Our Lummi Island Community

Tome 1967/10

LUMMI ISLAND NEWSLETTER

OCTOBER 1967

NEXT MEETING ‑ NOVEMBER 8th ‑ POT LUCK SUPPER ‑ 6:30 to 7:30 P.M. ‑ GRANGE HALL

A rather erratic schedule for the community club meetings appears to be necessary during the fall season due to the press of non-Island activities by various key members ‑ apparently popularity is a demanding thing ‑ I personally wouldn’t know!! Then, of course, there also is the annual, long standing, unexplained and concerted custom of “trekking” to the hinterland whilst suffering abject discomfort and mass hysteria under the guise of recreation. I believe it is facetiously, upon occasion, called hunting ‑ sort of a reversion to pre‑Neanderthal – I guess it’s necessary in our civilization (?) to step back a few thousand years every so often to try and determine what, if anything, has been accomplished during the interim. Kinda leaves you wondering, doesn’t it? Consequently the next meeting has been postponed as noted above, There has been a bit of discussion regarding bingoing then too.

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The attached flyer on the Post Office is a verbatim excerpt from Nyleptha Ford’s history of Lummi Island. It represents considerable research, most of which was devoted to the records in Washington D.C. We are proud and happy to have this and wish to thank Mrs. Ford for all of us.

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Apparently me squeeky ill voice in the wilderness of lithargy has had little effect on most Islanders the past year or so, for suddenly there appears to be a new and real concern about planning and zoning by many residents here ‑ gol durn it! I kept tellin youse guys it was comming!!x! ‑ Incidentally, the Planning Committee will try and meet sometime in November to continue discussions on this and other subjects. Anyone concerned is most welcome.

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All you festive-type fanatics conserve your energy during the next month or two so’s you can enjoy the anticipated somber rituals of the community New Year’s Eve “whing ding” to be held at the Gra Mac Sanctorum again. Understand a temperance organization is considering sponsoring it?????

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Civic Club will be held at the church November 9th at 1:30 p.m. with Mesdames ~Adema and Curry as hostesses ‑ The club is again packing x’mas boxes for the 14 or so Island boys in the service.

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Have been asked to announce that apparently some body or some group will sponsor another x’mas bazaar this year and that they want to have a larger selection of products from all you artistic types and nine-fingered craftsmen ‑ both culinary and non-edible objects.

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A cub scout pack has been formed on the Island with Tommy Reed, Paddy Lipscomb, Jeffry Jones, Kevin Wilson and Hal Jones as charter members. A boy scout troop for fellers eleven and over is set for organizing the 15th of November at the school. Those interested are welcome to participate about 8:30 pm. They must have five more to charter a troop.

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Neglected to mention last time that Pete Granger is also studying oceanography at the University of Washington, and intends to enter the geological branch. He has two more years to go and a probable hitch in the armed services. Lenie Granger is providing a home for Grandma Granger ‑ with her ‑ and we think it is real great.

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Terry Peterson graduated from M.P. – N.C.O. School at Lewis with a leadership award ‑ so right away they sent him to Washington D.C. last week) as part of the governments hippie control program. Michael Ellingboe (Marcia’s husband) was awarded the American Spirit Honor Medal October 20th at Ft. Lewisas the most outstanding leader of his group of one thousand men. He i s being transferred to Virginia where Macia will join him she expects to reside in Newport News, Va.

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Laural Peterson is now teaching at Yakima where she could receive quite a few highly polished apples.

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Kwina Demonstration Club will attempt to pick up the pieces October 26th at Joanne Nordenssen’s. Wonder what kind of demonstrations they do??

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The W. W. University Marine Biological Lab on the Baker Place is once again in operation after a rather catastrophic accident when their sea water pumps gave out several weeks ago.

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We are very sorry to hear of the serious condition of Gladys Granger in a Bellingham hospital. It would seem that Frank’s family has had considerably more than their share of medical woes recently and we all sincerely hope it will ease off a bit soon.

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Cap Beaman is due for an overhaul of his biological organization as soon as the hospital can tool-up sufficient enough to undertake such a technical job. Don’t rightly know what is wrong with him tho he looks alright to me but then Maybe he isn’t supposed to look like that!!

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We were considerably impressed with the new fire truck – its real purty. Having toured the manufacturing plant in Oregon where it was conceived, we knew it could not help being anything else but excellent for their know‑how and superb craftsmanship left little to be desired. The Island Firemen should be heartily congratulated – so let’s all be very careful with your combustibles and not be the first to get it dirty,

The proposition on the November 7 ballot requesting the lifting of the tax freeze so that the Fire District can receive its rightful share of the assessed valuation deserves whole-hearted Island support. It does not raise anyone’s taxes but simply requires the millage originally intended to be returned to the Island be returned on the actual taxes collected not on those collected several years ago.

