Powder River Examiner -

Thursday, September 6, 1990

Two story brick building razed

The razing of Ken Jesse’s brick building on the corner of Lincoln Street and Holt Avenue was a shock for many residents. The Broadus Truck and Supply, under Jesse, epitomized courtesy, fair dealing and dependable service, whether in cash or charge, for over 20 years.

Jesse had the International Truck dealership and operated a repair shop, also dealing in used cars. It was a popular and well patronized business as well as a place for a friendly chat and mechanical advice.

The apartment upstairs had been home to a number of families. The building was erected in 1946, according to Jesses, by R.D. McCurdy and his sons Bob and Neal. In the 1950 decade it was under Ed Allen and Charles Wellman for a few years until 1957 when Kenneth and Sarah Jesse purchased the property and business.

Under the Jesse family it grew to meet the demands of a wide area. Jesse recalls that top mechanic, under past owners, was the late Harold Whitney.

In 1976 Jesse erected a new building which houses a somewhat diminished service. The shop houses the only county ambulance service, two school buses and a wrecker service. Jesse remarked that he still has an assortment of International parts in stock.

Some useful items in the old building were discarded in the demolition.

Jesse says he has had a traumatic summer in being walked on rough-shod by enforcers of the legislative laws regarding underground storage tanks. No funding at all accompanied the arbitrary, instant evacuation and removal of underground tanks and, “It has robbed a number of elderly people of retirement funds and left them in debt,” Jesse remarked.

Losing his current shop gas supply is inconvenient also he said but expense of new tank installation is too steep to handle at his age, and after the expense of tearing out the old tanks – as well as the more recent one.

He had hoped to renovate the old brick building but never could quite handle the expense and work and it had gotten beyond usefulness as it was. Jesse had advertised the sale of the bricks for some time.

FFA fair events

By Chelsea Davis, reporter

This year’s FFA kid’s games at the Fair were a success.

In the stick horse race, for three-year-olds, Kristal Lemke took first and Bill Richie took second. Kori Williams placed first and Cortney Riggs placed second in the four-year-old division.

Everyone received some sort of prize in the Toys in the Straw contest also.

In the balloon toss, Michael Williams and Chance Capp took top honors in the seven and eight-year-olds.

In the egg toss for nine to thirteen-year-olds, Ben and Roy Vernon took first.

Special thanks go out to Tim Vernon Trucking for the kid’s games prizes.

The local FFA chapter put on a Pie in the Face contest to help raise money for the Jaws of Life. The unsuspecting victims were Tavy Turnbough, T.J. Cunningham, and Chelsea Davis for the youth division and for the adult division, Mr. Williams, Chris Michal, and Mary Rumph. Jars were set up with the victim’s names on them. The people that ended up with the most money in their jar received the pie in the face. Mary Rumph and T.J. Cunningham eventually got a pie in their faces. Both pies were auctioned off by Chris Michal to the highest bidder, who got the honor of placing the pie in the victim’s face. After everything was totaled up, over $100 was donated to the Jaws of Life by the FFA.

Carcass contest results given

The Fair doesn’t end with the judging on the hoof, at least not in the market livestock classes. The final judgment is made on the rail at the carcass contest. Tami Archer took top honors in the market steer contest with her 1200 pound Hereford/Angus cross. Second place went to LeRoy Michal with his 1051 pound Red Angus/Hereford. Krista Madsen placed third with her 1150 pound Angus. Fifty percent of the steers graded choice, according to County Agent Mary Rumph.

The swine carcass results placed Krista Madsen’s Grand Champion hog in first place. Stacey Fortner was second with his third place hog. Blaine Fortner’s Reserve Champion hog placed third on the rail.

In the lamb carcass contest, Mike Allen’s 98 pound lamb swept top honors. Lanessa Stradtman’s 108 pound entry placed second and Krista Madsen’s 120 pound lamb placed third.

Each of the top three winners in the carcass contest will receive cash awards at the 4-H Achievement Day. These are sponsored by the Jack Jeakins Memorial Fund, Mac’s Frontierland, and L.P. Anderson.

Franklin pickup struck by lightning

Otter Creek - Fern Franklin sustained no injury but her pickup was damaged when it was struck by lightning last Monday evening while she was a passenger.

“My main sensation was of a loud noise and a lot of light,” she reported. Damage to the radio and processor has since been repaired.

“I was struck by lightning once before,” Fern reminisced, “about 48 years ago when I was herding sheep on Cache Creek. I was on horseback and trying to get shelter when it happened. The feeling was a lot like touching a plug-in.”

Both she and the horse survived that strike, too, she added. Fern is a rancher in the Sayle community.