Yesteryear

100 years ago

For the week ending Oct. 28, 1923

Six die in farm house fire

The death of the entire household of Eli Chasse here last night may have been caused by Chasse himself. Sheriff S.E. Roberts and Coroner C. P. Niswonger, investigating the tragedy have found a six shooter lying by Chasse’s head. The body was lying in the kitchen near the range. The officers are inclined to the theory that Chasse set fire to the house, then committed suicide. The ruins were too hot to make a close examination.

Six persons were burned to death a mile and a half north of Deschutes early this morning when the home of Eli Chasse was destroyed by fire of origin yet unknown. Chasse, his widowed sister, and four children, ranging from three to nine years of age, died in the flames. Coroner C. P. Niswonger has been notified and is now at the scene of the tragedy.

Organization of Historical Society May Follow Commercial Club’s Effort Formation of a Deschutes county or perhaps a Central Oregon historical society may result from steps taken by the Bend Commercial club to gather valuable material relative to early days in this part of the state from pioneers before they start their trek on the last long trail, it is indicated in information recently given out by J. Alton Thompson, county superintendent of schools and a member of the committee appointed by the commercial club. Thompson as a member of the committee selected for the purpose of interviewing and obtaining material from the old timers who have first hand information concerning the pioneer days in the Deschutes country, conceived the plan of organizing a historical society. One of the first problems which would face such a society, points out Thompson, would be the securing of a suitable place in which to file the valuable historical material. Several attempts have been made since last spring to secure historical data pertaining to the country now included in Deschutes county, and Thompson has intimated that the organization of a historical society will materialize the many plans.

Head of Fall River hatchery location

A small fish hatchery is now being built at the head of Fall river by the state fish and game commission, and according to present plans 1,000,000 trout eggs will be hatched there next season. A cabin is also being built and it is planned to have a man in charge of the Fall River hatchery in the winter months.

Local sportsmen believe that the head of Fall river is an ideal place for the location of the hatchery, principally because the temperature of the water varies little from summer to winter.

Bulbs offered

An offer to give to the local hospitals and the Bend auto park of iris and phlox bulbs has been made by Mrs. F. Montgomery, of the Montgomery Metolius river bulb farm. Mrs. Montgomery writes to the Bend Commercial club that in preparing her flowers for the coming of winter she found there was a surplus of iris and phlox and asked the secretary of the commercial club to inform the hospitals and the auto camp management that she would gladly donate these bulbs for beautification purposes. The Montgomery farm is near Grandview.

75 Years Ago

For the week ending Oct. 28, 1948

Power pool hookup made at cove plant

The Central Oregon power system of the Pacific Power and Light company was joined to the vast northwest power pool yesterday afternoon at the Cove plant on Crooked river, when Miss Joyce Davis, Miss Oregon 1948, of Redmond, touched a switch that connected the new transmission line from Tygh valley with the midstate line.

Witnessing the event were more than 50 business and civic leaders from Bend, Redmond, Prineville, Culver, and Madras as well as a number of company officials. The new line is part of a $1,400,000 power supply project designed to bolster the supply for the Bend-Redmond-Prineville-Madras area which has been suffering from an acute shortage the past year.

Full use of the line is not yet possible and will have to wait until the arrival of heavy transformers to provide a connection at The Dalles with the Bonneville system.

Rocky walls of North Unit canal sealed

Work of sealing a short section of the North Unit canal near the intake at the north city limits of Bend, is now in progress. A compound known as gunite is being applied under pressure, “shooting” the material against the rocky walls.

Golf club sets costume ball

In keeping with the Hallowe’en theme, the Bend Golf club will have a masquerade ball Saturday night at the country club. Character costumes of all kinds, and “hard times” outfits will be the order of the evening.

Dancing will be from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., with music by Ernie Traxler’s orchestra. Refreshments will be served.

Campaign buttons plug car meters

Officers today opened a full-scale investigation of an epidemic of parking meter “slugging” in downtown Bend that yesterday evening put nearly half of the meters out of commission. Campaign buttons are being used as slugs, officers said.

One arrest had been made today and other suspects were booked for questioning. Cited on a charge of tampering with a meter by inserting a slug was Winfred Bergstalh, Bend high school student. Officers said he admitted the charge. Under the city ordinance the maximum fine for the offense is $200 and the maximum jail term is 100 days.

Although the first questioned in connection with the ordinance violation were youngsters, police suspect that the “fad” was started by grownups. When properly prepared, the buttons could be slipped into the meter slots. Then they crossed the face of the dial, displaying the faces of candidates. so far, only the Dewey-Warren buttons have been used.

