This Week in History

25 years ago (1999)

Gas station staff nabbed in drug raid

A Newport gas station attendant was arrested on allegations that he sold drugs to drive-up customers.

Patrick B. Cavanaugh, 22, of Toledo was arrested on marijuana delivery and manufacture charges during a Monday afternoon operation that had several officers close down the Newport Exxon station for about a two-hour period.

Pile driving begins for temporary Beverly Beach bridge

Oregon Department of Transportation officials on Thursday approved a plan to erect a crane on Beverly Beach to be used in driving piles and building a temporary U.S. Highway 101 bridge.

About 150 bridge supports, or pilings, are to be driven this week and the following two weeks.

Nye Beach improvements endorsed

A report on Nye Beach Streetscape Improvements went to both the Newport Planning Commission and the Newport Development Commission this week.

The report outlines local improvement projects designed to enhance the pedestrian environment in Nye Beach and help create a strong neighborhood identity. Funding for construction of these projects will come primarily from urban renewal money.

Toledo residents seek fairgrounds in East County

Areas east of Newport toward Toledo or in Siletz were proposed Wednesday as possible sites for a new fairgrounds at a Toledo meeting to discuss a county event center.

Sites near the Toledo Dairy Queen, Yaquina Bay Road and Siletz were put forward by at least three persons.

“You just can’t have that outdoor stuff in Newport,” Toledo area resident Mary Johnson said. “It’s so nasty there in the summer. It’s so windy.”

50 years ago (1974)

Good deed undone

No matter how hard someone works to do a good deed, someone else will come along to undo it.

This was one observation some 200 members of the Pacific Northwest 4 Wheel Drive Association made last weekend during their massive cleanup of forest service roads in Lincoln and Tillamook counties.

On Saturday, the volunteer workers hauled a derelict automobile body, one of seven they removed over the weekend, from over a bank on the old scenic highway over Cascade Head. They left it at the roadside to be picked up later. When they returned to load it onto a truck, however, they found that someone had pushed it over the bank on the other side of the road.

Most motels heavily booked for Fourth of July

A busy holiday weekend appears to be in store for tourism on the 20 Miracle Miles.

Several of the largest motels in and around Lincoln City Tuesday reported they are booked for Friday and Saturday, and most of the others expect at least 80 percent occupancy.

“It looks pretty shiny from today on,” Maxine Diller, owner manager of the Cozy Cove said Tuesday.

Newport boat collides with 600-foot vessel

Newport fisherman Gary Thomas narrowly escaped drowning when his 30-foot commercial vessel, Jane Ann, collided with a 600-foot Norwegian freighter about 15 miles off Winchester Bay June 28.

Thomas was reluctant to abandon the fast sinking Jane Ann, which he had spent most of last winter rebuilding, and the rigging almost dragged him under at the last minute.

He has praise for the lifeboat crew of an East German fishing trawler who rescued him minutes after entering the cold, rough water.

Group seeks to save Crab Creek Bridge

A group of citizens in the southeast corner of Lincoln County, led by Dorothy Josellis, have joined efforts to preserve the covered bridge over Crab Creek near Five Rivers, one of only six publicly owned covered bridges left in the county.

The county has acquired right-of-way for a new bridge upstream from the existing bridge and hopes to begin construction this summer.

75 years ago (1949)

Site selection still doubtful for high school

The site in the North Lincoln area upon which the county school board will erect a new high school to replace the present structure at Taft apparently has not yet been decided upon after all.

The selection of a new North Lincoln area high school site will be made only after an outside engineer has made a survey of the potential sites and has made recommendations to the board.

D River to have new lifeguard

A lifeguard, Juanita Slaney, of Portland, will be on duty in the swimming area near the D River Bridge beginning July 1, it was revealed by John Pizutti at Monday night’s meeting of the DeLake Chamber of Commerce.

Miss Slaney has been attending a two-week swimming school for guards and instructors sponsored by the Red Cross at Bremerton, Washington.

Man burned by solvent

Web Johnson, co-owner of the West Coast Laundry and Dry Cleaners, is recovering in Lincoln Hospital in Toledo from second-degree burns sustained Monday when he threw cleaning solvent on a supposedly dead fire.

Some of the liquid spilled on his legs, setting his pants afire. The burns were on his legs between the ankle and knee.

Fisherman drifts for seven days

A stoic Finn minimized last week the experience of drifting seven days in the open sea, alone, after the engine of his 40-foot commercial fishing boat “froze.”

The South Bend, Washington man, Walter Hanneman, 40, was found by Arnie Oja, skipper of the Eris, last Thursday afternoon about 12 miles off Depoe Bay. The Coast Guard towed him in.

100 years ago (1924)

Boxing carnival to be big feature on July 5

One of the most attractive features of the two-day celebration in Toledo will be the Fight Carnival to be staged in an open-air arena at the fairgrounds the morning of July 5.

Avery and Dixon, local promoters, have arranged a card that is undoubtedly the best to be had.

Man attempts to rob store

at Elk City

Elk City had considerable excitement Sunday morning about 3 o’clock and immediately following the Saturday night dance, when a man was seen attempting to break his way into the Allen store. Several shots were fired at the burglar, and he crawled under a building. He soon emerged from the other side, and before his pursuers could overtake him, he was lost in the brush.

While attempting to escape, the man dropped his hat, and the men who found it believe they know the owner.

Caravan makes advertising trip to valley towns

Forty-six Toledoites, with horns, cowbells and other noisemaking instruments, in cars beautifully decorated with flags, bunting and placards, visited Eugene, Albany, Corvallis, and other valley towns last Sunday in the interest of Toledo’s two-day celebration here, starting tomorrow morning.

The caravan left Toledo at 6:30 Sunday morning, and through every town they came to, they spread the news that Lincoln County’s capital was going to celebrate Independence Day.

Pacific Spruce Mill prepares to help entertain visitors

The management of the Pacific Spruce Mill is making considerable preparation to help entertain the thousands of visitors who will come to Toledo to celebrate July 4 and 5. Guides will be on hand both days to show visitors every detail of one of the finest lumber mills in the world. Pamphlets giving data on the great lumber manufacturing systems, from the logging camps to the mill itself, will be distributed to the visitors to give them some idea of the gigantic operations being carried on by the Pacific Spruce Corporation in Lincoln County.