A5
THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 2022
OBITUARIES
Jeff rey Len Harrod
Joel Eric Mendenhall
New York City
April 22, 1973 — March 26, 2022
Portland
Sept. 5, 1954 — Aug. 21, 2021
Jeff rey Len Harrod passed away peacefully
Jeff and Lori were married in Gearhart at
on Aug. 21, 2021, in Portland. He was born The Lodge at Little Beach on Sept. 20, 1980.
on Sept. 5, 1954, in Pasadena, California, to They were nearly inseparable for over four
Charles “Chuck” and Janice Thomas.
decades until his passing. They
Chuck passed away from can-
enjoyed traveling to their favorite
cer when Jeff was 4 years old. Jan
destination, Poipu Beach, Kauai.
relocated to Warrenton, where she
Other favorite vacation spots were
had family, along with Jim, Jeff and
Maui, Las Vegas (cabanas with
Gregg.
overhead spritzers!), Palm Springs,
Jan later met and married Wil-
California, Sunriver and Lincoln
liam “Marv” Harrod. Marv adopted
City.
Jeff and Gregg in 1962. Jeff spent
Jeff enjoyed watching sports,
the rest of his childhood in Warren-
and was a fan of the Portland Trail
ton. He felt very fortunate to have
Blazers and the San Diego Padres.
Jeff rey Harrod
grown up in a small town, and make
In his younger days, he drove “The
lifelong friends.
White Knight” solo from Portland
He particularly liked spending time at the to San Diego to attend a Padre home stand.
Dyer house, raiding the refrigerator and play-
He loved his dogs. They adopted four dogs
ing hoops and cards. He excelled in both over the years including “Cisco,” “Makani”
sports and academics. He was coached on the and two retired racing greyhounds, fi rst “Bren-
basketball team by Bob Cole, who later in life necke,” and later “Kapuna.” He was known by
became a good friend.
some in the neighborhood as “The Greyhound
Jeff graduated from Warrenton High Guy.” Many folks believe that they were all
School as class valedictorian in 1972. During waiting for him at the Rainbow Bridge.
summer breaks, Jeff worked as a deckhand
He was proud to participate in the Aloha
on charter boats for Warrenton Deep Sea. He Angel Escort Program, facilitating transpor-
caught the eye of Leonard Prince, president of tation for dogs from the overcrowded Kauai
Electrical Construction Co., and was hired to Humane Society to the Oregon Humane Soci-
skipper their company fi shing boat. He oper- ety on several of their return trips from Kauai.
ated the Ol’ Jane out of Hammond until it was
Jeff is survived by his wife, Lori; brother,
sold, due to the economic slowdown.
Gregg (Teri); sister-in-law, Michele Thomas;
After graduating from Warrenton High numerous nieces and nephews; and godson,
School , Jeff attended Lewis & Clark Col- Nick Bjork.
lege. He played baseball for the Pioneers,
He was preceded in death by his parents;
and enjoyed being among a group of students brothers, Jim Thomas and Marv Harrod; and
from all over the U.S.
goddaughters, Darci and Alee Bjork.
He later returned to the coast and attended
Jeff expressed that he wanted a celebra-
Clatsop Community College, where he played tion of life to be held in Gearhart, with Hawai-
on the basketball team. He had some great sto- ian attire preferred. Yes, that means shorts are
ries about the road trips, including a memora- OK! The event will be held at the Sons of Nor-
ble tournament in Hawaii.
way Lodge in Gearhart, 2910 U.S. Highway
He left college when Leonard off ered him 101, on May 14, from 1 to 4 p.m.
a full time position at Electrical Construction .
Remembrances may be made to the Ore-
He remained there for 47 years in several posi- gon Humane Society, Best Friends Animal
tions, his last day being one week before his Society, the Northeast Emergency Food Pro-
passing.
gram in Portland or the charity of your choice.
