100 years ago

For the week ending

Jan. 20, 1924

Good skating rink found east of Bend

Skating by moonlight is the order of entertainment for lovers of winter sports this evening. The great outdoor rink, consisting of several acres of ice, is located about 11 miles east of Bend. The direction as given briefly by local people who intend to make the trip out to the frozen winter lake tonight is “past Grange hall to the end of the lane, then three miles straight east.” A number of Bend people were out on this body of ice Sunday and they report the place is fine for skating.

Juniper berry may find practical use

“For sale: One extensive juniper orchard covering the greater part of Central Oregon.” This may be an advertisement inserted in newspapers by the government if plans being carried out by a California chemist materialize.

Whether the berry of the lowly juniper tree can be included in horticultural products will not be definitely known until the Bay state chemist tests several bushels of the Central Oregon berries. L. Antles, secretary of the Bend Commercial club, received a letter this morning asking that 250 pounds of the berries be sent to the chemist’s laboratories.

Juniper oil is the product which it is hoped to extract from the Central Oregon juniper’s fruit. This oil will be used in the arts, if it proves of value. The juniper berry has already been used for medicinal purposes.

New beauty shop opens here today

“The Powder Puff Shoppe,” a beauty parlor in charge of Mrs. Jack Gamage, was opened today in the room just inside the court house entrance. The room is attractively furnished with a color scheme of cream and pink, and is modernly equipped. Mrs. Gamage is an experienced beauty specialist, having formerly practiced her profession in Idaho.

Two sets of teeth owned by business man recovered

After taking an inventory of himself New Year’s morning, W. L. Stephens, Bend business man, found he had no teeth. Bearing out the adage that it is an ill wind that blows no good, a chinook breeze removed the snow from Bend and as a result Stephens has two sets of teeth. The lost set of teeth were found on Drake road by H.R. Smead, having been buried under a coat of snow for over two weeks.

J.H. McLelland, Stephens’ advisor since the teeth mysteriously disappeared New Year’s night, is a bit chagrined because they were found, for he had convinced Stephens that the teeth had been swallowed. Taking McLelland’s advice, Stephens visited a dentist and acquired a new set.

Stephens now has an extra set of teeth, and in order to be prepared for future emergencies is carrying the extra set in his pocket. McLelland has advised Stephens to insure the teeth against fire, loss or theft.

75 years ago

For the week ending Jan. 20, 1949

‘Breathing’ cave gives off vapor

Bend’s vapor-breathing lava cavern appeared to be taking a deep breath last night. This cavern, marked at the surface only by a series of fissures, was the source of clouds of vapor earlier this week, when the temperature dipped to zero and lower. So dense was the vapro that it rolled across The Dalles-California highway, motorists said. One, L.M. Phillips stopped to investigate, and found that the vapor was coming from seemingly warm fissures. In fact, the ground near the vents was muddy, on a sub-zero morning.

The “steaming fissures” are about two miles north of Bend, near the highway. The Bend cave explorers believe that the vapor that comes from the fissures on sub zero mornings is due to the escape of damp air, which, when chilled, becomes vaporous. Caves, it was reported, actually “breathe.” But, the authorities say, they do not breathe like the newly-found vapor fissures. In most caves, air escapes on hot days and flows inward on cold days.

Snow found deep in Skyliner area

Depth of snow covering the Skyliner playground on upper Tumalo creek ranges from five to six feet, it was estimated by skiers who used the area yesterday and reported conditions ideal. Scores of local residents drove into the area and many joined in snow sports on the steep slopes.

It is planned to put the ski tow back in service, but this cannot be done until a new radiator is installed. Skyliners plan to work on the tow this coming week end and may have it in service for Sunday use.

Skyliners announced that they also plan to open the cabin, as a warming center for persons using the playgrounds. However, it is not planned to have a caretaker, or serve food. The road into the Skyliners was in good shape over the week end local skiers reported.

50 years ago

For the week ending

Jan. 20, 1974

Central Oregon law officers switching to small cars for better gas mileage

Those big white state police cars, Plymouth Furys equipped with special suspension for fast cornering and giant 440 cubic inch engines to catch anybody who tries to elude the law, are gas guzzlers.

The last time Sgt. Jack Crisp of the Bend state police office checked the mileage on the 22 big Furys used to patrol Central Oregon, he found they got about eight miles per gallon. Since then state policemen have altered their driving habits to cope with the energy crisis and Crisp figures the cars now get 10 or 11 miles per gallon.

