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SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016
SHS Class of 1956 reunion this weekend Friendship Club holds
The Siuslaw High School
Class of 1956 will be hold-
ing its 60th reunion this
weekend, beginning Friday,
May 13, and continuing
through Sunday, May 15.
Friday, classmates are
invited to kick off festivities
at Abby’s Pizza on
Highway 101, beginning at
6 p.m.
On Saturday, the group
will have a chance to visit
and share memories from
noon to 6 p.m., at the
Florence Senior Center,
1570 Kingwood St.
Then, on Sunday, there
will be a farewell breakfast
buffet, from 9 to 10 a.m.,
also at the Senior Center.
For more information,
contact Irene Wittwer at
541-999-4108.
plant sale Thursday
The Siuslaw Friendship
Club will hold its annual plant
sale at its next monthly meet-
ing, tomorrow, May 12, at
Driftwood Shores, 88416 First
Ave. in Florence, beginning at
from 11 a.m.
The club will also sell
Partylite candles, with 40 per-
cent of proceeds going to local
charities.
Everyone is welcome.
The club sponsors card
games like pinochle, Hand and
Foot, 5 Crowns and Triple
Play.
For more information, call
503-708-5038.
Rhody Quilt Guild sponsors
‘Sew-In’ for stitching Saturday
COURTESY PHOTO
Class members include (back row, from left): Ron Estep, Darrell Hinderlie, Peggy Stitt,
Jerry Ashard, Sharlee Tompkins, Larry Stonelake, Pat Bernhardt, Donna Horn, Bill Bond
(Hanstad) and Bill Shepherd; (front row from left): Terry Parsons, Anita Ryan, Gerald
Wallace, Jim Carlson, Donna Helms, Lonnie Woosley, Twila Wilson, Irene Colwell, Ginger
Kippes and Betty Jordan.
C AR C HRONICLES —
Pick-up and pranks
B Y C AL A PPLEBEE
Special to the Siuslaw News
E
ven though the
Plymouth Fury in the
last article was a great
car and definitely ranks as one
of the finer cars I owned earli-
er in my collection — particu-
larly since it was free — about
this time in my vehicle life I
evidently developed the need
for constant change, which
would follow for life and
hence the 90-plus inventory.
I would spot some other
vehicle that would capture my
imagination, and pretty soon,
I’d convince myself I had to
have one, then find one and
trade off my current ride for
the new dream ride.
That’s what happened to the
Plymouth. For whatever rea-
son, I decided I needed a pick
up and soon the Plymouth was
gone and in its place sat a
1948 Chevy 3100 pickup.
It was two-tone black and
blue, both semi-gloss, which
in recent years has become a
pattern first in rat-rods and
now starting to appear on cus-
toms.
The primary body was the
light blue while the top from
the belt line up was flat black.
It still had the original 216
straight six-cylinder engine
and four speed transmission,
but a prior owner had modi-
fied the exhaust into a split
exhaust with two chrome
stacks going up the back cor-
ners of the cab.
This truck sounded great
and was a blast to drive. And,
like the Plymouth, I soon
found it being borrowed by
my college buddies for all
sorts of uses, including pranks!
Since it was such a stand-
out vehicle and easy to identi-
fy, it was no surprise that I got
called on the carpet after loan-
ing it one weekend, when my
buddies used it to appropriate
a farmer’s outhouse and re-
locate it into the lobby of the
freshman girl’s dorm.
Of course, with such a dis-
tinctive two-tone paint job and
loud, chrome exhaust stacks, it
wasn’t difficult to identify
which vehicle was responsible.
I think that was the first
time I ever implemented posi-
tive manipulation to avoid the
responsibility of that stunt.
The 1948 Chevy 3100 was
the first year of production of
Chevrolet’s “Advance-Design”
series of trucks that would be
produced through 1955.
Improvements over the
post-war models included
bench seat accommodating
three passengers, wider doors,
enhanced interior with more
functional dash and larger cab
glass treatment that they called
“Observation Car Vision.”
Minor changes took place
over the production years such
as a vent wing, push button
door handles and a new grill
and windshield in 1955.
Production numbers were
difficult to verify but it
appears around 597,000 Chevy
trucks were produced for
1948, with 398,000 or 67 per-
cent, being the 3100 half-ton.
I honestly don’t recall what
I paid for my black and blue
bomb, but original MSRP was
about $1,180. NADA shows
values today at $7,750 for low
retail up to $46,500 for high
retail. Online shopping found
specimens offered from $4,500
for a project up to $92,000 for
a high-end custom hot rod.
I dropped out of college
shortly after that — no con-
nection to the outhouse
escapade — and moved to
Washington, D.C., for a year.
When I returned to the Hill
family in Idaho I found my
1948 Chevy pick-up had been
stolen by yet another ward of
the state, and destroyed in a
car chase.
