PIONEER PORTRAITS

Ten Years Ago February 7, 2002

Addressing an issue of people using the cemetery as a playground for the 4x4 vehicles, it has become necessary to close, chain and padlock the gates at the City Cemetery.

The grand opening of the Blue Mountain Bird Rand Emu Experience was held Saturday outside Waitsburg. With a gift drawing every hour and unique gifts, this experience was definitely one of a kind.

Local equestrians receive national honors at the Annual USDF Convention in Orlando, Florida. Tammie Neve of Walla Walla and her gelding named John placed second nationally in both the amateur and open training division of dressage; Dawn Wagner of Hermiston received the USDF Bronze medal; Diane Royce of Walla Walla and her 15-year-old gelding Memory Lapse won top honors from the USDF in the all-breed awards for musical freestyle. Four women from Waitsburg are involved in the group. Michelle Long is treasurer, Pat Prince chairs the Dressage committee and Cindy Standring and Linda Hermanns are on the Promotion Committee.

Slippery roads were blamed for two minor traffic accidents this week.

Twenty-Five Years Ago Feb. 12, 1987

A costly requirement mandated by the Department of Ecology will cause Smith Canning and Freezing Company to close down because Smith doesn't "have the resources to make the improvements" and because of a pending lawsuit between Smith and Green Giant.

McGruff, the crime dog, visited Waitsburg last Friday and urged kids to "Take a Bite out of Crime." McGruff was accompanied by Daryl Pearson, the Crime Prevention officer from the Walla Walla Police Department, and Bob Dutton and Keith Brodhead from the Marshal's Office.

Fifty Years Ago February 9, 1962

Mayor Albert Land proclaims the week of Feb. 7 to 13 as Boy Scout Week. In recognition of the organization's fifty-second anniversary of the organizations founding, Mayor Land urges citizens to recognize the important part the family plays in the development of boys, of Scouting, and the American way of life.

A chance to learn the square dance will be presented Saturday evening as Odako Club hosts the second square dance in recent months. Carl Brittain will supply the music and Joe Yates will call the squares.

Waitsburg's bowling team place third at the annual bowling tournament in Dayton. Members of the Legion Club team are Dorothy Gulleckson, Lorene Wright, Carol Swanger, Dallas Huwe, and Lenora Gammon. Carol Huwe is the sixth member of the team.

The Lolo Pass route into Lewiston is expected to be completed by mid-August according to E.A. Cowell of the State Highway Commission.

Seventy-Five Years Ago February 12, 1937

The national resources commission in its report to President Roosevelt has placed the Mill Creek flood control project and the Touchet River flood control project on "the deferred construction" program.

An all-expense tour of California, across the border to Mexico and out to Catalina Island for a Waitsburg girl, is the prize to be awarded in a contest by local business men. Purpose of the contest is to speed up local sales during January and February.

Among the students from W.S.C. last weekend to spend the mid-year vacation period were Jim Butler, Margaret Clodius, Pete Kinder, Jean Sweazy, Pauline Keiser, Paul Bailey, Bert Butler, Claire Conover, Henrietta Vollmer, Billy Vollmer, Ray Small and Ted Jones.

One Hundred Years Ago February 9, 1912

One new case of smallpox has developed here. Mrs. Harry Buroker has the disease, but the case is so mild that the family thought it chicken pox and a physician was not called until health officer Dr. R. E. Butler, happened to hear of the case and made an investigation.

Charley Cochran, who for 19 years has conducted the general store and post office in Dixie, has traded his store to A.M. Bruce of Sunnyside, for a ranch near that city.

Miss Kitty Miller and Harold Brown, eighth grade and Miss Francis Fender, seventh grade were contestants in the spelling match Friday evening in Walla Walla. They were chaperoned by Miss Cardy and Miss Jackson.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago February 4, 1887

Married at Weston, Ore., Jan. 23, J.H. Morgan and Miss Lou Reynolds.

Clark Winnett of Whiskey Creek, one of the old-timers and prosperous men of the county, was in the city last Tuesday and made us a pleasant call. For such men as he our latch string always hangs out. A.C. Dickinson informs us that there are some free traders in his part of town. Several times they have piled their vocation and a few days sago carried off his new spade, leaving an old on in its place. Found early in the morning, Jan. 30, in a chicken house south part of town, a plug hat, ornamented on the inside with the letter T.

The members of Oxford League gave a very pleasant social and collation in the ME Church on Tuesday evening. We tender thanks to the young ladies for a very delicate lunch sent to us.