125 years ago
March 16, 1894
Fred A. Katon has an established tannery on a small scale, where he has tanned sole and upper leather from which he has made a number of pairs of boots and shoes of a superior quality. Mr. Katon raises his own hides and manufactures his tannic acid from the neighboring hemlocks — all while attending to his regular farm duties.
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Arthur Devonshire is becomingly proud over the arrival of a little daughter in his home Tuesday morning. Mother and child are doing well.
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During the past two weeks the VIDETTE job department has turned out pamphlet work for a Tacoma gentleman and sent an order of stationery to Idaho. When it comes to first-class work we can do it.
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Mrs. D.W. Riedle of Hoquiam was in town Wednesday for the purpose of organizing classes in music, art and languages. While she did not meet with the success hoped for, she will return again next Monday, at which time she will decide whether it will pay to organize classes in this city. Mrs. Riedle comes very highly endorsed, and her charges are so reasonable that it would seem very good-sized classes might be obtained.
100 years ago
March 14, 1919
Stanley Boyer of Porter, who went out with the old 161st in Company E of Ellensburg, saw real fighting a plenty, but is just as modest about it as the Montesano boys are of their service.
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Mrs. H.S. Shorey received a telephone message from her son, Elwood, Wednesday afternoon. Shorey was at Camp Lewis, having just got in that day from New York.
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Elmer Mobray built a garage for their car last week.
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Wilkie Hill road is at her old tricks again, sliding into the river.
75 years ago
March 16, 1944
Sgt. Clifford I. Culver, serving with Gen. Patton in the first armored division in Italy, died in action in defense of our country, Feb. 12, according to word received by the youth’s mother, Mrs. Margaret Culver, this week. He had been overseas since June, 1942, and enlisted in the army in March 1940.
Young Culver was well known here for his interest in athletics and served as captain of the high school team three years. He left school for the service.
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The largest crowd ever to watch the Bulldogs play here witnessed the team wind up its most successful night and this despite their 25 to 20 defeat at the hands of the championship Olympia Bears. It is estimated there were 1,200 packed into the gym for the basketball game.
The boys coach is Hunter Moch and this is his first year coaching here. Last year he was assistant under Wm. Tone and previously coached at Wishkah Valley high school. He is a Washington State man.
50 years ago
March 13, 1969
Through the generosity of Rubin Fleet, well-known former Montesanan, the W.H. Abel Memorial Library now has a Bell & Howell 16 m.m. movie projector to be used in the library for the library’s monthly film night and for special story hours.
Upon special arrangements in advance, organizations may use the projector to show films available through the Timberland Regional Library.
25 years ago
March 17, 1994
A public hearing on three ordinances pertaining to mandatory garbage and recycling pickup in the unincorporated areas of the county was held by county commissioners Monday afternoon and soon turned into a near donneybrook filled with objections and accusations that members of the board weren’t doing their job of notifying those living in the hinterlands of the county as to just what is going on in county government.
In a two-hour session that was also marked with comments of “You’re taking away our rights. We don’t want to be told what to do,” and “We want to have a choice, not told to do something,” the commissioners seemed to get the message that for the most part those people in the audience did not want or need compulsory garbage collection in the unincorporated area.
In any event after a lengthy amount of testimony, and at the recommendation of Public Works Director Mike Daniels, the commissioners decided to table the matter until Tuesday, March 29.
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If You Ask Me, question of the week: “Do you think a state operated “boot camp” for young offenders would help curb teenage violence?”
Kathy Wegener, Montesano educator: “I think that the boot camp concept is worth a shot. It won’t be any worse than anything that is done now, so I think they should try it.”
Donald Daniels, Central Park, contractor: “I believe that it would work well. Kids have to learn how to work, just like they have to learn reading and writing. I would rather see private enterprise operating such a facility instead of the government though.”
Janice Prince, Montesano, bookkeeper: “I think that such a facility will help immensely. Most crimes are caused by lack of discipline and supervision.”
10 years ago
March 12, 2009
Grays Harbor Fire District 5 would like to move back into the Elma fire station, but the city’s volunteer firefighters don’t want the company. District 5 commissioners voted March 2 not to renew the lease with the owner of the Marion Road facility currently housing the district’s headquarters. The lease will be up in July, Commissioner Jerry Bailey noted. Besides the $1,700 per month lease, if the district were to remain in the building, a costly sprinkler system would have to be installed.
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Gliding across the hardwood dance floor at the Montesano Odd Fellow Lodge, Mark Van Hemert leads dance instructor Arlene Hoiland through a series of moves as the duo prepares for Van Hemert’s competitive debut.
Van Hemert, of Montesano, will be the first Grays Harbor resident in more than a decade to compete in ballroom dancing at the City of Roses Ballroom Classic March 13-15 in Clackamas, Ore., Hoiland said.
“He’s come a long way,” she said of Van Hemert. “He couldn’t dance at all when he first started.”
Van Hemert wanted to learn to dance for his daughter’s wedding two years ago and began taking lessons with his wife. The Hoquiam chiropractor caught the dancing bug and continued with additional lessons.
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Elma’s junior class duo of Brandi Thomas and Katie Colard were recently named the 2A Evergreen Conference co-Most Valuable Players, while teammate Carly Meister was given a nod to the Honorable Mention, as coaches from around the league voted for the post-season awards.
Compiled from the archives of The Vidette by Karen Barkstrom. She can be reached at kbarkstrom@
thedailyworld.com or 360-537-3925.
