Library, U of O
10c COPY
VOLLME 31. NUMBER 53
VERNONIA, COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON
PHONE 191
Assessor to
Mail Property
Report Forms
TOP NEWS STORIES LISTED FOR 1953
Note—As has been customary
during past years, a summary ot
the news events of the year just
■omple.ed has been prepared for
J953 from files of The Eagle to
provide readers a cond nsed pic
ture of the past 12 months as
they relate to this area. The dates
•s they appear before ixcerpts of
the news stories arc those of the
sues in which the items ap-
,» a red.
January 8 — The Commerical
Bank of Vernonia reported de
posits of $1.439,349.69 and loans
•>' $366.959.56 at the end of the
year.
Both deposits and loans
■ -a increases over the amounts
f'ir December 31. 1951 when these
igures were $ 1,248,534.19 and
$328,415.32.
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' us Sale Approved
January 15 — The b .aids of
rectors for both rchooT district
47 and the union high school
g.anted approval for the sale of
two school busses, those owned
• Bruce McDonald and C. A.
V ils. Bob Curl will take ov r
•e Mills’ bus and W. A. Davis
: e McDonald bus, effective Feb-
• nary 1,
January 22 — Calvary Taber-
cle is moving to its new loca-
t n at the corner of First and
?< aple this week and will con-
■ ‘ct services there beginning
' mday, January 25. Rev. Don
~, rling announced that the name
•uld be changed at that time to
• ■ Vernonia Bible church.
January 29—Tom Bateman and
T.-?i! Messing completed 29 years
7 • .»day that they have worked
together in the Vernonia post
office.
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ment would be ready for use. Mr. and Mrs. Turner Daniel. Tre.
probably by the end of this we.k. harne, Friday evening when he
April 23 — Mrs. Lulah Fuller was introduced at the half-time
ton and Mrs. Ruby Reese Powell, interval of the Vernonia-S aside
grtide school teachers, announce game.
plans »o retire at the end of the
October 15 — Notification was
present school term. The former received h re Tuesday morning
will have completed 40 years in by Postmaster Emil Me-sing of
the profession. 22 of which have I the signing of a proposed lease
b:en spent in Vernonia. Mrs. |
that will provide new quarter»
Powell will have completed seven • for the post office, probably at
years in this system.
the time when the lease expires
May 7 — Vernonia’s candidate in February of next year.
to compete for the title of Diss
Columbia county will b? Miss Record Best Yet
Barbara Howard, who was elected
October 22 — Forest fires re
Miss
Vernona last Thursday
ported for the 1953 fire season
evening at a talent show at the
hit an all-time low for the coun
high school.
ty. Only nine fires were reported
to date for the year and they had
Member 50 Years
Last
May 21 — Frank E. Taylor was j burned only 2.4 acres.
year's r cord was 20 fires ar.d 47.-
honored May 14 for his 50 years 32 acres.
cf membership in the Masonic
November 19 — Damage to the
ledge by th presentation at his new high school building, esti
home of a 50-year jewel.
mated at close to $100,000 re
June 18 — Glen F. Hawkins sulted Saturday night from a
will serve another term on the fire that broke out in the gym
board of directors of school dis nasium.
trict 47 as the result of the elec
W st Oregon Cooperative's an.
tion Monday at the district’s an
nual meeting drew the largest
nual meeting. His term will be
attendance of any since the Co-
for a period of three years.
operative
started business in 1945.
Re-elected as offic.rs for tiie I
December 3 — Death claimed
Nehalem Valley Pioneer as&ocia- I
Andrew M. Parker November 26
tion Sunday were Robert Be.-g, |
at the age of 88. He was a well
president; G. P. Wanstrom, vice-
known pioneer of the valley,
president and James Cahill, sec
having lived h: re since the age
tary-treasurer.
of nine years.
June 25 — Antone Smejkal. in
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cumbent. was returned to the high
school board of directors Monday
even:ng as the result of the elec- i
tion which took place at the dis- I
trict’s annual meeting.
