Looking back, Sept 7

The ballots should be arriving Tuesday in the homes of registered voters throughout Wasco County. The mail-in ballot will ask voters to approve a $4.7 million bond measure to fund Oregon’s first veterans nursing care center. The vets’ home, as it’s been dubbed locally, will house 151 beds for those Oregon veterans who cannot live anymore on their own. It will be located on 15 acres east of Flagstone in Columbia View Heights and is expected to provide Wasco County with 108 direct “family-wage” jobs, including 65 nursing positions.

The Civic Auditorium Preservation Committee recently received word that it had received a $16,000 grant from the State Historic Preservation Office. The grant —which must be matched by local dollars — will be used to continue the group’s work in renovating the Civic Auditorium in downtown The Dalles. There were 48 applications totaling approximately $552,000, and $250,000 in grant money was awarded. According to John Will of the Preservation Committee, the latest grant will allow members of the group to complete work on the back stairs which lead up to the east ballroom on the east end of the building.

40 Years Ago-1974

Amtrak service through The Dalles hangs on a Senate-House Conference Committee meeting next week, Sen Mark Hatfield reports. The meeting will be to discuss changes to Amtrak service. Hatfield said two Senate amendments affecting Oregon will either be approved or dropped from legislation. The amendment proposes a rail route through Eastern Oregon to Boise, Idaho, and then to Salt Lake City, Utah. The other calls for a change in federal subsidies in states operating extra Amtrak routes.

Proponents and opponents of establishing a hazardous waste disposal site near Arlington had their say at an Environmental Quality Commission hearing in The Dalles City Council Chambers today. Much of the morning session was devoted to a presentation of a staff report from the EQC on Chem-Nuclear Systems, Inc. application for a license to start the disposal site.

60 Years Ago-1954

The “Mile of Dimes” collected $205.45 last Saturday for the emergency polio fund drive, Wasco County Chairman Ron Vorseth said. Tape was stretched between parking meters in a three-block area on Second Street for the March of Dimes collection. Dalles City police patrolled the collection area. So far the emergency drive has collected around $1,500, Vorseth said.

The city’s new $27,000 fire pumper will be delivered about Oct. 15, the Los Angeles manufacturer has informed The Dalles Fire Department. Meanwhile, Sept. 20 is the expected opening date for the department’s new residential fire station, 12th street and Kelly Avenue. Finishing touches are being added to the city’s other new fire engine, the pumper received from the U.S. Civil Defense agency.

Sealcoating of the Brewery and Fourth Street Grades will start about the first of October, street Sup. Jim Manes said today. All the street department’s new equipment required for the work has arrived and the job will be started on completion of the E. 18th street sanitary sewer project, he said.

80 Years Ago-1934

An old-time crowded house opening was on the record books today for Old Fort Dalles Frolics following the presentation last night of two vaudeville shows at the civic auditorium, when an audience that overflowed into the wide aisles gave vociferous approval to the opening bill. The first show drew an attendance of nearly 1,000 and the second was viewed by more than 300 late comers. Games and concessions in the gymnasium and community room were well patronized during the evening, ballroom dancing attracted many after 10 o’clock, and the Ferris wheel and merry-go-round outside were swamped with customers, young and old. Attendance at this afternoon’s rodeo, at the Sorosis Park grounds exceeded all expectations, and the Legion was today expressing the greatest appreciation to merchants of the city for closing their stores during the sow.

Drilling into the rocky ledges and reefs of Three Mile rapids, in the Columbia River a short distance above The Dalles, has been begun by contractors working under the direction of the war department, it was reported today. The drilling is being done preparatory to blasting away channel obstructions in the rapids so hazardous to river craft plying the Columbia above The Dalles as to cause suspension of navigation at certain stages of the river. Surveys of the project begun last week by army engineers have been completed, and the work now started will be finished in approximately two months. Vessels will be provided safe passage through the rapids at all stages of the river by straightening of the channel and removal of projecting rocks and ledges which cause treacherous currents and “boils.” Cost of the improvement will be about $7,500.

100 Years Ago-1914

Preparations are being made by the Willamette & Columbia River Towing Company for placing the steamer Gamecock in the grain trade between The Dalles and Astoria and it is probable she will leave out on her first trip within the next day or so says the Portland Telegram of Friday. The extent of the probable movement of the cereal to the city by the sea this season is being investigated by the company and it was announced this morning that the Gamecock likely is to start out on that route most any day.

Red caps and pennants of various colors are to be seen on the streets as thick as Germans in Belgium. And all for advertising the big Rodeo and Wasco County Fair to be held September 29 to October 2 in this city. Hundreds of caps and pennants were sold yesterday, the first day the articles were distributed. Several enterprising merchants have titled their display windows with the pennants and caps, making a most attractive showing. Edgar Van Buskirk, who rides about the city in his “hand-power automobile,” perhaps holds the record for sales. “Van,” as he is familiarly known, has both his legs amputated below the knees, the result of an accident when he was employed on the government canal work. “Van” is a worthy fellow and doesn’t like being dependent upon anybody, so he rustles a livelihood selling articles on the streets.

CeCe Fix compiles looking back entries for The Chronicle.