A2 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
THREE MINUTES WITH …
COMMUNITY
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2021
HERMISTON HISTORY
Sewing group creates robes
with assembly line precision
25 YEARS AGO
Oct. 29, 1996
BEN ARMSTRONG
Hermiston
To regain lost or stolen items, the Hermiston Police
Department recommends marking often-targeted goods
(like televisions, compact disc players, stereo systems,
tools, guns, etc.) with an identifi cation of some sort, like a
driver’s license number, initials or taking pictures of items.
Local police warn against relying on serial numbers,
as those are usually printed on plastic stickers that a bur-
glar can pull off the item easily. This may seem unnec-
essary, but if stolen property is seized by a law enforce-
ment agency, ownership must be proved to be returned.
If ownership can’t be positively identifi ed, offi cers can’t
assume the items were stolen and they go back to where
they came from.
“If we don’t have anything to enter (into the computer),
it gets really hard to recover stolen items,” said Sgt. Dave
Hoff man of the Oregon State Police.
The Umatilla County Sheriff ’s Offi ce will provide OSP
etching tools for local citizens interested in marking their
possessions, in the hopes of more cases of returning stolen
items to their rightful owner.
Joyce Hensley/Hermiston Herald, File
What do you like about Hermiston?
I like how rural it is and how in-the-middle-of-no-
where it is. It’s a small enough town where you can
know everybody and walk around and feel safe.
Defi nitely, when compared with other towns around,
you can walk up and down streets and not worry.
Do you have a favorite quiet place in town?
The Butte is really nice. I really like the movie the-
ater because its generally quiet.
What was the last good movie you’ve seen?
In theaters, I don’t know. I just watched the cartoon
version of “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the
King.” It was interesting.
What do you like about ‘The Lord of the
Rings’?
The scale of it is big. You can read it again and
again to fi nd details you never saw. And the world is
so deep, you can fi nd answers to every question you
can imagine.
Then, what would Tolkien say about the mean-
ing of life?
It’d be very Catholic orientated, because he was
a Catholic man, himself. He’d say his stories are
based on home. Also, evil is greater than good but at
some point, it will eat itself.
Do you agree with Tolkien?
Yeah, I believe so. You see a lot in our culture,
now and in the past, when bad things arise, it
destroys itself.
50 YEARS AGO
Oct. 28, 1971
The local Red Cross sewing group has been extremely
busy, meeting each week at the Methodist Church to make
goods, such as robes and slippers. The completed items are
then distributed to the Veterans Hospital in Walla Walla
and nursing homes in Umatilla County.
Creating an assembly line, each lady has a particular
role in the process of these creations. For the robes, their
jobs are as follows: Mrs. Bertha Casseday cuts square
pieces from scraps, Mrs. Edna Elwood sews two squares
together on three sides to make a pocket, Mrs. Cecile Jack-
son stuff s the pockets with nylon stocking for warmth,
Mrs. Ellen Hill bastes the top of the stuff ed pocket, Mrs.
Ingebord Lund tacks the center of the pocket with yarn and
fi nally, Mrs. Allen Nelson arranges the pockets by color
and sews them together to create an attractive, warm robe.
Those who receive these robes are very appreciative and
thankful of the time and eff ort spent by these ladies. Mrs.
Esther Parks oversees the operation and leads the deter-
mined sewing group. To prove the dedication and will-
power of this group, one needn’t look further than Mrs.
Casseday, who is 90 years old and exceedingly productive
each work day.
75 YEARS AGO
Oct. 31, 1946
The Oregon National Guard and other veteran groups
are asking Oregon voters to pass a State Armory bill that
would provide funding for improving armory quarters, cre-
ating more armories and increasing the pay scale for sol-
diers. Buck privateers, the lowest pay grade, received $1
for armory drill one night a week in 1940. The new amount
would be $2.50.
“The Armory bill will raise $500,000 a year, by means
of a .45 mill tax, for ten years. On the base of a 1,218,991
population estimated for Oregon on July 1, 1944, each
man, woman and child would contribute 41 cents for the
construction of new armories and repair of existing facili-
Are there examples of that in the real world?
There are catastrophes and crimes. Look at what the
Nazis did during World War II. That wouldn’t have
happened if the Nazis weren’t bad. If they were just
chill, we would’ve left them alone. But they had to
be bad guys; they had to be mean. So the world got
back on them, and they brought it on themselves.
Hermiston Herald, File
The Red Cross sewing group — from left , Mrs. Esther Parks
(standing), Mrs. Ellen Hill, Mrs. Ingebord Lund and Mrs.
Bertha Casseday — create an assembly line in October 1971
while making robes for the Veterans Hospital in Walla Walla
and nursing homes in Umatilla County. The women, who
also make slippers, meet weekly at the Methodist Church
in Hermiston.
ties,” Brig. Gen. Ralph P. Cowgill explained.
Apparently, the current armories in Oregon are in very
bad shape. “Regular army inspectors have practically
turned thumbs down on the Portland armory. It is in such
bad condition … it’s an indication of how they will feel
toward other armories in the state if there is no assurance
that they will be brought up to date,” Brig. Gen. Thomas E.
