1949: Fire destroys 1860s church; 1975: Top seller going to Disneyland

25 years ago Aug. 31, 2000 Paul's Place Association planned the Homecoming 2000 Golf Tournament at Lincoln Hills Sun City Golf Club. Following the tourney, the Association will host the 14th annual Paul's Place Del Oro and Friends Dance and Reunion. Association President Ed Bonner said, "Join us for a good time and to share wonderful memories." Aug. 24, 2000, was the date for the ribbon cutting for the new H. Clarke Powers School, named for the former principal of Loomis School. Decorated eggplants will race down a pinewood derby track in a toy vehicle during the Loomis Eggplant Festival. Information about the Egganapolis 500 was available from Victoria Skellenger or Amanda Flaherty at the Loomis Sheriff's Substation. Carlee Mason, a Del Oro High School sophomore, will be in the spotlight when the curtain goes up for the 28th annual Best of Broadway musical. A fire started when a horseshoe struck a rock on the Pioneer Express Trail in the Auburn State Recreation Area. The "Celebrity Chefs Dinner" will be held in the courtyard of the Blue Anchor Fruit Shed at the end of Horseshoe Bar Road in Loomis. The event was sponsored by the Loomis Basin Heritage Foundation with General Chairperson Dot Shiro recruiting more chefs. The Varsity Del Oro Cheerleaders took first place in three categories at the UCA Elite Cheer Camp at UC Davis. The cheer team members were Michele Betts, Natassia Craig, Nikki Hewett, Ashley Jakobsen, Petrina Kline, Amelia Knapp, Caitlin Lynch, Jennifer McDonnell, Elise Overlock, Kristi Tapia, Sarah Tenthorey and Brandee Winslow. The squad was also invited to participate in the Pro Bowl in Hawaii. 50 years ago Aug. 28, 1975 Funeral services were conducted for William Marbel Swinger, 72, a veteran of WWI. A resident of the area since 1956, he was a member of the Operating Engineers of San Francisco. When Earl Gates graduated from Chico State College in 1923, he never thought his first teaching assignment would include being the principal at Loomis School. A Lincoln native, he stayed with the Loomis District as principal/teacher for 20 years. He explained, "At that time, you didn't need an administrative credential." Earl next served 18 years with the Roseville City School District and the Vernon Street Elementary School as assistant superintendent and administrative principal. Mary Ann Krause of Penryn was crowned the Auburn District Fair Queen. Some parents were concerned about out-of-district students attending Penryn School. Superintendent/Principal Dan Taylor explained the "drastic decline" in enrollment allowed the 19 out-of-district students to attend the school. Board chairman Walt Taylor explained if it wasn't for the additional students, the board was in a position to reduce the teaching staff. Local youth Aaron Swickard was the top seller in the Loomis News subscription contest with Charles Freeman coming in second. Aaron won a free trip to Disneyland for his effort. It was not business as usual for the Nguyen Van Chuc family, operators of the Penn-Sierra Tire Store in Loomis. They were being filmed for a Food For Hungry documentary. The organization sponsored Hope Village in Weimar where Vietnamese refugees were living. Food For Hungry volunteer Tippi Hedren, known for her role in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds," said, "I really hope more of the American people change their minds about Vietnamese. They will be a definite asset to the country." 75 years ago July 1, 1949 The historic Methodist Church in Newcastle, built in the 1860s, was destroyed in a fire. Farm land values in California dropped 12 percent since the peak in March 1947. The winter freeze damaged citrus groves and was partly responsible for the decline. Members of the Loomis Contract Club met for dinner at the Walkers Log Cabin and then adjourned to the home of Mrs. James Williams. The lowly Dachshund became one of the top 10 dog breeds, followed by the cocker spaniel and beagles. Mrs. H.N. Hansen, in charge of Red Cross activities in the area, said the swim classes at the DeWitt pool were paid for out of Red Cross funds. So local people received some direct benefits from their contributions. The state of Missouri presented the USS Missouri with a $10,000 18-piece setting of silver service. The Alyn W. Butler Post No. 169 of Roseville will sponsor a large celebration at Royer Park on July 4. The slogan: "Be alive on July 5." For Sale: 1 Boar Pig ready for the butcher. Ralph Duren 1 mile So. of Loomis by the Japanese Hall. Junior 4-H Club leaders from California gathered for their second annual conference. They were older 4-H Club members who had chosen as a project of supervising three or more first-year club members. Those from Placer County were Jean Hubbard, Janie Bachman, Sally Vineyard, Dorothy Scheiber, Clayton Nakagawa, Phillip Bartlett, Beverly Azevedo, Clara and Clarence Pacheco. Standing Guard - oral histories: Bill Tsuji was born in 1943 in Manzanar Relocation Camp. His father, Hoitsu Tsuji, was a Kibei (born in the U.S. and educated in Japan). Being fluent in Japanese and English, Hoitsu left his family to help the U.S. military by teaching American Army officers the Japanese language.