March 6, 1969: Scouts by the Score — Part of about 140 boys attending a First Aid Meet here Monday, listen to Burton Badley give a preview to a film he’s about to show. Boys came from the Columbia Gorge and Celilo districts to compete in the First Aid team event. Badley was chairman, assisted by Walt Hansen, service committee chairman, Wilson Appelgren, chief judge, other scout leaders and members of Hood River, Odell and West Side fire departments.
March 6, 1969: Scouts by the Score — Part of about 140 boys attending a First Aid Meet here Monday, listen to Burton Badley give a preview to a film he’s about to show. Boys came from the Columbia Gorge and Celilo districts to compete in the First Aid team event. Badley was chairman, assisted by Walt Hansen, service committee chairman, Wilson Appelgren, chief judge, other scout leaders and members of Hood River, Odell and West Side fire departments.
1919 — 100 years ago Everyone who wishes to see continued the practice of furnishing Hood River apples to the soldiers who are constantly passing through the city should attend the dance to be given at Heilbronner hall next Saturday evening by the Canteen Committee of the Red Cross, or at least purchase a ticket for the dance, even if they cannot attend. From the Atlantic to the Pacific, the soldiers have heard of the Hood River apples, expect them when they arrive here, and besides the pleasure and comfort it affords them, the distribution of the apples is one of the best advertisements the valley has ever had. Turn out, everybody, and raise a big apple fund for the Canteen Committee, which will probably need $250 per month as long as the soldiers continue to come through.
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1929 — 90 years ago The fine new mortuary, completed this week for the owner, C.C. Anderson, will be open for public inspection tomorrow. C.M. Burgett, architect, and L.M. Bently, contractor, have worked wonders with the former E.L. Smith colonial type residence and have converted it into one of the most up to date mortuaries and residents in the state. The new mortuary will be known as Anderson’s Funeral Home, and it has been especially designed to lift, as much as possible, the burden of responsibility which always comes to a family at the passing of one of its members.
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1939 — 80 years ago One of the most vivid rainbows seen here in many years attracted attention just before noon on Monday. The rainbow, of the double type, was directly north of town and appeared to be pendant on the Union warehouse and the city mole. The top of the arc was lower than the mountains above the north shore of the Columbia River and the Gorge appeared to be ablaze with gorgeous, ethereal colors of a most vivid type. Nobody took the trouble to look for the pot of gold on the city mole.
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1949 — 70 years ago Snow surveyors discovered additional snow reserves in the higher reaches in Hood River County on another check this past weekend. The surveyors made up of Crag Rats, along with W.T. “Jack” Frost, SCS hydraulic engineer in charge of Oregon snow investigation, went to Tilly Jane camp Saturday in the Tucker Sno-cat, which Frost brought here for transportation and provisioning, and then made a check of Red Hill reserves with the cat on Sunday. The average snow depth at Tilly Jane was 157.6 inches, compared with an average of 95.9 inches reported on that test course Jan. 23.
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1959 — 60 years ago Over 100 persons attended the Hood River Historical Society meeting March 1 at the Dee school. Dinner table decorations were done by the Japanese residents of Dee. Mrs. Harold Brower, in charge of the program, presented “The Settlement and Development of the Dee Area and Its Relation to the General Economy of Hood River Valley.” Slides made from old pictures were presented.
Advice for happy longevity — “RELAX!” This from John Baker, the remarkable Hood River attorney who, still spry at 95, found himself the object of a surprise birthday tribute Monday arranged by his local Elks lodge and community friends.
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1969 — 50 years ago A plan is now on paper for complete shelter protection of Hood River County citizens in case of a nuclear attack on the United States. Three consultants who have been working on the emergency plan for months brought the results of their labor to the Civil Defense agency Wednesday of last week. One of the key questions in the shelter plan was what to do about school children if an attack occurred during school hours. The committee decided school children should go directly to designated shelters under supervision of school officials.
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1979 — 40 years ago Much of the Columbia River Gorge from the Sandy River to Maryhill Museum will be the target of a new National Park Service study, which may lead to added federal protection for the area. Out of the study, which is expected to be ready by October, the Park Service will make suggestions to Congress for reservation of scenic and recreation values. For the Gorge, suggested options could include designations as a national park, national recreation area or, at the other end of the spectrum, nothing.
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1989 — 30 years ago Never underestimate the power of the Pine Grove Fire Department Auction. That annual institution, which marks its 25th anniversary next year, proved the point when it went ahead under the most adverse weather it’s ever witnessed and still cleared the shelves. Chuck Thomsen, project chairman, doesn’t like to talk in negatives. But he admitted “weather-wise, it was probably our worst — but we still had a great crowd.” As much as anything, the auction is more an annual happening than just a sale — a lot of people go without ever intending to buy anything, just to enjoy the surroundings.
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1999 — 20 years ago The cacophonous clatter of hammering, drilling and sawing will be part of the sounds at Wy’east Middle School until August as Betz Construction of Hood River expands the school’s library.
Construction began March 1. Betz is expanding the facility by 1,700 square feet to give needed space to the growing school and provide a community center. As construction began, the contents of the library and media center, as well as librarian Jim Tindall, were relocated to the school’s stage. He said the students have expressed they like the library on the stage and describe it as “cozy.”
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2009 — 10 years ago A landmark book by Hood River Valley native Dr. Linda Tamura has made the list of 150 books that are recommended for all Oregonians to read during the state’s sesquicentennial. The book is, “The Hood River Issei: An Oral History of Japanese Settlers in the Hood River Valley.” Tamura, a third-generation Japanese-American, teaches early childhood and elementary education in the Master of Arts teaching program at Willamette’s School of Education.
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