In 1992, Aberdeen’s gifted students appreciate teacher Jean Wilson

From the archives of The Daily World

75 years ago

May 13, 1942

• Mrs. L.A. Aarhaus of Satsop today was notified by the navy that her son, David, is missing, possibly captured by the Japanese in the battle of the Philippines. Aarhaus was a crew member of the big submarine tender Canopus, which the Americans scuttled at Corregidor when about to be overwhelmed by the enemy.

Aarhaus graduated from Elma high school where he was football captain and president of the graduating class.

• Because of lack on interest and several lopsided defeats, Montesano high School officials yesterday decided to abandon baseball for the remainder of the season. The move cancels the Montesano-Aberdeen game tomorrow at Olympic stadium and leaves the ‘Cats idle until their crucial clash with Olympia next Tuesday.

May 14, 1942

Aberdeen Police officers have completed training a group of Aberdeen high school senior boys in boxing, wrestling and ju jitsu in the Elks gymnasium. Self defense training is part of an experimental program conducted this year under the direction of Wayne Toivanen, Bobcat basketball coach.

50 years ago

May 13, 1967

Mrs. Stanley Copeland of Aberdeen is in the process of writing a book — “The Life of a Steeple Jack” — about William Hinrichs and his 22 years on the job.

During that time, he has worked in high places in nearly every city in Washington and in many in Oregon and Idaho. His loftiest job to date was on an 814 foot radio tower at Bainbridge Island. As he tells it, he paints, cleans or repairs anything “up there” where most people won’t go.

At 54, William has no intention of quitting. “Oh, I have slowed down a little,” he said. “I can’t hand over hand on a wire up 200 feet to fix the rigging on a stack like I did at the old Northwest Mill … but if you watch your step and make sure the rigging is in good condition, it’s not that dangerous of a job.”

May 14, 1967

Sunday, no newspaper published

25 years ago

May 13, 1992

The wonderfully flamboyant musical “Mame” is back as the Grayland Players 20th production.

The theater group is just happy to have been able to open this production. Several months ago, vandals paid a visit to the old Lions Hall and grounds. The kitchen, picnic area and bathrooms were trashed. The aging building is just about worn out. And although the audience must sit on straight chairs in a barren hall, when the curtain goes up, the magic is there time after time, said co-founder, producer and director Edythe Boss.

May 14, 1992

During her 38-year teaching career, Jean Wilson has taught hundreds of children the basics of letters and numbers and how to think critically. And recently the students in her gifted program presented her with an appreciation plaque.

She teaches gifted students in grades two through six. Each grade level comes to Alexander Young School one day a week.

“She’s understanding,” said Jessie Freese. “She knows what we like and what we don’t like. We like to talk and she lets us sometimes.”

“She’s shown us a lot of stuff,” said Donny Willis. “Like she showed us how to do Bloom’s Taxonomy (a chart outlining the different levels of learning.) She encourages us to think higher and do better things.”

“What I learned,” said Signe Johannes, “is that you can’t always be noisy and inconsiderate of other people because she loses her temper if we’re misbehaving.” But Signe said she wouldn’t classify Mrs. Wilson as strict. “We all like her. She’s very humorous and makes us laugh. She’s the best gifted teacher in the whole world and I don’t want her to retire.”

Compiled from the archives of The Daily World by Karen Barkstrom