P.ople residing within the city
Coach Jack Reynolds’ Loggers
limits were asked to attend a
will go into action again shortly
public meeting Monday, June 2a
after the first of the year and
to hear an explanation of details j
after school resumes again after
concerning the proposed sewer
the holidays to meet the Pacific
syst.m for Corey hill.
University frosh in a return game i
which will be played on the |
Sewer Approved
Washington school floor.
July 16 — Last Friday's special
The Loggers met the frosh I
election on the proposed sewer earlier this month at Forest Grove
system project for Corey hill in their early pre-league schedule
resulted in balloting that tallied and this game will be a return
115 votes in favor and 27 against match. Only this game remains
the new installation.
before the Loggers wiil officially
West Oregon Electric's board of open their Lower Columbia league
directors chose the bid of the season on January 8. At that
Estep Line Construction com time Vernonia will host the St.
pany. Yakima, in the amount of Helens Lions here.
$54,872 to build 16.3 milts >>t
So far attendance at games
transmission line and substation
has been small even though the
work between Sunset Junction
record of wins so far has been
and the Jewell-Elsie area.
impressive. School officials hope
August 6 — More than 50 per
fans will make a better turnout
cent of the adult population of
when the «official league season
this area visited the mobile chest
begins so costa will not exceed
x-ray unit during the four-day
income and result in a deficit i
period it was in operation.
for the athletic program.
August 20 — Miss Helen Sollie
was appointed county home agent, |
eff.ctive September 1. to take the
position vacated by the resigna
tion of Miss Frances Gallatin.
Loggers Resume
Play January 5
Board Picks Man
February 5 — Darrold Proehl
.• s named superintendent of the
. de schools as the result of a
-ision made by the district 47
. oard of directors Wednesday
evening of last week. He haa
been an instructor on the grade
school staff for the past seven
y ars.
First definite action that will
• J eventually to the purchase !
an ambulance for the use of |
vicinity will be taken Thurs.
c; ; evening at the regular IWA
—■ eting when a petition will be
started to obtain signatures of
perple who wish to help finan-
< Iv to provide the unit.
February 12 — A rating of
' ’ ” per cent was earned by the
.<:• f of the post office for the
: “anner in which business is
--died there when department
• acctors made a periodic in
spection last Friday, Postmaster
F • ¡1 Massing announced early
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week.
Former Resident
Taken by Death
Contract Granted
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Eugene
Dove,
high school
superintendent was granted a
c" tract for another year by the
c s’rict board Tuesday evening.
February 26 — Wednesday saw
• ■ completion of the 1953 spring
planting work on the Columbia
Tree Farm. This season marks
. t completion of the planting of
:first million trees in this area.
The bid of Harry Culbertson for
; j.-chas? of the old high school
-perty was accepted by the
b-.< rd Tuesday evening.
.ipril 2 — Word was released
- Portland late last week of a
ft es agreement by which The
L. ig Bell Lumber company is
p.-t pared to acquire 79 per cent
he stock of th-' Oregon-Ameri
ca - Lumber corporation through
purchases that may amount to
.=. '.00.000. Word of the deal came
■n Sigmund Stern, president of
Central Coal and Coke corp-
o.ation of Kansas City, Missouri.
,-.pril 9 — Patti Ann Bass was
er-sen queen to officiate over
• - year’s annual May day festi-
va.L when the boys of the high
. -ool student body voted last
Friday.
Bids Lacking
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Loan Note« Signed
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Ambulance Ready
’.pril 1« — At the Monday
- ning meeting of the executive
--nmittee charged with working
cut details of handling this tom-
•nity’s ambulance, the group
..<« informed that the equip-
August 27 — A delay in the
start of the sewer project for
Corey hill arose Monday evening,
th? date s-t for opening bids for
the proposed S85.OOO bond issue
which would be used to finance
the work. No bids were received
Figures showing th° number of
p.ople x-rayed by the mobile
unit during its visit m the valley
were released by the Columbia
County Tuberculosis and Health
association.
For Vernonia, 1117
people were x-rayed and for Mist
and Birkenfeld. 100.
September 3 — First day en
rollment figures for the grades
and the high school show.d de
creases from last year. For the
high school, enrollment was 176
on opening day as compared to
190 the year before. Listed for
the grades was a total of 479.
down from the 509 the year be
fore.
