Looking Back

10 Years Ago

Nov. 20, 2008

Medical Lake Elementary School joined schools in 23 other countries to attempt to beat several Guinness Book of World Records cup-stacking victories.

Local residents opposed taxing citizens to combat the native and Eurasian milfoil infestation at Silver Lake.

The Cheney City Council approved the non-profit “Pathways to Progress” but argued over the control and funding of the organization designed to help promote Cheney.

20 Years Ago

Nov. 12, 1998

The Cheney City Council signed off on the SR-904 corridor project, despite not knowing exactly how they would come up with the $273,400 in matching funds required to complete the plan.

Cheney’s Habitat for Humanity took a big step forward, finding a lot on the 300 block of North Third Street for a duplex to be built on.

In the aftermath of South America’s Hurricane Mitch, a local church set itself up as a collection center to provide much-needed supplies.

30 Years Ago

Nov. 17, 1988

The Cheney Police Department employed a chaplain for the first time to help victims, families and police officers in the event of a serious crime, accident or death.

The Cheney Planning Commission’s first of three “What’s right and what’s wrong with Cheney” public hearings garnered lots of resident complaints, many of which centered around the city’s plan to add a fourth leg to the intersection of SR-904 and Cheney-Spokane Road. Citizens even blasted the city for being unresponsive and rude to inhabitants.

Award-winning poet Jane Miller gave a reading of her works at Eastern Washington University’s Spokane Center.

40 Years Ago

Nov. 16, 1978

Only 48 percent of Cheney residents participated in the November election, marking a significant dip in voter turnout in the region. Of the 3,321 registered voters in the city, only 1,486 actually cast ballots.

The Cheney depot building — formerly the Cheney Care Center — stood to be nominated for the prestigious National Historical Register.

Eastern Washington University’s board of trustees proposed forming a new department at the college, the Department of Geography and Anthropology, to pool data and research capabilities.

50 Years Ago

Nov. 21, 1968

Traffic counters were placed on various arterials and streets to determine Cheney’s vehicle patterns and facilitate a comprehensive study and plan for the city’s development.

Cheney’s rapid expansion and increased college enrollment considerably increased the volume of mail being handled in the area, leading to the need for additional help and a third truck for parcel delivery over the holiday season.

The Inland Empire chapter of the American Red Cross and the Eastern Washington State College Department of Sociology hosted a day-long seminar called “Youth in a Changing World.” It featured workshops like “Are Parents Responsible for Troubled Youth?” and “The Rebelling Youth of Today.”