85 YEARS AGO

April 20, 1940

Charles Semdersen once was a sailor. He had two good eyes and two powerful hands, which he used, by an old sea rule, “one for himself, the other for the ship.”

He is blind now and uses both his hands for himself, to gripe about his boathouse at 150 S. Chehalis St. In his imagination he is still sailing, for he has a brand new “ship’s railing” around his shack, installed recently by a well-wisher.

On bright sunny days, Semderson strolls on his “deck,” sniffs the river and takes himself a nice pleasant tropical voyage. It doesn’t matter much to him that his boathouse is securely fastened to shore or that its supporting logs rest solidly on the mud when the tide is out. He can still imagine going into strange harbors. All his “trips” are “deepwater,” he says for “when you go sailing you might as well go someplace.”

April 22, 1940

An unidentified warship the past two days has been keeping a close scrutiny on Grays Harbor shipping. Two Harbor bar pilots and the coast guard saw the vessel yesterday while one of the pilots said it was the same vessel he had seen off the Harbor mouth Saturday.

The vessel was described as a “big one” with a single large stack “lower than the bridge.” The ship was reported by Lloyd Slover, skipper of the Grays Harbor pilot boat America, around 10 or 11 this morning. He said she was too far out to determine her nationality. All who saw the ship said she might have been a very large destroyer or a small cruiser.

April 23, 1940

The American Plywood corporation will be incorporated for half a million dollars tomorrow in preparation for immediate construction of a new plywood plant in Aberdeen it was announced today at noon at a “victory luncheon” of the Aberdeen chamber of commerce.

Plans will be drawn and construction started as soon as the site definitely is selected. V.A. Nyman, general manager declared that the plant will be completely modern with latest machinery.

Headquarters for Schafer Brothers logging and mill enterprises probably will be moved from Montesano to Aberdeen, Peter Schafer announced today.

He said a site is being prepared for an office building just east of the service station at Clark and Curtis streets in South Aberdeen. It is near Schafter mill No. 4.

April 25, 1940

When the 1940 bowling season rolls around in September, Aberdeen will have a new eight-alley recreational parlor, William Coldiron, young Hoquiam author-sportsman, announced today.

Coldiron, spokesman for a group of Harbor business men, said plans are being drawn for one of the most modern sports centers of the northwest and that he expects to decide on a site this week.

Besides the bowling alleys, the new recreational center will boast an archery range, billiard tables and other games as well as a 40-foot fountain and sporting goods department.

With the installation of the eight alleys Aberdeen will have more bowling accommodations than any other Southwest Washington city. It will be possible for the Harbor to apply for a Northwest tournament such as is being run at Tacoma now and attracting more than 1,000 keglers.

April 26, 1940

Albert Schafer, Harbor logger and mill operator, is president of the new American Plywood Corporation which will build and operate a plywood plant on the site of the burned Aberdeen Plywood mill.

He was elected last night at the first meeting of directors following the incorporation of the $500,000 company yesterday at Olympia.

60 YEARS AGO

April 20, 1965

The Hoquiam Junior High Boys’ League will sponsor its annual Dads’ Night tonight in the auditorium. Planned activities include movies, sports and refreshments.

After a welcome by Boys’ League President Rick Manwell and High School Principal Don Spencer, the boys and their fathers will move to the gym where basketball between the Junior High A squad and fathers and faculty members will highlight sports activity. Gang wrestling will also be part of the activity.

April 21, 1965

Fred Kukas, 20, Raymond, an employee of the Lovin Logging Co., suffered severe neck injuries Monday afternoon when struck by a falling free.

Fred Lovin, owner of the firm, reported his crew went to work as usual in the morning to the 2000 line are where they are cutting Rayonier Inc. timbers. Around noon, the wind velocity had risen to dangerous proportions and it was decided to quit work for the day.

The crewmen hiked out of the woods on a cat road with Kukas last in line. After a time, it was discovered that Kukas had fallen behind and some of the others went to look for him. They found him on the trail pinned under a hemlock about a foot in diameter.

April 22, 1965

For the first time in 15 years, the Blagen dock is being used for shipping. The Kodo Maru, a Japanese log ship, sailed today with five million board feet (Brereton scale) of raw logs. The Kodo was loaded in 13 days by one gang of stevedores working two shifts per day. Loading was expedited by the crane-barge Zeidell 2. Logs were cold-decked in the Blagen yard, brought out on the new dock by fork truck and loaded by the crane.

April 23, 1965

With several organizations cooperating in plans, South Bend is going all out to entertain an estimated 400 visitors to the community Saturday afternoon.

