In sizing up year, plenty of positives to recount

Many things in the world around us this past year were a little depressing, so I tried to think about all of the good things that happened in the Elk-Chattaroy area in 2009. Reflecting on Elk-Chattaroy happenings also made me realize how many things we have to look forward to.

The Riverside School District schools had some wonderful accomplishments. The Riverside High School varsity cheerleading team was one of only two teams from Spokane to qualify for state competition in Seattle. Four students from Riverside Middle School were selected through auditions to join more than 100 other students in the Washington Music Educators Association’s Junior All-State East Band and Choir Concert. To help raise funds to send the RHS Jazz Band to the spring 2010 competition in San Francisco, the band is selling a recording of its final spring 2009 concert.

The Riverside High School wrestlers finished fourth at the 2A Mat Classic State Tournament in Tacoma with a record- breaking 10 members qualifying. The Riverside High School Big Horn freestyle club put on and won the first USA Freestyle Wrestling Tournament. Riverside- Chattaroy Boys U9 Blue Thunder Bees soccer team won the Wendle Tournament. A reception was held for Libby Laughary, who retired after 30 years of teaching first- and third-graders at Chattaroy Elementary. Boy Scout Troop No. 246 held a flag retirement ceremony at Elk Community Park.

Pend Oreille Fire District 1 merged with Pend Oreille Fire District 3 to form South Pend Oreille County Fire and Rescue. Their new Camden Station or Station 2 opened on the corner of Allen and Dunn roads.

The Elk SCOPE office opened in the Inland Grange at Nelson and Conklin roads and offers SCOPE and COPS training for volunteers. For information, call (509) 954-6307.

The Camden Grange brought back the old-fashioned Grange dances with live music, pies and lots of opportunity for sharing memories of the “good old days.” Call (509) 292-2492.

Some new businesses and additions came to Elk-Chattaroy.

Silverado Pools and Construction opened, offering in-ground pool construction, landscape ponds and water features, (509) 292-9525. D and L Affordable Treasures opened on Newport Highway just north of Miller’s One Stop, offering a wide variety of new and used items, and rentable flea market spaces, (509) 496-9111. The Sawdust Gallery, a local artists co-op, opened at 40101 N. Newport Highway. Bartlett’s Backwoods Store opened in downtown Elk, (509) 292-9596. Jessica’s Barber and Salon moved to a larger space on the corner of Newport Highway and Elk-to-Highway Road opposite Miller’s One Stop, (509) 292-9610. Country Garden Farms Espresso – U-Bake Pizza – Mexican Menu offered community garden space at its new farmers market, (509) 292-8504.

The Elk Community Park’s Chili-Chowder Cook-Off is coming up in February. Next thing you know, spring will be here and we can get ready for the annual Community Litter Round-Up; look forward to many other community events. One thing that did not change: Our rural gravel, or should I say dirt, roads are still full of potholes, wash-boarded about 90 percent of the time and beyond dusty when it’s dry. Wish we had just a bit of the money you wasted on that racetrack for our roads. Are you listening, Spokane County?

Until next time, have a very happy holiday season and think of good things for the new year.