Glance at the Past

103 Years Ago April 10, 1918

• The Fort Bragg Market’s new ice box was completed this week and is reported as giving splendid satisfaction.

• Mr. and Mrs. Dana Gray, Jr. and children, and Mrs. Mayme Ward spent the weekend with relatives in Ukiah.

• J. S. Cotton is in Oakland attending the California High School Principal’s Convention.

• As a result of the rain Monday night quite a slide came down in the Westport Grade Tuesday morning. It took five hours to shovel it away.

• Jack Hopper and wife came in on the train last Monday and proceeded on to the woods where Jack has accepted a position.

• Notes from Mendocino — Word was received that Charles Hurley, a graduate of this high school, and now an attendant at Stanford University, has been selected as one of the players on the varsity baseball team.

80 Years Ago April 16, 1941

• Pvt. P. A. Stenberg, artilleryman of Fort Ord, was granted special leave to come home to participate in the Easter Services at the First Baptist Church. Alex has a very fine bass voice and completes a valuable adjunct to the choir.

• A birthday surprise party was given Friday evening at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Johnson, celebrating the birthday of Mrs. Don Mcdonald. Mrs. Clifford Johnson and Mrs. Lester Olson were cohostesses for the evening. Games and singing were much enjoyed during the evening, as were the delicious refreshments.

• Mrs. Ruby Hamman and son, Dickie, left for their home in San Francisco Thursday after visiting here three weeks with her mother, Mrs. Fred Duffey and family.

• On Wednesday evening, April 2, Mrs. Jack Bainbridge was tendered a surprise stork shower at the home of Mrs. J. Stoddard. She was presented with a bathinette and high chair. An evening of bridge was enjoyed and immediately following, delicious refreshments were served.

• Harry Spath and

H. A. Nurnberger left Wednesday of last week for Pittsburgh, Pa., via airplane from San Francisco. They reported a safe landing.

48 Years Ago April 19, 1973

• “This Freedom Tree is dedicated by the City of Fort Bragg to Major William F. Mullen, MIA, and all other permanently disabled, MIAs and POW veterans of the Vietnam conflict in gratitude for their sacrifices.” So reads the plaque placed beneath a small tree planted at the California Western Railroad Depot in Fort Bragg and so spoke Fort Bragg Mayor Bernard Vaughn at an impressive dedication service held at the location Saturday, April 14. Participants included Col. Calvin Sample, Supervisor August Avila, Mrs. Mary Jane Loffler, Fort Bragg High School student body president Susan Figueiredo and Mrs. Vivian Johnson, city councilman Floyd Botsford, Capt. Michael Quagliano. Fort Bragg citizens first heard about Major Mullen when his wife, Barbara, and their two sons, Sean, now 9, and Terrence, 11, rode in the McGovern car representing the P.O.W. wives and families during the Paul Bunyan Parade last September. At that time, Mrs. Mullen, who had not heard from her husband since he was shot down over Laos on April 29, 1965, still believed he was a prisoner there. She recently received word that the Marine major had been listed as missing in action.

Mrs. Mullen expressed her thanks to the people of Fort Bragg for their concern on behalf of herself, her sons and the major’s mother and dad.

40 Years Ago April 15, 1981

• At Coast Twin Cinemas: “Windwalker” starring Trevor Howard.

“The Incredible Shrinking Woman” starring Lily Tomlin.

• Members of the Women’s Association of the First Presbyterian Church held a salad luncheon recently in honor of Peggy Casey, a well-known and loved former Fort Bragger who now makes her home in Ireland. Peggy was in the area just a week and was busy every bit of the time visiting with old friends June Holmes, Velma Sutliff, Barbara Johnson, Florence Anderson, Rhonda Ward and Myrtle Hansen.

• Fort Bragg commercial fisherman Bill Haas continues to dazzle with his outstanding play at the Little River Inn Golf Course. Last Tuesday, while playing with Ralph Netzer, Dave De Silva, and Louie McBroom, Bill’s two-over par 71 scores included the extremely rare feat by birdieing both number one and number ten holes. Quite a performance by the 8-handicapper.

• The family of Steven Stayner has sold the movie rights to the story of their son’s kidnapping and seven-year life with alleged abductor Kenneth Parnell, who is now awaiting trial. Steven, reunited with his parents just over a year ago, attended Dana Gray School in Fort Bragg for a year under the name of “Dennis Parnell.” The boy was kidnapped not far from his Merced home in 1972, and lived with Parnell, a bookkeeper, in several northern California locations. Stayner’s incredible story came to light when he returned five-year-old Timmy White Sollami to Ukiah from the south Mendocino coast two weeks after the youngster allegedly became another Parnell kidnap victim.