75 years ago

March 21, 1942

At Harbor theaters this week: James Cagney and Brenda Marshall star is “Captains of the Clouds,” a technicolor drama of the Royal Canadian Air Force, at the Warner Brother’s. In a different kind of role for her, Marlene Dietrich stars with Fred McMurray in “The Lady is Willing” at the D and R. “You’re in the Army Now,” starring Jimmy Durante and Phil Silvers is playing at the New Bijou. Ginger Rogers and George Montgomery star in “Roxie Hart, the drama of a murderess in the “bad old days” of Chicago, now showing at the Seventh Street.

March 22, 1942

Sunday, no newspaper published

March 23, 1942

Publicizing weather information that might aid the enemy is taboo these days, but details of what happened at Aberdeen yesterday, the second day of spring, should give little comfort to prospective invaders.

In the space of a few hours the city had a taste of rain, sleet, hail, snow and sunshine. The wind blew from all directions at the same time and a miniature twister helped give Aberdeen its worst meteorological mixup in years.

The storm seemed to center in the downtown district, with considerable damage done in one section on West Wishkah street. Several show windows and a skylight were blown out of the Safeway store. McGowan’s service station sustained a broken window, several signs blown down and a smashed door. A couple of windows at the Olympic Motors used car building also were broken.

“It was a real twister,” said Richard Guthridge who witnessed the twister’s damage to Safeway.

March 24, 1942

Quick action by Aberdeen firemen and plant employees yesterday presented complete destruction by fire of the Wakefield Motors showrooms and shop at 301 West Market, but the blaze caused about $50,000 damage before the last flame was doused.

Crawling into the smoke-filled interior, braving the danger of exploding gas tanks, firemen put every available hose to playing on the half-wood, half-brick structure, and also managed to run out most of some 34 cars.

50 years ago

March 21, 1967

Mrs. Tony Zuvich, home economics chairman of the Sharon Grange received the State and National Grange Home Economics Achievement awards earlier this month.

Mrs. Zuvich reported there were 43 entries in the Grange Baking Contest held at Pomona Grange recently.

March 22, 1967

The ominous orange unidentified flying objects (UFOs) that have been alarming McCleary residents for the past four days are no longer unidentified thanks to some alert detective work by McCleary Police Chief Dick Valley.

Valley disclosed last night that the UFOs were designed by a pair of prankish college students, not little green spacemen sporting pulsating antennas.

In reality, the UFOs were ingeniously prepared plastic garment bags and weather balloons, containing lighted candles. The chief preferred not to name names but did advise that one youth is from Elma and the other from McCleary. Both attend the University of Washington and are home on spring vacation.

March 23, 1967

• Aberdeen city fathers last night named as a representative from the second ward Frances M. White, who becomes the second woman ever to serve on the City Council.

The only other woman member of the council was Miss Grace Kelley who served a term in 1946-47 as a second ward representative.

March 24, 1967

• Privately-owned land and investments totaling well over $200 million, plus public land and investments worth at least $150 million, will be lost eventually if land erosion from the Willapa River channel and the ocean is allowed to continue on its present course, the Army Corps of Engineers will be told at its public meeting in Raymond Wednesday.

The estimate of private values includes cranberry bogs and other farmlands, motels, resorts and other businesses, and investments connected with the fishing industry in the area from Tokeland to Elk River north to Westport, according to Ira Mitchell, president of the Anti-Erosion Project.

• The first three homes in “Evergreen Retirement Village,” a senior citizens’ residential development located a mile south of Elma on Highway 8, have been completed and will be ready for public inspection early in April, Nisqually realtor Ob Kuhlman, developer of the subdivision, said this morning.

When completed, the retirement village will consist of 100 homes. Each home will have a covered entryway, carport and lawn. Prices will be in about the $10,000 range, with bank terms available.

25 years ago

March 21, 1992

• Every work day, Bill Lonn has a warehouse at the Port of Grays Harbor filled with planer shavings — used waste from local mills.

Machinery inside compresses the truckloads into neat, stackable bales. The bales are for use in the “equestrian industry.”

Translation? Grays Harbor’s wood waste is being shipped to Southern California for use in horse stalls, chiefly at race tracks.

“I know it’s not rocket science but we’ve been very successful for a long time,” Lonn said of the business founded in 1927 by his grandfather, Russell Price.

The family company operates out of Los Angeles and Fremont, Calif. as well as Baja, Mexico. There are two subsidiaries in the Northwest — one in Oregon and Premium Pak, which signed a lease in November and began operations this month at the Port of Grays Harbor.

Three employees “who would have been displaced by our decision to relocate” moved to the Harbor with the Lonns. Eventually Lonn said he expects to employ about 9 and perhaps 11 people on a full-time basis.

• Hoquiam High School graduate Sam Brueher is a young man on a mission — making music. He has recently cut his first album, and what’s remarkable is that this 19-year-old composed all the music and wrote his own lyrics.

A chance meeting at the Aberdeen health club in November was instrumental in moving along his dream to “put out an album before I was 24,” Brueher said.

Kurdt Vanderhoof, the lead guitar player and founder of the heavy metal group “Hallaflame” was home for a visit and the two ran into each other. Brueher told Vanderhoof what he wanted to do and the two lifelong Harborites agreed to produce the album. It was made at Vanderhoof’s Aberdeen recording studio.

March 22, 1992

A sturdy OAK is branching out to revitalize the sleepy little town of Oakville.

The Oakville Action Kommittee — OAK for short — is breathing life into this long-dormant town.

“We’re livening up the community,” noted Mayor Carl Lindholm, a member of Oak.

Members of the group cleaned, raked and mowed along Main Street, but their first “event” was a Halloween parade. Then volunteers made wooden Christmas decorations for Main Street — the first time the city has had decorations — and put up a Christmas tree at the post office. They also encouraged the fire department to once again host the town’s annual Christmas celebration.

March 23, 1992

If you needed more evidence that this is going to be a wild election year, you should have been at the Pacific County Democrats’ 67th annual Crab Feed.

Counting all the candidates Saturday night was a challenge. High-powered hopefuls for senator, governor, lands commissioner and attorney general could have occupied most of a long table.

Gov. Booth Gardner led the roster at the IWA hall. Sen Sid Snyder of Long Beach promised that Democrats would gain control of the state senate in November and Congresswoman Jolene Unsoeld said “No more years for that guy (George Bush) in the White House.”

March 24, 1992

The Grizzlies got one-hit pitching from Andy Kaiyala and Mike Fogarty and pounded out 12 blows themselves en route to a 10-0 non-league victory over Montesano yesterday at Olympic Stadium.

Compiled from the archives of The Daily World by Karen Barkstrom