COMMUNITY
A2 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
THREE MINUTES WITH …
WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 2021
HERMISTON HISTORY
Newspaper editor excited about Weiner Roast
NICK MULVIHILL
Early Intervention / Early Childhood
Special Education Specialist
Hermiston Herald, File
When and why did you move to Hermiston?
My family moved to Hermiston when I was in second
grade. I attended Rocky Heights Elementary and
then Armand Larive Middle School, graduating from
Hermiston High School.
The Sandstone Middle School marching band, under the direction of Ric Sherman, marches in the Cherry Festival parade
in The Dalles in 1996.
Where is your favorite place to eat in
Hermiston?
Lawan’s Thai Garden
Fred, Frank and Pots are three
clowns on a mission to teach kids
about fi re safety, even if it means
making balloon animals to do it.
Recently, the red-nosed trio
had their van parked under a bill-
board warning to “keep matches
and lighters away from young
children.”
With a grant from the offi ce of
the State Fire Marshal, local fi re
departments in Eastern Oregon are
launching a prevention education
campaign targeting parents of pre-
school children. The billboards are
one way of getting to parents. The
clowns are delivering that message
to the kids in person.
With backing by Hermiston
and Stanfi eld fi re departments, the
clowns have been teaching kids
fi re prevention techniques like
“stop, drop and roll” and “don’t
play with fi re” for the past three
years. They also teach children to
remind parents to check smoke
detector batteries.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Mostly fi shing (for steelhead, crappie, and bass);
also some bowling
What surprises you about Hermiston?
It’s a small town but growing fast (compared to
Pendleton, which has remained the same small size
it has long been). Also, Hermiston is diverse com-
pared to other parts of Oregon.
What was the last book you read?
“The Shining” by Stephen King
What website or app do you use most other
than Facebook?
Reddit
If you could travel anywhere, where would you
go?
The Patagonia region of Argentina (have already
had the opportunity to travel to Mexico and
Ecuador).
What is the funniest thing that’s ever hap-
pened to you?
While driving, I was tailed by a police car for a long
way ... fi nally, I pulled over just by my house and
asked the offi cer, “Can I help you?” The police offi -
cer turned out to be my neighbor!
What is one of your goals for the next 12
months?
I would like to write a fi ction book.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
After being hit by a car while studying abroad in
Ecuador and suff ering serious injury (including
brain injury), I still managed to graduate college on
time in four years.
United Way hosts virtual
singing competition
United Way is hosting a
virtual singing competition
in its Blue Mountain region.
Sing United: Clash of
the Blue Mountain Beats
will celebrate and recog-
nize musical talent in Walla
Walla, Columbia, Umatilla,
Morrow, Baker, Union, Wal-
lowa, Grant, Harney, and
Malheur counties and serve
as a fundraiser for United
Way.
The Grand Prize winner
will receive $2,500, multiple
live performances, a private
musician photoshoot and
other prizes. Money raised
during tournament voting
will support United Way of
the Blue Mountains.
The tournament is open
to individual performers and
bands, with $1 per vote.
Musicians must submit
registration for the tourna-
ment by May 10 at 8 am.
For eligibility require-
ments and to enter the tour-
nament, musicians and
bands can visit https://www.
uwbluemt.org/sing.
25 YEARS AGO
May 7, 1996
Hermiston Herald, File
Paul Lloyd, 4, and his brother Dain, 2, help their mom, Cathy Lloyd, fi x chicken
roll-ups for guests in 1996.
Hermiston, Gudgels in Stanfi eld
and Williams Cafe in Echo.
100 YEARS AGO
May 6, 1921
50 YEARS AGO
May , 1971
Mark Sheets, 14, and in the
eighth grade at Hermiston Junior
High School, says he has his future
all mapped out.
He was well on his way to
launching a career in his cho-
sen fi eld of fl oat-designing when
he agreed to design and build the
Chamber of Commerce fl oat — a
job no one else wanted.
Mark began designing his own
fl oats to enter in the fair parade
four years ago, capturing fi rst place
in his division every year. He was
toying with the idea of revamping
his fl oat from last year, an ambi-
tious project featuring a rocket and
a Liberty Bell, when he decided he
was capable of the task of design-
ing a fl oat that would represent the
city of Hermiston.
Paradegoers at the Milton-Free-
water Pea Festival this weekend
will be treated to the fi rst public
presentation of the fi nished prod-
uct — a thing of beauty that should
make the town proud of its talented
young designer.
