The County Lines

WASHINGTON

Adams County Ritzville

The Mount St. Helens scrapbook, compiled by Marge Dyck, has disappeared from the Ritzville Public Library. The scrapbook had hundreds of local pictures of the falling ash and cleanup, along with newspaper articles and other memorabilia. Library records show the book has not been checked out. If it is not found soon, the library will request Mount St. Helens pictures to rebuild it.

Ferry County Republic

The Stonerose Fossil Center recently hosted who’s who of the paleontology world. From April 10 to 15, volunteers from the Northwest Paleontological Association, including curator of paleontology Dr. Kirk Johnson of the Denver Museum of Natural History - joined in a stratigraphic dig. This dig began in 1997 with Johnson and members of the Smithsonian Institution. The site is nationally known and open to the public.

Grant County Moses Lake

Amtrak may be shipping more than people if the state Department of Transportation has its way. The passenger rail service has been asked to help Washington apple growers by hauling fruit to the East Coast. The DOT is considering the purchase of up to 44 refrigerated rail cars and needs a rail service to haul them. Currently, commodity rail service is slow and unreliable, and apple growers are looking for the speed and efficiency Amtrak offers.

Lincoln County Odessa

Although the Odessa Trading Company’s merger with Odessa Union Warehouse was nixed by OUW shareholders, the Trading Company is courting a new sweetheart. Ritzville Warehouse Company is considering a merger with OTC. Shareholders will soon receive their information packet on the plan. Votes are due by June 1.

Pend Oreille County Diamond Lake

Diamond Lake residents are again doing battle with Eurasian milfoil. The noxious water plant, non-native to this country, can choke a waterway if not curbed. Last year, the homeowners association teamed with the state to spray the weed with Navigate, an aquatic herbicide, in addition to divers hand-pulling milfoil. Still, the weed is making a comeback. Diamond Lake folks are planning dives and considering other measures.

Spokane County

Moran Prairie residents may now return their Spokane County Library books to the book return at the new branch east of Albertson’s in Cedar Canyon Village. The drop in front of Fire District 8’s Moran Prairie station was closed this week. A new book return was built into the front wall of the facility to the left of the door. The new branch will open June 3.

Stevens County Hunters

Those with ancestors who were among the first to settle the northern side of the Columbia River are invited to a celebration. The 38th annual Pioneers of the Columbia picnic will be held Sunday, May 28, at Columbia School in Hunters. The potluck picnic is sponsored by the Greenwood Park Grange. Pictures and memorabilia will be included in the event.

Whitman County Pullman

The final program in the “Learning About our Heritages Through the Folk Arts” will be presented Thursday, May 25, at 7 p.m. at Neill Public Library. The dance troupe “One Broad Voice” features noted Korean performer Pia Hong Seeger. Masked dancers use a form of traditional improvisational theater, as well as drumming and chanting, to mock public officials. Each program is presented for the public at the library, and then at a Lincoln Middle School student assembly.

IDAHO

Benewah County St. Maries

A collection of plastic model trucks built over 25 years by Les Rumelhart is on display at the St. Maries Public Library. Rumelhart began his collection by giving a model kit to his son. He discovered it was too complicated for his son so he built it himself and was hooked. His collection includes more than three dozen trucks, of which 12 are displayed now. The others will be displayed later.

Bonner County Sandpoint

The Idaho State Police, Bonner General Hospital and the Human Connection are presenting Meth is My Neighbor, a free educational program on North Idaho’s drug problem, at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Panida Theater in Sandpoint. Speakers will include Wayne Longo of the Idaho Criminal Investigation Bureau, Rodney Reynolds of Kootenai Medical Center and John Givens of the Ponderay Police Department.

Boundary County Bonners Ferry

The Farmers Market is now open every Saturday 8 a.m. to noon in the Bonners Ferry city parking lot. A large selection of locally grown perennial and annual flowers, vegetable starts, ground covers, shrubs, trees, crafts and home-baked goodies are available.

Kootenai County Medimont

The Grassey Green House Farms nursery, owned by Tom and Kriste Maitland, Fred Maitland and Dawn Weidmer opened last weekend on Willow Creek Road. The nursery sells perennial and annual bedding plants, gallon-size perennials, super petunias and lobelia hanging baskets. The business is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to noon on Sundays.

Latah County Moscow

The Moscow City Council has approved JoAnn Mack as its newest member. The council unanimously supported the appointment by Moscow Mayor Marshall Comstock. Comstock had been petitioned to appoint Aaron Ament, who was runner-up in the November election. Mack is a retired GTE manager and president of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce. Mack will serve through 2001.

Shoshone County Kellogg

Students in Kindergarten through fifth grade attending summer school at Sunnyside will have the opportunity to explore life in the 1600s through a variety of reading, writing and math activities surrounding the theme “ Colonial America.” Summer school will be 8 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday, June 19 to July 14, excluding July 4. Free breakfast and lunch will be served.