Bainbridge Review 1945-03-23

              
March 23, 1945

Bainbridge Island Gem of Puget Sound
Bainbridge Review
Best Weekly In The Northwest
Published Fridays; 
entered Port Blakely, Wa.
Bainbridge Island Washington, Friday, March 23, 1945 Volume XX No.47  8 PAGES, 8 CENTS


THE OLD MAN SAYS
I was surprised the other 
day. The phone rang and I took
down the receiver and said, 
Commence.
Over the wire came the querry
Is that you, Bones?

Immediately 40 years dropped
away. Sure, I said, who is
this?

Jim Lewis, he aswered.

Where are you and where have 
you come from?, I asked.

I'm down at pier 91, I've just
come in from Guam. I'm 
commander in the Navy, Bones.

Now, I said, I know one of
us is crazy. You are too blooming
old to be in the Navy!

Oh, shut up, he said, Come
down here and get me. You and I
have a lot of visiting to do. I'm
ordered to proceed East right away.

So I went and got my old friend,
Jim Lewis. He and I were in school
together. After we got through
pounding each other on the back
and stopped yelling the inane
greetings that come to men who
have suddenly lost 40 odd years, I
asked, How is it that you are in 
the Navy at your age?

Well, he said, It is because of
a mixture of ignorance and pride.
You remember Bill Eaton, who was
in our class?
Yes, I replied. Bill  , who
always knew the worst was going to
happen.

That's just it, Jim answered.
In 1935 he went around saying,
There's going to be a war. I'm 
going to organize a unit or a company
or something. Will you be in it?
To stop his teasing a lot of the 
old gang agreed and I was one of them.

Occasionally we would get a
letter from the Navy department
but, of course, it didn't really mean
any of us, or so we thought.

Well, Jim went on, come
Pearl Harbor and I got a telegram
from Washington, DC, to get
examined. I took it around to Bill and
asked what it was all about.

Bill explained that it was just 
a matter of form. If there is a
was, he said, it won't last more
than three weeks. Get examined.

Was I ever proud! I was the
only one of the old bunch who
passed. The doctors said I wasn't
more than 30 years old. I gave the
gang the laugh and said, Now you
old dodoes know who is the only
real man amongst you.

I was glad I had that laugh
when I did, Jim went on, In a
week I got another telegram to
report to Newport. I had four days
to sell my businesses and I have been
in the Navy ever since. Simple
as that.

We sat down to dinner and did
he make my wife's eyes shine!
The first real food I've had for
months. And with my old friends!
It's great to be alive!, Jim said
that from the bottom of his heart.

Then we took Jim Lewis to his
train and I shouldered the 40
years again.

Meeting Jim recalled among
many other things, how I came
back to our 25th reunion. I was
told they were in a big room in the
hotel. I walked in and started to
walk out again. It was the wrong 
room, I thought. I didn't know any
of those funny looking old men.

Then I saw a big fellow with a
bald head: Roger Lee! He used to 
sit right in front of me. I went over
and banged him on the back and
said, Hello, you hairless old ape,
how are you? and the hairless old
ape turned around and said,
Really, you have the advantage
of me, I'm the Dean, Dean Edsall.
And so it was ! But after a
half an hour that bunch of funny
looking old men looked the same
as the crowd of boys I had known
for years back in school.

Then the very next day the 
telephone rang again. When I
answered, it's a voice asked, Do you
have a son Bob?

I admitted that I did and the
voice continued, Bob and I were
in school together. I'm in kind of
a jam. Would it trouble you too
much if I talked with you a few
minutes?

So I went and got Bob's classmate.
He's in the Navy, too. His
wife and baby were on their way
here but he couldn't find a place to
stay. His wife had shipped their
furniture, which had arrived a
good two weeks ahead of time, and
he had been told to move it out of
the freight rooms pronto.

Gee, I'm kind of flustered, he
said, We're going to have another 
baby in May, too.

Now, our Bob is messing around
somewhere in Germany and his
wife and baby are being looked 
after in Boston. So in we pitched
to see what we could be done for this
friend and family.

Bob's classmate has had his
furniture stored. He has found and
rented a furnished house. He has
a doctor and a hospital reservation
for his wife and a nurse for 
his kid. He has done pretty well
for a fellow who was, kind of flustered.

