DANCER’S
QUEEN OF DEMOLITION
DREAM
TEEN’S COSTUME DESIGN WINS HER A TRIP TO CHICAGO, PAGE A2
FIRST WOMAN WINS DEMOLITION DERBY, PAGE A8
Headlight Herald TILLAMOOKHEADLIGHTHERALD.COM • AUGUST 15, 2012
Vandals attack school’s turf
LONGEST RUNNING BUSINESS IN TILLAMOOK COUNTY • SINCE 1888
Aid from the air Coast Guard comes to rescue after school board member’s fall BY MARY FAITH BELL mfbell@countrymedia.net
BY JOSIAH DARR
COURTESY PHOTO
sports@orcoastnews.com
Troy Downing at Crescent Lake earlier this month, where he was camping with his family.
Vandals struck the Tillamook High School field sometime between 8 p.m. Aug. 3 and 8 a.m. Aug 4, and seemingly tried to cut out the “T” in the middle of the synthetic turf. The area around the base of the “T” had been cut with either a sharp knife or razor blade, and the turf was peeled from its base. “The bottom third of the 'T' was heavily damaged,” said THS soccer coach Brian Reynolds. “Whoever did this also cut a huge hole in one of our soccer nets, completely destroying it.” Currently, there are no leads in the case, but school officials are assuming alcohol was involved in the incident – there were empty beer bottles and cigarette butts found near the scene of the crime. Superintendent Randy Schild said the soccer nets are approximately $300 to replace, but the cost of fixing the field is still undetermined.
PACIFIC CITY — The Coast Guard medevaced Troy Downing of Tillamook on Aug. 12 after he fell off of a mule and was seriously injured approximately one mile south of Pacific City. Downing works for the Oregon State University Extension Service and he is a member of the Tillamook School District Board of Directors. He was trail riding
with his wife, Kelley, his daughter, Kendra, and Kendra’s roommate, Kathleen, on the bay side trails south of Bob Straub State Park when the accident occurred. Downing was in the lead, headed down a hill when his mule spooked and started bucking. “The combination of going down a hill, and the mule bucking caused Troy to lose his balance and he went forward over the mule’s neck,” said Kelley Downing, who was behind her husband
and saw him fall. “He went face first into a pile of slash, and then the mule stepped on him.” Kelley thought the mule might have been stung by bees. “Our daughter and her friend rode back to go for help.” But help was a long time in coming, due to circumstances that Kelley describes as “lessons learned.”
See AID, Page A5
SQUEALIN’ AND WHEELIN’
See TURF, Page A5
INDEX Classified Ads .........................B5 Crossword Puzzle....................B2 Fenceposts ..............................B3 Obituaries................................A6 Opinions..................................A4 Sports......................................A7 Tides .......................................A8
WEATHER AUG 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
HIGH 68 68 65 71 71 64 74
STATS LOW 57 54 55 53 56 55 56
RAINFALL .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 --
WEATHER COURTESY OF WEATHER UNDERGROUND
1908 2nd St. 503-842-7535
VIDEO FROM THE RACES, ONLINE AT TILLAMOOKHEADLIGHTHERALD.COM JOSIAH DARR/HEADLIGHT HERALD
Ben Salo rushes to exchange his pig during the annual Pig N’ Ford races at the Tillamook County Fair. For the full story, see Page A7. Find more fair photos and fun facts on Page A9.
Al Wylder: a life story well told
www.TillamookHeadlightHerald.com
PART II OF II
Vol. 123, No. 33 75 cents
BY MARY FAITH BELL mfbell@countrymedia.net
L
ast week the Headlight Herald featured Al Wylder, 89, of Hebo; Al told his story about serving in the Army in 1941 during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and subsequently serving in the South Pacific. This week we are continuing Al’s story after the war. Al was discharged from the Army in 1945, four years to the day after he enlisted. “After I got out of the Army I went to school at Whitworth College on the GI Bill,” Al said. “I was always a runner, I love to run. While I was in college I started to work with the college runners as a student trainer from 1947 to 1950, cross-country in the fall, track in the spring. I just really liked the work.” “I was a rub ‘em down and tape ‘em up trainer,” he said. Al worked with college runners for years, and then made the leap to the San Francisco Warriors National Basketball Association. But along the way, Al set his sights on professional baseball. “Well I just always loved baseball. Loved the sport. When the Giants and the Dodgers moved to San Francisco and Los Angeles in 1958 or ’59, I knew the trainer for the Giants was in his 60’s, and they were gonna be without a trainer before long. I thought, ‘I’ve got to get into pro baseball, because I want that job.’ “I managed to get on with the Salt Lake City Bees, they were with the Pacific Coast League, in 1959. And from there, I was on my way.” In 1965 at the age of 41, Al made the big leagues. The Cincinnati Reds hired him away from the Salt Lake City Bees. While he was with the Reds, Al worked with Pete Rose. “Oh man, was he a good ball player. He and I were both rookies in 1963, but he went on to do a lot
COURTESY PHOTO
David Cheney, 14, died Aug. 13 following a battle with cancer.
David Cheney passes away Al Wylder was tossed out of the dugout every time the Reds hit a home run. Here he is tossed out by Tony Perez, left, and Gary Nolan (hidden), after Leo Cardenas homered. Floyd Robinson is on deck with a bat.
greater things than I did. Still, I can say I knew him when. Tony Perez was there at the time, and man, oh man, was he powerful. Leo Cardenas was another good player.” In 1968 the Reds hired rookie Johnny Bench. He was 1968 Rookie of the Year. “He was a wonderful player, very good.”
“Cenex has been extremely responsive to our calls as a customer and they have served as a great resource for technical help.” - Darrell Griffith
Now Hiring For Part-time Position 503-842-4457 Fax 503-842-7684
See CHENEY, Page A5
PROPANE
Tillamook’s Country Store
Serving Tillamook County Since 1935
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David Paul Cheney was born July 7, 1998, in Tillamook to Brian and Deanna (Seufert) Cheney. On Aug. 13, 2012, he was granted his angel wings when he passed away at his home surrounded by his family after a courageous fight against cancer. David’s life would seem short to many, but those who were touched by him understood he had a love for it and those who touched it.
See WYLDER, Page A5
TILLAMOOK FARMERS’ CO-OP NEW SHIPMENT OF WOODEN COAT SHELVES AND BOXES
Editor’s Note: The community rallied around the Cheney family this year after learning that then 13-year-old David Cheney’s cancer had returned, just more than a month after David’s father unexpectedly passed away. A series of community fundraisers were held, and David had the opportunity to cheer on the Oregon Ducks and ride his own industrial lawn mower (a dream of his). David died Aug. 13, and the family submitted the following obituary.
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