A2 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
THREE MINUTES WITH …
COMMUNITY
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020
HERMISTON HISTORY
National Guard breaks ground on armory
25 YEARS AGO
June 27, 1995
AUSTIN HENDERSON
Touring Musician
When and why did you move to Hermiston?
My mother and I moved along with my grandpar-
ents to the area when I was around 1 years old. My
grandpa transferred jobs to the Walmart Distribu-
tion Center here in Hermiston.
Where is your favorite place to eat in
Hermiston?
La Palma, hands down.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Prior to the lock down, I was touring across the
states to play shows with my band and other groups,
but recently I’ve been getting into photography.
What surprises you about Hermiston?
How modern yet still rural it is as a “small town”
that continues to grow daily.
What was the last book you read?
I think it was the last book in the Pendragon series,
but I honestly spend way more time consuming
media through the internet to learn and pass time.
What website or app do you use the most?
Twitter and YouTube
If you could travel anywhere, where would you
go?
I’d love to visit New York City, Germany and Japan
the most!
What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened
to you?
Probably becoming a local legend during my time
working at our local Taco Bell. #TeamFire
What is one of your goals in the next 12 years?
Performing at a packed show in New York City is
deﬁ nitely a goal!
What is your proudest accomplishment?
Accomplishing my original dream of touring around
the Paciﬁ c Northwest area so young into my life.
Peter Evans just can’s seem to
get away from Hermiston.
After spending four years get-
ting the Hermiston Generating
Project off the ground, Evans may
be starting over again with another
U.S. Generating power plant.
The Maryland-based electric-
ity producer ﬁ led a notice of intent
to apply for a site certiﬁ cate with
the Oregon Energy Facility Siting
Council.
The application would be for
the Umatilla Generating Project,
a 500-megawatt combined cycle
cogeneration plant to be built
across Westland Road from the
Hermiston Generating plant.
2) Hermiston’s 30-year quest
for an Oregon National Guard
Armory is exactly one year away
from being over.
The guard ofﬁ cially broke
ground Saturday on a new half-
acre armory complex on Colum-
bia Drive. The armory will be the
home of the Bravo Company 3rd
Battalion 116th Calvary when it is
completed next June.
HH ﬁ le photo
Kelli King and Melissa Wallwork of Stanﬁ eld count money at a ﬁ reworks stand
in 1995.
50 YEARS AGO
June 25, 1970
A reduction of 46 civilian
employees will be made at Umatilla
Army Depot effective July 24, Col-
onel Charles R. Norris, Command-
ing Ofﬁ cer, has announced.
The colonel said a downward
trend in workload over the past sev-
eral months with no foreseeable
signiﬁ cant upswing has forced the
action. The Depot now employs
720 civilians.
2) Using manpower from Herm-
iston’s civic organizations, the city
will conduct its own census in the
near future in an attempt to check
the validity of 1970 federal cen-
sus preliminary ﬁ gures released
recently.
City Manager Tom Harper
brought the suggestion of seeking
help from civic clubs before the
council at its regular session Mon-
day night. He said the city admin-
istration doesn’t have enough man-
power to adequately conduct the
census.
The Federal Census Bureau
released preliminary ﬁ gures earlier
this month estimating Hermiston’s
population at about 4,800. That’s
about 500 less than the 1969 esti-
mate and 200 less than a state certi-
ﬁ ed county of 5,009 in 1966.
If the federal ﬁ gure is ﬁ nalized at
4,800, the city stands to lose about
$10,000 in revenue from the state.
75 YEARS AGO
June 28, 1945
Construction of a new modern
sales yard in Hermiston has been
started this week and priorities have
been obtained for all lumber and
material, it is announced by H.C.
Dykstra. He formerly owned the
Grandview Packing Company and
was represented here for 10 years by
the late B.I. Whilney and is owner of
the new company. He states his pur-
HH ﬁ le photo
Rescuers work to free a man trapped in a car after a crash outside Hermiston in
1970.
pose is to give Hermiston a depend-
able market for livestock.
2) Umatilla Project Farm Bureau
will sponsor a Fourth of July pic-
nic for their members and fami-
lies. Members of the county locals,
Pilot Rock, Echo, Pendleton and
Milton-Freewater have also been
extended an invitation.
Each family is expected to fur-
nish their own basket lunch together
with the service, also please bring
your own sugar. The locals will fur-
nish the coffee. Some difﬁ culty has
developed in obtaining ice cream,
but the Farm Bureau is still hoping
it can be obtained and ice cream will
be served along with the coffee.
A committee has been working
on a program which is expected to
take up most of the afternoon.
