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.
May predetermine election results for the next decade
The Oregon Supreme Court has announced that the legal challenges of recent redistricting decisions have been dismissed and that the newly created district boundaries will be upheld. Two different challenges were dismissed.
Super-minority Republicans in the state have expressed dissatisfaction with the results, after House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland)
reneged on a deal made with the Republicans earlier in the year, which would have allowed equal representation on the Redistricting Committee.
House Republican Leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby) released the following statement in response to the court decision to deny petitions against the legislative redistricting map passed by House and Senate Democrats on party lines.
“This court decision approves a legislative redistricting map that predetermines election results for the next decade. Democrats have significantly reduced competition by picking which party will represent most House or Senate districts. That’s not a real choice for Oregonians. That’s gerrymandering.â€
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
Democrats have also weighed in on the decision:
“I am pleased that the Oregon Supreme Court has found that the Legislature’s redistricting maps
meet all legal standards,†said Senator Kathleen Taylor (D-Portland), who served as chair of the
Senate Redistricting Committee. “The Senate Redistricting Committee worked tirelessly to
gather input from Oregonians across the state and use the 2020 Census data to create fair
districts, all under an incredibly compressed timeline. The Legislative Assembly has once again
succeeded in delivering on its constitutional duty of redistricting.â€
“Today’s decision shows that Senate Democrats get things done, and that the Oregon Legislature
takes its responsibilities very seriously,†said Senate Majority Leader Rob Wagner (D-Lake
Oswego). “I commend the tireless efforts of Senator Taylor, the redistricting committee
members, and all of my colleagues who made significant contributions to get their constituents
involved in the process.â€
The legislative redistricting plan will take effect on January 1, 2022.
--Bruce Armstrong| Post Date: 2021-11-22 13:48:18 | Last Update: 2021-11-22 16:38:10 |
