Pages of History: Halloween egg thievery

Del Norte County sheriff’s deputies “cracked” an egg case with the apprehension of one of the persons involved with the theft of some 104 dozen eggs taken from Bay City Market on Northcrest Drive on Oct. 30.

Deputies, who did not immediately make known the 18-year-old male involved, said that because of Friday night being Halloween night, “field justice was meted out in which the youth was given until sundown to round up the remaining eggs or else.”

The sheriff’s department, whose primary interest was in getting the eggs “rounded up” before they became “ammunition for Halloween trick or treaters,” said that the youth would be formally charged at a later date.

Trees discovery honored

It was a foggy morning on Oct. 10, 1769, when Father Crespi, diarist of the Don Gaspar de Portola expedition, became the first to record “very high trees of a red color, not known to us.”

Logging began soon after. Coast redwood lumber may still be found in some of Spanish California’s old missions, presidios and ranch houses.

Care center proposed

A 99-bed long-term care convalescent hospital for Del Norte County has been proposed by Eugene Wahl of Anaheim.

The proposed convalescent hospital would be constructed in the Northcrest area on property being developed by North Pacific Company between Harding and Coolidge streets. The name of the group seeking to construct the facility is Care Construction, Inc.

The proposal calls for 99 beds, but notes that only 50 would be staffed until the number of patients warrants the increase to the full capacity of the facility.

Shopping center opens

The grand opening of the Brookings-Harbor Shopping Center is planned in front of the Sprouse-Reitz variety store. The developer of this $500,000 shopping center is M and K Developers.

The newest shopping center for Southern Oregon has 46,000 square feet of shopping area with eight stores and a post office. Three other stores are in the planning stages. One of the major stores in the center is Kacy’s Supermarket.

Newsman’s car stolen

Two youths who waited for a Crescent City resident and held him up at gunpoint, taking a rifle and his brand new car, were in custody last night after wrecking the auto near Smith River.

Colan Henninger, a Crescent City newsman, called the Sheriff’s Office to say, “I’ve got some news for you for a change.” Henninger reported that he came home about 4 p.m. and unlocked his front door to find two juveniles with guns in his home. They took the keys to his new car, later wrecking it while being chased by police. They remain in custody.