25 years ago this week — 1999

From his corner office with its floor-to-ceiling windows, Umatilla County Sheriff John Trumbo can easily see who is coming and going at the new county jail. What he could not foresee, however, was the amount of difficulties the staff and inmates would face as they adjusted to their new digs.

The phone system doesn’t work. Staff can’t call out or take calls that aren’t first routed through the old county courthouse switchboard. Some of the doors don’t shut. Controlled by air pressure, the doors hesitate, never really snapping shut and locking. Correction officers have to wait for the door, then pull them shut to ensure the doors have locked.

The meter valve to the hot water system for two cell blocks was down for a couple of days, leaving inmates without any hot water. And if that isn’t enough, the new computer book-in and release system has everyone befuddled.

“It’s chippy little things,” Trumbo said. “We’ll eventually get the bugs out.”

He stressed that so far none of the problems have created a security problem. The doors that fail to shut have been isolated to the book-in area, not the cells. Still, the cumulative effect of the annoyances, has “made the job harder,” for staff, Trumbo noted.

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Although Oregon high schools sign off on the Department of Education, some are crying foul after last week’s state report. According to the Oregon Department of Education’s criteria, a student who withdrew and did not graduate, or did not transfer to another school and graduate, is considered a dropout.

“That’s what the rules are,” said Bob Jones of the Department of Education. “Students who have left school and will not be in school are considered dropouts.

However, school administrators in districts where dropout rates appeared to soar argued that the mobility and transient life of many of their students should be more heavily weighted in the equation.

The rules say that if a student’s records can be tracked to a succeeding school the student cannot be included in dropout statistics. Many educators contend that neither should they be counted if they cannot be tracked.

Last week’s state report, covering the dropout rate from the 1996-97 school year to 1997-98, showed increases from 5.9 to 11.37 percent at hermiston High School, from 12.6 to 20.19 at Mac-Hi in Milton-Freewater, and from 6.71 to 10.43 in the Morrow County School District.

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Bypassing the Pacific Northwest’s leadership on salmon recovery, more than 200 scientists asked President Clinton to consider removing some federal dams in the Columbia Basin to help restore fish runs, The Oregonian has reported.

The appeal, made Monday in the form of a signed letter, comes as the Clinton administration prepares to recommend whether four lower Snake River dams should be breached in an effort to aid passage by salmon runs under federal protection.

Leading the scientists were many highly regarded researchers who have studied the Northwest’s salmon problem for years — often under contract to the Northwest Power Planning Council and other government agencies responsible for stemming the decline of fish runs.

Included are fishery scientists with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon and Idaho’s departments of fish and researchers at Oregon State University.

Their letter said current fish recovery efforts, which depend on barging fish around dams, are not sufficient to restore runs of Snake River salmon listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

50 years ago this week — 1974

The Umatilla County district attorney’s office is contemplating filing charges against Grecian Heights developer Steve Monogios, Pendleton, a spokesman for the office said today. Pacific Power & Light Co. Pendleton Manager Mel Joy said he had asked the DA’s office to charge Monogios with a willful act to destruct private property.

“I just gave up,” waiting for PP&L to remove the pole, Monogios said. He claimed that his original agreement with PP&L to provide underground power service to the big subdivision contained nothing that said he would have to pay for removal of the power pole.

But Joy said Monogios was told last April he would have to pay for removal of the pole. The cost, Joy said, was the installation cost plus the removal cost, minus depreciation and salvage value.

Joy said the line was installed Feb. 18, 1972, at Monogios request. It was to serve only his house.

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If a corporate entity would be developing the 50,000 acre Navy bombing range south of Boardman, the Boeing Co. would expect to retain its option rights.

However, Denver Grigsby, manager of Boeing Agri-Industrial Co. in Boardman, said today that if a local development plan, meaning family-sized farm units, is proposed, has local acceptance, is feasible, and would call for the maximum development of the area, Bowing might relinquish its option rights to the land that joins the 100,000-acre Boeing tract on the east.

Grigsby met Tuesday with Gov. Tom McCall and Irvin Mann Jr., Oregon director of agriculture, in Salem to discuss the future of the Navy land if the Navy signs a commitment to relocate its practice bombing range in Washington.

Mann was named by McCall to head up a task force of 12 men to look at possible use of the bombing range if it becomes available to the state.

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Ralph Moody can tell you the exact location of just about any farmstead in Umatilla County — if it’s located near a county road.

That’s been his job for 47 years.

Moody, who turns 65 March 30, will retire as assistant roadmaster for the county. He’s seen a lot of chuckholes in the nearly half of a century. There’s been a lot of dust and quite a bit of mud, too.

“When I started back in 1927 the roads were 90 per cent dirt and mud,” he remembers. “There were very few oiled roads but in the winter time you didn’t dare get off them.” Moody started “steady” for the county in 1929, after spending two summers working during school vacations. Fewer men work for the county road department today than when the wiry roadman began his career, but the work hasn’t slacked off.

“We had 80 working when I started, ” he says. “There’s about 60 now.

“We’re more machinery these days. We used to have a couple of bridge crews. Now there’s just one.”

The bridge crew was one of Moody’s early assignments, along with operating a “blade” or grader and running a truck.

100 years ago this week — 1924

Mayor James A. Fee is to preside at the public luncheon to be held Friday noon in the Elk’s Temple in connection with the Welfare Week-End program being put on Friday and Saturday by the University of Oregon and local city and county organizations. All parents, business and professional men of the city are invited to attend this luncheon which will be under the auspices of the social committee of which Carl Hopf is chairman.

Twenty-two representatives of state agencies for the promotion of public health and welfare will be in attendance. The principal speaker will be Earl G. Kilpatrick, head of the extension division of the University of Oregon. Dr. J. P. Brennan will also speak.

In addition to the speaking a musical program is being arranged.

The price of the luncheon will be seventy-five cents and all reservations must be received at the office of the secretary of the Commercial association by 5 o’clock Thursday evening.

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Of all 81 divorces granted in circuit court here in 1923, the wife was plaintiff in 70 and the husband in 11, according to figures just tabulated for the census by County Clerk Brown. The common practice is to secure a decree by default of the defendant to appear, according to the figures, the defendant appearing in 17 of the cases, and no defendant appearing in 68 cases.

Cruel and inhumane treatment was the chief cause given by those who sought the severance of marital bonds. Decrees granted from this cause numbered 45. Desertion was the next ranking cause of trouble with 24 decrees granted on this cause. Other causes on which decrees were granted were as follows: Infidelity, three; adultery, three; non-support, two; polygamy, one; conviction of felony, two; unlawful marriage, one.

In the 81 degrees granted there were 52, or more than one-halk, in which there were no children affected, the figures show.

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Announcement was made yesterday by officials of the Buckaroo Baseball club as to the identity of Pendleton’s new pitcher. The gentleman is George Zweifel, now pastiming with the Oakland club of the Pacific coast league. Zweifel twirled for Wichita in the Western league last season and is understood to have formerly played in the Portland city league. Zweifel is a right hander and his ability is vouched for by the Oakland club of officials who will keep a string on him. Boston who was under consideration for the local club, will go to the Weiser club. Portland has him signed to a 1925 contract.

Pendleton should have excellent battery in Mike Henry, former Pasco backstop, and Zweifel. The infield will be a fast one from present indications and will probably line up something like this for the opening Blue Mountain contest here April 6: Bill King, third base; Babe Adams, shortstop; Clark of Kendall, second-base; Lefty Kretzer, first. The outfield promises to be a speedy one with Hargett, Olson and Homer Taylor occupying the three positions.