100 years ago — 1921

America must take measures to meet a critical timber situation which is yearly becoming more critical, the forest service, United States department of agriculture, reports in a review of conditions existing in the forests and the wood-consuming industries. The ax has cut to the heart of eastern American forests and immediate steps should be taken to grow timber if this country is to avoid dependence on foreign supplies with drastic limitations in amount and the excessive prices which such a situation would impose. “We have already cut or burned over five-sixths of our original timber area of 822,000,000 acres,” says the report. “We can not indefinitely use or destroy 26,000,000 cubic feet a year and grow only 6,000,000. Forest experiment stations are needed to find out and demonstrate how to grow this enormous volume of wood.” Ten stations are needed, according to the report. Two would be located in the western states, where over half of the present remaining timber supply is located.

50 years ago — 1971

Dr. Charles Sappington of Hermiston was appointed Umatilla County health officer the first of October. He has no experience in public health, so he wondered what he’d find in the way of the number one health problem in the county. It didn’t take Dr. Sappington long to find out. In the first three weeks in office, there were 12 cases of venereal disease. “This I consider to be of epidemic proportions,” he said. The great problem, Dr. Sappington said, is persuading people to go to a doctor or to the health clinic for examination and treatment. A survey has revealed that only one out of seven cases is reported. So this means there were over 4 million cases in the county in 1970. VD is not confined to big cities and hippie camps, the doctor said, and the problem needs public exposure. “The public in general should be informed that this a health problem, and it should not be confused with sex education.”

25 years ago — 1996

Sixty years ago a group of women in Pilot Rock formed a club. They called themselves Friendly Neighbors. Many of their husbands expressed the opinion that the organization wouldn’t last a year. Wrong. Friendly Neighbors members gathered last week at the Kopper Kitchen in Pendleton to celebrate their 60th anniversary. They reminisced over lunch and then enjoyed a lovely cake, ribboned with pink. However, what these women clearly liked best was each other’s company. Six of the women present — Violet Main, Ella Beilke, Verlie French, Doris Hoeft, Louise Korvola and Gladys Jenkins — were charter members of the organization, joining during the group’s first year. Some of those six were actually at the very first meeting held.