Top scholars of the Redmond High School Class of 1975 took a moment from their studies Friday to pose on the ladder of success, being carefully steadied by counselor Dalton Clark. From top, scholastically and altitude-wise, are valedictorian Beth Purdy, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Cliff Purdy, 5491 N.W. Maple Ave. salutatorian Michelle Brumbach, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Brumbach, Route 2. Box 488A, Bend; Mary McCoy, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Merle McCoy, 10120 N. First St., Terrebonne; Lori Runco, (not pictured), daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Runco, Sisters; Richard English, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ed English, 147 N. Canyon Dr., Brad Eriksen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gard Eriksen, 636 N.W. 10th St.; Nancy Darrow (not pictured), daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Darrow, 804 N.W. 57th St.; Norman Krehbiel, son of Mr. and Mrs. N.D. Krehbiel, 742 N. Canyon Dr. Lynn White, daughter of Mary Jane White, 253 S. 12th St., and Robert Eugene White, 1312 S.W. Helmholtz Way: Bob Wagaman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gene Wagaman, 1066 S. Canyon Dr. 

100 Years Ago

April 2, 1925 — Issue missing

75 Years Ago

March 30, 1950 — Pilots make all-out search for missing friends

Central Oregon pilots and ground workers turned all out last week end to assist in Oregon’s most extensive air search mission, which had Roberts fields for its headquarters.

Many of the pilots came here from Portland. They were personal friends of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Blakkolb and Mr. and Mrs. W. B Lundstrom, all of Portland. Others flew to Redmond from a dozen Oregon cities.

The Blakkolbs and Lundstrom, on the final leg of their trip home from C[uba] took off from Lakeview around noon Tuesday, March 21 Blakkolb, who was well known to J. R. Roberts and many other central Oregonians, was flying his biplane, a yellow staggerwing Beechcraft. The plane carried six hours’ fuel and cruised at a speed in excess of 160 miles per hour. No flight plan was filed from Lakeview, and hence it was not until several days later that relatives became worried and it was learned that the four Portlanders were missing.

Had a flight plan been filed with the Civil Aeronautics administration, the search would have been started in a matter of hours after the plane was overdue.

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As soon as possible after hearing Blakkelb’s plane was missing, his friends began the search. Leaving their business and flying under unfavorable weather conditions, the pilots began the search at Klamath Falls, Lakeview, Burns, Redmond and The Dalles.

Headed by Capt. O. A. Donaldson, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Air Squadron 3 arrived, some of them Friday and others Saturday. Ed Lockridge of the flying squadron, who is key area designee for the Oregon Air Rescue service, was here all week end. Al Movabee, the area designee at Klamath Falls, handled the search there.

Lockridge, with the assistance of others, plotted out sectors on air charts for the various pilots. Saturday Lt. L & Lipait of the MeChord field fourth rescue squadron was here from the air force to help direct the flyers.

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There was a lot of searching done from Redmond from Friday through Monday, the private planes flying 255 hours and covering thousands of square miles. In their fruitless hunt, the pilots battled snow squalls, low ceilings and windy conditions, crossing and re-crossing the desert and heavily-timbered mountain sections.

Each plane was assigned a certain area, which was “gridded” by flying back and forth across it east and west, then going over the same area north and south. Observers rude in all planes some of them pilots, others volunteer helpers familiar with the terrain.

50 Years Ago

April 2, 1975 — Dick Knorr wins Western regional title in Fresno

Dick Knorr is a champion again — as time of the Western Regional Division of the National Invitational Tournament.

The Redmond High School senior claimed the championship in the 134-pound weight class last weekend in Tresno, Calif.

Coach Chancy Ball reports that Knorr was one of 330 wrestlers from around the country to participate in the tournament, open to junior wrestlers up through the sophomore year in college.

Redmond’s star wrestler began his road to the championship Friday by taking four consecutive matches, all by falls.

