25 years ago this week — 1999

Eastern Oregon’s blue skies also have a foreboding side.

Pendleton dermatologist Dr. John Carrington warns that too much sun can lead to skin cancer in Eastern Oregon.

“I’m seeing phenomenal numbers of patients, not only for melanomas, but the precursors to melanoma, and abnormal moles in general.”

Carrington moved his practice to Pendleton, Baker City and Enterprise a year and a half ago, by way of Louisiana, Arkansas and Astoria. In 22 years of practice, he never has been as concerned about the rate of melanoma and other cancers as he has been in recent months.

“I came here from the southern United States and I would have thought that the problem was much more common in those latitudes,” he said. “I wonder if part of the damage is due to the fact that it’s so nice here in the summer. The climate is so enjoyable that it’s hard to stay inside.”

“I actually have a 16-year-old patient with a melanoma, something I’ve never seen before,” he said. “I’m scared for the guy. It’s probably the fastest growing incidence of cancer.”

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Musing about life, writing about life, writer Jonathan Swift penned this thought in 1738: “The best doctors in the world are Doctor Diet, Doctor Quiet and Doctor Merryman.”

Swift obviously believed in preventative medicine. Routine health care often is extolled as the key to good health.

However, new residents to this region, and even old-timers, are sometimes put off by the seeming inaccessibility of local health care.

Is there really a medical care accessibility problem in the region? Dr. John M McBee, president of the local Independent Practitioners Association (IPA), expressed some concern about the issue but he said he felt that the biggest problem might be the community’s expectations.

“Accessibility problems exist in every city, not just Pendleton. But I’m not sure it’s not more of a perception problem. For routine care, it is not unrealistic to wait a week or two before being seen,” McBee said, . “But I wouldn’t want a little kid with an ear ache not being seen for a week.”

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An ancient Japanese form of pottery and a teacher’s devotion to opportunities for rural young people are making for some artful Fridays in Heppner.

Thanks to a four-day school week, Art Teacher Kaya McLaren opens her classroom every Friday, attracting students from throughout Gilliam and Morrow counties who want to experience for themselves the unusual technique and astonishing results of raku pottery.

“Raku means something like happiness or peace,” said McLaren, who came to Heppner High School after several years of teaching on the Quinault Indian Reservation in Washington state.

“The firing technique is very ceremonial.”

Before the work begins, a substance called “grog,” consisting of ground-up ceramic material, is blended with clay eventually helping the fired art absorb the shock of being rapidly cooled when removed from a kiln.

Ione High School student Victoria Odinet, Heppner HIgh student Brian Blodget and Liz Aooen, a former student at Heppner High School, helped McLaren get an early start Friday with the first several procedures unique to the craft.

50 years ago this — 1974

“A working relationship with the Navy has been excellent and we are not here to cuss or discuss the Navy,” Morrow County Judge Paul Jones told the governor’s Boardman task force during the first hour of the day-long session at Boardman.

The task force is holding its first session today in Boardman to launch the committee on its source of determining the future of agriculture development of the nearly 50,000 acres of the Boardman bombing range, if and when the Navy moves out. Oregon Agricultural Director Irvin Mann Jr., heads the committee.

Committee member Rep. Stafford Hansell, R-Hermiston, said the committee’s job of making an assessment on the land use is extremely difficult because of not knowing when and if the land is available.

Irving Anderson of the Bureau of Land Management said there is need to identify long-term public land needs at this time on the huge tract located south of Boardman.

In discussing the bombing ranger land use, if the Navy moves, Jones said the committee needs to know whether the answers to the question of whether the development is better suited for the family size farm or the large corporation-type farm operation. Costly road building is one of the problems in the family size unit.

Fort Pendleton and Indian Village could be a mecca for tourists, 25 Pendleton business leaders and representatives of civic organizations were told Tuesday night. But first, said Keith Farley of the Fort Pendleton Corp., enough money must be raised to determine how feasible the proposal is.

The money for such a study has been a problem since the idea for the tourist attraction was conceived two years ago.

At that time, it was estimated $100,000 would be needed for a feasibility study and to attract federal grants.

A fund-raising drive was undertaken. But two months later it was called off at the request of United Good Neighbors and others. About $1,100 has been collected.

