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Demonia Eagle
VERNONIA, OREGON
VOLUME 45, NUMBEK 1
New Mayor, Councilmen Begin Files Tell
1 9 6 6 N ew s
Terms at First 1967 Meeting
The Vernonia city council met
Tuesday evening of this week, Ja n
uary 3.. with both retiring and new
officials present. The meeting was
called to order at 8 p.m. by Mayor
T. M. Hobart. Others present were
Councilmen L. E . Atkins, Deri G .
Roberts, H. C . Hertel and C . E .
Miller, the mayor-elect, Sherman
Fisher and councilman-elect, Law
rence Bair, and several spectators.
Mayor
Sherman S. Fisher, right, officially became mayor of Vernonia Tuesday
evening when he was sworn in by City Recorder Walter Linn.
Hobart
called
for
the
reading of the minutes of the pre
vious meeting. Regular business
was then suspended and the cur
rent bills were heard and ordered
paid as the last official act of this
council.
A recess was then called and
Mayor Hobart vacated the chair,
a position he had held for the past
four years which constituted two
terms in the office. Also retiring
from the council was Horace T.
Hertel who had served as council
man for the past four years.
Sherman S. Fisher was sworn in
as mayor by Recorder Walter Linn
and the new mayor assumed office
and introduced his wife, Irma who
was present for the ceremony. The
oath of office was then administer
ed by Linn to two re-elected coun
cilmen C. E . Miller and Deri Rob
erts and newly elected councilman,
Lawrence Bair. L. E . Atkins who
has two more years to serve of his
four year term completes the coun
cil. Mrs. Mona Biddle who was re
elected as treasurer in the Novem
ber election was not present and
will be sworn in later. Bair and
Miller are both beginning four
year terms, but Roberts has two
years more to serve on the unex
pired term to which he was ap
pointed following the death of Mrs.
Launee Cousins.
Mayor Fisher re-appointed Walt
er Linn as recorder and Earl M.
R ay as chief of police. Other re
appointments included that of Mrs.
Olivia Brickel, librarian; Lee Jes-
see, water superintendent; Roy
Sanders, street su p erintend ent;
Frank Slemmons, sexton for the
Memorial cemetery; Dr. S . A.
Thiringer, health officer; Robert
Vagt, city attorney; Lee Akers, po
lice assistant.
In the course of the evening, ap
pointments were made of council
committees. Those who will serve
as committee chairmen are as
follows: C. E . Miller, finance and
streets; L . E . Atkins, judiciary,
fire and water; Bair, health and
Roberts, parks. One committee
chairman, police, remains to be
appointed.
After he had assumed the oath of office. Mayor Fisher,
seated at right, looked on as councilmen were adminis
tered the oath by Recorder Walter Linn, extreme left.
Those sworn in w o e , from left, Deri G . Roberts, re
Chamber Asks
Citizen Names
By January 17
The Vernonia Chamber of Com
merce has made plans for a dinner
meeting January 23 at which a
man and woman of the year are
to be named and receive plaques
in recognition for their outstanding
community service. They are now
asking the help of the people of
Vernonia in choosing the persons
worthy of such commendation.
All persons who wish to make
nominations are asked to write
letters and address them to post
office box 135 in time to be receiv
ed not later than January 17. A
person m ay nominate one woman
and one man. The letter should
give the name of the person nom
inated, tell something about that
person and tell why they are being
suggested. A list of their commu
nity service should be given. The
letter should be signed by the
writer, but the names will not be
disclosed to anyone outside of the
selection committee.
Men who have previously receiv
ed the award are Bill J . H om , Dr.
T. M. Hobart, Sam (Buck) Hear
ing, Robert C . Lindsay, Darrold
Proehl and O. T. Bateman. Last
year was the first time for a wo
man of the year award which went
to Marie Atkins.
Mai Encounter! Due
Wrestling fans will have three op
portunities to see Coach Dennis
Applegate’s Vernonia high school
matmen in action in the local gym
during the month of January On
Thursday of next week, January
12. Clatskanie will be here and
others to be entertained here are
Knappe January 24 and Corbett
January 31.
elected for two years; Lawrence D. Blair, elected for
a four year term and C .E . Miller, re-elected for a
four year term.
West Coast Co.
Erecting Tower
For Micro- Wave
Activity this week in the area
adjacent to the West Coast Tele
phone company building at the east
end of the Rock Creek bridge is in
connection with the erection of a
micro-wave tower as part of the
system to improve long distance
service from Vernonia to other
places. The footings on which the
tower is to be erected were be
ing put in place this week.
The tower will be one of three
placed on Bacona mountain and
one at Beaverton. Signals will be
beamed from the Vernonia sta
tion to the Bacona tower and
hence to Beaverton and is designed
to overcome weather problems
which hamper the present system
of lines.
