

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.
Offered by Willamette National Forest Service
The Willamette National Forest will be offering free personal-use firewood permits, with a limit of six cords per household, per year beginning Oct. 1, 2021. Permits will be available over the phone or will be mailed to customers directly. This process generally takes five to seven business days.
“We are pleased to be able to offer free personal use firewood across the national forests in Oregon and Washington,†said Regional Forester Glenn Casamassa. “This change will benefit people who rely on firewood as their primary heat source and will allow us to dispose of material that otherwise would have a cost to burn or remove.â€
Permit availability may vary by district depending on the availability of wood and the type of permit. Contact the respective district office to confirm. Additionally, firewood charge permits may be purchased for $10 on the Willamette National Forest. Processes for the free use firewood program and costs for charge permits may differ on other national forests.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
Along with the Willamette National Forest, the following national forests will also transition to the free use firewood program beginning Oct. 1, 2021: Mt. Baker Snoqualmie, Mt. Hood, Olympic, Rogue-River Siskiyou, Siuslaw, and Umpqua. A second transition will occur no later than Jan. 1, 2022, for the following national forests: Deschutes, Fremont-Winema, Gifford Pinchot, Malheur, Ochoco, Okanogan-Wenatchee, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman. The Colville National Forest has offered free use firewood since 2019 and will continue with the same level of service to the public.
Free use firewood will be granted to individuals for personal use without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, age, handicap, or sex, and without restrictions regarding the wealth or residency of the recipient.
--Sabrina-Marie FisherPost Date: 2021-10-12 17:20:13 | Last Update: 2021-10-13 11:27:04 |