B2 Wednesday, March 11, 2020
HOOD RIVER NEWS | Hood River, Ore.
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hoodrivernews.com
YESTERYEARS
Kiteboarders ‘emerge from woodwork’ in 2010
1910 — 110 YEARS AGO
A Love Letter to
Odell
By PEGGY DILLS KELTER
I picked up the newest Gorge magazine this morning. I love this
magazine, although I must make a confession: I’m also a frequent
contributor. That said, editor Janet Cook and creative director and
graphic designer Renata Kosina deserve praise for this quarterly
publication. The magazine is always full of interesting articles and
gorgeous photography. And it’s free!
The magazine’s contributors and staff work hard to capture what
makes the Columbia River Gorge such a wonderful place to live and
work. The spring issue includes a diversity of stories, from the history
of Tofurky and its founder Seth Tibbott to profiles of local artists par-
ticipating in the upcoming Open Studio Tours throughout the Gorge.
My assignment this issue was to research and write about the
recently completed mural on the wall of the Diamond Fruit building
in downtown Odell. This breathtaking mural by artists Michelle Ya-
mamoto and Allison Bell Fox celebrates the cultural history of farm-
ing in the Hood River Valley, and tells the stories of the agricultural
workers who care for the valley’s wonderful fruit crops.
I started writing for Gorge magazine soon after retiring from my
teaching career at Odell’s Mid Valley Elementary School. Returning
to this small community for this assignment was a homecoming
for me. I lived there in the early 1980s and fell in love there. Our
wedding was catered by an Odell restaurant (Huckleberry Mountain
Café, now Michoacan), and I spent my entire teaching career at Mid
Valley. Last week, I returned to Odell as a visiting artist — part of the
school’s annual “Art Week.” It was a wonderful, though exhausting,
reunion for me.
Art Week brings a team of diverse artists to the school for four
days. The students learn about their options ahead of time, and
select three different artistic experiences that are most interesting to
them. There’s everything from bucket drumming to puppetry, water-
color to weaving. Each child is assigned to one of their choices; those
kids that selected me made paper mosaics from recycled materials.
The artists spent their first day setting up. I loaded my car with bot-
tles of glue, scissors and flattened boxes of everything from Kleenex
to Captain Crunch cereal. Recycled boxes serve as my “paints.” Out
to Odell, I passed the beautiful mural once again, its color pallet
supposed to stay vibrant for at least 20 years.
After lugging all my supplies into the school, I treated myself to
some carnitas tacos from the “Los Amigos” restaurant nearby. When
I worked at Mid Valley, this was a regular lunch stop for me. Years
later, they’re still delicious. Fortified with food, I returned to my prep,
feeling nervous about the coming days, but my belly full.
Over the next four days, I met with students from kindergarten
through fifth grade. The kids made beautiful mosaics comprised
of tiny pieces of cut up boxes. As we worked, I also tried to teach
them about the three “R s”— Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. When I taught
this art lesson years ago, I could honestly tell my students that their
materials would be recycled. Today, with China no longer interested
in the U.S.A.’s recyclable materials, the cynic in me knows that every-
thing dumped into our blue recycling bins goes directly to landfills.
Such a sad lesson to teach.
It was wonderful to see the teachers and staff who were my
colleagues when I taught at Mid Valley — such an amazing group
of hard-working educators. There were lots of fresh young staff
members as well, many of them fluent in Spanish. Skilled bilingual
staff give students opportunities to learn in both languages. What a
wonderful skill; I can say from personal experienced that they will
never regret being bilingual.
■
My husband and I volunteer as SMART (Start Making a Reader
Today) volunteers at Mid Valley. Every Tuesday afternoon we head
out to Odell and read one-on-one with kindergarten and first grade
students. It’s one of the most satisfying volunteer experiences I’ve
ever had.
During SMART, each student reads one-on-one with an adult
reading buddy for a half hour. During that time, the kids get to select
whatever book from the collection that interests them. There are
books in English and in Spanish. My students enjoy both languages,
and their ability to read in Spanish often surpasses my skill level. At
the end of a SMART session, the students get to select books to own
and take home.
One young boy has been reading with my husband for almost
two years. He is only 6 years old, but he’s already teaching my
husband how to read in Spanish. He corrects my husband when he
mispronounces a word, and translates the story into English when
necessary.