Randall W. Hunt
Astoria
April 26, 1951 — Oct. 11, 2021
Randall W. Hunt (aka “Bert”) was
Over the years, Randy’s heart began to
born April 26, 1951, at St. Mary’s Hospi- weaken, and there were many visits to the
tal in Astoria, and died on Oct. 11, 2021, at cardiac unit at OHSU. He underwent various
7:45 a.m. at Columbia Memorial
procedures and the implantation
Hospital in Astoria.
of three defi brillator-pacemakers.
Born with four major heart
Randy made people feel better
defects (Tetralogy of Fallot),
by simply walking into a room.
Randy had a hard time keeping up
He was uniformly described as
with other kids in his hometown
“authentic,” “easy to be with,”
of Svensen. But at 16, he under-
“a lovely person,” “an excellent
went open-heart surgery at Ore-
man.” He could make you laugh
gon Health & Science University
till you cried, and was so easy to
Hospital, and suddenly became
talk to.
relatively mobile for the fi rst time
Randy wanted more than any-
Randall Hunt
in his life.
thing to publish at least one inter-
He had a pretty wild time with
esting and meaningful book, and
friends in Knappa High School,
he left behind a manuscript that
later attending the University of
Caroline will fi nish. “Bert’s Box”
Oregon, Gonzaga University and
recounts his experiences growing
Clatsop Community College,
up in the l ower Columbia River
with a focus on being a journal-
v alley, his family’s history in the
ist and writer. He loved putting
area, as well as a history of the
together a newspaper. He kept
area itself.
in touch with friends and family
Randy lived much longer than
with letters that always brought a
most people with Tetralogy of
good laugh.
Fallot. Throughout his life, he
Randy was determined to have a good benefi ted from, and actually infl uenced,
life in spite of his heart condition. A vora- new cardiac technology and procedures.
cious reader, he had a nonstop yen for learn- That continues to this day.
ing, a life long love of movies, and a mania
He is survived by Caroline; his sisters,
for basketball. He was a masterful house Linda, Teresa, and Debbie; his brother, Jon;
painter for 40 years.
10 adoring nieces and nephews; many cous-
His wanderlust took him to San Fran- ins, aunts and uncles; and excellent friends.
cisco and Portland, where he met his fel-
His mother, Bonnie, outlived him by 18
low “Erd,” Caroline Taylor, in 1991. In hours. His father, William “Bill” Hunt Jr.,
1997, they visited her family in the U.K. died in 1992.
Their quirky and hilarious dynamic was a
A celebration of Randy’s life will be held
joy to behold. Behind the scenes, they were on May 21 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Wickiup
a world unto themselves. They moved back Senior Citizen Center in Svensen, 92650
to Svensen in 2015.
Svensen Market Road.
OREGON CAPITAL
INSIDER
Utilities to spend millions on upgrades
to reduce wildfi re ignition risks
dying or diseased that can strike a power
line,” David James, wildfi re resiliency man-
ager for Spokane-based Avista Utilities, told
an oversight hearing of the Washington Util-
ities and Transportation Commission on
Wednesday. “Year-to-date, we’ve removed
over 4,000 trees — 4,416 trees. That is just
incredible.”
At the same virtual meeting, executives
of Pacifi c Power and Puget Sound Energy
described investments pretty much all major
Western utilities are making to both prevent
the grid from sparking wildfi res and pre-
vent passing fi res from taking down electric
service. The infrastructure hardening mea-
sures include installing covered conductors,
relocating power lines and replacing some
wooden transmission poles with steel. In rare
instances, overhead power lines are being
replaced with underground wires, but that is
expensive.
In Oregon, the Legislature last year
required electric utilities to submit a wildfi re
mitigation plan annually. In the past week, the
Oregon Public Utility Commission approved
the 2022 wildfi re plans produced by the pri-
vate utilities it regulates, Pacifi c Power, PGE
and Idaho Power. The latter’s approval came
with a caveat that Idaho Power must submit
additional info to separate costs between its
Idaho and Eastern Oregon customer bases.
