100 years ago

For the week ending

April 6, 1924

Tourist park opened today

Bend’s auto park was officially opened for the 1924 tourist season this morning. Although it has not been definitely announced, it is probable some improvements will be made in the auto park this season. The need for showers in the park has been considered, but it is not likely they will be installed this year. The grass planted last spring was carefully protected during the winter months and is already green, adding greatly to the appearance of the park, located on the banks of the river and adjacent to The Dalles California highway just north of the business section of Bend.

Overturf’s mumps postpone hearing

The trial of H.J. Overturf, J. Ryan, Charles Haines and Charles Carrol on a charge of using the mails to defraud in connection with the appraisal of land values in the state bonus administration, was postponed today until April 11, because Overturf was ill with mumps.

Child is located in lumber yard

Marjorie Bernard, four year old girl reported to the police as missing, was found in the Brooks-Scanlon lumber yard, in danger of being run over by lumber cars. She was found by Taylor Rhoads, who took her to the box factory, where one of the women recognized the little girl and took her home.

Relics found in cave may be examined later by geologist

Believing it is very probable that some of the many bones in the rediscovered lava caverns southeast of Bend are those of animals now extinct, every precaution will be taken next Sunday, when a caravan of local people will be guided to the caves, to leave the bones unmolested.

It was first suggested that a committee should be appointed by the Bend Lava Bears, who will head the caravan on the trek to the underground caverns, to make a collection of the bones, many of which are partly mineralized, for the purpose of sending them away for determination by a paleontologist, but it has been learned that much of the scientific value of any geologic or paleontologic find is lost when removed from the resting place of centuries.

If the bones in the newly rediscovered lava tunnels, extending for a mile and one-half in one direction, are left unmolested, the Smithsonian institute men planned to arrive here this summer, will obtain some valuable data. Dr. J.C. Merriam, head of the Smithsonian institute, was in the John Day quadrangle last summer.

It is predicted by R.N. Buchwalter that several hundred people will visit the caves Sunday.

75 years agoFor the week ending

April 6, 1949

Bend’s annual clean-up set for next week

The week of April 10 to 16 has been designated as the time for Bend’s annual clean-up, in preparation for the 1949 vacation season and an expected heavy influx of tourists, it was announced today. Heading the clean-up campaign will be Everett Hughes, chairman of the Bend chamber of commerce “keep Oregon green and keep Bend clean” committee.

Residents will be urged to dispose of trash which might constitute a fire hazard, clean premises, eliminate debris that accumulated through the long winter and generally improve property.

The week has been designated not only as a means of removing fire hazards, but as a move to beautify the city. Bend, it is pointed out, is generally recognized as one of Oregon’s cleanest towns.

“The clean-up project is one in which the entire community will be asked to join,” Hughes said.

Cascade Lakes Highway link job planned

Under an agreement reached recently by the public roads administration, the Oregon highway commission and the forest service, $150,000 will be available this coming season for improvement of the north end of the Cascade Lakes highway.

The money will be used to restore the grade and surface 8.6 miles on that section of the highway between Bend and Elk lake. If a surplus of funds remains it will be used to extend the grading work toward Dutchman flat.

Awbrey Butte water storage plan proposed

First step in the extension of Bend’s water system, to alleviate a situation that was acute in the summer months of 1948 and is expected to be serious this year will be the construction of a 5,000,000 gallon reservoir on Awbrey heights.

However, it was stressed, the problem of financing the proposed additions to the municipal water system must first be solved before work can be started on the reservoir. The solution, it was indicated, will involve a bond issue, which will probably go before voters in the not distant future.

If financing plans are approved, construction of the Awbrey butte reservoir, to hold 2,000,000 more gallons than the present reservoirs on Overturf butte, will probably get under way this fall, and the huge tank will be available for the 1950 season.

Plans call for a 164 by 237-foot rectangular reservoir on Awbrey butte. The reservoir will be on a slope, with the water to be of varying depths. It will be of reinforced steel construction, with a concrete roof, this to be covered with dirt.The reservoir would be constructed on a 50-acre city-owned parcel of land at a location on the extension of Tenth and Vicksburg.

50 years agoFor the week ending

April 6, 1974

Annual root feast scheduled Sunday

WARM SPRINGS — Annual Root Feast preparations here will culminate this week when local women dig and prepare fresh peahe, luksh, and coush (bitterroot and varieties of biscuit root) for feasts Sunday in the Agency and Simnasho longhouses.

According to participants, the women who are involved have been stitching new wing dresses, a traditional Indian garment, and spiritually preparing themselves with special religious observances.

