20 Years Ago — 2000

Stewardship program explained

The stewardship program is an experimental effort to place more control of the Forest Service in the hands of local citizens. Nine of about 25 projects selected nationwide are in our district. Our project area is west of the southern end of Priest Lake and is called Lakeface-Lamb. There is a significant fire danger in this area.

30 Years Ago — 1990

Orr Brothers lucky

Lonnie and Brian Orr have more in common than merely being brothers. They both won money playing the Idaho Lottery — Lonnie $5,000 and Brian $49.

40 Years Ago — 1980

BPA power line opposed

A group of landowners in the Hoodoo Valley have banded together to fight the construction of a proposed high-voltage power line that would run from Thama to Rathdrum. The power line, which is part of a $250 million project that includes boosting the power output of Libby Dam, is to be constructed by the Bonneville Power Administration.

50 Years Ago — 1970

Kimi Kondo wins honor

Carolyn Kimi Kondo, daughter of attorney Fred and Michi Kondo, has been named Priest River High School’s Betty Crocker Homemaker of Tomorrow. Selected on the basis of her score in a Dec. 2 examination in which a record 646,041 senior girls in 15,040 high schools were enrolled, she is now eligible for state and national honors.

60 Years Ago — 1960

No cars on the runway

The police department issued a warning concerning cars driving on and across the airport runway. The mild weather had made the runway very soft . Automobiles have been making deep ruts that could cause a serious accident to aircraft using the airport. Also, state and federal regulations forbid driving on public airports. Anyone seen doing so will be arrested and cited into court.

70 Years Ago — 1950

Diard obtains patent

Ray Diard has purchased the Dewey Phillips Co. from Otto Swanstrom of Sandpoint. The machine shop was originally built by Diard about eight years ago and was sold by him to Phillips four years ago. While under Diard’s operation the patent was secured for the Idaho Logger (jammer) and 25 were built during his first year.

80 Years Ago — 1940

Street project approved

This office is in receipt of a telegram from Sen. D. Worth Clark in which he states the President has approved WPA project No. 40-110 for improvement of Priest River streets, in the amount of $9,719. It is expected that a portion of the money will be used in the construction of a bypass out of town. It will be necessary, however, before the project can begin to contact the state director, Dean Miller, at Boise.

90 Years Ago — 1930

Men to play women

Olson’s Red Heads, world famous girls’ basketball club, will play a team of local businessmen in the Priest River High School gym on Feb. 25. The Red Heads are composed of women from five foot six to six feet four, the world’s tallest women’s team. Their opponents, tentatively, will be R. L. Sordorff, Popeye Rose, Mike Lamanna, Bob Butigan, Jim McWethy, Earl Naccarato, Frankie Mauro, and Frankie Naccarato. They will be playing under men’s rules. Admission is 50 cents.

100 Years Ago — 1920

Humbird employs many, needs snow

The Humbird Lumber Company, whose field man, Ole Pearson, was in town for several days, has between 400-500 men employed in their several camps in the neighborhood of Priest River. The average company payroll is in excess of $50,000 a month in this vicinity alone. Mr. Pearson says that the winter’s total of logs will be seriously curtailed unless more favorable logging weather is experienced. He says that with a snow that will permit sledding, the company will have many logs in the river.