Thursday, October 10, 2024
45.0°F

Looking Back: Growth in Whitefish discussed in 1974

| October 2, 2024 1:00 AM

A look back at past Pilot articles by Julie Engler 


50 Years Ago 

Oct. 3, 1974 

A town meeting on area planning and its effects on the Whitefish area was scheduled. To be discussed were plans for future growth in the area and alternatives for dealing with that growth, for the best interests of all involved. The meeting, was sponsored by the Flathead County Planning Commission, was open to any citizen, rural or city, and public comments were invited. The target date for adoption of the land use plan was July 1975. 


40 Years Ago 

Oct. 4, 1984 

A proposed sign ordinance written by Councilman Gary Stevens was in the hands of a committee which was working through it page by page. Stevens, who chairs the committee, said the group was about halfway through the document and suggested it be tabled until the council's first meeting in November. Steven said the committee had laid a lot of groundwork and made a lot of changes in the last month. He predicted major disagreements would arise over some major portions of the ordinance. 


30 Years Ago 

Sept. 29, 1994 

A tense 22-hour standoff with an armed Whitefish woman who refused to leave her room ended when a SWAT team stormed the woman's room, doused her with pepper spray and took her pistol. A nine-man SWAT team of Kalispell and Flathead County officers apprehended the woman. In her home on Texas Ave. shortly after noon. The woman fired one shot in the raid but injured only herself when the bullet hit a finger on her left hand, which covered part of the muzzle, according to Whitefish Police Chief Bill LaBrie. 


20 Years Ago 

Sept. 30, 2004 

More than 270 new Whitefish City residents weren't exactly wearing bells on their toes to celebrate the Montana Supreme Court's decision that city annexation proceedings were proper. According to City Manager Gary Marks, the decision to annex the five affected neighborhoods into city jurisdiction would officially take effect after the City Council adopts a resolution. The annexation is slated to take place in order to align “the ability to pay with the provision of services.” 


10 Years Ago 

Oct. 1, 2014 

Richard Atkinson was back pounding the pavement to raise money for A cause. Atkinson was walking every day for 151 consecutive days in a quest to raise funds for a greenhouse for Whitefish High School. He embarked on a similar mission in 2009, which he termed “Old Man Walking” to raise funds for the Whitefish Performing Arts Center. He came out of retirement to lace up his shoes for another cause he says is worthy of the community's attention.