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SPECIAL NOTE

In case of any emergency fire, accident, etc. always call BEACH GROCERY

first as they are the dispatchers.

See you at the Pot Luck November 8th.

Your Lummi Island Neighbors

Bill Peel ‑ President

(A voter’s Resolution to increase Fire Dept Tax and a History of the Lummi Island Post Office are on following pages.)

RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR THE SUBMISSION TO THE VOTERS OF WHATCOM COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NO. 11, AT A SPECIAL ELECTION TO BE HELD NOVEMBER 7, 1967, A PROPOSITION TO AUTHORIZE LIFTING OF THE TAX FREEZE CEILING, AND AUTHORIZE THE COUNTY AUDITOR TO CONDUCT SUCH AN ELECTION.

WHEREAS, the commissioners of Whatcom County Fire Protection District No. 11 find their tax revenues “frozen” under he provisions of Charter 146, Laws of 1967, Extraordinary Session (Chapter 84.54 Revised Code of Washington) in that the “authorized maximum millage rate” under the law will return less revenue to the district than the “fixed maximum millage rate” permitted by law, and

WHEREAS, said Charter 146 of the Laws of 1967. Extraordinary Session, provided that the dollar amount of regular property tax levy (so-called “removable ceiling”) may be exceeded only by a vote of the majority of the votes of he taxing district, notwithstanding the fact that such dollar amount is less than the amount which would be produced by taxing to the full millage permitted by law; and,

WHEREAS, the laws further provide that such “removable ceiling” may be lifted upon authorization of a majority of the voters of the taxing district at an election wherein a proposition to raise said ceiling has been submitted for their approval or rejection;

WHEREAS, it is necessary to public health, safety and welfare, that Whatcom County Fire protection District No. 11 receive the maximum revenues permitted by law for the support, operation and maintenance of the fire district;

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that a special election be held on Tuesday, the 7th of November, 1967, for the purpose of submitting to the voters of Whatcom County Fire District No. 11, the question of raising or lifting the tax freeze ceiling sufficient to produce revenue in the amount of $2,500.00; Being approximately 3.5 mills, on the anticipated assessed valuation of the property within said district, such sum to be levied in 1968 for payment by the taxpayers in 1969.

The proposition to be submitted to the voters shall be in substantially the following form:

Shall Whatcom County Fire District No. 11increase its regular tax levy to $2,500.00 which is estimated to be the dollar yield produced by a levy of approximately 3.5 mills. The levy for the year 1967 was $1,043.40.

This shall not be construed to authorize an excess levy.

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the County Auditor be authorized to make all necessary arrangements for such special election and give notice of such election in the manner and form provided by law.

A history of the Lummi Island Post Office

October 1967

By Nyleptha Ford

At long last our local Postmaster is retiring. Mr. Ford received the word October 17th, that his services to his community would terminate December 31, 1967.

Loraine A. “Loren” “Tubby” Ford, our local Postmaster for the past few years received the responsibility of the Post Office from the Postal Inspector on November 1, 1941. The monthly salary was $23.00 (twenty three dollars) per month, working an 8 hour day, six days a week. After serving the probationary period to qualify for the title of “HONORABLE”, the following notice came from the Post Office Department, First Assistant Postmaster General, Special Administrative Aide, Washington D. C.

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“NOTICE OF CHANGE IN RATE OF SALARY OF POSTMASTER AT FOURTH CLASS POST OFFICE Effective July 1, 1944

Postmaster, Beach, Wash. Annual Salary Rate $ 432.00

The fine print read this way:

“In accordance with the Act of Congress (Public Law #271) approved March 29, 1944, providing for the fixing of salaries of postmaster at Post Offices of the fourth class on the basis of gross postal receipts, your basic annual salary for the year beginning July 1, 1944, has been fixed at the amount stated above. The gross receipts for the calendar year 1943, for such purpose, have been adjusted in accordance with Section 424, Par 1(b) Postal Laws and Regulations of 2940. The stated salary rate will remain in effect until such time as a notice of change is received.

Signed

K. P. Aldrich,

First Assistant Postmaster General.!’

Prior to this notice, the salary of the Postmaster was based upon the value of stamps canceled by the Postmaster on the outgoing mail. Letters were 3¢ then! It took a hundred to make three bucks!

Someone had to serve Lummi Island as Postmaster. Not many would have offered to serve the 8 hours a day 6 days a week for a penny or two more than $1.00 a day.

