70 Years Ago, Friday, Feb. 4, 1937

Stevenson Names Committee to Form Organization for Marketing Corps

Vint W. Stevenson, president of the Shasta county farm bureau, carrying out a motion made at a meeting held two weeks ago, has appointed a committee composed of county farmers and business men to “study and adopt a feasible plan of co-operative growing and marketing.” Local members of the committee are as follows:

From Cottonwood – C.L. Jamerson, J.C. Brown, W.R. Robertson.

From Anderson – J. F. Bedford, E.S. Bartell, A.C. Burbank, H.E. Black, S.G. Roycroft, W.H. Ingraham.

From Olinda – J.H. Brown, Will Rush.

Election to be Held in Irrigation District Wednesday

Next Wednesday is election day in the Anderson-Cottonwood irrigation district and the following are candidates:

For director in division No. 4 (Cottonwood) B.F. Leedy and Louis Arnett. Leedy is the incumbent.

For director in division No. 3 (Balls Ferry) George Goss. The incumbent, Andrew Jessen, is not in the race.

For assessor, tax collector and treasurer, John Klukkert and E.E. Fowle, both of Anderson. Klukkert is the incumbent.

The secretary-manager, a position now filled by L. R. Williams of Cottonwood, is appointed by the directors at their first meeting in March.

Three Slightly Hurt When Autos Crash On Highway

An automobile driven by Clay Baker of Redding and truck driven by L. Thibaut of Gas Point collided at the intersection of Howard street and the state highway in front of Miller Bros. service station Monday morning and that the occupants of the two machines were not more seriously injured seems a miracle.

Thibaut was crossing the highway going west and Baker was traveling north on the highway. At some distance away Baker sounded his horn and both drivers evidently thought the other intended to stop but both kept going and Baker, thinking that he would be unable to pass on the right and believing that Thibaut would turn south on the highway, turned sharply to the left to go around the truck but Thibaut, believing Baker would pass him on the right side, drove straight across the pavement and struck Baker’s car broadside as the latter attempted to pass. When the crash occurred Carl Eaton, local drayman, was leaning over the battery box on his big truck which was being serviced in front of the station and Baker’s car also struck the truck. The force was so great that it moved Eaton’s machine a foot and rammed the battery box into the latter’s solar plexus and Eaton took the count.

Mrs. Baker, who was riding with her husband was slightly injured and Thibaut was knocked out of the cab on his head, and Eaton, losing his wind, was the only other casualty.

Bystanders attempted to place no blame for the collision which seemed to be just another unavoidable accident.

Anderson Quintet Defeated by Weed and Dunsmuir Teams

Anderson’s hopes for a basketball championship in the Northern California Athletic Association were shattered last Saturday night when the local five came home from Weed on the short end of the score in a hard fought contest. The score was 33 to 29.Wednesday night on the Anderson court the crack Dunsmuir team defeated the locals 48 to 24, giving the Railroaders the championship and the right to play Corning, in the southern division, a three game series for the championship of northern California.

40 Years Ago, Thursday, Feb. 9, 1967

Phone Rates Reduced

Anderson residents were notified this week by Pacific Telephone that their basic monthly telephone rates were reduced Jan. 1 by amounts varying from 25 to 50 cents and amounting to from six to 10 percent.

Reason for the reduction, according to Manager Werner Heidrich, is a readjustment in rates as a result of extensive hearings conducted over the past four or five years.

The study was initiated by the California Public Utilities Commission and conducted in an effort to work out a revision that would result in more equitable rate charges.

The commission felt that city rates should be lowered and rural rates increased. Rural organizations, notably the Farm Bureau, have vigorously opposed this theory at hearings held throughout the state.

Hospital Names Advisory Board

An advisory board was named last week by the Anderson-Cottonwood Hospital Board, meeting Thursday at the offices of Anderson Medical Group.

The advisory group was selected to make recommendations to the hospital board and to broaden its contact with the community, according to Terry Schisler, president of the hospital corporation.

“The hospital project is just too much work for seven of us,” Schisler said.

Jack Robertson was named chairman of the advisory group and Mrs. Anita Beebe, secretary.

