COMMUNITY
A2 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
THREE MINUTES WITH …
WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2020
HERMISTON HISTORY
MALENY MONTES
School Secretary,
Hermiston School District
When and why did you move to Hermiston?
My family moved to this area when I was 8 years old
because most of my mom’s family lives around the
area.
Where is your favorite place to eat in
Hermiston?
Lawan’s Thai Garden and Ruty’s
What do you like to do in your spare time?
In my spare time, I like to go hiking, play volleyball
and spend time with family and friends.
What surprises you about Hermiston?
Just how much it’s changed, developed and grown
since I moved here.
What was the last book you read?
The last book I read was “Never Touch A Shark,” to
my son.
What website or app do you use the most?
It’s a tie between Pinterest and Amazon.
If you could travel anywhere, where would you
go?
I’d love to go to Bora Bora someday.
What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened
to you?
I can’t think of anything at the moment. But anyone
who knows me, I’m sure, has a story about some-
thing that is funny or embarrassing about me.
What is one of your goals in the next 12 years?
Travel more with my family.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
My proudest accomplishment in life, without a
doubt, is my son; he is my pride and joy.
Hermiston in fi rst
place for census
The city of Hermiston
is challenging residents
to help the city by partic-
ipating in the 2020 U.S.
Census.
According to the city, so
far Hermiston is the top-
ranked city in Umatilla
County for the percentage
of residents who have fi lled
out the survey.
“At 58.9% we are ahead
of the local pack, but we’re
still 105th statewide,” the
city wrote in a recent Face-
book post. “If you hav-
en’t taken a few minutes
to fi ll out the census yet,
visit
my2020census.gov
today. Your response means
funding for schools, roads,
housing, health and other
services.”
All U.S. residents have
been encouraged to respond
to the census online or to
return the forms they were
mailed since April.
Participation in the cen-
sus, which is used to deter-
mined things like con-
gressional districts, is
mandatory, and people who
don’t reply will eventually
get an in-person visit from
a census taker to collect
information.
Census takers will ask a
few simple questions, such
as the number of people liv-
ing in the home.
The Census Bureau has
warned people to beware
of scammers who ask for a
Social Security number or
bank account information.
HH fi le photo
Hermiston farmer John Lloyd stands in a potato crop destroyed by golf ball-sized hail during a freak storm in July 1995.
Massive hail storm destroys crops
25 YEARS AGO
July 11, 1995
Golf ball-sized hail stones, tor-
rential rains, a small tornado and
70-mile-an-hour winds exploded
windows, ripped roofs off houses
and obliterated entire crops Sunday
in what may be Hermiston’s worst
storm ever.
Seven people were treated for
minor injuries at Good Shepherd
Community Hospital’s emergency
room.
Hail stones more than three
inches in diameter pummeled
Hermiston shortly after 2 p.m. The
attack lasted only 15 minutes but
left its mark.
Windows were the hardest hit.
Any glass facing southwest when
the storm hit was an open target for
the storm’s fury. West Park Elemen-
tary School lost 90 windows.
Cari Seelye, 18, was working at
Good Samaritan Center when the
storm blew in.
“Somebody said I should look at
my car. The rear window was just
gone,” she said.
Larry Campbell said all of his
151 cars at his Campbell Motors lot
were totalled.
“We estimate over $1 million in
damage,” he said. “We’ve never had
this kind of damage before.”
Vinyl siding on businesses and
homes all over the area was left shot
full of holes from the hail.
2) It lasted only 15 minutes but
for many local farmers, the effects
of Sunday’s hail storm will last well
into next year.
Bryan Wolfe, a Hermiston potato
and corn grower, said Monday he
was “trying to salvage what little
Mother Nature’s left me. She’s seen
fi t to treat us pretty harshly.”
“It was total devastation,” he
said of his 500 acres.
As of Monday Phil Hamm at
the Hermiston Agricultural and
Research Extension Center said he
had no acreage loss estimates yet.
“The word?” he said. “Bad.”
Crop damage in some areas could
be “as high as 100 percent,” he said.
50 YEARS AGO
July 9, 1970
A fi re that destroyed about
$75,000 of equipment and buildings
at the Hermiston Dairy after mid-
night Saturday, July 4 was one of
13 calls answered by the Hermiston
fi re department since last Thursday.
HH fi le photo
Mrs. Gilbert Gettmann, right, draws blood from Bill Hunsinger during a blood
drive in Hermiston in July 1970.