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September 10 — Directors of
the board of West Oregon Elec
tric. at their Tuesday meeting,
signed notes for a loan of $185.-
000 Of the total. $86.500 is ear-
marked for the construction of
30 miles of new line to serve 45
consumers in the Wilark and
Trenholm areas.
October 1 — This community
welcomed home Sergeant Orville
Daniel, prisoner of war son of
Funeral services for Joseph A.
Wirtz w'*re held Tuesday, De
cember 29. at 9:30 am. at St.
Francis church at Roy with in
terment following at St. Francis
cemetery.
Mr. Wirtz, age 73 years. 11
months, 16 days, died December
24.
Mr. and Mrs. Wirtz lived in
Riverview for a number of y:ars
and left their home here almost
a year ago because of his failing
health. Since that time they have
made their home at a Catholic
home for the aged in Portland. |
Survivors are the widow, Julia, j
one son, George, of Sunnyside,
Washington and one daughter,
Mrs. Rudy Kemper, of Forest
Grove and eleven grandchildren.
Mist Resident
Taken by Death
Death came Monday night of
this week about 11:30 for Mrs.
John E. Crawford, 53. of Mist
because of a heart attack. The
remains were brought here to the
Bush Funeral Home and then
taken to Clatskanie.
Services are to be handled by
the Anderson Funeral home there
and details were not available
Wednesday aftemon of survivors
and the date of the funeral.
THURSDAY DEC 31. 1> I
Late Filing of
Returns to Draw
5 Per Cent Penalty
FOUR FISH for two fishermen was ihe day’s calch for Andy
Brimmer and Sam Ceballes Sunday while they were fishing for
steelhead between four and five miles up Rock Creek. The fish
varied in weight from six to 12 pounds. Other fishermen report
ing luck during the past week end wtre John Chambers, C. N.
Rundell. Albert Blount and Rube Archibald, the latter's catch
weighing over 20 pounds.
Fishing is expected to be good aga n
this week end.
THOSE WHO
ÄRE IN IT
Commissioner
Resigns Post
Pvt. E2 Wesley Hunt spent a
week's leave at the home of his
parents. Mr. and Mrs. Fr.d Hunt,
coming from Fort Lewis, Wash
ington.
Donald Parcher, for several
years a county commissioner of
Columbia county, submitted his
resignation to the county court
Decsmber 30. Mr. Parcher gave
no explanation for his resignation,
but it is understood to have been
for personal reasons.
Parcher first started working
lor Columbia county as a laborer
in its road department in 1922
and in 1938 was advanced to the
position of road supervisor in
the Rainier district. This position
he held until he was appointed
county commissioner on July 18,
1945, to fill the unexpired term
of J. N. Miller of Clatskanie, wao
had di d but a few days before.
He was elected in his own right
as county commissioner in No
vember of 1946, serving four years
and was then re-elected to the
-urn - position in November, 1950.
During the eight years and five
months that he was commissioner
the record shows that he missed
only one regular court meeting
and that was due to his abs nee
from the state.
A 3c David Dutton is spending
an 18-day leave at the home of
his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer
Dutton, coming from Francis E.
Warren air ba.».'. Cheyenne, Wyo
ming. He is to r port at Camp
Kilmer, New Jersey January 6
and will go from there to Ger
many.
A/3c Billy Wells of Paine Air
Base in Washington spent Christ
mas and the week end at the
home of his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. L. L. Wells.
Golf Course
Lease Changed
A change in the management
of the Vernonia golf course be
came effective a few days ago
when Mr. and Mrs. Bill Johnson
assumed the remainder of the
lease on th? course from John
Young. Th • property is owned
by Dr. C. P. Howarth of St.
Helens.
Mr. and Mrs Johnson are re
painting the interior of the club
house and plan to move there by
the end oi this week. Other
pians for changes at the course
will be announced later.
Cancellations
Go Up Slightly
The Christmas mail rush at the
Vernonia post office was almost
even with that of last year, a
check with the cancellation fig
ures for letters at the office
eaily this week indicat’d.
