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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (March 20, 2002)
Hag® 12 The INDEPENDENT, March 20, 2002 Vernonia Jnstioo Court Abbreviations: DUII, Driving Un der the Influence of Intoxicants; BUII, Boating Under the Influence of Intoxicants; DWS, Driving While License is Suspended; MIP, Minor In Possession of Intoxicants; ODL, Oregon Driver License; FTA, Fail ure to Appear in Court; NTSI, Na tional Traffic Safety Institute; DA, District Attorney; VIP, Victim Im pact Panel; F&A, Fees and As sessments. March 5, 2002 Steven W. Harmon, 42, Scap poose, continued on DUII. Bernard L. Harris, 63, Vernonia, accepted diversion on DUII; $336, evaluation. Terence D. Threet, 37, Vernon ia, Assault IV charge dismissed. DA did not file. Traffic............................... 8 March 12, 2002 Douglas P. Ansotegui, 44, Deer Island, reset to 3/19 on No Throw able Flotation Device. Scott Michael Bartley, 37, Olal- la, Wash., found guilty of Unlawful Taking of Short Sturgeon. $299; and guilty of No Throwable Floata- tion Device, $175. Suzanne M. Beltings, 48, Beaverton, dismissed Expired Cer tificate. $75 cc. Leon A. Belza, 22, Portland, found guilty of DWS misd; $619. Jessica Jackson, 18, Vernonia, accepted diversion on Assault IV; $147; letter of apology to victim Colombia County Sheriff March 5 - Lewis Dean Cochran, 30, Vernonia, reported his house had been burglarized and checks were taken. March 9 - Lenore Jean Dupuis, 37, Vernonia, cited for defective lighting. Her passenger, Mark Alan Washam, 35, Vernonia, arrested for Violation of Restraining Order for being in contact with Ms. Dupuis and on an outstanding Ver nonia Justice Court Warrant; taken to CCSO jail. - Raymond Obrien Reid, 26, Montana, arrested in Vernonia on outstanding warrant from Montana; taken to CCSO jail. - Daniel Gregg, 20, Hillsboro and Erik Bataglia, 19, Vernonia, cited for M IP /A lcohol. G regory Please see page 13 w/copy to DA. Solom aon D. Jacobsen, 28, Canby, found guilty of Angling W/O License, $120; and No Sturgeon Harvest Card, $120. Gary R. Nelson, 50, Rainier, found guilty of Angling-Poss of Un dersize Fish; $120. James Neal Patterson, 54, Mil Vernonia man missing, presumed dead in Umpqua River mishap Douglas County Search & Rescue and a Swift Water Res cue Team from Douglas County Fire Distict #2 were unable to locate Robert L. Percifield, 52, of Vernonia, who has been missing since going fishing, February 23, on the Umpqua River near Roseburg. He was reported missing by Tie way it was... By Robb Wilson I recently received a copy of the 1950 telephone listings for Vernonia; how interesting it is to get a glimpse of life here 52 years ago. On just a couple of pages, the life of this town is written in black and white. One thing that must be understood, though, is that the 313 listings do not include all of Vernonia. Many folks didn’t have tele phones in their homes and it’s safe to say that some business folks only had a line for their shop. The listings also included numbers for nine Mist area phones and businesses. When I first looked at it, I thought most of the listings were businesses. On closer study, I could see that only 72 were actually of a commercial nature, not counting the eight listings for the City of Vernonia (Chief of Police, City Hall, Recorder, Marshall, Deputy Marshall, Fire Chief, Fire Hall, and Water Superintendent). Also included in the commer cial listings were the three schools. What I find interesting in this list of 72 is that only five busi nesses are stilf active today. Three of them are in the same location as 52 years ago: Lew’s Place, Standard Oil and the Vernonia Inn (remodeled from the old Hy Van Hotel). The oth er two listings are West Oregon Electric (when they were on Bridge Street) and Cedarwood Timber Company, which is now a rural business. There are two other hotels listed, the McDon ald and the Hotel Vernonia, but at that time, there were also a few other hotels in operation that must have had. telephone service. This is probably true for many other shops and busi nesses operating in town. Even the bus station didn’t have a phone, but