Aug. 11 Athol Daze celebrates city
Most communities have already had their seasonal parades – Coeur d’Alene, Hayden, Rathdrum, Bayview and Spirit Lake – with Athol finishing up the season.
On Aug. 11, Athol will celebrate 98 years as a city with Athol Daze. A parade starts at 10 a.m. A street fair will be in the park, and games and activities galore for kids of all ages. Awards will be presented for the best of the parade entries. Parade entrants should be at Sixth Street and Menser Avenue by 9 a.m. for entry registration.
Taryn Brodwater has been master of ceremonies in the past two years but will be out of town for this one. Your reporter has been honored with that task in her place.
Money in the straw at 11 a.m. is an always-popular game, where money is hidden in a load of hay. There will be a dunk tank (will City Council be the victims?), and an auction at 1 p.m. Music will follow the games until 4 p.m. Booths will include a flea market, arts and crafts, and of course, food and drinks.
Fundraising for the city park is the theme this year. About three-quarters of an acre has been purchased for addition to the existing acre. What exists now is a flat, bare lot. Some goals are a skateboard park, benches, trees and other uses to be determined. Generous donations have already been made or pledged by area businesses: Kootenai Electric with $2,500; Merritt Brothers Lumber, $1,000; and Coeur d’Alene Paving, $500. Edgewood Log Homes is building two log benches and Avista is expected to chip in, too.
In-kind donations have been great, too. Kootenai Electric is donating the light standards and floods; Reed Enterprises, Inc., 12 yards of screened topsoil; Interstate Concrete with 10 yards of concrete. Bob Rickel donated well over 30 hours with his earth-moving equipment and many others individuals have given their time and resources, too. Liz Hasbrouck and Bob Pekar donated a substantial amount for playground equipment, which is already on order.
The parade will start at Sixth and Menser, follow Davis Lane to Highway 54, then to Third Street and end at the City Park. Booths will be at the park as well. Judging will occur during the parade, with awards following. Judging will be at the reviewing stand in front of Square Granny’s. “Citizen of the Year” will be announced in the park after the parade.
Dedication trees or other needed features can be arranged through Athol City Hall. If you want to honor a member of your family, try planting a memorial tree in the park. Funds are still needed to complete the project, and donations will be gratefully accepted.
This weekend, Aug. 3-4, finds Karaoke at the Crossroads in Athol. Down the road in Bayview, Aug. 3-4 features “The No Jugs Band,” playing at the Captain’s Wheel.