A2 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
THREE MINUTES WITH …
COMMUNITY
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2021
HERMISTON HISTORY
Owner of Pandora’s Box fi ghts eviction
COREY GORHAM
Battalion chief, Umatilla County Fire
District No. 1
When and why did you move to Hermiston?
My parents, sister and I moved to Hermiston from La
Grande in 1991 due to the majority of my dad’s work
being over in this area. At that time I had an aunt,
an uncle, and a couple of cousins that lived here so
we were not new to the city.
Where is your favorite place to eat in
Hermiston?
My favorite place to eat tends to change every so
often, right now it would be the Rio Express Mexican
Grill. I think they have great burritos and tacos.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I have two teenage daughters so they keep my wife
and me pretty busy with all of their activities. I also
enjoy riding horses, team roping and anything that
gets me outside.
What surprises you about Hermiston?
The thing that surprises me about Hermiston is the
rate at which this city is growing right now. It crazy
to see how fast it is changing.
What was the last book you read?
The last book that I read was actually a children’s
book titled “Way Of The Warrior Kid” by Jocko Will-
ink. My wife bought it for me. The author is a retired
Navy Seal that has written several books on leader-
ship, with a few of them being written for children.
What website or app do you use most other
than Facebook?
I am not on social media of any kind so probably the
ESPN app.
If you could travel anywhere, where would you
go?
I would really like to travel to Yellowstone National
Park some day.
What is the funniest thing that’s ever hap-
pened to you?
Not sure if it’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened
to me but one morning when I was about to get off
shift from the fi re district and I went out to warm up
my pickup. After starting it, I walked back inside to
get the last of my things. When I walked out to get
into my truck, one of my other shift partners had
driven my pickup out into McKenzie Park behind
the station and parked it between the playground set
and the post offi ce. I remember it being a long walk
out there and hoping that nobody saw me besides the
other fi refi ghters laughing behind me.
What is one of your goals for the next 12
months?
One goal that I am actually getting to do next month
is going to Boston and attending a Boston Red Sox
game.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
My proudest accomplishment is watching my two
daughters grow up and how wonderful they have
become! Good job, honey!
Correction
In the article “New in town,” published June 23 on page
A1, the owner of Get Fit Nutrition was misnamed. Her name
is Laura Rivera. The Hermiston Herald sincerely regrets the
error.
Hermiston Herald, File
Band members of Jeff and the Revolvers entertain people at Spudfest in Hermiston in 1996.
25 YEARS AGO
July 2, 1996
The owner of Pandora’s Box is
claiming she is a victim of religious
persecution and continues to fi ght
the eviction order brought against
her by her landlord.
A Forcible Entry and Wrong-
ful Detainer form fi led by Debbie
McConnell last week listed the rea-
sons that she felt her business should
not be evicted from its current loca-
tion at 158 E. Main St. in Hermiston.
Pandora’s Box has been in busi-
ness for a little over nine months.
Dennis Griffi n, a Bend business-
man, recently purchased the com-
mercial building on Main Street and
sent an eviction notice to McConnell
demanding she be out by June 30.
One of the reasons listed,
according to Griffi n’s lawyer,
Michael Peterkin, was that Pando-
ra’s Box would “not be compati-
ble with (Griffi n’s) goals.” In a let-
ter to McConnell, Peterkin said that
“pseudo-witchcraft, by anyone’s
defi nitions, is extremely outrageous
behavior.”
The store is an uncommon addi-
tion to Hermiston’s Main Street.
Items for sale range from herbal
smoking blends and water pipes to
non-Christian religious items and
adult-oriented toys and gifts.
Hermiston Herald, File
The Hermiston 9/10-year-old Little League All-Stars pose for a team photo at the
District 5 tournament in 1996.
improved, hair made more lustrous
and manageable. And a large num-
ber report GROWING NEW HAIR!
The two secret-formula liquid solu-
tions are easy to apply, the simple
directions easy to follow in the pri-
vacy of your own home.
100 YEARS AGO
July 1, 1921
50 YEARS AGO
July 1, 1971
Gordon Richardson, McNary
Dam Project engineer, Monday
night persuaded the Hermiston City
Council to investigate the possibility
of creating a vector control district to
rid the area of mosquitos.
Richardson, who has represented
the Hermiston Rotary in its eff orts
to control mosquitos, said he has
received many telephone calls from
people in the Umatilla-McNary area
who ask what he is doing about the
insects. His own actions, he pointed
out, are limited to federal govern-
ment property under the control of
the Army Corps of Engineers. Else-
where, he said, it is the responsibility
of the state or local government or
private individuals.