So, in two days I had been back
to my yesterday, been mixed up
with men of today and children of
tomorrow. Two good days!

RECREATION
PROGRAM IS
SUSPENDED

Suspension of the all Island
recreational program, as set up
this winter, does not mean that 
the program is abandoned, Mrs
Frank Mariner, Agate Point,
chairman of the school board and
T Roy Thordarson, Fletcher Bay,
superintendent of schools,
announced this week.

Lack of immediate funds was
reported as one reason, as was the
fact that the per capita cost
seemed out of proportion with the
results obtained.

A committee of Island men and
women began work on a recreational
program last spring, under
the impetus of promised funds
from federal, state and local
contributions, some of which were not
forthcoming, it was reported, as
the decision to suspend activities
was announced.

William Linn, Rolling Bay, a
former director of such activities
on the Pacific Coast, was chosen
to organize recreational activities.
Under his supervision a program
of athletics was arranged for 
after school hours and Saturdays
at the Lincoln School, Winslow,
and at the high school.

With the assistance of members 
of the school faculty, other events
included dancing classes at the
Winslow Park recreation hall two
evenings a week. Residents of Seabold
established a program in that
area, holding a weekly schedule of
several hours play at the community
hall.

Funds were provided by the
Washington state program, which
underwrote the current expenses
while federal grants were pending,
it was explained. Refusal of the
federal funds to many such programs, 
including the large scale
Bremerton plan, was announced 
recently, and the local schedule
was abondoned, the announcement
concluded.

A closer tie in with the public
school program will be made in
coming plans, Mrs Mariner 
reported. Since outside funds seem
doubtful more community activity
will be needed to establish the new
program, she said.

A state allotment of $250,000
has been made for all such recreational
programs, Mrs Mariner
added. At present the receational
committee and the school officials 
are waiting to ascertain what 
portion of the money may be
allocated locally.

Spring and summer programs
may be planned by local Parent
Teacher associations, it was stated,
with suggested public forums as
one idea in the immediate future.

Assistance has been volunteered
by members of the school faculty
for the development of any
temporary recreational program, Mr
Thordason reported. While this 
does not mean that individual 
teachers will take charge of
organized play in various communities,
he said, interested communities
may receive the advice and
assistance in planning local 
programs.
Tags:
Education, Bainbridge Island

OPA SEEKS CLERK
FOR OFFICE JOB

A full time job as price clerk at
the War Price and Rationing
Board office, Winslow, is open for
a qualified applicant, board officials
announced this week as they
disclosed the resignation of Mrs
Ethel Andrews, Battle Point.

Mrs Andrews, employed on the
ration board staff for the past year
and a half, asked that her resignation
be accepted, effective April
15, it was said. She plans to spend 
several months away from the 
Island, according to reports.

Applicants were asked to call
J F Henry, Rolling Bay, chairman
of the Island board, evenings at
Port Madison 3302, or to call at the
Winslow rationing headquarters.
The position requires a full day
schedule plus attendance at two
evening meetings each month, it
was said.
Tags:
Civilian War Effort, Bainbridge Island, WWII

SUMMER CAMP REUNION
Mr and Mrs Frank Shryock and
their son, Dick, Wing Point, and
Mrs J Harvey Griffith and
daughter Marilyn and Jean,
Ferncliff, attended a summer camp
reunion at the Tennis Club,
Seattle, last Friday evening. This
reunion was a get together of boys
and girls who have attended the
San Juan Camp for Boys, the
North Star Camp for Girls and the 
San Juan Ski Lodge.

LAND SLIDE 
HITS HOME

Mr and Mrs Bernard Lueck,
tenants of Judge Howard Findley's
home, Crystal Springs, were forced
out of their home early Tuesday
morning when a landslide 
completely demolished more than half
of the house, it was reported this
week.

Awakening at about 1 o'clock
Tuesday morning, Mr and Mrs
Lueckwere horrified to find their
young baby and the baby bed
thrust upon their own bed, it was
learned. Dashing out of the house
into a driving rain they saw that 
land on the hill behind their home
had slid into the building.

Taking temporary shelter with
friends in the vicinity, the couple
were able to rescue some personal
belongings and part of the furniture
the next morning.

They are making their home
with friends until they can occupy
a residence in Winslow.

