A journey through the past
SUBMISSION DEADLINE for the August issue is 5 p.m. July 15. GOLDEN TIMES: P.O. Box 957, Lewiston, ID 83501 goldentimes@lmtribune.com ON THE COVER: This contributed photo shows Mike Kramer as he takes in the large battlefield maps at the Normandy American Cemetery in France. Kramer and his son-in-law Dustin Johnson took an epic history trip. The story is on Page 6.
EDITOR: Dallas Marshall, (208) 848-2232/ dmarshall@lmtribune.com
For the LewistonClarkston Valley
> Monday-Friday
Coffee, 10 a.m. to noon, Valley Community Center, 549 Fifth St., Clarkston.
> Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Coffee, 10 a.m. to noon, $1 donation, Sixth Street Senior Center, 832 Sixth St., Clarkston.
Fit and Fall Proof, 9-9:45 a.m., Congregational Presbyterian Church, 709 Sixth St., Lewiston.
Fit and Fall Proof, 10:45-11:30 a.m., Orchards United Methodist Church, 1213 Burrell Ave., Lewiston.
> Mondays and Wednesdays
Yoga/lowimpact exercise, 9-10 a.m., Valley
SENIOR CALENDAR
Community Center.
> Mondays and Fridays
Fit and Fall Proof, 10-11 a.m., Emmanuel Baptist Church, 2200 11th Ave., Lewiston.
> Mondays
Painting group, noon to 4 p.m., Valley Community Center.
Dance practice, 6:30-8 p.m., Sixth Street Senior Center.
> Tuesdays
Blood pressure checks, 11 a.m.12:30 p.m., Valley Community Center.
> Tuesdays and Thursdays
Fit and Fall Proof, 8:15-9:15 a.m., Elks Lodge, 3444 Country Club Drive, Lewiston.
> Wednesdays
Bridge, 12:30-4 p.m., Valley Community Center.
> Thursdays
Footcare, Valley
Community Center. By appointment only: (253) 218-7091.
> Fridays Country jam, 10 a.m. to noon, Sixth Street Senior Center. Cornhole games, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Valley Community Center.
> Saturdays and Sundays
Dance lessons, 5-6:30 p.m., $5 per lesson, Sixth Street Senior Center. Call or text (509) 5529457 to register.
> July 9 and 23
Foot care, Valley Community Center. By appointment only: (253) 218-7091.
> July 18
Dance, 6:30-8:30 p.m., $5 donation, Sixth Street Senior Center.
> July 22
Seaport Quilters, 6-9 p.m., Valley Community Center.
Adventures of buying cars in Europe
InGrangeville, most folks live by the car since there is no public transportation, not even a taxi. My first year living in Czech Republic, I had to use buses or trains. So, I really missed the freedom a car provides and at times when passing used car lots, called “Avto Bazaars,” I actually coveted some of those vehicles. I would press my nose against the bus window as we passed and dream of owning one. Since my husband,
Elwyn, was with me the second year in Europe, we decided to buy a used car. At the local dealership, he tried out the few that were there. One was a Russian Lada that he said steered like a tank and left a puddle of oil. We chose a little red Renault 5 featuring a line of starburstlike decals that made it look like a toy. We were alarmed to hear what sounded like popcorn popping coming from the rear as we drove. Another teacher had the same make of car and assured
us that was how this model sounded. It ran perfectly and carried us all over the countryside, and even with our two grown sons visiting, we chugged right over the Alpine passes just fine. I sold the car back to the dealership at the end of my term.
window. No problem, and the car did just fine in the mountain snow.
In fact, one section was dedicated to him. We decided to return via Italy on a mountain road where we didn’t see even one other car. It was beautiful, but a slow and winding trip and we got home after dark. The next day when I started to drive to work, I had a flat tire. Elwyn tried to put on the spare, but it was flat as well. Luckily, we didn’t have that flat the day before in the mountains. I sold that car at the end of the year to a fellow who dealt in autos.
ALTERNATIVE Nursing
Serving
The next fall when I returned I tried to buy it again but it had sold just days before so I ended up getting a white Renault Clio. With such a scarcity of used autos, I didn’t pay attention to the year of the car or to the mileage. But I was lucky each time. I had bought the car in the town where I first lived so I had to drive across the country that night down to the seacoast where I currently taught. I kept hearing a thump, thump coming from the back of the car. Yikes: What could be wrong? I pulled over in the snow and discovered it was the wiper on the back
I was working in Portorož and Piran, towns on the balmy Adriatic Sea where parking was scarce. Those little cars in Europe are perfect for the tiny roads and parking spaces, and I am proud to say I could parallel park that little dear perfectly on the steep streets, even without power steering. One of my major triumphs that year, since I spoke little Slovene, was having the tires rotated.
