Library, U of O
Association of Merchants
Formed; Directors Named
“Vernonia, Gateway to Nehalem Valley Lumbering, Farming, Recreation.”
VOLUME 27, NUMBER 51
VERNONIA, COLUMBIA COUNTY. OREGON
THURSDAY, DEC. 22, 1949
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Santa Claus Appears
Annual School
Program to Be
Seen Thursday
Grades, High School
To Participate in
Event; Santa Due
HERE is Santa Claus on one of the visits he has be on making to Vernonia to give baloons to youngsters
and take their orders for Chr’stmas gifts. Arrange nents for his appearances here were made by the
Vernonia Lions club. (VE photo and engraving)
Record Player Provided
TEENAGE recreation members will have the use o' a new record player and two albums pf records
because of a presentation made to the club Saturday night by the American Legion Auxiliary. The
Auxiliary purchased the player and records from furds which came from the recent "Laff It Off" pro
gram. The presentation was made for the Auxiliary by Mrs. Paul Weidman, r-ght. Accepts, for the
Teenagers were Nancy Fletcher and B;ll Chalmers. At the left is Floyd Ofh, leader of the 1 ecreation
group.
Unemployment Office Offers Job Placement Service to Employers
Opening of the permanent full-
time office of the Oregon state
unemployment service at Hills
boro has been more than justified
according to Alvin Elkins, mana-
ger, who indicates that job place
ment has been considerable be
cause of the use employers in
this area have made of it.
Mr. Elkips indicated that his
office is ready to help on any
problems involving personnel and
employers are urged to make use
of the facilities.
The presentation of the an
nual school Christmas program
will be seen this year as usual,
Superintendent Paul Gordon said
Wednesday. The event is sched
uled this evening, Thursday, at
8 p.m. at the Washington audi
torium.
Mrs. Harry Sandon and Miss
Harriett Bronaugh have prepared
the program and decorations have
been worked out by Miss Reva
Jo Hughes. In addition, Santa
Claus is scheduled to appear after
the program and present each
boy and girl with a candy bag.
His visit here at that time is
being made possible by the V.
F.W. assisted by other local or
ganizations.
Participating in the affair will
be: primary grades of Lincoln
and Washington singing "Cradle
Hymn” and "Christmas Is Com
ing”; piano selections by Kar
en Garrisbn,* Stella Woolsey,
Caroline Heath, Deanna Osburn,
Joyce Jones and Judy Cox and
a Christmas ballet.
The high school’s part will
include: two songs by Beverly
Closner, “Sweet Little Jesus
^Boy” and “Holy City”; two num
bers by the girls chorus, "Win
ter Wonderland” and “Santa
Claus Is Coming to Town.”
Children who will take part
in the operetta, “An Irish Christ
mas,” are: mother, a poor widow,
Joan Roediger; her children,
Kathy—Margaret Miner, Pat—
Freddie RaAkin, Bridget—Margt
aret Buckley, Dan—Roy Highley
and Michael, a neighbor boy,
Ronald Anderegg. Leaders of
the little people will be Da—
Donna Buckley, Oi — Joyce
Thompson and Ne — Charlotte
Welty. Fifth grade students will
sing as a chorus of little people
and 6th, 7th and 8th grade stu
dents will sing as a mixed chor
us.
A group of about 25 Vernonia
business men and women assem
bled last Thursday evening at
the Legion hall to talk over a
proposal that an association be
formed. Before the session end
ed a seven-man board of direc
tors had been formed and given
the responsibility of carrying out
Stores Plan
Mon. Closing
Most Vernonia business houses
will close their doors Saturday
night of this week and remain
that way for two days instead
of the usual one-day closure for
Sunday.
Procedure in the past when a
holiday falls on Sunday has been
to close Monday also and that
is the reason for the two-day
holiday to come this week end.
Baskets Sent
To Needy Here
Between 15 and 20 Christmas
baskets will be distributed to
needy people here just before
Christmas because of action tak- •
en by the Vernonia Emergency
Relief committee, formerly the
Vernonia Community Chest.
The committee met last Friday
night at the home of Mrs. A. J.
Hughes, member of the group,
to decide upon the baskets to be
given.
The change of name was made
recently when the county chest
organization was forraed so that
conflict would be avoided in the
names.
Little Theater
Names Officers
Little Theater group members
met early last week at the
Washington school for an election
of officers the adoption of by
laws under which the organiza
tion plans to work in the pre
sentation of future plays.
Heading the group as chair
man is Mrs. James "Vike and
the other officers are Mickey Ro
berson, vice-chairman;
Elaine
Bristlin, secretary; Bill Wilson,
treasurer and Maxine Sallquist,
historian.
Included in the theater by
laws was a decision that any
surplus money be used for some
civic enterprise. A committee
will be selected soon and charged
with the responsibility of select
ing the cost for the next play
which will consist of three acts.
preliminary plans to start the
organization.
The belief that an association is
needed here had been gaining
momentum for over a week
among business men because sev
eral business problems affecting
most merchants had arisen. Gen
eral discussion of problems also
occupied part of Thursday’s meet
ing in addition to the election of
directors.
Board members chosen were
Lew Choate, Kent Bauersfeld,
Harry King, Pete Brunsman, Gor
don Larson and Marvin Kamholz.
