Yesteryears: Juanita’s Fine Foods wins recognition in 1989

1919 — 100 years ago
Frank L. Keating, of Parkdale, was in town one day last week. He is one of the enthusiasts of the upper valley section, in which he has an abiding faith that is fully justified by what it has done in the way of horticultural and agricultural production during the past year. He has been on his fruit ranch eight years, which is just coming into bearing, and, like most of the orchardists in that section, they regard the past year as really their first merchantable crop. “We have produced,” said Mr. Keating to The News, “about $100,000 worth of apples, which is nearly one-tenth of the production of the entire valley, which I consider pretty good for our first season, and it is only an index of what we will do in the future.”

 

1929 — 90 years ago
Bishop Wm. P. Remington, D.D., will visit St. Mark’s Church on Friday, March 1, for the 25th anniversary of the dedication of the first little church building.
“The American Fruit Growers, Inc., has acquired its own export outlet through the acquisition of the White Fruit Agency, which was formerly the United States representative of the London house of White & Sons, Ltd.,” says Mr. Cederwall. He says that this connection has been made after a great deal of study by the officials of the American Fruit Growers.

 

1939 — 80 years ago
Residential and commercial users of electricity in Hood River will benefit materially from a $200,000 rate reduction to go into effect over the Pacific Power & Light Company’s system March 1, according to Roderick McRae, district manager here. It will be the fourth rate reduction since 1928. The reduction will put residential service rates for most costumers from 10 to 18 cents below those in effect in 1936 and will put commercial rates from 14 to 26 cents below the 1936 level.

 

1949 — 70 years ago
For the fifth straight week, the weather continued to be the leading topic of conversation here as elsewhere in the northwest and in many other parts of the country. While the number of frozen water pipes was on the decrease due to warmer temperatures, additional snowfall during the current week has provoked the general — if not popular — question, “How long will this winter last?”

 

1959 — 60 years ago
A prize that has eluded the outstretched hands of several businessmen fell into the laps of two young Hood River men when American Motors Co. awarded an exclusive Rambler auto sales franchise to Connie and Billy Smith. For the Smith brothers, already partners in a thriving service station business on the Heights, the award came as a surprise, sent them scurrying about to get their new sales and showroom ready for a March 1 opening. “Naturally we’re pretty excited,” grinned Connie Smith, a veteran auto salesman at 24, “but I hope people don’t forget we’re still going to operate our Texaco station right along with the Rambler offices.”

 

1969 — 50 years ago
A persistent story circulating that a major merchandising firm is planning a move within Hood River brought only an indefinite “maybe” today from the manager of that store. Les Reitan, manager of Western Auto Supply, could only confirm that there has been discussion on that the company level of the rumored move. He said discussions involve moving the store, one of the largest businesses in downtown, from its present location at First and Oak streets to the former Thrifty Market building on the Heights.

 

1979 — 40 years ago
If it’s happened in Parkdale in the past 25 years, Pat McFarland and his partners in business weren’t far away. McFarland and his wife, Viola, and sister-in-law have been almost as familiar to the Parkdale business scene as the Chevron station and garage they have sold after two decades in business. Now they’ve decided to look to other pursuits. But first they say they’re going to be staying around home a while, talking it easy and catching up with a hundred things that couldn’t be done when there was a service station to operate.

 

1989 — 30 years ago
A family-owned Hood River business enjoyed statewide recognition Friday when the first ever Oregon Economic Development Awards banquet in Portland. Dominguez Family Enterprises received the top award in the small business category. The company started as a home-based business, and now occupies the Graf building in Hood River’s former Diamond complex. Plans are in the works to move the Dominguez headquarters in to the Pine Grove area. The company produces Juanita’s tortillas and other Mexican foods, and is one of the largest producers of its type in the region.

 

1999 — 20 years ago
The biggest single annexation in years for the city of Hood River is a step closer to reality with the approval of the city planning commission Tuesday. The panel voted 4-0 to recommend the city council approve extending the city limits around the proposed 68-acre Pacific Heights development. The area lies to the east of the Hood River Shopping Center in the area of Eliot Drive and Pacific Avenue.

 

2009 — 10 years ago
There is no “safety risk” from Monday’s landslide a half mile east of Bingen into SDS Lumber’s rock quarry, according to an official from SDS Lumber. The hillside has “destabilized,” but does not threaten nearby property, according to Frank Backus, chief forester with SDS. Sliding, visible and audible from Hood River, led to the evacuation of Guided Path, the only homeless shelter in the Gorge, located adjacent to the affected area.