Businessman Bob Stangier suggested Tuesday night that it might be possible to raise $25,000 for a feasibility study and to seek federal grants. Stangier said.

Pendleton Chamber of Commerce Manager Les Tinhof, who showed sides of what Fort Pendleton might include, said, “We’re always trying to attract new industry, but we may be passing up a bigger industry” in Fort Pendleton.

The idea for Fort Pendleton developed when the freeway was routed around Pendleton in 1971. The Oregon Legislature made available to the Fort Pendleton Corp. 64 acres between the freeway and Eastern Oregon Hospital and Training Center.

Pendleton’s internationally known sculptress, Betty Feves, will be featured in a special demonstration at the Pendleton Arts Festival Saturday and Sunday at the Armory.

Mrs. Feves, Joel Kaylor, and members of a pottery class Mrs. Feves is teaching through the Pendleton Community Schools, will be demonstrating primitive firing of pots west of the Armory.

Actually, Mrs. Feves points out, the word primitive is misleading since it carries the connotation of an easy process. Not so, the artist insists. Actually the process takes undivided attention from the potter, because no kiln is used.

The process goes like this. The potter uses green (unfired) pottery. This in itself creates a problem since it involves getting the moisture out of the greenware — which must be done before the temperature rises to the steam level. Here the potter’s judgment of the effects of the heat on the pots and the progress of the firing is of the utmost importance. The pots may crack or explode if his timing is not perfect.

A variety of fuel can be used in the open bonfire. The best, according to Mrs. Feves, is plain old cow dung. That in itself creates a problem – “it’s hard to get it dry enough this time of year.”

100 years ago this week — 1999

Competitions among the various folk dancing teams of the public schools of the county for first prize at the county track meet that is to be held in Pendleton Saturday is very keen, according to W. W. Green, county superintendent of schools. The competition is keener because last year the Exchange club offered a cup to be awarded to the winning team in this event, and the cup must be won three times before it becomes the permanent possession of the winner.

The well trained Echo team won the cup last year, and that school is said to have another strong team in the race again this spring, but other schools are leaving no turn unturned to put out folk dancers who will rob Echo of the lead. The folk dancing will be held in the afternoon at Round-Up park.

The Milton-Freewater schools will come to Pendleton in a body and will give an exhibition of the Walter Camp setting up exercises.

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Damage to the leaves of wheat plants ranging from one to 60 per cent was done by the recent hard freezes, according to a check made in the wheat nursery on the McCormmach ranch yesterday by Fred Bennion. He made the check as a part of the record work that is kept on the nursery to be turned in to the federal department of agriculture.

In addition to the nipping of the lives there is indisputable evidence that some of the heads in certain varieties have been injured, but the extent of this injury is largely conjectural, he said. A big majority of the heads do not show any injury now, and only the development of the plants during the remainder of the season will show how much harm was done.

Using 100 as the base grade, his check showed the different varieties had the following standing of freesome from frost damager: Hybrid 128, 99; Turkey Red 99; Jenkins club, 70; Bluestem, 40; Triplet, 98; white Turkey, 85; Red Chass, 65; Federation, 60.

The wheat in the nursery on which the check was made was all seeded September 19 and 20.

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Judgment for more than $47,000 against W. A. “Al” Slusher on a mortgage and several notes are asked by Dale Slusher in a suit in circuit court which he, as a trustee of the last will and testament of the late W. A. Slusher, and others have brought.

Of the amount sought in the suit, approximately $40,000 is claimed due the estate from the defendant. Other claimants and the sums asked by them are J. H. Raley and W. M. Peterson, note for $3,000; Cozbi A. Pruitt, $1,800; Sturgis & Storie, $2,245.

Dale Slusher has power of attorney to handle the affairs of his brother under the terms of an assignment that is included as a part of the complaint. The personal property of the estate is given at $170,000. Real property is listed as being worth $271,000, and indebtedness is given as $297,000.

It is asked that a mortgage given by the defendant for his indebtedness to the estate be foreclosed and his share of the estate belonging to him be sold at private sale.

Interests in the estate claimed by Adaline Slusher, wife of the defendant and E. L. Dougal and W. F. Coates are asked by the plaintiff to be decreed subsequent in time and inferior in the right to the lien of the plaintiffs.