Mom and Dad Hill offered
their family car as a replace-
ment; a 1960 Chevy Biscayne
two-door sedan, a car I was
well acquainted with from my
high school years.
That Chevy pick-up would
be the first of two vintage
General Motors trucks I would
own. Only a couple vehicles
later, I bought a 1950 GMC
FC 101 that, although it was
fire-engine red, was fairly
stock and didn’t get the atten-
tion the ’48 Chevy did.
Again, I honestly do not
recall how much I paid for it,
nor what vehicle replaced it
eventually (I think a 1960
Caddy, but that’s another
story), but I did enjoy that
truck. It was certainly built
more stout than the Chevy,
with a beefier 228 six-cylinder,
as well as more deluxe
appointments.
And although it shared so
much in style with the
Chevrolet counterpart, GMC
called theirs “New Design.” I
always felt the GMC grills on
that model as well as subse-
quent years, were much more
aggressive and attractive than
Chevy’s.
Production figures were
impossible to find for the
Jimmy. To match the beefier
GMC truck, the original
MSRP was a heftier $1,362,
but NADA values only ranged
from $3,775 for low retail up
to $19,300 for high. Likewise,
internet shopping values were
much less.
Despite the lower values on
the GMC, it was obvious that
once again, both trucks are
considerably more valuable
today than when I drove and
owned them.
Darn...again!
Travel safe!
The Rhododendron Quilt
Guild will be sponsoring
a Sew-In at Wenz-daze
Quilters Emporium on the
second Saturday of the
month, from 1 to 4 p.m..
The next Sew-In will be on
Saturday, May 14. Everyone
of all skill levels is invited to
attend.
Bring a sewing machine,
hand sewing or just yourself
and enjoy the afternoon
meeting and stitching with
some of the Guild members.
Wenz-daze
Quilters
Emporium is at 5045
Highway 101, next to Ron’s
Paint.
For more information, call
Cyndie Wenz at 541-997-
3293.
Brian Downing
(541) 743-3811
• htpp://www.ppmnps.com
• briandowning@ppmnps.com
Veteran Discounts
Pacifi c Paralegal, Mobile Notary
and Project Services
Document Preparation
Services
• Researching • Drat ing
• Filing/Delivery • Notarizing
• Signing/Closing Agent
Project Services:
• Consulating • Managing
• Completing • Evaluating
• Staffi ng
Pacii c Paralegal is not staff ed by attorneys. If you
need legal advice or representation please contact
an attorney or your local state bar association.
All Services
are Mobile,
We Come to You!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Siuslaw Outreach Services is actively
recruiting volunteers for our Crisis Line.
h ese volunteers carry a cell phone and answer urgent calls when our
offi ce is closed. We also are in need of volunteers to greet clients at
our front desk for a few hours every week.
All training is provided!
Call our volunteer coordinator for more information
or stop by and pick up an application
1576 W. 12th Street or contact
Ask for Lori @ 541-997-2816 ext.14 lori@l orencesos.org
Women’s Wellness retreat next weekend
What can you do to re-
focus on your life's balance,
creativity, wellness, and sense
of community? Consider par-
ticipating in the 2016 Siuslaw
Women's Wellness Retreat at
Big Bear Campground in
Walton.
This
event
is
from
Saturday, May 21, to Sunday
morning, May 22, with ses-
sions including senior stretch-
ing, yoga, Zumba, Zentangle
arts, nature walk or hike,
herbal remedies, a bonfire and
singing.
The $45 ticket covers all
instruction,
meals
and
overnight camping in the
large yurt. The event begins at
9:30 a.m. Saturday and lasts
until 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Breaking news,
photo galleries
and MORE!
Visit the Siuslaw News
online at
WWW.THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM
Tickets are available at the
Real Food Co-op in Florence
and the Banner Bank branch
in Mapleton, or call 541-268-
6943 or 541-268-1916 for
more information.
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Tuesday 5/3
Brenda McDaniel
JoAnn Wilson
Westlake
Florence
Three Rivers Casino Resort
Safeway
Wednesday 5/4
Susan Elliott
Conrad Anderson
Swisshome
Florence
Safeway
Safeway
Thursday 5/5
Omar Tiba
Donna Price
Eugene
Florence
Safeway
Three Rivers Casino Resort
Friday 5/6
Verlan Sorter
Lynn Barshaw
Florence
Florence
Three Rivers Casino Resort
Florence Liquor Agency
Saturday 5/7
Eli Korab
Richard McPhedran
Florence
Florence
Grocery Outlet
Three Rivers Casino Resort
Sunday 5/8
Bear McDaniel
Betty Wooey
Westlake
Florence
True Value
Safeway
Monday 5/9
Raymond Bray
Bear McDaniel
Florence
Westlake
Cheveux Spa
True Value