Verbatim: More stories from history: July 31, 2024

Orders Pooled For 6000 New Fruit Trees, Chamber Reports

Pooling of orders for more than 6,000 new trees to increase orchard plantings by 100 acres and the introduction of new projects in the horticultural and agricultural development of Wasco county feature the report of The Dalles-Wasco County Chamber of Commerce which was read to the board of directors by manager W. S. NElson last night.

Drought has entered materially into the production of crops this past growing season, it is indicated in the report, as a result the yield per acre of ton crops will be lower this season than it would have otherwise been.

The high lights of the report, which follows, include the spinach, head lettuce and asparagus experiments with soil and fertilizers. — The Dalles Daily Chronicle, July 31, 1924

Charges over water system costs spill out in WS council meeting

A feud between a group of citizens unhappy with local water rates and White Salmon City Hall continues to fester.

The complaints apparently stem from the city’s switch from reliance on a surface water source at Buck Creek to using wells. That project was completed back in March 2002 at a cost of $6 million. The group’s dissatisfaction with the price tag of the improvements and with the Public Works Department – which oversees the city’s water system – boiled over at last week’s meeting of the White Salmon City Council.

During the meeting, one of the representatives of the group, John Lockman, asked for answers about the water system infrastructure.

Lockman leveled a number of charges at Wil Keyser, director of the city’s Public Works Department. Keyserm in turn, briskly defended his record.

Keyser, who has served as director of the Public Works Department for the past seven years, pointed ut that a group of citizens met at City Hall with Mayor Linda Jones and Keyser the morning of July 21.

“The mayor arranged a meeting with four or five public representatives in opposition to the water system and the rates,” Keyser said. They had voiced their opinions through the news media. We presented factual information on the system and how we arrived at where we are today. This is the first time in my tenure here in seven years they have come to City Hall for information.” — White Salmon Enterprise, July 29, 2004