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
- The telephone at Yelm Middle School jangled constantly reminding school officials they had misspelled a word on their reader board, which read “This Summer Drive With SAFTYE.” The board was put up by a new organization at Yelm High School called “Stop Auto Fatalities Through Youth Efforts,” a special acronym leading to the word “SAFTYE.”
- The Yelm Town Council discussed an extension of a franchise for Yelm Telephone Company, whose current franchise was set to expire this year. The council decided to extend the franchise for 30 years with a request that the firm install a pay telephone in the vicinity of the police department for public use.
- Rep. Phyllis Erickson of the Second District took advantage of low tide to go clam digging at Copalis and later in the day presented Gov. Dixy Lee Ray with her “limit.” Ray had signed Erickson’s clam licensing bill into law, which enforced a 15-clam limit, among other changes.
- George Douglas, 18, Yelm, escaped without injury when his pickup truck rolled on Highway 507 about two miles west of Yelm.
A Look Back at This Week,
35 Years Ago
- When the class of 1989 graduation ceremony finally came to a close at Yelm High School, the graduates put on their sunglasses and filled the gymnasium with shouts, confetti and Silly String.
- Remodeling plans for the Messiah Arabian Stud Ranch were submitted to the Thurston County Planning Department on June 19, 1989. The plans included a new access to the ranch from 93rd Street to reduce traffic on Highway 510. The proposed plans would convert the 24,300-foot horse arena into a meeting hall, which would accommodate about 1,000 people. J.Z. Knight submitted the plans with project designer and coordinator Matthew Schubart.
- The Centennial Wagon Train rode its way into Rainier on June 15, 1989. The wagon train rode past City Hall through the high school parking lot and finished the ride by circling around the Rainier Sportsman Club Arena. Twenty-four wagons and 147 horsemen made the ride from Tenino.
- Yelm Community Schools broke ground for the new stadium to be constructed on the high school campus on June 20, 1989.
A Look Back at This Week,
25 Years Ago
- The crew members of an Army National Guard Chinook helicopter got a scare when a hydraulics failure forced them to make an emergency landing in a field on June 18, 1999. The Chinook, which carried two pilots and a civilian flight technician, landed near Harts Lake.
- The Rainier Reign girls 12-and-under fastpitch team wrapped up its highly successful season with a thrilling, come-from-behind, 9-8 victory over the Olympia Lions in the championship game of the South Puget Sound Youth Softball League Tournament on June 13, 1999. The Reign finished the regular season in a tie for first place in league with a record of 11-1.
- Yelm Community Schools Superintendent Alan Burke announced the hiring of new head Yelm High School football coach Tim Bates, who replaced Rock Winters. Bates previously taught and coached football teams at Marysville, Montesano and Chehalis high schools.
- Janet Harding, 12, daughter of Ron and Myrna Harding, was named a state finalist in the Miss Washington American Pre-Teen Pageant. The winner of the pageant would receive a $1,000 cash award, the official crown and banner, a bouquet of roses, transportation and sponsor fee to compete in the national pageant at Walt Disney World in Florida.
A Look Back at This Week,
15 Years Ago
- A dispute between a married couple turned dangerous on June 13, 2009, when a husband slammed his pickup into his wife’s car. Kevin Luce, 40, Rainier, was supposed to meet his estranged wife to pick up a prescription, and he crossed the center line and struck her vehicle on Creek Street, allegedly blocking her vehicle so she couldn’t get away.
- The City of Rainier moved forward with its water reservoir construction project. The city was granted an easement on Myers Street by the Trotter’s Down Homeowners’ Association.
- Former Rainier School Board member Beth Wriglesworth and the spouse of a Rainier School District employee, Nicole Maley, said that Rainier High School Principal Jeff Weeks was given an ultimatum — resign in 24 hours or he’d be fired. Rainier Superintendent Dennis Friedrich said that Weeks was still employed by the district.
- Local businessmen Todd Skinner, Bob Crossland and Shane “Spanky” Keene took top honors in the wild cow milking competition during the 2009 Roy Rodeo. The team claimed first after another team was disqualified for not producing enough milk in their bottle for the judges to pour out a drop.
