1917 — 100 years ago
Hood River police officers were notified late Saturday night to be on the lookout for burglars who made an attempt that night to blow up the vaults of the Columbia State Bank in White Salmon. It was thought that the men, who were discovered while working on the vault, had escaped across the Columbia. The burglars left their tools, ropes and drills in the bank, and from the nature of those, it is believed the men were professionals.
1927 — 90 years ago
Believing in the old adage that the best time to make hay is while the sun is shining, the officers of the Odell PTA are starting early to raise funds for hot lunches for grade school children when the rainy and wintry days come. For the past two years, these lunches have proved to be highly beneficial to the children. To raise funds for this worthy project, local PTA officials will hold a big ice cream and cake social at Odell high school next Monday, Aug. 29 at 8 p.m. The Pythian Band will present and games will be provided.
1937 — 80 years ago
Rumors which have reached rural users of the municipal Colds Springs water supply the past week brought a representative delegation from the several valley districts served to Monday night’s council meeting in hope that they would learn, first hand, just what the city fathers require of them beyond payment for water sold to rural units in bulk in accordance with the contracts entered into several years ago. In this they were destined to be disappointed, for it was apparent that the council as a whole and Mayor Kolstad have not reached any definite decision on how upping of rural rates would provide the city with any large increase of water, or in sufficient volume to make it possible to secure efficient operation of the street lighting system, which is the airlock in the water system at this time.
A deadline has been set, and the course changed in Hood River County’s “Cross-Columbia Swim” planned here for Labor Day.
Mike McLucas, manager of the Chamber of Commerce, said the deadline for registering ambitions swimmers in his office is Aug. 30. So far, he said, only swim enthusiast, Rob Webster, a frequent river swimmer, has signed.
As plans now stand, swimmers will launch from Koberg’s beach, paddle across the river for a rest, then head back to the Hood River Village shore, forming a triangle. Originally, the swimmers were to start at the Village, but the plan was changed so the swim could be observed from the riverfront facility.
Those who want to make the crossing must make provisions to be accompanied by a rowboat and two observers, outfitted with life jackets and life preserver on a li ne — just in case of emergencies, McLucas said.
This Labor Day will be the first time an attempt has been made to organize the swim on a community basis.
— Hood River News, August 24, 1967
1947 — 70 years ago
By a majority of 90 votes, the proposed $300,000 bond issue, sponsored by the Hood River County School Unit System, carried Monday of this week, with only 406 property owners of the entire county outside the City of Hood River going to the polls. The vote for the bond issue was 248, with 158 opposed. Of the 248 votes cast in favor of the issue, 102 were recorded at Cascade Locks, which is in line for expenditure for new high and grade schools. At Parkdale, which is expected to profit from school expansion under the bond issue, 49 votes were cast in favor.
Low temperatures, with frost in the higher acres of Hood River Valley, furnished surprise for many Tuesday morning. In the lower valley, temperatures were from 38 to 42 were recorded, with Odell reporting temperatures in the middle 30s.
1957 — 60 years ago
Some children were playing with matches and up went about two acres of Ralph Bigelow’s pasture in a wind-driven fire that brought firemen scurrying to the scene at 5:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon. The dry weed field was leveled in swift time by the running fire that started just back of the Bigelow garage and ran downwind to the edge of a neighboring orchard. The Bigelows live just south of the Catholic cemetery, on Tucker Road. Twelve volunteer firemen, under direction of Ben Bisbee, West Side fire chief, immediately poured water on the smoking field and surrounding land to prevent spreading of the fire. Fence posts, still burning after the field had been consumed, were individually doused, while other workers probed among some stacked boards and lumber for other “hot spots.” Extent of damage to the neighboring orchard, owned by Mrs. Eva Merrill, was not known, although vegetation on the fencerow trees seemed badly singed.
1967 — 50 years ago
Gov. Tom McCall literally moved a mountain to keep his morning appointment in Hood River Thursday. “I hated to pull rank,” said the governor, “but I didn’t want to keep my friends in Hood River waiting.” He explained that his car was in a line of traffic stopped at construction on I-80N freeway project west of Hood River. “There was a mountain of earth on the highway about half the size of Mount Hood,” said McCall. On the governor’s request, the contractor obligingly moved a corner of the pile to let the limousine by while some 400 cars waited. “These construction delays,” quipped McCall, “I’m going to have to take it up with the governor.”
1977 — 40 years ago
Sweater weather complete with cloudy skies and light showers descended on Hood River Tuesday and Wednesday this week. It provided a sharp contrast with one short week ago, when the area recorded the hottest day ever witnessed in the Hood River Valley. The new heat record was a convincing one, topping the old mark by two full degrees. The official reading was 108 degrees for Aug. 17, 1977. It wiped out an earlier record of 106 degrees registered in July 1911.
1987 — 30 years ago
When the Hood River Swimming Pool closes its doors this Sunday, it may not be for good, Hood River’s city council decided Monday. Before the pool opened this summer, the council had said the 40-year-old facility would close permanently Sept. 1. That may not be the case, however. The council rescinded that deadline, opting instead to open the pool next summer if capital improvement funds are available to make needed repairs.
1997 — 20 years ago
Hood River’s legal tangle with Meadow Outdoor Advertising could make history — case history. No court in Oregon, according to City Attorney Alexandra Sosnkowski, has ruled on these particular issues involved in the Meadow case, in which The Dalles billboard company has challenged the city’s rejection of its application for eight new signs. The city council voted unanimously Aug. 4 to uphold the ruling of City Planner Cindy Walbridge, who turned down the Meadow’s application because it violated the city sign code’s size and height restrictions. Meadow indicated it intends to appeal the city’s decision to the state Land Use Board of Appeals. At issue is the city’s size limitations on “off-premise” signs, as well as its overall regulations of free-standing signs.
2007 — 10 years ago
The Downtown Business Association is briefing retailers about an upcoming construction project on Thursday. The informational forum will be held at Dog River Coffee. Bob Francis, city manager, plans to field concerns about the final phase of Urban Renewal work. The area of Oak that is slated for street and sidewalk improvements runs from Third to Fifth streets. Also on the list is the stretch of Fourth Street between Oak and State, where utilities will be undergrounded. He said construction is scheduled to begin in February and end by mid-May, the off season for most stores.
— Compiled by Trisha Walker, News staff writer
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