Library, U of O
VOLUME 33, NUMBER 22
VERNONIA, COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON
PHONE 191
10c COPY
School Men Plan for Next Term During Summer
Scholarship
Awards Made
At Graduation
School is out and for the child- |
ren it is vacation time. The build- !
ings are empty and quiet with I
only a ghost of past echoes in the
halls. However, for Supennten.
detht Darrold Proehl and a group
of public spirited citizens who
are members of the board of di- |
Joyce Akers Given
rectors for school district 47 Jt., f
S2000 C-Z Award; 6
there is no vacation. Throughout I
Others Presented
the summer they must be busy I
Scholarship awards played an with school elections and the prob
.mportant part in the graduation lems of getting everything ready
exercises at Vernonia high school for the coming year.
last Thursday night.
PIONEERS PLAN SCHOOLS
Topping the ljst was the $2000
The schools have ever been the |
srnolarship offer 'd by the Crown. responsibility of public- spirited I
Zellerbach corporation for a stu- men and women who sdhght for 1
,®nt who intended to make a their children the best of every I
career of teaching. This was thing including education. When >
awarded to Joyce Akers and the the first pioneers came to the’;
presentation was made by Glen upper Nehalem Valley in 1871, '
they soon began gathering to- |
Hawkins.
The Collins scholarship went to gether in the various homes for
Margaret Buckley for study next religious services and to discuss
\ ear at Oregon State College. It community problems.
In 1875
was one of five awarded in Co ttjjey organized a school district
lumbia county under terms of the which was designated as district
v 11 of Gertrude F Collins who 12. and set about erecting a school
established the scholarship fund by volunteer labor. Since the first I
in memory of her husband, James settlers homesteaded northeast of j
Harrison Collins.
Vernonia in what we know as i
Harriet Heath received the Riverview, the first school build- I
Sears Roebuck Foundation home ing of hewn logs was erected
economics scholarship. Only five about where the C. I Anderson
cf these are awarded in the state. residence 'Is now and in the winter
Charles O'Brien received a state of 1876-77, the first three month
scholarship for tuition and fees term of school was taught there
at Oregon State college.
by Ozias Chernngton.
Marcia Garner and Carlotta SMALL SCHOOLS BEGUN
Hodgen both received full year
Since roads were few and poor
scholarships for study at the and transportation limited to ox
Northwest Beauty academy in en and horses, as the valley was
Portland and Odean Blount re settled, other schools were built to
ceived a similar scholarship for a serve community groups.
The
six months course.
second log school was near where
Other awards included scho the Stoney Point road joins
larship pins given to the top five Rock Creek road. This was re
who were Joyce Akers, Margaret placed by one near where Sam
Cook, Charles O'Brien, Nadine Hearing Sr.’s house now stands
Tunnell and Margaret Buoklsy, and still another was near the
and the Wilkerson cup for scho old high school site, before the
larship and citizenship which was Vernonia grade school was plac
presented to Joyce Akers.
ed on the present Washington
The drama award for the stu school .site.
dent giving the most outstanding
Other country schools were
performance during the year went built in the surrounding areas, in
to Joo Taylor for his work in the cluding Pleasant Hill, Kist, Bea
Junior play last fall.
ver Creek, Rock Creek and Kea-
Diplomas were given to 44 stu sey. Little school houses were at
dents. In addition to those listed about four mile intervals, and
previously was Shirley Jones | within walking distance of most
Hinze who had transf rred from children.
Vernonia to Jefferson high school
About 1915, a high school dis-
in Portland and by special ar
rangements was permitted to re
ceive her diploma here.
Cre
dentials came through too late for
previous publication.
Senior boys wore blue caps and
g< wns and the girls wore white
Special arrangements have giv
and each carried a long stemmed
rose bud which were gifts of Bush en the Vernonia high school band
Furniture companv and Clarence a spot in the Portland Rose
Walker Florists of Portland. Rose Festival parade although Ver
buds were also given each boy nonia will not have a float this
year . They have been assigned
for his mother.
On the program, honor speakers to spot 32 in the parade and the
trict was farmed to provide high
er education for the children from
these schools and with the pro
cess of bringing stud nts in by
bus for this school, the idea of
consolidating smaller schools with
the Vernonia school began to take
root.
