25 YEARS AGO

May 4, 1999

Hermiston’s McKenzie Park came alive during the annual Cinco de Mayo celebration.

The event, which attracted more than 1,000 people, featured dancing, running, music, face-painting, food trucks and scholarships. The Quetzalcoatl Dancers set the tone for the day while performing several traditional dances.

When it came time for the 5K race, only one runner stood at the starting line. To avoid having to cancel the race, Greg Walchli and members of the Castaneda family signed up.

“They ran in their street clothes,” Dave Conklin said.

With only one person in each age category, they all won too.

Rounding out the celebration was the presentation of Senorita Hispanidad scholarships, which honored strong female students. Jamie Lorea, the 1998 Senorita Hispanidad, assisted in crowning this year’s winners. All three recipients were Hermiston seniors, with 17-year-old Gaby Perches winning the Senorita Hispanidad scholarship; Janette Rivera, 18, receiving the Senorita Fiesta Mexicana scholarship; and Esmeralda Lopez, 17, earning the Senorita Cinco de Mayo scholarship.

50 YEARS AGO

May 2, 1974

The Umatilla Hospital was excited to announce the addition of physician Leticia Asuncion-Tizon to its staff.

Upon assuming this position, Asuncion-Tizon would work in the office three days a week and on call every other weekend. Hospital Administrator Jack Weemhoof said the weekend care would benefit Umatilla residents, who previously relied on Hermiston. Along with her physician duties, Asuncion-Tizon would assist with emergency and evening care.

Ervin Bushby, the hospital board president, said Asuncion-Tizon’s position had been developing for the past six months to provide adequate care to the community.

“A recent problem for many new residents has been that present physicians cannot add more patients to their caseloads,” he said.

Umatilla Hospital Board member Clayton Brown elaborated on the benefits of this position, highlighting its significance in small hospitals.

“The concept of a full-time emergency room physician is nothing new in larger cities,” he said. “However, no house physician is practicing in hospitals of 50-bed size or less in the state of Oregon.”

Asuncion-Tizon, a native of the Philippines, received her training at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, the Philippines, and worked as a house physician with Seattle General Hospital from 1967 to 1971. She and her husband, an attorney, had five children, and said she was looking forward to offering her services to the city of Umatilla.

75 YEARS AGO

May 5, 1949

With the Hermiston hospital near completion, the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce decided to start a funding program.

President Sam Moore said $60,000 was needed to finish construction and purchase sufficient equipment. All members who invested more than $100 for this project, Moore said, would receive interest-bearing certificates to be repaid and other gifts for their generosity.

Dr. Broun of Pendleton and Dr. F.B. Belt were present at the meeting and offered to assist in selecting the staff of doctors and physicians to staff the hospital. Broun volunteered to act as the head doctor.

Moore said everyone who had taken memberships in the hospital under the prepaid medical plan would continue as originally arranged.

90 YEARS AGO

May 3, 1934

Hermiston elementary students paid tribute to spring as they performed a floral musical program.

First and second grade students presented “New Adventures in Flowerland,” an operetta that told of children who had only seen a few flowers and gardens being taken on an eye-opening journey into nature. Nearly 20 students participated, acting as butterflies, bees, sunbeams and raindrops. Playing the larger roles were Velma Knapp, the fairy who transformed the city children into flowers, and Alta Byrnece Barlow as Mother Nature.

Along with this operetta, a special chorus of sixth and eighth grade students performed various numbers. Also, Geraldine Mullins and Ruth Pierson, a violin duet, were accompanied by Marie Skovbo.

To cap off the night on a strong note, two students participated in a declaratory contest where they worked to enhance their speeches with emphasis and feeling.

The event was described as an evening full of nature, music and passion.