On the first day of Art Week, I had my group of kindergarteners
and first graders sit down on the rug with me so I could explain
the lesson. I looked at the students and suddenly noticed a familiar
face — the young boy who “tutors” my husband. A few days later
these students were on to a new project, one that involved buckets
of cut paper letters. One person at a time at each table group shook
the bucket and selected a letter. Turns followed until each kid had a
small pile of letters to glue down. Many made abstract designs using
the cut-out letters; others attempted to make made-up words. One
young man selected the letters U, F, K and C and made them into a
word not repeatable in this newspaper. He knew it was the wrong
thing to do, and placed the letters back in the tub. I breathed a sigh
of relief.
My husband’s reading buddy found all the letters in his name and
glued them down carefully. Then he asked me how to spell “love.” I
told him and he went in search of those four letters. Carefully glued
down, he said it was a present for his mother.
Ground will soon be broken
for a new brick building which
J. Otten will erect on the cor-
ner of Oak and Fourth streets.
The plans for the building are
in the hands of R.B. Bartlett,
architect, and call for a one
story and basement structure
which will be designed for
an additional story later The
building will be built of brick
with a cream colored pressed
brick front. The frontage on
Oak Street will be 50 feet with
a length of 80 feet on Fourth
Street. The work of disman-
tling the wooden buildings on
the premises has been com-
menced and excavation for
the foundations will be started
as soon as they are removed.
1920 — 100 YEARS AGO
Having subscribed $1,000
for the construction of a new
road between Center Vale and
Dukes Valley and Odell, resi-
dents of that section asked the
county court to look into the
matter. Last Monday, mem-
bers of the county court went
over the proposed route and
as a result decided to approve
construction of the road,
which will swing north from
Dukes valley to Odell Creek,
thence east to the shipping
point at Odell. The committee
from Central Vale and Dukes
Valley are J.O. Cameron, F.M.
Edwards, Clayton Fletcher and
Chas. Sheppard.
1930 — 90 YEARS AGO
Local climbers who use the
direct route from the head of
Second Street to the Heights
will, in a few days, be able to
make the journey on brand
new wooden steps, which
are being installed by the city
council.
The annual meeting of the
Chamber of Commerce will
be held at the Rialto Theater
next week, when an all talking
picture, Rin-Tin-Tin in “On the
Border” will be presented. The
net proceeds will be turned
over to the Hood River Hos-
pital fund.
1940 — 80 YEARS AGO
Accepting the invitation
of Fujinka (Japanese Wom-
en’s Club), a large number
of residents visited the Japa-
nese Community Hall on West
Sherman Sunday afternoon.
The occasion was the obser-
vance of Hina-matsuri (Doll’s
Festival). The program com-
mittee had secured a beauti-
ful exhibit of Japanese dolls,
which always highlights the
program in Japan. These, to-
gether with many examples
of flower decoration, a mock
marriage in the Japanese style,
the long and short ritual of
the tea ceremony and other
equally interesting items all
contributed to the success of
this outstanding festival.
1950 — 70 YEARS AGO
In spite of the touch of
springtime in Hood River and
the lower valley, old man win-
ter still reigns on the moun-
tain from Cooper Spur to
the summit. Last Sunday, in-
termittent snowfall gave the
late afternoon skiers some
very fine spring skiing and
a new four inch blanket of
snow late Wednesday assures
the north slop skiers another
good weekend before they are
forced to put the slats away.
1960 — 60 YEARS AGO
Water, key to mankind’s
survival, will receive the spot-
light this year during national
wildlife week scheduled for
March 20 through 26, accord-
ing to the National Wildlife
Federation and its affiliate the
Oregon Wildlife federation.
The theme was chosen to
focus public attention on the
Photo courtesy of FISH
FISH FOOD BANK is in need of donations to help with its
community garden, which supplies fresh produce to food bank
patrons.
Items needed
The FISH Food Bank Garden
is in need of the following new
or used items to aid in spring
planting:
■ Seventy-five to 100, 10-
foot long, thumb sized bam-
boo stakes that will be used to
identify what crops are planted
and where.
■ Twenty-five to 50 cedar
shakes and shingles, 18- or
24-inches in length, will be
used to protect young plants
from the relentless west wind
that the garden receives.
■ Bed sheets in any size.
These will be cut up and woven
between steel posts to create a
wind barrier for the garden.
Donations can be dropped
off at the FISH Food Bank Gar-
den Monday through Friday,
8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; contact Tessa
at fishgardenvc@gmail.com.
Donated items are requested
to be delivered by April 1.
