
Hermiston Parks & Recreation and
the Hermiston Chamber of Com-
merce, there is no admission charge
to attend.
“Hermiston is noted for Herm-
iston watermelons being juicy and
sweet,” said Judy Pederson, president
of the downtown district. “August is
the best time to open a melon.”
And as a member of the water-
melon-growing Walchli family, Ped-
erson knows — she said she’s been
eating melons “since I was born.”
The outdoor festival features ac-
tivities for the kids, vendor booths,
a costume contest, bathtub races, a
seed-spitting contest and, of course,
Kathy Aney/Hermiston Herald, File
Hermiston Mayor Dave Drotzmann takes a big bite of watermelon before competing in a seed spitting contest on Aug. 17, 2019,
at Melon Fest in Hermiston. The 2022 event is Saturday, Aug. 20, on Hermiston’s Festival Street.
free slices of Hermiston watermelon.
Live entertainment brings Jonna
Kopta to the stage at 9 a.m., and
Dallin Puzey will start playing at
11 a.m.
Open to all ages, the costume con-
IN BRIEF
Living Faith hosts family
night outdoor event
Water fun and inflatables,
games, face painting, specialty
coffee drinks and food carts are
all featured during Family Fun
Night at Living Faith Church.
The free outdoor event is Fri-
day, Aug. 19, 4-8 p.m. at 1611
Diagonal Blvd., Hermiston.
Also, “Luca” can be viewed in-
doors at 5 p.m.
For more information, visit
www.winacity.com/ffn, search
Facebook or call 541-567-4486.
Umatilla police hosts
Women’s Safety Summit
A series of training sessions
offering women safety infor-
mation and an opportunity
to boost their confidence is
planned in Umatilla.
Presented by the Umatilla
Police Department, the goal of
Women’s Safety Summit 2022
is to provide an environment
where women can come to-
gether and learn a variety of
basic skill sets without fear of
judgment. The free classes begin
Wednesday, Aug. 24, 6-8 p.m.
at the Umatilla Police Depart-
ment, 300 Sixth St. They con-
tinue weekly through Sept. 28.
The topics include Financial
Security (Aug. 24), Self Defense
& Situational Awareness
(Aug. 31), Outdoor Survival
(Sept. 7), Basic Home Repair &
Maintenance (Sept. 14), Firearms
Knowledge (Sept. 21) and Basic
Auto Maintenance (Sept. 28).
Any woman is invited to
attend, however, preference
will be given to Umatilla resi-
dents. For more information or
to register, visit www.umatil-
la-city.org/parksrec/page/wom-
ens-safety-summit. For ques-
tions, call 541-922-3789.
Band boosters set car wash
for Saturday, Aug. 20
The Hermiston band boost-
ers announced a fundraising car
wash.
Get your car all sparkly clean
on Saturday, Aug. 20, 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m. in the parking lot at
Hermiston High School, 600 S.
First St. There is no set fee; do-
nations will be accepted.
Money from the fundraiser
will be used to help with ex-
penses for the HHS band. The
group will travel to Washington
D.C. to perform in the Indepen-
dence Day parade in July 2023.
For more information, search
www.facebook.com/hermiston
band boosters.
Boardman illuminates
sky with fireworks
The public is encouraged to
bring their blankets or lawn
chairs and a picnic for Board-
man Community Night Out.
People are invited to en-
joy a relaxing evening visiting
with first responders and their
friends and neighbors.
Held in conjunction with the
Boardman Chamber of Com-
merce’s end-of-summer fire-
works celebration, the event
is Saturday, Aug. 27, 6 p.m. at
Boardman Marina Park, 1 Ma-
rine Drive. The spectacular fire-
works display will illuminate
the sky over the Columbia River
around 9 p.m.
For more information, search
www.facebook.com/Chamber-
Boardman or call 541-481-3014.
Round-Up concert tickets
still available
Nashville recording artist
Kip Moore is the headliner for
the Pendleton Round-Up and
Happy Canyon kick-off con-
cert. Opening the show is sing-
er-songwriter Ned LeDoux.
Plenty of tickets still are avail-
able for the event, which is
Sept. 10, 7 p.m. at Happy Canyon
Arena, 1601 Westgate, Pendleton.
The gates open at 6 p.m.
Tickets range from $51-$90.
Also, VIP packages are available
for $156, which includes dinner
before the concert and bever-
ages during the show.
For more information or to
purchase tickets, visit www.
pendletonroundup.com. For
questions, call 541-276-2553.
test starts at 10 a.m. Prizes will be
awarded to the top three places.
Prepare to get wet as the Melon
Fest Bathtub Races start at noon.
Teams of three members — two
pushing and one “driving” — will
navigate between street cones down
a 100-foot course. Competing head-
to-head with another team, winners
will advance to the next round.
While the tubs are provided, rac-
ers are encouraged to get creative
with team uniforms and slogans.
Open to participants 18 and older,
the entry fee is $5. Register at the
Hermiston Parks and Recreation
website under “Special Events” or
via bit.ly/BathTubRace2022.
