A Look Back in Time: Green Hill Superintendent Criticizes Proposed Fence in 1963, Calls for Maximum Security Facility to Handle 'Runaway Problem'

Feb. 10—A fence at the Green Hill School in Chehalis would "prove to be inadequate and a costly lesson for taxpayers," claimed Robert Quant, the Green Hill superintendent. Quant's warning followed an announcement by Lewis County legislators on Saturday, Feb. 9, 1963, they were proposing legislation to build the fence, The Chronicle reported on Feb. 11.

"Quant frankly declared a fence of any type would be a complete waste of money. To be effective, a fence would have to be 14 to 16 feet high with at least one or two gates," The Chronicle reported. "The fence would have to be anchored in cement, he added."

According to Quant, the "real answer" to the "runaway problem" the school was facing was a maximum security facility.

"While the maximum security building may not answer all the problems, it would be more practical than a fence," Quant said.

According to Quant, Green Hill's facilities were overcrowded. At the time, the school was designed to handle 176 boys, but was holding 200.

"The two recent incidents involving Green Hill runaways have renewed the problems for the general public. We face them each day. The public shouldn't forget that each year, some 200 to 300 boys are released from the school and 75 percent of them make good," Quant said.

Saturday, Feb. 11, 1933

—The Southwest Washington Firemen's Association met in Chehalis on the night of Friday, Feb. 10 with about 50 men in attendance, The Chronicle reported. Ralph Gemmill, the state fire marshal, served as president of the meeting and gave a speech promising cooperation with fire departments.

—Charles Goldsmith, a resident of Chehalis since 1904, passed away in a local hospital on Friday, Feb. 10 at the age of 62, The Chronicle reported. He was survived by a sister and a brother.

—Jack Williams was being held in the Lewis County Jail after he was arrested in Centralia on the night of Friday, Feb. 10. Williams, 27, was wanted in Shawnee, Oklahoma for auto theft. He was found hiding in a local residence and offered no resistance during his arrest. He apparently admitted his guilt in the auto theft and said the stolen car was in a garage in Raymond. Williams and his brother had been living in Centralia since November 1932.

—Jurors were expected to be drawn on Feb. 11 for the March term of the Lewis County Superior Court. According to The Chronicle, Judge C.A. Studebaker said the term would begin on March 6, marking the judge's first jury term.

—The Lewis County Commissioners were having an automatic coal stoker unit installed in the place of oil burners at the Lewis County Courthouse, The Chronicle reported. The new stoker was expected to be ready in a week to 10 days and was to use coal from Lewis County mines to provide heating. The cost of the stoker was $525 and its installment was made on the suggestion of the Lewis County Taxpayers' League.

—Multiple Lewis County churches were expected to hold Sunday services honoring Abraham Lincoln's birthday, who was born on Feb. 12, 1809. Rev. J.C. Tourtellot, the pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Chehalis, was expected to deliver a sermon on the theme of "If Lincoln Were Alive Today?" Rev. Norman McCay, the pastor at Chehalis' First Methodist Church, was to deliver a sermon on the topic of "Abraham Lincoln — Pioneer Christian."

—A luncheon was expected to be held by the Centralia Chamber of Commerce at the Lewis-Clark Hotel to discuss a proposed ship canal between Grays Harbor and Puget Sound. The speaker was to be Ransom Minkler, the vice president of the Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce and the chair of the Aberdeen Industrial Committee. According to The Chronicle, the Centralia Chamber had already endorsed the proposed project. The canal would have run between Olympia and Grays Harbor via the Rochester Prairie, following the Black River to Oakville and the Chehalis River from Oakville to the harbor. The project was expected to cost about $37,000,000 and it was estimated 20,000 men would be employed for two years during the construction.

Thursday, Feb. 11, 1943

—Residents of the Twin Cities area who were in need of fuel were expected to register for rationing at local high schools on Monday, Feb. 15, Tuesday, Feb. 16, and Wednesday, Feb. 17, The Chronicle reported. The administration of the fuel rationing would be made under Reid Conrad, the Lewis County Rationing Administrator. Residents of other areas were supposed to register for fuel rations at their local high schools. Fuel rationing was done as part of the U.S.'s ongoing involvement in World War II.

—Plans were underway for the annual Lincoln Day Dinner sponsored by the Lewis County Republican Central Committee. The dinner was to be held at the St. Helens Hotel in Chehalis on Friday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. Republicans from throughout the county were expected to come and honor the "Civil War President." The co-chairs of the event were John Panesko of Chehalis and Fred Drebis of Centralia.

—A car crashed into a tavern on Market Street in Chehalis on the afternoon of Wednesday, Feb. 10. "Cigars and shattered glass were scattered to the four winds Wednesday afternoon when an automobile suddenly dashed across the sidewalk on Market Street and crashed into a showcase in the open front of Fred's Tavern," The Chronicle reported. The driver of the car, a Winlock resident, said their foot had slipped from the brake onto the accelerator while backing up into a parking space. The damage was estimated at $25.

—The unnamed widow of Captain George Newgard, received a Purple Heart medal awarded posthumously to her husband who was killed in action on Guadalcanal on Oct. 14, 1942. Newgard was killed by a shell from a Japanese ship while directing the unloading of supplies on the island, where he had arrived the day before. The Newgards had lived in South Dakota but after Newgard's death the widow and their daughter, Margaret, moved to Chehalis where his brother was a savings and loan executive.

—Ephram Bartel died at the age of 66 in a Tacoma hospital, The Chronicle reported. Bartel, a resident of Chehalis, was born on Dec. 20, 1876 in Russia, having immigrated to the U.S. 33 years earlier. An employee of the Northern Pacific Railroad for 20 years, he was survived by his wife, a son, a daughter, a brother, two grandchildren and two sisters who still lived in Russia.

