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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 25, 2019)
COMMUNITY A2 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM THREE MINUTES WITH ... WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019 HERMISTON HISTORY TALAN WILHELM Street performer and construction fl agger When and why did you move to Hermiston? I’m kind of from all over. I actually wasn’t going to be stopping through here, honestly. On Wednesday, I was heading to Portland from Utah to pick up a friend, and I noticed one of my tires is bald. So I’m raising money to get that replaced, and trying to make it to Spokane to see my sister by Christmas, but I don’t know if that will happen. What is your favorite place to eat in Hermiston? The Union Club has good coffee, and they’ve been kind to me. What do you like to do in your spare time? I like to fi sh, but I only am licensed in Utah. It’s been a while since I caught anything along the Columbia River. What surprises you about Hermiston? There’s not much of a surprise here for me, I hav- en’t really explored past downtown yet. The peo- ple are nice. What was the last book you read? Do you really want me to remember that far back? What website or app do you use most other than Facebook? I use weather apps. It’s kind of a ‘tool’ for when you’re traveling, I need to fi gure out what the weather’s like where I’m headed. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? Germany. My last name is Wilhelm, and I want to see the Wilhelm Castle. What is the funniest thing that’s ever hap- pened to you? When I got Muffen, my cat (pictured above), I had no idea what to name her. I bought a banana nut muffi n at a coffee shop, set it down on a table out- side and warned her not to touch it. I went inside and when I came back out, there was a crowd of people around my table because she’d eaten the whole thing. She was so little back then. That’s how she got her name. What is one of your goals for the next 12 months? I don’t really think that far ahead. I’ve got a job lined up in Utah for March. This is kind of a mini-vacation for me. What is your proudest accomplishment? Getting my RV, and keeping it running is an every- day achievement. This RV is technically my fi rst home. Printed on recycled newsprint VOLUME 113 • NUMBER 52 Chris Rush | Publisher • crush@eomediagroup.com • 541-278-2669 Jade McDowell | News Editor • jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4536 Jessica Pollard | Reporter • jpollard@eastoregonian.com, 541-564-4534 Tammy Malgesini | Community Editor • tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4539 Annie Fowler | Sports Editor • afowler@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4542 Jeanne Jewett | Multi-Media consultant • jjewett@hermistonherald.com • 541-564-4531 Audra Workman | Multi-Media consultant • aworkman@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4538 Dawn Hendricks | Circulation assistant • dhendricks@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4530 To contact the Hermiston Herald for news, advertising or subscription information: • call 541-567-6457 • e-mail info@hermistonherald.com • stop by our offi ces at 333 E. Main St. • visit us online at: hermistonherald.com The Hermiston Herald (USPS 242220, ISSN 8750-4782) is published weekly at Hermiston Herald, 333 E. Main St., Hermiston, OR 97838, (541) 567-6457. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES Delivered by mail Wednesdays Digital + e-Edition .............................. $39/year Full Access (print and digital) ............. $49/year Periodical postage paid at Hermiston, OR. Postmaster, send address changes to Hermiston Herald, 333 E. Main St., Hermiston, OR 97838. Member of EO Media Group Copyright ©2019 CORRECTIONS It is the policy of the Hermiston Herald to correct errors as soon as they are discovered. Incorrect information will be corrected on Page 2A. Errors commited on the Opinion page will be corrected on that page. Corrections also are noted in the online versions of our stories. Please contact the editor at editor@hermistonherald. com or call (541) 564-4533 with issues about this policy or to report errors. SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR Letters Policy: Letters to the Editor is a forum for the Hermiston Herald readers to express themselves on local, state, national or world issues. Brevity is good, but longer letters should be kept to 250 words. No personal attacks; challenge the opinion, not the person. The Hermiston Herald reserves the right to edit letters for length and for content.Letters must be original and signed by the writer or writers. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Writers should include a telephone number so they can be reached for questions. Only the letter writer’s name and city of residence will be published. HH fi le photo Gov. John Kitzhaber, Rep. Chuck Norris, Rep. Ray Baum and Sen. Gordon Smith listen to Eastern Oregon mayors discuss cities’ funding needs in Pendleton in December 1994. 25 YEARS AGO Dec. 27, 1994 About a dozen members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi- neers took part in an informational picket north of Union Pacifi c’s Hin- kle Rail Yard Wednesday. The “just practicing” picket, one of 72 nationwide, marked the union’s presentation of items they’d like to see in the new engineer’s contract to Union Pacifi c manage- ment in Omaha, Nebraska. The current contract expires Dec. 31. Among the union’s demands are an annual 15 percent raise, paid hol- idays, personal leave, mandatory time away from the workplace and a meal period on the job. 2) A single mother and her four children found out yesterday how much members of the Hermiston community care. Opening their heart to Linda Pfel and her family, left destitute by a fi re that destroyed their home, commu- nity members, churches, businesses, the Hermiston police and fi re depart- ments, Agape House and the Red Cross jumped in to help. “I think it’s great; I really appreci- ate it,” Pfel said. “We lost everything.” Christmas wrapping paper stuffed into a wood stove overheated the chimney pipe, causing the ceiling of the single wide mobile home to catch on fi re. The blaze consequently spread throughout the mobile home, destroying the structure in a matter of minutes. 