He went on Saturday to win his first match by a fall, then took a second by a 14-2 decision. That put him into a round robin with the two other undefeated grapplers. He decisioned both, 9-6 then 5-4, to emerge the winner.

Knorr returned to Redmond Monday and to school Tuesday, but will be back in competition this weekend. He will compete in the Western Regional Junior Olympics at Clackamas Community College primarily with the same grapplers he met in Fresno.

The winners of this meet will be eligible to participate this summer in the National Junior Olympics at Rock Island, Ill. From there, winners will go to world competition in Russia.

Coach Ball believes Knorr has an “excellent chance of winning” at Clackamas and a bright wrestling future ahead of him. He notes that already the University of Oregon and Oregon State University are “practically fighting over him.”

25 Years Ago

March 29, 2000 — Commercial zoning concerns neighbors

A “for sale” sign on a tract of land off Highland Avenue has sparked a minor furor from residents of the nearby Stonehedge subdivision.

The debate centers on a 45-acre parcel of land near what will be the intersection of Highland Avenue and 27th Street. Rumors are circulating throughout Stonehedge that the property, located just west of the neighborhood, has been sold to a developer who plans to build a strip mall on the site.

Nearby residents, however, say they want the land used for homes or schools.

The future of that neighborhood, and others in the city will the subject of a public hearing on the city’s revised comprehensive plan at 7 p.m. Monday in city council chambers, 777 SW Deschutes Ave.

The property, which is owned by Max Mills, is in escrow while Mills and a potential buyer finalize the details of the sale, according to Cleve Brock of Kerr, Oliver and Company, the real estate firm handling the property.

Brock said the buyer is a developer who wants to build a planned unit development on the site. PUDs are a mix of homes or apartment units interspersed with small shops and offices.

No details about the proposed PUD have been released.

“We’re selling it to a developer who wants to put a PUD there,” Brock said. “They don’t have any plans drawn up yet. It’s not going to be one big strip mall. That’s just a rumor that got out.”

Although the site may not contain one big strip mall, it is possible the PUD will contain

some commercial development, according to Chuck McGraw, an associate city planner.

“No zone change is necessary for a PUD,” McGraw said. “But this would probably not include things like service stations or car repair shops. We’re talking about small mini-marts, boutiques and some office space.”

However it is still possible the property will be rezoned for commercial use.

In a July 23, 1999, letter, Mills requested the property be rezoned for commercial use during revision of the city’s comprehensive plan, McGraw said. At that time, the city asked those interested in zone changes to submit requests.

The earliest any zone change will be adopted will likely be June, McGraw said. If the property at Highland and 27th is sold before then, the request for a zone change will proceed unless the new owners withdraw it.

Any PUD is also subject to public hearings, he added.

City planners have identified 27th Street as a possible main north-south artery through the city. The Oregon Department of Transportation has ordered a halt to commercial development along Highland Avenue, according to Redmond Community Development Director Bob Quitmeier.

That’s one reason the city planning commission considers 27th Street a prime location for further commercial development in that area, he said.

Bystanders take quick action to help man pinned under car

Tamie Brown is grateful for the quick work of strangers.

The evening of March 24 she was in Dairy Queen at SW Sixth and Glacier buying her father, Jack Matthews, a cake for his 71st birthday.

Outside the restaurant, Matthews was underneath his 1991 four-door Cadillac. It had broken down, and he was trying to jump start the car from below, when somehow the car slipped out of “park,” lunged forward and landed on him.

Almost immediately “all sorts of people” rushed to help. Brown said. About six people lifted the car off Matthews, while her husband, Don, pulled him out.

People in Dairy Queen provided clean cloths to help stop the bleeding, she said, and others comforted her mother, Betty.

Several people called later to see how her father was doing.

Matthews was in Central Oregon District Hospital Monday recuperating from cuts and bruises, fung injuries, a crushed shoulder and the reattachment of his right ear after it had nearly been severed, Brown said.

He may be transferred to Portland for reconstruction of his shoulder.

“It was incredible how fast people came to help, Brown said. “He might have died otherwise.”