Enjoy these snapshots of articles written in past issues of the Nisqually Valley News from 45, 35, 25 and 15 years ago, respectively.
A Look Back at This Week,
45 Years Ago
- Faculty resignations and the need for a new district office occupied the Yelm school board of directors when they met at Southworth Elementary. At the time, the district used a former house for the superintendent, with six workstations.
- Marty Fortin, a graduate of Yelm High School in 1971, was named the Yelm School District’s teacher of the year in ceremonies held in the high school cafeteria. Fortin was selected by a vote of the district’s instructors and was presented his plaque by Superintendent Dr. Glen Nutter.
- Margarie Parker and Shane Parker, her 9-year-old son, received injuries in a two-car accident east of Yelm on Highway 507. Bill Mosman, Yelm, had stopped his vehicle behind a loading Yelm school bus when he was struck by Mrs. Parker.
- Students at Yelm High School were forced to eat their lunch outside when a military smoke bomb exploded inside the school cafeteria on June 11, 1979. Principal Mike Taylor indicated the culprit had booby trapped the bomb underneath a table to explode when a chair was moved. Yelm firemen used smoke ejectors to clear the smoke from the building.
A Look Back at This Week,
35 Years Ago
- A man killed three people at a Graham farm and then shot himself on June 14, 1989. His victims were Kirby Hull, 43, McKenna; Tom LaCrosse, 63; and Nellie LaCrosse, age 63, both of Graham. The apparent motive for the gunman, identified as Kenneth Gehring, 35, Puyallup, was depression and disappointment over his wife’s plans for a divorce, according to detectives.
- Richard M. Morris pleaded guilty to two counts of arson on June 7, 1989, and was sentenced to 14 months in prison. Morris was found guilty of one count of second-degree arson and one count of second-degree attempted arson after setting the old Walker’s Leather building in Yelm ablaze in May 1989.
- Town of Yelm officials were concerned when hydraulic oil was discovered in the town’s water supply. The town crew, which discovered the oil during a routine check of the well water level, immediately shut down the pump.
- The Yelm School District team out-spelled five other teams to win first place in the 1989 Thurston County Spelling Championship held at Yelm Middle School on June 8, 1989. Yelm squeaked past St. Michaels, 221-220.
A Look Back at This Week,
25 Years Ago
- Rainier Mayor Mike Elliott offered Intercity Transit alternatives to canceling Route 92 from Yelm to Tenino, which also passes through Rainier. A sales tax measure that failed in March led transit officials to start planning to eliminate the route. After hearing public comment, transit officials agreed to revise their plans and work with the town to establish a community vanpool program.
- The Yelm Parks Advisory Committee sought contributions of labor, materials and money to help fund construction of Canal Park Road. The committee was looking for a $300,000 state grant that had to be matched by the same amount of donations by July 31, 1999.
- Recent Rainier High School graduate Sarah Carsten was accepted to a prestigious construction apprenticeship camp sponsored by the Washington State Labor Council. Only 50 students statewide were selected each year.
- Residents of Lake St. Clair, located just west of Yelm, voiced their displeasure with visiting jet skiers and water skiers who caused loud noise and erosion with large waves. Their resident association pleaded with Thurston County commissioners to mitigate the speedboats and eliminate jet skis altogether.
A Look Back at This Week,
15 Years Ago
- Thurston Highlands was purchased by an unknown investment group, and the company declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy, halting foreclosure proceedings. Thurston Highlands was a master planned community, proposing 5,000 homes on 1,200 acres in the southwest edge of Yelm.
- Following an anxious few weeks, the 12 certificated staff members who received a reduction of force letter from Yelm Community Schools were told their positions would not be cut.
- Rainier High School seniors Kevin O’leary, Bradon Franklin and Kevin McCrea painted a mural at the railroad trestle across state Highway 507 as a leadership class project. It took four days to complete the painting.
- The Roy community took part in the annual Roy Health and Safety Fair, aiming to teach youngsters how staying safe can also be fun. Along with local fire and police agencies, Roy Mayor Natalie Banks organized the event for the fourth year. One of the most popular attractions was Snickerbar, the talking horse.
