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.
“Ignoring this is irresponsible and costing lives.â€
On Tuesday night, a
violent mob of anarchists caused half of a million dollars worth of property damage to 35 different locations in Portland, evoking memories of the over 170 days of riots a summer ago.
The Senate Republican Leader Fred Girod (R-Lyons) released the following statement:
“I was hoping that after 24 hours my Democratic colleagues would have publicly denounced the continued chaos and criminal activity in Portland. Silence from the political party that runs our state emboldens criminals. The constant destruction, violence, and murder in Portland are not normal. Oregonians are scared.
“The Portland City Council continues to drag their feet on addressing this crime spike. The Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt refuses to do his job and has rejected the vast majority of riot cases. Because Portland defunded their gun violence unit, causing an officer shortage, almost half of the murderers this year have not been arrested. If local governments won’t keep their communities safe, the state must.
“Research shows that more policing deters crime and saves lives. The Portland Police union has made it clear that they need more than 800 additional officers to keep the city safe. Senate Republicans attempted to add funding for 300 more State Troopers to assist local police departments this last session. Democrats voted that down in lockstep.
“Ignoring this public safety crisis is irresponsible and costing lives.â€
--Staff Reports| Post Date: 2021-10-14 15:32:40 | Last Update: 2021-10-14 16:27:56 |
