The County Lines

Sun., March 14, 1999

WASHINGTON

ADAMS COUNTY Ritzville

You could call Brian Hilzer and Herb Benzel a couple of high rollers especially as both rolled perfect games at their Sunday afternoon bowling league. The pair logged 300 games on lanes three and four at Big Bend Bowl in Ritzville. Neither man had hit a perfect score before, though both have bowled nearly their entire lives. Hilzer did feel pressure to hit 300 because his son, Jason, rolled a perfect game in 1997 also on lanes three and four of Big Bend Bowl.

FERRY COUNTY Curlew

Thespians be on alert. The Stage in the Sticks theater group is preparing for its upcoming production of “The Real Inspector Hound.” An uproarious murder mystery, the play has been described as Oscar Wilde meets Agatha Christie. The curtain is set to go up at the end of May. Those wishing to be involved behind the scenes are asked to come to the Curlew Civic Hall to volunteer.

GRANT COUNTY Moses Lake

The deadline is looming for the county to present its final comprehensive plan. June 30 is circled in red on county calendars as the day of accountability to the state. Officials from the county and city of Moses Lake are meeting this week to go over the draft. The latest twist in the plan will be discussed. The city asked for expansion of growth boundaries for new industrial development.

LINCOLN COUNTY Almira

Residents wishing to go out to dinner will have to travel outside the city limits. The Almira Hotel Grill and Lounge shut its doors Christmas Eve and won’t be opening any time soon. Almira businesses, like those in many small towns, have suffered because people will drive over an hour to the city to shop and eat. Almira’s sole grocery store shut down several years ago due to lack of patronage.

PEND OREILLE COUNTY Metaline Falls

The annual Soup and Talk Lenten series at the Metaline Falls Congregational Church will be held on Wednesdays through the month. The dinners, which are free, consist of soup, salad, bread and a beverage. Following the meal is an open discussion period. On Wednesday, the topic will be the historic Apostle Paul vs. the biblical Apostle Paul. The book of Proverbs will be examined on March 24.

SPOKANE COUNTY Medical Lake

The Inland Empire Safari Club is accepting entries for its sixth annual Wildlife Enhancement Contest. The club, an Eastern Washington hunter education and wildlife conservation group, will award $500 in prizes to projects that promote wildlife awareness. Call 299-3871 for more information.

STEVENS COUNTY Chewelah

The vote was unanimous to offer Chewelah School Superintendent Garn Christiansen a three-year contract. Christiansen, formerly the principal of Gess Elementary in Chewelah, had voiced concerns about continuing as the top administrator after this year because the district has experienced much turnover at that post in recent years. The school board, feeling Christiansen has done a fine job, was swift to offer a longer-term contract.

WHITMAN COUNTY Pullman

WSU President Sam Smith and University of Idaho President Robert Hoover will be featured at the next Palouse Economic Forum summit entitled “The Role of Universities in Economic Development,” scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on March 22 in Pullman City Hall’s council chambers. Each will speak for about 20 minutes and then take questions or comments from the audience. WSU communications professor Glenn Johnson will act as moderator for the summit.

IDAHO

BENEWAH COUNTY St. Maries

The University of Idaho is honoring 19 Benewah County high school juniors this month through the Idaho Top Scholar Program. Thirteen St. Maries High School students, three Kootenai High School juniors and three Lakeside High School students rank in the top 10 percent of Idaho’s class of 2000. UI created the program to recognize outstanding academic achievement.

BONNER COUNTY Sandpoint

Master Gardener Bob Ward will share his expertise on attracting birds and butterflies at a Wednesday Home Horticulture workshop. The class will begin at 6 p.m. at the Bonner County Extension Office. Class fee is $5, and pre-registration is required. To register, call (208) 263-8511.

BOUNDARY COUNTY Bonners Ferry

The Boundary County Community Action Agency is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to fulfilling the immediate needs of residents and helping them become self-sufficient. For more information, call (208) 267-3663.

KOOTENAI COUNTY Harrison

Hunter safety classes will be held Monday through Saturday at the Harrison Elementary School during March. Interested students must be 11 years old by Monday and may sign up at the Harrison Elementary or Kootenai High School offices. For more information, call Tom Christensen at (208) 689-3078.

LATAH COUNTY Moscow

Three members of the Moscow Committee for Human Rights attempted to mail relief supplies to Iraq from the Moscow post office Thursday in an attempt to draw attention to sanctions against Iraq, which the group is protesting. The package contained a jar of aspirin, two bandages and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, but was not allowed to be mailed by post office employees. The committee announced they will return next week to attempt again to mail basic medical supplies and school supplies for children.

SHOSHONE COUNTY Kellogg

The Kellogg School Board has set a public meeting for March 22 to gather input on rezoning requests for the old Sunnyside Elementary property. Following public comment, the board will make a decision on a possible request to the Kellogg Planning and Zoning Commission and Kellogg City Council to have portions of the property zoned commercial. Special invitations for the meeting are being sent to residents living within 300 feet of the Sunnyside property.

MONTANA

LINCOLN COUNTY Libby

The Montana Department of Transportation is planning to repave State Highway 37 northeast of Libby. The 30-mile project will involve sealing pavement cracks and placing chip seal on existing pavement. Construction dates will depend on the availability of funds and design completion. For more information or to comment on the proposal, write to Jim Weaver, District Administrator, P.O. Box 7039, Missoula, MT 59807-7039, or call (406) 523-5800.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.