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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 2011)
The INDEPENDENT, December 7, 2011 Page 9 Bits & Bites By Jacqueline Ramsay Left to right, Vernonia Senior Center President Carl Holsey, Tim McLeod, and Pat Ray. McLeod and Ray are holding the quilt that Ray made and donated to be raffled off to benefit the senior center. McLeod won the raffle and collected his quilt on November 19, just in time to consider it a 50th birthday present. The quilt raffle raised $300 for the senior center and has become a fairly regular yearly fundraiser for the center. Welcome all my friends and loyal read- ers. I’ve had a very interesting past two weeks, along with “squishing” in hand ther- apy, dialysis, Wednesday Vernonia trips, C.R., and church on Sundays, I’ve actual- ly found time to eat, sleep, brush my teeth and blow my nose. YIPPEE. Just got home from having the stitches (most of them) removed from my hand and arm. In the process, I learned from the Doctor a very shocking bit of information…the plate that was put in my wrist when I broke it 18 months ago has been removed from the market. It seems it had a defect (or something) and had a habit of cutting tendons. In my case, two in my index area and almost got the two connecting my thumb to the rest of its friends. Had that happened who knows what shape I’d be in. Anyhow, from today forward for who knows how long, my week days will read like this. Monday; Hand Therapy (H.T.), Tues.; dialysis, Wed.; Vernonia (if no Dr. appointment), Thurs.; dialysis, Fri.; H.T., Sat.; dialysis, Sunday; saved for God and rest. Now for the peri- od on my day with the doctor. Since I’m now left-handed, my left rotator cuff has apparently decided to act rejected or whatever, but joy of joys (if you should find it a welcome gift) treatment will be with the same doctor, when my hand is mended. And maybe not then, at my age the doctor says. I’ve been there and done that before. Too much recovery time (and it’s my dialysis arm). Sunday, November 20 – home alone with dog and cat. Bored past the point of recovery, decided to take Shadow for a walk. Halla-Loo-Ya! Saga of the forsythia has started…seven open golden blossoms greeted us. What a lift to my spirit. Further along on our walk another spirit lifting sight. Do any of you re- member when I wrote of seeing the strange huge red spotted fun- gi (toad stools) and other odd forms I had only seen before in Na- tional Geographic? Well, they too were out in all of their glory. Some of them were passé, but still a thrill to my soul. Go for a walk in your woods, look at the ground. Mayhap you will spot some new growth foreign to the eye most of the year. There is a lot more I could write about at present, but I will stop for now and wish you a late over-stuffed Holiday. It’s only 35 days to Christmas!! Hurry. Hurry! Hurry??? 50 Years Ago This Month The December 21, 1961, is- sue of the Vernonia Eagle in- cluded the following news story on the front page: When the doors of the Miller’s store in Vernonia were closed to customers for the last time Tues- day evening of this week, it brought to a close a business histo- ry covering about 38 years, since the store was opened here in 1923 or 1924 when the “big mill” was built here and Vernonia began to grow from a small isolated village to a busy industrial community. When the store first opened here, it was in the building now owned by Richard Burns and in- cluded groceries as well as dry goods and clothing. C. F. Hieber was the first manager. The store weathered the de- pression when the mill was closed and various strikes and other busi- ness hazards which caused other businesses to close. In the depres- sion years, when the J.C. Penney store was taken out of Vernonia, the Miller store moved to the pres- ent site. There were a number of man- agers, including Dave Kramer, Joe Allen, and then Leslie Dewey who came about 1930 and was here un- til 1941 when he was replaced by Cecil Johnson who has been here since that time. All of the original Miller broth- ers who owned the chain of stores bearing their name are now gone and Floyd Miller, son of one of them, LeRoy Miller, is the present president of the Miller company. He was in Vernonia Wednesday helping with the final moving out of merchandise not disposed of in the closing sale. He stated that the company had 15 remaining stores in Oregon, Washington and one in Idaho which have now been sold to P. N. Hirsch and Company of St. Louis, Missouri who are the owners of 88 department stores in five or six mid-western states. Floyd Miller will continue in essentially the same capacity in Made in Vernonia Handmade local crafts 10% off purchases over $20.00 Open: Thu 4:00 to 6:00 PM Sat 10:00 to 4:00 PM Sun 12:00 to 4:00 PM Expires 12/31/11 Or by appointment Call Kathy Larsen 503-449-3591 847 Madison Avenue the new company, as an executive in this area. Also with the compa- ny is Frank Miller, a cousin of the original Miller Brothers. T he 6t h a nnua l Chr ist m a s Dinne r Turkey, Ham, All the Trimmings, Plus Dessert and Beverage. December 25, 1-4 p.m. Vernonia Senior Center Dinner is free to families and friends in Vernonia We will also have Dinners to go Gratuities or donations not accepted Happily Provided by The James Gang