The board met following the gen
eral meeting and will meet again
after Christmas.
The adoption of a set of by
laws, determining the amount of
dues to be charged and the nam
ing of a permanent secretary to
handle records of the organiza
tion are some of the decisions
that the board will make before
a general meeting is called again,
probably in January.
The merchant group is the first
of its kind, to be organized here
and deal directly with local busi
ness problems.
Council Talks
Problems Mon.
Problems relative to the dis--
posal of garbage again occupied
part of Monday evening’s coun
cil meeting when Harry French,
who is now in charge of the
work, appeared.
Between Mr.
French and the council, several
changes in the present garbage
disposal franchise were agreed
upon and will be written into
amendments to cover the work
in the future.
Councilmen agreed that it was
satisfactory with them for IWA
Local 5-37 to conduct a carnival
at the union hall early in the
coming year.
Rex. Normand,
Sr., asked the council if there
was any restriction and was in
formed there was none.
The latter part of the meeting
was devoted to an audit report
which, had been prepared by I. D.
Wood and Co. of city books. The
report explained by a representa
tive of the company gave sug
gestions for future methods of
conducting business. One sug
gestion was that the city begin
foreclosu—> proceedings on pro
perty against which improvement
liens have been assessed but not
paid. Some of the liens are quite
a few years-old, it was pointed
out, yet have not been paid.
The councilmen talked in fa
vor of starting such proceeding)
within a short time.
Tree Lighted
Tavern Redecorated
Complete redecoration of the
interior of Lew’s Place is almost
finished. Painting of the walls
and woodwork was done by Car
lin Hackney. Scenic pictures are
being placed on the walls and
the front windows have also been
redecorated.
A White Christinas
(Note: The following article, which first appeared in The Eagle
it is nine o’clock before it peers over the tips of the fir trees and
last year during the Christmas season, is being reprinted again this
illuminates the Christmas tree in the window with its silver tinsels,
year by the request of several people who remembered it. Author
the gaily colored decorations, a tinfoil star at the top and a candy
of the article is Charlie Castner who regularly writes the articles
cane hanging among its branches. Ma always insists on a Christmas
by the Old Man on the Hill.)
tree. There won’t be any younguns to enjoy it, but she says it is
It is a white Christmas in Vernonia this year. The snow is not
more like Christmas. Tonight will be Christmas Eve and they will
too deep, but it has covered the ground for some inches. The boughs
draw up their chairs and open the Christmas packages that lie
of the fir trees are weighted with its silvery whiteness and bend
beneath the tree. The old man has a pretty good idea of what
downward as if in submissidh to Old Man Winter; but now and then
will be in his package for he noticed Ma busily knitting on some
a rebellious bough shakes off its load and springs up, cascading a
thing that she hastily concealed whenever he came near; a pair ot
silvery shower to the ground below.
mittens, or more likely, a pair of bed socks as his feet have been
As the Old Man, who lives up on the hill, goes out to the barn
getting rather cold of late. He wonders if she knows about the warm
yard to feed his chickens the snow is crunchy under his feet, his
house slippers, lined with rabbit fur, that he has for her. He more
breath makes a white cloud before him and he allows to himself
than suspects that she does, not that she would peek — she would
that this cold snap will be bad for his “rumatiz,” and he p'aces his
never do that — but experience has taught him that it is next to
feet with care for a fall on the icy walk would be hard on old and * impossible to keep a secret from her. He used to marvel at the
brittle bones. As he scatters the corn and wheat his fingers tingle
uncanny way in which she seemed to know whatever he was up to,
with the unaccustomed cold. The old red rooster dutifully clucks
even to divining his very thoughts, but he has ceased to wonder and
the hens to their .breakfast then stands around on one foot, the other
to accept it as just something beyond his understanding.
tightly tucked un in his feathers.
As they sat before the Christmas tree that evening the Old Man’s
The snowbirds and sparrows are chirping to 4>im from the bare
thoughts went back through the years; some were good and some
limbs of the willow tree and he scatters oatmeal and crumbs on a
marked by sorrow and trouble, but he allowed, if he had it all to
cleared place beneath the tree. Even before he finishes they are
do over again he would not change it — at least — not much; and
fluttering greedily down. In some mysterious way the word seems
he knew that Ma went with him down memory lane for her work
to have gone far and wide for before he is back to the kitchen door i roughened hand, somehow, found its way into his. and he knew
dozens more are coming, chirping and hopping about with many
her thoughts were not unpleasant for there was a smile on her lips
flirts of wing and tail; and there is always a few pugnacious little
as her head rested gently against his shoulder. Then from up the
rascals that seem to be more intent on chasing their fellows away
road there came the sound of happy young voices and a horse went
than in themselves feeding. As the Old Man warms his numb fingers
by drawing a homemade sled through the snow. There was a lone
at the stove he observes their antics from the window with disap
sleigh bell tinkling from his neck and someone was singing "Silent
proval and ruminates “birds are just like folks, always teudin.”
Night.”
The sun comes up reluctantly far to the south of its usual path;
Yes, it is a white Christmas up on the hill.
THIS illuminated Christmas tree for the Vernonia business district
was erected early last week by Mons club members to add to the
holiday season of decorations. It stands at the corner of First and
Bridge streets.
(VE photo and engraving)