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
- Ralph Erickson, 68, a resident of Clearwood who was active in the neighborhood watch program, completed a three-day crime prevention seminar at Lake Wilderness, Maple Valley.
- Gail Jones, of Yelm, a pilot for United Airlines, was put through the third degree by C.O. Creel’s fourth grade class when he visited Oct. 30, 1979 to explain the life of a pilot. Questions ranged from salary to how high his DC-10 might fly.
- Ray Burnside, Harts Lake Loop Road, walked just outside his home Oct. 24, 1979, to bag an unusual forked black-tailed deer. The animal had a split branch on one side and could be classed either as a three or four point, depending on what branch was being counted.
- The Yelm Tornados football team hosted the Tumwater T-Birds in a Black Hills League session Oct. 27, 1979, and came out on the short end of the stick once again, 34-12.
A Look Back at This Week,
35 Years Ago
- The Town of Yelm was set to become the City of Yelm within the next year. Despite the name change, there wasn’t going to be much of a difference between a fourth-class town and a non-charter code city, as the town still had a mayor and four council members.
- Representing the Nisqually Tribe, Joe Kalama’s invocation started the “Mountain to Sea” dedication of the Nisqually River Basin Oct. 28, 1989. He was joined by representatives from the state, Pierce and Thurston counties, Fort Lewis and about 100 spectators who gathered for the ceremony held at the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge.
- Lawrence Schorno, president of S&W Export, Ltd., Yelm, was reelected for a second three-year term on the Washington State University Foundation board of trustees.
- Steven Gibeam, 36, Roy, pled guilty to driving while under the influence of intoxicants while being tried in Thurston County district court. He was fined $500 and sentenced to one year in jail.
A Look Back at This Week,
25 Years Ago
- The Yelm school board took steps toward easing a substitute teacher shortage and improving services for students with disabilities. Board members passed a resolution increasing the number of hours that retired teachers could work as on-call teachers.
- The Town of Rainier was set to become a full-fledged city. Rainier looked into changing its designation from a town — or fourth-class city — into a third-class city. The name change would have eliminated some financial headaches and put Rainier on the same foothold as other small local cities.
- Washington state voters approved Initiative 695 and rejected I-696 Nov. 2, 1999, rolling back the motor vehicle excise tax and throwing out a proposed ban of commercial net fishing.
- Seven girls and two boys qualified to compete for Yelm High School in the 3A state cross country championships in Pasco.
A Look Back at This Week,
15 Years Ago
- The Yelm Lions Club transported its giant lion statue to the Carlson Scout Cabin Oct. 25, 2009. The artistic statue originally sat in front of the former Bar Cinco business, but when a new business moved in, the statue was removed.
- Yelm FFA went to the National FFA convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the chapter presented in the National Chapter Competition and ranked in the top 10 in the nation in community service.
- Jim Wilcox, of Wilcox Farms, was awarded the 2009 Vendor of the Year Award from the Washington Food Industry for his commitment to the prosperity, ethics and image of the independent grocery industry.
- Yelm High School boys wrestling head coach Gaylord Strand was set to be one of four coaches inducted into the Washington state Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame Nov. 7, 2009, at the Yakima Convention Center.
