Pomeroy Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago

December 12, 2012

Pomeroy Elementary School's Title 1 reading program director Sue Van Ausdle welcomed close to 200 reading fans to the annual Reading and Pajama night program, which has been going on for the past two decades. It has been a holiday season tradition for families, held in conjunction with the annual Book Fair at the school.

The Pirate boys' basketball team won both its road games this weekend and boosted its record to 3-0 to start the 2012-2013 season. They dropped St. John-Endicott 78-68 Friday, and defeated Dayton 45-35 Saturday. Pomeroy opened its season with a 52-38 win over Asotin.

Twenty-five Years Ago

December 17, 1997

What's going on in the old NAPA building? That's the question Pomeroy residents have been asking since June when David Webb made the former McKeirnan Oldsmobile dealership showroom his home-storage space-display area. But not even David can say exactly what the building with all his neat old signs will eventually evolve into. David is a collector of porcelain signs, most with neon lighting. A porcelain sign might look like a painted metal sign, but it is not. The colors on a porcelain sign aren't from paint, but from colored glass, which is laid down on a metal sheet a color at a time and fired in a kiln to 1,600 degrees. "Porcelain signs were made a thousand years ago," David said, but hit their popularity peak in the 1930s and '40s. Signs were built from the late 1800s to the 1950s when sign makers quit making them.

Exchanging presents is a highlight of the Christmas season. From writing a wish list to picking out the perfect gift for that special someone, there is a feeling of anticipation throughout the holidays. However, after selecting just the right presents, people can add the perfect finishing touch with personalized wrappings. This little extra can show how much they truly care.

Fifty Years Ago

December 14, 1972

The R.D. Collier vs. David L. and Myrna E. Koller vs. Wayne Rudd "scrub bull" case has been dismissed, with the order signed by Judge Patrick McCabe Wednesday morning. The case was settled out of court, but the amount of settlement was not disclosed. The case, originally Collier vs. Koller, resulted when an off breed bull was able to come in contact with purebred Hereford cattle owned by Collier, because of failure to maintain fences on the ground Collier subleased from Koller, Collier charged. Koller in turn charged Wayne Rudd, an Idaho resident, with failure to keep the off-breed bull properly fenced.

Mickey Byers, Garfield County and District wheat Queen, was named Washington State's first "Wheat Princess" Monday night at the state Wheat Growers Convention in Richland. The "Wheat Princess" title is given to the runner-up in the annual contest State Wheat Queen selected for 1973 is Becky Alexander, 17, of Reardan, Wash. Mickey, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Byers, competed with four other district winners in the contest. Garfield County Wheat Queen Contest chairman was Mrs. Ray (Janice) Keatts.

Seventy-five Years Ago

December 18, 1947

Ralph Woody, county auditor, reports that while automobile licenses for 1948 have been on sale since November 15, two weeks earlier than last year, up to this morning but 300 passenger licenses had been sold out of a total county registration of 932 and 155 truck licenses out of a possible total of 688. This can mean only one thing if motorists don't get busy at once, a rush for license applications at the last moment. No new license plates are being issued for the coming year, only a receipt upon payment of the license fee at the auditor's office. This is the main reason why motorists have been so slow in renewing their car licenses. Last year they were issued plates and as many car owners had favorite numbers they desired they applied early in order to receive them.

The Butler Motor Company this week installed two new neon signs, one advertising the Case line of farm machinery and the other Ford motor cars. Mr. Butler called attention to the fact that there were not too many business firms with these modern signs on the north side of Main Street. Four business firms have them, Bowne service station, Pomeroy hotel, Butler Motor Co. and Jewett's Motel.

One Hundred Years Ago

December 16, 1922

Greater activity is urged by A.L. Buchet, captain of the local team of hunters, in the contest with Columbia County for the greatest kill in predatory birds and animals. Mr. Buchet states that not enough is being done here, and that the local men will certainly lose out and pay for the feed if they don't get busy. He issued the following statement: "To members of the Wenaha Game Protective Association: I wish to impress on your minds that this is the time of year to get the owl, and don't overlook the hawk and the coyote. Don't spend much time looking for rattlesnakes at present, but get busy after the other points. Let the Columbia county sportsmen know they have been in a race."

Arrangements will be made for the reception of Charles S. Barrett, president of the national farmers' union, and J.Q. Adams, president of the state union, upon their arrival in Pomeroy December 18, by a committee appointed for that purpose, at a meeting of the local union Saturday. The committee is composed of James Oliver, president of the union, Peter McClung secretary, and J.M. Robinson, C.W. Fitzsimmons and D.R. Williams. No effort will be spared to get as large an attendance as possible of the farmers at the meeting, which will be featured by a speech by President Barrett in the Seeley theatre. The committee states that farmers who may want to converse with Mr. Barrett may see him in the hotel lobby following the arrival of the train and prior to the meeting hour.

A phonograph, either Edison or Brunswick, makes an ideal Christmas gift for the whole family. Tell us how much you can pay down. At Kuykendalls', of course.