Umatilla County Fair Court princesses Pam Moyer, left, and Bev Burns, center, attach a poster to Umatilla City Hall with the help of Mayor Bud Draper in 1970.

25 YEARS AGO

Aug. 8, 1995

Twice in four days, five would-be defectors from the Southside Treces gang have dodged gunfire from members of the same gang.

A 15-year-old Boardman boy is in custody at the Umatilla County Juvenile Detention Center for allegedly opening fire on the five at Victory Square Park last Wednesday evening.

The boy is facing five counts each of unlawful use of a weapon, reckless endangering, and menacing, and one county of unlawful possession of a weapon, in this case a .22 caliber revolver.

“We anticipate there may be some more heavy-duty charges filed against this individual before it’s over,” said Umatilla County District Attorney Chris Brauer.

Hermiston Police gang enforcement officer C.E. Huffman called the boy a “major player” in the area gang scene.

“He won’t be for long,” Huffman said.

The boy, Huffman said, was accompanied by four others who were members of the Angelitos, a gang allied with the Southside Treces. None of the four face charges, he said.

Two adults were arrested for shooting at the same five late Saturday night at 250 E Beech St.

50 YEARS AGO

Aug. 6, 1970

A gala grand opening celebrating the newly remodeled Mead’s Umatilla Thriftway is scheduled for this weekend, announced Leonard Close, manager.

Mead’s Foods, Inc., purchased the Umatilla store two weeks ago from Associated Grocers of Seattle. The store has been completely remodeled and new equipment added. In addition, an expanded parking lot is finished in front of the store.

2) With the approval by the State Highway Commission of permits to transport 14-foot wide mobile homes on Oregon’s highways, Marlette Homes, Inc., announced it would begin production of the wider model at its Hermiston plant.

Mel Keifer, plant manager, said there is no set date for starting production on the 14-foot models, but that it would be in the near future.

He said the local manufacturing plant is already set up for the change.

75 YEARS AGO

Aug. 9, 1945

The scientific world was amazed and the general public astounded this week when President Truman revealed the success of the atomic bomb which had just been used against Japan.

This immediate territory was somewhat alarmed, and rightfully so, due to the nearness of the location to the Richland plant, one of three atomic bomb plants in the United States.

Smashing of atoms has been successfully mastered by army engineers to permit use of the bomb against enemy targets, and the outcome of the advancement cannot immediately be determined.

Some scientists have stated it is the outstanding achievement of the age.

None of the workers in the plants knew what the product was to be, so closely was the secret guarded by army engineers.

Not until Monday when the announcement was made by President Truman was any person at Richland sure what the product from the plant would be when completed. The other two plants working on atomic bombs are at Oak Ridge, Tenn. and Santa Fe., N.M.

100 YEARS AGO

Aug. 6, 1920

The Heppner Commercial Club evidently fell back on the old axiom that discretion is the better part of valor when their representative failed to “keep his date” with the man named by the Hermiston Commercial Club and two other representatives to go over the two routes under discussion between the John Day River and Pendleton.

The original proposition made by Heppner was to the effect that the commercial clubs of the two towns should jointly bear the expenses of the reconnaissance, but Hermiston was so sure that the decision would be for the Highway route that the suggestion was made by our club that the loser pay for the expenses and the winner get the publicity.

This was offered by the local club as an amendment to the original plan and accepted by the Morrow County men, however, judging by the fact that any Heppner man failed to put in an appearance on Aug. 2, the date named for the trip over the two roads, and the Commercial Club of that city neglected to ask for a postponement, the Hermiston Commercial Club felt that the Commercial Club of Heppner yields them the palm in the matter of the roads.