Remember When?

40 YEARS AGO • DECEMBER 20, 1979

LEDGER LINES by K.A.E.

Dear Santa:

As you make your annual run Monday night here are some of the appropriate gifts we think you might leave for some Sanders County citizens and organizations:

Rich DeWitt and his Blue Hawk wrestlers, another state class B crown.

New water systems for the communities of Noxon and Thompson Falls.

More office space for Bill Manley and his congenial staff and Thompson Falls’ No. 1 financial institution.

A move soon for Sheriff Harvey Shultz and his staff into the long awaited new county jail.

A county-wide ambulance district to provide the needed basic financial support for a much needed service.

An occasional winning night at poker for Harold Jensen.

A host of top-notch candidates for the coming 1980 elections to provide the voters with some real choices.

Rising markets for lumber and ample timber for area mills.

And for all a very Merry Christmas.

CAROLERS LABEL PARTY ‘A SMASHING EVENT’

A caroling party planned for by the Community Congregational Church Sunday evening turned out to be a “smashing event” even if it was not entirely successful.

The series of unusual events began when the hay wagon, which was being pulled by a tractor, developed a low tire and it had to be pumped up before the party could begin.

The next event to mar the party occurred when Jason Ostwald, young son of Supt. And Mrs. Gene Ostwald, fell from the hay wagon and cracked his collar bone.

When the tractor and wagon got out on the streets, a law officer stopped them and advised them to take the wagon off the street because it did not have adequate taillights.

Several of the carolers proceeded to the Lions Lodge to serenade the residents there.

And when they returned to the church for refreshments, they discovered the final, crowning blow. Three of their motor vehicles left parked at the church had been smashed by an errant truck and semi-trailer which jackknifed while trying to travel up Jefferson St. and slid back down into the parked vehicles.

Damaged were autos owned by Sue Thayer and County Treasurer June Thayer along with a new pickup owned by Gene McKinzie.

And the refreshments? Most of the carolers went home without taking time to partake of the cider and hot chocolate.

SLICK ROADS CAUSE NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS

Rain, snow and ice combined to create extremely slick roads resulting in numerous accidents during the past week, but for the most part injuries were only slight.

Mrs. Jim Hilt of Noxon apparently escaped Monday evening with serious injury when her motor vehicle slid off Highway 200 east of the Heron Turnoff.

Barbie Jean Stepp was not injured when the vehicle in which she and her daughter were traveling Saturday went down an embankment near the Clark Fork River bridge west of Thompson Falls.

The vehicle Cliff Millar was driving Wednesday slid off the curves at the bottom of the Dry Creek road and lodged against a log.

Gayle Morkert reported to the sheriff’s office that a car parked in front of the Thompson Falls Post Office was hit by another car.

An accident involving motor vehicles driven by Ella Andersen and Tony Basnaw collided at Grove and Second St. with about $250 in damages resulting.

Thursday on the Blue Slide Road a car driven south by Larry McKenzie failed to negotiate a curve and the road going 150 feet down the embankment. Therese McKenzie was a passenger. No injuries resulted, but extensive damage resulted to the vehicle.

Numerous other instances such as going into the borrow pit were reported.