Aug. 17, 1950
A six-foot raised center island is included in plans for widening of Main Street. It will divide the street into two 31-foot travel ways, each providing for two lanes of traffic with an eight-foot parallel parking strip.
Winners of the Frontier Days beard contest were Duke Johnson, of Holley, for “handsomest bush;” Walter Peden, of Sweet Home, for “reddest growth;” and Guy Oliver, of Sweet Home, for “most novel trim.” The third annual event netted about $6,000 toward the planned construction of a community pool.
Fire started by sun rays reflected through a water bottle broke out in a log slash on an Alan Wodtli logging operation nine miles northeast of Sweet Home.
On Aug. 14, Sweet Home’s forests were featured in the Ripley “Believe it or Not” cartoon appearing in newspapers throughout the country. Picturing Main Street from 13th Avenue looking west (with heavy growth of Douglas Fir in the background running down Long Street), the panel was labeled “The Forest that Grows on Top of Another.” It references the forests’ 50,000,000 age, saying the buried forest over so many years has become solid agate.
Aug. 14, 1975
Mrs. Lee Dudley donated the first $50 toward the purchase of a Hospital Emergency Ambulance Radio (HEAR), which is expected to cost about $3,600 for installation in both ambulances. The two-way communications system would connect ambulances with Willamette Valley hospitals in a 60-mile radius. It will allow EMTs to take patients’ vitals and relay the information to the hospital on the way there. The city’s current radio system loses contact with the police station just a few miles out of town.
Pat Freeman was twice a winner in the Bicycle Derby races at the high school track. He rode the 440-yard in 50 seconds, and anchored the winning team in the three-lap relay with a time of 3:16. Ringo Ruff took first for Slowest Bicycle race, riding a 20-yard course in 43 seconds without touching his foot to the ground. Also, Harmen Costa is the Sankey-Northside Table Tennis Champion.
Aug. 16, 2000
The Planning Commission approved a recommendation for Brookside at Strawberry Heights, a planned unit development by Linn County Affordable Housing. A dozen residents opposed the development on the south end of Sunset Lane. Thirteen of the units would be sold to low-income families, and 10 units would be for seniors and disabled persons.
The Oregon Jamboree is expected to have made up to $50,000 from this year’s show, which drew in about 16,900 attendees and filled 800 camp sites.
About 1,600 people converged on Sweet Home this week as past graduates and their families participated in the all-school reunion, a scholarship fundraiser. The all-day event featured activities such as golf, a quilt show, softball game, car show, picnic, musical memory program and art show. More than 1,000 graduates going as far back as 1929 attended and helped raise. Organizers hope they raised $20,000.