Looking Back: Wildfire burns hot up the North Fork
Contestants in the Whitefish Lake Run in 1985 began with a quick pace. Bruce Ross (41) was the winner. (Jean Arthur photo)
A look back at past Pilot articles by Julie Engler
50 Years Ago
July 3, 1975
In Women's Softball League play, the Rainier Oddballs defeated the Bandits 8-4. The winning pitcher was Jacquie Schaeffer. The losing pitcher was Bonnie Mickelson. Bobby Reust hit a three-bagger for the Oddballs. Dew Drop Inn topped The Place by a score of 7-5. Marlene Potter was the winning pitcher. Geri Hughey was the losing pitcher. Ardella Fauske hit a home run for The Place.
40 Years Ago
July 3, 1985
Two more of the city's seven elected officials announced this year would be their last. Mayor Jim Putnam said he would not seek reelection, and Ward 3 Councilman John Garrity, one of the two councilmen whose term continues, said he plans to resign. Councilwoman Pat LaTourelle will be the only elected official who will carry over to next year. Councilman Ray Boksich, who was filling in a term, announced he will run for election in Ward 3. Mayor Putnam said he would make no comments about his decision for now. He made his intentions known after the regular business meeting concluded.
30 Years Ago
June 29, 1995
The Whitefish Community Center project became the recipient of a second major grant in the amount of $350,000, the project's second major donation in as many weeks. The most recent donation was received from the William and Myriam Pennington Foundation of Reno, Nevada. Funds from the grant were to assist in the construction of the new Community Center Library. The new library building would be named the William and Myriam Pennington Library, in honor of the contributors. The Penningtons are part-time residents of Whitefish and own a home on Whitefish Lake.
20 Years Ago
June 30, 2005
Several large capital improvement projects, two new departments, and recent annexation annexations added up to the 18.4% increase in the Whitefish City budget. Despite the increase in expenditures, the city's 2005-2006 preliminary budget called for holding the line for taxpayers. The city proposed to keep property taxes at 111.21 mills, the fourth year in a row without an increase. City property taxes for a home in Whitefish with an approximate median value of $260,000 would be $560. This figure did not include state, county and school mills.
10 Years Ago
July 1, 2015
Stoked by bone dry conditions and record heat, a human-caused wildfire broke out just north of Glacier Rim off the North Fork Road and within a day blossomed to 85 acres on Forest Service lands. The weather cooled somewhat and the Glacier Rim Fire was 30% contained and firefighters had cut a line around most of the perimeter, said Fire Information Officer Colter Pence. The fire was burning in the old Robert Fire of 2003, in almost the exact location where the historic fire raced across the North Fork Road 12 years ago. Law enforcement was still investigating the exact cause of the fire that burned extremely hot at the ignition point near an old gravel pit, Pence said.