WKO-High Cascade Mills
Buying Logs
& Timber
Douglas Fir
White Fir
Pine
Hood River News archives
M ARCH 12, 1970
On their way to Puerto Rico, Hood River’s delegation to a mock United Nations meeting are
preparing here for the Sunday morning flight east. First student at the top of the stairs is Tom
Turner. Others down the line are Gary Willis, Lutz Werner, Penny Copper, Candy Copper, Gwen
Berg, Bill Burger, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Mash, Mike Jackson, Jon Crosland, John McColster, Bonnie
Jensen and Rock Harder. Hood River hosted a mock UN meeting in Portland, and their perfor-
mance earned an invitation. Students paid their own expenses. They’re due to return March 16.
pressing water problems and
their threat to wildlife as well as
our entire economy.
VERBATIM
1970 — 50 YEARS AGO
Crag Rats Plan Local Mountain Hut
Three or four major honors
given went to Parkdale area
residents when the Hood River
County Chamber of Commerce
held its annual awards banquet
here Friday evening. The “Out-
standing Citizen” award went
to Jerry Routson, a county com-
missioner and Parkdale grower;
“Woman of the Year” selection
was Mrs. W. E. (Helen) Hall-
iday, wife of a Parkdale fruit
grower; and “Orchardist of the
Year” honors went to Mamoru
Noji, Parkdale orchardist.
1980 — 40 YEARS AGO
They came from as far away
as Lyle and The Dalles to see
him. More than 500 people
crowded the Hood River Ju-
nior High School multipurpose
room Sunday to watch pro-
fessional wrestling’s biggest
attraction — Andre “The Giant”
— team up with Roddy Piper to
defeat the “Army of Playboys”
Buddy Rose, Luke Williams
and Butch Miller. Andre, all 7-6,
489 pounds of him, came to
Hood River as the main event
in a four-match wrestling card.
Many of those present had
viewed Portland professional
wrestling via television, but few
had seen it live until Sunday.
1990 — 30 YEARS AGO
The Hood River City Coun-
cil approved a one-way grid
system for three city streets
Monday night in regular ses-
sion, but not before a lively
discussion over loading zones.
The new one-way streets will
go into effect April 2. Th plan
calls for creating one-way traffic
on three streets: Third, Fourth
and Fifth. Twenty-four park-
ing spaces will be added with
that change that will see Third
Street from Cascade to State
In order to maintain the
mountain spirit and to stim-
ulate the desire to be out in
the wilderness as often as
possible, the Crag Rats have
purchased a piece of land
just west of town. While the
location of the plot does not
suggest the country around
timberline on Hood, the
boys assure the News that,
with a huge amount of rocks
of all sizes and a number
of wind-tortured trees right
on the property, they will
not have to tax their imag-
inations much to make be-
lieve they are out on the
mountain, especially during
winter.
Some of the rocks avail-
able will be utilized in build-
ing the hut on this proper-
ty, which is located nearly
opposite the Galley service
station on the Columbia
River Highway west of town.
Heavy shakes will also be
used to make the hut look
just like the orthodox moun-
tain hut from the exterior
viewpoint. Inside, while the
mountain hut ideas will be
closely followed, it will not
be impossible for the Crag
Rats and visitors to secure a
certain amount of comfort
and a huge fireplace will be
a welcome spot in the depth
of winter. It is here that many
of the stories of summer
mountain trips will be told.
The idea of a mountain
hut clubhouse has been be-
fore the Crag Rats for several
years and it is now believed
that, before next winter, they
will have a home right at the
edge of town.
— Hood River News,
March 14, 1930
streets carry one-way traffic 2010 — 10 YEARS AGO
northbound; Fourth from Cas-
The first steady west winds
cade to State southbound only;
and Fifth from Cascade to Oak of the year hit Hood River last
week and, as if coming out of
northbound only.
hibernation, dozens of kite-
boarders emerged from the
2000 — 20 YEARS AGO
woodwork of winter to dust off
A final vote from the Colum- their gear, crack their bones
bia Area Transit board of direc- and take the first few tacks of
tors is the last remaining step in a new season. This year, as the
the long-awaited development windy season approaches, land
of a new transit station on the managers, business owners and
Hood River waterfront. The user groups are anticipating
Port of Hood River board on probably the busiest summers
Tuesday made its final choice the sandbar has ever seen for
of a site for the facility, ending the fast-growing sport of kite-
months of speculation and boarding.
discussions just weeks before
■
an approaching deadline. The
Compiled by Trisha Walker
property, located immediately and Emily Fitzgerald, News
northeast of the Hood River staff writer
Expo Center on the south side
of Portway Avenue, will provide
the space for a 1,200-square-
foot building designed to serve
a variety of local transit services.
Market Gorge Wide in monthly issues!
FULL COLOR EVERY AD!
SPRING
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