Yesteryear

100 years ago

For the week ending

May 4, 1924

To give reward for murderers

The Deschutes county court will offer a reward of $1,500 for the arrest and conviction of the murderer or murderers of Ed Nichols, Roy Wilson, and Dewey Morris, Lava lake trappers who were shot and beaten to death in mid January.

Announcement to this effect was made this noon by County Judge R. W. Sawyer. Last night on his return from the scene of the tragedy he stated that he would urge such action, and this morning he was assured in person by Commissioner J.S. Innes, and over long distance telephone by Commissioner M. W. Knickerbocker that they are in complete accord. The order posting the reward will be made at the county court meeting tomorrow.

The inquest conducted by Coroner C.P. Niswonger this morning, with District Attorney A. J. Moore conducting the examination of witnesses shed little light on the case, except formally to fix the cause of the deaths of the three men, already well established.

Work to beautify city waterfront

Plans for the beautification of Bend’s waterfront are at present being carried out on an extensive scale, with a crew of men employed by the city building a rock wall nearly 200 yards in length along the margin of the river in the auto park, and members of the local fire department beautifying the river bed just below the Newport avenue bridge.

When the work in the auto park is completed, that part of the park which slopes down to the river will be filled in and planted with grass. Four men have been building the rock wall, curving along the water’s edge from the county bridge to the promontory jutting out from the park, in the city auto park for the past few days.

The wall will be similar to the one directly across from the park on the west side of the river, and when completed will greatly enhance the beauty of that stretch of water which borders the auto park.

Opposition found to building code

Oppositions to the building code which has been presented to the city council for adoption, is being expressed by some local builders, on the ground that it is too detailed and not feasible for use in a city the size of Bend, and that it would result in preventing prospective home owners from building their own homes.

The provision for appointment of a building inspector is a feature which is hardly feasible in Bend, it is declared, since an inspector could not be employed for full time, and it would be impossible to find a building expert equal to the position, who would put in part time, since a man engaged in building here could not fill the position.

The requirement that plans and specifications be filed when a building permit is asked, would cause considerable bother here, where many of the houses are small and no plans are ordinarily drawn for them.

75 years ago

For the week ending

May 4, 1949

320-Pound agate displayed here

Jefferson county, far famed for its minerals, petrified woods and ancient formations, has yielded another “whopper” — a blue, banded agate that weighs 320 pounds. Cut in two with a mud saw attached to a differential of a stripped automobile, the massive agate is on display in Bend, at the P.L. Forbes museum and mineral shop on the north highway.

Forbes found the giant agate in the Pony butte area of Jefferson county, overlooking the rugged Trout creek gorge. Its dark, weather exterior looked like that of an ordinary basalt boulder. By chipping its surface, Forbes ascertained that the “boulder” was a giant agate, probably weathered from an ancient rhyolite cliff. The task of getting the big agate to a car was difficult, but for Forbes the big job, that of cutting the agate in two, was ahead.

Forbes sawed on the agate for an entire week before the halves separated, revealing an interior of startling beauty. The agate’s outer edge is light, banded formation, then follows a blue “fortification” band, about three inches thick. Facing toward the center is a zone of quartz, crystals of which are visible in the fused matrix. The center is filled with a lighter material. Only open spaces in the big agate are a few holes directly in the center.

The agate is 24 inches in length and slightly more than 12 inches across.

50 years ago

For the week ending

May 4, 1974

Smith Rock park plan includes river bridge

The Oregon Highway Division is going ahead with plans for the development of Smith Rock State Park, with minor revisions suggested in public hearings held by the parks and recreation branch.

The development includes construction of a 100-foot bridge connecting sections of the 600-acre park now divided by the Crooked River, and provision of a walk-in camping area. Also, horseback riding will be permitted only on designated trails in the park, hike-in camping on the river bottom will not be permitted, and use of off-road vehicles will be controlled.

The department re-evaluated some of the proposals, such as the bridge location, sanitary facilities and overnight camping, in light of public comment.

Larry Jacobson, planning supervisor for the parks and recreation branch, said “there wasn’t a volatile issue in any of it…the changes we made were very minor, really.” “We eliminated some horseman-type facilities nobody felt were needed,” he said. “We made some changes on fence lines — where we would fence, and where we wouldn’t.” Construction of the footbridge is expected to begin late this spring, river conditions permitting.

At the time of the hearings, held in January in Terrebonne and Salem, the cost of the work at Smith Rock State Park was estimated at under $50,000. A final figure will be determined after the design of the bridge, the most expensive part of the work, is completed.

25 years ago

For the week ending

May 4, 1999

Boys and Girls Club set to open in style

The ideas behind a gymnasium — exercise, health, companionship — haven’t lost their importance. Saturday evening, more than 300 Central Oregonians will celebrate the transformation of an old gym into a new home for the Bend Boys and Girls Club. The project required more than three years of work and about $2.2 million.

We are speaking, of course, about the handsome brick building at the foot of Wall Street, opposite the old Bend library and one small parking lot north of the school districts’ administration building.

Built in 1918, the old Bend High gym served for 60 years as a hub of community activity: basketball games, concerts, theater, dances and even political speeches. But for 20 years after that, the building, also known as the Bend Amateur Athletic Club, sat vacant.

The renovation has been thorough: Crews gutted the building then built an iron framework inside the brick walls as support for new wiring, plumbing, walls, floors and even an elevator. The new club will include computers, six indoor basketball hoops, a variety of games, arts and crafts, a teen center and plenty of opportunity for new programs- in short, an updated combination of exercise, health and companionship.

Saturday’s bash is a grand opening for friends and supporters — that is , people who opened their checkbooks — of the new Bend Boys and Girls Club. The celebration starts with numerous small receptions in private homes and will end with dessert and dancing for all in the renovated downtown building. Participants will receive the first public tour of the new club.

Pepe and the Bottle Blondes will provide highly danceable music. The Portland-based group opened for Pink Martini during the 1998 Cascade Festival of Music concert. Participants in the grand opening will meet fabric artist Dede Gilchrist and painter Jennifer Lake Miller, who have donated works to raise money for the project. Gilchrist researched the history of the building and used a quilt to display it. Boys and Girls Club officials had planned to simply auction the quilt, but then decided it belonged in the facility itself rather than in a private home. About $12,000 has been pledged for the quilt; additional pledges are welcome, and a plaque will list all donors.

Miller’s painting, which focuses on the building’s interior, has raised a comparable amount in pledges. Miller wants an additional $8,000, for a total of $20,000. The painting, like the quilt, will have a permanent spot in the new club, including a plaque for donors.

Bend Metro Park and RecAt press time, officials for the Boys and Girls Club estimated that 50 to 100 tickets to the grand opening were still available for $125 per person.