10 years ago 1996

Bob Campbell, co-chair of the Citizens Committee for Arlington Schools, enthusiastically congratulated the Arlington School Board of Directors for making the decision to present a new high school project to the voters, last Thursday at the Citizens Committees regular weekly meeting. The committee began its campaign to promote the bond for a new high school several weeks ago, on the assumption that the board would make this decision. The committee met Dec. 12 after the Arlington School Board of Directors unanimously voted Dec. 11 to put to vote a request for $41 million in a bond issue for educational modernization. The vote on Resolution 96-11 essentially made official what had been agreed upon at the Dec. 9 board meeting. The election will be held Feb. 4, 1997. Also at the Dec. 9 meeting, the school board voted to purchase 180 acres from Gus Boettcher for $3 million or $17,000 an acre. We are purchasing the land first, explained board president Bob McClure, because the opportunity is here. He explained that the property acquisition must be included in the bond title in order to reimburse the cost of the property with bond monies. Previous high school sites have been lost because no immediate action was taken, he said. McClure also said that the board will soon launch a study of current properties owned by the district, reviewing the possibility of selling timber or the property itself to offset the current property acquisition. We will also look into the possibility of doing some trading, said McClure. The school district owns a number of small parcels of land scattered around the district which are not useable for school sites. The citizens committee brainstormed mottos for the campaign with ideas ranging from The Field of Dreams and Crossing the bridge to the 21st Century utilizing the fact that the new school property is northeast of Lincoln Bridge at a cattle ranch. In a recent meeting between the Arlington City Council and the school board, Wayne Smothers, a member of the citizens committee, supported the proposed site for a new high school. Putting the school east of town will be better for Arlington businesses, he said, because a students and citizens will have to go through town to get to the school. Other possible sites for the high school were located on the south and west edge of Arlingtons city limits or urban growth area. Board member Steve Peterson explained that those other sites had serious problems with standing water. The owner of the second-rated choice in the study of three sites did not want to sell, said Peterson. While the other sites were closer to populated areas, this site is closer to the center of the school district, explained Superintendent Linda Byrnes. The district extends east about half way to Darrington. Many issues will not be settled before the issue goes to the voters, explained Byrnes. We cant hire the architects to do a lot of design work before we have an approval by the voters, she explained. But the district definitely wants the services of the Arlington Police. Because the new school site is outside of the city limits, special arrangements will have to be agreed upon among the district, the county sheriff and Arlingtons police department. Fire protection and water and sewer systems are other issues that will not be settled before the vote. Members of the school board to the City Council that they hop for the Councils support in the project. McClure told the Council, We all need to realize the broader needs of our community and support the boards decision to pursue a new high school.