Crisp said state troopers have been ordered to drive below the 55 mile per hour speed limit and let traffic overtake them. He said troopers used to drive about half the time below the speed limit, letting the traffic overtake them, and the rest of the time they would drive slightly above the limit, overtaking the traffic.

While the state police are staying with their big cars, other Central Oregon police agencies have recently purchased mid-sized autos.

The Deschutes County sheriff’s office just purchased three American Motors Matadors. Sheriff F.C. “Poe” Sholes said the new cars get 15 to 16 miles per gallon on the open road. For in-town patrolling, the Matadors get 10 to 11 miles per gallon, he said.

The sheriff’s department has four other patrol cars. Two are Chevrolets (an older model gets about 17 miles per gallon on the open road and a newer model gets about 13). The other two county patrol cars are Ford Galaxies that get about 11 to 12 miles per gallon on the open road.

The Redmond police department also recently purchased two new Matadors. Redmond Police Chief Clarence “Speed” Durgan said he hasn’t noticed much difference between the mileage of new cars and that of the old ones, which are bigger Chevrolets.

“For low-speed patrolling like we do,” he said, “you generally get 10 or 11 miles per gallon, no matter what car.”

Actually, the mid-sized cars have the same size engines as the bigger cars, 400 cubic inches. The difference is in body weight. That lighter weight means better mileage — especially at higher speeds.

The Bend police department recently purchased two new midsized Ford Torinos. Chief Emil Moen said he didn’t know what kind of mileage the new vehicles got, but he said lower gas consumption indicated it is better than what the city’s other three police cars get, which is about nine or 10 miles per gallon.

Sgt. Crisp of the state police said that the agency would consider using smaller cars, “when the law limits the size of cars everyone drives. We have to do lots of high-speed pursuit driving,” Crisp said. “If we used smaller engines, all someone who wanted to elude us would have to do would be get a bigger and more powerful car than we had.”

25 years ago

For the week ending

Jan. 20, 1999

Bend, Redmond to share school

School officials from Bend and Redmond are taking the first steps toward forming a magnet school that the two school districts would share.

The proposed program in Tumalo, between the two cities, would be the first time the Bend-La Pine and Redmond school districts operate a school jointly. The partnership could benefit students in Bend, who attend overcrowded schools, and students in Redmond, who are offered few alternatives to traditional education.

Although neither board has adopted the proposal, officials from both districts say they are intrigued by the idea. As Bend and Redmond continue to grow toward each other, the districts may look at forming more schools together or participating in joint programs.

“I think it’s natural that we would see more of this kind of regional cooperation,” said John Rexford, director of support services for the Bend-La Pine School District. Magnet schools usually concentrate on a particular theme, such as reading, science, technology, performing arts or foreign languages. Benefits include providing alternatives and choices to students and parents while increasing depth of learning and improving attendance, achievement scores and student attitudes.

“We’re very excited about the possibility of this joint proposal,” said Redmond Superintendent Jerry Colonna. “This is a very good example of how students can apply what they learn in a traditional setting with realistic, hands-on-uses.”

Magnet schools operate as part of the school district, and students still must take Certificate of Initial Mastery tests and meet other district policies such as attendance. The schools draw students from across school districts or regions instead of from regular school attendance boundaries.

They differ from charter schools, which may be operated by private entities such as parents.

Bend already operates a magnet school, Amity Creek Elementary, which uses a child initiated learning approach. The proposed Redmond-Bend magnet school, to be housed in the Tumalo Elementary School building, would be the first such program serving students in the Redmond District.

Under the proposed agreement, Bend would provide two elementary school teachers while Redmond would make two classrooms available in the Tumalo building. The school would use a teaching method called Scottish Storyline, which encourages students to practice what they learn in intensive, hands-on lessons.

The storyline teaching style has been used in two classrooms at Buckingham Elementary School in Bend for the past five years, said teacher Colleen Vallerga. Enrollment in the new school would be open to elementary students in Bend, La Pine, Sunriver and Redmond.

Busing students to Tumalo won’t cost the Bend-La Pine district more money because the state pays most of school districts’ transportation costs. If the Bend and Redmond school boards approve the plan, the new school could be open by 1999-2000 school year.