Pomeroy Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago

March 20, 2013

Pomeroy School Board proposed administration restructuring got mixed reviews from the audience. Chairman Bart Gingerich said the board had "worked a few months on this" plan, which called for one full-time administrator and utilizing a "lead teacher" in each building with assigned administrative duties and responsibilities. Presently the superintendent serves as the elementary school principal and the high school has a full-time principal.

Twelve members of the Holy Rosary Altar Society gathered to make hats and scarves for the Guatemala Mission they have sponsored for several years. The mission, located near San Marcos in the Guatemalan Highlands, was damaged by an earthquake on Nov. 7. The ladies of the Altar Society made thirty-three fleece hats, twenty-two fleece scarves, five knit hats and three knit scarves for the families at the mission. The Altar Society has philanthropically supported the mission monetarily and with physical assistance.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

March 18, 1998

While "Child Find" might sound like a search for missing children, as there used to be on the sides of milk cartons, the objective of the screening program is to help parents discover any concerns that could hinder their child's development. With parent arranging for screening for only three children in Pomeroy last year, Pomeroy School District speech specialist Barb Gates believes there might be misunderstanding that the program seeks out "slow kids," which isn't the case at all. "Child Find is actually where a child's hearing, speech, eyes, gross motor skills, and basic concept skills are screened to see if the child is at an appropriate level for his or her age," Gates said.

From Rowena Bell's Telephone System-I asked Ray where he worked and he said for Tacoma Pacific International in Tacoma. It is a big freight forwarding company. Right now they are gathering and packing a shipment of goods to send to Russia by boat. The order is for 800 containers of supplies sent to the port city of Magadan. Two hundred ninety-two of those containers are chemicals such as ammonium nitrate that will be using in a gold mine. Shipments can be made by boat from April 15 to Dec. 15. The trip on to the gold mine is made by helicopter. Ray said he went there in a 28-passenger helicopter.

Fifty Years Ago

March 15, 1973

Purchase of the Pomeroy Motel and Trailer court and the former Stiles service station was completed March 1, spokesmen for the Garfield County Hospital District board announced. The hospital district now owns the motel, taking possession March 1, and will continue the same operation for the present. The district also took possession of the abandoned service station on March 1, and has no plans for its use at this time. A third parcel of land is still being negotiated. The district bought the properties for the site of the nursing home, but no further action can be taken until a "certificate of need" is granted by the state.

A fine fiddling exhibition was enjoyed by the crowd of some 200 people at the Old Time Fiddlers Concert in Pomeroy last weekend. Featured were National Women's Champion Patsy Buckley of Moscow and past Washington State Trick Fiddler John Buckley, Mrs. Buckley's father-in-law. Both put on fine exhibitions. Also featured were groups from Idaho and Washington, and they played old favorites, mixed with religious tunes. Also playing, of course, were Pomeroy's own Pomeroy Pickers. A total of 24 musicians performed.

Seventy Five Years Ago

March 18, 1948

Corporal Eugene Leaverton, of the U.S. military police, who spent more than a year in Japan, arrived in town Wednesday to spend a few days visiting with friends. While stationed in Tokyo, Leaverton was one of a number of military police whose duty it was to guard 24 top Japanese war criminals while they were being transported from prison to the courtroom in Tokyo where their trials were being conducted by a military court. Eugene became personally acquainted with many of the former Japanese war lords, some of whom he said speak excellent English. He personally knew one of the admirals who signed the surrender document on the battleship Missouri which brought an end to Japanese hostility.

Jack Howard sold his grade milk cow, "Pride of Pataha," to Mark Young Tuesday for $285, possibly the highest price ever paid for a grade milk cow in the county. The cow produces eight gallons of milk daily. Mr. Young took "Pride of Pataha" to his Snake River farm Wednesday.

One Hundred Years Ago

March 17, 1923

Pomeroy shooters came in for a large share of the prizes awarded by the merchants of Lewiston to the participants in the shoot held there last Sunday. According to a press report, "a few of the cracks were able to overcome the handicap of the breeze and the club turned in a 75 on the telegraphic shoot. William Houser, Joe Green and "Tip" Hamblin going straight." W.J. Houser also made the high score, 93.

Members of the Washington Wheat Growers' Association will be asked to vote on disincorporation and make returns to the head office in Spokane, before April 16, according to James Oliver, who arrived yesterday from a meeting of directors, at Spokane. "A secret ballot of the members will be taken by mail," said Mr. Oliver, "and canvassed at a directors' meeting at the head office. We do not believe the vote for disincorporation will carry, but we have decided to take the ballot to satisfy those who are urging it and get the matter settled on a more certain basis."

One Hundred Twenty Five Years Ago

March 19, 1898

Johnny Stech has been employed to teach the Falling Springs school district, beginning the first Monday in April. Parents should note the time set for the beginning of school and get their children ready to start promptly on time.

F.R. Jones, who has been buying grain in the Big Bend country, returned home the forepart of the week for a brief stay with his family. Mr. Jones says there still remains unthreshed in Lincoln County a half-million bushels of wheat, which, owing to the large crop and scarcity of machinery, could not be threshed last fall. Much of this grain has been badly damaged by exposure to the wet winter weather.