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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 30, 2020)
COMMUNITY A2 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM THREE MINUTES WITH … WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 HERMISTON HISTORY Forgery cases rise in Hermiston AUDRA WORKMAN Classifi ed Customer Service, Hermiston Herald When and why did you move to Hermiston? I’ve lived here since I was 2. Where is your favorite place to eat in Hermiston? I like La Laguna that just opened up, and La Palma. What do you like to do in your spare time? Usually I like to go on trips and go to the coast with family. I like going yard sale-ing. What surprises you about Hermiston? How people help each other in times of need, and businesses help each other. What was the last book you read? I mostly read the newspaper. What website or app do you use most other than Facebook? IMDB, and lately it’s been the classroom app to see what my daughter has to do for school. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? Ireland What is the funniest thing that’s ever hap- pened to you? My whole life is humorous. What is one of your goals for the next 12 months? To stay employed What is your proudest accomplishment? My daughter Umatilla County case counts still too high for in-person schooling By ALEX CASTLE STAFF WRITER In a move that loosened barriers for some schools in the state to begin in-per- son education, the Oregon Department of Education suspended use of the state’s COVID-19 test positivity rate metric for of September on Thursday, Sept. 24. The decision, fi rst reported by Oregon Pub- lic Broadcasting, has no impact on schools in Uma- tilla County, which reported 61 new COVID-19 cases the week of Sept. 20-26, accord- ing to the Oregon Health Authority. That’s still well above the requirement of reporting less than 10 cases per 100,000 residents (fewer than eight new cases per week for Umatilla County) for three straight weeks before returning all students to classrooms. However, a longer sus- pension of the metric, if not complete removal of it, could signifi cantly impact the county’s longer-term prospects of returning to in-person education. “I don’t really know where they’re going with this, or if this is just the start of this metric just not being used anymore,” said Uma- tilla County Public Health Director Joe Fiumara. A majority of Uma- tilla County schools won’t be permitted to reopen for in-person instruction until the county records a test pos- itivity rate of less than 5% for three consecutive weeks. HH fi le photo Maggie Ruby, 13, works with her class to clear branches around Sandstone Middle School in 1995. 25 YEARS AGO Sept. 26, 1995 Whoever broke into Alvie Acheson’s Hermiston home took the usual items — a few guns and other more portable property. The burglar also took a book of checks. This has happened before, so Acheson knows what to expect. Fifty dollars worth of pizza here, some new clothing there, groceries somewhere else, all paid for by sto- len checks. She will call her bank and close her account, then wait for angry calls from creditors who feels they may have been cheated themselves. It is a story that police are hearing more and more. “We’re working a tremendous amount of forgery cases,” said Hermiston Police Offi cer Gretchen Erickson. 50 YEARS AGO September 24, 1970 “The Murder of Til Taylor, a Great Western Sheriff,” by Ernest L. Crockatt, formerly of Pendleton, has just been published by Dorrance & Company. Six prisoners broke jail in July, 1920, leaving Sheriff Til Taylor of Umatilla County mortally wounded. The murder touched off the most famous manhunt in the history of the Northwest. The author tells of the tragedy in which he was a posse-man and gives a history of the county and its environs, including Indian wars, stagecoach holdups and saloon she- nanigans. Of special interest is Crockatt’s recounting of the evolu- tion of the Pendleton Round-Up, part of the permanent legacy of Til Tay- lor. Taylor was one of its founders and one of its presidents. The book is illustrated and has a foldout map of the Blue Mountain country of East- ern Oregon where the manhunt took place. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Crockatt came with his family to the United States in 1908. They settled in Pendleton where the author fi rst met Taylor. Crockatt attended col- lege and after serving in the 10th Canadian Infantry during World War I, studied at the University of Ore- gon School of Journalism. He was news editor of the Pendleton Tribune at the time of the murder. 