In addition to bragging rights,
prizes valued up to $300 will be
awarded between winners of the
costume contest and bathtub races.
Melon Fest was launched in 2019
— then, like many events in 2020, it
wasn’t held. A scaled-back version
returned in 2021. The downtown
district and its partners are excited
about the 2022 event.
“This year, we’re going all out,”
Pederson said. “We provide a fun
family celebration. It’s a fun day.”
For more information, search
www.facebook.com/Hermiston-
downtown or call 541-667-5018.
— Lisa Britton, editor of Go!
Magazine, contributed to this story.
Umatilla transitional housing project
receives proposal bid at deadline
ANTONIO ARREDONDO
Hermiston Herald
UMATILLA COUNTY—
After months of waiting, the
Umatilla County transitional
housing project has a contrac-
tor — and a start date.
Umatilla City Manager Dave
Stockdale said the Practical As-
sistance through Transitional
Housing Project, or PATH, re-
ceived one bid after a period of
waiting. The deadline for the
initial bid was on July 12.
That one bid was from Step-
ping Stones of Hermiston Inc.,
a nonprofit that has been work-
ing on creating a homeless shel-
ter in the area since 2020.
The plan is for the transi-
tional housing project to be
built on the corner of Lind and
Bensel roads, Hermiston.
Stockdale said construction
can begin once Hermiston
annexes the southern part of
Lind Road. He said 80% of the
road is in the city.
With the Supreme Court’s
ruling on the Martin v. Boise
case in 2018 and the recent
Oregon House Bill 4123 re-
garding homelessness, all ar-
eas that do not allow homeless
camping must provide shelter
by July 2023. With a projected
completion date for the facil-
ity in mid-November. Project
PATH will help keep Umatilla
County complying with the
law.
Beyond meeting the re-
quirements of the law, Stock-
dale said the new housing
project will allow for support
for homeless individuals in
the area. Project PATH will
include manufactured offices,
which Stockdale said is done,
as well as individual quarters,
common areas and meal facil-
ities. There also will be a one-
night sleep center for those
needing somewhere to stay.
“Project PATH is going to
give us a better way to manage
housing,” he said.
While the plan for the facil-
ity has not changed over the
past few weeks, Stockdale said
the bid has allowed the city
to know more about security,
lighting and transportation
around the facility.
All that’s left to finalize the
bid is a few more meetings
and the chance for appeal
processes. Stockdale does not
foresee any hang-ups in the
process, which will go to the
Umatilla Planning Commis-
sion by Aug. 23. Then, the con-
struction of a second chance
for many western Umatilla
County residents can begin.
— Hermiston Herald
Church
DIRECTORY
Our Lady of Angels
Catholic Church
565 W. HERMISTON AVE.
Iglesia Católica Nuestra
Señora de los Ángeles
First Christian Church
565 W. HERMISTON AVE.
“Grow Your Faith Through God”
Sunday School...9:00 am
Worship Service...10:30 am
567-3013
775 W. Highland Ave., Hermiston
Seventh-day
Adventist Church
Saturdays
Sabbath School........9:30 a.m.
Worship Service......11:00 a.m.
English & Spanish Services
541-567-8241
855 W. Highland Ave.
Hermiston, OR 97838
St. Johns
Episcopal Church
Join Us
N.E. Gladys Ave & 7th, Hermiston
541-567-6672
JOIN OUR INCLUSIVE
CONGREGATION
ON OUR JOURNEY WITH JESUS
Services 9:00am Sundays
In-person or streaming
on Facebook or Zoom
COME WORSHIP
WITH US AT THE
COUNTRY
CHURCH
FOSTERS NEEDED
DOGS, CATS & KI
Go to
Fuzzball's website
to apply today!
Sundays at 11:00am
32742 Diagonal Rd.
Hermiston, OR
LANDMARK BAPTIST
CHURCH
NEW BEGINNINGS
125 E. Beech Ave. • 567-3232
Sun. Bible Classes...................10:00am
Sun. Worship Service..............11:00am
Sun. Evening Worship..............5:00pm
Tues. Creation Club (Sept-May)..4:30pm
Wed. Prayer & Bible Study......5:00pm
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
www.hermistonlmbc.com
541-289-4774
Pastor David Dever
CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
To advertise in the Church Directory, please contact
Audra Workman 541-564-4538 or email aworkman@eastoregonian.com
TTENS!
Mark Sargent, DVM • Brent Barton, DVM
Robert Thonney, DVM • Jana Parks, DVM, cVMA
Small and Large Animal Care
Mon: 8-6
Tue - Fri: 8-5
Sat: 8-12
Emergency Service
541.567.1138
80489 Hwy 395 N
Hermiston
www.oregontrailvet.com
Due to the
COVID-19
pandemic, animal
shelters need
our help more
than ever. Please
donate to your
local shelter, or
offer to foster an
animal in need.
If interested please go to fuzzballrescue.com and fill out an application.
If you are not able to adopt, but would like to foster or donate, visit fuzzballrescue.com
or you can mail in donations to Fuzz Ball Animal Rescue, PO Box 580, Hermiston, OR 97838