100 YEARS AGO
June 26, 1920
A ﬁ re in the rear of Phelps’ gro-
cery store was the cause of some
excitement Thursday morning. It
is believed to have been started by
sparks ﬂ ying from the creamery
chimney and catching ﬁ re to the rub-
bish in the rear of the grocery, where
a large coal oil tank, nearly full of
oil, was stored.
Mr. Phelps and several others
who happened to be near carried
water and tried to down the ﬂ ames
until the ﬁ re department arrived.
The boys made a quick run across
the track and had a line strung and
water on the ﬁ re in less time than it
takes to tell it.
The loss is estimated at $100 for
stock and $25 on the building, which
is fully covered by insurance.
2) Wednesday evening the boys
of the ﬁ re department turned out and
cleaned up around the department
buildings in the city and left them
looking like a city outﬁ t. They have
needed it for some little time and
the work makes quite an improve-
ment in the appearance of the city
buildings.
If some of the rest of us would stir
around, clean up our alleys and hoe
the weeds down around our places
of business, the city might make a
better impression on visitors.
Let’s get it together and have
it done before the Congressional
Committee arrives.
BY THE WAY
School district conducts survey on reopening
Hermiston School District is asking parents, staff and
students to give feedback as the district works to plan for
the 2020-21 school year in light of rules set by the Ore-
gon Department of Education to prevent the spread of
COVID-19.
The survey is available until July 2 at www.survey-
monkey. com/r/7J3MXNM.
It asks how comfortable parents are with their students
returning to school in the fall, what the survey-taker’s
primary concerns are regarding holding school in person,
and the level of internet access in their home.
• • •
Support groups, online meetings available for people
suﬀ ering domestic violence
Domestic Violence Services continues to operate
during the pandemic as an essential service.
The nonproﬁ t is offering support groups and one on
one meetings with an advocate through online video
chat. To participate in a Zoom support group, call 541-
276-3322. To set up a call with an advocate, email
advocate@dvs-or.org. The 24-hour crisis line remains
800-833-1161.
• • •
Local journalists oﬀ er podcasts
The East Oregonian has started a weekly podcast
known as “In the Newsroom.”
The podcast features discussions between local jour-
nalists in Hermiston, Pendleton and La Grande about
one of the week’s top stories. Recent topics include surg-
ing cases of COVID-19 in Eastern Oregon, what Phase
2 reopening looks like and the local Black Lives Matter
protests.
The podcasts are available through iTunes, Google
Play or at eastoregonian.com/multimedia/podcasts.
• • •
Pool set to open with new regulations
The Hermiston Family Aquatic Center is opening
for the summer on Wednesday, June 24.
Due to social distancing regulations, the pool is oper-
ating differently this year. Groups must make paid reser-
vations for an hour and a half slot of time before arriving,
and groups are capped at six people. Individuals can also
reserve a lane for lap swimming.
Hours run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. To make a reserva-
tion, call 541-667-5018 or visit bit.ly/hermistonaquatics
online.
The splash park in Butte Park is already open and does
not need a reservation.
• • •
Deadline extended for ﬂ ood recovery assistance
The deadline to apply for ﬂ ood recovery assistance
from the area’s severe ﬂ ooding in February has been
moved to July 2.
FEMA Individual Assistance and other federal recov-
ery funding has put more than $3 million in the hands
of Umatilla County residents and residents of the Uma-
tilla Indian Reservation so far this year, according to a
news release from the Federal Emergency Manage-
ment Agency. Payouts have included assistance with
rent for residents, who were displaced by ﬂ oodwater
and disaster recovery loans from the Small Business
Administration.
Call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362)
or register online at www.disasterassistance.gov to apply.
The deadline is also nearing for small businesses
impacted by COVID-19 to apply for a Paycheck Protec-
tion Program loan from the SBA.
June 30 is the last day lenders can approve one of the
loans, according to the SBA, and more than $128 million
remains available.
• • •
Takeout meals for seniors this week include roast beef,
chef salad
The Harkenrider Senior Activity Center continues
to be closed to the public during the COVID-19 outbreak,
but the senior center is still providing meals by delivery
or takeout to senior citizens every Tuesday and Thursday.
The menu for Thursday, June 25 is roast beef, baked
potato, veggies, salad and dessert. The menu for Tuesday,
June 30, is chef salad and fruit.
For a Meals on Wheels delivery, call 541-567-3582
before 10 a.m. to place an order. To pick up a meal from
the center at 255 Northeast Second St., call the same
number before 11 a.m. Meals are $4 and can be picked up
between noon and 12:50 p.m.