Flashback: Redmond Hotel decorating rooms; Avoid telephone like rattlesnake says fire chief; Chilly classrooms lead to heated PTC meeting

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, January 23, 2024

100 Years Ago

Jan. 31, 1924 — Redmond Hotel decorating rooms

Manager Wilson of the Redmond Hotel Company has had a slew of decorators busy the past week decorating and calsomining the rooms in the new hotel annex. This makes the hotel annex the finest in this section, and shows the right spirit by Mr. Wilson. The condition of a hotel reflects credit or discredit on any community, and with the Redmond Hotel in its present condition we can only expect favorable comment by all who are entertained there.

75 Years Ago

Jan. 27, 1949 — Wild juice puts end to thawing

Houses in next block catch fire from current

Electric thawing units acquired the bad habit of setting fire to houses in the next block.

So the city is now out of the thawing business and into the water-hauling business.

All you have to do, says Superintendent John Berning, is call up the city, and the water wagon crew will cheerfully fill your bathtubs or any other container you might have.

But no more outside electric thawing, and only a limited amount of any other kind of thawing. And please don’t run any more water into your yard or streets, says Berning, because the pumping system just won’t carry the load — and that’s getting dangerous. Monday the city used 950,000 gallons of water. The usual load is about 350,000 gallons for this time of year. The pump capacity is only 1,000,000 gallons, he pointed out.

The alternating current pipe thawing units used to thaw pipes just in houses seem to be working out satisfactorily, Berning said.

Avoid telephone like rattlesnake says fire chief

Don’t grab the phone when the fire siren howls. Stay away from it like a rattlesnake — if you want the fire put out.

This is the advice, and also the tearful plea of Fire Chief Jack Hartley and Northwest Telephone Company Manager Ted Wells.

As many as 100 phone calls have been pouring into the exchange within a minute after the siren starts. The lines are jammed.

The result is that it is impossible for the volunteer firemen to call headquarters for instructions. Switchboard operators have to try as many as six or eight connections before they can sift out the call from each fireman. The delay has been running into many minutes, and it’s getting worse, Wells said.

People are usually very co-operative when they realize the situation, Hartley said, but they have to be reminded every so often.

Firemen have a special number, known only by themselves and the exchange, and they call it during a fire. Switchboard operators try to listen only to this number during an emergency.

The number has recently been changed, because too many people knew the old number and were using it.

Spud seed samples unhurt by cold

The certified potato seed plot at Oceanside, Cal., has so far withstood the cold weather with a minimum amount of damage suffered by the plant samples. This information was received by County Agent Gene Lear from Harold Finnell, Oregon State college certification specialist.

Twenty-five Deschutes county growers of certified potatoes for seed have samples at the Oceanside plot which has undergone several frosts this season.

50 Years Ago

Jan. 30, 1974 — Chilly classrooms lead to heated PTC meeting

TERREBONNE — The discussion of furnace problems at the Terrebonne Parent Teacher Club meeting Thursday was quite heated, fanned on by recent school days of unheated classrooms. Carol Koue began by rehearsing the 20-year history of the furnace. She said 15 years ago Grampa Abbott slept with the heater, coddling it to meet its every need.

CR. Lindsay, principal of the school, could only give a three-year history, saying that the Oregon School Employees Assn. would not allow a $100 dollar raise per month for maintenance workers who are called out during the night. The suggestion was given that the maintenance workers who make babysitting trips during the night to care for the furnace be paid overtime. Currently four hours are being subtracted from their daytime eight-hour shift. Lindsay’s response was negative on the grounds that there was no such provision in the budget.

Les Carlsen, school board member, said in paring down the school budget to pass the public vote, maintenance as leaky roofs and faulty furnaces is the thing usually trimmed. He alerted the public to the time and subject of all board meetings, and particularly urged persons to attend meetings regarding the budget.

To be discussed at the 1974-75 budget meetings beginning Feb. 12 are proposed improvements on the furnace of $4,035. Moritz McShannon, Redmond plumbing and heating contractor, concluded the furnace should have an improved fuel air ratio; new control valves installed; boiler rejacketed, and the piping design changed.

The school budget was termed the greatest limitation to having a smooth running furnace. Also cited was the factor of the unknown, as a variety of causes have contributed to the maladies of the furnace.

Arlene Dahl mentioned that two years ago an electrician had said he didn’t know why the furnace hadn’t blown up. School authorities said no — that Jim Marshall from Bend inspects the furnace twice a year according to regulations and that he has a good reputation for being thorough in his inspections. So far there have been no mishaps, and Lindsay assured those present he is doing his best to keep it that way.

25 Years Ago

Jan. 27, 1999 — Crash claims woman’s life

A 24-year-old Prineville woman died Jan. 21 as the result of a two-vehicle collision on the Powell Butte Highway between Bend and Powell Butte.

According to Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies, Janet Marie Washechek, 2357 SE Kyle St., was driving south in a 1995 Ford Escort when she lost control of her vehicle and crossed into the northbound lane, where she was struck by a 1998 Chevrolet Tracker driven by Gail Rosann Wilson, 30, of Bend.

Both drivers were taken to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend. Wilson was admitted for chest and neck injuries. Washechek was taken to surgery, where she died of internal injuries.