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About The Bulletin. (Bend, OR) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 31, 1963)
dmd f we h highlight m "63 mews heira Badlymixed weather also among major stories during past year; month-by-month summary given By Phil F. Brogan Bull.lln Staff Wrlttr Highlighting local news in 1963 was the destruction by fire on the early morning of Tues day, December 17 of the Allen Grade School in Bend at a loss of around half a million dollars but through the year, historic nationally because of the assas sination of President Kennedy, was a great variety of news from the Central Oregon coun try. Weather, badly mixed up and record breaking, also made news In this part of the state, and throughout the Pacific Northwest. Following a virtual ly "snowless winter," the mer cury dropped to -11 in January. Then came a period of damp weather and mild months that menaced arid forests but for ests did not bum. Instead, fire loss in federal and state woods was very low. The "inverted weather" re sulted in-Bend's chilliest July in 60 years. But the growing season was long, and did not end until mid-October. vAs in the past, tragedy was common in the 1963 news, and most of this tragedy occurred on highways, where motorists died in crunching crashes of cars; Deep In the Deschutes gorge west of Madras, some 1200 men continued work on a giant hy droelectric project, the Round Butte Dam. Highlights of the 1963 news, as recorded in The Bulletin follow: January Jayne Lee Dieffenback first baby born in Bend in 1963. Over 3,000 skiers visit Bachelor Butte in single day. Work plan set by Judge Penhollow for young of fenders.. Civil Defense marks shelter sites in Bend. Deschutes County births in 1962 more than double deaths. . Temperature drops to -15 degrees in B e n d . Weatherman reports no mois ture measured in Bend in more than month;-Deschutes Nation al Forest- announces plans to sell two million tons of stump wood. Five years without traf fic fatality ends in Redmond with death of Nancy Jo Robert son, 8, struck by truck. Maurice Shelton and Paul Reynolds nam ed by Jaycees as Bend's top citiiens of past year. D. Ray Miller named president of Des chutes Pioneers, Rose Gibson choice for queen. Summer fire restrictions may effect Bend as dry weather continues. Lack of snow blocks out skiing at Hoo doo. "Snowless winter" ends with 10 inch fall of snow in Bend. Lunar landing studies planned for Derrick Cave area. February " Laddie Jordan named presi dent of Deschutes County Fair Association. Oregon Jaycees holding convention in Bend. Little River forced from banks by ice. Sportsmen organize Fish and Game Council to seek action on deer, Gerald McCann named president. Bend Nation al Guard unit to become tank battalion. Robert Sterling nam ed Deschutes County agriculture agent, Jim McAlister goes to Corvalhs. James O'Keefe nam ed St. -Charles Memorial Hos pital business manager. Vern Prodehl named president of Central Oregon Chamber of Commerce. Bend's Mickl Sick les named Winter Carnival queen. Pilot Butte Inn sale blocked by court order. March Bend girl, Su Shaw, sweeps top awards at Mt. Shasta, California, ski festival. Pageant committee decides to hold riv er fete in 1963. Bend boy, Rob ert Leiker, 7, drowns in Des chutes. Portland Avenue bridge over Deschutes in Bend open ed. Cecil M. Sly retires as Crook County school superin tendent. Government agency wams of danger of unusually bad fire season in Oregon in 1963, result of snow lack. Fort Benham on Deschutes surrend ers to time and is demolished. Total of 8,335 skiers visit Bach elor Butte in spring vacation. Warm Springs tribal council ap proves $1,250,000 for develop ments. Bulletin publishes 62 page progress issue. Oregon Cascade passes under deep snow. City bus service ends operation. Newlyweds, Mr. and Mrs. Henderson R. Allen, both 21, die in crash on U.S. 97 south of Bend. April Multi-million dollar PGE dam taking definite shape in Des chutes gorge west of Madras. J. Ray Hafstad named exalted ruler of Bend Elks. Don Empey resign at Bend High principal to accent U. of 0. position. June Butler; 17, Redmond, nam ed aueen of 1963 county fair. Glenn O. Ratcliff named Lions' president Plows operate over Cascade passes removing heavy April snow. Wintry conditions greet anglers on opening day of season. Dr. William J Maier named tri-county medical direc tor. Bend men, Vic Plath and Dean Harris, save two anglers from possible drowning at wane rraine. uentral Oregon ians shift to fast time. Over 1,300 train fans join in trip through Deschutes gorge. May Imperial Mobile Homes turns out first mobile unit. May snow falls over Cascades. Bend