News Bonners Ferry Archives ~ April
2011
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April 30, 2011 |
Challenging economy
reflected in school levy: It is an educational
imperative for the children of our school district that they
have the educational opportunities that the supplemental levy
provides. The Board of Trustees does not want to place any
additional economic burden on the taxpayer but also acknowledges
financial support is the only way to ensure our students
continue to receive a quality education in a safe environment.
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Friends of the KNWR now
in cyberspace: A group of local people working to
show off one of the gems of Boundary County, the Kootenai
National Wildlife Refuge, have gone on-line, showing people
around the world all that awaits them just a short drive from
downtown Bonners Ferry.
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April 28, 2011 |
 Local
hero being considered for Medal of Honor: On June
13, 1966, 16 United States Recon Marines and two Navy Corpsmen
made their way up a 1,500-foot, bare-topped hill called Nui Vu
by the local Vietnamese. On June 15, they were attacked by a
brigade of well-trained and determined Vietnamese regulars. One
young Recon Marine, now living in Bonners Ferry, might finally
be given the recognition he deserves for his actions on that
never-ending night, the nation's highest award for valor, the
Medal of Honor.
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April 27, 2011 |
 Sharon
Meadows wins a timely basket: North Bench resident
Sharon Meadows was pronounced the winner of the
Friends
of the Restorium Easter basket raffle, held April 23 at
Akins Harvest Foods. It couldn't have gone to a better person,
or at a better time.
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GROW! a garden for the
community: Community gardening is growing ... and
Bonners Ferry is leading the way. Benefitting local families,
teaching great gardening skills and reaping our local food bank
a source of garden-fresh produce, it's an organization whose
time has come. Oh, and it gives gardenless gardners a chance to
get their hands and knees in the soil!
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'Roads Closed' list
getting smaller: Even though our weather hasn't
been quite ideal, more Boundary County roads are now re-opened
to hauling.
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Forecast suggests
rapid increase to Kootenai River flows: Cooler than
normal temperatures combined with above normal rain and snow is
creating a situation where significantly higher than normal
Kootenai River flows are more likely in the coming weeks.
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Commissioners
minutes, April 18-19
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April 25, 2011 |
 Earth
Day Fair a great success! The 2011 Earth Day Fair
in Bonners Ferry was a great success over the weekend with over
450 people visiting the Fair! They enjoyed a wide variety of
displays and information presented by 32 vendors, including
gardening tips, solar energy, fair trade products, wilderness
and forestry information, and green living products to name a
few. By Rhea Verbanic.
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Deer causes serious
Bonner County accident: A deer is the cause of a
serious two vehicle accident this morning in Bonner County,
according the the Idaho State Police.
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Court records and
sheriff's log |
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April 24, 2011 |
Governor Bans
Obamacare in Idaho: Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter
issued an executive order today imposing a State prohibition on
receiving federal funding for or otherwise implementing the
federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – often
called "Obamacare."
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Foreclosure
reforms to take effect September 1: A new state law
to address foreclosure complaints by Idaho homeowners will take
effect on September 1. Attorney General Lawrence Wasden and the
Idaho Bankers Association sponsored House Bill 331. |
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April 23, 2011 |
 Busy,
beautiful spring day: From a drab, gray Friday that
saw morning snow, Saturday broke crystal clear, sunny and
considerably warmer than it has been. It was a great day for
cruising with the windows down to all the many activities around
the county, or, if you were a turtle, for spending the day just
basking on a log. |
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April 22, 2011 |
Sherrif's Posse
formed: Boundary County Sheriff Greg Sprungl
recently began recruiting a standing posse, comprised of teams
of experts in a diverse array of fields who stand ready to come
to the aid of Boundary County residents and visitors in time of
need.
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Coldest, longest
spring on record: Residents in many parts of
Boundary County woke up this morning to something you normally
don't expect to see just one week from May, snow. And it very
well looks like today might be a record breaker. In the 130
years weather records have been kept, the latest date recorded
for reaching 60-degrees is April 22.
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Idahoan's
voices not heard on education: Superintendent of
Education Tom Luna’s “Students Come First” proposal represents a
loss of local control for school districts, parents and
taxpayers. It is based on the false premise that by reducing the
number of teachers in our schools we can somehow improve our
students’ performance. |
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April 21, 2011 |
Burdick dies at
work:
Vern Burdick, the owner of Accurate Collision service, Bonners
Ferry, collapsed in his shop this morning of an apparent heart
attack.
