75 years ago

November 4, 1944

The greatest flocks of geese in the memory of pioneer Harborites are now “stopping over” on the Harbor temporarily on the way south.

There are literally hundreds of thousands of geese in the huge flocks in the lower Harbor and in upland streams, hunters reported.

With the huge number of birds present hunters are having a hard time to keep within their two birds bag limit.

What should one do for instance if the first shot fired brought down three geese? This happened to one Harbor hunter.

Another fired two shots and hit double both times.

One hunter reported that when he fired his first shot at a North Beach hunting ground some 60,000 took flight.

“I never saw so many geese in my life,” he said.

50 years ago

November 4, 1969

Excedrin Headache Number 1,970

That’s the message Hoquiam Clerk Geraldine DeWees whimsically added to the little page of the preliminary budgets earmarked for the mayor and his finance committee chief, John Baker.

Why the headache?

The 1970 preliminary budget is $351,226 out of balance — that’s why. Most department heads requested 25 per cent salary increases for their personnel.

And requests for wage boosts account for $244,016 of the deficit total.

Requesting 25 per cent salary increases are the street, water, sanitary, sewer, engineering and treasurer’s department.

The fire department is requesting an average boost of about 20 per cent — from $6,737 to $8,085 yearly for the hosemen.

The requested increase for the seven police patrolmen averages 11 per cent — from $7,056

$7,907.

25 years ago

November 4, 1994

Aberdeen School Superintendent Sonja Martin was back at work today amid rumors the School Board might be preparing to oust her.

Martin said that if she’s on her way out, she doesn’t know about it and is not planning to leave voluntarily.

“I’ve not been fired,” Martin said from her home in Aberdeen yesterday. “I’m not resigning — not at this time.” `

Compiled from the archives of The Daily World by Karen Barkstrom