The Spruce Goose is a spectacle of an airplane — part sideshow oddity, part historical relic — on display in a custom hangar at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville.

It was constructed primarily of birch wood in Long Beach, California, during World War II in a plan to produce air-worthy transports that didn’t require scarce metal commodities. It made one flight in 1947 to prove the concept and was then mothballed as the only prototype.

Half a century later, the McMinnville museum bid on the right to purchase the one-of-a-kind plane, building a sizable collection of real and replica planes and helicopters around it to tell the history of flight.

As we climbed the steps up to see the Goose a few weeks ago, the friendly veterans stationed at the entrance went through an all-but scripted dialogue with us. They asked if we were enjoying the museum, asked the kids if they were ready to fly a plane, and asked us where we were from.

When we told them we were from Hermiston, the inevitable question followed: “Are the watermelons ready yet?”

Only for locals, I let them know, but we’ll ship them out once we’re ready to share with the world.

My agricultural background is minimal, and I’ve certainly never harvested watermelons in the heat of summer. But that doesn’t mean I can’t take pride in living in a town that produces the best version of the best fruit known to mankind.

I’ve never been asked how the potatoes are looking, how the onion crop is coming in, or if the grass seed is as good as last year. Frankly, I wouldn’t have an answer, although I know a few folks at the Hermiston Agricultural Research & Extension Center who could share some thoughts. But I do know enough to know that the iconic watermelon, proudly displayed on the water tower, doesn’t nearly tell the story of Hermiston’s agricultural bounty. It’s just a digestible slice of what makes Hermiston special.

In the same way, Pendleton has the Round-Up, a once-a-year event that doesn’t completely define the town but captures its ethos. Maybe McMinnville didn’t birth the birch behemoth that now plays an outsized role in its tourism culture, but it does tie into a rich aviation history that could otherwise be missed.

I was thinking about these touch points during a presentation about the Hermiston HEROS project that would add youth sports fields at the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center. The question of identity came up. What is Hermiston all about? What would bring people here from across the Northwest?

As EOTEC manager Al Davis likes to say, it’s the middle of nowhere but the center of everything. That’s a good start.

But this community has also developed a reputation as a youth sports mecca, and not just because of our location at the crossroads of two interstates.

In the fall we host playoff football and soccer at Kennison Field, in the winter we have Amateur Athletic Union basketball and wrestling in school gyms, in the spring and summer our sports fields fill with lacrosse players. A youth softball team just did us all proud by carrying the Hermiston name to the western regional Little League tournament, as many other local teams have done in all areas of competition over the years.

Watermelons may be our notable export, but youth sports give us a chance to showcase our talented youth, dedicated adult coaches, commitment to inclusiveness, and community hospitality. They make up our character.

Everyone wants to live in a town that stands for something. Knowing what Hermiston stands for will guide us through the continued growth and change ahead.