CONSOLIDATION GROWS
The .district below Vernonia,
known as tjje Parker school, was
consolidated at an *>arly date, but
not until 1937 when the Rock
Creek school voted to consolidate
did the movement gain momen
tum. In 1940, Pleasant Hill came
in and by 1946, Kist, Beaver
Creek and Keasey had also been
included in 47 Jt.
Today. Vernonia’s elementary
district stretches to the Moran
place on the Mist highway; into
Washington county on the Buxton
highway and across Sunset high
way on Timber road, again en
tering Washington county. The
district is designated as 47 joint,
the word joint indicating that the
district does Ue in two counties.
It is also a second class district
which is one with over 200 pupils
and less than 1000.
As each small district was ab
sorbed. a school board was dis
solved. also, but with the addi
tional load in district 47 Jt., the
burden of responsibility there
grew. Today, with mounting
costs in every phase of endeavor,
and with a school enrollment of
about 535, the job is one that calls
f r a lot of time and effort if
the standards are to be kept high
and all the educational needs met.
MEN TACKLE JOB
The men who tackle this job
for th" Vernonia district now are
those pictured ’here.
Darrold
Proehl has been hired by the
school board as elementary school
superintendent.
Under hrs su
pervision are the 22 teachers
which include 19 classroom teacU
ers and three special teachers in
the
Washington and Lincoln
schools; the three cooks in the
caf ztria, three custodians and the
office secretary. Also on the list
of district employees are the bus
drivers into whose care the child
ren are entrusted for the daily
journies to and from school. To
Mr. Proehl, the school board dele
gates the Responsibility for select
ing teachers and directing the op
erations of the school, all of which
he does with the approval of the
board and according to the poli
cies established by them.
Mr.
Proehl has been in Vernonia since
1947 and is completing his second
year as superintendent.
Next to Mr. Proehl is Ralph M.
Aldrich, clerk of district 47 Jt.
He fe the only member of the
board to receive any compensa
tion and that is small in considera
tion of the time required for
keeping records, making reports
and carrying on necessary corres.
Glen Hawkins is the board
member with the longest contin
uous term of service in this dis
trict. He was appointed to the
board in 1936 by Ed Condit who
was county school superintendent
at that time, to fill the unexpired
term of Jim Moran who resigned.
Mr. Hawkins had himself attend
ed Vernonia schools and had es
tablished himself as a business
man and active citizen of the
community.
During hi* almost
20 years of service he has helped
put the district on a cash basis,
raise salary levels and establish
good middle of the road policies
for operation of the school with
educational standards that are high
and not too far to either right or
left in the following of education
al trends or foibles.
Ted Keasey was director first
in district 27. Rock Creek, and m
1938, only one year after its con
solidation, he was elected to the
Vernonia board. He has spent
most of his life in the valley, at
tended school here himself and
has raised a family of seven boys
and girls who have been a strik
ing example of his belief in edu
cation. Five of them are now
(Continued on Page 4)
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Darrold Proehl, elemc-ilary school superintendent; R. M. Aldrich, district
clerk; Glen Hawkins; T. F. Keasey and Sam Hear ng, board chairman.
Winona Grange and Machinists
Local No. 63. Portland.
band is to be at Multnomah sta
dium at 8:00 a.m. Saturday, June
11. The parade will begin mov
ing out of the stadium at 9:30
a.m.
Bill Johnson has arranged for
marching practice for the band
every evening next week. Band
members are to assemble at the
high school Monday evening at
5:00 o’clock and will practice on
the field and also march on the
streets in preparation for the long
parade march.
Since money will be needed to
finance th? trip and provide meals
for the band members, organiza
tions and individuals who had
planned to help with the venture
are asked to give contributions to
Mr. Johnson to cover these ex
penses.
Another item of interest local
ly in the Rose Festival parade is
the fact that logs for the raft be
ing used on the Shell Oil float
wei z obtained at the R J Cone
place on highway 47. Also, one
of the majorettes appearing with
the Beaverton band will be Don-
no Rae Frykholm of Aloha, eight
year old granddaughter of Mr.
and Mrs. C. E. Pierson of Ver
noma She has be"n in a twirl
ing class only this one year but
advanced rapidly and recently
appeared with the O.J.J. troupe
at Jantzen Beach, also.