75 YEARS AGO
May 9, 1946
The long-awaited green light
fl ashed Saturday for construction
of the McNary Dam and other
Hermiston Herald, File
Frank the clown uses a smoke
detector to teach children about fi re
safety in Hermiston in 1996.
river, harbor and fl ood control
work in Oregon. The bill signed
by President Truman provides
$9,594,500 for work in Oregon —
most of it for preliminary work on
McNary Dam and on the Willa-
mette basin dams: Detroit, Dorena
and Lookout Point.
2) May 12-19 has been set as
the week for collection of canned
foods by the National Catholic
Welfare conference in cooperation
with War Relief Services. No one
will be deprived of food because
of race, color or creed. The food
given will be distributed with
Christ-like charity.
Our Lady of Angels Catho-
lic Church is taking part in the
national campaign and invites
every member of the community
to give what they can to this wor-
thy cause.
The following stores have con-
sented to receive canned goods
for the campaign: Griffi ns Gro-
cery Store in Tertletown, Stone’s
Market in Hermiston, Safeway in
The big Weiner Roast party
looms up larger than ever, and the
plans are about all made and noth-
ing now remains to do but come
on in and have one of those old
fashioned good times that fi ction
writers tell about in stories that
used to happen long ago but are
out of fashion now.
We must be all out of fashion,
for this is surely going to be an
old fashioned get-together, where
everybody rubs elbows with
everybody else.
This party is given absolutely
free of charge for the ladies and
gentlemen who live in the coun-
try and don’t have an opportu-
nity to come in to everything
that’s going on, so the commit-
tees of the Community Club and
the Commercial Club formed this
idea to bring everyone in the same
night to get acquainted and have a
grand entertainment. It’s surpris-
ing how many newcomers there
are in the neighborhood and every
one of them are cordially invited
to this party, and it will be the fi n-
est place for all to get acquainted.
Remember — put the children
to bed, and don’t let anything stop
you from coming to this big party.
The committees ask you to put the
children to bed for they thought
there would not be enough room
for the grown-ups if the children
came too.
BY THE WAY
Umatilla County Fair Appreciation Dinner canceled
The Umatilla County Fair Appreciation Dinner
set to take place on May 15 will be combined with next
year’s event instead.
In a letter to sponsors, Fair Manager Angie McNal-
ley said that Umatilla County moving back to high risk
restrictions for COVID-19 would not allow the fair to
hold a full event, and after speaking with the county
health department about diff erent options, the fair board
agreed it did not want to cut anyone from the guest list.
McNalley said fair organizers are still hard at work
planning the 2021 fair, and still plan to hold the fair on
Aug. 11-14. The fair court, grand marshals and other hon-
orees for the 2021 fair will be honored alongside the next
year’s honorees during the annual Fair Appreciation Din-
ner in January 2022.
• • •
Tennis shoes sought for foster children
A partnership between Every Child Oregon and the
child welfare branch of Oregon Department of Human
Services is sponsoring a tennis shoe drive for foster chil-
dren in Umatilla and Morrow counties as part of Fos-
ter Care Awareness Month, according to Heidi Zeigler,
the community development director for DHS in the two
counties.
Donors can drop off the shoes at Sweet Potato’s Closet
and Desert Lanes Family Fun Center in Hermiston.
People can also make donations online via Amazon
Wish List by making a purchase through smile.amazon.
com/hz/charitylist/ls/13MM6IEUXXJA3/ref=smi_ext_
lnk_lcl_cl, which will automatically ship the donation to
Sweet Potato’s Closet. The drive will last through the end
of May, with shoes being distributed to children in June,
Zeigler said.
In addition, DHS will also be collecting gift cards and
certifi cates for foster families in place of the annual fos-
ter parent appreciation dinner, which was canceled due to
the ongoing pandemic.
People wishing to donate gift cards can email Marvin
Hamilton at marvin.hamilton@dhsoha.state.or.us or call
541-564-4484.
• • •
Senior meals include chicken alfredo,
pork loin
The Harkenrider Senior Activity Center menu
for Thursday, May 6, is pork loin, baked potato, veggie
and dessert. The menu for Tuesday, May 11, is chicken
alfredo, peas and carrots, fruit and dessert.
For a Meals on Wheels delivery in Hermiston, 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 number before 11 a.m.
Meals are $4 and can be picked up between 11:30 a.m.
and noon.
The Boardman Senior Center is now providing meal
delivery. Meals are $4 paid upon delivery. Call 541-481-
3257 to order.