By TOM BANSE
Northwest News Network
Private electric utilities in the Pacifi c
Northwest are planning tens of millions
of dollars in upgrades to reduce the risk
that their power lines could spark wildfi res
during extreme weather. Utilities such as
Pacifi c Power, Avista Utilities, Idaho Power,
Portland General Electric and Puget Sound
Energy are either required to or are volun-
tarily submitting wildfi re mitigation plans.
The 2022 editions are now public.
These reports show major spending
increases to harden infrastructure, remove
trees near power lines and install systems
to instantaneously de energize circuits if a
fault is detected during a windstorm. Pacifi c
Power, for example, said it forecasts $473
million in wildfi re protection spending
over the next fi ve years. PGE, with a much
smaller service territory, budgeted $32 mil-
lion in wildfi re program operations and capi-
tal costs just for this year.
Utilities will eventually seek to recover
those costs through customers’ monthly bills.
Proposed electric rate increases pending
before the Washington Utilities and Trans-
portation Commission already include some
wildfi re mitigation costs.
“We defi ne a risk tree as anything dead,
We’ve gone ABOVE & BEYOND to make
sure you are COMFORTABLE & SAFE
at your next dental visit.
We have Infection Control Procedures
in place for your safety & ours.
** In addition to a filtration
system, external vacuum
systems, air purifiers,
and foggers, we have
added negative pressure
to all operatories. The
safety and comfort of
our patients has always
been a priority at Klemp
Family Dentistry. We are
very proud of these
innovations. Thank you
for your continued
confidence in all of us.
Thank you Diamond Heating and JJ
Electric Service LLC for completing our
negative pressure system.
Excellence in challenging conditions.
Diane G.
I saw the highest standard of health safety practices in effect
during my hygienist appointment today—much higher precau-
tions than I’d seen in a local hospital when having tests last
month. The new sanitation equipment and attention to patient
safety at Klemp Family Dentistry is in keeping with a dental
practice I consider cutting edge with respect to all my dental
needs. It’s wonderful having a world class dental practice here
at the coast, one where I can have procedures performed for
which I used to have to travel to a specialist in Portland. I have
been a patient of several local dentists in the past, but none
had the skill and, more importantly, the attention to patient
comfort that Dr Klemp provides.
KLEMP FAMILY DENTISTRY
We’re investing in Salem
coverage when other
news organizations are
cutting back.
1006 West Marine Drive, Astoria
(503) 468-0116
www.klempfamilydentistry.com
Get the inside scoop on state government and politics!
SEVENDAY FORECAST FOR ASTORIA
TODAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
Joel Eric Mendenhall passed away at well known shows, such as the “Today”
home in New York City on March 26, 2022. s how, “Access Hollywood,” CNN , “Ugly
He was born in Astoria on April 22, Betty,” “As the World Turns,” “The
1973, and was a graduate of War-
Celebrity Apprentice,” “Ameri-
can Idol ” and many more.
renton High School via Clatsop
He was preceded in death by
Community College. He later
his father, Neil Mendenhall Sr.
went on to graduate from Empire
He is survived by his mother,
Beauty School in Manhattan.
Virginia
Whealdon
(Jeff );
Early in his career, Joel
brother, Andy Mendenhall
worked in sales and later event
(Tami); sisters, Rhonda Wills
production and promotion in
(Jim) and Karen Allen (Steve);
San Francisco, Miami and New
aunt, Kay Vollmer; and numer-
York City. He had a special tal-
ous nieces and nephews.
ent for artistry in cosmetics. He
Joel Mendenhall
Arrangements for a grave-
was an Emmy-nominated New
side burial service on July 16 at
York City based makeup art-
ist and hair and wig stylist for editorial, 1 p.m. at Ocean View Cemetery in War-
catalog, advertising, television, fi lm and renton are being handled through Brian
Dutton of Ocean View Funeral & Crema-
theater.
His talent was seen through his work on tion Services of Astoria.
