1 2 - SANDY (O r..) POST Thur».. Jon. ». 1976
Sandy High grad
takes dive
M O V IN G SALE
MOVING SALE
story and photo
M O V IN G SALE
by paul keller
M O V IN G S A LE
If Rob Bignall had been born
last century he'd probably have
been among the first to hitch up
a team and head west.
Not that he has a special
affinity for horses or wagons,
just adventure.
Today the 1970 Sandy High
School graduate has found
another frontier He earns his
keep as an underwater diver off
the shivering Alaskan shore.
‘The opportunity for younger
persons
in
Alaska
is
phenomenal," he told this
reporter while visiting his
folks, Olin and Joyce Bignall in
Sandy over the holidays.
HELP US MOVE BY JANUARY 1st
Amana
STOR-MOR FREEZERS
Young Bignall has been an
Anchorage resident the past
three years and plans to stay up
in the Yukon country at least
another 12.
“ I don't want to leave
Alaska—the opportunity there
is just too great.” he continued.
His modern-day occupation
makes d riv in g a p ra irie
schooner across the Badlands
seem a little tame.
with exclusive Amana-matic contact freezing
freezes foods fast to maintain even zero
degree temperatures
It's not uncommon for the 24-
year-old to slip into a wetsuit in
60 degree-below a ir tem ­
perature. crack through ice and
dive over 100 feet beneath the
surface of the sea
Water temperature is usually
around 28 degrees, he says.
Rob Bignall
"Once I stayed down 75
minutes at 12S feet sand
At Sandy High he earned place for a new diver to break
bagging a cable," recalled the
eighth place in the state diving into.
neatly bearded Bignall.
Bignall is the youngest diver
A member of the pile drivers’ championships as a senior.
in
his crew, in which the oldest
Following
high
school
he
union, he's charged with a
league
of
u n d e rw a te r spent two years at the is 47 and most are in their mid-
responsibilities on oil rigging University of Oregon as a 30s
Has he had any close calls
marine biology major He was
platforms.
down
under?
also
a
diver
on
the
Duck
swim
“ I have to be ready to leave
team
“ Sure There's always the
for a week or a month at a time
element of danger, but you've
“ After awhile the thought of
at the drop of a hat," informed
got a job to do so you just go
working in a lab didn’t interest
the bachelor
d ow nanddoit,” he said with an
me," he admits.
unmistakable twinge of pioneer
So. his next stop was a
Often times he can be called
ethic
out of bed in the middle of the commercial diving school in
W hat about the movie
night to do emergency repair Los Angeles where he spent up
“ Jaws?”
work on rigging foundations to ten hours underwater each
“ Sharks are a Stone Age
and their support cables upset day for four months
an im al.
T h e y 're
un­
“ After my schooling I was
by radical Alaskan tides.
predictable,"
he
shrugged
“I
suppose
to
go
to
Singapore,
but
"There’s never any visibility
was really sorry to see that
down there, it's like diving in a that job fell through,” he
movie come out I t ’s going to
big mud puddle." explained recalled.
m ake
too m any
people
“ The next thing I knew I was
Rob. “ Because the water is so
paranoid
about
the
beaches
and
heading
to
Alaska
with
all
my
black you can only see about
water I don't plan on seeing
three inches in front of you. You diving gear and 8100 in my
it”
just have to feel whatever it is pocket”
And besides, when you're an
He’s been there ever since.
you’re doing."
underwater diver in the land of
Rob’s been told by the old
Visibility may be poor, but
the midnight sun you just don’t
when it comes to w a te r pro's that Alaska is the most
waste your time on such silly
know-how Bignall is never in difficult place to dive in the
frivolity.
world, and it’s the toughest
the dark.
Christmas tree
seedlings offered
M IC R O W A V E 'O V E N
Amono freezes food so
fost, flavor ond
nutrition don't have
time to fode. Fost
freezing coils are
ottoched to the solid
aluminum shelves with
additional coils in top
ond bottom of liner.
Amana maintains safe,
even zero degree food
temperatures. This
means all food is on or
directly below a prime
freezing surface.
