THE BULLETIN • SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 2021 C7
YESTERYEAR
Opposition expressed to build amphitheater in park 50 years ago
Compiled by the Deschutes
County Historical Society from
the archived copies of The Bul-
letin at the Deschutes Historical
Museum
100 YEARS AGO
For the week ending
March 20, 1921
Aliens marked for discharge
by the Legion
The American Legion an-
nounced today a campaign to
omit 5000 aliens alleged to the
holding good jobs in Oregon
to make room for that num-
ber of Americans out of work.
Portland is declared the worst
offender and other cities, in
or der, are: Astoria, Bend, West-
port, Baker, Marshfield, Al-
gona, Mabel, Silverton, Salem,
Hood River, Klamath Falls and
Pendleton.
“Bend does not belong any-
where near third in that list,”
Frank R. Prince, commander
of Percy A. Stevens post,
American Legion, declared this
afternoon in commenting on
the report from Portland head-
quarters. “There are many peo-
ple of foreign birth residing in
Bend, but a high percentage of
them are naturalized and good
Americans. I know definitely
that American citizens, and
particularly ex-service men,
have since the war been given
the preference for employment
by both the Shevlin-Hixon and
Brooks-Scanlon Mills.”
Mr. Prince had no idea as
to what could have been the
source of information placat-
ing Bend as third among the
list of cities in Oregon employ-
ing alien labor.
Cut own wage to stimulate
building here
A voluntary wage cut, made
in the hope that this action
will stimulate building ac-
tivity in Bend, was voted last
night at the regular meeting of
B.M.P.I.U., local No. 3, it was
announced today. The reduc-
tion is a dollar a day, bringing
the scale in the Bend jurisdic-
tion to $9 a day. Bricklayers,
masons and plasterers are in-
cluded in the local branch of
organized labor making the
reduction.
The move is one which has
been under consideration for
several weeks and was only
taken, it is explained, after
carefully looking into existent
local conditions. In a statement
given out today it is declared
that the change is the result of
the desire on the part of the ar-
tisans in question “to take the
first step in their relation to the
employing public.”
It is added that “there has
been no outside pressure,”
and the hope is expressed that
building in Bend will be stimu-
lated as a result.
‘Keeps’ taboo, boys grieve; the
boys admit they all play at
illegal game
How is a lady of the teaching
profession to know if the boys
are playing “keeps” or merely
“funs?” This question is puz-
zling school authorities who
are attempting to enforce the
rules in regard to the former
diversion, which to the boys
scorn and sorrow, is classed as
gambling.
Many boys of the Central
school were playing marbles
during “recess.” Fearing that
the forbidden game might be
in progress, the principal sent a
teacher to investigate.
The game of marbles is a
complicated affair to the un-
initiated, and although she
tried to be as observing as pos-
sible, the teacher was unable
to distinguish the legal from
the illegal play. Hitting upon
the scheme of asking the boys,
she went from group to group,
and was solemnly informed
in each case that they were
playing keeps. The instruc-
tor proceeded conscientiously
taking down names, when a
high school boy rushed upon
the scene. Running up to one
of the games, he drew a “taw”
from his pocket and shot, then
picked up marbles right and
left.
“Take my name too
teacher!” He begged. The
teacher gave up the ship.
75 YEARS AGO
For the week ending
March 20, 1946
Big Deschutes feed firm sold
Redmond — Sale of the De-
schutes Grain and Feed Co.,
one of the largest plants of its
kind in upstate Oregon, to the
Pacific Supply Co-operative, of
Spokane, Wash., and Portland,
was announced here today by
James F. Short, secretary-trea-
surer and manager of the
three-county firm.
Under terms of the sale, for-
mal transfer of the properties,
involving the big Redmond
plant, the Merrill Mills of the
Klamath basin and five ware-
houses in Jefferson county will
take place on August 1, with
Short to remain in an advisory
capacity until the harvesting of
autumn crops. Short, long ac-
tive in Deschutes county civic
work and now a member of the
county selective service board,
plans to devote his time, after
leaving the Redmond firm, to
the development of his farm
interests in the community.
Bit of earth fused by first
A-Bomb received in Bend
“Atomsite — do not open
jar.”
than ordinary interest to its
owner, Mrs. M.A. Cochran,
1645 West Second street, Bend.
Not only was the atomizer, a bit
of fused earth, formed by the
first atom bomb discharged by
man, but assisting in the bomb
experiment was Mrs. Cochran’
brother, Dr. R. E. Schneider, of
Purdue university.
Preparatory to the trip
across the Pacific for the bomb
tests soon to be conducted near
isolated islands, Dr. Schneider
last week-end visited his home
in McMinnville, and Mr and
Mrs. Cochran made the drive
over the Cascades to see him.
On that occasion, Dr. Sch-
reiber gave his sister the sou-
venir from the New Mexico
desert.
Dr. Schreiber assisted with
the first bomb experiments,
then worked in assembling the
bomb that on last August 8 was
dropped on Nagasaki, Japan.
The atomsite souvenir Dr.
Schreiber gave his sister is a
lustrous, greenish bit of earth
slag, formed by the intense
heat of the New Mexico bomb.
Also in the jar are bits of metal,
like birdshot. These are melted
bits of the steel tower used in
the New Mexico experiment.
