The County Lines
WASHINGTON
Adams County
Ritzville
The City Council is looking at annexing three large parcels of private land. A single parcel of land at Wellsandt Heights is being considered, as is a larger piece behind Ritzville Chemicals. This land is owned by the Galbreath family. If the city annexes these, and the sewer and airport property, the city limits will increase dramatically.
Ferry County
Republic
Students at Republic High School are reminding all that today is the annual spring blood drive. The event begins at 1 p.m. and continues until 5:30 p.m. in the elementary school multi-purpose room. The Inland Northwest Blood Center is taking the donations.
Grant County
Coulee City
The City Park Committee is frustrated with bureaucratic red tape in its quest to improve its waterfront park. The city has been granted a three-year lease to the park, but worries about renewal after spending time and money. The town must answer to three government agencies, including the federal Bureau of Reclamation, and feels at least one of these agencies has a conflict of interest with the city over tourism dollars from the park at the south end of Banks Lake.
Lincoln County
Reardan
Jeanne and Howard Thiemens are proud their son aspired to be a Washington State University Cougar. But Garrett Thiemens was not an ordinary Coug. He was the mascot, Butch. Thiemens was chosen his freshman year to play the whooping and prancing mascot of WSU athletics, a job he relished. The person under the costume is a strict secret, and most mascots serve all four years of their college experience, which Thiemens did. He kept a 3.5 grade-point average while keeping his frat buddies in the dark about his “day and night job.”
Pend Oreille County
Newport
City Clerk Delphine Palmer wants to set the record straight. She says the city was very supportive of the proposed construction of a building by Spokane Teachers Credit Union and Pend Oreille PUD. The deal fell through recently after roadblocks concerning parking and access made plans sticky. PUD General Manager Larry Weis blamed the City Council for some of these roadblocks when he announced the deal was off. Palmer says the city was in favor, but “it was just a matter of working out the logistics.”
Spokane County
Spokane
The Spokane American Cancer Society office is looking for volunteers to answer the phone and help the staff. The cancer society uses local volunteers to keep office expenses as low as possible. That means the majority of money raised goes to cancer research, education and patient support. For more information about volunteering call Sherry Hansen at 326-5802.
Stevens County
Kettle Falls
It may not be St. Patrick’s Day, but the Haran Dancers of Kettle Falls will make you think it is. The sensational local clogging group is having its annual St. Patrick’s Day performances March 31 and April 1 at the Colville High School auditorium. Called “A Celtic Odyssey,” both traditional and modern Irish dances will be featured. Tickets are $8. The show starts at 7:30 p.m.
Whitman County
Pullman
The Pullman Police Department plans to emphasize its police presence on Greek Row and College Hill as spring weather arrives on the Palouse. The department will have more officers concentrated in the student neighborhoods to address open containers, noise and other problems that tend to be magnified each spring when temperatures begin to warm.
IDAHO
Benewah County
St.Maries
ALSC Architects of Spokane voluntarily refined a community civic center plan, drafted by University of Idaho architect student Tom Tolman, and presented it to the community recently. An adjustment made, due to a $2 million dollar budget, included using the existing pool instead of building an enclosed swimming pool. Although the cost has not been released, the revised plan is expected to come within budget.
Bonner County
Hope
Arlene Thompson, Hope, won a 1999 Hyundai Sonata, the grand prize in the Special Olympics Idaho car raffle held recently in Boise. The Idaho State Independent Auto Dealers Association, Car Wars Inc. and Hyundai Motor America donated the Sonata for a raffle, which raised over $30,000 for Special Olympics programs.
Boundary County
Bonners Ferry
City officials and Boundary County commissioners along with other community organizations are devising a joint beautification and economic development endeavor - the “Business District Revitalization” project. The first step, taken by the city and the Kootenai Tribe, was sharing the $2,500 cost for a feasibility study of a U.S. Highway 95 pedestrian underpass from the Kootenai River Inn and Casino to downtown Bonners Ferry. The expected cost of the underpass is $559,800. Officials are seeking a $500,000 grant to cover most of the cost.
Kootenai County
Coeur d’Alene
The police departments, sheriff’s departments and the Idaho State Police will be watching throughout April for drivers with unbuckled children as part of the SAFE KIDS As Simple As A (Always) B (Buckle) C (Children) campaign. The campaign includes increased education, enforcement of the laws and correct safety seat use for children up to 8 years old. For more information, call (208) 772-6055.
Latah County
Moscow
Lewis-Clark State College’s adult basic skills and general educational development (GED) preparation programs will move to Hawthorne Village Apartments’ community room next week after being moved from Moscow High School. K.C. Albright, MHS principal, said there were concerns about liability issues.
Shoshone County
Kellogg
Parent/teacher conferences for all three school districts will be held today and Friday. Teachers and principals would like to remind parents of the significance of their participation.
MONTANA
Lincoln County
Troy
Senior citizens need the community’s support to replace the existing senior center, built in 1978, which has electrical problems, accessibility and size deficiencies and kitchen ventilation problems. Donations are needed to meet the $125,000 matching funds for a $500,000 grant being sought.