HERMISTON
HERALD
Wednesday, August 24, 2022
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Classic automobiles take to the road for a round-trip cruise from
Joseph to Enterprise during the Wallowa Mountain Cruise. The
cruise is slated this year for Aug. 27.
AUG. 24-31, 2022
WWW.GOEASTERNOREGON.COM
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain, File
Getting closer
New Hermiston
City Hall opens to
public in October
Vintage style
CLASSIC CARS ROLL INTO TOWN FOR
THE WALLOWA MOUNTAIN CRUISE Page 8
Arts & Events in
Eastern Oregon
Popular magazine spotlights
the best in local entertainment.
LIGHTER SIDE
Daniel Wattenburger/Contributed Photo
The setting sun on Monday, Aug. 22, 2022, illuminates the new Hermiston City Hall in downtown Hermiston. The city anticipates opening the facility in October.
BY MARCO GRAMACHO
Hermiston Herald
Three Minutes With ... Matt Combe. A2
LOCAL NEWS
Housing developments booming in Umatilla. A3
Hermiston city councilors, staff and the public
on Monday, Aug. 22, got a tour of the new city hall.
Hermiston City Manager Byron Smith led the
way through the building, which the city projects
will open to the public in mid-October with an
open-house before a city council meeting. Until
then, city departments are operating out of the
Hermiston Public Library basement, which was
renovated for interim office space.
“The construction is 99% ready, with only a few
details needed like putting glasses in doors,” Assis-
tant City Manager Mark Morgan said.
The total cost of the project is approaching $8.7
million, including the Hermiston Public Library
renovation, demolition of the old city hall, design
and construction of the new city hall and move-
ment of the municipal court out of the Public Safety
Center.
“The complete construction of the new city hall
is part of the goals of the Hermiston 2040 Commu-
nity Vision in which the city responsibly plans and
invests in community infrastructure and the built
environment to support the critical needs of daily
life and sustainable growth for the future,” Morgan
explained.
The city demolished the old building in March
2021, and the schedule of the construction of the
new one didn’t suffer much impact even with
COVID-19 still being a challenge, he said.
Due to concerns about available staff space,
maintenance costs and accessibility, the city council
in 2014 directed city staff to begin reviewing op-
tions for a future home for city hall.
A heating, ventilating and air conditioning fire
in December 2019 hastened the decision, and after
gathering public input, the city council approved
using funds from the Greater Hermiston Enterprise
Zone to design and construct a more efficient and
accessible city hall building on the same property.
Umatilla County Fair Youth Livestock Auction sets record
Number of participants
rises to 267; number
of supporting
businesses and
individuals nears 300
SCHOOLS
BY MARCO GRAMACHO
Hermiston Herald
Stanfield schools start fall with
new track, courts. A7
COMMUNITY
Fun times at Hermiston
Watermelon Festival. A7
See City Hall / A10
The Umatilla County Fair Youth
Livestock Auction achieved a re-
cord in sales this year.
Marie Linnell, who oversees the
Youth Livestock Sale, said sales to-
taled more than $1.15 million.
She explained one of the reasons
for the greater success than the re-
cord of $795,000 in 2021 is because
of the higher number of youths par-
ticipating. The 2021 sale had 219.
This past fair, that jumped to 267.
“COVID-19 was still a big issue
last year, besides the cancellation
of the fair in 2020. We have
achieved greater pre-COVID
numbers again since the UCF
Bump Program was started nearly
20 years ago,” she said.
Erick Peterson/Hermiston Herald, File
Sandy McKay, left, and Ellery Jones look at work that needs to be done
Aug. 11, 2022, in livestock pens at the Umatilla County Fair, Hermiston.
The Youth Livestock Auction on Aug. 13 set a record with sales exceeding
$1.1 million.
In addition to the prices received
during the auction, many individ-
uals and organizations choose to
provide add-ons in one form or
another. Donations of more than
$62,000 from 48 businesses and/or
BUSINESS
individuals were pooled to “bump”
the price/pound for youth exhibi-
tors who leave the ring with a price
that is below average.
This year the bump brought
each species up to a record high
base price with lambs at $14.69 per
pound, hogs at $12 a pound, goats
at $22.50 per pound, steers at $4.58
a pound, turkeys to $800 each and
chickens to $890 per pen.
“We greatly appreciate the 295
businesses and individuals who
supported this year’s event whether
they purchased an animal, added
on to an exhibitor and supported
the bump program,” Linnel said.
Youths selling steers were re-
sponsible for $547,155.32. The sales
of hogs represented $429,100.23,
lambs $106,788.51, goats
$60,193.84, turkeys $8,045, chick-
ens $2,250 and rabbits $1,250. In all
the sales totaled $1,154,782.90.
Umatilla County Commissioner
Dan Dorran who serves as the li-
aison between the county board of
commissioners and the fair board,
also celebrated the success of the
auction with the rewarding of
the youth exhibitors for their
efforts by strong support from the
business community, families and
local supporters.
See Auction / A10
ELECTIONS
Hermiston CrossFit gym moves
to new but familiar location. A8
Drazan rolls campaign into
Heppner. A12
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