Most fi remen had attended or
were leaving their annual Fire-
men’s Ball Saturday night when
they received the dairy alarm at
1:59 a.m. and fought the fi re until
9:20 Sunday morning.
It is believed lightning ignited
some hay earlier in the evening and
the material smoldered until the
blaze broke out.
75 YEARS AGO
July 12, 1945
Saturday and Sunday, June 23
and 24, Capt. V.E. Daughtery, 1st
Lt. W.B. Carlson, 2nd Lt. Charles
Friday and 35 members of the
Hermiston State Guard Unit, Co. E
22 Bn. completed an all night biv-
ouac and maneuvers at the forks of
the Umatilla River approximately
fi ve miles above Bingham Springs.
The company traveling in the
convoy arrived at the camp site,
at 10 p.m. Saturday. Tents were
pitched and a guard detail formed.
All members took their turn stand-
ing post through the long hours of
the night.
Breakfast at 6 p.m. consisted of
hotcakes, butter, syrup, fried eggs,
fried spuds and hot coffee. Upon
completion of breakfast, the com-
pany area was policed. The com-
pany formed at 8 a.m. for a hike. The
hike was up the North Fork of the
Umatilla River and lasted approxi-
mately three and a half hours.
100 YEARS AGO
July 9, 1920
One of those delightful affairs
that make the life and energy of our
rural social activities appreciated
and makes one “holler” more, was
given by the Ladies of the H.O.A.
of the North Ridge district last Fri-
day evening, when they held their
last meeting and a house warming
of the present season, at the newly
remodeled home of Mr. and Mrs. A.
Biesse.
The men of the community were
the honored guests, and were very
appreciative of the bounteous sup-
per and social hour that followed.
Mr. Blanchard, reclamation stat-
istician, remarked during the eve-
ning, “I am repeatedly impressed by
the resourcefulness and versatility
of the settlers on the project, espe-
cially the women.”
From the artistically decorated
tables, and deliciously prepared
viands, to the charming music and
lively games that followed the feast,
the ladies gave proof of their high
effi ciency.
BY THE WAY
State Rep. Greg Smith to hold virtual town hall July 9
State Rep. Greg Smith is holding a virtual town hall
meeting on Thursday, July 9, at 5:30 p.m.
Smith represents District 57, which covers parts of
Umatilla, Morrow, Gilliam, Sherman and Wasco coun-
ties, in the House.
To submit a question or receive an invitation to the
Zoom video conference, email smithg@oregonlegisla-
ture.gov.
• • •
The Hermiston Police Department brought several
dogs running loose into Pet Rescue during the Fourth of
July holiday, according to Chief Jason Edmiston.
Pet owners, who are wondering if their missing
dog was brought to the shelter by the police, can now
check online at hpd.crimegraphics.com under the “press
releases” section for a list of dogs that were impounded.
The site also provides the daily log of 911 calls that
police responded to, a list of recent arrests, a map of
recent crimes in Hermiston, local missing persons, and
a description of recently stolen vehicles that have yet to
be recovered.
• • •
The Umatilla County Board of Commissioners
voted Wednesday, July 1, to implement a temporary ban
on burning in the county’s unincorporated areas starting
at noon on Thursday, July 2.
The ban is issued yearly on July 1 and prohibits open,
nonagricultural burns within the county’s unincorporated
areas, except for those areas that are covered by a rural
fi re protection district.
The ban will remain in effect until the board of com-
missioners votes to lift it.
• • •
Hermiston School District released an update on
its bond construction projects. According to the news
release, the fi rst project will go out to bid in August.
The project will include new softball fi elds, paving,
sidewalks and other improvements on the former Uma-
tilla County Fairgrounds next to Hermiston High
School. The improvements will pave the way for the
fi elds at Rocky Heights Elementary School to become
the site of the new, larger Rocky Heights.
The new Rocky Heights and new Theater Lane ele-
mentary school are in the design phase and will go out to
bid in late 2020 or early 2021, with both projects expected
to be completed in summer 2022.
• • •
After announcing it would reopen, the Harkenrider
Senior Activity Center will stay closed for longer after
all, according to parks and recreation director Larry
Fetter.
Fetter said the center will be closed until at least Aug.
1 in light of Umatilla County’s continued rise in COVID-
19 cases. The senior center will continue to provide meals
by delivery or takeout.
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.
The menu for Thursday, July 9, is baked chicken, pasta
salad and dessert. The menu for Tuesday, July 14 is hams
and yams, veggies and dessert.