Umatilla

It's pretty much exactly like my wife told me before I left the house this morning: "You can pretend it's 2001 and just drive aimlessly around Eastern Oregon." She's pretty much right. It's been a great day driving back and forth over the high plateau stopping at random bars and truck stops and cafes and the like just talking to random people and talking about the town they live in. My only complaint is the no-smoking law. Out here in Eastern Oregon the only thing it seems the law's done is move people out into the wind.
Umatilla is somewhat of a border town. I say that only because there are at least three adult-themed businesses in the downtown section. I could totally see people coming down from Washington to see strippers. Truckers and college students from up in Walla Walla mostly. And admittedly I probably would have stopped in if this were the summer of 2001 but I'm in Umatilla for something a little more respectable today: To get Mayor David Trott to autograph our map of Oregon.
The current Umatilla City Hall building is unassumingly nestled on Oregon Highway 730, but a shiny new one is being built a couple blocks away. Mayor Trott invited me into City Hall even though it's closed for the weekend and we talk about Oregon for a while--my favorite topic of conversation. He showed me around the council chambers when I noticed that on the wall were portraits of all the former Mayors of Umatilla. One portrait in particular caught my attention, a Mrs. Laura Stockton Starcher, the first female Mayor in the United States. She apparently ran against her husband in 1916 and won--perhaps because there were so many more women in town than men (not to mention Oregon was only one of 11 states to allow women to vote). She and the four newly-elected female council members brought about a number of socially progressive changes to the town including the founding of a library and a sanitation department. I highly recommend you buy me the historical novel Operation Clean Sweep so that I can read it to little Henry some time.
Umatilla is also starting to become known its art community. The welcome sign near I-82 is a pretty good example of the metallic arty thingies that are popping up. Hopefully Umatilla will become known for this in the way that Joseph is known for its bronze sculptures. There are even a couple of pieces for sale inside City Hall. I almost bought a big metal salmon but I'm not sure if Mayor Trott takes American Express--probably not his job.
33 down, 209 to go