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No write-ins
for school board: The deadline has passed and no
write-in candidates have filed, so the school board election May
17 will see contests between Zone 3 incumbent Sulet Hiatt and
challenger David Brinkman, and Zone 4 incumbent and board chair
Melanie Staples facing Paul Shelton.
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April 19, 2011 |
School district
saves $41,000 in transportation costs: In
cooperation with a Idaho State Department of Education
Transportation specialist last year, Boundary County School
District 101 transportation staff took a close look at all the
school's bus routes and implemented changes, keeping the buses
running on time and maintaining the district's long-standing
school bus safety record.
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List of closed roads
gets shorter: The list of roads closed due to
spring break up is getting shorter, with several additional
roads opened to hauling earlier today.
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April 18, 2011 |
 Snow-bird
Smith busy as she waits for the snow to end: "One
should not start out learning the art of wood lathe making by
making a segmented wood-turned bowl, but we did," said snow bird
Sharon Watson Smith, currently in Yuma, Arizona, waiting for the
weather up here to turn more clement.
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 Don
Jordan seeks seat on NLI board: I am running for
Northern Lights Director, District 6, because of my
long-standing interest in energy efficiency and conservation. I
see conservation as a prime way of reducing our inevitable
increase in electrical costs.
My involvement in home design and construction for over 30
years gives me familiarity with all aspects of residential
energy use and conservation.
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 Bonners
Ferry native feted for WWII service: On Friday, the
French government thanked Bonners Ferry native Jim Stone, 87,
for his efforts in winning the European nation back its freedom
by awarding him the French Legion of Honor. Created by Napoleon
in 1802, the Legion of Honor is France's highest honor. With the
pinning, Stone was declared a “chevalier,” or knight of the
Legion.
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Court record and
sheriff's log
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April 17, 2011 |
Running because it's
the right thing to do: David Brinkman,
36, knows but two speeds. Stop and go. He doesn't do much of the
former, and when he goes, it's at one speed only, all out. His
kids, Liliana and Logan, he said, are his life, and they're the
best reasons in the world that he's thrown his hat into the ring
to seek a position as a Boundary County School District 101
trustee in the May 17 election.
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School
district to host community meeting on M&O: In an
effort to quell rumors and innuendo surround the upcoming
Boundary County School District 101 maintenance and operations
levy, school board members, school administrators and local
elected officials and community leaders will host a community
meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday evening, April 21, in the Becker
Auditorium.
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April 16, 2011 |
 First
Chamber social a fine affair: The first Bonners
Ferry Chamber of Commerce quarterly social, held Friday evening
at Mugsy's, was a fine affair, filling the establishment's
meeting room nearly to the rafters, as Vern and Kay Burdick,
owners of Accurate Collision Services, arrived to find there was
no place else to sit except the tall stools in the back of the
room.
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 Deboer
safe after night on the river: The Boundary County
Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff’s Posse and the Boundary Search and
Dive Rescue team, along with assistance from the United States
Border Patrol, conducted a search last Friday that ended with
the successful location and rescue of a local man.
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 Rhino
Team keeps Iraq moving: Twenty-nine soldiers are
force multipliers for thousands to complete their missions in
Iraq with the effects of improving the government, setting up a
security advisory program and building an enduring partnership
between Iraq and the United States.
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Boundary County
unemployment figures grim: The employment situation
in Boundary County is more dire than the state as a whole, with
an estimated 680 people unemployed for a March rate of
14.3-percent, the second highest rate of all Idaho counties.
Only Valley County, with an unemployment rate of 16-percent, is
higher.
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Child
immunization requirements change: The Idaho
Legislature approved four additional immunizations for children
receiving care in a child care center: varicella (chicken pox);
Hepatitis A; Pneumococcal (Prevnar); and Rotavirus. The
immunizations were recommended in the past. As of July, they are
required.
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April 13, 2011 |
Defense Secretary
visits Idaho troops: On Thursday, April 7, members
of Idaho’s 116th
Cavalry Brigade stationed in Iraq
got the chance to ask questions of Secretary of Defense Robert
Gates.
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 Merchants
asked to keep their doors open late for Earth Day:
In anticipation of a lot of people visiting Bonners Ferry and
participating in the Earth Day Fair May 23, Bonners Ferry
merchants are being asked to keep their doors open until 7 p.m.
Friday, May 22.
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ISP seeking
information on missing Kamiah grandmother: The
Idaho State Police is investigating the April 1 disappearance of
Lavina Irene Hietala, Kamiah, and they’re seeking any
information the public may have regarding Lavina or her
grandson, Justin Hietala, during the week of March 28 through
the day Lavina went missing.