George Foerster
Rites Friday
Funeral services will be held
at 2:00 p.m. Friday at Young's
Funeral Home at Tigard for
George Edward Foerster who pas.
sed away Tuesday, May 31 at a
Portland hospital following a
short illness.
Reverend Karutz
of the Evangelical and Reformed
church at Helvetia is in charge
of the service with Reverend Wil
lard Dorman of the Methodist
church assisting. Burial will be
in the Middleton cemetery.
George Foerster was born June
Seniors led the high school
b.-nor roll for the last six week 16, 1904 at Middleton, Oregon and
period with thirteen. Those list had lived all his life m the state.
He had resided at Sherwood, Hel
ed were:
vetia, Vernonia and Tigard While
Seniors — Joyce Akers, Mar
garet Buckley, Margaret Cook, living here, he owned the pro
rry DeRoia, Marcia Gamer, perty adjoining the • golf course
Dorothy Gwin. Sharon Hamilton, on Timber road Most of his life
B.ll Higley. J R Kirkbride, Chet had been spent in farming al
Ray. Yvonne Russom.
Alice though he also learned the ma
chinists trade and at the time
Snook and Nadine Tunnell;
Juniors — Donna Bayley, Gret he became ill was employed at
chen Bolmeier, Pat Bnssett, Ed Portland Iron Works.
December 24. 1928 he was mar
Moses. Delons Olson and Sheila
ried
in Portland to Irene Hays
Parrish;
Sophomores — Ron Anderegg. who survives him. Also surviv
Dcnna Bailey. Jim Davis. Robert ing are three sons. Jim. Don and
Drips. Richard Fletcher, Dick Ed and a granddaughter, Melin
CBrien, Georgia Parrish, Ken da all of whom reside in the Lake
Pcdersort. Marjorie Reynolds and Grove area; a brother. Hubert M
Foerster of Beloit, Wisconsin and
J-vce Thompson
Freshmen — Jon Bush. Carolyn a sister. Margarette Gilkey of
Heath. Wayne Shafer,
Gary Seaside, Oregon.
He was a member of the I.O.O.
Strong. Don Tunnell and Julia
F.
Fraternal Order of Eagles.
Waite
BOARD TERM LONG
Four Named
By Chamber
Board Vote
Thompson. Hearing,
Drips, Roediger io
Fill Vacant Places
Ballots of members of the Ver
nonia chamber of commerce were
opened and tallied at the last
board meeting to determine the
names of foug new directors who
will fill vacancies on the cham
ber board of directors for the
coming year.
New members of the board ar?:
John Thompson, Sam Hearing Jr,
Mary Drips and Ed Roediger Jr.
and the members whose terms
expired are: Pat Wallace, Wes
ley Bolmeier, Bill Horn and Dave
Brunsman.
Final plans were made for a
family membership dinner to be
June 10th at 7:00 pm. at the
Legion hall. An interesting pro
gram is being arranged by Louise
Hahn, chairman of the committee
for the dinner.
Lyman Hawken reported that
909 survey forms have been com
pleted and returned to the office,
and it is hoped that there will be
others turned in.
Hz stressed
that the main object of the sur
vey is a man-power one.
Art Ostrander reported on the
Highway 99W Alternate Road
association dinner meeting held
at Rainier this month. Nine di
rectors were regularly installed
to serve until March. Steps are
being taken to make the asaocia-
tion a legal entity and plans were
to sell memberships to-indivi
duals, groups and busin -sses. The
next meeting will be held in
Banks at 8:00 p.m. June 8.
Gail Whitlock
Services May 25
LC League
Ruled Out
Band Assigned Place in Portland
Rose Parade; Practices Scheduled
from the class were Joyce Akers
and Charles O'Brien.
A very
excellent and entertaining com
mencement address was delived-
ed by Mrs. Golda Wickham, dean
cf women at University of Ore
gon. Concluding feature was the
traditional singing of the ' Halls
Of Ivy” by the girls' chorus and
the class with the usual evidence
of tears when the seniors realized
they were bidding farewell to
Vernonia high school.
pondence. He is also under bond
because he handles the district
funds. He served a term as board
member in the early 1930s and
became clerk in 1946
THURSDAY. JUNE 2. 195
Seniors Lead
Honor Roll
Vernonia was well represented
Coaches of schools who formzr-
ly participated in Lower Colum at graduation exercises last Sun
bia league play decided at a meet day at Pacific University in For
ing late last month to discontinue I est Grove. The degree of Bache
play under that designation and , lor of Science was conferred on
have split the district into two | Gerald Meilis and Bachelor of
subdistricts Coach Bill Vic 'k an Arts degrees were given C. Mad.