Postal Inspectors came regularly once a year, assuming the attitude that “as a Government employee you were at least an embezzler, an absconder of funds, a dealer under the counter, or a delinquent from the Hatch Act.” Inspections can be rough going!

As the wages were very low, some, other means of earning a dollar had to be found, so before the Post Office opened in the morning and during a part of the afternoon, Mr. Ford drove the local school bus for $45.00 a month. This he did for 22 years going on and off the Chief Kwina, fair weather and foul, which was an acrobatical feat of precision driving. While Mr. Ford was away from the Post Office in the afternoon (this being a fourth class office) Mrs. Marie Christiansen came in to help. Later Mrs. Elizabeth Boroughs was the helper.

On July 1, 1963, the Post Office advanced to third class, having gross receipts of $1,759.00 during the calendar year of 1962.

Now the manner and service of the Postmaster had to change. No one could come in and help the Postmaster as Mrs. Christiansen and Mrs. Boroughs had done. A clerk must be the Postmaster’s relief. This person had to be approved by the Department and could not replace the Postmaster unless permission was given by the Regional Director. The work began to be more confining. Mrs. Ford was permitted to act in the Postmaster’s behalf, but only at specific times. The Postmaster was obliged to put in 40 hours a week at his post, no leave given, only annual leave as earned (4 hours of leave for 80 hours worked) and leave given upon approval of the Regional Director. This is equivalent to one eight hour leave per month, or only twelve days per year.

The first Post Office for Lummi Island, Washington, was established July 24, 1882. Wade H. Beach was the Postmaster. The Post Office was located near where Earl Granger lives now. That was the headquarters Camp of the Baccus Logging Company, who logged the first growth of timber off the Island. Mr. Beach had a cabin near the water front, and went to Whatcom (later Bellingham) with his sailboat to get the mail once a month, or more often, sailing weather permitting. He named the Post Office after himself.

On March 1, 1887, Frederick F. Lane became Postmaster. He moved the Post Office to his house, where the Gutknechts now live on Lane Spit. Mr. Lane was Postmaster for 17 1/2 years. He resigned to become Superintendent of the Whatcom County Schools and Oscar V. Brown became Postmaster September 2, 1890. He did not care for the responsibility and gave it up on February 24, 1891. Mr. William Hoyes was the P.M. and did not care for the honor either, so on May 15, 1891, Edmund G. Ednington took over as Postmaster. All this time the Post Office was located in various cabins at Lane Spit.

On December 10, 1892, seven months later, Charles R. Norman became Postmaster. He held the honor for seven years, with the Post Office established near where Lloyd Davis lives.

Again the Beach Post Office had to have a new master, as the Normans moved away from the Island. On December 1, 1899, Albion F. Bowden became Postmaster. The Post Office was located in Mr. Bowden’s store near where John O’Rourke lives. Molly’s horse stable is almost on the spot. Mr. Bowden had a wharf out from the point on his property and the mail now came by boat, once a week.

William I. Richards was our next Postmaster. He built Beach Grocery and maintained the post office there from December 28, 1901, until he sold to Louis F. Buchholz, May 18, 1910. Mr. Buchholz was Postmaster until February 25, 1915, when his wife Pauline took over. She served as P.M. until September 17, 1926. The Buchholzes maintained the Post Office for 16 years.

In 1912 Congress passed the R.F.D. Act which would permit the mail order catalogs to be carried out to the rural areas by rural carriers. Lummi Island was to get mail three times a week and a rural route was established with Emil Alfs as our carrier and Mr. Philbrook was the substitute.

When Mr. and Mrs. Buchholz sold the Beach Grocery in 1926, Lean Russel became P.M. September 17th. The very next month Wallace Coleman purchased the store and he was appointed on October 18th. He served as our Postmaster for 15 years. The Post Office has remained in that location for 40 years, under four different Postmasters. Mail was being delivered every day but Sunday.

It was from Wallace Coleman that L. A. Ford received the Post 0ifice. When Mr. Ford retires December 31, he will have been Postmaster longer than any of the former appointees ‑ 26 years and 2 months. He says he has enjoyed serving the community although he has felt the confinement greatly.

You may be wondering why the Government changed the name of the Post Office on June 1, 1946. Beach Post Office was getting sacks of mail that was supposed to go to: Richmond Beach, Rosario Beach, West Beach, Pacific Beach, Columbia Beach, Ollala Beach, Redondo Beach…all this miss-sent mail coming to BEACH, Washington, because of fast but incorrect reading of mail pouch labels. If we had had the ZIP‑CODE then, and the Post Offices numbered as they are now, that mistake would never have happened. Anyway, most of us like the name of LUMMI ISLAND … we wouldn’t live any other place, would we.

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