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