September 28
20 Years Ago-1994
Local Realtors are feeling the brunt of public dissatisfaction with shortened hours at the Wasco County courthouse, they said recently. “County office hours are having quite an effect on everybody,’ Realtor Jim Wilcox said at a recent county court meeting. “We are the only county I think in the United States that’s closed on Friday,” Wilcox said. Wasco County Judge John Mabrey noted other counties also have shortened work weeks. Courthouse offices here began closing Fridays last May in an efficiency measure. Employees work Fridays, but the doors are closed to the public. With every office taking staff cuts because of budget shortfalls, the remaining employees have more work to do. The uninterrupted time on Fridays allows them to focus on that increased work. Wilcox suggested the courthouse remain open at least part of the day on Friday, preferably in the afternoon, since that’s when funds are transferred for loans.
Republican gubernatorial nominee Denny Smith said Tuesday “We need to make this one state again, not have so many rural versus urban” arguments, freeze state spending, restructure government and establish zero based budgeting to stop drastic cuts and stabilize state services. Smith addressed the fall workshop of the Oregon Wheat Growers League meeting at the Shilo Inn here. Smith said he would review all state agency heads and call for resignations where needed to get people in control who are willing to carry out his program. Growing up in Eastern Oregon, serving in Congress and owning weekly newspapers in Hood River, The Dalles, Madras and Prineville gives him a good grip on this part of the state, he said. “We need to provide a better balance. We don’t need so many Portland lawyers” in state government.
40 Years Ago-1974
Volunteers who operate The Dalles Roller-Rama say they may close shop if more adult help is not forthcoming. They need parents to help supervise the skating activities. More than 500 people are using the skating rink each week at The Dalles Junior High where for a quarter young skaters can skate all they want. “If each parent were to give one night a year to help supervise, we could keep going,” volunteer President Robert Proffitt said. The Roller-Rama board has nine adults and two student members from District 12. Since the Roller-Rama has been operating, it has bought $2,000 worth of equipment for District 12 and last year it spent $1,200 for skates, plus $1,000 more for skates this year.
Cattle rustling still goes on, and the Wasco County Livestock Association says its $1,000 reward for information producing convictions still stands. Association president Mike Kortge Wednesday said that there are reports of butchering, hauling or driving cattle away, plus some cases of shooting cattle down in the fields. The Wasco unit puts up $500 and the state association matches it with $500. “We also want to ask hunters to be careful,” Kortge said. One cow was shot on Sept. 22 and was found this week. A juvenile was involved in that. Kortge said that reports of cattle stealing should be filed with all law enforcement agencies, the brand inspectors, and the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association plus its local units.
60 Years Ago-1954
The Dalles City ambulance will be out of service for at least several days, leaving only the police department’s first aid car available for emergency ambulance service. The city ambulance’s engine block was cracked last night while firemen were rushing an accident victim to a local hospital following a collision at Biggs Junction. When the car’s water pump failed and the engine began to heat, the firemen decided to risk damage to the vehicle rather than allow the patient to die because of delay in reaching the hospital. The patient, however, died 10 minutes after arrival at a local hospital. Cost of repairing the damage is tentatively estimated at several hundred dollars.
The Dalles Community Concert Association concluded a “very successful” membership campaign Saturday afternoon, with over 800 memberships sold in the organization. Sales in the campaign provided the association with the largest budget in the group’s history, according to Mrs. Dorothy F. Roth, community chairman. Mrs. Roth outlined today the tentative program for the winter concert season. “The schedule is subject to the confirmation of the New York offices of Columbia Artists, Inc., but we plan to hold four events during the season,” Mrs. Roth said. Talent tentatively scheduled to appear in The Dalles includes Stephen Kemalyan, baritone soloist, The De Paur Infantry Chorus of 42 Negro voices, the Philharmonic Piano Quartet and Camilla Wicks, violinist.
80 Years Ago-1934
Decision to appoint a small committee that will direct a publicity and advertising campaign to acquaint Wasco County residents with the government’s better housing program was reached here last night at a meeting of civic club, public and business representatives headed by John Milne, The Dalles, chairman of the county Better Housing committee. Indorsement of the housing program was voted by the meeting. Charles R. Harding and Eugene Courtney, managers of the two local bank branches, explained details of the housing program to the meeting last night and said a number of applications and inquiries concerning the program already had come to them from persons who desired loans for repairing and improving property. Under the housing program, it was explained, loans from $100 to $2,000 depending on the loan applicant’s income, may be obtained through local banks for periods of from one to three years, and up to five years in special cases. The cost of such credit is $5 per year for each $100 borrowed, and the loans will be repaid in monthly installments.
Preliminary plans and instructions for welding local Boy Scout activities with the Portland council, were brought to The Dalles last night by Homer D. Angell, vice-president; G.H. Oberteuffer, scout executive, and K.A. Wells, field executive, of the Portland council, at a meeting at the civic auditorium. A large number of local men and two representatives from Dufur were present at the meeting, and heard the plans for the new set-up for Wasco County Boy Scouts. Stating that he has spent 18 years as a member of the Portland Scout council, and with the other men of the council has given much time and effort to Boy Scout work, Mr. Angell welcomed the Wasco County unit as a part of the Portland area. He further urged his listeners to give careful thought to the permanent organization of the Wasco County district and promised that service from the Portland office would make for better and more thorough scouting for the youth of this county.
100 Years Ago-1914
The court house, of which Wasco County is justly proud and which, without doubt, is the finest county government home in the state outside of Portland, is now receiving the finishing touches, and next week will become the home of the officials of Wasco County for generations to come, for it will be many, many years before the growth of population and progress of this county, no matter how rapid, will make necessary larger or better quarters. The people of Wasco County have built for the future as well as the present and a tremendous increaser in county business has been calculated upon and provided for in the new court house. County Judge Frank S. Gunning issues the following invitation to the citizens of Wasco County to visit the new building during the Rodeo-Fair week.
The biggest week in the history of The Dalles will be one commencing September 27, during which the big wild-west show, the Rodeo, the twenty fourth annual Wasco County Fair and pioneer gatherings will be held. It will be Homecoming week in The Dalles and all former residents of the city have been invited to return to their old home at that time, when extraordinary attractions will be staged. Besides the splendid amusement features, ex-Dallesites have been urged to return then because they will have a chance to see many old friends who ordinarily would not be in the city.
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