Others selected were: Ed Hanly, Marion Stewart, Mrs. Myra Eberspecher, Virgil Covington, Robert Marsden, Dr. L.A. Gregory, Don Cauble, Dr. B.H. Westphal, Mrs. Vernice Smith, Mrs. Pearl Webber, John Carter, Fred Stoekel, Henry Mims, Andy Anderson, Willia Candrian, Bill Castle, Dr. J.K. Sindorf, Don Davidson and “Doc” Campbell.

Shareholders Approve Plywood-Paper Merger

Shareholders of U.S. Plywood Corporation and Champion Papers Inc. at separate meetings Friday voted approval of the merger plans for the two companies, it was announced by Gene C. Brewer, U.S. Plywood President, and Karl R. Bendetsen, Chairman and President of Champion.

The merger is expected to become effective about February 28, subject to receipt of favorable tax rulings.

“We are very pleased that shareholders of both companies voted an overwhelming endorsement of the merger which will bring about a stronger and more diversified organization,” the officials said.

Flagg, Mellow Are All-Stars

Two Anderson High School football players were among those chosen for the Northern California team that will play in the 11th Annual Optimist All-Star Football Game in Sacramento in August at the Hughes Stadium.

They were Mike Flagg, chosen as a guard, and Steve Mellow as a halfback. Both men will play linebackers on defense.

10 years ago, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 1997

Happy Valley firefighter, wife charged with arson

Apparently being a firefighter and having a home burn to the ground leaves a person open to criminal charges.

Happy Valley Volunteer Firefighter Everett Simmons and his wife Michelle were charged recently with arson on an inhabited property, arson for gain, arson of their own property fraud, three counts of insurance fraud and writing a fraudulent insurance claim.

“I don’t think he did it,” said Happy Valley Fire Chief Joe Vasquez, “I’d know if he was lying.”

Last September, the Simmons’ home, which had foreclosed prior to the fire, burned to the ground. If someone were going to torch their property for profit, they would remove what is valuable to them, the chief said.

“The Simmons lost everything,” he added.

Because Simmons is a firefighter, Vasquez said he called in the state’s fire marshal to investigate to avoid any claims of a coverup, but he remained a part of the investigative team. He said investigators are trained to look for indicators of where and how a fire starts, but “nothing was there.

“It was an accidental fire when you went into the house and an accidental fire when you left,” Vasquez said. “It should have been listed an undetermined fire.”

Cottonwood hopes bond issue passes

On March 4 Cottonwood voters will be asked to pass a school bond.

Last year, a two-thirds majority failed by nine votes.

If it passes, Measure B will build a new elementary school on the northwest corner of Gas Point and Ranch Estates road.

The 39 acre site is owned by the Cottonwood School District, which recognized there would be increasing enrollment. The district bought the land in 1993.

Initially, the new school will house students in fourth and fifth grades. The first construction phase will handle about 400 students.

A second phase will provide classrooms for about 200 sixth grade students.

If the bond measure passes, East Cottonwood School will become a kindergarten though third grade campus. East Cottonwood School will become a junior high school, housing students in seventh and eighth grades.

January rainfall totals nearly 9”

January ended the same way it began – raining.

As of last Friday, 8.85 inches of rain filled local rain gauges.

That brings the season total to date to 24.23. Normal is 20.56 inches.

In comparison, last year at this time 20.71 inches had fallen.

The nearly 9 inches of rain last month is far short of the record 28.84 inches that drenched Anderson and the north state in 1970.

There are people who have to work outside in the rain.

Anderson Post Master Pat Zeno said, “The wind slows the mail carriers down more than the rain – unless it is a flooded situation.

Bowman residents win battle on proposed asphalt, batch plant

Traffic, noise and smell were concerns of Bowman area residents on a proposed asphalt and batch plant. And, residents voiced their concerns at last Tuesday’s Tehama County Board of Supervisors’ meeting. As a result, the general plan amendment was rejected.

Westside Aggregates already has a gravel operation at the site, which is north of Bowman and east of Hooker Creek roads. Resident Merry Mahan said the roads can’t handle the additional traffic resulting from the proposed plant. And, Mahan questions the safety of school buses dropping off and picking up school children. Mahan also has concerns with odor exposure to school children at the two schools located less than one-half mile away.