Construction on Hermiston’s planned festival street downtown is expected to start the first week in February.

Hermiston city planner Clint Spencer said the plan is for “substantial” completion by Memorial Day with all final pieces of the project wrapped up by June 15.

The street, located on Northeast Second Street between Gladys Avenue and Main Street, will feature decorative brickwork, landscaping, lighting and the ability to close off the street for events. Instead of curbs, the sidewalk will be divided from the street by bollards or trees for a more pedestrian-friendly feel. Later phases will stretch the festival street to the new senior center and toward the Hermiston Community Center, as well as adding a possible water feature and other design elements to the public parking lot across from City Hall.

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If you enjoyed reading “The Iguana Tree,” the book that kicked off Hermiston’s One Book, One Community reading program in 2013, we have some good news for you: the sequel has arrived.

And if you were one of the 300 people who showed up to listen to author Michel Stone talk about her book, you can even take a little credit for it.

In a recent interview with the Charleston Post & Courier, Stone said it was her visit to Hermiston that inspired her to write “Border Child,” which tells the next chapter in the lives of a family of Mexican immigrants.

Stone told the paper she was struck by how much of the audience in attendance that night was non-English speaking (so many that a translator was called in to help), and she was touched by how many people embraced her work because their children had read it.

At the Q&A afterward, an audience member asked if she planned to write a follow-up, and on the spur of the moment she said yes.

She began the first draft on her flight home from Oregon.

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The rumor on the street (among others) is that Winco Foods is planning a Hermiston location, but spokesman Noah Fleisher said Winco does not currently have any plans to build in Hermiston.

Hermiston residents have tried to rally social media campaigns to bring the grocery store to Hermiston in the past, but for now they will have to chalk the whispers of success up to nothing more than wishful thinking.

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The public is invited to “Come Sail Away With Us” during the Hermiston Education Foundation’s annual Beach & Beef Fundraiser. The dinner and live auction is Saturday, Feb. 3 at 5 p.m. at the Hermiston Community Center. Tickets, which are $35 each, can be purchased at the Greater Hermiston Area Chamber of Commerce office, the school district office and at www.squareup.com/store/hef.

With a cruise ship theme, people are invited to enjoy a meal of crab and beef while supporting students in the school district. The nonprofit foundation awards grants to district staff for projects or equipment to enhance the educational experience of students.

For a full story about the education foundation and additional details about the upcoming fundraiser, see next week’s Hermiston Herald.

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The Inland Northwest Musicians were among 79 small nonprofit organizations that recently received grants from the Oregon Arts Commission. The Small Operating Grants are designed to support arts organizations with budgets under $150,000.

For the Hermiston-based classical music organization, the $1,230 grant award literally puts gas in the tank, said Carrie Kikel of the arts commission. The orchestra and choral ensembles, which include members from across the region, travel throughout Eastern Oregon and southeastern Washington to perform free concerts.

Founded in 1999, INWM supports musicians in developing their talent. No auditions are required to join. For more information, contact 541-289-4696, inwm@machmedia.net or visit www.inlandnorthwestmusicians.com. For more about the Oregon Arts Commission grant programs, contact Brian Wagner at 503-428-1981, brian.wagner@oregon.gov or visit www.oregonartscommission.org.

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