100 years ago

Then in the seventh inning after Ed Olsen and Homer Taylor got on safely, Dick Merriwell Peterson, captain of the desperate Buckaroos, came to bat. The crowd was tense with excitement, and many a prayer went up or down or out that the captain would connect with his old apple limb on that horsehide. And then just as the tension became excruciatingly painful, bang! and the bat cracked the ball resoundingly. The old spheroid sailed blithely away. Hundreds of pairs of eyes watched it. It struck the fence and went over. And there went your old ball game.

The score was already 4 to 2 in favor of the Bucks when the exploits of Dick Merriwell Peterson’s was written down by Recording Angel Cary yesterday in Pendleton’s half of the seventh inning of their game with Walla Walla. That didn’t end it, either, because after Peterson got his wallop, just four other runs were added before 10 Bucks had faced Parrish and Wrights in that salubrious seventh.

50 years ago

A public hearing on a proposed new zoning ordinance for the City of Pendleton is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. Tuesday in city hall by the city council.

Previous hearings were held before the city planning commission.

Council action on the ordinance is scheduled after the public hearing Tuesday.

The proposed ordinance would establish seven zones — low density residential, central commercial, tourist commercial, light industrial and heavy industrial.

Three sub-districts also will be established by the ordinance and the sub-district restriction will apply in addition to the regulations of the basic zone. The sub-districts are flood hazard, planned unit development and airport approach zone.

If the ordinance is approved, it will be the first time that all property in the city is zoned.

The proposed ordinance is of a non-cumulative type — only the uses listed are allowed in a given zone. The existing zoning ordinance allows listed uses plus all uses of less restricted zones.

The purpose of the new zoning ordinance is to protect areas of given uses from intrusions by incompatible uses, and “to advance the position of the City of Pendleton as a regional center of commerce, industry, recreation and culture.”

25 years ago

The debate was hot at times when all four 2nd Congressional District Republican hopefuls met for the only time in Umatilla County prior to the May primary.

The candidates are vying for the seat being vacated by Rep. Bob Smith, a Republican from Burns, who is retiring. The district covers the large block of country east of the Cascades as well as part of Southern Oregon.

Tuesday’s debate at the Hermiston community Center drew John Newkirk, a Medford mining consultant; Perry Atkinson, a Medford radio broadcaster; former Congressman Wes Cooley of Powell Butte; and former state legislator Greg Walden.

“I’m kind of appalled,” said Newkirk when he asked Perry Atkinson why he broke a promise not to stoop to negative tactics in the campaign.

Atkinson replied that Newkirk had yet to qualify that charge. Newkirk complied with Atkinsons’ challenge to get specific, stating that because of a press release sent out about an error on his driver’s license, he was accused of giving out false information.

Atkinson denied sending out that information, saying instead Newkirk is still under probation for lying to a police officer.