Kyle Brangham, 14, takes direction from his mother, Evelyne Brangham, Good Shepherd Community Hospital’s cashier, during an Armand Larive Junior High field trip to the hospital in 1995.

25 YEARS AGO

May 2, 1995

Last week was likely one Umatilla County sheriff’s deputies would like to forget.

On Wednesday, deputy Tom Waterland didn’t quite make it across Highway 395 as he turned south out of a north Hermiston hardware store. The rear fender of his sheriff’s cruiser, a 1990 Chevrolet Caprice, clipped a northbound vehicle.

The following night, deputy Mitch Wilson’s police car was hit by what an Oregon State Police report calls a “a 1990s model Hereford cow” cruising the brush off of Westland Road.

These are the third and fourth sheriff’s office cars damaged or destroyed recently.

Since this time last year, deputy Jack Steward was rear-ended by a drunk driver and Civil Division deputy Linda Workman was hit on the road.

“This year overall has been bad,” Undersheriff Ron Harnden said.

Each car has received about $1,200 in damage, he said. No people involved in the accidents were injured. The cow was not as lucky.

Wilson was called to the area by a report of cattle loose in the open range area, and the fact that the department had to pay for a cow that jumped in front of a sheriff’s car does not sit well with Harnden.

“We go out there and try to aid in this, and we hit a cow,” he said.

50 YEARS AGO

April 30, 1970

The cross that overlooks the city from Hermiston Butte is reportedly located on private property and therefore not threatened by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling handed down early this week.

Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that a cross standing on public property in Eugene should be removed because it violates the rights of non-Christians and non-believers.

2) Leveling and surveying started this week for a 120-seat Smitty’s Pancake House here, according to Gilbert Gettman, Hermiston businessman.

The 2,956-square-foot building will be located on the lot formerly occupied by Higg’s Auto Repair, behind Hermiston Drug. Total cost for the restaurant, which is under a national franchise, is estimated at $150,000.

Gettman, the owner of Hermiston Drug, said he would own the business but would hire operators.

75 YEARS AGO

May 3, 1945

Col. Ralph A. Tudor, Portland district army engineer, announced Tuesday the engineers have a “rush order” to develop construction plans for a large dam across the Columbia River at Umatilla. Its estimated cost is between $75 million and $100 million.

The news was received jubilantly here.

2) The news of the death of Staff Sgt. Mike Haniuk on Feb. 21 was received here this week. Sgt. Haniuk, who was the fiance of Miss Norma Getchell of Hermiston, was well known here and had a large circle of friends. He was killed just a week prior to leaving for the United States, his name coming next on the rotation list.

Sgt. Haniuk was killed when he attempted to rescue his buddy who had been injured.

The story told by another buddy revealed that Sgt. Haniuk was shot once while trying to save his wounded partner. He got up and again attempted to reach him, this time receiving a fatal wound. His parents reside in North Dakota.

100 YEARS AGO

May 1, 1920

Hermiston is to have a moving picture house that when completed will be the equal of any amusement place outside of Portland. The structure will be the property of C.H. Crandall, our genial marshal and water superintendent, whose name will go down in the annals of Hermiston history as the founder of the first real moving picture house to be established in this city.

The building will be one story high and built of poured concrete blocks. There will be seating capacity in the building for 300 people, and the interior will be fitted up with the latest model opera chairs on a slanting floor, and fans and ventilators will keep the air sweet and pure.

The new movie house will be built on Lot 15 in Block 8 on Main Street just east of the printing office. When completed the building will cost right around $8,000.

There was spirited bidding among the local contractors to see who would secure the privilege of building what in time will be a historical landmark in the moving picture world in Hermiston when this city attains a population of many thousand in years to come.