100 years ago

Dec. 28, 1916 — The Russian foreign minister, M. Pokrovski, invited the representatives of the press to Petrograd to an interview at which he outlined his program and his ideas in regard to the present political situation. Reuter’s Petrograd correspondent says that in general this ministerial declaration, which seems to have been meant to take the place of the usual speech before parliament, consisted of a few clear propositions. First, there had been no change in the relations between Russia and her allies. Second, the minister declared with firm assurance that after the war the military alliance of France, England and Russia would be consolidated in a close economic union. Third, the war will be continued according to the declaration, until a decisive victory has been won.

75 years ago

Dec. 25, 1941 — Lack of snow in Redmond forced Santa to leave his reindeer tethered on a glacier in the Three Sisters country, so the roly-poly old saint came to Redmond Saturday morning astride the radiator of Earl Garrison’s car. Chamber of Commerce members formed his escort. “I didn’t mind,” the gay old gentleman said, “except that the radiator was a little warm after the North Pole.” Throngs of children, 465 in all, were waiting for Santa and the free matinée given by Milton and Flossie Odem. Redmond Chamber of Commerce helped Santa by furnishing candy and an orange for each child, Hank Lundberg being in charge. Mr. and Mrs. Lundberg prepared 430 sacks of candy Friday, but so large was the crowd of children that candy for an additional 35 youngsters had to be purchased Saturday morning. On the committee with Lundberg were Ole Wilson and Dr. Hal Rogers. The Odem handled 350 of the children at the Mayfair and opened the Odem theatre to handle the overflow, the same free program being shown at both theaters.

50 years ago

Dec. 29, 1966 — Employment in Deschutes County rose 8 percent between March 1964 and March 1965 according to one of the nation’s economics indications, “County Business Patterns, 1965 — Oregon,” issued recently by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Census. “County Business Patterns,” now published annually, uses payroll information gathered for the first quarter of each calendar year by the Social Security Administration, covering employment in most kinds of business but excluding notably agriculture and government workers and the self-employed. Number of employees in Deschutes county businesses covered by the report totaled 5,160 for March 1965, as against 4,782 for the same month a year earlier. First quarter payroll for 1965 was $5.8 million and for 1964 $5.3 million. Manufacturing, the largest group of employers in the county reported March 1965 total of 1,671 employees and a three-month payroll of $2.3 million. Retail trade, the county’s second largest group of employers, had a total of 1,372 workers and $1.2 million in quarterly payroll.

25 years ago

Dec. 24, 1991 — A recent face-to-face meeting between the Redmond Education Association and Redmond School District administrators may have begun to thaw stalled contract talks. Negotiating teams from both sides are attempting to set up a meeting prior to the January start of fact-finding. “This meeting happened informally without the so-called hired guns,” said REA president Abe Boegelsack. “This was not a regular bargaining session, and both sides talked directly to each other without using their professional negotiators. Nothing of substance was settled but at least the district is talking a little bit,” Redmond superintendent Elton Gregory said. “We had an informal discussion and are trying to set up a date between now and fact-finding.” Representatives of the Cascade Bargaining Council and Redmond Education Association met with administrators Dec. 10.