On a Sunday, Elwyn and I picked up a friend in Nova Gorica and drove north into the towering Julian Alps. It is a gorgeous area with tumbling rivers, narrow gorges, pretty villages and very little traffic. We had a lovely day visiting a World War I museum in Kobarid, where Ernest Hemingway served in the war and wrote about in “A Farewell to Arms.”
Clearwater,
The following year, it was not as easy to find a car to buy. Some salesmen were reluctant to sell to an American because of the extra paperwork involved. Finally I found a little red Peugeot 105 for sale, and Aaron, the salesman, was willing to work with me. That was the sweetest car I owned over there and I was considering shipping it home to Idaho. But parts would have been difficult to find, so I sold it to a friend at the end of the school year. Instead, I bought a tiny metal toy car that looks identical and sits on my bedroom bookshelf. And the car’s doors even open.
Next month’s column: Look out for the nitty gritty of driving in Europe.
Johnson, of Grangeville, worked in three different European countries — Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovenia — in the 1990s and early 2000s. She can be reached at johnsondixie@hotmail.com.
Dixie Johnson
these Counties Nez Perce, Latah,
Lewis, Idaho, Adams, Valley, Benton, Franklin, Yakima,
A new outlook from the garden
Weeds have a bad reputation. I get rid of them because they crowd out the plants I’d rather look at in my garden or yard. They certainly survived our harsh January.
I thought I’d lost a lot of plants in those four days of minus 10 degrees last winter. Most came up at the roots — all except my 12-foot-high butterfly bush. I cried over that one. I was busy trimming the dead branches away and hadn’t paid much attention to the rest of the yard.
lawn cleaned off so they could find the sprinkler heads. Out came the weed eater, clippers and gloves.
The next three hours I worked around the edges of the yard, and learned root lessons.
I tame my yard’s wild nature only when some plant encroaches on another I want to be free. After all, that’s the directions God gave when he put Adam in the garden: “He sat him down in the Garden of Eden to work the ground and keep it in order.”
My place is like an English garden — scads of ground cover. I believe in letting the green spread wherever it likes to grow best. (Have you ever noticed how many shades of green there are?)
The 4-foot-high cement foundation of the shop has been nicely hidden for years by ivy, but the freeze left no leaves. The barren branches are just beginning to reproduce.
The back fence is crawling with Virginia creeper. The raspberries come up throughout the ivy that surrounds my waterfall. The shoots are loaded with berries. I garden with a “live and let live” philosophy, as long as I can still see my beautiful flowers and enjoy my berries and veggies.
A call came from the company that runs my sprinkler system to set the time to turn it on. I had five days to get the
That was before the weeds came. My take on weeds is that they’re super strong, fast-growing plants that want to take over the world. I like my organized chaos so I get rid of these bullies even though I admire their insistence. The amazing thing is, you can never really get rid of them. Their seeds are powerful and their roots are tenacious. They don’t understand the meaning of order.
As I pulled out the tall cheatgrass against the neighbor’s shop, I
examined them. They have many stems growing upward and twice as many roots spreading below the ground. If you grab just one stem it breaks off. Even two or three won’t pull up the plant. The secret is to go to the ground level, wrap your hand around all the stems and pull straight up. Even then, some of the tentacles of the root stay in the ground ready to start a new plant. They survive anything. They’re the comeback kid. Nothing can stop them. I took a lesson from these invaders. The secret is in the roots. Maybe my life ought to look more like weeds than flowers — growing wild, spreading seeds with joy, extending my roots deeper. Strong roots of truth and faith, which have been proven over thousands of years, keep me grounded, secure and growing even when people or circumstances try to pull me out or cut me off.
In my life, the core root is love from the ultimate sacrifice of love. It sprouts kindness, respect, encouragement, caring and civilized community. Those roots produce strong life characteristics full of
integrity, honesty, fairness and peace. Just think what would happen if I let those grow wild like weeds in my life.
Would the world be a different place if I didn’t complain when someone breaks off a stem or two?
What if I stubbornly cling to my love root system and practice its characteristics, growing and spreading the seeds from my life?
Like weeds, some people might look with disdain, wanting to get rid of the
fast-growing influence. They might even try to cut me off or pull me out because I’m different. My stubborn weed lifestyle would just bounce back, spreading more seeds, growing more roots.
