Out of the Past: 03/04/2026

80 Years Ago

Tiger House, a three-act mystery comedy by Robert St. Clair, has been chosen as the senior class play for this year. Rehearsals began Monday with a tentative cast as follows: Joyce Reiter, Robert Olson, K Perrins, Chuck Yoke, Tommy Reiter, Dora Welch, Doris Welch, Dorothy Brill, Irene Renner, Evelyn Kincaid, Robert Peterson, and Betty Lu Wright. 

Rain, which fell late Tuesday evening, plus thawing temperatures, made roads impassable to school district school buses in several areas and necessitated closing of the Deer Park, Clayton, and Loon Lake schools for the remainder of the week. 

Tick serum will be administered free to anyone next Monday morning at the grade school and that afternoon at the high school.

40 Years Ago

The sudden appearance of street merchants in Deer Park has raised the ire of some local merchants and started the ball rolling at another attempt to institute the requirement for a business license, to do business. One way to insure compliance would be through a business license, which would require all pertinent government documents be up to date before they could conduct business in the city limits. 

Deer Park High School senior Scott Maw has been selected as a Washington Scholar, entitling him to a two-year waiver of tuition and fees at all Washington public four-year institutions. A classmate, Stacy Nett, meanwhile was notified last week of his selection for a full four-year scholarship at Central Washington University near Ellensburg. 

Despite its relatively small size, Loon Lake Elementary School placed second among all area schools participating in the Campbell Soup Labels for Education Drive recently. Loon Lake’s label count was 5,607 at the end of the contest period. “Our school received 2,000 in bonus certificates,” Loon Lake Superintendent Donald Newhall said. The bonus certificates, he said, would be used to purchase equipment and materials for the school.

20 Years Ago 

When Deer Park High School (DPHS) senior Lyndsay Nicesmith learned that DPHS students were invited to interview for the Lilac Princess competition, she pounced on the opportunity. The Spokane Lilac Association recently opened the competition to young ladies from any of the 28 high schools in Spokane County. Nicesmith met the requirements, which included a 3.0 or higher grade point average, community and school involvement, and good citizenship. 

Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputy Shawn Audie arrested a pair of theft suspects on Feb. 21 after witnesses saw them hide a pickup truck behind a Deer Park home and remove its license plates.

Jacob St. John of Valley served as a legislative page during the week of Feb. 13-17. The Jenkins High School sophomore was sponsored by Rep. Joel Kretz (R-Wauconda). As a page, St. John’s responsibilities included delivering messages and documents to legislators in their offices, committee meetings, and the House chambers during floor sessions.