the train depot did. Another fascinating thing is that, though there are only sev en names on the list of people who are living here today, four of them still have the same ad dress! There are 22 other rec ognizable (brothers, sisters, cousins, etc.) family names still in town today. But, again, there are local families who have been here for over 50 years whose names I didn’t see in the directory. One man I spoke with said that they never had a phone, as was the case with many others, I suspect. There are just a few names on the directory list that I recog nize or remember years later, in my lifetime. Many of the oth er names still have connections to town in some way or another —mostly relatives and inlaws, or those who had businesses here and moved on when the town lost momentum after the mill closed. One of the most recognizable names is Cecil Johnson, who operated the Miller Store for 21 years. Where did the rest of these people go? Found work with other mills is the most common answer, but many come back to visit in August for the annual Old Grads Reunion. The listings can be interest ing in themselves, like the com bination “Bush Furniture and Funeral Home,” And oldtimers remember the “Pal Shop.” There are listings for car deal erships, service stations, tav erns, drug and grocery stores, a couple of doctors, a jewelry store, lawyer and many cafes and restaurants. Vernonia was a very active little town and the downtown core was bustling. The numbers, themselves, were interesting, with most numbers being only three digits long, ie., the police and fire was 441. Thirteen numbers were just two digits and nearly a hun dred were four digit numbers. I bet the switchboard operator, Thelma, had them all memo rized. The only letter of the alpha bet not represented was “X”, as is true with the 2002 directory. The ad on the bottom of the page said it best 50 years ago, but it seems true today too: “You’re there and back be fore you know it - by tele phone. The fastest two-way communication from YOU to ANYWHERE in the world. For a surprisingly small cost and within a few seconds you can reach the absent friend or rela tive - and the visit will cheer you both. Try it tonight. You’ll find out-of-town calls faster, clearer and lower in cost than his wife, Susan, who told the sheriff's department that he had gone out in his drift boat nearly 24 hours earlier. He bought the boat a year ago, and had used it about four times. Searchers found no trace of Percifield or the boat, accord ing to the Sheriff’s Office. A red and white cooler had been seen drifting downstream near the location where Percifield was last seen. The aluminum Diamondback drift boat had a Honda motor and two oars. It also contained a life jacket, red and white cooler and fishing gear. Percifield was not seen wearing a life jacket. than ever before and as easy to make as telephoning the corner grocer." That is just as true today as it was back then. The only dif ference is how many of you have multiple phones and cell phones, etc.? Farmwoman's Nursery Now Open W ed-Sat 10-6 Sundays noon-6 with a greatly expanded inventory! TREES! trtreesi Hundreds o f Trees! and Landscape Plants f y u u n i w a Q m p ju L iJ i ¿ A ftA & A A jD (B j OA & waukie, found guilty to Angling W/O License, $120; and No Stur geon Harvest Card, $120. Eric Michael Tiller, 40, Clatska nie, FTA on DUII. Gregory A. Reynolds, Vernonia, pled guilty to Disorderly Conduct violation (not crime); $300 F&A. Traffic............................... 7 W eather V anes • L a w n A rt B askets • G loves • L otions (b d i G ift I tems & G ift C ertificates HOT, ICED & BLENDED DRINKS & TEA P otting M ix PASTRIES • MUFFINS • COOKIES • BAGELS Annuals & Hanging Baskets will be in after April 15 SANDWICHES • SALADS • SOUPS • CHILI • CHILI DOGS 6 ' SUBS • DELI TRAYS AVAILABLE BY SPECIAL ORDER < V Tanning by Appt. or Walk-in Nails by Appointment A J Willow Furniture Glass • March 30 Call for Reservation: 503 429-8200 or 503 429-4451 12891 Keasey Road, Vernonia M on 5a-1p • Tu-F 5a-4p • Sa 7a-4p • Su 8a-12p • Deli opens 11a 854 BRIDGE ST., VERNONIA • 503-429-9011 , 7 miles out of Vernonia 1
