Five Years Ago

February 4, 2004

Eagle Scout candidate Sam Steele, a 16-year-old sophomore at Enumclaw High School, recruited friends and family to help with a clean-up of the Nolte State Park trail system. His parents discovered the damage done by December’s windstorm and learned it would take months for park crews to finish the work. Needing a community project for his Eagle venture, Steele organized Saturday’s work party.

The Enumclaw School Board is once again examining its options and contemplating a bond levy on a future ballot that would build a new J.J. Smith Elementary School and modernize and fix up a number of other district facilities.

While many Enumclaw High School boys swimmers will compete at the West Central District competition this week-end, six will have the title “tinman.” A tinman is a swimmer who qualifies for the district competition in all eight swimming events, not including relays, although they can only swim in four district events. This year a half dozen Enumclaw swimmers earned the title. Senior Charlie Roark, juniors Gavin Wilson, Zach Warrender and Kyle Hardersen, and sophomore Allen Wilson are this year’s tinmen.

City Council members have decided Enumclaw will continue its prohibition against one form of organized gambling. After hearing testimony on both sides of the issue, council members last week rejected a proposal by a longtime city businessman to operate a cardroom along state Route 410.

Ten Years Ago

February 3, 1999

After some eight years in various locations on the Plateau, the Foothills Adult Day Care Center has closed. Lagging attendance and loss of funding led to its demise.

Sears is back in Enumclaw. It has been six years since the last store burned down. The store, with 10-12 employees, should be open within a week, said owner Tom George.

Public card rooms have been banned in Enumclaw. At the last City Council meeting, members voted unanimously to ban card rooms before they make their way to Enumclaw.

Twenty-five Years Ago

February 2, 1984

Recent warm temperatures and heavy rainfall meant high water levels for Mud Mountain Dam last week. The dam, which can handle up to 17,000 cubic feet per second of water through its underground pipes, was running at 12,000 cfs last Wednesday. Just 24 hours earlier the water was running at only 1,500.

Enumclaw High School clinched the Seamount League title with a convincing 53-9 victory over Liberty last Thursday. The Hornets now stand 4-1 in league play and they will host the Seamount League Sub-Regional wrestling tourney this Saturday.

Fifty Years Ago

February 5, 1959

A blast of thunderous proportions, resounding from the rain-swept walls of the Green River Canyon at Eagle Gorge marked the opening of construction on the multi-million dollar Howard A. Hanson flood control dam at 11:35 Tuesday morning.

According to information furnished the Courier-Herald this week by Herbert V. Sorensen of the local J. A. Sorensen and Son insurance agency, Crystal Mountain Inc. has definitely passed from the realm of the visionary and the “hoped for” into the solid and substantial foreground of reality.

Seventy-five Years Ago

February 9, 1934

The board of King County commissioners yesterday approved plans for paving of one mile of the Maple Valley-Black Diamond Highway.

Miss Emma Olene of Buckley and Nevan McCullough of Tacoma were married Wednesday evening at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Olene. Rev. B. Benadomen of Orting performed the ceremony. Forty guests attended the wedding reception at the Olene home. The couple will make their home in Seattle.

Word has been received of the appointment of Irving Martin of Buckley as acting postmaster, succeeding A.L. France.