100 years ago

Jan. 23, 1919 — Would bar German in Oregon schools

Of doubtful propriety is the bill introduced by Senator Dimick in the legislature making it an offense to teach German in any of the schools and colleges of the state. The bill provides that any instructor or teacher violating the act shall be held guilty of misdemeanor and punished by fine of not more than $250 or by imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed 100 days, or by both fine and imprisonment, and shall forfeit his teacher’s certificate.

“Owing to the intense feeling against German propaganda heretofore conducted in this country and the teaching of the German language in our public schools and other institutions of learning as a means of spreading such propaganda arising since the beginning of the European war, and in order to stop the spreading of the same, it is hereby declared that an emergency exists and that this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the peace, health and safety of the people of the state of Oregon, and that this act shall take effect immediately upon its approval by the governor.”

75 years ago

Jan. 27, 1944 — Social Security Seen as Needed By Self-Employed

Social security protection for farm operators, business and professional men and women, and others of the so-called “self-employed” is urged today by the social security board in it’s eighth annual report to congress, according to Charles L. Maginnis, manager of the board’s Klamath Falls fields office. Maginnis pointed out that facts concerning the earnings of these Americans indicate they are as surely in need of the benefits of social security as the millions of wage and salary workers now covered.

According to Maginnis, the report discloses between 10 and 11.7 million “self-employed” throughout the country. About half of these are farm operators and other half are professional and small business people. Of particular interest to such groups in the Redmond area, Maginnis said, are these words in the board’s report:

“Self-employed persons are often thought of in terms of well-to-do business and professional men whose work is ‘independent.’ Yet the 10 to 11.7 million persons excluded from substantially all participation in social insurance by reason of their self-employment represent for the most part operators of small farms and stores, repair services, and the like, whose returns are small and whose ‘independence’ is large illusory. The common notion that ‘being in business for oneself’ guarantees a certain job security is disproved by the statistics on business turnover and mortality, farm foreclosures and dispossessions.”

50 years ago

Jan. 29, 1969 — Board okeys floor schematics for new high school building

The board of education accepted the floor schematics for the new Redmond High School building at a meeting last week. Accepting floor plans does not mean that further refining cannot and will not be done. Elevations, finishes and exterior surfaces are but a few of the facets of the program still to be considered.

In the present floor scheme area areas known as “open wall” plants. One example of this is the passage way east and west of the library area. Where a wall would be, under planning like that done not too many years ago, are seating facilities for individual study, book storage and reference filings. This allows that area which would have been a hall only, and an area usable only at such times as classes pass, to be utilized at other times also.

25 years ago

Jan. 26, 1994 — Here comes Wal-Mart

It’s been “in the mail” for a while, but Wal-Mart’s building permit check was finally delivered to the City of Redmond on Tuesday.

The company aims to open the 98,000 square-foot store northeast of the interchange as soon as this summer, City Manager Joe Hannan told the Redmond City Council Tuesday evening.

Hannan said the company intends to be “in the ground” — laying a foundation in Redmond — by April 15.

“They’re hoping for an August opening, so they’re moving fairly quickly,” he said.

The estimated value of the facility is just short of $4.2 million, Hannan said.

Wal-Mart’s $20,500 check to the City of Redmond goes for the company’s building permit and plan site review. The company also will be responsible for systems development charges and fees relating to plumbing, electricity, water, and so on.

Hannan said the city is expecting at least two other commercial ventures to open within the city’s urban renewal district.

One, he said, is a new Big R. “We’re looking forward to their expansion,” Hannan said.

The other is Papé Bros.