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
- There was no opposition voiced against a new business and occupation tax adopted Nov. 14, 1979, by the Yelm Town Council. The tax was expected to bring in an additional $15,000 to $17,000 per year.
- The Yelm school board moved to appoint Marion Nelson Nov. 15, 1979, to its vacant position created when Darrell Peoples resigned. Nelson had recently won an election for the position.
- Dave Lazelle was named the Yelm High School football team’s most valuable player during an awards ceremony Nov. 19, 1979. Rex Roper, Gary Kreitel, Rick Hess and Chilo Plumlee also received trophies from the coaches.
- A sports car was a smoldering mess following a fire Nov. 15, 1979, on Lakepoint Drive off Lindsay Road. Gerald Debus Jr., 18, of Yelm, was taken to an Olympia hospital for treatment of burns.
A Look Back at This Week,
35 Years Ago
- Known affectionately to dozens of children in the community as “Grandma Dora and Grandpa Grumps,” Dora and Ray Mantik were named the grand marshals of the Christmas in the Park parade that was held Dec. 2, 1989.
- The Yelm School District donated $1,000 worth of supplies and materials and $2,800 cash to the Yelm Police Department DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program. The program was presented at the district’s three elementary schools: McKenna, Prairie and Southworth.
- George Corbari, a football coach with the minor league Seattle Express team, spoke to Rainier High School students Nov. 14, 1989, about the impacts of drugs and alcohol.
- Four Yelm High School volleyball players were chosen as members of the 1989 All-Pierce County League team. Tara Landon, Sundee Shultz and Taycia Coulter were first-team honorees, while Shelly Benson was selected as a second-team player. Dave Howe was picked as the league’s coach of the year.
A Look Back at This Week,
25 Years Ago
- Results of the writing portion of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning came back to Yelm and Rainier schools. Overall, the number of fourth graders reaching the passing standard in Yelm rose from 30.4% in 1998 to 39.9% in 1999. Rainier’s fourth grade tests were anomalous in 1998, Rainier Superintendent John Dekker said, but scores were down from 1997. They dropped from 29.3% to 20%.
- The winners of the annual Christmas in the Park essays were Ryan Patrick Gress and Rose Jacobs. Jasmine Curbelo, Sandi Houx, Sabrina Longmire, Skye Marriott, Ashli Sands, Bethany Singleton and Dana Stone were also set to receive Yelm Youth Citizenship Awards.
- Longtime Yelm residents and community leaders Bob and Kathy Wolf were set to again represent the city as grand marshals for the 1999 Christmas in the Park celebration.
- Three Yelm High School students teamed with mall merchants in Olympia to help AIDS-stricken children. Ania Stiebrs, Dana Stone and Lisa Reynolds put on a fashion show for all ages to benefit the United Communities Aids Network on Nov. 26 and Nov. 27 near Mervyn’s at Capital Mall.
A Look Back at This Week,
15 Years Ago
- The City of Yelm moved forward with seizing the McMonigle water rights Nov. 10, 2009. The council passed an ordinance to start exercising the city’s right to use eminent domain to secure those rights.
- Dorothy Carlson, 95, daughter of Stewart’s Meat Market founder Emmet Stewart, passed away Nov. 17, 2009. Carlson was known throughout the community as a stalwart citizen and always at her meat market talking with staff or customers, answering the phone or working in the office.
- Two masked men entered the Yelm Burger King Nov. 11, 2009, and robbed two employees at gunpoint. The robbery occurred at about 1:15 a.m. while two employees were closing the restaurant for the night. A male employee was tied with zip ties and left in one of the bathrooms, while a female manager was also restrained as the robbers stole about $1,500 from the store.
- Jaella Levien and Makaila Woodard were honored as the City of Yelm’s Youth of the Year for 2009.
