The County Lines
WASHINGTON
ADAMS COUNTY Ritzville
Ritzville High School’s agriculture programs are continuing their success. At the recent Washington State University agriculture and home economics awards, several Ritzville grads were honored. Lisa McRae, Jared Templin and Jenny Mock were among those up for awards, with several Ritzville alums receiving agriculture scholarships.
FERRY COUNTY Republic
What a ride for young Derek Gianukakis! The local basketball enthusiast finished fourth at the national Elks Hoop Shoot in Springfield, Mass. Gianukakis had tied for third place but lost a shootout in which he hit four of five shots to an Oklahoma boy’s five of five.
Throughout the competition, Gianukakis averaged 23.5 baskets for every 25 attempted.
GRANT COUNTY Ephrata
One person’s downtown beautification is another person’s sign obstruction. The City Council recently heard complaints that trees planted along Basin Avenue to beautify the street are blocking business signs. The manager of the TraveLodge says two trees planted in 1993 regularly block the motel’s sign.
The city admitted it has forgotten to prune the trees and said it will look into the matter.
LINCOLN COUNTY Wilbur
Community contributions - not taxes - are being sought to pay for $10,000 worth of playground equipment at Wilbur Elementary School. Thursday’s “County Lines” incorrectly reported that a bond for the project likely would appear on a fall ballot. The school’s ParentTeacher Association is coordinating the fund raising.
For more information, contact Principal Donna Marvin at (509) 647-5892.
SPOKANE COUNTY Medical Lake
The Medical Lake Volunteer Fire Department recently was named to the Prudential Helping Hearts program, which provides grants to 500 volunteer emergency medical service squads each year. Medical Lake will use the funds for a defibrillator.
STEVENS COUNTY Colville
The local skate park is nearing completion, and in-line skaters and skateboarders already have been using the newly surfaced facility. The skate park, located next to Colville Junior High School and the Jeff Weeman basketball courts, will be completed later this month when ramps arrive from Virginia.
WHITMAN COUNTY Garfield
Garfield’s May Day celebration will begin today with Garfield-Palouse High School’s presentation of “The Diary of Anne Frank” at 7 p.m. at the Garfield school. Performances also are planned Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Saturday’s celebration, sponsored by the Garfield Chamber of Commerce, will begin with a Boy Scout breakfast from 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at the school.
Youth activities and a mini-tractor pull will start at 8:30 a.m., with a three-on-three basketball tournament beginning at 9 a.m. A craft sale will be held downtown from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and blood-pressure checks will be available at the Garfield Clinic from 10 a.m. to noon.
A kiddie parade will start at 10:25 a.m. with the main parade following at 10:30 a.m. with grand marshals Eric Lynch and Kathy Belieu. Kiddie games will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the park, and a demolition derby is scheduled at 2 p.m. at the gun club. Saturday’s Garfield Fire Department dance will be held from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the American Legion hall. Breakfast will follow.
IDAHO
BENEWAH COUNTY Plummer
Two residents are vying for the Plummer/Worley School District Zone 5 board position. Coeur d’Alene tribal member Sylvia Bahaza is challenging Glenn Abbott for his board seat in the May 18 election. Abbott, who was appointed to the board last December, is facility manager for Benewah Medical Center and the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Wellness Center. Bahaza is administrative assistant at Coeur d’Alene Tribe Social Services. Polls will be open from noon to 8 p.m. at Lakeside Middle School.
BONNER COUNTY Priest Lake
The U.S. Forest Service is building a new recreational vehicle dump station at the Priest Lake Information Center on state Highway 57. Construction began this week and is expected to be completed by June 30. The information center includes picnic tables, hiking trails, an information board and restrooms, but portions of the center will be closed at times because of the construction work.
BOUNDARY COUNTY Bonners Ferry
The Boundary County domestic violence and youth crisis hotline is manned 24 hours a day. Hotline volunteers are trained to try to help end the cycle of abuse, and all information received is kept strictly confidential. For help, call (208) 267-5211.
KOOTENAI COUNTY Coeur d’Alene
Area grade school students have decorated paper shopping bags with a variety of birds to help boost awareness of International Migratory Bird Day on Saturday. The bags will be distributed to shoppers Saturday. The project is being sponsored by Rosauers, the Coeur d’Alene Audubon Society, the U.S. Forest Service and Partners in Flight. The Coeur d’Alene Audubon Society also will participate in a continentwide bird count.
LATAH COUNTY Moscow
The Rev. Bob Bossie, co-founder of Voices in the Wilderness, will speak today about the effects of 8-1/2 years of economic sanctions against Iraq. In 1996, Bossie, a Franciscan priest, helped start a campaign to end the sanctions. He helped lead delegations bringing medical supplies to a children’s hospital in Iraq, publicly and deliberately violating U.S. and U.N. sanctions against the country. Voices in the Wilderness will accept funds collected by the Moscow Committee for Human Rights to further its work toward ending sanctions.
SHOSHONE COUNTY Kellogg
Panhandle Health District, Head Start and Special Services Preschool will hold free developmental screening from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 20. Screenings are for children from 4 months to 5 years old and help determine if children are doing tasks appropriate for their age. Immunizations also will be available on a sliding-fee scale. For information or to schedule an appointment, call (208) 786-7474.
MONTANA
LINCOLN COUNTY Troy
Troy United Methodist Church recently donated $10,000 to the Troy medical arts complex. The complex, built last year by St. John’s Lutheran Hospital, includes a physician clinic, home health offices, diabetes and nutrition counseling services and rehabilitation service facilities. The donation brings fund raising in Troy to $85,000.