Rilea said. In short, if Oregon is going to keep training sol-
diers, this bill needs to pass so there will be adequate facil-
ities — though it will mean an increase in taxes.
100 YEARS AGO
Oct. 27, 1921
Do you have any favorite restaurants in town?
Denny’s or Shari’s. I never eat breakfast, but I love
breakfast food.
What do you order when you go there?
Pancakes, hash browns, bacon and eggs over easy.
Then, I mix my hash browns, bacon and eggs and
ketchup, together. My dad used to do that when he
was in the Army.
Receiving assistance from her 6-month old Siamese mix,
Kiki, Beverly Harkenrider sets up a Halloween display in
October 1996 at her Hermiston home. She has created
similar displays for the other holidays since 1962 (without
the help of her cat).
Joyce Hensley/Hermiston Herald, File
Oregon State Police Sgt. Dave Hoff man searches for
identifi cation markings among stolen items seized in
October 1996.
The women’s club, which meets at the Hermiston
library, will hold a favorably anticipated program Tuesday
afternoon that will focus on the history of Oregon. Mrs. J.
T. Hinkle will present the interesting career of John Jacob
Astor, a prominent businessman of the time and founder of
the American Fur Company, in his eff ort to establish Amer-
ican interests at the mouth of the Columbia River.
Mrs. B. S. Kingsley will portray the dramatic and pic-
turesque life of Dr. John McLoughlin, who is credited for
opening Oregon to permanent settlement more than any
other person by proving its agricultural potential. Lastly,
Mrs. M. D. Scroggs will review the activities and famous
accounts of exploration of Bonneville, according to writer
Washington Irving.
All women are invited and encouraged to attend this
enriching program full of history!
———
McKenzie Rose, a sophomore at Echo High School,
searched Hermiston Herald archives to compile these
article summaries.
BY THE WAY
East Oregonian, Hermiston Herald looking for COVID-19 stories
The East Oregonian and Hermiston Herald are team-
ing up to report a series of stories commemorating the com-
munity members we’ve lost to COVID-19. If you’ve lost a
loved one during the pandemic and would like to share their
story, we’d love to hear from you. Email newsroom@eas-
toregonian.com and a reporter will reach out.
• • •
The deadline is getting scary close for the Hermiston
Herald‘s scariest real-life stories contest.
Using no more than 300 words, Hermiston-area residents
need to post their stories on the Herald’s Facebook page by
Saturday, Oct. 30, at noon.
We’ll pick the story we think is the scariest and print it in
the Nov. 3 edition. The writer of the spooky tale will receive
a $20 gift card to a local coff ee shop and a copy of the news-
paper with their story.
For questions, contact Editor Erick Peterson at 541-564-
4536 or editor@hermistonherald.com.
• • •
For those who missed Hermiston High School‘s drama
production “Lend Me A Tenor,” people still can see the
play. The cast understudies will have an opportunity to take
the stage during a pair of special performances Friday, Oct.
29 and Saturday, Oct. 30. Curtain time for both shows is
7 p.m. in the school’s fi ne arts auditorium, 600 S. First St.
The Broadway comedy by playwright Ken Ludwig
received several awards. Sure to tickle your funny bone,
the London Times called the madcap, screwball comedy
“a masterpiece.”
For more information, call 541-667-6100 or search www.
hermiston.k12.or.us.
• • •
United Way of the Blue Mountains is holding a photo
contest to celebrate its work across the region as it moves into
a new location in Walla Walla. United Way supports local
nonprofi t organizations and human services across the region.
The photo competition includes two categories, focus
areas and funding regions. The focus areas section includes
successful students cradle to career, disaster recovery and
healthy people and thriving communities. The funding
regions involve Umatilla, Morrow, Baker and Union counties,
as well as Columbia and Walla Walla counties in Washington.
The contest is open through Nov. 19. Winners of each
category will have their photo displayed in the Walla Walla
offi ce, 13 1/2 E. Main St., Suite. 202.
For more information, contact the United Way at 509-
529-1183 or info@uwbluemt.org. To enter the contest, visit
www.woobox.com/xkusqw.
• • •
After winning the battle of the Bulldogs against Pasco
63-36, Hermiston fans can join the celebration with the
Hermiston Linebackers Club. The no host luncheon is
Thursday, Oct. 28, noon to 1 p.m., at Desert Lanes Fam-
ily Fun Center, 1545 N. First St., Hermiston.
Coach David Faaeteete and the team will be riding high
as they cruise into Richland, Washington, (Friday, Oct. 29, at
7 p.m.) to take on the Hanford Falcons. Everyone is invited
to be a part of the special teams and hear the game plan. For
more information or to RSVP, contact Flora Larson at 541-
567-5215 Wednesday, Oct. 27, by 3 p.m.
• • •
The Harkenrider Senior Activity Center menu for
Thursday, Oct. 28, is chili, cornbread, fruit and dessert. The
menu for Tuesday, Nov. 2, is chicken pot pie, fruit and des-
sert. (In-house meals will be served from noon to 12:30 p.m.
People planning to dine in are asked to call by 11 a.m.)
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
before 11 a.m. Meals are $5 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.