The “do not open” warning
on the jar was attached because
of the fear that the atomsite,
as the atom-created mineral
was named, may still be radio
active.
National Camp Fire week
to be observed in county
The scenes have been set for
local observance of National
Camp Fire week March 17-23,
to start tomorrow with special
services at the First Lutheran
church, when Rev. Len Fish-
back will theme his sermon on
“Camp Fire Principles in Ev-
eryday Life.”
Mayor A.T. Niebergail today
issued a proclamation wish-
ing every success and blessing
to the Camp Fire girls of Bend
and those all over the world,
lauding the movement as a
constructive force in any com-
munity where groups are or-
ganized.
“Here in Bend,” the proc-
lamation says in part, “Camp
Fire girls have cooperated in
all community projects. They
have proved themselves to be
enterprising and responsible
citizens.” On this, the thir-
ty-fourth birthday, Camp Fire
girls have chosen for their
theme “At Home in the World.”
Headlines
Britain offers India its full
Look
events
and add
So
reads for
the Central
label on Oregon
a jar
independence
— your
Big 3 own
tension
holding a souvenir of world
over Iran’s oil suddenly eases
war No. 2 which is of more
— Tule Lake center to close
bendbulletin.com/events
March 20 — U.S. To support
Iran in case against mighty So-
viet Union.
50 YEARS AGO
For the week ending
March 20, 1971
Opposition expressed
to park plan
Bend City Commission-
ers fielded protests last night
against a proposed amphithe-
atre for the city’s Shevlin Park,
but reserved judgment on the
issue until further information
is available to them.
Several opponents of the
proposal appeared at last
night’s commission meeting to
voice their objections to build-
ing an amphitheatre west of the
park’s upper meadow. Vince
Genna, city director of parks
and recreation, appeared to
explain the proposal to the
commissioners and to “clear
up” several points in the con-
troversy.
“I’m not saying we’re 100
per cent right on the plan,”
Genna said, “what I am say-
ing is we’re not 100 per cent
wrong.”
Mrs. Marion Poor, 415
Newport Ave., and Dwight
Newton, 11 Kansas Ave., ap-
peared to oppose the plan.
Mrs. Poor said the pro-
posed facility would ruin the
park’s natural setting, both
because of the added con-
struction and because of the
added use the park would
get when the theatre is com-
pleted. She suggested an eco-
logical study of the area be
done before further action on
the plan is implemented.
Newton cited some spe-
cific objections to the theatre,
which eventually would ac-
commodate up to 450 per-
sons.
“I don’t know how we’re
going to get 450 people to
come out to something all
at once, unless we encour-
age tourists,” Newton said.
“And we don’t need tourists
in Shevlin Park.” Newton
cited parking problems and
the upset of the area’s set-
ting as his major objections.
“The early intent was to keep
the park as natural as possi-
ble and still let it be a park,”
Newton said. “You’d be nul-
lifying what has been a 50-
year tradition to build this.”
Genna said plans for a
theatre in Juniper Park, lo-
cated in the city, have not
been abandoned, and that
this would be the site of any
anticipated drama presen-
tations or other entertain-
ments. The Shevlin site is
intended for lectures and
nature talks, he said. A main
reason for the plan is to stim-
ulate use of Shevlin and to
discourage vandalism, Genna
said. Parking is already a
problem at the park, he
said, and the proposal may
serve to alleviate the already
cramped conditions.
“Anyone in any business
has to project his future traf-
fic, and I think it is better
to build a place like this to
channel people, so we have a
place to put them and keep
from spoiling the park,” he
said.
“Both parties are saying let’s
keep the park as natural as we
can” Genna said, “But I’m say-
ing let’s do it with a facility.
That’s the only difference.”
25 YEARS AGO
For the week ending
March 20, 1996
Restoration effort on a roll
While the Boys & Girls Club
of Bend honors its first youth
of the year, membership is
booming, supporters are rais-
ing money for operational
costs, and others are working
to restore the historic Bend
Amateur Athletic Club into a
permanent home for the new
organization. Membership in
the Bend club is approaching
700 members and is expected
to top 1,000 by summer, ac-
cording to Bend Police Chief
Dave Malkin, one of the club
organizers. Malkin predicts
that when the club moves into
the old gym building on the
west side of town, membership
could reach more than 2,500.
The club is open to children
ages 8 to 18.
“In my view, this is the single
most beneficial undertaking
that this community has ever
gotten behind,” Malkin said.
Club membership costs
only $5 a year. To fund the
$250,000 annual cost of op-
eration, the Bend club is con-
ducting a fundraising cam-
paign.
The club has raised about
$50,000 in a campaign tar-
geted at local business, and
will launch a community
campaign in April. Mean-
while, a major effort is un-
der way to raise $2.1 million
to restore the historic Bend
Amateur Athletic Club, the
old Bend gym on south Wall
Street, into a permanent
home for the club.
The Bend Park and Recre-
ation Foundation coordinat-
ing the building restoration
project has raised more than
$800,000, mostly from foun-
dation and corporate donors.
The foundation is planning
a major individual and busi-
ness fund-raising effort for
the coming months.
Restoration of the old gym
is expected to begin this fall.