75 years ago
March 2, 1942
Contracts for $1,000,000 worth of wooden vessels have been awarded the Grays Harbor Shipbuilding company, and contracts for “several million dollars more” are expected soon, company officials announced today.
Work of completing the company’s East Aberdeen shipyard ways was begun this morning by about 20 men under direction of Ed Lundgren, yard superintendent. Pile driving will start tomorrow or Wednesday.
The ships will be constructed under supervision of J. Harold Bezanson, famed San Diego tuna clipper builder, who arrived here yesterday. Bezanson worked at the Grays Harbor Motorship yards under Monte Ward during World War I.
March 3, 1942
The navy announced today that the destroyer Jacob Jones was sunk by two torpedoes from an enemy submarine off Cape May, N.J. before dawn on February 28 and that only 11 men of the destroyer’s crew survived.
The number of those lost, including the commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander H.D. Black, was not given, but was far more than 100, since the normal war time complement of the old destroyer was around 145 officers and men.
50 years ago
March 2, 1967
• W.G. Krekow was honored for his long service to the community in his capacity as principal of Emerson School since 1941, at the annual Emerson PTA Founders Day dinner and program.
Recognition was also given to retired teachers Miss Ruth Birks and Miss Frances Rosenberg.
• Big Ken Hoffer, Mike Hubbard and John Rosentangle took turns supplying the clutch heroics last night in Tacoma as defending champion Raymond rallied from the brink of disaster to pull out a 71-67 double overtime win over lightly-regarded Dayton in the final opening round game of the 1967 state class A basketball tourney.
By winning the ‘Gulls kept their quarterfinal date with arch-rival Elma, which rode the eye-popping virtuosity of little Herb Moxley to an easy 89-70 conquest of Colville in the contest immediately preceding.
March 3, 1967
Harborites will be shopping in Hoquiam’s new enclosed mall by the fall of 1968, developer Walter Kraus told some 60 persons last night at the annual retail trade board-city employees dinner.
Speaking to city employees and local businessmen at the Emerson Hotel, Kraus, who has offered to put together the $1 1/2 million shopping center, said he was ready to go but there were a few decisions yet to be made by “mother government.” He did not elaborate.
Plans for the center, to be designed around Hays Dairy at the corner of 9th and J, unless it is sold in the near future, are now being drawn up by an architect.
25 years ago
March 2, 1992
Howie Meadowcroft reached over his shoulder and flipped the inch-and-a-half thick telephone directory of Weyerhaeuser’s 38,669 employees onto his desk.
“You talk about overhead costs, look at this,” said the brother-in-law and former assistant to chairman George Weyerhaeuser. “Do we need this many people to keep this company alive?”
Under the longtime leadership of George Weyerhaeuser, the Federal Way-based timber giant — North America’s largest timber cutting firm — has enjoyed a reputation as a paternalistic, even grandfatherly company, willing to endure lower-than-expected profits to avoid layoffs, mill closures and other cost-cutting measures.
But all that was yesterday. Today there’s a new set of leaders in charge and their chief concern is improving the company’s bottom line.
March 3, 1992
With the thought that “If Daddy’s not working, children may not be as happy going to school,” Aberdeen’s new School Board member, Jim Brown, is urging a local-hire policy for upcoming construction projects in the district.
“The mission of the school board is to be responsive to the public that we serve and sometimes that goes beyond strictly education to the overall quality of life in our community,” Brown said.
Compiled from the archives of The Daily World by Karen Barkstrom
