Pregled posta

Marketing

Nov., 2009
Do you remember that smooth, authoritative, and excitable voice over the radio during Hermiston's sporting events for some twenty years? How about the band conductor who led Hermiston's student musicians to many notable achievements through middle school? If you guessed Ric Sherman, you've hit the mark. Ric has made our community his career and continues to give back to Hermiston many of the honors he feels has been awarded to him. Now on the Board of the Hermiston Fire and Emergency Services District, Ric plays an instrumental role in forming our community's fire protection and emergency services policies. He also enjoys helping with the Police Department's Christmas Express, a well known holiday charity that puts a lot of smiles on faces of Hermiston's kids. I met Ric one cold morning about three years ago at Sandstone Middle School parking lot, directing traffic and greeting with enthusiasm the kids arriving at school. I asked him if that was one of his many duties at the school, and he remarked "No, I do this to get my kid fix". Ric has a truely remarkable love for youngsters and continues to volunteer his time and share his skills where kids are involved.

Ric was born and raised in Spokane. But, in addition to Hermiston, has called Cheney Washington his home. He says he also spent short stints in Victoria, British Columbia during his high school summers, playing in summer hockey leagues on Vancouver Island. Ric earned a degree in music at Eastern Washington University and did post-graduate work there as well as at Eastern Oregon University, Portland State University, and Oregon State University. He and his wife, Karen, raised their daughter, Heather. When asked what events are most memorable in his life, without hesitation, Ric responded, "the day I married Karen and the day Heather was born".

Ric loves being on the water and casting a good lure. "Fishing is relaxing and good for the soul, and has given me precious moments with friends and family." In addition to fishing, however, Ric enjoys following the Tri-Cities hockey team, where you'll often find him at rinkside giving advice to the players and referees.

Ric says he joined the Hermiston Rotary Club in 2002 as "an opportunity to give back to the community that has given me so much". "Rotary is the perfect avenue for that." Members, like Ric, are what makes Rotary fun, his affable personality, valuable counsel, and leadership skills. Thanks for being part of our group, Ric.

So, while it was great to see our men win in curling and skeleton and figure skating, much was made of the fact that what we, as Canadians, really cared about was hockey.

Ah hockey. It is true. Up here, hockey is almost a religion. It is the sport boys, and girls, play more than any other. Only Toronto has an NBA and MLB team but not many are very interested in basketball or baseball. That is, they are not passionate about these sports. We go to watch games much like you go to a Cubs game--it is a fun time and there happens to be a sporting event and team to cheer. We do have several football teams that play in a Canadian league but it seems like a lot of people here follow the NFL more.

But hockey. Everyone loves hockey. We have six teams so unless you are on the east coast, you have a team to cheer on. (I so wish we could have an east coast team). It is a part of our national....I dunno...ethos? The fact is that it is played all over, as demonstrated for decades at the Olympics, but Canadians tend to think of it as ours. We often laugh at the fact that cities like Atlanta and LA have teams because these are not cold weather places. In a sense, hockey should only exist in countries where it is seriously cold for a seriously long part of the year.

Until I moved here, I did not really understand the finer points of the sport. And until I got some skates on my feet, I had no idea just how hard and elegant it can be. It has the toughness of football but the grace of basketball (although you never hear anyone talking about how well a basketball player runs down the court). It has strategy of course but one that is lightening quick--you can't really plan out plays like in football or even basketball. In the end, it is always about individuals and the team needing to play their best, being in the right spots at the right time and making the most of good, or bad, luck.