The Reflector
Enjoy snapshots of local history written in past issues of the Reflector from 30, 20 and 10 years ago, respectively.
A look back at October, 30 years ago
- On Oct. 3, 1994, La Center youth Casey Kelly, a freshman in high school, traveled to Budapest, Hungary, as part of the U.S. national team to compete in the karate World Cup tournament. Kelly took second place in kata, a form of karate, in the 14-year-old category. The youth also took 11th place in kumite. Kelly competed against youth from 33 countries. He participated in national karate competitions for several years, including the Junior Olympics.
- 18th District incumbent Democrat Rep. Jim Springer received scrutiny for hiring an investigator to probe the past of his opponent, John Pennington. Pennington, who owned a Battle Ground coffee shop, confronted Springer about the investigator during an Oct. 10, 1994, forum. Springer defended himself, describing investigator Dan Junas of Seattle as a political researcher. He said Junas was hired to find out if Pennington had voted in past elections and other aspects of his background including where he went to high school. Springer said Junas was paid $600 for eight hours of work, and he had not yet received a report of the investigation. Pennington said voters should be alert to the hiring of an investigator, and Springer admitted the investigation itself should have occurred sooner. Pennington won the primary election over Springer, 54% to 46%.
- Community members and neighbors of a future Battle Ground Public Schools (BGPS) elementary through eighth grade school questioned logging taking place on the 25-acre property, located west of Northeast 50th Avenue. BGPS Superintendent Leo Beck told locals that since the district had not yet closed on the property, there was little they could do to prevent logging. Neighbors complained logging would cause groundwater contamination and erosion in the area. Lloyd Handlos, forest practices coordinator for the Department of Natural Resources, said that the local field forester found no issues of logging on the site. The original purchase price for the property was $1.4 million, though logging proceeds were expected to deduct the price to $900,000 for the school district. This site became Pleasant Valley Primary School.
A look back at October, 20 years ago
- On Oct. 1, 2004, Mount St. Helens experienced a pre-eruption event. The mostly steam geyser occurred at 10 a.m. The plume drifted east, with only a small amount of ash accompanying it. Rising approximately 10,000 feet before flattening at the top, the plume was caused by hot material coming into contact with ice, according to U.S. Geological Survey scientist Willie Scott. He noted that as magma continued to move upward, the steaming activity was likely to persist. Steam continued to rise throughout the week.
- In October, The Reflector reported that Yacolt Mayor Jim Robertson resigned from his position, effective Sept. 30. Robertson explained that he had purchased a small convenience store near St. Mary's in northern Idaho and planned to relocate within the month. Before becoming mayor, he served on the Yacolt Town Council for 12 years and spent five years as mayor. At the time of his resignation, Jim Weldon served as mayor pro tem.
A look back at October, 10 years ago
- During an Oct. 6 meeting, the Battle Ground City Council approved the formation of a transportation benefit district. The taxing district allows cities to establish and use a tax of up to 0.2%, and an annual vehicle fee of up to $20. All money would be used to maintain and improve roads within the city. The council did not impose taxes during the meeting. Three residents spoke during public comments, all asking for the council to find ways to fund road improvements.
- A fundraising event held at Mill Creek Pub brought in $15,000 for a local resident’s medical expenses on Oct. 1, 2014. Jack Fletcher, 18, of Clark County, had suffered from a traumatic brain injury after he was in a serious car crash in July that year. The $15,000 was raised from a percentage of the restaurant’s sales that day and from raffle tickets that were sold.
