Spokane

From 1976: Spokane County Republicans made it clear: They were backing Ronald Reagan for president, not the current Republican president, Gerald Ford.

When Bloomsday began in 1977, Rick Serns was just down the road, teaching at the Upper Columbia Academy. But he moved in 1978, starting a string of near-misses that included last-minute flights and overnight bus trips. And after all those years, his own dog nearly ended his Perennial streak last year.

From 1976: The president of the Inland Northwest Zoological Society planned to recommend that the “society be dissolved and the (Walk in the Wild) zoo site be returned to its donor.”

On Friday evening, members of chapter BO of the Philanthropic Educational Organization partied like it was 1926.

Rick and Bob Barbero might have taken brotherly competition to unhealthy levels in their early years running Bloomsday. They did not just race on the first Sunday in May. They also competed to see who could do daily training runs in the months leading up to Bloomsday.

From 1976: Spokane police said they had “a tremendous amount of evidence” to process after searching murder suspect Thomas Mahrt’s apartment.

The leaves are raked, the early weeds have been pulled and the plant shopping lists are standing at the ready. It must be plant sale season.

From 1976: Spokane police arrested Thomas E. Mahrt, 28, for the abduction and murder of Nanette Marie Martin, 13.

John Day was 13 years old when he signed up for the first Bloomsday in 1977 and had to convince his mother he could run the roughly 8-mile race, even though he already was participating in track and cross country. She said she would allow it if he wasn’t alone, so Day recruited a nonrunning friend to do it with him.

From 1976: Ferris High School senior Kathryn A. Wildey was preparing to enter West Point, as part of the first female cohort in the academy’s history.

The Spokane Police Department will be getting four top-of-the-line surveillance drones and a suite of quick-deploy road barriers to help protect Team Egypt while the region serves as the team’s base camp for the World Cup this summer.

From 1976: The Rev. Jesse Jackson gave a speech at Eastern Washington State College and berated another man named Jackson.

Roughly three months after removing the smoking area at the downtown Spokane bus plaza, the Spokane Transit Authority is making the change permanent, believing it has helped to cut down on loitering and other problematic behavior.

Early white settlers planted Spokane’s first lilac bushes, which thrived in Eastern Washington’s dry environment. In 1912, Spokane Parks Director John W. Duncan planted more than 100 lilacs in Manito Park and many home gardeners followed suit.

During the first Bloomsday race in 1977, Chuck Murphy swore he’d never run again. It was a vow he didn’t keep.

From 1976: Steve Ryan, 20, a Washington State University student, was missing and presumed drowned in a scuba diving accident at Hayden Lake.

From 1976: An early-morning fire caused up to $1 million in damage to the combined elementary and high school building in the town of Palouse.

From 1976: Spokane’s mayor and police chief issued an urgent plea to the unidentified slayer of Nanette Marie Martin, 13: “We urge that you now surrender yourself to proper authorities and bring to an end the mental anguish and confusion that have been your constant companion for the past two weeks.”

Art abounds at Made with Love Bakery in West Spokane – and it’s not confined to the array of baked goods on display.