100 years ago

For the week ending

March 16, 1924

B.H.S quintet qualifies for state tourney

In the fastest game of the tournament, the Bend high school basketball team won 17-12, from The Dalles high in the final championship contest here Saturday night, and qualified to represent the Central Oregon and Middle Columbia conferences in the state tournament at Salem this week.

The Bend team won by keeping the ball in its possession nearly all of the time, and by displaying both the best teamwork and the best defense that it has developed this year. Team work on the part of both teams was the fastest of the tournament, but The Dalles was unable to break through Bend’s defense. Bend’s lead was never threatened.

Three-month sleep of squirrel at end

After a sleep lasting nearly three months, “Happy,” pet douglas squirrel owned by Shasta Lela Hoover, is awake. The little animal, harbinger of spring, it is believed, Sunday morning stole sleepily out of his modernized winter quarters in Miss Hoover’s home at Awbrey heights, ate a bit of an apple, took a drink of water and then went back into his quarters.

When “Happy” crawled into his well prepared winter quarters shortly before Christmas, he was very fat. Sunday morning after a “snooze” of nearly 90 days, he was thin, and apparently very much smaller in size.

From experience last year, Miss Hoover has learned that “Happy” is not in a mood to be petted when he first awakes from the sleep of winter, and Sunday she did not bother him.

Thompson will prepare plans

Hugh Thompson, local architect was authorized by members of the board of union high school district No.2, holding a special meeting Thursday afternoon, to draw up plans and specifications for the high school building which will be erected near the school gymnasium structure. Advertising for bids for construction work will be made immediately after the plans are drawn up.

The entire meeting of the board, lasting for nearly four hours, was given over to a discussion of plans for the new high school, which it is hoped, will be ready for occupancy by September 1. Thompson already has the plans and specifications well under way and it is believed probable the contractors will be on the ground by April 1.

Crane Prairie Reservoir to save farms

As a measure to assist farmers of Central Oregon in meeting a possible shortage of water next summer, the draining of the Crane Prairie reservoir, now going forward to permit of logging operations on the flooded area, will be temporarily stopped. A message was received this morning from Oswald West, president of the North Canal Co., saying he was willing to take any steps necessary to assist the farmers during the growing season, so long as the removal of the timber was not delayed.

West instructed R. W. Sawyer to get in touch with C.M. Redfield, engineer for the North Canal Co., and have him close the Crane Prairie gates and hold the water at its present level until a final decision relative to the draining of the reservoir is arrived at. It appears probable the water will be held for irrigation purposes.

75 years ago

For the week ending

March 16, 1949

Triplets born at Prineville; first in county

PRINEVILLE — Crook County’s first triplets, girls, were born here this morning, and their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Patrick F. Soran, are just a wee bit downhearted. They had hoped the colleens’ arrival would be on St. Patrick’s day, only two days away.

The first baby arrived at the Prineville hospital at 9:53 this morning. The second checked into the world at 9:54 and the third at 9:55. Mother and babes were doing nicely this morning and father Pat was out shopping for cigars — at least three boxes of them. The Soran’s have two other youngsters, both boys.

“We haven’t named the girls yet — I must have a conference with Mrs. Soran first”, the father announced. He admitted the task of selecting three Irish names might be a bit difficult, then he added; “But thing of the income tax exemptions.”

Central Oregon potatoes moved to world markets

Potato shipments from Central Oregon are at a record mark for the season, according to information from W. R. Stanard, shipping-point inspector and he record movement is expected to continue through the month as more pits are opened. A recent check revealed that mid-state potatoes are even being consigned to Japan, Alaska and the Philippines.

Heavy shipments have been made from the Mid-Oregon Farmers Warehouse and Supply center in Bend in recent months, and inspection, grading and sacking work is still at a high mark here.

As spring nears, activities at the warehouse are on the increase in all departments. This activity is partly attributed to preparations being made by farmers for the spring planting season. Seed-cleaning work has been moved into high gear, and crews have been increased in size. Indicative of the increased activity is the hum of cleaning.

Parochial school to give St. Paddy’s program

Lilting tunes from Ireland will be featured at a St. Patrick’s day program to be presented Thursday evening, March 17, by pupils of St. Francis school. The program will be at 8 p.m., in the recently renovated St. Francis parish hall. Parents and friends of the pupils are being invited to attend.

