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About Vernonia eagle. (Vernonia, Or.) 1922-1974 | View Entire Issue (March 15, 1951)
Library, U of 0 March Snow Whitens Town ♦ WHITE roof tops emphasized this view of the town from Corey Hill as it appeared Friday. The late sea son fall didn't present as big a problem as last year's snow, but it did prove a hinderance io traffic and caused schools to discontinue classes for four days when bus transportation was too difficult for the the daily trips io be made. According to weather record ng data assembled at the cooperative station by Mrs. Helen Spofford, the total fall during the storm amo inted to 72 inches, quite an increase after the report of last Wednesday noon when the fall at that time sto id at 41 inches. So far this month the minimum temperature has been 21 degrees and the maximum 4 ). (VE Photo and Engraving) Nehalem Pioneer Passes from Life 2 Classes See Legislature Mary Paterson was born in Sweden, December 2, 1866 and came to the Nehalem Valley in 1877, at the age of 11. She passed away at Beaverton, on March 5, 1951, at 11:30 p.m. She married Nels D. Peterson on December 4, 1884 and settled down on a homestead near Mist, where {hey were one of the earlier pioneer couples. Four children were born to this union. Her husband passed away in 1929 and a son and daughter pre ceded their father in death. Mary Peterson lived in the Ne halem Valley nearly 70 years and was a member of the Luthern church. She leaves to mourn her pass ing, two daughters, Mrs. Nellie Dunlap, Mist, and Mrs. Alice Lindsay, of Vernonia; two grand sons, Floyd Deeds of Salt Lake, Utah, and Clarence Lindsay, of Redmond; two greatgrandsons, Billie Deeds and Bobby Lindsay, also a sister, Edith Mattson, of California, and a host of friends. Mary Peterson was beloved by all of her neighbors and frienas. She was always ready with a helping hand, a kind word and a pleasant smile, which will always be remembered. Services were held Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. at the Qlats- kanie Presbyterian church with Rev. Dick Morgan officiating. Vernonia high school’s Junior and Senior class students were in Salem Wednesday, yesterday, to witness the state legislature in action and to visit other state institutions. The trip is made to the state capitol every other year so stu dents can become acquainted with the procedure followed by state representatives and sena tors in The making of laws. At the same time, the students have the opportunity to see institu tions maintained and operated by the stat?. Accompanying the group were Miss Wanda Gossage, Robert Hoefs, Lee Pangle and Harold McEntire and the trip was made in the Cason school bus. Hom Returns To Active Duty Bill J. Hom, owner of the Ver nonia Insurance agency, left here Monday for Camp Cooke, Cali fornia where he had received orders to report for army duty later this week with the 40th division. He was a member of the reserve and held a captain rating upon his discharge after World War IT. Mrs. Hom will continue to operate the business here during the time he is in the service. Jim Peterson, son of Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Peterson and Rex Normand, Jr., ‘son of Mr. and Mrs. Rex Normand, have returned to Camp Cooke after being home for a short time in advance of the date when the division is scheduled to embark for Japan Both are in the 40th division. Diamond Play to Begin April 6 Baseball and track will take over in* the high school sports scene from now on for the re mainder of this year with the first crossing of bats to pome April 7 when the Loggers meet Parkrose on the Vernonia field. The Loggers will start practice early next week under the tute lage of Bob Hoefs. Track will also occupy part of the Loggers' time. A schedule 01 meets was arranged last night at Parkrose when Lower Col umbia league officials met to draw up the work sheet. The diamond schedule is: April 7 Clatskanie at St. Helens Scappoose at Seaside Sherwood at Rainier Parkrose at Vernonia April 14 Rainier at Scappoose Vernonia at St. Helens Seaside at Parkrose Clatskanie at Sherwood April 21 Parkrose at Rainier Scappoose at Sherwood St. Helens at Seaside Vernonia at Clatskanie April 27 (Thursday) Rainier at St. Helens Sherwood at Parkrose Seaside at Vernonia Clatskanie at Scappoose May 4 (Thursday) Vernonia at Rainier St. Helens at Sherwood Parkrose at Scappoose Seaside at Clatskanie May 12 Rainier at Seaside Sherwood at Vernonia Scappoose at St. Helens Clatskanie at Parkrose May 19 Seaside at Sherwood Vernonia at Scappoose St. Helens at Parkrose Rainier at Clatskanie Banquet Honors School Squads Vernonia high school football squad members were guests on Tuesday evening at the annual banquet prepared in their honor for their achievements during the grid season. The affair this year was prepared under the joint sponsorship of the American Le gion Auxiliary and the Lions club and included also members of the basketball squad. Speaker