Citizens building the arch for the Railway Day Celebration in Redmond in September 1911. The view looks northeast of Sixth Street between C and D streets, now know as Cascade and Deschutes avenues.

100 Years Ago

Oct. 12, 1922 — Football prospects were never better

The Central Oregon gridiron season will be ushered in Friday afternoon when Redmond Union High School will meet Bend High in one of the headline attractions of the Deschutes County fair.

Attempting to dope out such vagaries as football games before they take place is at best a precarious occupation and in this case no dopesters have as yet been discovered who were willing to make an unqualified prediction as to the result of the contest.

According to assertions emanating from the rival camp, Coach Crossman has at least two teams of such uniform and unrivaled excellence that he is facing a new brand of nervous frustration trying to figure out which one to bring along. Bend probably has this year one of the best teams in the history of the school. However, as we have been able to look up only their recent history, we have found no great grounds for undo alarm.

75 Years Ago

Oct. 16, 1946 — Dreams of city services come true as crates arrive for station KWSQ

All sorts of dreaming and scheming on the part of the city of Redmond‘s working services came to an end this week when 10 brand-new, very-high-frequency two-way radio sets arrived and became available for installation and all of the city’s vehicles.

This equipment, which is of the very latest design, was obtained through War Assets Administration at a price of $31.20 per set. This is considered an almost fantastic bargain by the city men who have been working on the deal, since it was said to have cost the government up to $2,500 per set, and quotations for similar installations from various firms have been running into the thousands of dollars.

An operating and construction permit has already been obtained from the Federal Communications Commission, and the call letters KWSQ assigned to the city of Redmond radio system.

50 Years Ago

Oct. 18, 1972 — Irrigation season ends; water hauling to begin

Irrigation season is over for city and rural residents alike, effective Saturday, Oct. 21, when the water will be turned off by Central Oregon Irrigation District.

Simultaneous to COI halting the water flow and its canals, the city of Redmond will convert to its city system, capable of furnishing water for domestic needs but not for irrigation of yards and gardens. Hence, city residents are asked to discontinue irrigation.

Persons living in the rural areas served by COI are reminded that they should fill stock ponds and domestic cisterns before the Oct. 21 turn-off.

Domestic water runs will be made approximately once a month, with variations due to weather.

City water for rural residents is available for a fee through the recently-installed, coin-operated dispensing unit near the city shops between the golf club and the airport terminal on the southside of Airport Road. This unit replaces the standpipe on Railroad Blvd., near Boedecker‘s Potato Warehouse which for many years has been available to rural water users.

Except for painting and installation of an electric heater, city crews have completed construction of a pumice block structure housing the metering system, installation of a swing-arm type hose mounting for easier filling of water trucks and paving of the surrounding area to eliminate mud holes. The cost is estimated at near $2,500.

Water haulers are advised that they will need quarters to operate the new unit, which is equipped with a stop button that enables them to move a second tank in for filling without losing the water for which they have paid.

25 Years Ago

Oct. 15, 1997 — Residents may examine proposed character change

Should home rule character be Deschutes County‘s form of government for the 21st century?

Voters could be asked to decide that question within a year, although some who favor at home rule character think the May 1998 election is the wrong time to put the issue on the ballot.

A nine-member citizens committee meeting over the past year drafted a home rule character proposal, and public meetings around the county this month will inform residents about how the character would reshape county government, and give people a chance to suggest revisions.

A meeting in Redmond is scheduled for 7-9 p.m. Thursday at the Eagle Crest offices, 821 S. Sixth St.

Many people may be like Elaine Young, a Redmond City Council member who admits she knew little about the home rule concept before she was appointed to the committee that drafted the proposed character. A change to home rule, she said, is more complex than simply changing the number of county commissioners and how they are elected.

“It’s difficult to explain, which is why it will be difficult to pass unless people really take the time to understand what it means,” Young said.

The most noticeable change would be replacing the board of four or three full-time commissioners with seven part-time commissioners to be elected to represent a specific district in the county.

“This will not save the county any money,” Commissioner Linda Swearingen said. “But it will provide better representation for all parts of the county.”

She supports a change to home rule, but thinks the draft proposal needs some reworking.

“I don’t believe the county administrator should be the budget officer for the county,” Swearingen said. “I think that should be one of the elected officials.”