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:
– Free influenza vaccines were being offered by the federal government in Thurston County. The program was set to continue through November 1976.
– Principal Bob Olson, of Yelm High School, announced senior Larry Demich was the school’s “commended student” in the Merit Program by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
– Vera Brown, of Yelm, remained in critical condition in an Olympia hospital following a car accident, which occurred on Sept. 19, 1976.
– Cheryl Mercier, a junior at Central Washington State College, became a member of the school’s varsity volleyball team. The squad opened the season at the University of Nevada Invitational tournament in early October of 1976.
– A fundraising spaghetti dinner was set to hit tables at a Yelm school cafeteria on Oct. 7, 1976. The event raised funds to support Vickie Johnson, who was seriously ill in a Seattle hospital.
– Kyle Henegar, Tawna Ostrander, Lori Royal, Diana Smith and Linda Siegler received blue ribbons at the horsemanship championship event hosted by Thurston County 4-H.
– Cathay Jo Smith and Michael G. McAuley got engaged, with their wedding set for Feb. 12, 1977.
A Look Back at This Week, 35 Years Ago:
– Paving was set to begin on Crystal Springs Road this week in 1986. Gene Borges, building inspector for Yelm, said everything was in order for the project to commence.
– Fugitive Monty Richardson, who was connected to the Sept. 3, 1986 death of 14-year-old Toni Antonelli, of Tenino, was arrested in Boise, Idaho.
– Bill Blum, Washington state president of the Eagles, was set to visit Yelm’s chapter on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 1986. The Eagles were ready to meet with him at the Nisqually Valley Restaurant at 8 p.m. that day.
– The Tornados blew through the streets of Yelm in their annual Homecoming parade. Parade princesses from different classes rode in convertibles and floats, showing off their school’s pride.
– A letter to the editor showed Lora B. Coates saying, “When I read about the city hall fire, my feelings were mixed — between outrage, heartbreak and a desire to do permanent damage to the idiot who caused it.”
– Stephanie Lorriane Thomas and David Mark Lasher exchanged wedding vows in an outdoor ceremony on Sept. 20, 1986. Reverend Michael McDonald officiated in the double-ring ceremony.
– The Tornados won their 1986 Homecoming football game 14-2 against the Washington Patriots. It was their first Pierce County league win.
A Look Back at This Week, 25 Years Ago:
– After the Thurston County Jail announced it would no longer take in arrests from the city of Yelm, the Yelm Police Department began contract negotiations with Lewis County and Buckley.
– “Yelm Police Officer Todd Stancil sat on a folding chair in front of his police vehicle, waiting for anyone wanting to make a record of their identity” at Yelm’s celebration of Oktoberfest, reported the Nisqually Valley News in October of 1996.
– Delores L. Gannon, 39, was involved in a one-car rollover after the morning sun blinded her.
– Intercity Transit was set to offer free rides on Friday, Oct. 16 to Oct. 18, 1996 on all local routes. The free days were being offered as part of Washington Rideshare Week.
– Yelm City Planner Cathie Carlson and Office Assistant Shari Gemmill went outside of Yelm City Hall on Railroad Street Southwest to spade the landscape, digging into the ground to make way for planting several pots of flowers.
– Tom and Jennifer Riddal, of Yelm, announced the birth of their son, Thomas Joseph, on Oct. 1, 1996. He weighed 6 pounds and 1 and a half ounces at birth.
– The White River Hornets beat the Tornados in a football game, defeating Yelm 39-14.
A Look Back at This Week, 15 Years Ago:
– Port of Olympia officials disagreed over the protocol of finding a replacement for Olympia Commissioner Steve Pottle, who rescinded his previous resignation on Oct. 9, 2006.
– Steve Chamberlain, who grew up in Yelm, and Doug Bloom, a Yelm resident of 17 years, were the principal developers in the planned Thurston Highlands Master Planned Community. They met with Yelm officials to ensure the development was built to sustainable standards.
– The main three concepts the city of Yelm identified for sustainable development were smart growth, low-impact development and green housing.
– The Tahoma Terra Gold and Country Club demolished its old clubhouse to make way for a new building. Owners Doug Bloom and Steve Chamberlain were present at the demolition.
– Third grade students at Yelm Community Schools were given their own personal dictionaries. The giveaway was designed to “supply students with personal reading material and much-needed academic aid in the classrooms,” wrote Nisqually Valley News reporter Sam Chrest.
– Rainier resident Leon Garrison was recognized by the city of Rainier for his work in the city. He was known for his mechanical expertise to fix city vehicles, for helping to set up public events and for mowing the city’s patches of grass.
-The Mountaineers football team gained a 42-6 victory over Napavine High School.