50 YEARS AGO Dec. 25, 1969 From the front page stories that have been printed and television and radio programs that have been aired during the past week in connection with Hermiston, the Army Depot and nerve gas, it would appear that a lit- tle “anti-nerve” gas might be in order for the rest of the state. If such a thing is available it would be welcomed by most everyone. Maybe just a couple of tranquilizers! In the past seven days and appar- ent security test was made at the Depot with the results turning out a little embarrassing for the Army and giving opponents of the gas ship- ments a lot of ammunition for more news stories. Opponents have claimed publicly that because of their actions, the Army has delayed the planned ship- ments. The Pentagon immediately denied the claim made by a Wash- ington Senator. Hermiston people have been inter- viewed by representatives for CBS, ABC and NBC television and radio, United Press International, Associ- ated Press, a Eugene television sta- tion, all local newspapers and radio stations, and a few more. HH fi le photo Firefi ghters attempt to put out a mobile home in fl ames on Christmas Day in Hermiston in 1994. 75 YEARS AGO Dec. 28, 1944 Mr and Mrs. Fred J. Estle have received the Award of the Purple Heart and certifi cate of the son, Rob- ert Clair Estle, Gunner’s Mate Third Class, U.S. Naval Reserve, who was killed in action some time ago. A let- ter was received, potions of which follow: “Our ship, the U.S.S. St. Lo, was one of a group of six CVS’s which, with our escorts, engaged in air and surface action with a strong force of the Japanese fl eet for several hours on Oct. 25. The enemy fi nally turned and retired to the northward, badly dam- aged, and having had two heavy cruis- ers and at least one destroyer sunk. “After some time following the end of the surface engagement during an air attack, a Japanese bomb pene- trated to our hangar deck spaces and exploded. This was followed by a series of violent explosions which caused such damage that the ship sunk in a short time. Your son received seri- ous injuries from one of the explo- sions, but nonetheless during the abandoning of the ship, distinguished himself by clearing away life rafts on the port gun gallery forward. “His actions without doubt saved the lives of many shipmates. He then abandoned ship, reached a raft, and was rescued by the destroyer, Heer- mann, but died on board that vessel as a result of his wounds on the night of Oct. 27, and was buried at sea on Oct. 28. The burial was attended by all survivors on board who were not too badly wounded.” 100 YEARS AGO Dec. 27, 1919 Luella McCoy, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.O. McCoy of Hermiston, sprang a surprise on her high school friends and teachers last week by HH fi le photo Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotives picket at Hinkle Rail Yard in Hermiston in 1994. announcing her marriage the day after her sixteenth birthday. The groom, Walter Mead, is a rancher of Lexing- ton and will take his bride to that place, where they will make their home. 2) At noon Wednesday, Hermis- ton came within an ace of experienc- ing serious damage from water, and probably would have been partially fl ooded had it not been for prompt action on the part of Superinten- dent of Irrigation Maurice Scroggs. The danger came through a huge ice gorge forming at the bridge over the feed canal south of town, which had backed the water up until at the time of discovery was on the verge of run- ning over and washing out the banks. Assembling a crew of men in a hurry, Mr. Scroggs hustled them to the large fl at some distance south of town that had been used as a spill- way on one former occasion when a happening like the above occurred. On arrival there they dynamited the bank and loosed the water and slush ice, thus saving the town from further danger. Community banking board elects BEO president as offi cer HERMISTON HERALD Jeff Bailey, pres- ident and CEO of Bank of Eastern Ore- gon, was recently elected as secre- tary/treasurer of the Community Banks of Oregon board of Bailey directors. A native Orego- nian, Bailey has spent more than two decades with the Bank of East- ern Oregon. He’s also active in the Heppner Chamber of Commerce and Willow Creek Economic Devel- opment Group. Other board offi cers elected to the CBO are Ron Green, chair (Ore- gon Pacifi c Bank, Florence), and Kenneth D. Trautman Jr., immedi- ate past president (People’s Bank of Commerce, Medford). Also, new four-year directors elected Dec. 6 include Randy Compton, Kate Salyers and Jim Schlotfeldt. Those re-elected to new four-year terms were Trey Maust and Joseph J. Pos- tlewait. Others currently serving on the board are Jarrett Stuchlik and Craig Wanichek. “Oregon’s community banks are fortunate to have this accomplished group of bankers leading the Com- munity Banks of Oregon. Their commitment and passion for com- munity banking will be invaluable to our organization and the communi- ties we serve,” said Linda Navarro, president and chief executive offi - cer of CBO and the Oregon Bankers Association. The Bank of Eastern Ore- gon recently opened a full-service branch in Hermiston. It’s located at 1475 N. First St. For more informa- tion, call 541-303-8274.
