Days of Yore: January 9, 2025

Days of Yore for January 9, 2025

10 years ago—

Members of the Port of Arlington Commission met with engineers and a host of representatives of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jan. 5 at the Port office. The meeting wasn’t a social call, and the Corps representatives’ repeated chorus of “We’re here to help make this easier” wasn’t making anything any easier. The meeting was the latest in a series of often contentious gatherings over the past seven years, since the Corps of Engineers unceremoniously pulled the plug on the Port’s construction, already underway, of a barge dock near the mouth of Willow Creek on the Columbia.

The tall ships Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain have announced an extended voyage on the Columbia River next summer, including a stop in Arlington on August 13 and 14. Launched in 1989 in honor of Washington’s centennial, the Lady Washington is a wooden replica of one of the first U.S.-flagged vessels to visit the west coast.

25 years ago—

Monday morning and realism again sets in with all of the magic of the holiday season gone. Spray is under a blanket of snow, school has resumed and gathering tax material makes the return of everyday life pounce with a thud.

Jeremy Green, son of Kent and Lori Anderson, graduated from Purdue University at West Lafayette, Indiana in December, with a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry. He began working for Myriad Genetics Company in Salt Lake City as a research assistant.

50 years ago—

Jason Shaffer, young son of Rick and Cistie Shaffer of Fossil, was taken by ambulance to The Dalles Hospital after he was struck by a car while standing by his bicycle. He received a concussion, cuts, and bruises but he returned home two days later where he is recovering.

Donita Griffith writes of the Spray High girls basketball team: Spray High has a girls basketball team this year. The five girl team is coached by Miss Marie Ross. The players are Sherill Adams, Kristi Fisher, Diane, Jean and Gail Peterson. Having only five on the team does have its disadvantages as during the last three minutes of their game with Harper, the Eagles played with three players, the last thirty seconds with two.

75 years ago—

In this issue of the paper is a ballot placed by the Condon Rod & Gun Club asking the readers’ opinions on the question of closing Gilliam County to deer hunting in 1950. The club’s recommendation to the state game commission will be based on the ballots received.

The members of the Arlington Fire Department are planning a trip to Portland next week to inspect a new fire truck being built for the city of Arlington. The new truck will have a 500 gallon per minute with two hose reels and storage reserve tank of 500 gallons all mounted on a F7 Ford.

The Fossil PTA will sponsor an amateur show in the new high school gym. The proceeds will be used to help landscape and beautify the grounds of both grade and high schools. George Close, well-known resident of Kinzua, will be the affable and able master of ceremonies.

100 years ago—

The Jamieson & Marshall plumbing shop is now the headquarters of the janitors’ association, where Dan McFarlane, George Stewart, George Lowe and George Parrish foregather to tell the plumbers their troubles during the cold weather when the popping of the steam radiators is interspersed with the popping of frozen water pipes.

Oscar Maley’s advice to feed the quail and Hungarian partridges arrived neck and neck with the blizzard weather against which he warned. No doubt some of these fine game birds have already perished during the sub-zero weather. The state game commission appeals to sportsmen to take up intelligent feeding plans such as was suggested recently by Mr. Maley.

From the Condon Times 1898—

Billy Brown says he couldn’t “gouge” the Yankees back East, so he traded his mules off for some of a different specie and brought them back to Oregon and sluffed them off onto the Eastern Oregon bunchgrassers.

The Olex Unity Literary Society is booming. Every Thursday evening it meets, and has about thirty members. Mr. E.L. Cables rendered some good music at the last meeting, playing the organ and harmonica at the same time.