“BRIGHT, SPECKLED fall plumage of starlings is shown in this picture at trap which has caught an estimated 3,800 of the pesky birds at the Jack Martin ranch this summer. Later in year the birds take on a more drab, dull black color and the speckles become obscure. Speckled feathers, long bill and short tail feathers distinguish starlings from the common blackbirds.” — The Dalles Daily Chronicle, Sept. 22, 1964
The annual campaign of sneak thieves opened this week, when C. B. Teach, his son Gordon and A. W. Quinlan, all whites, pleaded guilty before Justice Onthank to stealing the entire flock of hens belonging to Mrs. L. L. Gooch, local ranch owner. Through the efforts of Sheriff Edick and his deputies, a part of the flock was recovered. Rather than throw them in jail and permit them to become a county charge, Justice Onthank fined the trio $28 each.
— Hood River News
Tygh grade, that section of The Dalles-California highway between Dufur and Tygh Valley, was revealed, an awe-inspiring sight, to those brave enough to attempt its passage yesterday.
— The Dalles Chronicle
The ceremony of laying the corner stone for the new Union High School building has been somewhat delayed by the necessity for revoting the bonds, but the date has now been definitely set for Friday afternoon, September 26. The exercises will be held at 3:00 o’clock in order that the school children may take part. A prominent speaker from outside will give the main address on the program. The corner stone will consist of a marble tablet bearing the date of the laying and names of the school board members, together with the firms doing the architectural and construction work. This tablet will be inserted in the front wall of the building in such a way as not to interfere with the concrete work already laid. Beneath the slab will be inserted the records of the formation of the Union High School district and all maters of interest pertaining to the work of planning and financing the undertaking.
— White Salmon Enterprise
1944 — 80 years ago
Fresh apples from the United States will appear this winter in United Kingdom markets. This will be made possible largely through substitution of fresh fruit for part of the allotment of dried apples, which will be in short supply this season. Formerly the principal export market for fresh apples from the United States, the United Kingdom has received no shipments since 1941, due to the lack of shipping space. Exports to that market during the five-year period 1934-38, averaged slightly more than five million bushels annually. The War Food Administration says every effort will be made to distributed purchases equitably between Eastern and Western producing areas. Shipments from Eastern orchards will consist of U.S. No. 1 and better grades in 2 to 2 1/4 inch and 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 inch size groups. Purchases from Pacific northwest will consist of extra fancy and fancy grades in 175 to 252 size ranges.
— Hood River News
Wasco county has been free of bonded indebtedness since the spring of 1943, Mrs. F. V. Galloway, county treasurer, said Monday in commenting on news reports from Portland that more than half of the counties in the state are now out of debt. Wasco county, the county treasurer said, was one of the first in the state to pay off its indebtedness.
— The Dalles Chronicle
Lt. Raymond Shirley, now stationed in France, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Shirley of The Dalles, was hailed the other day by a young chap he met there in the service and was asked to look at some kodak prints he had received from his sister showing members of her family. Shirley exclaimed in amazement, “Why, that guy lives in my home town!” The young chap was First Sergeant J. P. Miller; the pictures were from his sister, Mrs. Richard Crane Jr., of The Dalles, and “that guy” was her husband, Dick Crane. Jr. Sgt. Miller said the reason he happened to show the prints to Shirley was that he is “the best ever” and he wanted to show them to someone who would understand.
— The Dalles Chronicle
The forty-three minutes blackout in White Salmon, Bingen and Lyle Monday morning, September 11th, was not due to any enemy action, unless you call an unusually high loaded truck an enemy. The cause of the interruption was said high load tearing down service wires at the Sid Thompson place on the Evergreen Highway. The broken service wires shorted the 6600 volt line causing the switch to relay at the Bingen sub station and to make matters worse, the telephone service failed at the same time, due to the power failure.
