Looking Back for Aug. 2
A look back at past Pilot articles by Julie Engler.
50 Years Ago
August 2, 1973
Preliminary estimates on the year’s city budget showed an increase of $214,414 over the previous year's fiscal expenditures, with a total budget of $780,399 expected. The total general fund budget for 1974 was $169,111 as compared with the prior year’s actual expenditures of $118,503. General Fund expenditures included salaries for the mayor and council, city clerk, treasurer, engineer, attorney, police court, police department, health department, building maintenance, elections and other expenses including street lights.
40 Years Ago
August 4, 1983
A propane leak was suspected of causing an explosion that ripped through a neighborhood in Whitefish, wreaking about $2 million in damage and waking nearly every city resident. Firemen on the scene said it was miraculous only two people suffered minor injuries as a result of the blast. Had the explosion occurred during the day, officials feared to estimate how many may have been injured. The explosion occurred at 3:55 a.m. in the garage of Marlin and Mable Koestler at 304 Wisconsin. The building and its contents were completely destroyed.
30 Years Ago
August 5, 1993
Opinions ranging from “no expansion” to “full expansion” of The Big Mountain were aired at Grouse Mountain Lodge during a U.S. Forest Service Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) public meeting. Nearly 200 people attended the second of three meetings held to discuss Winter Sports, Inc.’s (WSI) proposal to expand the ski area on Big Mountain. The original 1990 expansion proposal called for more intermediate and difficult ski terrain, said Mike Collins, president of WSI.
20 Years Ago
July 31, 2003
Fires take their names from nearby landmarks, named by the first responding agency’s independent command officer. The three fires around Glacier National Park bore names of nearby landmarks: Trapper Creek, Wedge Creek and the Roberts Fire. Fires are categorized by two methods, their size and the resources required to fight them. Fire size is classified with an understated application of a letter of the alphabet, A through G.
10 Years Ago
July 31, 2013
The number of homes sold in Whitefish continued on an upward trend through the first half of 2013. A total of 146 homes sold through the end of June, an increase of more than 20% over last year, according to a report from Kelley Appraisal of Kalispell. The volume of sales so far that year was the highest it had been since 2006. The median price of homes sold locally was up, as well, an increase of nearly 6% over the last year to $243,600, the highest since 2008. “The numbers keep going up in Whitefish, which is good,” said Jim Kelley, with Kelley Appraisal.