25 YEARS AGO

Feb. 9, 1999

More than 60 Hermiston High School juniors and seniors learned the ins and outs of various occupations during Job Shadow Day.

Sponsored by the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce, participating work sites included Oxford Suites, Hermiston Foods, Columbia Court Club, KOHU, the Hermiston Veterinary Clinic and the Oregon State University Extension Office.

“It’s a win-win situation,” HHS counselor Mike Royer said. “The students get exposed to a corporate world and therefore increase their awareness of jobs which may inspire them.”

Such was the case for Emily Frutchey, a Hermiston junior interested in medicine. The experience at Good Shepherd Community Hospital convinced her to narrow down her career focus to microbiology.

“I had so much fun today,” she said.

In addition, she said the science involved reminded her of Sherlock Holmes, which contributed to her love for mysteries.

Other students participating in a job shadow at Good Shepherd studied X-rays, visited with patients, observed ultrasounds of kidney and gall stones and learned how to administer an IV.

Overall, the students said it was an enlightening experience and a day well spent.

50 YEARS AGO

Feb. 7, 1974

Hermiston television viewers could watch Canadian television as CHEK-TV, a Victoria, British Columbia, station, was added to local programming.

Wes Stone, manager of Columbia Television Co., said it took three years for the Federal Communications Commission to grant this Certificate of Compliance.

The Hermiston City Council had been strong advocates, claiming it was needed “in order to allow the views of our Canadian neighbors to be brought to the attention of our American citizens.”

One concern with adding this program was how it would compete with domestic ones. To combat this, the FCC required American network programs carried on CHEK-TV to be blanked on the Hermiston cable system.

“This amounts to only a few hours each week and will create no particular hardship,” Stone said. “These network shows will be seen on the local existing channels at stateside times.”

The Canadian station would become active as soon as the construction permit was granted to install adequate electronic equipment. Stone said likely by May 1, 1974, CHEK-TV would be added to the cable system in Hermiston.

75 YEARS AGO

Feb. 10, 1949

As the weather warmed, construction on the McNary Dam project would assume a new mode of operation.

J.J. Morton, chief engineer for McNary Dam Contractors, said concrete would be poured in a three-shift system to make up for time lost during the past six winter weeks.

There were currently 330 people on the payroll, which amounted to $700,000 in wages. Morton expected employment to double within the next few weeks and reach 1,500 with summer’s peak of construction. This would ensure the concrete could be poured at a rate of 4,000 tons each 24 hours, which was twice the current rate.

In addition to construction on the dam, nearby railroads were being relocated. This would increase the number of people employed to work on the dam by 1,000, with most being local residents.

After providing this report, Morton expressed gratitude on behalf of the McNary Dam Contractors to the community for all their assistance with housing and other hardships related to construction projects.

90 YEARS AGO

Feb. 8, 1934

The Oasis Theater was full of laughter as Hermiston High School students presented the lively “One of the Family” play. This action-packed comedy, which revolved around the efforts to uphold family traditions, was directed by Margaret Elliot.

The antagonist was Priscilla Adams, who had been influencing the destiny of her dead brother’s family. Her oldest nephew, Henry Adams, was tired of his controlling aunt and decided to go on a vacation. During this carefree escape, Henry met Joyce Smith and the two decided to tie the knot.

The plot then thickened as Joyce was the secretary to Martin Burke, an influential businessman uncle to Frank Owens. While Henry and Joyce weren’t aware, Owens knew Henry’s family and alerted them of the engagement. On one eventful evening, Henry’s family appeared at his house and tensions escalated as family traditions clashed with Henry’s desire for independence.

The majority of the cast were high school seniors, with Edith Clarke playing Priscilla Adams, Fred Reeves as Henry Adams, Marjorie Shafer as Joyce Smith, Dayton Harris as Martin Burke and Eugene Pierce as Frank Owens.

With the theater packed to its fullest capacity, the play was said to have been thoroughly enjoyed by all.