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Reporting suspected
child abuse can save a child's life:
Life-threatening and emergency child protection calls are
increasing in Idaho, prompting child welfare workers to urge
anyone who suspects child abuse or neglect to report it as soon
as possible to help keep children safe.
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April 12, 2011 |
Commissioners minutes, April 4-5
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April 11, 2011 |
More county roads reopen
to hauling:
With the weather the way it has been, today alternating from
sunny and 50-degrees one minute to raining, blowing and
42-degrees the next, some areas of the county even getting hail,
spring should definitely be upon us and all roads reopened to
normal traffic by, oh, maybe August, but a few more county roads
were reopened to hauling today.
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U of I unveils nation's
first doctoral program in athletic training:
Movement science is taking a big step forward with the creation
of a doctoral program in athletic training at the
University
of Idaho. The
groundbreaking program – the first of its kind in the nation –
starts in summer 2011, thanks to approval received from the
Idaho State Board of Education.
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Court records and
sheriffs log
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April 9, 2011 |
 First
'Robin of Spring Fling' starts Monday: "I thought,
why not have the traveling robin show up at different locations
and give prizes to the first five (or three, or one) people who
guess the store and go there with the question, 'Has the Robin
been here?'" said Eileen.
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Mt. Hall
kindergarten registration set: Registration for the
2011-2012 kindergarten school year at Mt. Hall Elementary will
be held at the school from 8 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, April 15.
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State legislature
adjourns: The Idaho Legislature adjourned Thursday
and may best be remembered as a session in which legislators
pro-actively engaged stakeholders and citizens in two key areas
— education and Medicaid.
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Avoid
tragedy, don't drive distracted: April is
Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The Idaho State Police want
to remind drivers that it only takes a second for something
tragic to happen.
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Skin cancer spot
checks offered: Skin cancer is the most common form
of cancer in the United States,
and Idaho
is among the states with the highest number of skin cancer cases
and death rates. Panhandle Health District is part of the North
Idaho Cancer Coalition that’s encouraging northern
Idaho
residents to participate in free skin cancer spot checks this
spring in Coeur d’Alene
and Sandpoint.
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April 6, 2011 |
Naples Community
Group News: The Naples Community Group potluck has
been moved to July 9 in hopes for better weather. We're still
having a meeting Monday, April 18, at the Naples Fire Hall to
compile boxes for the Easter Food Drive and to prepare
candy-filled eggs for the children's Easter egg hunt. The group
is still working with Linda Lee Hunt at Naples School to confirm
and finalize the date and time for the hunt, and we'll be
inviting all area home schooled kids to attend as well.
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News Bonners Ferry
proving its reach: In more than 20 years of
reporting Boundary County news in some form or another, I have
most often differed with the people I worked for. They're in
business to sell advertising, and I am, too. All media is. I'm
different in that I am an editor and reporter, not a salesman.
While I need and would welcome advertising, it's my thought that
what makes the advertising work is the breadth and reach of the
news published. You have to give your advertisers value. To do
that, you have to be read and trusted.
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April 5, 2011 |
Bonners Ferry
Swish merges with Rotary: At this morning's
Bonners Ferry Rotary board meeting, a merger between Bonners
Ferry Swish and the Rotary was formalized, and it will be the
Rotary, with secretary Ron Sukenik serving as chair, who will be
behind the organization of the region's biggest three-on-three
basketball tournament, behind Spokane's Hoop Fest.
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County Roads
starting to reopen to hauling: After nearly two
weeks of closure, Boundary County Road and Bridge this week
began opening some of the county's roads to hauling as weather
conditions, ahem, improve.
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 Hsu
to speak on child abuse prevention: Attorney Eric
Hsu, a speaker, consultant and author of the e-book
"Separating Fact from Fiction in Child Sexual Abuse Prevention,"
will be the guest speaker at a presentation on Child Sexual
Abuse Prevention at 1:30 p.m. Monday, April 25, at the Ponderay
Events Center in Ponderay.
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Monster basket
being raffled for children's advocacy: A gift
basket so big it had to be wheeled into the back door of the
courthouse Monday on a handtruck is being raffled off to raise
money for Children's Advocacy in Boundary County.
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County
Commission minutes, March 28-29
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Court records and
sheriffs log
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April 2, 2011 |
Tobin, Newhouse
March Rotary Students of the Month: Jesse Tobin and
Will Newhouse were chosen by the Bonners Ferry High School
faculty and administration as the Bonners Ferry Rotary Students
of the Month for March, 2011.
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Earth Day offers
fun, friends and common sense: The second annual Earth Day Fair is coming to
the Boundary County Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 23, as
organizer's had so much fun last year, they're
doing it again ... but bigger and better!
