30 Years Ago – Three former residents of Schurz were named to the 1987 Stewart Indian School Hall of Fame. Named were Willis Moose, Ray Tom and Brady Johnson, Jr. all had attended the Schurz Elementary School and became star athletes at Stewart. (Courtesy photo)

10 Years Ago

• Strong southern winds, reaching 70 to 80 mph, slashed through nearby mountains and Hawthorne. In the Hawthorne area, buckets of rain accompanied the winds causing havoc to many homes and businesses. A report from received from the Nuclear Projects Office in Hawthorne, stated that 1.15 inches of rain fell. At the top of Anchorite Summit, an elevation of 7,626 feet, the snow was about four feet deep.

• State Route 359 south of Hawthorne, strong winds caused several double-pole power line poles to snap and fall to the ground.

• The VFW and its Auxiliary of Post 2313 in Hawthorne. America’s Patriotic Home, held their annual Christmas Dinner on Friday, Dec. 14 at the Post and announced the winners of their annual essay contests. Post Commander, Matthew Goodrich and Ladies Auxiliary President, Mary Stroud announced the winners of the Voice of Democracy Award were Dillon Oberhansli and the Patriot’s Pen Award was Grant Oberhansli. Both winners were presented an award certificate and a check.

• Mineral County Assessor Gloria Hughes announced her plans to retire June 30, 2008. Gloria was currently serving her fourth term as Assessor of Mineral County and will complete 35 years of service on April 9, 2008.

20 Years Ago

• The MCHS Lady Serpents continued their winning streak by playing in two “Christmas Tournaments” over the holidays. In the Spring Creek/Elko Tournament they were undefeated, playing Spring Creek, Lowry, Elko, Fernley and Moapa Valley. They came out as the champions of that tournament. The next weekend they played in the State Farm McQueen Girls Tournament where they faced several AAAA teams. Hawthorne beat Reed High School, then took on Shasta High School and edged by them. Next they placed the power house Carson City Lady Senators and defeated them also. Going into the championship game they faced the strong McQueen High School Girls and after a hard-fought game they were edged out by McQueen by two points 50-48 for the championship.

• Don Menesini of Yerington was the leader in the annual El Capitan Cutthroat Trout Fishing Derby at Walker Lake. Don’s trout weighed in at 5.49 pounds.

30 Years Ago

• The Serpent Girls basketball team easily defeated the Fernley girls 77-39 and the Tonopah girls 65-43.

• There were several vehicle accidents over the holiday season in 1987. One particular accident involved a vehicle transport truck hauling eight BMW cars. Two of the cars on the truck (one valued at $70,000 and the other over $55,000) were extensively damaged. The other cars on the carrier were also damaged. The total value of the cars involved was $400,000. This accident occurred near Montgomery Pass.

40 Years Ago

• More than 100,000 visitors entered the two recreational sites on the west side of Walker Lake in 1977. The announcement was made by the Bureau of Land Management office in Carson City.

• Three persons were hired under the Comprehensive Employment Training Act to serve in the juvenile department of the Fifth Judicial District Court. New employees were under the supervision of John Madraso. Jr., Chief Juvenile Probation Officer. The three new employees were John Manfredi of Hawthorne, who served in Babbitt, Hawthorne and Gabbs; Kathleen Ann Bryd, serving Beatty and the Amargosa Valley area of Nye County and James L. Hughes of Tonopah who worked in the Tonopah and Goldfield area.

50 Years Ago

• The Mineral County High School updated their auto shop with the purchase of a new electronic engine tester.

• The Hawthorne Serpents were defeated by the Manogue Miners 75-57 and the Douglas Tigers 71-56.

• ON THE LIGHTER SIDE… A woman drove into a service station. “Do you charge batteries here?” she asked. “We sure do,” replied the attendant. “Then put a new one in this car and charge it to my husband,” ordered the woman driver.

60 Years Ago

• Mr. and Mrs. William Zingol, prominent residents of this community, were painfully injured in a three-car collision at the eastern approach to the eastern approach to the east Bay Bridge in Oakland, Calif.

• District Judge Peter Breen of the Fifth Judicial District, appointed Jon Collins of Ely and Paul Richards of Reno to defend two men charged with murder in the local district court.

• Capitan John R. Weisser, MD, USN, assumed duty as senior medical officer at the Naval Ammunition Depot in Hawthorne. This was somewhat of a “homecoming” as he served as depot medical officer from 1935 to 1938 as a senior grade lieutenant.

70 Year Ago

• County Commissioners took no action on Charles Tiller’s petition to have a special election called to dis-incorporate the City of Hawthorne.

• Don Finlayson, Jr., suffered serious and painful injuries when an empty gasoline tank he was welding exploded.

• Boy Scout Troop 32, sponsored by the Hawthorne Ward of the LDS Church, was re-organized. John Zohovetz was named as the new Scoutmaster and Francis J. Cable was named as Scout Committee Chairman.

80 Year Ago

• Secretary of the Navy advised Congressman James Scrugham that the Navy intended to seek funds for expansion for facilities at Hawthorne Naval Ammunition Depot as part of the program to increase capability of shore stations to provide backup for the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets.

• School at Simon did not reopen following the Christmas vacation because of insufficient enrollment. Several families with children moved away following the cessation of operations at the Simon Silver-Lead mine.

• The Mineral High Serpents played great against the top ranked Virginia City basketball team but came out on the short end of 39-35 score.

• Births in Mineral County in 1937 increased to 62 from the 1936 total of 32. Marriages increased to 33 from the 1936 total of 24 while divorces dropped to 12 from the 1936 total of 14. Deaths numbered 12 more than in 1936 (57-45). Motor vehicle licenses dropped from 832 in 1936 to 751 in 1937. Revenue from gambling licenses showed an increase but liquor license revenue was lower.