75 years ago
July 28, 1943
• Ross A. Medley, 48, was fatally injured yesterday in a 60-foot fall from a spar tree at the North River camp of the R.A. Medley Tie and Lumber company of which he was owner. He died three hours later at a local hospital. According to reports he was injured when a straw line broke as he was being lifted to the top of a spar tree to oil a block.
• Purse seiners having struck a bonanza off Grays Harbor, plant operators here expect the biggest pilchard season since the processing industry started several years ago.
Nine ships last night brought in more than 1,200 tons to two Harbor processing plants, the Bay City Fishing company and Strand’s at Hoquiam. The ocean was reported thick with fish for a distance of 20 miles off shore.
July 29, 1943
The first known written message received on Grays Harbor from a prisoner of Japan was delivered yesterday to Mrs. Grace English of W. Sixth Street in Aberdeen from her son, Sergeant David R. English.
The communication, on a postcard, was dated December 19, 1942 and took eight months for delivery. It was sent from the “Kawasaki branch” of the Japanese prison camp and delivered here via the International Red Cross, through Geneva, Switzerland.
“I am well and safe in Japan,” said the message. “My health is usual. I have had no news of the family since September, 1941. How are you and the family getting along? Remember me to all. Love.”
English joined the army in the fall of 1940 a few months after graduating from Hoquiam high school.
50 years ago
July 28, 1968
Sunday, no newspaper published
July 29, 1968
Pitching-rich Willapa Harbor completed an unscored-on sweep of the District 3 Little League tourney Saturday in Centralia by blanking Montesano, 5-0, in the championship game at Fort Borst Park.
Steve Koplitz, who flung a no-hit, no-run masterpiece at Aberdeen Olympic in the tournament’s first round, shackled the Montesanans on two hits in the finale, striking out 11. The winners were able to glean only three blows off losing hurler Bob Oberbey, all singles by Koplitz, Jim Buchanan and Barry Bamer, but were aided by a pair of Montesano miscues.
25 years ago
July 28, 1993
At least two local attorneys want to be Grays Harbor’s third Superior Court judge.
Art Blauvelt, a partner with Ingram, Zelasko & Goodwin in Aberdeen and Mark MccCauley, a partner with the Hoquiam firm of Stritmatter, Kessler & McCauley, said this morning that they will seek the seat if it is authorized by the county commissioners.
Blauvelt, 43, of Montesano, has practiced in Aberdeen since 1987 and primarily handles personal injury cases.
McCauley, 39, of Aberdeen, has practiced in Hoquiam for 13 years and specializes in personal injury cases. He is municipal court judge pro-tem at Ocean Shores.
July 29, 1993
The Aberdeen Main Street Association is asking the City of Aberdeen for $40,000 to guarantee its second year in the all-out effort to revitalize downtown.
“In the Main Street program, the main reason many have failed is they have not had a full-time director,” said Arla Holzschuh, Main Street director for six months now. She and Joyce Wilson-Nelson, the downtown businesswoman who serves as board president, made the request at the City Council meeting last night.
Aberdeen Main Street was created from the former business association and it won a grant of up to $35,000 from the state Department of Community Development to guarantee its first full year. The grant expired June 30.
If the city agrees to pitch in $40,000, about $30,000 of it would be used for Holzschuh’s salary.
Compiled from the archives of The Daily World by Karen Barkstrom.
