100 years ago — 1921

Several members of the city council are getting mighty dad-burned tired of wading through snow on the sidewalks in front of their neighbors’ properties, and they came forth boldly last night and let the world understand their attitude on the matter. Also, they want to know why the present ordinance covering this matter of cleaning streets of snow and ice should not be enforced. As a result of the airing which the matter was given in the discussion which followed, it is probable that some citizens who have been notoriously slack in this respect may have an opportunity to bid the police judge good morning some of these snowy days. The judge also may hand them fines ranging from $5 to $50, according to the ordinance. Councilman Dunn said he has lived on West Court for five years and during that time one family in particular has never been guilty of clearing away snow.

50 years ago — 1971

Volunteer fireman David L. Knerr, a machinist, and life-long resident of Hermiston, figured heavily in Saturday night’s activities of the Hermiston Fire Department. The Eagles Lodge was the host of an appreciation dinner for firemen and their wives. At the dinner firemen presented to Fire Chief Bob Russell a portrait of the chief painted by Knerr. Following the dinner and during the social hour came a fire alarm, and 24 of the firemen poured out of the Eagles’ building and headed for the fire station. When he was on the truck, Knerr learned his home on S.E. 4th Street was the site of the fire. Mrs. Knerr, who had left the dinner early because of a baby sitter problem, said it was fortunate she was at home when the malfunction occurred in the furnace causing the fire. Sunday the Knerrs were cleaning up from smoke damage and doing some repair work on the furnace.

25 years ago — 1996

The Oregon Environmental Quality Commission has agreed in principle to approve a hazardous waste permit for a proposed chemical weapons incinerator at the Umatilla Chemical Depot near Hermiston. By unanimous, but in some cases somewhat reluctant consensus, the five member board found incineration to be the best available technology for destroying thousands of weapons containing nerve and mustard gas stored at the depot. Commission members clearly agonized over the decision. Some waiting to speak were close to tears, others bowed their heads on their folded arms on the table. Commissioner Carol Whipple hedged her affirmation with doubts about the risks of continued storage of about 12 percent of the nation’s stockpile of chemical weapons. She said she’s not convinced that the risk of continued storage is greater than the risk of incineration.