75 years ago
February 11, 1945
Sunday, no newspaper published
February 12, 1945
It’s a long way from Hollywood and Tin-Pan Alley to a foundry on Grays Harbor. But to Pauline Byrns the sound of riveting machines and drills on an assembly line is sweet music.
The former Harbor girl, who gained fame as the miss of “Six Hits and a Miss,” has given up singing and is back in Hoquiam for the duration. Today she started work at the Lamb Grays Harbor company.
Last summer she turned down the offer of a contract to sing with Frank Sinatra. Perhaps the fact that her husband, Lieut. Jerry Preshaw is now with a cavalry unit of General Patton’s 3rd Army somewhere in Europe had something to do with it. As she jokingly says, “It probably wouldn’t do much for his morale if he knew his wife was back home singing with the nation’s heart-throb.”
She has appeared in “The Big Store” with the Marx Brothers, “Down Argentine Way” with Betty Grable and Don Ameche and “If I Had My Way” with Bing Crosby.
50 years ago
February 11, 1970
“We’ll sure swap Aberdeen some of our extra votes for some of their ‘Yes’ votes,” Hoquiam School Supt. William Bohrnsen said last night with a worried half smile.
Aberdeen’s special levy came up a loser yesterday because not enough votes were cast. Hoquiam’s received nearly double the turnout needed for validation, but failed to receive a 60 per cent vote of confidence.
In Aberdeen, total unofficial turnout at the polls was 2,369, including 21 absentee ballots. To validate, 3,428 votes were required.
In Hoquiam, 844 votes were needed for validation and the unofficial count shows a total of 1,590 votes cast. Only 54.5 per cent of the voters favored the 12.75 mill levy, however.
February 12, 1970
At ceremonies held recently at the National Guard Armory in Aberdeen, John T. Kusky was administered the Oath of Enlistment by his father, Captain Joseph F. Kusky.
Capt. Kusky is motor officer for the 248th Transportation Battalion Washington Army National Guard, Aberdeen and is the owner of Willapa Harbor Cablevision in Raymond.
John T. Kusky is a student at Grays Harbor College and will attend basic training within 90 days for training as a radio mechanic.
25 years ago
February 11, 1995
The student’s eyes widen and a broad smile spreads across her face, while the instructor patiently guides her through a maze of icons and windows on her computer screen.
This might be an example of the youthful delight in novelty, as a graying, slightly overweight fortysomething school teacher gives instruction in the basics of Macintosh technology.
Not tonight.
The instructor — clad in jeans, a Nike tee-shirt and street-hiking boots — is Alex Johnson, a 17-year-old junior at Hoquiam High School. His students this evening are all Hoquiam School District employees — and most of them are old enough to be his mother.
“Don’t be afraid to speak up,” he says, weaving his way between computers in Hoquiam’s Central Elementary school library. “If you don’t understand something, let me know.”
This odd reversal of roles — the student instructing the teachers — was Johnson’s brainchild. While the Hoquiam School District has been making great strides to update its computer network, Johnson said, many teachers and other district employees were letting the hardware “gather dust” because they didn’t know how to use the machines.
February 12, 1995
Leading from wire to wire, Valley’s Vikings held off rallying Raymond in the fourth quarter to capture the Pacific League Tournament boys’ title, 78-68, in the championship game Saturday night at Montesano.
Jason Barnum, who heated up for 13 points in the third period that saw the Vikings break it open, led the winners with 20. But the Menlo team also got double figures from Chris Ritzman and Luke Salme, each with 17, and point guard Scott Amacher with 10.
Compiled from the archives of The Daily World by Karen Barkstrom