MODEL RR-4DW *
M odel U -16W . . . 15.6 Cu. Ft. Capacity
F rM ie s ond stores 546 pounds o t food {»elu­
END OF THE YEAR SAYINGS
sive A m ana S tor-M or door Isolds targe ta t-
tons R o d ia n t condenser prevents ssveoting
Glide-out basket, door tack
Frigidaire
BEAT THE
PRICE
INCREASE.
|WF A | ^ ^ | l l
1 *1 1 V Ik ll lU u
URU I I l M W l
We bou9ht b|9 to beat the
Jan u a ry p ric e in crea se. So
you can buy KitchenAid
dishwashers, trash compactors, and disposers at 1975
prices. Come in now while the selection is good.
COTTRELL
DOINGS
by Mrs. H. H. Watkins
Christmas tree growers in Pacific Northwest Forest and
W estern
W ashington
and Range Experiment Station's
Western Oregon are being Corvallis lab.
Silen's project to produce
offered a chance to purchase
209.500 genetically superior better, faster-growing Christ­
seedlings in a drawing con­ mas trees began 11 years
ducted by the U S
Forest ago, with the first 100 superior
Service.
trees put on the market in 1972
Growers can apply for not In addition to benefits to
less than 1.000 seedlings and not Christmas tree growers, the
more than 4.000 seedlings in study has been helpful in
increments of 1.000 Delivery of genetic research to improve
trees will be in time for early trees for commercial timber
productin
Spring planting
The genetically improved
Application forms for the
seedlings were grown one year
in a nursery bed and two years drawing are available from the
F orest
in transplant beds and are 18 to U S .
Service,
C o o p e r a t iv e
F o re s try
24 inches tall.
The seedlings resulted from a Programs, P O . Box 3623,
study by Dr. Roy Silen of the Portland. 97208
Careers m eeting subject
Mrs Lorene Sieler. Young party held at the home of Mrs
Careerist chairman of the Bobbi Swan on Edilweiss Drive
Sandy
Business
and two new members. Mrs Deane
Hyatt, accountant, and Mrs
Professional Women’s club,
has invited Mrs. Diana Hom Nora B Thayer, salesperson
W'atanabi to te ll her e x ­ for the Royal Nectar Honey
periences in the Oregon Company, were elected to
Federation Young Careerist membership and welcomed
contest at the Jan 7 dinner into the club
Members brought gifts for
meeting to be held in the
Mountain View Golf Club theKiwanis Christmas baskets
dining room at 7 p m
A fter the sharing of some
Miss Maguerite Payne, a unusual Christmas customs
bank employe and prospective there was a gift exchange
Young Careerist candidate for followed by the serving of
1976, will be a special guest
delicious holiday goodies,
At the Dec 17 Christmas coffee and punch.
Berger graduates
Among the 965 degree can­
didates
honored
during
University of Oregon fall term
commencement exercises Dec
12 was Gary S. Berger of
*
Sandy-
Berger received his bachelor
of arts degree in economics and
German.
Cottrell Ladies Aid held their
annual Christmas party on
Dec 17 a t the home of Mrs.
Harvey Watkins, with Mrs.
Walter Howard and Mrs Vern
Wasson as hostesses.
There were 20 ladies present
who enjoyed a short program
and Christmas gift exchange.
Four from Portland were
Zelda Hix, Peggy Corley,
Manda Stewart, and Sara Illge.
Others were Ida Hauglum,
Carrie Zumwalt. Dolly Klinski,
Virginia Meyer, Eva Mae
Roberts. Alma and Grace
Reed. Hallie Reynolds, Debbie
Parker, Leona Griffin, Wanda
Hashagen. Anna Bushue and
Bonita Pomeroy
M rs
Pomeroy
w ill be
rem em bered
as
Bonita
Williams when she was a
teacher at Sandy and also
Cottrell. She lives in Portland.
M r. Pomeroy passed away a
few months ago.
The two hostesses served
delicious refreshments and lots
of goodies
M r. and Mrs Jim M artin of
Sandy and Mr. and Mrs Jay
Calderwood of Fairview are
spending the weekend a t
Florence visiting the M artin’s
son Jim and his family.
The Roy Brook fam ily of
Bluff Road has been looking
forward to a visit from his
sister Dorothy Johnson and son
from Gardena Calif , for the
holidays
Cottrell group
The
Citizens
A dvisory
Committee for (o ttre ll School
will meet Tuesday at 7 p m in
the east school building
The agenda for the meeting
has not been set at this time
295 NE 2nd
Gresham
665-4158
Open Friday Evenings 'til 8:00
I