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
- A wrestling team composed of athletes from Yelm, Timberline, Elma and Franklin Pierce were set to travel to the Pan American Games in Mexico City, Mexico. Gaylord Strand, head wrestling coach at Yelm High School, and John Birbeck, wrestling coach at Timberline, coached the team.
- A broken window gave entry to Yelm Middle School as an intruder wandered through the building, rifling desks and going through storage cabinets in the nurse area. Yelm police reported a communication speaker was ripped from the wall but not removed. Damage was estimated at $25.
- Plans for a new school office were put on the back burner by Yelm Community Schools officials. Dr. Glen Nutter, district superintendent, said the district could “get along with what we have since it appears nothing is available in the community.”
- The Yelm Little League all-star contest came down to the wire. Lions-Moose, Grange and Delk’s Enterprises won the tight contest, 3-2, over PTA, Rainier, Delk’s Enterprises and VFW on June 23, 1979.
A Look Back at This Week,
35 Years Ago
- The Seattle Metro Land Selection Board recommended Metro consider selling its Bald Hills property on June 26, 1989. The board recommended Metro harvest the timber on the 2,200 acres and trade or sell the property. Metro could recover its $2.4 million investment from the timber.
- Bicyclists in the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic made a stop in the Yelm park on June 23, 1989. While taking a break from the 202-mile ride, bicyclists bought refreshments from the Kiwanis Club and rested on the grass.
- Robert E. Kaiser pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree assault June 21, 1989. He was sentenced to 12 months in jail. Kaiser had previously claimed that he was entitled to receive a $20,000 reward for his help in apprehending “the Yelm arsonist.” While Kaiser claimed Richard M. Morris was the arsonist, Morris claimed Kaiser had forced him to confess to arson by threatening him with a gun.
- The Washington State Patrol chased a stolen car from Lacey to Yelm June 21, 1989. Two juveniles driving the car were apprehended after a 45-minute chase. The car went off the road into a ditch in the vicinity of Edwards and Mosman streets. The two juveniles left the vehicle and fled on foot before they were arrested.
A Look Back at This Week,
25 Years Ago
- Yelm Community Schools Superintendent Alan Burke proudly announced to the school board June 24, 1999, the better-than-average results for the district on two standardized tests. Yelm third and eighth grade students took the Iowa Test of Basic Skills while 11th graders took the Iowa Test of Educational Development.
- A Yelm man died June 29, 1999, in a single-vehicle motorcycle accident. James Thompson, 40, was driving his 1992 Harley Davidson west along Mosman Avenue when the vehicle struck a telephone pole, and he was ejected from the motorcycle and suffered injuries to the head and jaw.
- Bob Largen, a Yelm Army veteran trained in communications, opened his home to allow two men so they could participate in a nationwide amateur radio competition. Largen hosted the men for the second year in a row. For 24 hours, amateur radio operators scanned the airwaves to see how many “contacts” they could make with other operators in the U.S. and Canada.
- The new Safeway grocery store opened June 23, 1999, in Yelm. The store was located at 10509 Yelm Ave. and had a well-received opening from the community, according to manager Darren Smith.
A Look Back at This Week,
15 Years Ago
- A Yelm teen sued Nestle USA, Inc. because, she claimed, she contracted E. coli after eating its cookie dough. Lindsay Phillips, 18, was hospitalized May 13, 2009, with “severe lower abdominal pain and profuse diarrhea that turned bloody.”
- A Yelm woman was behind bars after a fight with her boyfriend escalated and she allegedly tried to burn down his house. Liliana Valverde-Calvo, 31, was arrested on suspicion of fourth-degree assault/domestic violence and first-degree arson/domestic violence.
- Roy Mayor Natalie Banks announced her resignation on June 22, 2009. Councilwoman Karen Yates was named mayor pro tem after Councilman Ray Bourne relinquished that title.
- Evan Kabat, 10, Yelm, threw the ceremonial first pitch to his dad, Kelly, at a Seattle Mariners game, June 21, 2009. Kabat, a Mill Pond Elementary fifth grader, said, “I thought it was a dream.”
