70 YEARS AGO • JANUARY 7, 1954

COUNCIL TO INSTALL TWO STREET LIGHTS

Installation of two additional street lights - one at the corner of Ferry Street and Third Avenue and at the depot steps (these steps were located directly across from True Value Hardware and guided pedestrians down the steep slope from the train depot to Main Street) - was ordered by the Thompson Falls City Council in its regular session Monday night.

The council issued two building permits - one to Claude Gray for a chicken house and the other to Leonard Kelly for an extension to his trailer house.

In other business, the city dads approved, subject to approval by City Attorney Eugene H. Mahoney, a supplementary agreement to provide social security coverage for all city employees.

SCHOOL BOARD SCANS BUILDING PLANS OF 5 ARCHITECTS

The board of trustees for the Thompson Falls schools expected to inspect the last of five preliminary sketches to be submitted by Montana and Spokane architects for a proposed new Thompson Falls grade school building.

In its regular monthly meeting Monday night, the trustees pointed out that some misinformation concerning the proposed building program should be clarified.

P.B. Banister, president of the board, stressed that the board is planning a normal building program predicated solely on the district's pre-school census figures, present grade enrollment and the resulting need for additional classroom space.

Supt. Paul T. O'Hare stated, “During the course of the building program the old grade school building ordinarily would be torn down. However, because of the possible emergency that could be created by construction of the Noxon Rapids dam, we feel it advisable to leave the old grade school building intact during the emergency period.

“Leaving the old building standing is the only consideration the board is giving to the possible influx of students that would arise from dam construction. The dam is not being considered as a factor at all in the new building program.”

The board has listed the following reasons why the present old grade school building is no longer adequate:

Note: The old grade school building was located southeast of the gym. The steps up from the sidewalk on Haley Avenue were the main entrance (now you know why that set of steps leading to nowhere are there) to the building. It was two stories high with four classrooms on each floor).

The present building is extremely hard to heat. Janitors estimate it alone consumes almost as much heat as the other three buildings.

All rooms, including the four so-called big ones, are not adequate in size. These rooms have no more than 760 sq. ft. compared to the present-day minimum standard of 900 sq. ft. per room.

Wash room facilities are extremely inconvenient and inadequate.

There is an ever present fire hazard in spite of all possible precautions that have been taken.

The building has inadequate sickroom facilities and it is undesirable to have a heating plant in a classroom building.

“These are all compelling reasons why we need a new grade school building in addition to the inescapable fact that the present building is too small today for our present enrollment,” Mr. Banister added.

In other action Monday night, the board approved a request from the high school student council to hold the annual Junior Prom in the gymnasium instead of the auditorium. Harold Johnson and Richie Graham represented the council in making the request. The prom is scheduled tentatively for May 8.

Note: Three of the original school buildings on the campus have been torn down. All the buildings were built of bricks. In addition to the grade school building the girls’ dormitory was taken down. It was situated where the big playground area north of the present elementary school building and gymnasium is situated. The high school building, which in my day served as the junior high school, was formerly situated between the gymnasium and the dormitory building.