Those who have lost family members in the past months have held the memorial dinner which is required by their beliefs before the family can participate in ceremonies. The Root Feast is actually one of several annual Thanksgiving ceremonies observed by descendants of the Columbia River Area Indians.

A Huckleberry Feast is still held on the Warm Springs Reservation in the late summer, but the Salmon Feast, the third Thanksgiving observance of the descendants of early area Indians, is no longer held on this reservation. All of the feasts are closely tied to Indian religious beliefs.

The date of the observance is set annually by longhouse leaders who determine, as nearly as possible, when the first spring roots will be ready for digging. There are special religious songs and observances women follow when they go into the fields to dig.

“One of the teachings we are trying to put across to the young people is that we do not eat these foods until the feast,” states Mrs. Williams. “It is life-giving food given to us to nourish our bodies and strengthen our religious beliefs.”

In addition to the fresh roots, the traditional feast includes salmon, considered by the Indians as the first or leader of all Indian foods, venison, later-maturing roots which have been conserved from the last harvest, and berries.

The foods will be served Sunday by a group of longhouse participants in a ritual manner, with men of the longhouse leading the procession with the salmon and venison. A sip of water — “the preserver of all life of humans and plants and fish” — will precede the actual beginning of the meal.

As has been true for the past several years, non-Indians will be welcome at both longhouses. They will be served a meal in the dining room however, rather than in the ceremonial area of the Agency Longhouse. Crowds there became too great to handle several years ago.

Tribal members have asked that non-Indians respect the ceremonies. Cameras and tape recorders are not welcome and non-participants are asked to avoid walking in the ceremonial area or near the singers.

“We try to put through to the visitors to respect us at our prayers,” Mrs. Williams said, “They sound to them like chanting, but we are praying spiritually through these songs. These are religious songs.”

Mrs. Williams also said, “It does disturb the cooks when they (outsiders) come into the kitchen (to ask questions). We just do not have time. It is not a show…it is something religious we are doing.”

Asked if there would be any charge for the meal this year, Mrs. Williams answered as if astonished at the question. “There is never a charge…it is a Thanksgiving.” I the evenings of the Root Feast weekend there will be Indian dancing (after appropriate religious ceremonies) at the Agency Longhouse. In addition an open rodeo has been scheduled at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the arena near the Agency Longhouse.

25 years agoFor the week ending

April 6, 1999

Chapter closes on Blue Spruce motel

Under normal circumstances, the demolition of a 10-room motel wouldn’t receive much attention. Except this motel is the Blue Spruce, and its razing closes the book on a rancorous, years-long battle between its owners, Wal-Mart and Deschutes County.

Fran Franklin, along with her sister, Kaye Franklin, and her daughter, Regena Franklin, sold their motel to RTC, a limited liability company linked to the Bob Thomas auto dealership in Bend.

The purchase price was not disclosed. Thomas began demolishing the old motel Tuesday.

Thomas owns about 10 acres just west of the Blue Spruce at Badger Road and Highway 97. By purchasing the motel, he consolidates a land block on the city’s south end between the highway and the future Bend Parkway.

Thomas has no plans for the 10 acres. But he may develop part of the Blue Spruce property, which sits on two-thirds of an acre.

“We’re talking about it and going through the pro-forma stage to figure out what it could be,” said Thomas. “We’ll probably use it for something that’s related to our business, possibly a used car lot.”

The Franklins, owners of the Blue Spruce since 1977, fought a pitch battle with Deschutes County and Wal-Mart over a 1,100-square-foot strip of their property — a fight that went all the way to the Oregon Court of Appeals.

It started in 1993, when a county land-use hearings officer required Wal-Mart to widen the Badger Road/Highway 97 intersection as a condition of opening a new store in Bend. To widen the intersection, Wal-Mart had to buy a strip of land under the Blue Spruce. The Franklins balked at Wal-Mart’s initial $44,000 offer, instead seeking $100,000, a sewer hookup and continued access to Badger Road so northbound traffic could safely reach the motel.

Fran Franklin said Wal-Mart only wanted to pay for the land. It wouldn’t consider compensation for the damage that the wider intersection, difficult access and increased traffic would do to the business.

“We knew our business would be destroyed,” Franklin said. “They wanted to pay us $44,000 for what I call sticks and stones, not for the impacts.

The county took initial steps to condemn the property on Wal-Mart’s behalf, which led to a series of legal actions by the Franklins. They tried to prevent Wal-Mart from opening back in 1994, but Deschutes County Circuit Judge Alta Brady refused.

Finally last year, the county agreed to pay $125,000 for the piece of land in a settlement with the Franklins.

Fran Franklin said the motel’s business dropped nearly 20 percent after the light was installed at the intersection in 1994, making it more difficult to cross the highway to enter the motel.