tele phones switched to dials. Bend voters approve school budget by 511 to 121 vote. Bend Lions hold second annual Home Show. Central Oregon College board accepts building plans. Ray L. Talbert named Bend High School principal. Bend names I9b3 rageant court. "Red flag" warning goes up in Deschutes Forest as fire danger increases. First National Bank opens its $235,000 building in Bend. High lakes of region open to fishing, with good angling reported. Mardi Gras held at Bachelor Butte. A. H. Haberly named Crook County school superin tendent. June Graduating BHS senior re ceive awards at assembly. The Rev. Robert H. Becker gives up county junior counselling post. Charles H. Cleveland named to Bend Commission post, filling vacancy caused by death of Don Denning. Olive Jameson resigns as Deschutes County public welfare administrator. Historic Haycreek Ranch sold for more than two million dol lars. Tumalo area residents seek action against Holgate farm. Bend named headquart ers for new P & L division with Howard Arnett as h e a d . Dahl Pine plant in Redmond destroyed by tire, uescnutes county drops Civil Defense pro gram. Pat Metke, Bend, named member of eame commission. DeGree Construction Co., Bend, low bidder on Redmond Air Center. Fort Rock Cave dedi cated. Bend gets Zip Code No. 97701. July Sisters Man. Lewis Johnson, dies in early morning fire. Richard Wayman named chair man of Bend school board. Wildcat strike briefly halts work at Round Butte Dam. Wil liam C. Robinson named chair man of Central Oregon College area education district board. Bend merchants offer downtown parking plan. Sisters boy, Dale Williams, drowns in Scout Lake. Preparation of site for Central Oregon College, on Aw brey Heights, starts. Bend rat tled by thunder in pre - dawn hours. Anne Brandis crowned queen of 1963 Mirror Pond Pag eant. Thousands view opening of river fete. Newport Indus tries crew starts harvest of resin - bearing stumps. June Butler rules over 1963 Des- Mid-Oregon roads nof forgoffen TntarstafA htatiwnv nrnlects received the major attention of th nrednn State Hiehwav De partment in 1963, but Central Oregon was not lorgouen. Naid onri Imnnrtnnt allnrntions of funds were made for The Dalles - California Highway h Wasco County, to modernize an important feeder into u.s. Hign 07 ThaA Included a con tract for the grading, oiling and building ot structures on me Tygh Grade - Tygh Valley sec tion ot n post nf $1,459 000. with the work completed on October 18. ine WOrK eiinrnaiea many of the bad, narrow curves on this "road of the pioneers," a route used by early-day settlers In moving into me intrai ure gon frontier. Also completed on this route was the Eightmile Creek Dufur section, 4.93 miles, at a cost of $751,000, and th niifnr Can section, 3.47 miles, at a cost of $1,102,450. Nearer home, a $507,475 con tract was let for the grading and paving of a J.86 mile sec tion of the McKenzle Highway, between Redmond and the Des chutes River. June 1, 1964, will be the completion date. On November 22, the Highway Commission awarded a $522,730 contract for work on the first unit in the relocation or U.S. Highway 20 across Horse Ridge, with June 1. 1964, set as the completion date. Length of this section of grade Is 2.45 miles. Now under consideration for reconstruction as soon as possi ble is the Tumalo Sisters sec tion of the Bend Sitters high way, a unit of U.S. Highway 20. chutes fair as queen. August July, 1963, coolest in 60 vears. Mrs. Hugh Lakin rules over Lrook County Pioneers as aueen at annual reunion in Prineville. Tourist, Miss Marsha Ralston, bitten by rattlesnake at Smith Rocks. Grange youth camp opens on Tumalo Creek. Body of Powell Butte rancher, Phillip Reinhardt, 72, found in North Unit canal. George H. Brew ster, Redmond, named U.S. Commissioner. Federal suit filed against Pilot Butte Inn owners. Lunar geologists study f ort uerricK cave. U.S. Olym pic team trains at Bachelor Butte. New Bear Creek Grade School nears completion. First COC building takes shape on Awbrey Heights. Small i:vs blaze at western edge of Bend, in brushy areas. September Redmond Future Farmers of America, Dave Cook, Bill Jor dan and Ron Dowse, win state championship in livestock judg ing at Salem fair. Three scald ed in Warner Valley when dormant geyser erupts. Bear Creek School opens, but too many youngsters show up. Dr. W. J. Maier resigns as Tri County health officer. Cascade peaks whitened by first snow of autumn. Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Carlson, Culver, rule as potato queen and king at Redmond spud festival. Robert W. Chan dler of Bulletin cited by Oregon State Bar for best editorial of year on legal matters. Bend man, Lowell A. Jensen, credit ed with saving life of small girl, near victim of drowning. Colorful Tex James dies :n Bend at age of 107. Thousands attend chicken barbecue in downtown Bend, as Fall Open ing feature. Deer hunters in rush to pinelands. Historic Cove park area closed for all time, October Oregon State Geology board holds first meeting in Bend. Machine made snow planned for filot Butte ski run. Hunt ers welcome showers in pine country. Maurice Shelton, Bend, named head of Deschutes chap ter of American Red Cross for coming year. Veteran Bulletin staff member, Phil F. Brogan, recipient of University of Ore gon distinguished service award. Central Oregon's long est growing season in years Icily ends as mercury drops to 16 degrees. Variety of exhibits placed in seven Deschutes County courthouse display cases, with pioneer relics in cluded. Gordon W. McKay resigns as Bend school board director. Central Oregon Col lege notes big enrollment jump. Vicki Wetle named for trip to Washington, D.C. November Bend in host role as some 2,- 000 women register for state bowling tourney. Lord s acre program at Powell Butte nets $7,650. Oregon Reclamation Con gress opens 52nd annual state convention in Bend. Ten-inch snow fall clears way for ski activities at Bachelor Butte. Walter Schrock, Bend, re-eiect- ed president of Oregon Cattle men's Association. New Bend Senior High School wing plac ed in use. Maurice Shelton named Bend School District di rector, succeeding Gordon Mc Kay. Frank H. Loggan, long time Bend resident, honored at surprise dinner. Deschutes Uni ted f und drive goes over top for fourth consecutive year. Central Oregonians stunned by news president Kennedy killed. Eagles of Bend honor Lowell A. Jensen for part in saving life of Bend girl. Bend Silviculture Laboratory completed. Allen school evacuated after backfire Ignites sawdust. R. G. McFar- land named Bend Chamber of Commerce president. December Dense fog blankets north Cen' tral Oregon. John Schmid re signs as Deschutes 4-H agent. Two men charged with theft of 450 Christmas trees. Dr. Orde S. Plnckney named president of Northwest Association of Junior Colleges. All Central Oregon whitened by snow. Kiwanis Club auction nets $2400. Tempera ture in Bend drops below zero. Vandals cause damage on high school grounds. Fire destroys Allen Grade School, with loss estimated at half million do! lars. Bend city commission ap proves 10 p.m. curfew in el fort to curb vandalism. Santa brings Central Oregon bundle of sun shine, with mercury near 50 de grees. Roof blaze endangers Central Oregon College build ing. Fire damages Redmond Golf Club quarters. Shrlners honor BH3 football greats at dinner. Sisters home entered by armed men, couple bound, gag ged, teen-aged girl assaulted. f . ' I Quickened economic pace marks year in Central Oregon area Central Oregon, on the sunny side of the picturesque Cas cades, moved through 1963 with a quickening economic pace as its leaders looked Into the fu ture and predicted even bright er years aneaa. This optimism Is br.sed pri marily on the fact that the in terior country, long isolated economically, has finally been "discovered." Outside capital is being invested in industries, big ranches, land, apartments and homes. Timber of the region Is being remanufactured locally on a scale greater than ever be fore. Gas from Canadian oil fields and electric power from the Columbia and the Deschutes are available for new indus tries. Timber, now being cut from federal lands on a sustained yield basis, continues to be the area's No. 1 source of wealth, but this important industry is being closely pressed by agri culture and by tourism. Deschutes County's gross cash farm income for 1963 is estimated at $5,072,000. Crook and Jefferson agriculture adds millions to this income from fields, gardens and dairy ranch es. The year 1963 was one ot the region's best In farm pro duction, about 5 per cent higher than the fine Deschutes county yield. However, higher produc tion was in part offset by lower prices, particularly for dairy products and livestock. Increased interest in land, even in acres which spread across the High Desert, has been noticeable in recent years, and is expected to increase. Hope is held by some that in time deep wells will tap abun dant water on the plateau to the east of Bend. I.' such flows are found, a Bonneville power line, which crosses the High Desert from Redmond to the Harney country and on Into southeast ern Oregon and Nevada, can be tapped to pump the water from the old earth. The recreation Interest In Central Oregon has Intensified in recent years, and will in crease possibly, some say, will