50 Years Ago

For the week ending Oct. 28, 1973

Kisses aplenty for Homecoming Queen

A couple of burly Bend linemen got into the act last night as Maria McClain, 17, a senior, was crowned queen of Bend’s 1973 Homecoming. Announcement of Miss McClain’s selection was made during the half-time of Bend’s crucial game with LaGrande. The Lava Bears won 10 to 8. At the news Mike Harris, a tackle, and Dave Olsen, center planted congratulatory kisses on the new queen, while on the field.

PBI site project blocked?

Has the city of Bend blocked Hugh McNair from beginning his retail project on the old Pilot Butte Inn Site?

McNair says yes. The city says no. Both parties met yesterday over lunch, at the request of Ray Bennett planning commission chairman. Bennett called the meeting in response to a complaint from planning commissioner Don Halligan.

Monday night Halligan said he felt he had been getting the runaround from city officials. He wanted to know precisely where the city and McNair stood on the realignment of Newport and Greenwood Avenues.

McNair is involved in the realignment because he suggested that he and the city swap property to make room for the realigned street. McNair would give the city 60 feet of his property on the south end. If the city could buy the adjoining lot, it would give that 60 feet to McNair. McNair would then slide his retail development 60 feet down Wall Street. The shift would make room for what the city feels is a much-needed street realignment.

Currently, the city is negotiating with W.B. Anderson, Bend, for the property. McNair says it is impossible for him to go ahead with his plans until he knows what the four corners of his property will be. McNair has preliminary drawings of his development, but says he can’t tell his architect to draw up final plans until he knows.

City attorney Ron Marceau said McNair is under no city obligation. He still hasn’t signed the development agreement he agreed to verbally at the planning commission’s Aug 27 meeting. At that meeting, the planning commission approved the site plan for the proposed $2 million Pilot Butte Center. All site plan approvals are subject to having the developer sign the agreement.

McNair agreed verbally to two conditions: that access from the north end of the project would be provided and that if the city acquired the Anderson property, he would be willing to swap it for the south 60 feet of his land.

Apparently McNair has had misgivings about the conditions since he voiced approval to them. If he had signed the development agreement, which contains the conditions, McNair could have applied for a building permit and started construction.

McNair has been under no obligation to wait for the city to buy the Anderson property, Marceau said. McNair must negotiate the swap only if the city buys it, and if he signs the agreement.

Marceau summed it up by saying, “No one in the city is horsin’ Hugh around.” if he wants to proceed, he can.

25 Years Ago

For the week ending Oct. 28, 1998

Environment center marks first decade

The Central Oregon Environmental Center celebrated 10 years of growth and community accomplishments over the weekend wit food, speeches, music, slide shows and field trips.

“It’s an opportunity for supporters to get together and have fun, and to broaden our exposure to the community,”said Peter Geiser, one of three co-directors of the organization. “It’s to celebrate our accomplishments.”

The Center indeed has accomplished considerable expansion and increased support since taking root in Bend. It started with a dozen local environmental groups mainly dealing with a river initiative, Geiser said.

In 1991, the center moved to an attractive, bigger, renovated building at 16 NW Kansas Ave. Today, 26 conservation organizations are affiliated wit it, cultivating a variety of causes and projects concerning all of Central Oregon.

A broadened support base and deeper levels of partnerships with the business sector, municipal governments, school districts and Central Oregon Community College are among the center’s major accomplishment in the past six or seven years, Geiser said.

“Our mission was to give the community the opportunity to embrace ecological sustainability,” he said.

Geiser said the organization has been a successful experiment. The directors learned as they grew, like any business or non-profit organization. “We learned everything from scratch. We had no model to follow,” he said.

Michele McKay, executive co-director, said one decision the board has struggled repeatedly with is the line between being a networking organization and doing environmental advocacy. When certain issues arise, center officials are tempted to become involved, make a statement. They’ve chosen, however, to provide information to the public and remain more of an educational force.

The center strives to stay neutral on controversial issues, deferring to particular environmental groups that take up the cause.

“It’s been the best decision because it’s kept us in a position of building bridges and avoiding the polarization that goes along with the ‘e’ word,” McKay said. The center has become a meeing place for groups and potlucks, and a starting point for Central Oregonians interested in plants, geology, wilderness and so on. Organizations from Central Oregon Audubon to the Clean Air Committee of Bend to the Central Oregon Astronomical Society coordinate activities at the center.

The weekend activities celebrating the center’s 10th anniversary coincided with the organization’s annual fund-raiser, “Evening For the Environment,” recast this year as “Weekend for the World.”