The County Lines

Sat., March 25, 2000

WASHINGTON

Adams County Othello

Local piano prodigy Stephen Beus, 17, is among the seven best in the nation. He is packing his bags to travel to Minnesota for the Yamaha High School Piano Competition. This is the national finals. The winner receives $1,500 and will give his own concert at the Minneapolis Hyatt Regency. Beus has been taking piano lessons from Dr. Leonard Richter for nearly 14 years.

Ferry County Curlew

As part of the annual Ferry County Pride Month, Curlewites will be sprucing up the town April 29. Those who plan to help will meet at the civic hall. Bags will be provided, and work gloves are recommended. Each April is set aside for county residents and civic groups to clean, refurbish and hold special events to enrich their towns.

Grant County Moses Lake

DARE officer Juan Loera is resigning from the Moses Lake Police Department as of Friday. Not filling his position would solve budgeting problems caused by I-695 fallout. Chief Fred Haynes will give the City Council his recommendation Tuesday. He thinks the department can interact with youth without having an official DARE officer.

Odessa

Despite a rocky wheat market, growers in the Odessa area are optimistic. That’s because new outlets for their crops are slated for their neck of the woods. Farmers are hoping their irrigated wheat straw will turn to cash if and when the proposed strawboard plant comes to fruition. They’re also keeping their fingers crossed that the proposed ethanol plant in Moses Lake will be paying them for barley long before the wheat market crashes.

Pend Oreille County Newport

Jeannie Olmstead, a 17-year-old senior from Riverside High School recently was crowned Pend Oreille County Fair Queen from a field of five competitors. A 4-H member for 11 years, Olmstead has focused on leadership and beef. She is an honor student.

Spokane County Spokane

Tonie Fitzgerald, county horticultural extension agent, recently received an outstanding service plaque from the Spokane Park Board for her work on developing an urban forestry program in Spokane. Fitzgerald first advocated a comprehensive plan for enhancing the city’s tree canopy in 1978. She worked to convince political leaders of the need and has served on the Urban Forestry Committee for the past four years.

Stevens County Kettle Falls

The grass-roots group Citizens for a Bi-National Review of the Dam (CBRD) says it doesn’t like the tenor of the review process for a $25 million dam proposed for the Kettle River. The group has been working with opponents of the dam project on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border. Locals are worried the spectacular Cascade Falls would be reduced to a creek if the dam near Laurier, B.C., goes through.

Whitman County Pullman

Washington State University is having an all campus and community reception honoring Sam and Pat Smith for 15 years of service to WSU. The reception is from 4 to 6 p.m. April 17 at the Lighty Student Services Building Atrium. To RSVP, call 509-335-6824 or send e-mail events@wsu.edu by April 5. If you would like to include a note, picture or memorabilia for a memory book to be presented afterward, items should be sent to Deborah Baker, WSU President’s Office, 422 French Ad, Pullman, 99164-1048.

IDAHO

Benewah County St. Maries

More than $3,000 in scholarships and prizes will be awarded in the St.Maries Junior Miss program April 15. Participating in the program will be Marissa Turner, Debbie Bifford, Rheanda Moss, Rikki Duke, Tiffany Baldwin, Allison Bender, Sheena Derry, Ariene Wilcott, Lola Stanley, Shantel Ramirez, Jaime Martin, Betsy Cowin and Alaina Robinson.

Bonner County Sandpoint

The Bonner County Public Works and Road Department has released updated road restrictions: District One - all roads have restricted hauling; District Two - Eastshore Road and River Run are closed to hauling and all roads have restrictions; District Three - Rapid Lighting Road is closed to hauling, restrictions have been lifted on East Spring Creek, but all other roads have restrictions.

Boundary County Bonners Ferry

Twenty-one Bonners Ferry High School teens were recently trained to become PEAK mentors to middle school student health classes. The Peak program is an abstinence-based curriculum, which teaches middle school students the risks of early sexual involvement, helps them cope with peer and social pressure and teaches them practical ways to say no.

Kootenai County Coeur d’Alene

Free safety checks on child seat installation will be conducted by certified technicians and instructors from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at Knudtsen Chevrolet. The program is part of the Standardized Child Passenger Safety Program to assist parents in proper usage of child restraints.

Latah County Troy

Sarah Barber, a 16-year-old high school student, earned $2,000 for her school’s business program. Barber designed a computerized logo for the Idaho Division of Vocational Education to go with its new name. The design includes a mountain backdrop with a setting sun and won second place.

Shoshone County Kellogg

Stacey Webberding and Kari Kerfoot will represent Kellogg High School in the National Business Professionals of America competition. Webberding placed second in the administrative specialist division and Kerfoot placed third in the application interview skills-A to earn the chance at nationals.

MONTANA

Lincoln County Troy

The school board recently voted against renewing technology coordinator Doug Frank’s contract, on Superintendent Wayne Lersbak’s recommendation. Frank was hired in January 1998. The board also approved a contract with Doug Peters to provide a summer driver’s education program and increased the cost per student from $70 to $75 to cover increased fuel costs.

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