Above, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist Bryan Ferry fills dart with tranquilizer medication for a black bear that wandered into a Redmond neighborhood in 1994. (Spokesman file photo)

100 years ago

June 12, 1919 — Oregon farmers see modern farm homes

To study the farm home conveniences, kitchen arrangements, remodeled homes, labor saving devices, sanitary improvements and attractive yards, farm men and women of Jackson county have made a two-day tour of the modern farm homes of their neighbors.

“Some of the homes were old farmhouses entirely remade with modern equipment conveniently arranged,” says Mrs. Jessie D. McComb, state home demonstration leader of the O. A. C. “Some had just been built with modern ideas incorporated.”

“That running water in the home does not necessarily mean expensive equipment was demonstrated in one home visited where kitchen and back porch are supplied with hot and cold water by means of a barrel on the roof and a force pump below.

“Power machinery in the house included gas engine pumps and washing machines, and electric washers, heating systems and irons.

“Steam pressure canners and small cook stove driers were exhibited along with very attractive products canned or dried with the equipment.

“As one result of the tour several orders were placed for farm home conveniences and labor saving devices and measurements were recorded of some interesting features which might be duplicated at slight cost. One man bought an electric dish washer in Medford before going home. Final results of this tour, conducted as a farm bureau movement, will be seen later on in more improved farm homes.”

75 years ago

June 15, 1944 — Major Rex Barber “Safe and Well”: Missing Pilot Cables Parents on Tuesday

Major Rex T. Barber, army pilot missing in action over China since April 29, is safe and well.

The good news was received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W.C. Barber of Culver, via international cablegram late Tuesday afternoon. Major Barber cabled: “Am safe and well. Sending you a letter.”

The Barbers were notified May 17 that their son was missing, but never gave up hope as later a friend of Major Barber, also an army pilot, told them he had seen Rex bailing out of his plane. Major Barber’s sister, Miss Mary Elizabeth Barber, teacher in Redmond grade school who is attending summer session at the University of Oregon, was immediately told of the good news. His wife and son, Richard William, born May 3, are living at San Francisco.

Major Barber, who joined the air corps in September, 1940, holds a number of awards including the navy cross, silver star and air medal with oakleaf clusters. Before going to China, he had seen service in the Pacific war theatre and India.

50 years ago

June 18, 1969 — Early physical examination for children to enter first grade

“Is your child ready for school?” asks Mrs. Lenor Thornton, public health nurse. “An important first step is the health check from your family physician required for all first graders before they enter school. A health inventory is designed to help the child make a good adjustment to school life and to be equipped physically is essential to the child’s learning ability.”

Mrs. Thornton points out that having the child’s eyes examined is another important factor, since normally 80% of all knowledge is learned through vision and the remaining 20% through other senses.

The “Golden Rod” forms, or Oregon pupil medical records, are in local doctor’s offices. One side is to be filled out by the parent, the other by the doctor. These forms are also in dental offices. Forms for eye examinations are at the eye doctor’s offices.

Early examination will benefit the child, the nurse says, since any required treatment or correction can be started during the summer, making the child better able to meet his first school experience.

25 years ago

June 15, 1994 — That’s right — a bear!

“What’s going on?” virtually everyone passing along Southwest Obsidian Avenue just west of 35th Street asked Sunday after seeing the assortment of police cars parked along the roadway.

“Just a little bear,” Corporal Dick Little would respond.

“A what?” each person would ask.

“A bear. A black bear.”

Little repeated the line over and over, from morning through mid-afternoon.

A bear in Redmond?

Sure enough. There was a black bear in a tree just outside the city limits along Obsidian Avenue. He’d moseyed up the street from an 8:30 a.m. report of a bear at Green Pastures Mobile Home Park, 2633 S.W. Obsidian.

Redmond police, Oregon State Police game officers and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife staff kept the bear treed for about five hours while waiting for ODFW staff to arrive with tranquilizer medication and a bear cage, mix the meds, fill the darts, shoot the animal and wait for the drug to take effect. Then they had to remove the 125-pound, snoozing animal from the tree.

It was an all-day event. Numerous passersby joined the spectators along the roadway, some with video cameras. Police kept the crowd at bay while the ODFW staff, headed by Prineville District wildlife biologist Bryan Ferry, worked to get the bear out of the tree and into the cage.

Lt. Larry Kanski of the Redmond Police Department said that in his 26 years with the department he couldn’t remember any reports of bears in Redmond.

Neither could Little.

But Dave Doran of ODFW said that while reports of bears in a high desert area like Redmond are not commonplace, there is a bear habitat not far from Redmond — both to the west and the east.