double in the coming dec ade. Part of the great Interest in the region as a recreation center is manifest in request for acreage for sub-division. Central Oregon towns, Bend, Redmond, Prineville, Madras, Sisters and the smaller com munities, felt the surge of the new Interest In the Deschutes Crooked River country. A 1 1 towns reveal new growth. Build ing activity in Bend in 1963 reached a record high. Some fear Is held that Madras will suffer a let-down on completion this fall of the multlmillion do lar Round Butte Dam, but resl dents of the eity point out, that the town "survived the com' pletion of the Pelton Dam in an earlier year and made fine growth. Some 1200 men were employed on the Round Butte project, now in Its final phase. Diversion gates will be closed Firemen fighting Allen at Round Butte on Jan. 1, 1964, and a new, huge lake, Billy Chinook, will start forming, to provide a new recreation center for the thousands of recreation ists who seasonally visit the Mid-Oregon country. Earlier this year, Business Week's national December sur vey found Oregon's personal in come for the year up 5.6 per cent over 1962, with the last quarter income indicating a 9.1 increase, one of the six top gains in the nation. It is believ ed that income gains for the state are indicative of those for Central Oregon. In the huge district supervis ed from the Bend office of the Oregon Employment Service, employment this fall was well above that of the same period last year. Central Oregon, many believe, in 1964 faces one of its best years, economically, In history. 1964 outlook bright, top economists feel WASHINGTON (UPI) - President Johnson's top econom ic advisers believe that 1964 could be one of the most pros perous periods in U. S. history if Congress approves a tax cut. Commerce Secretary Luther H. Hodges and Walter W. Hel ler, chairman of the President s Council of Economic Advisers, made the forecast in separate statements Sunday. Hodges predicted a 1964 in crease of nearly 5 per cent in the rate of the nation's econom ic growth, even after allowing for a slight rise in the price level. In 1963, the rale increased by 5.3 per cent, but about 1.5 per cent of this represented higher prices, Hodges said. Heller said that, given a tax cut, "we can continue to grow in this great economy of ours and to grow even faster than we have before." He forecast "A better era, both in the state of the economy and in the state of the Ameri can spirit" in attacking poverty, disease and discrimination. Hodges' bullish sentiments were contained in a year -end economic review lhat tied future growth closely to the fate of the administration backed $11 oil lion tax cut measure, approved by the House and awaiting ac tion by the benate finance Committee. FROZEN FIRE ENGINE SILVER LAKE. Wis. (UPI)- Silver Lake's volunteer firemen were thawing out their new $15,000 fire engine today. While the firemen were pumping water for a public skating rink the engine broke though the ice and fell Into the lake. IlillMlllM'iKllw , 1 I Jt School fire, silhouetted against flames " V- Bulletin Photo by Nate BuH Substantial gains noted for city o Benij in report of accomplishments for 1963 By Gerald Drapeau Bulletin Staff Writer - Progressive minded Bend city omcials racked up a sub stantial record of achievements during the 1963 year. They sometimes struck snags and suflered disappointments, but in the overall it was con sidered a rather successful year. Perhaps the most heartening achievement was getting the street improvements program started again after two years of idleness. City commissioners voted to resume the program despite the possibility of law suits by aflected property own ers, such as the one brought to Deschutes Circuit Court by Third Street residents in 1962. The court supported the resi dents' protests against being forced to bear total assessments for a street - widening project. The Stato Supreme Court later reaffirmed that decision. Nonetheless the city went ahead on the streets, encour aged by an offer from Des chutes County Court officials to share expenses and thereby ease the property owners' bur den of costs. Before the year was out, four portions, of city roadway totaling seven-tenths of a mile had been paved. One large bridge went up in 1963, and two smaller ones re ceived repairs which might have saved a lite or two, it at tended to earlier. The stately Portland Avenue Bridge, ap proved by voters in a $90,000 bond issue, was completed and opened In March. Only some paving and rock work on the approaches now remains to be done. The Gilchrist and Drake Park footbridges received strips of protective fencing along their sides as a