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
REGIONAL FORECAST
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
Seattle
55 43
A little morning
rain
56 46
54 44
Low clouds Showers around
56 43
59 45
A morning
shower
55 44
Cloudy with a Rather cloudy,
shower
showers
54 42
A bit of rain
Aberdeen
Olympia
57/40
58/46
Wenatchee
Tacoma
Moses
Lake
56/40
ALMANAC
UNDER THE SKY
TODAY'S TIDES
Astoria through Thursday
Tonight’s Sky: Sunrise now be-
fore 6:00 a.m. through Aug. 5.
Astoria / Port Docks
Temperatures
High/low ................................ 53/39
Normal high/low .................. 58/43
Record high .................. 81 in 1925
Record low .................... 32 in 1985
Precipitation
Thursday ................................. 0.06”
Month to date ........................ 5.90”
Normal month to date ......... 5.51”
Year to date .......................... 31.46”
Normal year to date ........... 31.18”
Forecasts and graphics provided by
AccuWeather, Inc. ©2022
Time
High (ft.) Time Low (ft.)
1:26 a.m.
2:12 p.m.
8.5 8:10 a.m. -0.4
7.2 8:01 p.m. 1.7
Cape Disappointment
1:03 a.m.
1:55 p.m.
Source: Jim Todd, OMSI
Hammond
SUN AND MOON
Sunrise today .................. 6:04 a.m.
Sunset tonight ............... 8:22 p.m.
Moonrise today .............. 6:09 a.m.
Moonset today .............. 8:33 p.m.
New
First
Full
Last
1:13 a.m.
2:04 p.m.
Warrenton
1:21 a.m.
2:07 p.m.
Knappa
2:03 a.m.
2:49 p.m.
Depoe Bay
Apr 30 May 8 May 15 May 22
8.4 7:20 a.m. -0.4
7.1 7:14 p.m. 2.0
8.8 7:40 a.m. -0.5
7.4 7:33 p.m. 1.8
8.9 7:54 a.m. -0.3
7.6 7:45 p.m. 1.8
8.7 9:11 a.m. -0.4
7.4 9:02 p.m. 1.4
12:15 a.m. 8.5 6:51 a.m. -0.5
1:09 p.m. 7.1 6:42 p.m. 2.0
City
Atlanta
Boston
Chicago
Dallas
Denver
Honolulu
Houston
Los Angeles
Miami
New York City
Phoenix
San Francisco
Wash., DC
Sun.
Hi/Lo/W
79/63/t
62/42/pc
65/51/t
87/64/pc
64/34/s
84/72/sh
86/73/pc
78/56/s
82/73/t
66/48/s
95/66/s
65/49/s
69/49/s
78/64/t
63/46/s
57/50/pc
84/67/c
68/40/pc
84/71/sh
88/73/pc
75/56/pc
83/74/t
68/53/s
94/65/s
65/51/pc
66/58/c
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy,
c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms,
r-rain, sf-snow fl urries, sn-snow, i-ice.
56/44
Hermiston
The Dalles 64/46
Enterprise
Pendleton 53/38
59/44
63/44
La Grande
53/42
60/42
NATIONAL CITIES
Today
Hi/Lo/W
49/41
Kennewick Walla Walla
54/43 Lewiston
62/47
59/42
Salem
Pullman
59/35
Longview
55/43 Portland
60/47
49/40
Yakima 57/39
55/39
Astoria
Spokane
51/39
Corvallis
59/39
Albany
58/41
John Day
Eugene
Bend
58/41
58/33
54/38
Ontario
57/44
Caldwell
Burns
54/33
58/43
Medford
65/41
Klamath Falls
59/26
City
Baker City
Brookings
Ilwaco
Newberg
Newport
Today
Hi/Lo/W
49/37/sh
55/41/pc
53/46/r
58/43/sh
52/42/sh
Sun.
Hi/Lo/W
57/36/pc
57/45/c
54/46/c
62/45/c
53/44/c
City
North Bend
Roseburg
Seaside
Springfi eld
Vancouver
Today
Hi/Lo/W
57/42/pc
61/41/c
55/43/r
59/40/sh
58/47/r
Sun.
Hi/Lo/W
56/45/c
67/45/c
57/44/c
66/44/c
63/48/c