den and Sharon Magoff Madden.
nounced recently
Receiving a Master of Science
Tillamook is now included in
degree
was Lee Pangle, former
this district, but Columbia Prep,
Vernonia
high school teacher who
which has discontinued athletics,
and Concordia will change to B . has been coaching this past year
class. The district has been split j at Euphrata, Washington.
into two sub-districts and Ver- j
A number of Vernonia people
nonia will be included in one of , were in Forest Grove Sundqy for I
these with other county schools. the exercises.
Hood River and WvEast
The coast subdistrict will in
clude Warrenton, Seaside, Neah-
J kahnie, Tillamook and N ’stucca
teams.
A ch -ck for $100 from the fund
I
The Logger football season
remaining in the Girl Scout trea.
opens September 9 with Forest
sury which is no longer active
Grove here for a non-league con
Thirty-one junior forestry stu
here was turned over to the high
test. Other dates are:
dents from Oregon State college
Sept. 16—Neahkahnie, non-league at Corvallis, with forestry in sclTool band uniform fund by
Mrs. Henry Anderegg who form
Sept 23—Hood River, here.
structor, Dan Robinson visited the
Sept 30—Rainier, there
Crown Zellerbach Columbia Tree erly had charg" of the girl scout
work here.
Oct. 7—St Helens, here.
Farm here last Friday.
They
Effort to find someone to carry
Oct 14— WyEast, there.
were show logging and thinning
on the girl scout work here had
Oct. 21—Scappoose, here.
operations in the Natal and Mist
Oct. 28—Clatskanie, there.
areas and saw the progress of failed and the decision was reach
ed to use the funds for this pre
League basketball games start the Douglas fir thinning opera
sent need which would benefit
December 16 instead of January tions on the tree farm.
as in previous years so that games
From here the class went to the Vernonia young people.
requiring long trips will be play forest service experimental for
ed on Friday nights.
est near Wind River, Washington
OSC Students
Visit Tree Farm
I
i
I
'
Girl Scout
Fund Aids Band
Teacher Geis Scholarship
I
Teachers Awarded Degrees
Bachelor of Science degrees will
be conferred on Mathilda Bvr
gerson and Irma Chance at gradu-
ation exercises Friday night, June
3, at Oregon College of Education
at Monmouth. Both ladies are
teat hers in the Vernonia elemeo-
tary schools.
P.U. Degrees
Awarded Sunday
Funeral services were held on
May 25 at Rodeo, California for
Gail Whitlock who passed away
at a Rodeo hospital Sunday, May
22 following a stroke the previous
day.
Mr Whitlock was born in Gen
ola, Kansas in 1898 but moved to
Colorado when quite young and
received his education in that
state. He came to Vernonia in
1930 and opened a J.C. Penny
store in the building now occu
pied by Millers. He later moved
to St. Helens and managed the
Penney store there for many
years.
When he left St. Helens he went
to Vallejo, California with th?
J. C. Penney company, but in
1945 he purchased a variety store
in Rodeo and had operated it un
til the time of his death
He is survived by his wif ■,
Gladys, a son Jerry and a daugh
ter, Sharon.
1
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’
I
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Consolidation Favored
Goodwill Truck Due Again
Results of the May 27 voting
on the consolidation of the Bir-
kenfeld district with Union High
School District 1 Jt. war favorable
with 18 yes votes and no dissent
ing ones. For changing the boun
dary of U.H.S. District 1 by with
drawing territory.
X®* votes
ard o-.e no vote were cast.
The Goodwill truck will make
its next call in Vernonia Thurs
day. June 16 and all who have
articles for them are asked to
have them ready Persons wish
ing articles picked up may cal!
273 and leave instructions. They
hr pe a good load will be forth
coming.
The scholarship offered by the
Crown Zellerbach corporation for
one teacher from the Vernonia
school system to attend a sum
m"r conservation workshop wa<
awarded to Lyle Frazier, sixth
grade teacher at the Washington
school at ths graduation exercises
last Wednesday night. He plan,
to use it for the workshop held
m Portland in July.