With the increase in irrigation
in Umatilla and Morrow counties,
Richardson told the council, there
are more pools of water in the Herm-
iston area than before, so there are
more places for mosquitos to breed.
75 YEARS AGO
June 27, 1946
From an advertisement:
You’ve read all about it in news-
Hermiston History, File
Debbie McConnell, owner of
Pandora’s Box, stands outside the
business on Main Street in Hermiston
in 1996.
papers, heard about it on the air,
newsreels have been made. Now
enthusiastic users fl ood the mails
with testimonials praising in glow-
ing terms the HAIR FARMER’S
sensational treatment. Many acclaim
BRANDENFEL’S SCALP AND
HAIR TREATMENT a “miracle of
modern science!” and “One of the
world’s greatest discoveries!” Oth-
ers declare: “It exceeded my wildest
hopes.” You, too, may be one of the
countless numbers to rejoice in new
hair growth and new scalp and hair
health!
Many men and women who have
faithfully followed this method
report these astonishing results —
excessive falling hair has stopped,
freedom from dandruff , scalp and
hair conditions have been greatly
Wednesday afternoon Charles
Taylor and Emmett Crocker, Rec-
lamation Service employees, had
a very narrow escape from drown-
ing, when the Ford car in which
they were riding turned over on the
Western Land & Irrigation compa-
ny’s ditch southwest of Echo, pin-
ning them underneath the machine
in about two feet of water.
Mr. Crocker’s leg was very badly
hurt, and it will be necessary for an
x-ray photo to fi nd out if the mem-
ber was broken. He suff ered severely
while being brought home in another
car. Mr. Taylor fared considerably
better, though he had a hard time
extricating himself so that he could
get his nose above water, otherwise
both men would have perished under
the machine.
The accident happened just after
the men had fi nished some work that
was being done in connection with
the McKay Creek dam. The car was
on the bank of the ditch, and the
front wheel had gotten out of the
regular beaten road, the pressure of
the car made the dirt embankment
fall in, letting the car turn over into
the ditch, bottom side up. It all hap-
pened so quickly, that neither of the
men had a chance to jump.
BY THE WAY
Farm-City Pro Rodeo will go on as planned
As COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings lift, Farm-
City Pro Rodeo has announced the organization is
planning a full rodeo this year at the Eastern Ore-
gon Trade and Event Center in Hermiston, from Aug.
11-14.
Ticket sales will open sometime in early July, the
rodeo board reported, and information will be avail-
able on the Farm-City Pro Rodeo Facebook page.
• • •
Prizes and special guest speakers are featured as the
Hermiston Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual
Summer Business Luncheon.
The event is Tuesday, July 13, from 11:45 a.m. to
1 p.m. at Bennett Botanical Gardens, 32632 E. Punkin
Center Road, Hermiston. All active 2020 chamber mem-
bers will receive one free event ticket; additional tickets
are $20 each.
To RSVP your free ticket, call Kristina Olivas at 541-
567-6151. To order tickets, visit www.hermistonchamber.
com.
• • •
As the American Red Cross continues to experience
a severe blood shortage that is negatively aff ecting blood
product availability across the country, it is off ering addi-
tional incentives.
Those who give between July 1-6 will receive a Red
Cross embroidered hat by mail, while supplies last. And
those providing blood donations from July 7-31 will get
a $10 card for Amazon.com via email and also will be
entered for a chance to win gas for a year.
Donation opportunities are available in Umatilla
County, Tri-Cities and Walla Walla. Hermiston blood
drives listed on the American Red Cross website include:
• Wednesday, July 7, from noon to 5 p.m. at Our Lady
of Angels Catholic Church.
• Monday, July 19, from 12:45-5:30 p.m. at Good
Shepherd Medical Center.
• Thursday, July 22, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Eastern
Oregon Trade and Event Center.
For more information or to schedule a donation time,
visit www.redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-733-2767.
• • •
Hermiston Herald Editor Jade McDowell’s last day at
the Herald is Wednesday, June 30. Until a new editor is
hired, community news can be directed to community@
eastoregonian.com and general news tips can be directed
to newsroom@eastoregonian.com.
• • •
The Harkenrider Senior Activity Center menu for
Thursday, July 1, is baked fi sh, coleslaw, veggie and des-
sert. The menu for Tuesday, July 6, is chicken alfredo,
veggies 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 now is providing meal
delivery. Meals are $4 paid upon delivery. Call 541-481-
3257 to order.