The visitors will be aboard a “spring fever” rail excursion which will leave Tacoma at 9:15 a.m. and arrive is South Bend at 1:40. Guests will be treated to some oyster stew prepared by Mel Brown, sample cranberries, take a tour of the city and the Coast Oyster and Eastpoint Seafood plants. If time and the weather permits, South Bend boat owners are making plans to provide boat trips for the guests on the Willapa River and bay areas.

April 24, 1965

Damage was unofficially estimated at $100,000 today as the result of a fire which seeped through the 50-year-old South Bend High School last night.

The blaze was discovered at 10:10 p.m. while a relay track meet was in progress in the adjacent athletic field.

April 26, 1965

Classes resumed this morning on a near-normal basis at the South Bend High School building which was severely damaged by fire Friday night. Supt. of Schools, Gareth Giles reports some shifting of classes was necessary but the current school year, which ends May 28, will be completed in the damaged building.

Unfit for use are the biology laboratory and the quarters of the commercial department. The commercial classes will be held in a vacant room in the grade school building and the science classes will convene in a portion of the manual training shop.

The school building was a beehive of activity over the weekend as students, teachers and many alumni worked many long hours scrubbing, mopping and sweeping to get the classrooms into a fairly presentable shape for the resumption of classes this morning.

35 YEARS AGO

April 20, 1990

For nearly three decades, sending Zane and Ken Mitchell into action was like fighting fire with fire.

During the early years, what the brothers lacked in modern training they made up for with bravery and high-spirited aggression. Eventually, Zane went to the Aberdeen Fire Department and Ken stayed at Hoquiam.

Each continued climbing the career ladder, and by the late 1960s the fire chiefs on both sides of Myrtle Street were Mitchells.

The Mitchell name became synonymous on the Harbor with dedication to the advancement of fire-protection services. Zane, in particular, is still known today as the man who molded the Aberdeen Fire Department into one of the state’s finest.

For his lifelong contribution to the advancement of fire services across the Twin Harbors, Zane Mitchell, 67, has been named The Daily World 1990 Firefighter of the Year.

April 21, 1990

For his keen abilities at handling everything from disorderly drunks to bringing homicide suspects into custody, Sgt. Dave Timmons was the unanimous choice for The Daily World’s 1990 Police Officer of the Year Award.

The award is bestowed annually in honor of Donald M. Burke, the Hoquiam police officer killed in the line of duty 10 years ago.

Nominated by Aberdeen Police Chief Bill Ellis and by Hoquiam police Lt. Jake Jacobson, Timmons, 39, is described as a level-headed street cop whose ability to make instant judgment calls is second to none.

“He is a real community-oriented police officer and that’s an important asset,” said Ellis. “A good police officer can accomplish a lot by being able to talk to people.”

April 22, 1990

Taking a troubled teen to lunch. Bringing homework to a student in jail. Going shopping with a young man to buy new clothes for a job interview. Inviting a class to her home for a picnic. Encouraging students to call at any hour of the day. “Dedicated doesn’t even begin to describe Kathy Lorton, The Daily World’s 1990 Citizen of the year.

April 24, 1990

What has about 200 feet, a lot of heart, and an undaunting spirit about 12 miles long?

It must be Harborites, walking to raise money to fight birth defects in Saturday’s March of Dimes’ Walk America for Healthier Babies.

About 100 Harborites are registered walkers to date, said Cathy Stern, community director for March of Dimes Tacoma office.

Walkers will leave the SouthShore Mall at 9 a.m., cross Boone Street at Harriman, loop back up Curtis and over the Chehalis River Bridge into Aberdeen. The route then proceeds down Second Street, onto Cherry and turns back up Aberdeen Avenue where walkers will return to the bridge via State Street. Five checkpoints at various locations along the route will offer courtesy soft drinks, candy bars and hot dogs among other items to thirsty and hungry walkers.

April 25, 1990

When Pamela and George Pickett moved to Aberdeen in January of 1988, they wanted to find just the right house to buy. While they rented a house in Hoquiam, Mrs. Pickett kept an eye on her dream house at 1107 North J Street in Aberdeen, hoping it would become available.

Through a fluke, the first time it came on the market, someone else scooped it up. But just four months later that family was transferred out of town and the Picketts had a second chance on the large, white house.

Now, after hundreds of hours of scraping, wall papering and painting, the Pickett home will be open Sunday as one of three Harbor homes featured in this year’s Spring Tour of Homes, a fundraiser for the Central Park Orthopedic Guild.

Refreshments will be served at the home of Gail and John Quigg at 320 L St. in Hoquiam. The other featured home is that of Dr. Craig and Pamela Mehlhoff at 954 North N St. in Aberdeen.

Compiled from the archives of The Daily World by Karen Barkstrom, editorial assistant at The Daily World. You can contact her at karen.barkstrom@thedailyworld.com or call her at 360-537-3925.