M'DONALD PTA DADS
DUE FOR PLAYFIELD
WORK ON SUNDAY

Men of the McDonald School
Parent Teacher Association,
Eagledale, with their picks and shovels,
are asked to gather for completion
of the playground work at
1 o'clock Sunday afternoon, weather
permitting, Dean Holt, Bucklin's 
Corner, said this week.

Preliminary work was done more
than a month ago, Mr Holt said,
and this meeting should see the 
ground completed.

Coffee and cake will be furnished
by a group of ladies of the
organization.

Tag: Education, Bainbridge Island

Rev J M Robinson, Rolling
Bay, suffered a fractured collar
bone as a result of a fall at his
home Monday.

Meet Your Neighbors
EMIL WILLIAMS, PIONEER, 10 YEAR VETERAN
OF ROAD CREW, DRIVES HUGE GRADING MACHINE
OVER ISLAND HIGHWAYS

Image Caption:
Emil Williams pauses at the helm of the huge machine
used for maintenance of Island roads.

by Jean Henry

Day after day the rain pours
down until it seems spring and
dryer roads will never come. Mud
and ruts, unexpected miniature
rivers of foaming brown water
make driving a strenuous business
these days.

No one knows this better than 
the driver of the big yellow road
grader. He has worked early and
late the last two months keeping
the roads open so we can get our
cars through as usual. Up and
down, back and forth from one end 
of the Island to the other, the
grader scrapes the dirt and gravel
filling in the holes, opening the
ditches, smoothing the ruts.

Let's follow the long mound of 
rubble made by the scraping 
blades down the center of the road,
up to the top of the next hill, past
the gray barn with the sagging
roof to the shivering poplar tree
and being careful to stay astride
the dividing line of mud, we round
a sharp bend and come out on a
straight stretch and there he is
at last! The driver waves cheerily
and leans out of the cab of the
road hogger as we came 
alongside. He's eating
his lunch and there is time between bites 
to talk.

Emil Williams of Rolling Bay 
has had the most colorful life that
a road grader operator could ever
have. He first saw the green forests
of Bainbridge Island from the
decks of the German windjammer,
Marie, as she was being towed
into Port Blakely fresh from her
voyage from Australia. The 
Marie, was the finest full rigged
ship ever to come into Blakely. She
was a gleaming white inside and 
out  and her crew worked endlessly
to keep her this way.

Emil was only 18 and the three
years he had spent at sea under the 
German flag made him long for 
freedom. Here was his chance! 
While the ,Marie, lay at anchor,
loading lumber in the harbor, Emil
jumped ship. The first man he met
happened to be John Silven, who
until his death recently had been a 
resident  of Seabold. Emil was
(Please turn to Page Three)

OPA STARTS
NEW PANEL
A community service panel, to
act as a liaison group between
Office of Price Administration
headquarters and various social
and civic groups, has been selected
by the War Price and rationing
Board, Winslow, according to an 
announcement this week.

This group will meet each month
to discuss information on rules
and regulations as distributed by
Office of Price Administration
headquarters, it was revealed. The
chief purpose of this new panel will
be to distribute the information to
the participating organizations,
the board explained.

Heading the new panel is Rev
Charles P Milne, Winslow, representing
the Bainbridge Island
Ministerial Association. Others
serving with Mr Milne are L A
Peterson, Wing Point,from the
American Legion, Mrs Maurice
McMicken, Wing Point, representing
the USO; Mrs S J Clark,
Ferncliff, the Parent Teacher
Association; Mrs Frank Vert, Winslow,
the Bainbridge Island 
Grange; Ray Williamson, Winslow, 
Bainbridge Business Association
and Chamber of Commerce, and 
Richard Judd, Battle Point, from
the Renton Lodge, No 29, F & A M.

First meeting of the service
panel will be next Friday evening,
it was announced, when two state
OPA officials will discuss the
duties of the organization with 
relation to rationing and controls
operated by the board.  

The community service panel
system has been organized by
many local boards throughout the
nation, it was reported.
Tags:
Civilian War Effort, Bainbridge Island, WWII

SCOUTS GAIN
ON PAPER GOAL

Still aiming at a goal of 1,000
pounds of paper for each member
of the Boy Scouts or Cub Scouts,
more than 11,000 pounds of waste
paper was salvaged within the last
several weeks, V E Urich, Winslow,
chairman of the Bainbridge
Island Scout committee, announced
this week.

