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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

A bird’s-eye view of nature’s splendor

Stephen Ruff owns Sandpoint Seaplane Service, based at  Dover Bay Resort Marina. (Kathy Plonka / The Spokesman-Review)

Driving north across the Long Bridge into Sandpoint, few would dispute that the area is one of the most beautiful in the country. In 2001, USA Today called Sandpoint a Norman-Rockwell-meets- Ansel-Adams classic.

But just when you think it couldn’t get more scenic, imagine taking in the views of the mountains, lakes, rivers and trees from the air.

Sandpoint Seaplane Service, based at Dover Bay Resort Marina, opened in August 2008 and offers aerial tours, charter flights and fly-in wilderness adventures.

Owners Stephen and Darene Ruff say residents and visitors enjoy taking in the scenery from an osprey’s vantage.

“It’s a treat to be able to take folks up and see them enjoy the incredible natural beauty of this area,” said Stephen Ruff. “I’ve flown over a lot of country, including Alaska, and there’s really no place quite like it – the peaks, lakes and rivers are gorgeous any time of year.”

The 20-minute tour takes in a 40-mile loop over the Pack River Delta, Ellisport Bay and the mouth of the Clark Fork River and returns along the Green Monarchs, Garfield and Bottle Bay. Ruff says a one-hour tour often includes Upper Priest Lake and Montana’s Bull River. Sandpoint resident Debbie Heise recently treated her daughter, Mackenzie, and two friends to a scenic adventure for Mackenzie’s 15th birthday.

“I asked her what she wanted for her birthday and this is what she came up with,” said Heise. “I thought it was so cool.”

A non-instrument-rated pilot, Ruff has more than 30 years experience and 7,000 hours of flying time, which includes 12 years flying in remote regions of Alaska.

“We made a living up there taking people to places no one else could get them to,” Ruff said.

The Ruffs moved to Sandpoint six years ago with the goal of opening the flight service, which operates year-round.

They take the floats off the plane in late fall and put the wheels on, giving clients the same opportunity for scenic flights from the Sandpoint Airport during the winter months.

“It is a real treat to go into the backcountry and see the lakes and rivers,” Ruff said.

Patty Hutchens

Family through thick and thin

When someone faces hard times, it is good to have family to rally around you.

That’s the case for Peter Clark, a 32-year-old journeyman diesel technician and field mechanic at Detroit Diesel. Clark was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a fast-growing cancer in his bone marrow, in spring 2008.

His sister Susan Thomas donated her bone marrow for a transplant. Younger brother Aaron has been sneaking off to Clark’s house in Tyler to mow his lawn and tend his landscaping. Lee Rupp, his older sister, has been getting the word out about Clark and what he’s been through. And older brother Rod has twice donated bone marrow and has helped pay Clark’s living expenses while he and his family are in Seattle for treatment.

“My problems are their problems,” Clark said. “There is no way we could have done what we’re doing without the help of our family, church and neighbors.”

When Clark was first diagnosed, he and his wife of 13 years, Clarissa, and their sons, Alex, 8, and Matthew, 7, moved to Seattle for his treatment. They traded their spacious home in Tyler for an apartment near the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance in July 2008. The children, who can’t bring home germs that may compromise Clark, go to the Hutch School, a special school for families facing disease.

“It’s been really hard for them,” said Ken Clark, Peter’s father.

The elder Clark, a retired Cheney High School teacher, speaks with pride about his son, saying he was born with a smile on his face.

“His family, friends, co-workers and neighbors know him as the guy with the big grin and willingness to help anyone in need,” Ken Clark said. Throughout Peter Clark’s ordeal, he’s received three bone marrow transplants. After the third transplant, Clark said, he began climbing stairs and is now walking a quarter of a mile at a time.

“Physically, things are getting a lot better,” he said.

He hopes to bring his family home to Tyler in September, as long as the leukemia stays at bay.

The whole experience has been expensive. Clarissa Clark has gone without medical insurance for a year and a half. Rod Clark has been paying the family’s rent in Seattle. Medical bills are piling up. Clark said he will still have a job at Detroit Diesel in Spokane when he is ready to work, and he has qualified for Medicaid.The Clarks have set up an account for donations at Cheney Federal Credit Union. The family’s church, Spangle Community Church, is taking a special collection for the family at this morning’s service.

Ken Clark said he has been overwhelmed with support and love from friends of the family in the past year and a half.

“He’s so loved, and it shows.”

Lisa Leinberger