The music of Ireland, which has won its way into everyone’s heart, will be represented by such melodies as “Wearing of the green,” “Killarney” and “Galway Bay.” The boys and girls chorus will perform, along with Irish dancing.

A village in Galway is the setting for “Iosagan,” a play written by the Irish author Padriac Pierce. Characters in the play include Patrick O’Doherty, Bernard Stenkamp, William Hatch, Thomas Uppendahl, Patrick Kelly, James Crowell, Paul Ellison, and Michael Feser.

50 years ago

For the week ending

March 16, 1974

The streaker strikes!

Galloping off into streaking immortality at Central Oregon Community College is the school’s first recorded streaker, an unidentified male who yesterday ran from the student union to the front of the gymnasium on College Way where he was picked up by a waiting car. COCC’s first “organic runner” was soon followed by four other streakers, including a coed whose name is also lost to history. All of these new COCC streaking records were established under sunny but chilly noontime skies. One streaker was prepared for the chill factor, however, witnessed wearing his wool hat and streaker sneakers.

COCC to purchase 48-acre land parcel

The Central Oregon Community College board last night voted to purchase 48 acres adjacent to the college for $96,000.

The property belongs to Mrs. Elaine M. Doering. It is located adjacent to the southwest corner of the present 140-acre college site west of Bend. The acreage is on both the north and south sides of Shevlin Road.

In a report to board members, COCC president Fred Boyle stressed the importance of obtaining property for a new access road around the college. A Brooks Resources Corp. development north of the college presently is served only by College Way.

As things stand now,” Boyle reported, “College Way would be a primary feeder route into this community” (which is predicted to reach 14,000 persons). The only proposed alternative is a new route around the college’s western boundary, Boyle said.

Boyle said the property “offers flexibility for future growth patterns” of the college and would provide a buffer zone between the college and the land next to it.

25 years ago

For the week ending

March 16, 1999

Hardware landmark pins down niche

In an era of cookie-cutter retail — where Wal-Mart looks like Target, which looks like Kmart which looks like ShopKo — few stores survive outside the mold.

Masterson-St. Clair hardware is one of those survivors. And now, because of the foresight of its late owners, the downtown Bend business will continue as before. Hal and Jeanette St. Clair set up a bank trust to handle the transition in ownership following their deaths. Hal died last April. Jeanette died last June.

After months of sorting out legal details, the hardware store now has come into the ownership of five long-time employees.

Gil Denfeld, who has worked intermittently at Masterson-St. Clair starting in 1970 and returned full time five years ago, owns 50 percent. Ron Brummett, Gordon Chandler, Dale Robertson and Jim Roley own 12.5 percent each.

“I think it was very generous of the St. Clairs to set up here,” Denfeld said. “They were generous, wonderful people.”

The new owners average more than 10 years of experience at the downtown Bend hardware store, so their faces are familiar to customers. And that’s good. For at Masterson-St. Clair, asking for help is almost a requirement.

On Monday, a customer asked for assistance finding an obscure household part. “Honey, they’ve got it,” he yelled, craning his head to locate his wife in the far corner of the store.

Masterson-St. Clair seems to invite spontaneity. Its eclectic clutter feels homey, not institutional. It smells like leather and flannel, not cleanser. Instead of six-packs of bolts, Masterson-St. Clair carries singles. If customers are searching for an unusual piece of hardware, their best chance of finding it probably lies with Masterson-St. Clair.

Today’s not an easy time to be selling hardware. The 48-year-old downtown Bend landmark faces a frontal assault from Home Depot the nation’s largest home improvement chain. Its 121,000-square-foot store is expected to open this summer.

Denfeld doesn’t see Masterson-St. Clair competing with Home Depot, which will lure customers from throughout Central Oregon. Traditional hardware stores usually attract customers from a five to seven mile radius, said Ellen Hackney of the National Retail Hardware Association in Indianapolis.

Masterson-St. Clair’s niche is providing customer service and a wide variety of hardware, Denfeld said.

“A guy came in and said, ‘You have nine out of the 10 things I want.’” Denfeld said. “I want to be 10 of 10.”

To that end, Masterson-St. Clair is boosting its selection of hard-core hardware, Denfeld said.

It’s doubling the amount of nuts and bolts, brackets and other fastening materials. Stocks of other merchandise also will expand.

Other than that, the hardware store’s new owners plan business as usual. Denfeld said sales have been steadily increasing. The goal is to keep it that way in a wake of Home Depot. “We’re not going to change anything,” he said. “We’re just adding more of the basics.”