WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022
9
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A9
OUTSKIRTS IRRIGON
Marina volunteers boast of its value
Coming improvements
include new docks,
according to marina
board members
BY ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Herald
The Irrigon Marina Park is
one of the area’s special places,
according to locals and out-of-
towners alike. Located on the
Columbia River, it showcases the
area’s beauty and provides rec-
reation.
“I love the marina,” Neila Coff-
man, Irrigon Community Park
& Recreation District secretary/
treasurer, said.
In recent weeks, people have
been able to enjoy the park, at
430 Eighth St. N.E., Irrigon.
Events, such as the Irrigon Wa-
termelon Festival and Music in
the Park, have brought visitors to
realize what this area’s residents
already know; the Irrigon Marina
is a treasure.
For Coffman, though, the value
of the marina is not a passing real-
ization. It is part of her regular life.
She sought employment there af-
ter years of enjoyment.
“I’ve lived in Irrigon my whole
life, and my family has used the
marina frequently,” she said.
Coffman, a boater, has a pon-
toon. She and her family, includ-
ing her grandchildren, often take
it to the marina.
“We really enjoy the river,” she
said. “We kayak. We fish. My per-
sonal experience is that we use it,
and we love our marina. We love
our river, and we love our city.”
Coffman said that she is glad
to see that many other people are
likewise relishing time spent at the
marina. And she called the area
near the marina a “desired” spot,
particularly for walleye fishing.
“It’s one of the hottest walleye
areas in the entire Columbia Ba-
sin,” she said.
Because of the success fisher-
men find there, the marina has
Yasser Marte/Hermiston Herald
A bench view of the Columbia River on July 25, 2022, underneath the
shade of a birch tree at Irrigon Marina Park, Irrigon.
Yasser Marte/Hermiston Herald
A pelican floats July 25, 2022,
down the Columbia River at Irri-
gon Marina Park, Irrigon.
Yasser Marte/Hermiston Herald
Boats dock July 25, 2022, at Irrigon Marina Park, Irrigon.
become a popular site for fishing
tournaments, she said.
Also, she said, many local fish-
ing enthusiasts pay to moor their
boats at the marina. The demand
for mooring is so great, Coffman
said, the marina soon will have to
add more lots.
“We’re currently looking to up-
grade the marina,” she said.
The addition of new docks,
with more space for mooring,
is one of the expected upgrades,
she added. There should be more
renovations, she stated, but she
wasn’t ready to reveal all of what
is planned.
A study is underway on the
docks, and Coffman said she
will have details on the im-
provements, including dates
for renovations, soon.
She said she enjoys volunteer-
ing at the marina, and she is not
alone in expressing her love for it.
Burrel Cooley, Irrigon Com-
munity Park & Recreation Dis-
trict board chairman, said he also
likes working at the marina.
“It’s where I spend about half
my time working down there,”
he said.
In addition to working on the
board, he volunteers at the ma-
rina, he said. As such, he assists
with maintenance there.
He added he used to be a
boater. Some time ago, he en-
joyed fishing at the marina, he
added. Nowadays, however, he
doesn’t go out on the river. Still,
he said, he likes to be close to the
water to work, not to fish.
“It’s peaceful,” he said of his re-
cent experiences. “It’s just a nice
place to go.”
He recommended volunteer-
ing at the marina, and he said
people can email the district at
irrigonparkdistrict@gmail.com
for details.
Police department saga continues with trip to Washington County
March meeting detailing needs for the
city.
“This may be an opportunity for Irri-
gon as we continue to grow and become
more resilient,” Palmquist told council
members in the memo. Shortly after, Ir-
rigon City Council unanimously voted
not to renew its contract.
Gary David, a former police chief in
Milton-Freewater who now resides just
outside of the Irrigon city limits, is one of
the outspoken critics of the plan, calling
for more cooperation between the city
and the county.
“It seems like they have the cart be-
fore the horse,” David said. “They want
to scale back service and have one or two
men care for a city.”
The former police chief said he is one
of many Irrigon citizens against this
change. He claimed the council isn’t lis-
tening to the wants of citizens and there
are other ways to solve the problem.
BY ANTONIO ARREDONDO
Hermiston Herald
The city of Irrigon’s policing situation
has been up in the air for months — and
one determined resident is focused on
changing that.
The Irrigon City Council on
March 15 voted to shift to a one-person
police department rather than renew
their contract with the Morrow County
Sheriff’s Office. Initially scheduled for
2022, the plan was pushed back to July 1,
2023, and switched to a two-man station.
This change came after years of feuding
between the city and sheriff’s office.
City Councilor Darren Strong said
the proposed station is a good way for
the city to gain police officers in the area,
quicken response time and crack down
on local code enforcement.
City Manager Aaron Palmquist, one
of the driving forces behind the idea,
presented a memo to the council at the
This all came to a head in June, when
David led a group west to Washington
County to visit the community of North
Plains to examine their sheriff-city rela-
tionship.
Strong, Irrigon Mayor Margaret An-
derson and Morrow County Undersher-
iff John Bowles were among the “stake-
holders” — or other town members
— on the trip west of Portland.
David was impressed by the relation-
ship between the small community of
just more than 3,000 people and law en-
forcement in the area.
“It’s a unique partnership,” David said.
“There’s no agenda, it’s just what’s best for
the community no matter the direction.”
In the North Plains system, the county
sheriff collaborates extensively with the
city. While the city has a police chief
and department, that department con-
sists entirely of county law enforcement.
Many county officers wear different hats
W ELCOME TO
I RRIGON
in the police department to reach out to
the community.
It’s a system David said he sees carry-
ing over to Irrigon, and he wanted both
town leaders and community members
to come and learn about the system. He
said many of the stakeholders on the trip
reacted positively to the idea. With a lit-
tle more than 10 months until the con-
tract is up for renewal again, David said
he wants to get the community talking
about the department.
Not every member on the trip saw the
system carrying over, though. Councilor
Strong said while the trip and the North
Plains model were impressive, he wasn’t
sure how feasible the plan was and how it
would translate to Irrigon.
“There’s been some bad blood and
disputes between the sheriff’s depart-
ment and the city,” he said. “In or-
der to even think about doing what
Washington County is doing, we need
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As of now, the councilor said the city
is moving forward with the plan to have
a two-man department in 2022. Still, he
said the trip to Washington County was
“very informative.”
For David, there’s still hope for the
sheriff and city to mend their relation-
ship. Above all else, he said he wants the
needs of the Irrigon citizens to be met.
An online petition calling for the city to
keep its contract has recorded 162 signa-
tures, which David said is proof enough
for the city to look deeper into the issue.
“Why don’t we just work together?”
David said, “Why don’t we just find out
what our issues are and develop relation-
ships together in the law enforcement
community and inspire confidence in
the citizens?”
The Morrow County Sheriff’s Office
did not respond to requests for com-
ments by press time.
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