Bonner County History - May 4, 2025
Brought to you by the
Bonner County Historical
Society and Museum
611 S. Ella Ave., Sandpoint, Idaho, 83864
208-263-2344
50 Years Ago
Sandpoint News-Bulletin
May 4, 1975 – CHAPPELL WINS HURDLES
Tammy Chappell, SHS, raced for another first in the hurdles in a girls’ track meet at Post Falls. Mara Lei Monroe threw the discus for third place and won second in the shot put. In the running events, Judy Zahn finished 4th in the 220; Laura Beebe was 6th in the 880. The 880 relay team of Zahn, Chappell, Marsha Finney and Debbie Olson placed 3rd. Zahn, Chappell and Finney then teamed with Susan Chronic to win 4th in the 440 relay. Members of the mile relay team, Jaye Pietsch, Cheryl Welter, Nancy Finney and Diane Ellenbecker, placed fifth.
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SPACE FOR KINDERGARTEN IS OBSTACLE
Partial state funding for public kindergartens was recently approved by the legislature, with funds available July 1 for districts opting to participate. According to Dr. Wayne Likens, Bonner County schools superintendent, lack of space is the main problem facing the district if the program were to be started, as nearly 300 students would participate, requiring seven additional teachers.
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ICE SKATING RINK TO BE DISCUSSED
A public meeting will be held Monday at 7:30 p.m. in the New Farmin School lunchroom, to discuss results of the U of I study and proposals for an ice skating rink and cultural arts center in Sandpoint. The study was initiated last fall by the Legion of Fine Arts and the Bonner County Fair Board.
75 Years Ago
Sandpoint News-Bulletin
May 4, 1950 – DOVER NEWS by Mrs. A.S. Cotton
Members of the Teen Age Boosters were busy Monday evening leaving May baskets at homes, as also were a number of younger children.
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HEAVY SNOW COVER THREATENS FLOODS
There is more snow in the local hills than on any May 1 in the past 14 years, and with continued cold weather and more snow liable to fall in the higher elevations, there is increasing concern over the height of flood waters, both in Lake Pend Oreille and the Kootenai river. With a heavy runoff yet to come, it is feared a sudden warm spell accompanied by warm rains would create flooding more severe than 1948. With the delayed water flow into Pend Oreille, the Kiwanis club moved its deadline for guessing the height of water from May 13 to May 27, as high water level is not expected to be reached until June.
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HUGE SCHOOLS OF BLUEBACKS SEEN
“There are literally tens of thousands of kokanee in the big schools near Blackwell point at the south end of the lake,” said F.D. “Red” Evans, Sandpoint commercial fish dealer, whose smokehouse at his place on Pine street is full of bluebacks being smoked. Evans custom smokes fishermen’s catches and also buys fish from commercial fishermen who have been reaping a record harvest the past 10 days. Evans noted that the fish are slightly larger than at the same time last year and predicted they will be the largest this year of any year since 1940.
For more information, visit the museum online at bonnercountyhistory.org.