Looking Back: Lightning sparks blaze on Whitefish Mountain
Whitefish Pilot | UPDATED 4 months, 3 weeks AGO
The driver of this one-car roll-over, 77-year-old Bur Lockley of Washington, escaped with minor injuries. he was driving his early model Scout when he became distracted and rolled off Highway 93 west of Whitefish into a ditch. (Bart Smith photo, 1985)
A look back at past Pilot articles by Julie Engler
50 Years Ago
July 31, 1975
The graduating class of 1965 from Whitefish High School held their 10-year reunion with a get together at the Happy Hunky Friday, a banquet and dance at the Golf Club Saturday and a picnic at City Beach Sunday. Fifty-four members of the original class of 112 attended the festivities, travelling distances as far away as Washington, DC. and Fairbanks, Alaska. Beverly Scoville Garrick from Seattle was awarded the “changed the most” award. Dwayne Becker of Whitefish won the “changed the least” award. Don Gray of Whitefish was presented with the “baldest” award.
40 Years Ago
July 31, 1985
A smoldering lightning strike matured into a full-grown forest fire on Whitefish Mountain about 35 miles north of Whitefish. The fire was brought under control and was being patrolled by a 20-person crew. Over 100 firefighters and support staff worked on the fire and contained the blaze to the ridge top area, bringing it under control after it consumed approximately 35 acres. “We had five crews of 20 firefighters each on the fire over the weekend,” explained Bill Wright, the fire’s incident commander, a field supervisor for the Kalispell unit of the Montana State Fire Protection Department.
30 Years Ago
July 27, 1995
Push for annexation of the U.S. 93 corridor lit a fire under Whitefish planners to work on architecture and landscaping guidelines for future city businesses. The proposed guidelines were still in the preliminary stages. The planners agreed that franchise-style architecture, loud colors and flat roofs should not be allowed. The proposed guidelines would govern the design of new commercial buildings, according to Ken Williams, an architect and member of the Whitefish City-County Planning Board. “It's very rough right now,” Williams said of the potential guidelines. “We are not trying to shove something down people's throats, but it appears with all the interest in commercial development, we need guidelines, and we need to provide a vehicle to implement them.”
20 Years Ago
July 28, 2005
Plans for development in the Big Mountain village approved by the Whitefish City-County Planning Board were just a first step in Winter Sports Inc.’s bigger goal of reconfiguring skier use across the base of the mountain. The preliminary plat covered seven lots on 6.31 acres in the upper village slated for development, including a hotel immediately to the west of the Edelweiss Condominiums and six mixed-use condominium buildings in the two parking lots below. The new condominium buildings would provide retail stores and restaurants on the first floor.
10 Years Ago
July 29, 2015
The City of Whitefish rejected a petition calling for a public vote on the planned City Hall project, a move that effectively killed the opposition's effort to cap spending on the $14.95 million city facility and attached parking structure. In a memo to the Flathead County Election Department, newly appointed City Attorney Angela Jacobs Persicke said the ballot initiative proposed in the petition was administrative in nature and failed to meet compliance standards.