75 years ago

July 31, 1943

North Africa isn’t the place that Captain Thomas P. Monahan would choose for a permanent residence.

“The good spots in North Africa geographically and climatically are in a distinct minority,” Captain Monahan declared dryly. “They have lots of weather there — most of it bad. It takes the Sahara to make one really appreciate our green trees.”

“It is nothing for the thermometer to climb to 120 in the shade in the daytime and sink to freezing at night.”

Captain Monahan’s service stripe tells a story in itself. It shows a list of seven medals, including the distinguished flying cross, the air medal and five clusters. He doesn’t like to talk about medals.

“I only did what every other man out there was doing, and they’re still out there. I’m home — any news story should be about the men still over there fighting.”

Monahan was graduated from Weatherwax high school in 1938 and Grays Harbor Junior college in 1940. He is 22 years old.

August 1, 1943

Sunday, no newspaper published

50 years ago

July 31, 1968

Safeway grocery stores are advertising boneless New York steaks for $1.89 a pound, fresh halibut roasts for 49¢ a pound, Darigold butter for 79¢ a pound and three bear claws for 41¢.

August 1, 1968

The Grays Harbor County Jail was given a complete state inspection last week and was found wanting.

In the preliminary report, the inspecting officer, C. Klohkwold declared, “This jail in its present condition falls extremely short of minimum standards of security and welfare and safety of prisoners, staff and community. The sheriff and his staff are seriously handicapped by this insecure, worn out physical plant and are doing their best to compensate for the physical deficiencies and security weaknesses present in this structure.”

The report goes on to say a new jail should be constructed and that further expenditure in attempts to upgrade and modernize the outdated and obsolete facility would be extremely difficult to justify.

25 years ago

July 31, 1993

Although it was 40 years ago when she and her husband first took over the business, Barbara Topete of Moclips still remembers the Ocean Crest resort as “just four small cabins and a bunk house.”

“We stayed there as guests and had become friends with the owners,” she said, explaining the history behind the award-wining resort. “When the owner had a stroke, he and his wife sort of talked us into taking it over.”

Now the resort has grown to 45 units, a restaurant, health club and lounge, and it invariably can be found on magazine listings of the “best places” and “great weekend get-aways” in the Northwest.

August 1, 1993

Many Harborites were on hand at the open house to celebrate the name change from Aberdeen Eye Clinic to Aberdeen Cataract and Laser Center.

Besides the name, little is changing in ophthalmologist Charles Thompson’s office at 118 W. First St. in Aberdeen. But the doctor wanted to let Harborites know that he’s been doing surgery for cataracts and using lasers for years.

He and Dr. Ralph Lew, the other ophthalmologist on the Harbor, still hear people expressing surprise when they learn they don’t have to go out of town to have surgery on their eyes.

Both routinely perform minor surgeries in their offices and handle more complex cases at Grays Harbor Community Hospital.

Dr. Thompson explained how lasers are not used in cataract surgery — ultrasound is. But, often lasers are used after cataract surgery if a secondary membrane clouds up the vision. “It’s just amazing,” said Joanne Finney, one of the doctor’s assistants. “People walk out of here seeing better immediately.”

Compiled from the archives of The Daily World by Karen Barkstrom