THE SPOKESMAN • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 2021 P3
FLASHBACK
Seaman from Redmond travels Panama Canal in 1921
100 years ago
March 10, 1921 — Panama
Canal Trip Taken By Redmond
Boy in Navy
Stanley Mitchell, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Richard Mitchell
of Redmond, who joined the
navy several months ago, has
just completed a trip through
the Panama canal, according to
word received by his mother.
The trip was given the men of
the Mississippi as a special fa-
vor from the naval department
to those members of the Pacific
fleet who had not made the
trip through from the Atlantic
in 1919.
The following description
of the trip is give by the U.S.S.
Mississippi “Bulletin,” a copy
of which has been received by
Mrs. Mitchell:
“The railroad journey alone
would have been a worth-
while event for it gave many
of the men their first glimpse
of tropical country beyond
the limits of the cities. Gatun
Locks, with its partially sub-
merged forest, the naked tree
trunks protruding above the
surface being white and as de-
void of bark or leaves as if they
had been steeped in lye, pre-
sented a most unusual sight,
and one somewhat suggestive
of flooded areas after a gigantic
flood. Here and there a small
pond or an isolated arm of
Gatun Lake could have been
seen without a single ripple
on its surface, thus forming a
splendid water mirror. So per-
fect was the effect that it was
practically impossible to de-
termine where the gaunt, bare
tree trunks left off and where
their reflections began. Banana
and a tumbling exhibition by
the gym classes will make up
the program. The school band,
directed by William Tweedie,
will play for the exhibition and
will give selections during the
interludes.
Election of the frolic ruler
will be by applause from the
crowd.
50 years ago
Spokesman file photo
These Redmond union high school girls were candidates for queen of the 1946 Girls Gym frolic. On the bicy-
cle is Cordelia Humphreys. Others, from left to right, are Verna Miller, Barbara Vendevert, Lila Mae Popish,
Janice Davis, Patsy Kissler, Joan Galloway and Ardith Reif.
trees, date and cocoanut palms,
as well as many other forms of
tropical plant life entirely for-
eign to most of the travelers
gave a most satisfactory view of
a near-jungle.
“The destroyers were taken
four to a lock, while the bat-
tleships and other large craft
went through singly. Through
lock after lock they went, being
raised and lowered in that or-
der with a twenty-mile stretch
in between on the surface of a
fresh water lake, Lake Gatun,
the longest artificial lake in the
world, 85 feet above the level of
the sea. Passing though Cule-
bra Cut, with the hillsides ris-
ing very abruptly from close to
the water’s edge, a fairly good
realization could be acquired
of the colossal task required to
keep the (ships afloat.)”
75 years ago
March 14, 1946 — Girls Pre-
pare For Gym Frolic
Athletic event of the year for
girls of Redmond union high
school will be the “Girls’ Gym
Frolic,” to be held March 22 in
the gymnasium. Mrs. Nellie
This is a letter to support the views of Wil-
liam Groesz concerning the use of Jesse Hill
School.
My husband and I just moved to Redmond
in October, because of COVID-19, it has been
very difficult to meet new people and have so-
cial gatherings. We have, however, been able to
use the library and appreciate that it is open for
service.
I was born and raised in Redmond. I love the
fact that the city has reconditioned my old high
school for City Hall, and Jessie Hill for the li-
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25 years ago
March 13, 1996 — Middle
school schedules cut PE time
Across the nation the warning
cry is heard — Americans are
overweight and out of shape.
Last fall, to address low
physical fitness scores at the
high school, the district’s board
of directors approved adding
one half credit of physical ed-
ucation to graduation require-
ments.
Read and recycle
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Preserve Jesse Hill School as a library
Nooe, girls’ physical education
instructor, will be director.
Highlight of the frolic will
be popular election of a sports
queen, candidates being Verna
Miller, Barbara Vandevert,
Cordella Humphreys, Lila Mae
Popish, Janice Davis, Patsy
Kissler, Joan Galloway and Ar-
dith Reif.
The evening will open with
the grand entry of all partici-
pants, followed by choice of the
frolic queen. A class relay meet,
square and round dances, ex-
hibition basketball game, num-
ber by the R.U.H.S. drill team
March 10, 1971 — All
Sports Night pits alumni
against faculty
A basketball game between
RHS faculty members and
Redmond alumni will be a
feature of the third annual All-
Sports Night, to be held Thurs-
day night in the new high
school gym.
The program is annual ar-
ranged and presented to raise
funds for athletic support ac-
tivities, formerly by Panther
Pas, this year by an infor-
mal group of Panther boost-
ers. Proceeds will be used
in support of baseball, track
and cross-country activities
through the rest of the school
year, according to Bob Eber-
hard, spokesman for the group.
But at the middle school
level, PE teachers struggle to
give students consistent physi-
cal activity. With block sched-
uling, health classes, holidays
and other days off, many mid-
dle school students are getting
only nine days of PE time ev-
ery six weeks.
The middle schools have
adopted a system called block
scheduling, where students
have longer classes, or blocks
of time, to spend on their sub-
jects. However, the class meets
only every other day.
In physical education, block
scheduling means students
have 70-minute instead of
50-minute classes. Once time
for dressing down and show-
ering is subtracted, they end
up with 50 minutes of exercise
every other day instead of 30
minutes every day. The total is
the same, about 150 minutes of
physical education a week.
But when vacation, confer-
ence, curriculum and work
days are removed from the
schedule, students often end up
missing large chunks of physi-
cal education time, teachers say.
And this year, for the first
time, health is being taught
during PE. Hugh Hartman
Principal Sandra Kilander de-
fending moving the subject
from other academic areas and
into the physical education field.
“I don’t think I can jus-
tify taking health time out of
any other program,” she said.
“Teaching health and good
physical fitness go hand in
hand.”
But Ken Marshall, a PE
teacher at Hugh Hartman,
said, “It’s difficult to get much
of anything done.”
brary. I love those buildings and they do com-
plement each other.
I don’t pretend to know exactly what it takes
to operate a county library, but Redmond’s al-
ways seems adequate, comfortable, warm and
friendly. Of course, I’m prejudiced, but I love
walking in and remembering where my third-
and fourth-grade classes were, where the mu-
sic/P.E. room was and where the playground
was. Those were wonderful years.
In my humble opinion, it would be extremely
sad to demolish that part of Redmond’s history.
Save Jessie Hill School!
— Vanda (Winegar) Recek, Redmond
OF COMMUNITY
100+ YEARS COVERAGE