The County Lines

Tue., Sept. 1, 1998

(Note: See The County Lines column of September 3, 1998, for corrected information on Northport’s Labor Days Celebration.)

WASHINGTON

ADAMS COUNTY Othello

Declaring the property a surplus, the City Council is looking to sell tiny Triangle Park at the corner of Fourth and Park streets. The park costs the city $250 annually to maintain, a tad more than other local parks. Despite a 27-name petition and a handful of upset citizens, only Councilman Leonard Lyon voted against selling the property. Habitat for Humanity has made a bid, as has Arthur Esparza, who says he would keep the property a park. To sell the lot, the city has to spend up to $2,100 to quiet the title.

FERRY COUNTY Republic

Interested in starting a day-care center, but don’t have the funds? Northeast Washington Rural Resources Development Association has received a grant to increase the number of child-care slots in Ferry, Pend Oreille and Stevens counties. Approximately $25,000 is available for mini-grants to local people. Existing centers can also apply for the money to improve care and take on more children. For more information, call (509) 684-8421.

GRANT COUNTY Mattawa

A gift from the state Department of Natural Resources will have a major impact on the rural fire district in Mattawa. The 1971 2.5-ton brush truck will enable local firefighters to go into off-road areas they haven’t been able to reach in years. The truck’s 1,000-gallon water tank will be a plus in this desert area. “It runs and works great,” said fire district secretary Sandra Larson.

LINCOLN COUNTY Davenport

Juvenile crime is keeping the Davenport Police Department busy this summer. The latest crime, which happened last week, includes the burning of a stolen American flag. Apparently using a flare stolen from Lincoln County sheriff’s Deputy Dick Kirstein’s patrol car, which was parked at his residence, the culprit moved a few blocks away to Jahn Softball Field to set the flag aflame. The suspect was apprehended, and charges are pending with Lincoln County Juvenile Court Services.

PEND OREILLE COUNTY Ione

Hoping to meet the educational needs of future school children in the area, the Selkirk School District will be screening children Wednesday and Thursday. The free screening will test vision, hearing, speech, language and general development. Children up to age 5 are invited to the program. For an appointment, call (509) 442-3725.

SPOKANE COUNTY Spokane

Staples office supply has opened its fourth Washington store, in the Northpointe Shopping Center, 9960 N. Newport Hwy. Staples Inc. operates 760 stores in North America.

STEVENS COUNTY Northport

The Labor Days Celebration will include a logging competition, snowmobile grass drag races and an old-fashioned barbecue. For more information on the Sept. 7-8 festival, contact Dee Ann Kotzian at (509) 732-4597.

WHITMAN COUNTY Colfax

The Palouse Empire Threshing Bee Association will harvest a barley crop with draft horses, mules and turn-of-the-century machinery Sept. 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Activities will take place five miles west of town on Highway 26 across from the Palouse Empire Fairgrounds.

IDAHO

BENEWAH COUNTY St. Maries

Jail commander and undersheriff Alan Riggs will retire from the Benewah County sheriff’s office this month. Riggs, who has been in Benewah County 11 years, plans to return to his hometown of Mountain View, Idaho.

BONNER COUNTY Hope

The Bonner Bunch 4-H group cleared a path of history as they spent a day cleaning up an old cemetery for a Community Pride Project. The group had to clear a path to reach the cemetery, then removed branches and weeds from the burial ground.

BOUNDARY COUNTY Bonners Ferry

The Bonners Ferry Library received a grant this summer from the Boundary County Library, J.A. and Kathryn Albertson and the Idaho State Library. The library was one of five in the state to receive the grant from the state Emergent Literacy Program, which gives each library $5,200 and library materials worth $3,000. The libraries will receive funds and materials for three years.

KOOTENAI COUNTY Post Falls

A membership drive for Youth First, a nonprofit organization devoted to increasing the recreational opportunities for kids in Post Falls, will begin today. The price of an annual membership to the group’s recreation center is $10 for an individual or $25 for a family of three or more. The hours of the recreation center are 12:30-9 p.m. Monday through thursday, 12:30-11 p.m. Friday, noon-11 p.m. Saturday, and noon-6 p.m. Sunday.

LATAH COUNTY Moscow

The Moscow Parks and Recreation Department will apply herbicide this week in the following areas: Mountain View Park in the grassy parking area between paved lots, all of Bridge Street Park and the entire Jim Lyle/Rotary Park.

SHOSHONE COUNTY Kellogg

The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation is working to preserve the Old Mission in Cataldo, one of Idaho’s only historic state parks. The department held a meeting in Kellogg last week to gather ideas and suggestions for the park’s future use and development. Suggestions included creation of the Sacred Heart Encounter exhibit, living history interpretive programs and maintaining the mission as a living religious site.

MONTANA

LINCOLN COUNTY Libby

Deadline for talent to sign up for the third annual Combined Campaign Telethon is Sept. 15. The campaign raises money for nonprofit organizations, such as the American Heart Association. The telethon is scheduled for October. Anyone interested may contact Sue at (406) 293-6537 or Cathy at (406) 293-6077.

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