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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Deep sigh of relief follows rancorous election season

Billie Martin

As today is Veterans Day, I salute all of you who have served our country. We all owe you our gratitude. Please enjoy your day.

Next, I would like to join in a countrywide sigh of relief that the hateful, questionably true and repetitively annoying political “commercials” are over! In the words of Dwight D. Eisenhower, “Things are not all black and white. There have to be compromises. The middle of the road is all of the usable surface. The extremes, right and left, are in the gutters.” Enough said.

There are some fun things happening over the next two weeks. One of Elk’s favorite winter activities, horse racing, is back at the Elk VFW Post on the second and fourth Thursdays at 5 p.m. (tonight and Nov. 24). Dinner will be available. Come place your bets and cheer on your favorite steed. It’s a blast!

The Pend Oreille County Historical Museum in Newport will hold its annual book sale (and other items) Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Depot building.

Also in Newport, at the Pend Oreille Playhouse on Union Street, “Beauty and the Beast Jr.” plays Friday through Sunday and Nov. 19-21. Advance tickets are $10; $12 at the door and youth tickets are $5. Friday and Saturday shows are at 7 p.m. and Sundays are at 3 p.m. For information or tickets, go to www.pendoreilleplayers.org.

If you’re up north near Metaline Falls for the weekend, go to the Cutter Theater to enjoy the booming bass voice, wry humor and smooth guitar picking of Washington’s favorite cowboy folk singer, Hank Cramer. The show is Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $15. There are motels in Ione, the hotel in Metaline Falls and good restaurants in Metaline and Metaline Falls.

I know it’s early, but let’s talk Christmas. If you need a little help with your family’s gifts this year, pick up a Teddy Bear Tree application at Riverside Family Foods.

Camden Ranch Christmas Trees and Event Facility will hold an open house Nov. 20-21. Tree sales start Nov. 26 until sold out. The Shop at the Ranch is a wonderful place for holiday shopping and there are hayrides, cider and coffee on weekends. The Ranch is at 1521 Wilms Road off Camden Road in Elk; (509) 292-2543.

The Fall Craft Fair, hosted by local community members, takes place downstairs at the Elk VFW Post Nov. 20 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Booths signed up so far are Heritage Makers, Cookie Lee Jewelry and At Home America. EW/S Photography, will be taking affordable family photographs and cider and cookies will be available. Call (509) 998-5399 to reserve a space for $10. Space fees will be donated to the Elk Sentinel newspaper.

More local fun and holiday shopping ideas next time!

Contact correspondent Billie Martin by e-mail at elkites@q.com.