25 years ago 1981

After several successful second-half rallies this season, the clock finally got the best of the Arlington High School football team. In the biggest game of the season, the state AA championship at Kingbowl VI in Seattles Kingdome, the Eagles waited too long before staging an exciting comeback. The East Valley Knights of Spokane were able to hang onto a slim 19-14 advantage to win the 1981 championship crown. The Eagles waited until the final eight minutes of the fourth quarter before playing like the team that had won seven consecutive games to capture a berth in the title matchup. Throughout the first three quarters the Eagles lacked intensity, the favor of the officials and any kind of luck. The Eagles last minute comeback was sparked by an interception by Darryl Peterson at the Knights 17-yard line. Knights reserve quarterback Greg Wiseman attempted to hit his receiver near the left sideline. With only 17 seconds left, Eagle quarterback Tim Richard hit Peterson with a pass deep in the endzone on the next play. Jon Coffman added the extra point to make the score 19-14. Coffman then attempted his second onside kick in the quarter and, unlike the first time, Arlington came up with the ball. The ball hit the turf once, then bounced over the Knights front line and Arlingtons B.J. Steffes made a diving catch. The line of scrimmage was the Eagle 46 and eight seconds remained. The Arlington fans chanted touchdown Eagles touchdown as Richard took the snap from the center, rolled right and was stopped from throwing the ball when Knight Phil Stokes wrestled him down. The final three seconds ticked off the clock before the Eagles could signal a time out. The Eagles chance for a comeback blossomed when Richard capped an 80-yard drive with 5:28 left in the game. The Eagle quarterback raced to his right for 17 yards and the touchdown. An 11-yard pass to Troy Dawn, a 21-yard pass to Darryl Peterson and a 17-yard run by Darren Peter4son moved the Eagles into scoring position. Coffman booted the extra point. The Eagle passing attack was hurt by the absence of wide received Garry Mumm, who was sidelined with a leg injury. It affected us a lot, Kavaney said about the loss of Mumm. It eliminated our deep threat. The passing attack was also hampered by a strong Knight pass rush, allowing Richard little time to pick out a receiver. It was one of the best pass rushes weve faced this year, Richard said. The Knight defense held the Eagles to 165 total yards while the Eagle defense only allowed 168. The Knights edge came in the first half on fumble recoveries. During the Eagles first possession Darren Peterson coughed up the ball on the Eagles 18 and five plays later running back Terry Shillam swept to his left and into the endzone. The extra point attempt failed. Midway through the second quarter it was demonstrated that luck was on the Knights side. Starting quarterback Jim Bittner fired a pass to Steve Porter, who barely tipped the ball away from Eagle safety Tim Richard. Richard was expecting to intercept the pass before Porter touched the ball. Instead, Richard deflected the pass into the hands of Herman Spangle who waltzed five yards into the endzone. The Eagles fumbled during the following possession and the Knights capitalized on the mistake with a 29-yard field goal. The half ended 56 seconds later with the Knights leading 16-0. The Knights final score was a 35-year field goal with 5:24 left in the third quarter. The score capped a drive the Eagles believed they had stopped with a fumble recovery on its first play. The officials ruled the ball was dead before the recovery, but the instant replay on the Kingdomes large screen proved different causing a loud outburst from the Arlington fans. The Knights end the season with a 12-0 record while the Eagles concluded action with a 9-3 record. For the past three seasons Arlington has had great success in AA football. In 1979 Arlington captured the state title and recorded a 10-3 mark; in 1980 the Eagles posted an 11-1 record and lost to the eventual state championship team in semi-final action. Over these years, coach Kavaney has a 30-6 win-loss record.

50 years ago 1956

It was just like something from heaven, said a smiling Mrs. Walter Tungate this week, telling how she won the Christmas Shoppers Jackpot drawing in Arlington Friday night, netting her $300 in trade certificates from Arlington stores. The drawing was the final in a series of four Friday night drawings for prizes by Arlington merchants, and awarded by the Commercial Club. A total of 118 merchandise prizes were awarded. The pretty, young mother of two boys, Walter 3 and Mike 1, is the wife of logging truck operator Walter Tungate of Oso. Armed with a bundle of trade certificates from 30 Arlington stores, Mrs. Tungate spent Saturday and Monday enjoying the kind of care-free shopping spree that Christmas shoppers dream about. I bought as many home furnishings as I could, she said. The merchants were wonderful. I think they enjoyed it as much as I did. The happy housewife told how she had debated Friday night whether to attend the drawing (she had to be present to win), or a Christmas party, and how the urge to see if someone I knew would win prompted her to make the trip to Arlington, never suspecting that her name would be called. Although more than 10,000 tickets were entered in the drawing, Mrs. Tungate reported that she had registered only twice during the four week period of the drawings. She said she believed her first entry was the one drawn. Mrs. Tungate said she was so shocked when her name was called by Police chief Parker that she was unable to answer, and credited her mother-in-law with an assist in getting her to the announcers truck to claim the prize. A crowd that jammed Arlingtons main intersection from sidewalk to sidewalk attended the final drawing. Thirty minor prizes were awarded, in addition to the main jackpot. The Arlington Police Auxiliary was present in force to help direct traffic during the drawing, which was conducted by members of the Arlington Commercial Club, assisted by Police Chief Clyde Parker.