Gene Goodrich, company official
who was in Vernonia Tuesday,
stated that this is the first step to
ward giving this area direct dis
tance dialing. The towers are ex
pected to be placed in service by
April for the transmittal of long
distance calls to Beaverton. How
D avis Will
Haul Trees
Wilbur Davis, owner of the Ver
nonia Sanitary Service, announced
this week that if householders will
place their Christmas trees on the
curb be will pick them up as a
public service. It is well for trees
to be disposed of as soon as possi
ble to prevent Utter and to avert
fire hazards. Davis stated that all
trees placed at the curb so as to
be seen on his rounds would be
picked up.
soon the direct dialing will be add
ed is not known.
A favorable vote Tuesday by
union members brought to an end
the month long strike and employ
ees began returning to their jobs
Wednesday. Goodrich said they ex
pected operations to be back to
normal by the first of next week.
Settlement of the strike also will
speed up work on the micro-wave
towers which has been delayed the
past month.
Appointment to
JP Post Made
A 31-year-old St. Helens man,
Thomas A. O ’Connell, was named
December 28 to the justice of peace
position left vacant by the death
of Merle Yettick, who had two
years remaining of his elected
term. O ’Connell is a native of St.
Helens.
O ’Connell's legal background in
cludes graduation from Gonzaga
University with a law degree in
1962. He has plans to take the Ore
gon state bar examination this
summer. He lists as past employ
ment a position in the legal de
partment of a San Francisco mort
gage firm , then returning to Port
land where he was employed by
First National Bank of Oregon.
O ’Connell received his appoint
ment from Governor Hatfield last
week. Previously the county com
mission had recommended Mrs.
Perry E . Howard of Yankton and
Mrs. John D. Germer of Columbia
City.
A motion was passed by the coun
cil to call a hearing for 8 p.m . Feb
ruary 6 on the condemnation of
the residence on lot 2 of block 3 in
Rose Addition. A resolution of con
demnation of the former tavern
building on the south 100 feet of
block 10, first addition to River
view lots still awaits approval by
the city attorney.
The council accepted, with appre
ciation, a donation of tree plant
ings from Marvin Meyer. Includ
ed are five Redwoods, five Port
Orford Cedar, and five Blue
Spruce. The park committee is to
select the locations for the trees
after which Meyer will do the
planting.
Reports of garbage problems
were heard and the refusal of
some residents to pay for disposal
service was cited as the cause for
some of it. Police Chief R ay has
been working on known cases and
will continue his efforts in cooper
ation with health authorities where
necessary.
In other business, the council set
hours for the gates to be open at
the Memorial cemetery as 8 a.m .
to 9 p.m . during the months of May
through September and 8 a.m . to
5 p.m . for the remaining months
of the year.
Other discussions included possi
bility of increased street lighting
in the vicinity of the high school.
Suitable location of two additional
lights is to be determined after
which further consideration will
be given. Traffic hazards at the
south side of Bridge street at the
east end of the Rock Creek bridge
also were discussed and after in
vestigation is to be considered
again. One suggestion offered was
for complete prohibition of stop
ping and parking at curbside east
ward from the bridge to the Chev
rolet garage.
The council adjourned at 9:10
p.m. and will meet next on Ja n u
ary 16.
Basketball
Loggers vs. Warrenton
Friday Night, Jan. 6
Star-of-the Sea
Tuesday, Jaa. 10
At the beginning of a new year,
it is the tendency to look back over
the one just past and review and
assess the events that took place.
In looking back over the files of
the Vernonia Eagle for 1966, no
thing of great proportion appears
on Vernonia’s picture, but there
were many events which stood out
in the minds of everyone and made
great impact on the community. A
few of these are called to mind
here in a brief summary of the
year.
That 1966 «.¿me in a little differ
ently weatherwise than did 1967 is
indicated by a story in the Jan u
ary 6, 1966 Eagle which reported
16 inches of snow on the ground at
the weather station on Corey Hill
on January 1 and another story
which reported that two Vernonia
loggers, Jahn and Joe Rinkes, saw
the New Y ear in marooned in the
cab of their truck on snow-swept
Nicolai Mountain. January 1 they
drove out through heavy drifts,
taking almost all day to travel 10
miles. Power line dam ages to the
West Oregon Electric system were
reported as snow reached six foot
depths in some mountain areas
they service.
With the first of the year came
the announcement that the county
court had signed a purchase order
for 63 acres of land for $59,595 for
a new fair grounds. It is located
about two miles from St. Helens.
The year ended without any devel
opment of the property, though
some plans have been drawn.
January 13, Pages from Our
Past was announced as the theme
for the 1966 Jam boree to commem
orate the 75th anniversary of the
incorporation of Vernonia as a
city.
January 18 the Vernonia high
school basketball team went to
Scappoose and garnered an 80 to
67 victory over the Indians.
At the Chamber of Commerce
dinner meeting January 24, Mrs.