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IDL announces
road closures: Idaho Department of Lands area
supervisor Eric Besaw has announced that portions of Trail Creek
and Dodge Creek Roads are closed until weather conditions
improve.
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Valley View kids
help PTO with Math-a-thon: Students at Valley View
Elementary held their annual Math-a-thon in March, raising
pledges before undertaking a 30-question math test to raise
$2,416.72 for the school's Parent Teacher Organization.
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Historical Society to
elect officers: The Boundary County Historical
Society and Museum will hold their annual meeting at 6 p.m.
Tuesday, April 12, at the Museum Events Center, 7223 Main St.,
Bonners Ferry, and elections will be held for five positions on
the society's board of trustees.
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Curves hosting
month-long food drive: Curves of Bonners Ferry is
hosting their annual food drive for
Community Action Partnership throughout the month of April.
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April 1, 2011 |
Christian vs. Muslim ... a chance to learn:
The Bonners Ferry Peace Group welcomes Pastor
Steven Benson, Christ Lutheran Church, Libby,
Montana, to Bonners Ferry at 7 p.m. Tuesday,
April 15, for a presentation on "A Window into
the World of Islam."
Appropriately, it's taking place upstairs at
Visitor's Center.
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Panhandle Health
hosting Shriner's clinic: The Panhandle Health
District is teaming up with Shrine Clubs throughout the region
to offer a free clinic for kids who might need treatment for
orthopedic problems. This one is taking place in Coeur d'Alene
and is sponsored by the Coeur d'Alene Shrine Club of Clalam, but
in all honesty, it's just as much sponsored by those pillars of
our community who don the purple fez.
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Obituaries |
| Vernon
Arthur "Vern" Burdick, March 31, 1944 ~ April
21, 2011 |
| Don C.
Chandler, December 21, 1934 ~
April 19, 2011 |
| Henry
Smuland, April 15, 1917 ~ April
18, 2011 |
| Rena
Christine "Chris" Jeffries, December 15, 1931 ~
April 17, 2011 |
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Luis Lorca-Merono,
April
15, 1931 - April 16, 2011 |
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Wilfred “Fred” Albano, June 20, 1930 ~ April
10, 2011 |
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Pauline 'Polly' T. Sorensen, July 23, 1930 ~ April
13, 2011 |
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Michael Elliott,
April 3, 1959 - April 5, 2011 |
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Janet Lind
Posey, July 25, 1955 ~ April
12, 2011 |
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Social |
Unruh's
welcome daughter Megan: Ryan and Danette
Unruh, Greensburg, Kansas, welcomed the birth of their
daughter, Megan Glae at 12:17 a.m. Friday, April 22, at
Pratt Regional Medical Center.
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Boundary
County marriage licenses
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Golden
wedding anniversary: Larry and Judy Dirks, Bonners Ferry, celebrated
their 50th wedding anniversary March 6 with a
reception at United Methodist Church. They were
married February 24, 1961, in Prairie Village,
Kansas.
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Fisher, Ranlett to wed: Kevin and Dawn
Fisher, Oakfield, New York, are pleased to announce the
engagement of their daughter, Erika Fisher, Pembroke,
New York, to Jason Ranlett, also of Pembroke, the son of
Thomas and Consuelo Martinez-White, Byron, New York, and
James and Cora Ranlett, Bonners Ferry.
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 Cda
5th grader regional spelling champ: Rebekah
Pinkerton, a home-schooled fifth grader from Coeur
d'Alene, spelled the previously misspelled word
"inselberg" and followed it up with the correct spelling
of "bezoar" Saturday to out-spell 44 North Idaho fourth
through eighth graders to be crowned the champion in the
eighth annual North Idaho College Regional Spelling Bee.
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Sports |
Girls Win a
Close One on Senior Night, Drop 2 to Timberlake:
Thursday, April 28, was Senior Night for three Bonners Ferry
Badgers Softball players. Becca Farrens, Sam Robertson and
Chelsea Taggart were honored in a presentation after the third
inning during the game against Troy.
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 Badger
girls post first league win, play rare triple header:
The Badger softball team, ranked third in the IML,
handed league leading Priest River their first loss last week,
and on Saturday put a scare into second place St. Maries in a
rare triple-header.
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Bonners Ferry
SWISH reins officially handed over: Brett Brown and
Anita Woods made it official at the meeting on April 19 by
presenting a check to Rotary in the amount of $6,995.47,
representing the proceeds from the first three years of the
tournament.