of the evening was Joe Huston, coach and dean of men at Lewis and Clark college. He pointed out that winning teams were the result of good material plus the determination to defeat opponents and that if a student plans a college education, he should enroll regardless of the liklihood of being called by selective service. Storm Prevents Week Vacation Plans for a spring vacation for grade and high school students lost out this year as the result of last week's loss of school time because of the storm. However, as the schools were closed four days, one day remains of the original week that would have been taken off from classes. That remaining day will be en joyed as a one-day vacation Fri day of next week. March 23. The schedule of teaching days for the remainder of the year calls for school to end May 25. Tentative Proposal on Bridge Problem Drawn An appropriation of approxi mately $33,000 will be asked of the Oregon legislature as aid to three Columbia county school districts involved in the refusal of the State of Washington to pay taxes levied on the Oregon ap proach to the Washington owned Longview bridge, State Senator Manley J. Wilson of Warren an nounced this week in disclosing terms of a tentative agreement arrived at between the two states for a settlement of the two-year- old controversy. Wilson said the Washington toll Bridge Authority is being asked to pay $70,000 as full settlement of the $118,000 in taxes now owed on the bridge. Washington has refused to pay these taxes on the grounds that the assessed valuation has been set too high. The i proposition, if accepted by Washington, provides that the bridge shall be tax exempt hence forth. Legislation passed by the 1949 session of the Oregon legisla ture provided that bridges owned by either Oregon or Washington spaning the Columbia river would be made tax exempt by both Golden Tourney Attracts Teams Two basketball teams from here have competed in the Portland golden ball tournament which is being played this week under sponsorship of the bureau of parks and recreation. First to compete was the high school B team which met the Knapton Roughriders Monday to provide the best game of the evening, according to reports. The Loggers lost the contest 38-40. They played in the 16 years and under classification. Last night the grade school team played in the grade school competition at 6:30. The tournament is arranged in three classifications and teams competing must not be composed of any lettermen. Town Baseball Team Progresses A town baseball team for Ver nonia may develop this summer if preliminary plans talked at last Friday’s meeting can be develop ed satisfactorily. Eleven or twelve prospective players signi fied interest in forming a club and a contact with officials of the Greater Portland league will be made to detearmine if a spot on that league schedule can be obtained. At the Friday meeting, playing field difficulties were discussed also and it may develop that im provement of the O-A ball park can be made so both the high school and the propective town club can use that diamond. An other meeting is scheduled later this month after tentative infor mation can be assembled on both the league entry and the diamond. Principal to Talk Paul A. Gordon, grade school principal, will speak on the sub ject of how the principal sees the hot lunch program at a re gional meeting for school cooks and janitors at St. Helens March 30. The meeting is being ar ranged by Mrs. Lois D. Kent, county school superintendent, under the supervision of the state department of education. PTA Slates Meeting The Vernonia grade school P.- T.A. will meet Monday, March 19. The program will be given by the Girl Scouts and will be followed by a short business meeting Refreshments will be served by 4-H club members. The Girl Scouts are celebrating their 39th year. Everybody is welcomed. states. This was later amended in the same session to provide that such tax exemption would not become effective until January, 1964. Bridges being built or acquired by Oregon Counties and Port Districts at The Dalles and at Hood River, The Dalles airport, which is located in Washington, and at least two other bridge projects are effected by this reciprocal tax arrangement be tween the two states. “The necessity of an appropria tion from the Oregon legislature for the school districts is due to the fact that they have been forced into debt by the refusal of Washington to pay the taxes as levied,” Wilson said. Three districts are involved, the Rainier Union High, the Rai nier Grade School District and the Rural School District. A total of $87,000 is due the three districts from the tax monies owed by Washington. Because of the refusal of Wash ington to pay this tax the schools have been forced to op erate on a warrant basis and, according to reports made to the committee, banks were beginn ing to refuse to accept the war rants. The Oregon Committee mem bers are Wilson, Representative Robert Klemsen of Columbia