COMMUNITY
A2 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
THREE MINUTES WITH …
WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2020
HERMISTON HISTORY
Fireworks start blaze that burns 100 acres
25 YEARS AGO
July 4, 1995
MELISSA NEY
Oregon Department of Agriculture
Food Safety Specialist
When and why did you move to Hermiston?
In 2003 for a job.
Where is your favorite place to eat in
Hermiston?
Lawans Thai
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Hike, bike and run!
What surprises you about Hermiston?
How kind people are!
What was the last book you read?
“It takes what it takes,” by Trevor Moawad.
What website or app do you use the most?
Facebook
If you could travel anywhere, where would you
go?
Belize
What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened
to you?
In 2015, my car was stolen. Dispatch called me at
2 a.m., fi ve days later, to tell me my car had been
found, and I needed to come pick it up. It was on
FIRE in front of the sheriff’s offi ce. I asked, how am
I going to come pick up my car if it’s on FIRE?
What is one of your goals in the next 12 years?
To coach the winning National FFA Food Science
competition
What is your proudest accomplishment?
To be successful on my own
Free crisis
counseling available
to fl ood survivors
HERMISTON HERALD
Residents of Umatilla
County and the Confeder-
ated Tribes of the Umatilla
Indian Reservation affected
by the fl ooding of Feb. 5-9
are eligible to receive crisis
counseling.
The Federal Emergency
Management Agency stated
in a news release that the
services are free and confi -
dential and can take place
in peoples’ homes, work-
places, churches or other
locations.
Crisis counseling as well
as other services for survi-
vors of the February fl oods
are offered by Umatilla
County Human Services
and the Confederated Tribes
of the Umatilla Indian Res-
ervation. Services can
include learning about com-
mon reactions to natural
disasters and coping skills
for handling those reactions.
To request an appoint-
ment, call 541-969-4857.
Yellowhawk
Tribal
Health Center is also pro-
viding disaster relief and
crisis counseling naviga-
tion for those impacted
the the fl ooding specifi -
cally on the Umatilla Indian
Reserviation.
Sierra Quaempts and
JShon Thompson can pro-
vide supportive listening
and help people connect to
resources.
They can be reached at
541-240-8670.
Aided by high winds, a brush
fi re Sunday spread to within feet
of homes in the Alora Heights sub-
division before they were brought
under control by Hermiston, Uma-
tilla and Stanfi eld fi re crews.
The fi re charred about 100 acres
of land between Highway 395 and
the subdivision on Theater Lane.
Fire offi cials said children play-
ing with fi reworks at a home near
Long John’s Trading Post on High-
way 395 started the blaze.
2) Morrow County offi cials want
a 150-bed regional jail along its
share of the Interstate 84 freeway.
Morrow County is part of a
fi ve-county coalition attempting
to grab a piece of the $59 million
state-funded pie dedicated to county
jails to build the Northern Oregon
Regional Correctional Facility.
Representatives to the coalition
met last week in Boardman to dis-
cuss possible sites and plan strategy
for securing funding.
HH fi le photo
Marine deputies search for the body of a 30-year-old man who drowned after he
and a friend decided to jump off of the Interstate 82 bridge across the Columbia
River to beat the heat in July 1995.
50 YEARS AGO
July 2, 1970
Union barbers of local 754,
covering this area, have voted to
increase the cost of haircuts to all
but senior citizens, 65 years and
older.
Adult haircuts will increase to
$2.50 and for children 4 and under
$2.25, except on Saturday when
all haircuts will be $2.50. The new
prices was in effect starting Tues-
day, June 30.
The barbers voted to keep haircut
prices for retired or senior citizens
at $2.25 because most are living on
a fi xed income, while working men
receive periodic raises in pay.
Beginning July 1, Portland bar-
bers will charge $2.75 for haircuts.
75 YEARS AGO
July 5, 1945
Surplus army trucks will be avail-
able to assist in easing Umatilla
County’s critical farm transporta-
tion problem, Jens Terjeson, chair-
man of the county AAA committee,
announced yesterday.