Marie Atkins was named Woman of
the Y ear for outstanding service in
the community and O. T. Bate
man was the man chosen as Citi
zen of the Year. This was the first
time for a woman to be so desig
nated.
THURSDAY,
JA N U A R Y
5,
1967
Blood Quota
Needs Urgent;
Donors Called
A quota of 50 pints of blood has
been set for Vernonia when the
Bloodmobile comes here Monday
of next week, January 9. It is very
urgent that this quota be met if at
all possible since there are several
local persons needing replacements
of blood and several others slated
for surgery who will need quanti
ties of blood.
The Bloodmobile will be station
ed at the IO O F hall from 3 to 6
p.m. Monday afternoon and per
sons from 18 through 59 may be
donors. Those aged 18 through 20
must have the consent of parent
or guardian in order to be accept
ed.
Those who give blood are assur
ed that they are helping in the sav
ing of lives and all who can possi
bly donate are urged to assist in
reaching the quota. Mrs. Charles
Minger who is in charge of ar
rangements will provide transpor
tation for donors who need it and
will contact her.
Several persons in this area have
had open heart surgery in the re
cent months, including Duane D a
vis, six year old son of Mr. and
Mrs. Sam Davis; Art Ostrander of
Timber route and Sebastian Klein
of Keasey route. Relatives and
members of organizations have
given blood in their name but
some still needs to be replaced.
All of these persons could not have
survived the operations without
quantities of blood.
A former Vernonia resident, Ter
ry Brady of Randle, Washington,
is scheduled for his third heart sur
gery in a few weeks and he will re
quire at least 30 pints of blood. It
is very urgent that some blood be
given in his name to fill the quota
he requires.
The response here on the last
few visits of the Bloodmobile has
been very poor and far below the
previous record for this area. It
is hoped that everyone will rally
for this visit and place Vernonia
in the top place again as people
register their interest and desire
to help others.
Theme Needed
For Jamboree
Early in February the Columbia
county court released an extensive
survey report favoring a new
court house. As the year progress
ed, they designated a site and
made plans to build but were stop
ped by petitions calling for a vote.
The voters said no on all counts
so the court house issue is still un
resolved.
In the first March issue of the
E a gle, Basketball Coaches Bert
Kronmiller and Gordon Crowston
were pictured with the Vernonia
high school varsity squad which
had cinched top spot in the western
half of the Cowapa league with a
win over Seaside. In the play-offs
the next week end at Lewis and
Clark College in Portland, the
Loggers won their semi-final game
over Scappoose, but lost in the fi
nals to Neah-Kah-Nie. Members of
the Logger varsity team were D av
id Larson, Larry Elton, Dennis P e
derson, Jo e Curl, Jerry Hanson,
Fred Smith, Bill Hanson, Steve E l
lis, Roger Medges, Steve Minger
and Manager Gordon Blackburn
March 20, the first day of spring
according to calendars, was greet-
(Continued on Page I )
The Jam boree committee did not
meet in January but will meet
again February 1 at the West Ore
gon Electric building. At this meet
ing a theme is to be selected for
the 1967 event.
Some two months ago, the peo
ple of Vernonia were asked to of
fer suggestions for a theme. To
date, the results have been disap
pointing. If someone suggests a
theme which the committee deems
workable and which they select
for this year, the person suggesting
it will receive a reward of $10.
Theme suggestions are to be
written, signed by the persons sug
gesting them and given or mailed
to B. J . Horn, Vernonia.
A theme for the celebration
needs to be one which would offer
a wide variety of suggestions for
floats, costuming and decorations
It should in some way lend itself
to good advertising for Vernonia.
It needs to be catchy and easily
used.
This is a way for all Vemonians
to take part in the Jam boree, by
suggesting a theme for the 1967
event which will be held Ju ly 28.
29 and 30.
County Census Figure Rises
Vernonia will be listed in the
1967-68 Issue of the state govern
ment directory, the “ Oregon Blue
Book’’ by name as having a popu
lation of 1,560.
Columbia county is shown with
a population of 24,700, 487 greater
than Ju ly of 1965. The figures com
piled for the directory were done
by the Center for Population R e
search and Census of Portland
State College and represent totals
as of last Ju ly 1.
According to the report, 10,970
persons live in the incorporated
areas of the county and 13,730 out
side city limits.
The county communities popula
tion is given as follows in the di
rectory which is published each
two years by the secretary of state:
St. Helens, 5,500; Scappoose. 1,020;
Vernonia, 1,560; Rainier, 1,200;
Columbia City, 491; Clatskanie,
1,060; and Preecott, 139
It has been reported that the as
sesaed valuation total has risen
by more than $7 million J n c e the
last publication for the county was
compiled. The latest figure of the
assessed valuation is $38,827,670
and the 1965 figure was $31,800,561
Industry has been given the cre
dit for the altered condition In Co
lumbia county.