25 YEARS AGO

Oct. 25, 1994

Excerpt from a column by then-publisher Dan Zimmerman:

Tomorrow, in our neighboring Umatilla County community to the east, a 107-year-old institution will die.

The Valley Herald, Milton-Freewater’s community newspaper and keeper of the town’s history, will publish for the last time.

Since I was the owner/publisher there in the ‘70s and ‘80s the unfortunate news of the Valley Herald’s demise is especially emotional and thought-provoking.

With the Valley Herald’s death, part of the community’s soul perishes right along with it. Milton-Freewater loses an important element to its identity and the people lose an important avenue to communicate with themselves.

After tomorrow, Milton-Freewater lacks its own forum for letters to the editor, editorials, news of record, who died and who was born, important government and school news, a record of citizens’ achievements, a marketplace for goods and services through advertising and everything else you expect from the local press.

Nothing… not radio, television or newspapers in nearby towns can replace their very own newspaper. Because they are driven by music and entertainment programming, radio and television can’t carry the volume and depth of information like a newspaper.

50 YEARS AGO

Oct. 23, 1969

The board of directors for Hermiston School District voted Monday night to withhold final payment to the contractors who enlarged the swimming pool until it is determined if it is acceptable to meet standards of the Amateur Athletic Union for holding official swimming competitions.

The board spent approximately an hour discussing the matter with the architect, Robert Smith of Ontario. Smith recommended that the final payment of $8,200 be made to the contractors, The Timber Company of Hermiston.

Superintendent Armand O. Larive reported that there seems to be some difference of opinion about the overall length of the pool. The blueprints show the original pool to be 110 feet long and the new addition is 55 feet in print, making a pool length of 50.29 meters. He said he and Bob Ditton, swimming pool manager, had measured the pool and found it to be 164 feet 8 inches in length. Fifty meters is 164 feet and one and one-half inches.

75 YEARS AGO

Oct. 26, 1944

Stray dogs are again becoming a menace in this area, according to reports from farmers north of Hermiston and in the Columbia district. Recently they have become so bold as to tear open rabbit hutches and destroy domestic rabbits in wholesale lots. In one instance all the rabbits were killed.

This week they broke into the hutches at the T. G. Panages farm and killed a number of rabbits. Owners of dogs are being warned that they are responsible for damages done and will be prosecuted.

Word has been received from Washington that 1st Lt. Walter J. Jendrzejewski of Hermiston has been awarded the bronze star medal for action at Humbolt Bay, Dutch New Guinea, last April.

According to information received, a blown-out bridge forced Lt. Jendrzejewski to leave his vehicle and proceed through hostile enemy territory with only two men.

“Due to his activities and devotion to duties his battalion was able to advance the following morning to new positions which he had located,” the war department noted.

Lt. Jendrzejewski is the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Jendrzejewski of the Columbia district.

100 YEARS AGO

Oct. 25, 1919

The war time daylight saving law will be no more after this Saturday has passed, for at 2 a.m. tomorrow morning the hands of all clocks in the United States will be turned backward an hour. A strenuous fight in Congress recently killed this measure, and as a result the people exulted. Especially this was so among the farmers.

Senator Calder of New York is the father of the daylight saving law and he, nearly alone, has of course regretted very much to see his pet hobby discarded.

Probably one of the most artistically arranged and handsomely appointed homes in this city is that of Col. and Mrs. H. G. Newport on Newport Avenue. For design of modern conveniences and labor saving devices it possibly has no equal. The interior is one continuation of built in china closets, wardrobes, etc. done in the very finest style and finish. It has cost lots of money to fit up a house such as the Newport home is, but the comfort to be derived therefrom will amply repay the owners for the outlay.