On this day, May 5, 1903, James Beard, US culinary expert, author (Delights & Prejudices), was born in Portland, Ore.
Also on this day, May 5, 1945, A Japanese balloon bomb exploded on Gearhart Mountain in Oregon, killing Mrs. Elsie Mitchell, the pregnant wife of a minister, and five children after they attempted to drag it out the woods in Lakeview, Oregon. The balloon was armed, and exploded soon after they began tampering with it. They became the 1st and only known American civilians to be killed in the continental US during World War II.
Also on this day, May 5, 1945, Bly minister Archie Mitchell, his pregnant wife Elsie, and five children from Mitchell's Sunday school class were on a Saturday morning picnic. Thirteen miles northeast of Bly, or about sixty miles northeast of Klamath Falls, Mitchell parked the car, and Elsie and the children headed to Leonard Creek. Mitchell later remembered: "As I got out of the car to bring the lunch, the others were not far away and called to me they had found something that looked like a balloon. I heard of Japanese balloons so I shouted a warning not to touch it. But just then there was a big explosion. I ran up there--and they were all dead." It was a Japanese balloon bomb. They were 70 feet tall with a 33-foot diameter paper canopy connected to the main device by shroud lines. Balloons inflated with hydrogen followed the jet stream at an altitude of 30,000 feet.
Former candidate for State Senate isn’t new to politics
Jessica Gomez wears many hats, but will put that all aside for a 2022 run for Oregon Governor. As CEO of Medford’s Rogue Valley Microdevices, she earned recognition by the Portland Business Journal on the 2021 list of “Women of Influence.†She currently serves as Chair of the Oregon Tech Board of Trustees. She has also been honored as Jackson County/Medford Chamber Member of the Year, most recognized speaker at MEMS World Summit, and selected as the first executive in
Spotlight on SEMI Women.
Jessica moved to Oregon at age twelve. Her dad started a cabinetry making business right as the timber industry started declining. Watching her dad struggle impacted her on the plight of rural Oregon and the reliance on timber. After moving to Long Island to live with her grandmother, then moving to Los Angeles in 2000 to begin a career as programmer/analyst, she meant her husband. In 2003, the dot.com bubble burst and being out of work, they moved back to Oregon. Not finding jobs, they borrowed funding to start Rogue Valley Microdevices. They now employ 20 employees.
Jessica is “passionate about transforming the community and driving the technology industry into a new phase of innovation. I believe technology has limitless potential and impacts everything from farming, to the Internet to medical device manufacturing and much more.â€
In her announcement to run for Governor, Jessica states, “It is time for Oregonians to work together to build a future in which we can all be proud. I firmly believe the strength of our state lies in our differences.â€
In an
interview with kdrv.com, she said Oregon hasn’t had a business owner for Governor for a very long time that understands the challenges of business. Coming out of the pandemic we need to focus on our businesses. Her priority is to work on key differences. We are a diverse state, which is our strength. Finding ways to support growth through broadband and water structures so all of Oregon can grow.
Jessica Gomez isn’t new to politics. She ran for Oregon State Senate to represent District 3 in 2018 and only lost by ten percent to her Democrat opponent, Jeff Golden.
--Donna Bleiler| Post Date: 2021-06-11 17:31:50 | Last Update: 2021-06-12 22:28:42 |