As a “critical” area, Umatilla
County will receive a share of the
102 trucks just released by the
army at Camp White, Medford,
and allocated to agriculture under
a new plan to give farmers fi rst
chance at surplus military equip-
ment. Five other Oregon wheat
producing counties are included in
the area.
Over half of the 102 trucks in the
fi rst group allocated are 1941 and
1942 model convention-type 1.5
ton trucks with fl at beds and stake
racks.
2) Fire destroyed the M.R.
Pomeroy home seven miles east of
Hermiston in the Columbia district
last Friday morning about 8 o’clock
with total loss of the residence and
contents. The fl ames spread so fast
through the building that it was
almost consumed before the alarm
for the Hermiston volunteer fi re
department was sounded.
Mr. Pomeroy was away from
home at the time and Mrs. Pome-
roy, daughter and son were in the
barn milking. Defi nite cause of the
fi re has not been determined but it
started in upper part of the building
and a defective fl ue is blamed.
100 YEARS AGO
July 2, 1920
After it had been reported that
President Woodrow Wilson failed
to sign the water power bill recently
passed by Congress, after 10 years
HH fi le photo
Leanne Gatlin-Ruby, left, Kristi Smalley and Julie Logosz learn new tricks with
the computers at Hermiston High School in July 1995.
HH fi le photo
Offi cials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers visit McNary Dam in July 1995.
delay over the matter, it now comes
as a welcome surprise to the west
to read that the president signed the
measure before June 11 but for some
unknown reason the public was not
advised.
This action will open the way for
great development in the west. It
will open the way for electrifi cation
of railroads, irrigation projects, pulp
and paper mills, etc. This bill will
unlock great natural resources which
for years have been withheld from
public use through lack of work-
able legislation. The west has won
one victor in its fi ght for industrial
development.
2) The Shotwell Contracting
company received a contract to
gravel fi ve miles of the Columbia
highway last week. The section of
the road that the Shotwell company
will gravel is that portion just east of
Echo. Mr. Shotwell said he expects
to complete the work by the fi rst of
August.
The road is in very bad condition
between Echo and Pendleton and it
is gratifying to see that a local fi rm
gets the contract to gravel this part
of the road that needs repairing the
most.
BY THE WAY
Newspaper offi ces again closed to the public
HERMISTON HERALD
For the safety of employees and customers, the East
Oregonian and Hermiston Herald front offi ces will be
closed to public access until further notice, at the direc-
tion of publisher Andrew Cutler.
All departments can be contacted by phone and
email and all visitors must be prearranged by appoint-
ment only. In compliance with Gov. Kate Brown’s
executive orders, visitors are asked to wear a mask or
face shield.
Customers can call our customer service representa-
tives at 800-522-0255 for assistance.
“We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause
but the health of our employees and customers is very
important to us,” Cutler said.
The East Oregonian will also not print a July 4 edition
of the paper, as the U.S. Postal Service will not be open
to deliver it. Most staff will not be working on July 3 in
observance of the Fourth of July holiday.
• • •
Senior center will open for meals
on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning July 7
The Harkenrider Senior Activity Center will reopen
its doors again for meals starting July 7. Social dis-
tancing guidelines will be followed, and masks will be
encouraged.
Meals will only be available on Tuesdays and Thurs-
days at noon for now.
The menu for Thursday, July 2, is burgers, hot dogs,
chips, potato salad, fruit and dessert. The menu for Tues-
day, July 7, is meat loaf, mashed potatoes and gravy,
green beans and dessert.
For a Meals on Wheels delivery, call 541-567-3582
before 10 a.m. to place an order.
For take-out, call the same number before 11 a.m.
Meals are $4 and can be picked up between noon and
12:30 p.m.
According to a news release from the senior center, on
June 25 the center served 95 meals while doing take-out
and delivery only.
• • •
Grants available for health and
wellness projects
Good Shepherd Community Health Foundation
has opened its grant application period for its fall grants
for projects that would increase the health and wellness
of the community in the greater Hermiston area.
The deadline to submit a fall grant application is July
31.
For a grant application visit gshealth.org/founda-
tion/awards or you may call the foundation’s offi ce at
541-667-3419.