1918 — 100 years ago
By using idle land and by the expenditure of but a little effort, a substantial sum can be earned by growing beans, according to H.H. Larkin of the Hood River Canning Company. “Go over the farm,” says Mr. Larkin, “and figure out the possibilities for cultivation of the waste corners and the strips between the trees and other unused stretches of land. A small tract planted to beans will repay the effort.
“The nation is calling for the greatest possible production of foodstuffs and the cannery is encouraging the growing of beans by furnishing the seed upon a deferred payment plan … Uncle Sam is asking for a large production of canned goods and it is a matter of patriotism as well as profit for the farmer to comply with the great demand of the day for more foodstuffs.”
1928 — 90 years ago
The school board of district No. 3 (city schools) has granted Thos. L. burns, principal of the junior high school, and Wm. B. Durland, mathematics teacher and coach at the junior high, the privilege of conducting a summer school in the junior high building. Mr. Burns says the school expects to get most of its support from two classes of students: (1) Those who have graduated from high school and who want to pursue a business course and (2) Those who have failed in a subject or two and wish to make them up during the summer. Typewriting, shorthand, bookkeeping, commercial law, commercial arithmetic, algebra, geometry, world history and junior high school subjects will be offered.
You are here: Directories installed
City workers have completed installing the first of six outdoor shopping directories in downtown Hood River.
The project, organized by the Hood River Downtown Business Association, received financial support from the Hood River Urban Renewal District, and six businesses with interests or offices in downtown: Pacific Power, Andrew’s Pizza, Full Sail Brewing, the Hood River Hotel, AmeriTitle, and Greg Colt.
Colt, a local realtor now working with Current Commercial, conceived the idea.
“You go into a mall and they have directories that tell you where to find the things you’re looking for,” said Colt. “It seemed like something similar would be a great help to the people who visit Hood River and find themselves looking for a certain type of business, but not sure where to find it.”
The directories include a map of downtown with numbered blocks representing key businesses. The numbers correspond with a listing of businesses by type — things to do, where to eat, where to stay, community services, and shopping.
Designed by Moria Reynolds of Pocards, the directories were produced by Mark Barton of Signmedia and mounted on medal stands crafted by Schlosser Machine Inc.
Four have been installed. Installation of the directories at First and Oak streets is awaiting resolution of an easement discussion; the directory in front of the city administration office awaits completion of sidewalk construction work.
Directory locations:
Southwest corner, Third and Oak, near Hood River City Administration
Northwest corner, Second and Cascade streets, near Mall 202
South side of Columbia Avenue, near entrance to the city parking lot
Southwest corner of Fourth and Cascade, across from the post office
Southeast corner of First and Oak, diagonal from Hood River Hotel
South side of Oak Street, at terminus of Fifth, near Georgiana Smith Park
— Hood River News, May 14, 2008
1938 — 80 years ago
At its meeting on Monday night, the city council accepted the bid of Oregon Construction for the paving of Industrial Street, the bid being $7,250 and the job to be completed within 60 days.
If plans approved by its city council last Monday night go through, it is the first municipal customer for electric energy from Bonneville Dam. The order approved is for 100 kilowatt years. At this time the rate established by Administrator Ross yet awaits approval by the federal power commission. Their city will be the first in the United States to buy power by the kilowatt year at the lowest wholesale rates in the nation.
1948 — 70 years ago
Hood River’s volunteer firemen quelled a fire of undetermined origin at the Tum-A-Lum lumber company office at Oak and Fifth streets Tuesday morning at 5:30. While considerable damage was done at the building and some materials were consumed in the blaze, quick action by the firefighters prevented the blaze from causing severe loss.
The Altruistic Club of Wauna Temple No. 6, Pythain Sisters, will meet at the home of Mrs. Gloria Garrabrant, Columbia River Highway, this Friday afternoon.
1958 — 60 years ago
With the exception of agriculture, the job outlook in Hood River was called “poor” this week by the local office of the Oregon State Employment service. Biggest factors, says office director Boyd Jackson, is the unusually low increase in heavy construction projects here this spring.
Duckwall Bros., Inc., Hood River fruit packing and shipping firm, announced plans to build a huge central packing house and cold storage plant near Odell. The move is the decisive step in the Duckwall plan to centralize its operation in the area where the fruit traffic is the heaviest. After moving its packing equipment from Hood River and Parkdale to the new facility, Duckwall organization will close down its packing operations in those two communities in favor of the Odell site. Some cold storage will be maintained in Hood River.
1968 — 50 years ago
A Portland firm’s $22,479 bid was low when Bonneville Power Administration opened bids Tuesday for construction of a new substation in the Odell area. It will replace, on the same site, the existing Pacific Power and Light Co. station just north of Odell. The new substation containing a 9,400 KVA, 69-12.5 KV transformer, will provide a second source of electricity to the Hood River Electric Cooperative to serve increasing power requirements. Its construction will utilize a low-profile design concept.
1978 — 40 years ago
The rain came, and still they walked Saturday to raise money for the March of Dimes Walkathon. Admittedly, the weather apparently dampened the enthusiasm of some. There were 131 walkers checking in early on the morning of May 13, down from the 156 who set out last year. And the rain teamed with sore feet to take its toll. There were 88 who finished the whole course, including Deanna Hester, 6, who bounded in well ahead of the final check-in time. She was the youngest person to complete the full course. All the hikers were in and well fed with hot dogs and soft drinks or coffee by 5:15 p.m.
1988 — 30 years ago
Addition of portable classrooms at Westside Elementary may provide “a better Band-Aid” solution to overcrowded conditions pending a long-term answer, according to information presented at the latest of several school district budget committee meetings. The question of obtaining two portables, one at Westside and one at Mid Valley, first came up during a May 5 budget meeting, along with an alternative to a Westside addition: Bringing part of the former Frankton School back into service. When the committee reconvened May 12, a delegation of parents was on hand to readdress the Westside crowding issue. They favored adding two portables to the building.
1998 — 20 years ago
The long-awaited opening of the Ray T. Yasui Dialysis Center at Hood River Memorial Hospital will be celebrated May 17. The dialysis center, scheduled to open for business June 1, is the final reality of a Gorge-wide fundraising campaign that not only hit the goal of $485,000 but has reached $515,000, with pledges for an additional $9,800. Tim Simmons, chief executive officer and administrator of the hospital, will join other hospital officials in welcoming friends to the ceremony.
Self-guided tours of the new hospital wing, including visiting physicians meeting rooms and a new laboratory facility, will follow the formal ribbon cutting.
2008 — 10 years ago
USPS facilities crew installed shelves and racks last week inside the new U.S. Postal Service “detached carrier unit” on Neal Creak Mill Road near Odell. The “DCU” is scheduled to go into operation Monday. The facility is for carrier use only and is not open to the public. Postal Supervisor Jeff Loeffler said the facility still needs some sorting and labeling equipment, along with computer desks, but the items should arrive by the weekend and Hood River city and rural carriers are expected to start collecting mail there on Monday. All transported mail goes there instead of downtown.
Loeffler said residents should expect mail delays for about two weeks while transportation routes are ironed out.
The DCU was built because the downtown Hood River site (which remains open for retail and post office boxes) was too small, and there were safety issues.
Compiled by Trisha Walker, News staff writer
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