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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 22, 2017)
COMMUNITY A2 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM THREE MINUTES WITH ... WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2017 HERMISTON HISTORY Residents urged to support location of new freeway near Hermiston 25 YEARS AGO FEBRUARY 25, 1992 DR. JOHN SPOMER Dentist When did you come to the area and what brought you here? Janet and I moved to Hermiston in 1974 to start a dental practice. The agricultural base of the economy was a prime factor, combined with the overall growth. What is your favorite local place to eat? Depends on our mood. No one place stands out. What is your favorite activity in your free time? Reading and running. What’s the last book you read? Would you recommend it? “The Rivalry of Art,” and yes if you are interest- ed in art history. What is your favorite website or app (other than Facebook)? Google — it works. What surprises you about Hermiston? The rate of growth of our school population. Describe your perfect travel destination. I guess I would have to say Honduras, as I go there several times a year for volunteer projects. What’s the funniest thing that’s ever hap- pened to you? Difficult to pick one thing, but maybe celebrat- ing Christmas in the East African nation of Ma- lawi in 1973. What is one of your goals for the next 12 months? To help the dental health NGO “Cadena de Amor” to be more self-sufficient in the coming year. What is your proudest accomplishment? Hard to say one thing. I feel good about the years I served on the school board, the care I provided my patients, the positive relationship developed with the young women on the high school running teams, my current work in Hon- duras, and finally watching and assisting the growth of our daughter, Abbie. CELEBRATING 40 YEARS! Thank you to my loyal customers. DESERT COBBLER SHOE & BOOT REPAIR • Purses • Belts • and Much More! 120 NE 3rd St. • Hermiston • 541-567-2008 Mom has always been so patient, but now when I ask her questions she gets angry. IT’S NOT LIKE HER. WE CAN HELP. Call us with questions about aging and Alzheimer’s. 1-855-ORE-ADRC HelpForAlz.org OREGON DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES PROGRAM • The city of Hermiston could be held liable if the city’s water supply is con- taminated by a backflow of hazardous materials. John Huffman, from the State Health Division, told the Hermiston City Council that other towns have been sued for millions of dollars because of backflow con- tamination. For this reason, Oregon has enacted new laws which require cities to use some form of backflow prevention. The new law requires water suppliers to “discontinue service to those premises (where) an existing or potential cross connection is located on the user’s premises, until an appropriate backflow de- tention device assembly is installed or until the hazard is eliminated.” Councilors raised concerns that costs would be prohibitive for the city to install backflow prevention devices in every home. Huffman said the prevention device would go between the meter and the house, and it would be the responsibility of the owner to have it installed and in- spected yearly. He added that any cost incurred by the city would still be lower than any lawsuits the city may face is a backflow oc- curs. • Video poker machines are coming back to Hermis- ton bars. The entertainment devices, which had come under fire for being used all-too-often for gambling, were removed from area bars last year. Oregon’s Lottery Commission, how- ever, is bringing the ma- chines back, complete with payoffs as high as $600 on a 25-cent bet. The Pheasant Cafe and Lounge and The Grainary Inn in downtown Hermiston both received video poker machines last week, but the machines won’t be operational until March 30, according to lot- tery spokeswoman Marlene HERALD ARCHIVES A map showing four possible alignments of Interstate 82 being considered in 1967. Meissner. It will take until March for the machines, along with hundreds throughout the state, to be tested and hooked up to a computer in Salem that will keep track of how much money is paid into the ma- chines and how much mon- ey bar owners pay out. 50 YEARS AGO FEBRUARY 23, 1967 • A virtual caravan of people from the west end of Umatilla County was expected to travel to Pend- leton to demonstrate their support for the Umatilla Bridge route proposed for Interstate 82N at the Or- egon State Highway De- partment hearing at Vert Auditorium. Residents from neighboring Morrow County were also expected to attend. Spearheaded by Hermiston City Manager Tom Harper, plans have been completed for a large local delegation to appear at the hearing on behalf of the Umatilla Bridge route connecting with Interstate 80 (now Interstate 84) near Stanfield Junction. • Umatilla Speedway is expected to be delayed about two weeks from the April 1 opening date set earlier, according to Charles Kik. Construction crews have hit a rock formation Flowers • Candles Jewelry • Plants Balloons & More! e! Put a smile on the heart with the power of flowers. wers. HWY 395, 395 HERMISTON HERMIIST S ON 541-567-4305 Mon-Sat 8am-6pm • Sun 12pm-5am www.cottagefl owersonline.com which will require an unex- pected amount of blasting, Kik said, and this is going to force the opening date to around the middle of April. The asphalt oval will be 200 feet over a quarter mile and will be eight feet high- er on the outside, which will allow for some excep- tionally high speed races. It will feature stock cars, hard tops, and jalopies. An elevated grandstand on the south side of the track will accommodate 2,500 specta- tors and a large parking area will be provided. The pres- ent schedule calls for Sun- day racing until hot weather begins. The events will then be switched to Saturday nights under the lights. The Blue Mountain Racing As- sociation, whose president is Bill Jones of Pendleton, will be in charge of staging the races. “This track will be on par with any track of comparable size in Eastern Oregon,” Kik said. “You’re going to see some mighty fast times run here.” 75 YEARS AGO FEBRUARY 26, 1942 • Sam Moore, Standard oil distributor here, has been appointed as a member of the county civil defense council, replacing James Todd who re- signed. Mr. Moore’s position as head of the volunteer po- lice department will be taken by Charles Hodge, Chevrolet dealer. • Beginning with the March 2, 1942 issue, the Hermiston Herald will be 15 cents per copy at all news- stands and from paper boys. • Hermiston, normally a town of 800 inhabitants, mushroomed almost over- night into a young city of more than 10 times that number of people during the year 1941, when a vast United States Army Ord- nance Depot and ammuni- tion dump was constructed. That detail is included in the historical sketch of Umatilla County, in the Inventory of the County Archives of Or- egon series of books. • A new ruling for acqui- sition of automobiles has placed farmers on the eligi- bility list for the purchase of new automobiles. The fol- lowing is the complete rule: “Persons requiring automo- biles for the transportation of produce and supplies to and from a farm if the appli- cant does not own or possess a truck or other practicable means of transportation” shall be qualified. The rules are part of war rationing. 100 YEARS AGO FEBRUARY 24, 1917 • The Secretary of the Interior announces the opening to entry on March 6, of approximately 1,300 acres in the second unit of the west extension unit of the Umatilla, Oregon rec- lamation project. Persons desiring to acquire any of this land must execute a homestead application subject to the provisions of the reclamation law which, with the required fees commissions accom- panied by a certificate of the Project Manager at Hermiston as to the fil- ing of water right appli- cations and payment of water right charges, may be presented to the proper local land office. When they say “You need a hearing test!” and you say “I have a hairy chest?” Photo, Left to right: Verna Taylor, HAS Ric Jones, BC-HIS Forrest Cahill, HAS 541-567-4063 • 405 N. 1st St., Suite #107, Hermiston 541-215-1888 • 246 SW Dorion, Pendleton
