100 Years Ago

June 5, 1921

Eight hits garnered off of Gartiez and Kelly, coupled with errors on the part of Helix players enabled Captain Gunner Peterson’s Buckaroos to win yesterday’s contest with the Indians, and incidentally, the pennant in the Wheat Belt League. The final score was 12 to 6. Yesterday’s victory makes the Bucks’ percentage a perfect one with six victories to their credit, and they have won the pennant. Only one more game remains on the schedule, that with Weston set for Sunday at Weston. An effort may be made to arrange with the Weston management to play the game one night this week which will enable the Bucks to play a few games of independent ball.

50 Years Ago

June 5, 1971

There are no “Don’t feed the bears” signs in the Tollgate area, but it might be a good idea. Cindy Hunkapillar, a McEwen High School freshman, and her girlfriends were enjoying a party arranged as a farewell for Judy Christianson in a cabin near Tollgate Wednesday evening. Cindy tossed into the snow a batch of taffy that hadn’t turned out well. A bit later someone looked out the window and saw a full-grown brown bear approaching the candy. Finishing the sweets, he ambled up onto the cabin porch to finish off bacon bits and bread crumbs put out tor the bluejays. Then he reared up, put his big paws on the window and peered in as the girls huddled around their chaperone, Mrs. Chet Hunkapillar. Then he went to the door, to another window and finally to a second entrance to the cabin before he left. It was just too, too much. When the bear left, so did the girls.

25 Years Ago

June 5, 1996

Officer Tod Keppinger is enjoying the stealth nature of his new assignment as Hermiston’s motorcycle cop. Most motorists haven’t noticed Keppinger observing traffic on his police motorcycle, but they sure notice him when the lights go on and the siren sounds. “I definitely have the element of surprise,” Keppinger said. On his new motorcycle patrol, Keppinger will focus on increasing awareness of traffic laws and catching violators of those laws. Riding the motorcycle eight hours a day is physically demanding, he said, adding he’s finding out he has muscles he didn’t know he had. “I thought it would be easier,” Keppinger said while clad in knee-high black boots and an emerging farmer’s tan on his arms.