In 1969, Aberdeen float wins big at Portland Rose Parade

From the archives of The Daily World

75 years ago

June 15, 1944

Ernie Alstrom, masterful Donut Bar hurler, tossed the first perfect game of the Aberdeen softball season in blanking the strong Copalis Coast Guard 6-0 in the first game of last night’s doubleheader at the Olympic stadium.

Alstrom did not allow a single Copalis player to reach first base in winning his 10th game of the season and advanced Donut Bar to a two-game first place lead. He also pitched a perfect game last season.

June 16, 1944

Almost daily Lieut. Col. Sherman Beaty and his medium Marauder bomber, “Son of Satan,” add to their unique record in the skies over Hitler’s Europe fortress.

Seventy times Beaty has piloted the “Son of Satan”on a mission as group air executive officer of the Ninth Air Forces Medium bombardment (Marauder) group. Seventy times, despite intense flak and heavy fighter operation on many of the raids, Beaty has brought the now venerable “Son of Satan” home.

Colonel Beaty, from Hoquiam, is a veteran combat pilot who has logged more than 1,500 hours in the air, he is 27 years old and as steady as the ship he flies.

50 years ago

June 15, 1969

Aberdeen’s “Fishing Country” float, designed by Paul Cozzutto, built by local citizens for the Portland Rose Festival Parade, yesterday won the parade prize for cities outside Oregon over 5,000.

The float accompanied the Weatherwax High School’s 80-piece marching band, directed by Hampton Wines, that wowed the crowd with the snappy stepping and drum-twirling routine it executed as it played.

An estimated 300,000 spectators watched the 42 floats, 30 bands and marching units, and equestrian entries under sunny skies after morning overcast burned off.

June 16, 1969

The annual Fathers Day breakfast sponsored by the Aberdeen Lions club yesterday was a bigger success than expected, as 2,030 people were served breakfast at the Grays Harbor Community Center.

The weather was excellent for the breakfast and those who attended didn’t have too long to wait for their breakfast.

William Fenton, president of the Lions Club, said that they enjoy putting on the breakfast every year and appreciate the support from the community.

25 years ago

June 15, 1994

After 32 years at Aberdeen High School, it all finally adds up for math teacher Darrell Lokken: It’s time to retire. He still enjoys teaching students about slope intercepts, complementary angles, imaginary numbers and free radicals.

But this year for the first time, Lokken, 55, began to sense that his enthusiasm could one day diminish and he wanted to quit before it did.

His entire teaching career has been in the Aberdeen School District — and 30½ of those years have been in the same room — Phillips Building 323.

The 11 classroom rules posted in front of the class bear accurate witness to the tight ship he runs.

“Do we get to use a calculator on the final?” one student pleaded Tuesday.

“That calculator you always have, you get to use,” Lokken replied, referring to the student’s brain.

Lokken, a 1957 Snohomish High School graduate, is married to Elaine, a fourth grade teacher at Robert Gray Elementary School. She is not retiring this year.

June 16, 1994

Retiring Hoquiam High School librarian Mary Lou Gregory is an expert at finding information but she learned early on that it sometimes comes from surprising sources.

Gregory, 53, was a math teacher her first year at HHS. “I first learned I was going to be the librarian from the janitor,” she recalled.

“He was just sweeping around in my room and said ‘So, I understand you’re going to be the new librarian.’”

Now the news is that after 30 years at the high school, Gregory is retiring.

Compiled from the archives of The Daily World by Karen Barkstrom