safety measure. This action was induced by the drowning of a bicycle - riding youth who plunged into the swift waters beneath the Gil christ bridge. Money problems presented tncmseives, too. There was some wrangling over the Coun ty Library budget which result ed in shorter library hours for a couple of summer months City commissioners claimed the city's share of the library bud get was too large, County court officials disagreed. When city financial support was withheld the library was forced to close its doors during evening hours. The issue was finally resolved when City Manager Hal Puddy produced library circulation fig ures showing that city taxpay ers were paying substantially more than their fair share of li brary support. The county then agreed to shell cut additional funds. Bend showed Its sense of economy this year when It In stalled a modern telephone system In city hall, and trans ferred the switchboard for po lice headquarters to the main office. One employee's position .was eliminated, and assign ! 1 in, f4 to The Bulletin, Tuesday, December 31, 1963 ments were rearranged at a savings of $1,440 per year. A water main to supply the new Central Oregon College campus cost the city $61,700. To date, Wi leet or 12-incn mam have been installed. The Water Department also replaced three blocks of 8-Inch water main on Bond Street with a 12-inch cast iron main. The old pipe had been there since 1921. In other water business, the city applied for $11,300 in loans from the federal government to finance a comprehensive engi neering study of Bend's water system. Word that the request has been approved came De cember 30. Bend lost the services of its Meteorological story of 1963: badly mixed up Badly mixed up weather high lighted the Central Oregon me teorological story in law. A damp spring followed a vir tually snowless winter. Then came a summerlcss July, with the chilliest temperatures In 60 years recorded for the month. Tho regular summer months were cool then came Septem ber with the highest tempcra ti,re of the year, 91 degrees. Lowest temperature was -15, recorded on the morning of Jan uary 15. From January through May, and Into June, Central Oregon received considerable moisture. Then came arid months, with July yielding only 0.25 of an Inch of rain and August a mero 0.15 of an inch. The area got a bit more moisture in Septem ber, 0.65 of an inch, but Octob er was dry, with only 0.10 of an inch measured. The year ended with near normal moisture, but for the 12 months, the tola! moisture was only 10.74 Inches. This com pares with a half-century norm al of 12.15 of an inch, The fact that little snow fell in timbered areas in the 1962- 63 winter and that aridity fol lowed spring moisture led to trie fear that the region would suf fer one of its worst fire seasons on record. NEW YEAR'S DINNER Featuring TURKEY or BAKED HAM All The Trimmings Including Mine -or Pumpkin Pie OPEN DAILY FROM 6 A.M. TILL 10 P.M. POLLY'S mi ; mayor pro-tem when Donovan Denning died in May at the age of 56 years. He had served hi post as a city commissioner on ly five months. He was replac ed on the board by Charlej Cleveland, and Leon Devereaux was voted to assume the mayor pro-tem post. City bus users lost their means of transportation this year when financial difficulties forced the public bus system out of business. The Immediate question was whether the city should step in to operate the buses. It received lots of talk, but was finally discarded. Al most no Oregon city has had success In the bus business. U.S. to trim force in Japan; TOKYO (UPI)-The' United States announced today it will withdraw 3,500 airmen and 2,000 dependents from Japan in the coming year, along with 78 fighter, bomber and trdOp transport planes. v The withdrawal will mean a cut of less than eight per cent In the U.S. forces assigned 1o Japan under the United States' defense treaty. Lt. Gen. Maurice A. Preston, commander of U.S, forces In Japan, pledged that the move win mean no cnange in tne United States' intentions of de fending Asia from communism. "The united states assured the government of Japan that it continues to have every inten tion of fully meeting its mu tual defense commitments, in Japan, elsewhere -in th; far East, and throughout the world," he said. STOCKPILES SHOW DECLINB WASHINGTON (UPI) - Fed eral stockpiles, including stra tegic materials and farm sur pluses, were valued at $14.4 bil lion in October, a decrease' ot $119 million from September. The stockpile report was -Issued Monday by the House-Senate committee on reduction of non-essential federal expendi tures. The group is headed -by Sen. Harry F. Byrd, D-Va. CAFE 809 Walt Band ' i