— White Salmon Enterprise
1964 — 60 years ago
Leo G. Drake, 912 Hull St., escaped injury when his car smashed into the door of Hood River Supply at noon Aug. 28. Drake had stopped to put some mail in the drop box at the post office on Cascade Street, leaning across the seat of his car to reach the box. His foot slipped from the brake and to the accelerator, and his car careened onto the sidewalk and into the doorway. It bounced off the building, and struck the right side of a pickup.
— Hood River News
Faced with a Corps of Engineers deadline date of April, 1965, for vacation of the old [Arlington] business district to be inundated by the waters of the Columbia River, and a court decision invalidating their contract for development of a new business center on a plateau fill, Mayor Jack Harford and city councilmen at a meeting Wednesday discussed the city’s future but took no specific action.
— The Dalles Chronicle
The School board met in special session Monday night. Several members of the community are in attendance. The board unanimously went on record favoring a special levy of $68,000 (approximately 20 mills) for the purpose of providing space and facilities to house the 9th grade at the Junior High School site. This election will be in conjunction with the general election November 3.
— White Salmon Enterprise
1984 — 40 years ago
Circuit Court Judge John Jelderks expects to issue a decision later this week on whether the court has jurisdiction to issue a temporary injunction halting glider flights during the pendency of a lawsuit against the Port of Hood River and the hood River Airport. The suit was filed by two men, both of whom seek monetary damages and a halt to the flights over their homes. They claim the noise of the tow planes makes conversation impossible and has decreased the value of their property. Port representative said the port asserts that only the Federal Aviation Administration, not the state, has authority to issue such an injunction. Jelderks says the issue is being researched. Attorney for the plaintiffs, says that their contention is that the noise invasion constitutes taking property without compensation. He says the FAA doesn’t have jurisdiction, since the airport was licensed before the pertinent statute was enacted. They say the port master plan for the airport shows air easements to the east and west, but not to the north where the homes are located.
— Hood River News
Martin Marietta has already begun safeguarding piles of spent cathode material from its smelters here and in Goldendale and company representative still wonder whether the company can qualify for Superfund money for the storage. Spent cathodes (electrical connection) from the smelting pots is removed and traditionally has been piled on the ground. It contains traces of cyanide.
— The Dalles Chronicle
2004 — 20 years ago
Hood River hosted its second All-American Soapbox derby race of the season last weekend on Wasco Avenue, with racers from all over the Northwest attending the festivities. Local competitors Adam McCaw (first place in Stock) and Nathan McCaw (second place in Super Stock) represented their hometown well, while Austin Requa of Cascade Locks picked up a fourth place finish in the stock division. Alec Runyan-Wiltz of Hood River was seventh in the Stock division, and Lucy Andersen of White Salmon placed sixth in the Super Stock division. Racers from as far away as Bend Keizer, Sublimity, Salem and Spokane, Wash., attended the two-day event, which was sponsored by Sprint, New York City Sub Shop, Hood River Outfitters, Northwave and the City of Hood River.
— Hood River News
“BRIGHT, SPECKLED fall plumage of starlings is shown in this picture at trap which has caught an estimated 3,800 of the pesky birds at the Jack Martin ranch this summer. Later in year the birds take on a more drab, dull black color and the speckles become obscure. Speckled feathers, long bill and short tail feathers distinguish starlings from the common blackbirds.” — The Dalles Daily Chronicle, Sept. 22, 1964
File photo
Jack Martin has been highly successful in operating a starling trap at his ranch on Three Mile Creek this summer, Extension Agent Jack Thienes reports. His starling trap has yielded an estimated 3,800 birds since mid-June when he started operating it. Martin began baiting his trap with cherries, and as soon as the cherry supply was exhausted, he switched to a mixture of cull apples, ground grain and table scraps.
— The Dalles Chronicle
One local government agency agreed to endorse an $18.5 million building bond for CGCC last week, but two others chose to leave the matter to the voters. Wasco County commissioners voted Wednesday to publicly endorse the Columbia Gorge Community College bond request on the Nov. 2 ballot.
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