100 years ago

Feb. 10, 1916 — The snow storms and cold weather that prevailed all over the state last week were the most serious that have occurred in the history of Oregon.

All parts of the state were visited with heavy snow, and the thermometer hovered around zero most of the time. In this section the snow was from 10 to 12 inches deep on the level, with cold weather all the time. The snow was not deep enough to prevent auto travel between here and Prineville, Bend, Sisters and the neighboring towns.

At Sisters the snow was reported waist deep, and from 20 to 25 feet deep in the mountains near that town. Travel at times between this city and Sisters was difficult. According to the reports received from stock men in the eastern end of the county, most of the stock was all right, as many of the stock men had sufficient hay to carry the cattle over with.

The most difficult problem to contend with was the lack of water, and much trouble was experienced in some sections in getting sufficient to water the cattle with.

Ice and snow had to be melted to get water, which was a long and tedious task.

75 years ago

Feb. 6, 1941 — If plans drawn up at Powell Butte last Thursday evening materialize, Central Oregon may find itself before summer in a quarantine area in which no potatoes from the outside area can be sold without first passing a rigid inspection.

The object is to prevent an infestation of ring-rot. The reward insight for the effort is the possibility of establishing Central Oregon as the leading potato seed producing area of the Pacific coast, with resulting additional premiums for Deschutes potatoes.

Central Oregon is the only remaining producing area on the coast in which the dreaded ring-rot has not appeared in the fields.

50 years ago

Feb. 10, 1966 — President Johnson, in his recent budget to Congress, has requested $321,000 for the new Bonneville maintenance headquarters to be located at Redmond.

The facilities will be used to operate and maintain Bonneville Power Administration’s Pacific Northwest-Southwest inter-tie facilities from Maupin to Klamath Falls and existing transmission and substation facilities in Central Oregon.

Plans for the maintenance building and helicopter hangar are being prepared by an architect consulting firm retained by BPA. Construction of the building is planned to begin during the latter part of this year.

About 22 BPA employees will be stationed at the Redmond headquarters. Their work area will range from Grizzly Substation, south of Maupin, to the California border.

25 years ago

Feb. 13, 1991 — The overall effects of Measure 5 still aren’t known, but two Redmond programs are beginning to feel the cold shadows the ominous cloud hanging over the state is beginning to cast.

The Opportunity Center of Central Oregon and Cascade Child Treatment Center both are fearing the effects of the property tax limitation measure.

Darrell Wilson, executive director of Opportunity Foundation said that “as the picture emerges on the impacts of Measure 5, I get sick to my stomach.” The likely impacts, Wilson said last week, “are scary,” and he believes the families, legislators and taxpayers as a whole need to understand the consequences of the cutbacks.