75 YEARS AGO Sept. 20, 1945 Construction of the E.P. Dodd building and the new post offi ce building on Main Street have HH fi le photo Brigette Brandhagen works with students learning Spanish at Sandstone Middle School in 1995. advanced rapidly during the past week. Frank P. Sargent Construction company have placed the roof tim- bers in place and have completed the east wall on the post offi ce building, and have poured the concrete plas- ter on the 25-foot front building just west of the post offi ce. Shockman and Sons have started putting on the plaster board on the Dodd building Wednesday. The front of the structure is ready for the lay- ing of brick and then the windows will be installed. Dodd has started construction of another building on Main Street opposite the Oasis Theater which will be 25x70 feet of similar con- struction to his other new building. Dodd states that the building has not been rented as yet, although he has had several fi rms desirous of using the space. 2) Hermiston young ladies plan- ning to leave for their respective schools and colleges for the com- ing term are reported by Supt. W. G. Kersbergen’s offi ce as follows: Mary Arnold, Lois Hunt, Martha Jones, Ruth McCulley, Oregon State College; Charlene Rowland, Myria Gailey, Joy Reid, Margaret Som- merer, Eastern Oregon College of Education, La Grande; Hope Reyn- olds, Opal Null, Reed’s College in Portland; Donna Jean Myers, busi- ness college in Walla Walla; Har- riet Lind, nursing school in Seat- tle; Rosalie Hammer, nurses training at St. Luke’s hospital, Walla Walla; Doris Ann and Dola May Dougherty, a college in Chicago; Stella Weber, nurses training in Spokane; L. V. McGraw, nurses training in Walla Walla. 100 YEARS AGO Sep. 24, 1920 In the Portland Oregonian of September 12, W. T. Noel of Pend- leton says: “Motorists bound for the Round-Up should be sure to turn to the left for Arlington after crossing the John Day River. This is the route via Hermiston and it leads to the new highway at Arlington.” The recent rains have improved the roads greatly and tourists all over the Northwest are planning to drive to the Round-Up. 2) A.J. Strader did some fi ne work in smoothing up the city streets last week, dragging a scraper behind a truck, covering up some troublesome mud holes and generally improving the condition of the streets. BY THE WAY Hermiston looking for new city councilor to represent Ward IV The city of Hermiston is taking applications for a new city councilor representing Ward IV, covering the south- east quadrant of the city. Doug Smith recently resigned from the position, and the city’s charter states that a special election must be held on March 9, 2021, but the city may appoint someone to fi ll that seat in the interim. Applicants must live in the Ward IV boundaries, which can be found on the city’s website at hermiston. or.us. Applications can also be found on the website, and must be returned to city recorder Lilly Alarcon-Strong by 5 p.m. on Nov. 4 at 215 E. Gladys Ave., or by email at lalarcon-strong@hermiston.or.us. The city is also looking to fi ll several vacancies on its committees. Available positions include seats on the Budget Committee, Hispanic Advisory Committee, Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center Committee, Faith-Based Advisory Committee, Planning Commis- sion and the Library Board. For a full list of positions and the requirements for each committee visit hermiston.or.us/article/ committee-vacancy-announcements. • • • If you’re missing sports, check out the Tuesday, Sept. 29, East Oregonian in print or online at www. eastoregonian.com to read Sidelined, a special section with interviews from high school athletes around the region who have had their sports seasons disrupted by COVID-19. Stories in the section feature local players, such as three-sport Hermiston athletes Jayden Ray and Trevor Wagner, who overcame a gunshot wound that at age 9 caused doctors to tell him he may never play sports again. • • • If you’re already wondering about what Halloween will look like this year, Hermiston Parks and Recre- ation is not planning to leave little ghosts and goblins empty-handed. The city is planning a drive-thru trick or treating expe- rience downtown and other socially-distanced events for Halloween this year. Stay tuned to future editions of the Hermiston Herald for more details. • • • The Harkenrider Senior Activity Center continues to provide takeout and delivery meals to senior citizens in the community. The menu for Thursday, Oct. 1, is chicken pot pie, salad, fruit and dessert. Tuesday, Oct. 6, will be spaghetti, garlic bread, salad and dessert. 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 N.E. Second St., call the same num- ber before 11 a.m. Meals are $4 and can be picked up between 11:45 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.