Four boys have gathered more
than their individual quota it was
revealed when a Cub Scout, Loren
(Minky) Peterson reported 
collection of 1,275 pounds of paper. 
Donnell McNulty, Boy Scout, turned
in 1,194 pounds. Both boys are
members of Troop No 496, Winslow
and south Island group.

Most paper was reported from
Erling Gunderson, Seabold Scout,
who has brought in 1,276 pounds.
Russell Trask, a Cub, was six
pounds over his quota this week
with 1,006 pounds to his credit.
These two boys are from Troop
497, Rolling Bay, Seabold and the 
north  end of the Island.

Gen Dwight Eisenhower has endorsed
the Boy Scout paper campaign
through March and April,
with the promise of an autographed
shell casing from the European
war front, for each Scout Troop
averaging more than 1,000 pounds
of paper per member. Local
American Legion members are supporting
the Scouts in this drive.
Tags:
Civilian War Effort, Bainbridge Island, WWII

Mrs Matilda Hope, Island
Center, is home due to an illness of the
last 10 days.  

LIDRAL CO
STARTS WORK
ON FIRE HALL

Completed in the eyes of expectant
watchers as first shovels of
earth cleared away the site of the
new firehall, Bainbridge Island's
newest structure, the $15,000 firehall
construction ordered by fire
commissioners was started
Monday morning.

The firehall contract was awarded
the Lidral Construction Company,
Seattle, owned by J F Lidral,
Ferncliff, commissioners
announced. The building was designed
by Charles Palmer, Manitou.

To be completed by July 15th, or
earlier, the structure will house
space for fire trucks, a meeting
room approximately 18 by 30 feet,
a dormitory and kitchen, a half
basement and furnace room, and a
drying tower 30 feet high. Concrete
block construction is called for in
the plan.

The actual construction culminated
several months of endeavors on
the part of the commissioners, it
was learned. Nearly a month ago
the War Production Board, Washington,
DC, released the necessary
priorities for the building
providing for construction to start
within 60 days. 

Several months aago the 
commissioners cancelled applications
on file with the Federal Works
Agency, stating at that time that
differences between local and federal
cost estimates showed that a
saving would be made by acting
through local channels.

On hand, the commissioners estimated
$9,000 from tax monies
would start the work. Further
monies were to be secured from
local contributions and from
future taxes, it was reported.

During the past two years the
fire crews have been very busy.
Fire Chief Louis Sinnett, Creosote,
reported, with an estimated saving
of more than $200,000 during the
time. The recent fires at the USO
building, Winslow, the Winslow
Park recreation hall, and at half a
dozen residences were cited as
cases whereby consideralble damage
was avoided due to the efficiency 
of the crew.

Necessity for the firehall, and
especially the drying tower, was
noted during the Winslow Park
fire, it was reported. At that time
the fire hose burst and leaked
badly. because of dampness and
lack of thorough drying facilities.

Possibilities of a reduction of
fire insurance rates on Island
property is being considered, it
was reported. Island property
values are placed at more than
$5,000,000, it was said, and some
saving may be realized when the
added value of the firehall is
realized.

TRAFFIC CASES
LEAD 1944 JUSTICE
SESSIONS HERE

Traffic violations continued to
lead the list of Island justice court
cases, Walt Woodward, Rolling
Bay, revealed in his 1944 report to 
county authorities. Mr Woodward
serves as a justice of the peace for
the Island and reported 57 cases
for the year.

Nineteen cases of faulty parking
topped the list, with 15 cases of 
speeding as runner up. There were
five cases of negligent driving and
four cases for failure to stop at an
arterial sign.

Other trials included two cases,
no operator's license; one case,
failing to yield the right of way;
two cases, reckless driving; one
case, disorderly conduct; one case, 
drunkenness; three cases, drunkenness
on the public highway; one
case, third degree assault; two
cases, violation of the fire code,
and one case, petty larceny.

THE CALENDAR
Sunday
Palm Sunday
McDonald PTA dads meet
MONDAY
OPA Non Shipyard Mileage Panel
TUESDAY
OPA Fuel Oil Panel
WEDNESDAY
Port Madison Lutheran Ladies' Aid
Sportmen's Club meeting
THURSDAY
OPA Shipyard Mileage Panel
FRIDAY
OPA Community Service Panel
Island School Vacation Day