125 years ago
Jan. 15, 1892
As a sanitary measure there should be some action taken by the council to determine, and remove when discovered, the cause of so much sickness among the families who are living near the gulch in the north part of the city. A greater part of the cases of sickness present here today is among those families and there must be some local cause. It is very possible that the gulch has been used as a dump for refuse matter and that the small creek which runs through it has become dammed so that refuse is held there to poison air and water. Whatever the cause it should be removed if possible.
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George Scammon and wife were up from West Port this week. He stated to the Vidette that the president of the townsite company, who has recently been east, had completed all the arrangements for a street car line to connect the harbor with the ocean beach; work is to be commenced as early in the spring as the weather will permit and when commenced the road will be pushed forward as fast as possible. All the streets are being cleared as fast as possible and good progress is being made. Several buildings are under construction and others soon will be. Mr. Yana is soon to commence a two-story hotel, 56 by 85 feet. The company has adopted the plan of putting out their money in improving the town and will not offer anything in the way of subsidies to manufacturers, excepting free sites.
100 years ago
Jan. 12, 1917
Pilchuck Julia, the Siwash Indian weather prognosticator who predicted a severe winter and snow two squaws deep, is a false prophet, or else nature has her cards mixed and is sending the wrong dope to the Canadian Goose, on the weather outlook. The advance guards of the big honkers have sailed in cruising formation towards the far north, seemingly with the idea that the backbone of winter is already broken and that the pleasant days of spring will soon be here. Monday night an immense flock of wild geese crossed over Montesano and big flocks have been reported from other parts of the state. Their raucous honking far overhead in the still night was a peremptory challenge to the hosts of winter and would indicate that the hordes of Jack Frost were in full retreat.
Last fall the geese went south unusually early, passing here in the fore part of September. Their sagacity was given full endorsement by the early cold weather we experienced. Let us hope they are equally wise in their return to their homes in the far North.
Local weather sharps, who place great faith in the judgment of the wild geese, state that our severe weather is all over and that an open winter and very early spring will be our portion. A similar winter and spring occurred in 1910 with the wild geese going North early. Fruit trees bloomed in March and April and there were no killing frosts after that time.
75 years ago
Jan. 15, 1942
A resolution strongly condemning sale of alcoholic beverages to soldiers, whether by state liquor stores or private firms, were adopted by the Grays Harbor County Ministerial association, which met in Montesano on Tuesday.
Representatives were present from Aberdeen, Hoquiam, Elma and Montesano.
Last week, restrictions against sale of liquor to soldiers in uniform by the state liquor stores were relaxed. At the present time, such sales are permitted from 6 to 10 p.m., the same as to civilians.
50 years ago
Jan. 12, 1967
The tragedy of Viet Nam became a personal tragedy for Montesano this week as one of the city’s childhood-long residents was killed in action.
Pfc. Johnny A. Chambers who was wounded by heavy mortar and small weapons fire while combating the Viet Cong near the Cambodian border, died at 5:30 p.m. last Sunday in a field hospital. He was Monte’s first known fatality of the Viet Nam conflict.
The War Department notified the 23-year-old soldier’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Chambers, 419 North Calder, Montesano, and his wife, Juanita, 708 1/2 Fourth Avenue, Aberdeen, through Red Cross representatives Monday.
Members of the grieved family learned that the U. S. Army’s 4th Infantry Division, of which young Chambers was a member, had been engaged in bitter fighting when he was hit. The 4th Division left for Viet Nam last September following combat training at Ft. Lewis.
Born March 20, 1941, in Puyallup, Pfc. Chambers attended Montesano schools and was well-known in high school here as a cheerful youth with a carefree spirit. He married the former “Nita” Vincamp on January 18, 1963, and, for three years prior to his induction in the Army, lived in her hometown of Aberdeen.
The hopeful young man was employed by Mead & Wilson Auto Repair of Aberdeen at the time he entered the service for basic training at Ft. Ord, California, in December of 1965.
In addition to his wife and parents, Pfc. Chambers is survived by a sister, Mrs. Billie Briggs of Montesano; a grandmother, Mrs. Laura Flynn of Montesano; an aunt, Mrs. Bessie Townsend of Elma; two nephews and two cousins.
25 years ago
Jan. 9, 1992
PTI Communications, formerly TU of Washington, is getting most of the blame for creating a delay in the opening of Montesano’s new Junior-Senior High School. While there are a number of tasks which still need to be complete, several school board members have “expressed dismay” at the company’s behavior, according to School Board Chairman Reilly Glore.
“They knew months ago” what the district’s plans were, said Glore. “But it was only recently that PTI informed us the trunk cable serving the new school is not big enough and will have to be replaced.”
But what’s really gotten the board’s ire up is the failure of the company to give any kind of time line for when the replacement can be made.
When the school contract originally went out to bid two years ago, the district hoped to move during the 1991-92 Christmas vacation. At its meeting Tuesday, the board adopted a resolution which pushes the move up three months to spring break. If all goes smoothly, classes won’t begin at the new building until March 30.
School board member Mike Sweeney said he can’t imagine that there’s so much to do in east county that PTI can’t even commit to a date.
District Consultant Dennis Cihak said that at least by setting a date, that would put some pressure on the company. If they don’t have things ready by then, it puts them “in a bad light,” he said.
Glore said considering the service they’ve given so far, PTI doesn’t seem to care if it’s viewed in a bad light.
Don Dennis, a customer service manager for PTI communications said he felt the company “moved fairly swiftly after the signing of the contract.”
Back in late October, the district had yet to sign the contract, he said. PTI received the paperwork in early November. The needed cable had already been ordered before the contract was even signed. “If we hadn’t pre-ordered the cable it would have been even longer.”
Once the paperwork was received, the work began, he said. The cable has already been installed. Some splicing work remains to be done. He said he felt the work would probably be finished within 30 days.
10 years ago
Jan. 11, 2007
The fear that rainwater and other runoff will slop over onto their property is the single biggest fear homeowners raise at public hearings when new housing developments are proposed.
Such problems are exacerbated by the fact that water is no respector of political turf. Just ask Helen Graham of Montesano who became frustrated last week when trying to get answers about her gut feeling that there’s more water than ever on the property below her home ever since the Woods at Sylvia Creek was approved.
The Woods is located inside Montesano, but Graham is just outside the limits. Her home is the distinctive house on the knoll above the Sylvia Creek Wetlands at the west end of town along Pioneer Avenue. Her problem was made worse by the winter wind storms that left debris in the creek, and the busy beavers building a dam just below Sylvia Creek bridge on Pioneer Avenue.
Graham says she has contracted city, county and state officials about her problem, but couldn’t get anyone to accept responsibility.
Montesano Public Works Director Mike Wincewicz said part of the problem is that multiple jurisdictions are, indeed, involved.
However, he said that when it comes to The Woods at Sylvia Creek the drainage there is now the city’s responsibility.
The system was engineered and constructed according to plans, he said, and is now owned by the city.
He agreed that neighbors are not allowed to their runoff affect their neighbors.
“It’s the law,” he said.
So if the problem is originating with the new development, then it’s an issue the city will have to become involved with, he said. He’s skeptical, however, that the new housing development is to blame. Regardless, that can’t be determined until something is done about the beavers and their dam, both of which appear to be in the county.
Wincewicz told council members on Tuesday that he was planning to contact county officials this week and have them look at the property with him.
“We’ll do what we can to help out with the advice and consent of the county and Fish & Wildlife,” he told The Vidette. “What you won’t see us do is just go onto private property with a backhoe and take that dam out.”