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Warriors defeat
the Logos Knights for the first time in a nail-biter:
For the first time in the six years they've been
playing against each other, the Bonners Ferry Warriors lacrosse
club beat the Logos Knights, a small Christian school in Moscow,
Idaho.
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Thank Idaho For Wildlife: The Bonners Ferry Mayor
and City Council would once again like to thank Idaho For
Wildlife for their efforts last year in installing new signs in
the Myrtle Creek Preserve, and if you happen to be hiking there
if we ever get a spring and summer here this year, you should
thank them, too.
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Gearing up for the 35th annual Kootenai River Run:
Long-time runner and one of the founders of the Kootenai River
Run, Jack Douglas, is putting out a call for volunteers to help
make the 35th annual running of the event yet another success.
The 2011 Kootenai River Run begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 11,
at the Boundary County Fairgrounds.
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 Adam
Hall Pac-10 Athlete-Scholar of the Year: The Pac-10
Conference announced its 2010-11 All Academic Wrestling Team
April 6, with six Boise State wrestlers selected, led by Bonners
Ferry native Adam Hall, a 2006 graduate of Bonners Ferry High
School, who is set to graduate this spring, having maintained a
3.50 grade point average for a degree in Health Science.
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Badgers do well at
Interstate Rivals meet: The Badger track teams traveled to Rockford,
Washington, Saturday for the Interstate Rivals
track meet, where the girls finished with a
second place team finish and the boys finishing
third.
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Tennis sign-ups
underway: The Boundary County Tennis Association is
inviting adults and juniors age 12 and up to sign up for this
year's tennis leagues. Membership fee is $20 for regular players
and $10 for substitute players, and the deadline to sign up is
Sunday, April 24.
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 Coaching
in North Idaho: In 1969, I was hired as head
football coach at Bonners
Ferry High School
in Bonners Ferry, Idaho.
The administration asked me to try and do something about the
problem with alcohol consumption by the football players
especially during the season. I was more concerned with winning
games, but I promised to look into the problem.
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Warriors drop
close season opener: The Bonners Ferry Lacrosse
Club Warriors dropped their season opener to the Gonzaga Prep
Bulldogs 15-12 under the lights at Gonzaga. While it was the
Warriors' first game, the Bulldogs already had four games under
their belt.
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Adam Hiatt
named head coach at Westminster: The Westminster
College Department of Athletics announced yesterday that Adam
Hiatt has been named the new head coach for the men’s basketball
program.
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Badger girls
top Kellogg, fall to Timberlake: The Badger
softball team opened their season at the Timberlake Tournament
Saturday, beating Kellogg 6-5 but falling to Timberlake, 14-4.
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Moose, Sheep, Goat
Applications:
April is not just tax month; it's also the month to apply for
moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat hunts. Applications for
these controlled hunts will be accepted from April 1 through
April 30.
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From The Field: Chinook Season:
While most anglers are still focused on steelhead fishing, some
are turning their attention to Chinook salmon fishing.
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Spring Turkey
Hunting Begins April 15: Hunters who have finished
with taxes before the deadline can expect to find
Idaho's
wild turkey populations in good shape. The general season youth
turkey hunt runs Thursday, April 8, through Wednesday, April 14.
The general spring turkey hunts open April 15 and runs through
May 25. |
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Letters |
Colet Allen:
Thanks to Doug Kim Brown and Linda Alt for speaking out
about education and what it means to our kids. This is not a
partisan issue. This is a national issue. Whether we like it or
not, the U.S. is competing in world markets.
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Melanie Staples: ... Our community loves watching
our youth strive to succeed ... not only as graduates, but
succeed in striving to do their best in the many different
extracurricular activities that fit their talents.
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Linda Alt:
This letter is in response to Doug Kim-Brown's letter
about the chairman of the Republican Central Committee sending
out e-mails. For everyone's information, not all precinct
committee persons in the Boundary County RCC are opposed to the
school levy.
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Doug
Kim-Brown: Ms. Donna Capurso, head of the
Republican Party locally, sent an email out to Republicans
urging all to enlist more friends and neighbors in voting NO
again, hopefully by a wider margin. Why?
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Rhonda Vogl:
If any one has any doubt if our school sports programs
contribute to successful adults out there in the world, they
only have to look at the front page of this week’s Bonners Ferry
Herald.
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Robert D.
Pluid: Having known Paul Shelton as a business
associate and friend for the past three years, I would like to
offer my support for his bid for a position on the Boundary
County School District Board.
Drexel Love:
I didn't realize it, but
these coupons are good for one gallon of gas at
most retailers. I have seen them around, but until recently
never took advantage of them, I never realized their actual
worth. |