Cancellations this y ’ar totaled
55,816 as recorded by the letter
cancelling machine. This figure
was only 244 above last year. The
machine is used to cancel letters
dropped through th? letter slot
and does not include metered
mail, but do a give a good indica
tion of Christmas mailing activi
ty
The record was kept starting
December 7 through December
24 and the peak day was Monday,
January 21 with 7091.
Vet Law Info
Told in Manual
Approximatelp 2500 petsonel
property report forms will be iti
the mail this week as reported
by County Assessor O. A. R der.
our. Cooperation by owners in
listing all information and filing
early will be greatly appreciated
as the office now has much work
on hand due to the re appraisal
program launched last month by
the county and the state.
LATE FILING COSTLY
The d adline for filing is Marc i
2. A penalty of five per cent on
the consolidated levy will b •
used on all late returns plus $l->
per day if the case warrants. Eat*v
y ar the percentage of late re
turns increases
This p-ol>I :i
involves extra work for too uf(
and more expenses to the . cunty
for more help to investigate these
returns.
Penalties will also be used in
cases of owners neglecting to file
a complete list of property and
to persons not filing. Failing ti
receive a form from this office
will be no excuse as it is the re
sponsibility of all persons to fil?
if they own personal property.
In elaborating on the penalty
detail, the assessor said, “I sin
cerely hope the use of penalties
will not be necessary, but thj
filing of late returns and omitteu
personal property must also b •
dealt with if we are to reii-'v •
our tax problem in the county. I
know this probitm is of greet
interest to all concerned.”
EQUALITY SOUGHT
This year an effort will be
made to equalize between the real
and p rsonal property tax and on
various personal a 10 per cent
drop in the ratio will be made. A
complete equalization is in sight
for next year.
Attention is also called to the
new law which provides for tax.
ation of trailer coaches used pri
marily for business and resid t .-
tial purposes. This applies re
gardless of whether or not llw
trailers have been licensed by th'
state. Trailers not in actual u.< *
will be taxed only if not licensed
by April 30.
Included with the report form
each persona) property owrv r
will receive will be a letter of ex
planation which will explain to
the owner the information whic i
he or she should list on the report
to provide data needed by the
sessor.
FORMS INCLUDED
Two other forms will also b*
mailed with the reports, but on»y
to those to whom they will apply.
For instance, one of these fottns
will provide for listing furniture
and fixtures, the age and b-.xik
valu'1 on today's market. The
other will be a form which will
be used by businesses with in
ventories of merchandise.
The department of veterans’ af
fairs has just published a r'vised
booklet entitled ■’Veterans’ Bene-
fits of the State of Oregon.” The
31-pag- manual is an up-to-date
digest of stat? laws affecting war
veterans as well as personnel on
active duty and tells where and 1
how to apply for benefits.
The booklet is index 'd and , Oregon residents continued tf: .r
contains service officers, field vet- I “savings spree” last month by
erans’ service officers, field per s?tting asid? over $2 million 33J
sonnel of the department and thousand in series E and H sav
state service officers of the veter ings bonds.
ans' organizations.
“This represents a 40 per cent
Director H. C. Saaifeld says increase over the correspondin;
free copies may be obtained by period in 1952,” according to
contacting the Department of
Philip L. Hickey, county cha r-
Veteran»' Affairs, State Library man, “and reflects one of th s
building, Salem, or Stat? Office highest monthly increases sin. •
building, Portland, or through the end of World War II.”
veterans' organizations or coun
County sales during Novem
ty service officers.
ber in E and H series borJa
amounted to $15,678.
Bond Sales Up
40% Over 1952
Representative Named
Business d tails concerning the
Quirin Lumber company can be
referred here to Albert Childs,
according to an announcement
made recently by Roger Quirin
before he left for Canada. He
has located a sawm.ll at Lac La
Hache, B.C and the family moved
there earlier this month.
Large Parsnip Grown
Brought to The Eagle otfee
late last week was a parsnip
grown by Mr. and Mrs. Estie Rot.i
at their home on Capitol hill. Th •
vegetable is unusual in that it
weighs
three and one-fourth
pounds.