Looking Back

Looking Back 10 years ago

January 5, 2012

New community center, police chief highlight end of 2011

Local businesses made up a big portion of the sponsorship funding the 44th annual Cheney rodeo and the first annual Cheney Jubilee, both set for the weekend of July 8-10. Organizers for both events said that businesses were supportive despite tight economic times. The Cheney Farmer's Market was enjoying brisk business and a growing number of participating vendors every Monday at it's new location next to the EWU Pub on Elm Street. New market director Kristen Silva said that a renewed focus on selling fresh local fruits and vegetables was beginning to catch on.

Cheney Police Chief Jeff Sale took a job as the new chief of police in Bend, Oregon after seven years with Cheney. He left at the end of the month, spurring a hiring process for a new chief. The Cheney school district began it's budgeting process for the next school year. District Finance Director Brian Aiken said $935,0000 from the general fund, as well as savings expected from leaving vacant staff positions unfilled, would go toward filling a $1.3 million budget gap in the $38.4 million budget for the 2011-2012 school year.

Afghanistan or here at home, Cocke wants to help people

Jason Cocke is an American hero. Following two tours overseas with the Marine corps, he immediately trained to be a volunteer firefighter with Spokane County Fire District 10. Cocke works with the state department of Ecology inspecting underground tanks, making sure they meet proper requirements.

After three months of training, during the Dec. 21 graduation ceremony for the West Plains Recruit Structural Academy, Cocke received the Valedictorian and Bulldog awards for the group. The idea to become a firefighter first truly hit him in March 2010, he said, while in Guam. Some of his friends were firefighters there, and helped guide him in that direction upon his return from Afghanistan. The chance to help his community was a calling he couldn't ignore. "For me to come back and get into something like this, it was something to do good, feel good, help the community, and do something that can really make a difference." he said

Looking back 20 years ago

January 2, 2002

Cheney gets serious about revitalizing its downtown

There really wasn't any contest when choosing the biggest Cheney story of 2001. Downtown revitalizations, with all of its achievements and arguments, plans and petitions, curbs and canopies, clearly filled up more news holes in the Cheney Free Press than any other subject. The revitalization story began in 2000, but the subject really moved to the fore in early 2001. A community fundraising drive began in January with a goal of collecting $70,000 in donations from individuals and businesses. After six weeks, the fund raising drive ended as a rousing success.

The initial money goal was topped by $20,000, as the community ponied up $91,605 for the project. The overall cost of the improvements on College Avenue and First Street was $915,000. Grant money and dollars added by Eastern Washington University and the city of Cheney made up the amount needed other than the citizen's contributions. The organization established to coordinate the effort, Pathways to Progress, held community meetings after the fundraising to establish design parameters for the project. Community members decided upon the style of design accouterments such as benches and tree grates and voted on the design of the street sides. The Cheney City Council ratified their choices by approving the official go-ahead for the bidding and construction of the project. While the project moved forward step by step on the design front, there were some issues that were yet to be resolved. Foremost among those was the dismantling of the 40-year-old awning covering the northwest side of First Street.

Cyrus O' Leary's Pies not baked yet

U.S. Pies Realty LLC is still mulling over the decision to build a manufacturing plant that would house Cyrus O' Leary's Pies at a six-acre site off Highway 2 and Hayford Road in Airway Heights. Barclay Klingel, a representative of the company said that they have not decided for sure whether they want to shoulder the expense of building a brand new plant at this time. But, he thought that they would have a decision in the next 30 days. They planned to have final construction budget numbers in hand by then. Garco Construction was awarded the bid on a design-review basis. So far, a water line was brought in about 1,500 feet to the site. The pie manufacturing plant is currently located at 319 W. Second Avenue in Spokane. U.S. Pies Realty LLC would build the plant and then lease to Fresh Foods Corp. Of America, which owns Cyrus O' Leary's.

January 6, 1972

New Beehive Restaurant Owner to Make Changes

The Beehive Restaurant in Cheney opened for business Tuesday under new management of Mrs. Catherine Campdore, a Spokane widow of three children who has worked in the restaurant business as a waitress nearly all her working life. Mrs. Campdore has many changes in mind for the restaurant which is located at the corner of First and "G" streets in Cheney. The main change is the hiring of a new head cook, Jim Short, who is to begin in the kitchen Friday. Short comes to Cheney with an impressive background. The Hawaiian born chef took his apprenticeship in Tokyo, has graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Connecticut , worked in a Conneticut restaurant, and last year, won first place in decorated fish category at the New York Culinary Exposition. Experienced as a cook for 12 years, he worked in Spokane prior to coming under the employ of Mrs. Campdore. The chef at present will maintain a general menu featuring steak, chicken, veal, and seafood in addition to the standard dishes of hamburgers, sandwiches, and soup.

Slippery Streets Blamed for Accidents

Cheney's slick streets have played havoc with drivers during the past week with several fender benders reported to and investigated by the Cheney Police Department. In a collision the night of December 27 on the Lance Hill Road near Cheney, Joan Mamanakis of Cheney, driving a 1966 sedan, was unable to avoid sliding into a car operated by Lanny Sanders on an icy, uphill curve. The Sanders 1971 sedan had slipped into the ditch and buck knifed to partially block the roadway. Damages to the Mamanakis vehicle were estimated at $700 and for the Sanders sedan, $327. The accident was not investigated by police or sheriffs by police or sherrifs. Only minor damage resulted from the collision of a 1966 pickup owned by Raymond L. Galland of Route 1, Spokane and 1963 sedan operated by Raymond L. Galland of Route 1, Spokane at the intersection of Route 1, Spokane at the intersection of Fifth and A streets.