county. Senator Angus Gibson of Lane County, State Highway Commission Chairman Ben Chan dler and State Highway Com mission Attorney Joe Devers. Several meetings were held with a similar committee repre senting Governor Langlie and the Washington Toll Bridge Author ity. Tax monies owed Columbia county amounting to some $28,000 will be paid partly from the money received from Washington if the agreement is made and partly by agreement with the highway commission to do a cer tain amount of improvement on county roads in lieu of road taxes due the county and the amount due from a special road oiling levy made by the county. This totals approximately $15,000 end it has been tentatively agreed that this work should be done on the Apiary road which connects the Vernonia-Mist highway with the Lower Columbia River highway near Rainier. The formal proposal submit ted to Governor Langlie by the Oregon Committee calls for: 1. That the State of Washing ton pay to Columbia County, Oregon, the sum of $70,000, which shall apply on the levied but un paid taxes which now amount to the sum of $118,000, said taxes having been imposed by Columbia County according to the assessed valuation made by the Oregon State Tax Commission on the por tion of the Longview structure which is within the boundaries of the State of Oregon. 2. That the toll bridge authority give consideration to providing a schedule of toll charges applic able and available only to resi dents of Oregon who are employed in Longview, or reorients of Washington who are employed in Oregon, by which schedule of tolls commuters will be required to pay for round-trip passage a toll which will not exceed one dollar. 3. In consideration of such ac tion on the part of the State of Washington, the State of Oregon will accomplish the amendment of Chapter 440, Oregon Laws 1949, to provide that the tax ex emption of the Act shall become effective as of January 1, 1951. 4. The State of Oregon to make provision by law or by agreement with Columbia County, by which the State of Washington will be relieved of all further obligation with respect to taxes against said bridge, including taxes levied ana unpaid taxes in the process oi being levied. Winners to Get Derby Prizes Soon Top Weight Fish Caught by Andy Brimmer March 4 The winning fishermen of this year’s V.F.W. steelhead derby will be awarded their prizes Tuesday, March 27 at a meeting of the Ver nonia Rod and Gun club, accord ing to an announcement made Wednesday morning. This meet ing of the club will be one of several that has taken place in recent weeks and some time will also be spent then to nominate and elect new club officers. Sufficient attendance has not been present at previous meet ings to make the election possible because of lack of a quorum. The largest steelhead taken dur ing the derby was landed Marcn 4 by Andy Brimmer, weight re cords show. His catch on that date tipped the scales at 18 pounds eight ounces and was tak en from the Salmonberry. Other winers who are sched uled to receive prizes for their catches during the contest are Ralph Hartman, Calvin Davis, Jim Fluke, Cecil Johnson, Earl King and Albert Blount. Place of the March 27 meeting will be announced next week. Board Vacancy Still Unfilled The remaining vacancy on West Oregon Electric’s board of direc tors still remains unfilled be cause so far no one has been found to take the position. The vacancy is the one resulting from the resignation of Russell A. Peterson who has moved from this vicinity. His position on the board gave representation to people on Timber route and Tim ber. At the board meeting Tuesday evening, the directors heard a request for electric service from farmers living in the Hamlet area, a small valley southwest of Elsie. They pointed out that a possible 12 consumers lived in the area which would require about 11 miles of line to serve. The board expressed the opin ion that the service would not be feasible but did authorize the making of a survey and a report to REA headquarters concerning the request of the delegation. The largest farm in the valley is 55 acres. It is possible that a director to fill the board vacancy may be selected by the time of the board's next monthly meeting in April. Former Resident Taken by Death Alfred Newton, (ormer resident of Vernonia, passed away in Portland Sunday morning after a long illness. He will be remem bered here as having operated a real estate business as long as health permitted. Death came at the age of 59 years. Surviving are: his wife, Eva and seven children, Richard and Charles of Anchorage, Alaska, Royce of Vernonia, Mrs. Grace Lydic of Glendale, California, Mrs Alice Montgomery of Naturita, Colorado and Mrs. Enid Landon and Mary Ann Newton of Port land. Society to Meet The Columbia County Histori cal Society will meet at the Scap poose Congregational church on Wednesday, March 21, with a pot-luck lunch at noon, followed by the regular business session. All interested in county history are welcome.