• Local dignitaries are expected to be on hand for the grand opening celebration of Wal-Mart’s 73,000 square-foot store, Tuesday, June 30. “We appreciate the warm welcome we have received from the community and are eager to begin serving Hermiston residents,” said Phil Konty, Wal-Mart store manager.

• Hermiston has received the go-ahead for the construction of a new state office building on property west of the Hermiston airport, commonly known as Village Port.

In a letter to the city last week, the Department of General Services approved the new building saying it would provide the best value for the dollars expended. “Whooppie! This is a great day for the City, said Mayor Frank Harkenrider. The new building will house all of the state agencies located in the Hermiston area, including Employment, Children’s Services and Senior and Disabled Services.

• The manager of Irrigon’s irrigation district was cited by the Oregon State Police on charges of tampering with fish screen at the district’s pump on the Umatilla River.

Jerry Franke, operations manager of West Extension Irrigation district in Irrigon, was cited for unlawfully tampering with fish screening devices at an irrigation pump.

• Hermiston Spuds opened it’s season last Wednesday at the new American Legion Baseball field on Diagonal Rd., by splitting a double header with visiting West Valley of Sunnyside. Spuds 1-7 and West Valley 2-4.

• Hermiston city police received a report from Betty Thompson on Thursday, June 8, that on the previous night, someone had shot a hole through a window of her home.

Police who investigated found a B-B hole in the left hand corner of the window, but no other sign of damage.

• Engine man Third Class David S. Corey, USN, son of Mr Norman V. Corey of Umatilla and Commissary man Seaman Michael R. Snyder, USN, Son of Mr. & Mrs. Sam I. Snyder of Irrigon, returned to San Diego, Calif.., aboard the attack aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga, after an eight month deployment to the Gulf of Tonkin.

• Detachment 12 of the 2705th Air-munitions Wing from Hill Force Base, Utah, has been assigned to Umatilla Army Depot, it was announced by Col. Herman Hoplin, Depot Commander. They will be responsible for stock management of conventional air-munitions and components which are part of the Depot’s mission inventory. Assignment of the detachment to the Army post was accomplished in order to bring about closer liaison between elements of the two services in the handling of ordnance for the Air Force. Col. Hoplin stated. The same arrangement recently has been effected at other Army depots.

• Prevention rather than cure will be the biggest factor in cutting down Oregon’s farm and fire loss, says Art King, extension specialist at Oregon State college, who has been in charge of organizing some 1,100 rural fire control units throughout the state. Nearly one-third of all fires in farm dwellings start from stoves or chimneys, according to the state fire marshal. While most of these fires probably occur during the winter, greatest damage is done by such fires in summer.

• Although the budget for the Echo schools for the ensuing year calls for more expenditures than the past year, the tax levy is about $3,000 lower than last year. This results from there being more cash on hand due to refunds from the sinking fund and the double tax payment in effect this year.

• At a meeting of mayors from Echo, Stanfield, Hermiston and Umatilla County Emergency Council was formed to help cope with problems arising from added activities in this section of the county. County Judge Carl Chambers was present to discuss various matters, including housing, transportation, policing and others.

The following officers were elected: Carl Chambers, chairman; F.C. McKenzie, vice chairman; “Brick” Esselstyn, secretary. Other mayors present were Frank Sloan of Stanfield and Jeff Stevens of Umatilla.

• Formal announcement of President Roosevelt’s scrap rubber collection campaign sent Americans searching their attics and basements the first of the week for rubber “to build the planes to bomb Tokyo and Berlin.”

• The rubber salvage campaign began at 12:01 am Monday and continues through June 30. It was ordered by the president to find out how much scrap there is in the country. Whether there is enough to postpone nationwide gasoline rationing as a rubber conservation measure.

100 YEARS AGO

June 16, 1917

• What part can the “kiddies,” the tender, big hearted little boys and girls do to help win the war? This is one of the questions that has been interesting the leaders in the great Red Cross drive for $400,000. They believe they have arrived at a solution of it and will attempt to arouse the enthusiasm of the youngsters to a pitch as keen as that of the grownups who are waging the battle for the dollars. The plan is to enlist the assistance of the parents and urge them to instill at this time the patriotic need of exercising self-sacrifice and self-restraint in the smaller things that eat up the pennies and nickels that the “kiddies” spend for “eats” and goodies of all kinds.

• The local railroad yards are a center of activity these days and will continue such until well into the winter. Just now everything is hay. The railroad company is doing it’s best to supply cars as fast as needed and is doing very well. No sooner had the last crop of 1916 hay gone out than shipments of the 1917 crop started. In fact, the two crops filled in so well that the next day after the last car of old hay was taken the car of new was started. Just now shipments of hay alone in car lots amount to four cars per day.