—The Centralia Elks' Lodge had launched a drive to "secure new and readable magazines for men of the nation's armed forces who are now serving in Alaska," The Chronicle reported. According to the chair of the drive, Ellwood Lippincott, outdated issues of magazines, publications meant for children and newspapers were not wanted for the drive.

—Several cases of food poisoning were being investigated by the Lewis County Health Department. According to Dr. Robert Fishback, the head of the department, said other cases of food poisoning had "undoubtedly been prevented" because of the reports his office had received.

Wednesday, Feb. 11, 1953

—The dates of May 7 through June 13 were announced as the period during which a mass chest X-ray survey of Lewis County citizens would be performed, according to the executive committee of the Lewis County Tuberculosis Association. A public meeting was to be held with representatives of various county organizations at the Lewis County Courthouse on March 2.

—Chehalis city officials awarded $3,815.71 in contracts for the remodel of the police station, The Chronicle reported. The contracts were for plumbing, heating, brick work and wiring and were part of a total of $5,000 that had been allocated for the remodel.

—State Patrolman Myron Peterson had reportedly arrested two "Portland youths" found in a stolen car near Centralia on the night of Tuesday, Feb. 10. The youths, ages 16 and 17, had stolen the car in Portland on Sunday, Feb. 8 and drove it to Tacoma. They were returning to Portland when they were arrested.

—The Lewis County Treasurer's Office announced it had brought in a "whopping" $2,204,931.83, an all-time high for annual taxes. The announcement was apparently made each year on Feb. 14 by sending out statements in the mail, which were referred to as the Treasurer's "Valentines."

—The Republicans in the state Legislature unveiled their proposed tax reform legislation, according to an Associated Press story featured in The Chronicle. The legislation would have reformed the tax system to reduce the amount of money brought in by the state government and allow local governments to collect more in taxes. According to the AP, schools were strongly opposed to the proposal and had been against the reforms before the legislation was released.

—Chehalis Mayor Leonard Sonnemann praised the civic mindedness of many Chehalis organizations for their pledges to help put lights on Millett Field, The Chronicle reported. "The city feels that this is a worthwhile project that can be accomplished by everyone pitching in and helping finance it," Sonnemann said on Feb. 11. According to the mayor, city funds were limited as a large portion of the park budget was being used to develop Recreation Park.

—An English version of the musical comedy "The Fledermaus" was scheduled to appear on the evening of Saturday, Feb. 14 in the R.E. Bennett auditorium in Chehalis. The cast was to include members of the Civic Drama Guild of New York. The curtain time was 8 p.m. and all proceeds were to be donated to the Youth Activity Fund by the play's sponsors, the Chehalis Junior Chamber of Commerce.

Monday, Feb. 11, 1963

—The Morton Town Council had approved a plan to revamp its street lighting system with the aid of the Lewis County Public Utility District. The plan would add mercury-vapor lights to the Morton lighting system. According to Mayor Elmer Jastad, nine extra lights were to be added, with Morton paying the PUD for the service.

—Burton Casad, the 23-year-old son of "Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Casad," was one of three drowning victims in Spirit Lake on Saturday, Feb. 9, 1963, The Chronicle reported in its Feb. 11 edition. Burton Casad was from Chehalis, where his parents lived, and was a high school teacher in Castle Rock. He was taking a group of Sea Scouts on a camping trip. Their boat, loaded with six boys, two stoves, groceries and camping gear, overturned when it struck a thin sheet of ice. The two other victims were Allan Larsen and Larry Grubb, both 16-year-old high school juniors from Castle Rock. The four other boys were wearing life jackets and were able to safely reach the shore.

—Fifty-eight drivers were arrested by state patrol officers in Lewis County over the weekend of Saturday, Feb. 9 and Sunday, Feb. 10, The Chronicle reported. Those 58 arrests were part of a total of 65 citations that were given out, including 36 for speeding, six for an invalid license and four for illegal possession of alcohol while minors. Twelve of the drivers were from Lewis County.

—Warm weather was welcomed in Lewis County over the weekend of Feb. 9 and 10. "Uncommon shirtsleeve weather delighted the Twin Cities and Lewis County over the weekend, and weather forecasts said the sun lovers could expect another day or so of the early, early spring delight," The Chronicle reported. The weather forecast for Feb. 11 predicted temperatures could reach as high as 68 degrees. The warm weather started on Friday, Feb. 8 when temperatures reached 67 degrees, marking the second warmest February day since 1949.

—"Mrs. Blosl," an 86-year-old resident of Centralia whose first name was not provided, had passed away in her home on Feb. 11, The Chronicle reported. Blosl, who had lived in Centralia for 35 years, was born on Sept. 17, 1876 in Obermoldow, Austria. She was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church. She was survived by five sons, four daughters, 29 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

—Twelve Morton High School students were initiated into the National Honor Society, The Chronicle reported. The twelve were Douglas Johnson, Glen Stinson, Kaylene Compton, Ronald Sparkman, Dan Butts, Barry Beda, Judith Peterson, Dee Storkman, Janice Pilkenton, Ronald Walker, Roger Lester and Mike Cournyer.

—An estimated 70,000 had visited the Randle area in 1962, according to Harold Coates, the Randle District Ranger. The number was one and a half times the total population of Lewis County at the time and represented an increase of 20,000 people from 1961. Coates said the number included those who had toured and camped in the area, as well as hikers, hunters, picnickers and fisherman. It was also reported the average length of stay in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest was one and three-quarter days.