I’m thinking I want to be more like a weed: hang on tight with my roots and go wild with my seeds.
Chase Hoseley is a freelance writer and retired kindergarten teacher who lives in Clarkston. She can be reached at shoseley8@gmail.com.
THINKING OUT LOUD Sharon Chase Hoseley
From foxhole to foxhole, Clarkston
Dustin Johnson and Mike Kramer dive deep into war history
By KERRI SANDAINE FOR GOLDEN TIMES
The trip of a lifetime for Dustin Johnson and Mike Kramer began on the anniversary of D-Day, which seems appropriate for a whirlwind tour of World War battlefields, cemeteries and memorials in Europe.
Johnson, 46, is the public works director for the city of Lewiston, and a longtime history buff who’s been studying World War I and II for about 20 years. His father-in-law Mike Kramer, 69, is a retired college football coach, who now lives in Clarkston.
When Johnson and his future wife Courtney Kramer met two decades ago in Montana, he started reading the books in Kramer’s expansive war history libraries and his interest in the topic grew.
Both men have been to Europe before, but this trip was unusual. Instead of hitting the popular tourist spots, they traveled across France and into Belgium, visiting nine American cemeteries, gathering sand from Utah and Omaha beaches at Normandy and searching for graves of soldiers from Montana, Idaho and Washington.
For Christmas, Kramer gave Johnson a plane ticket to Paris, and “the keys to the castle” by letting the engineer plan their stops. Johnson created a daunting itinerary that kept the men on the road from dawn to dusk, soaking up the scenes and remembering the fallen.
RIGHT: Mike Kramer looks over a German Tiger tank in La Gleize, Belgium.
BELOW: Dustin Johnson kneels beside a monument dedicated to the lives lost within the village of Graignes during the battle for Normandy in June 1944.
Contributed photos
et when they arrived.
people lost their lives during a 10-month conflict there.
However, the grounds of the final resting spots of American soldiers are gorgeous.
“Our goal was to go foxhole to foxhole on our (self-guided) tour,” Johnson said. “We covered so much ground and saw so many monumental places. It truly was a oncein-a-lifetime trip.”
Because the crowds were thick in Normandy on the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the travelers started at Belleau Wood, about 1½ hours from Paris. The WWI cemetery was qui-
A Colton WWI Marine, Charles Boyd Maynard, was killed June 6, 1918, at the Belleau Wood battlefield, he said.
“The battlefield is right behind the cemetery, and the guns are still sitting out. You can walk through the trenches and the forest.”
From there, they drove to Verdun and visited the Meuse Argonne American Cemetery. The scenes from movies and books came to life as they walked through villages and rural areas torn apart during the wars.
Verdun was an “awful place,” Johnson said. More than 300,000
“Every one of these American cemeteries is beautiful,” Johnson said. “They are manicured and well maintained to such a high standard. At the first one we visited, we were the only ones there.”
With a list of names, they set out to honor every grave of soldiers from this region. On Montana gravesites, state flags or pennants from Montana State University or the University of Montana were placed. Of the eight Colton residents who were killed in WWII, only Courtney’s uncle is buried in Europe.
The Kramers have deep family roots in Colton, where both Mike and
his wife Sandi were raised. Courtney grew up in Cheney, when her father was coaching at Eastern Washington University. She graduated from Bozeman High School in 2001. Johnson graduated from Castle Rock High School in western Washington, and went to college in Bozeman. Mike Kramer played football for the University of Idaho and coached at EWU, Montana State University and Idaho State University before moving to the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley. He still helps out with farming during harvest in Colton. Because he and his son-in-law share the same interests, the European trip seemed “meant to be.” Kramer told Johnson he was the ideal traveling companion for such an adventure.
After Verdun, the two men drove to Bastogne, Belgium, stopping at
Clarkston men make epic journey
the Luxembourg American Cemetery. There they saw General George S. Patton’s grave, along with many other noteworthy soldiers.
Beyond the well-known graves, such as Theodore Roosevelt Jr.’s and Quentin Roosevelt’s, Johnson and Kramer were both touched by the hometown heroes who answered their nation’s call to serve.
“What I walked away with is you read so much history, and you realize the people in these cemeteries came from our hometowns,” Johnson said. “They sacrificed their lives for us. They stepped up to preserve our way of life, and it’s something to remember.”
Their other stops included
ed on June 6 and died on June 11 on a transport, Johnson said.
“The scale of everything blows you away. Omaha Beach is massive. I can stand there and still see the bunkers, bluffs and the sands that were in play on D-Day. It’s not hard to imagine what it was like.”
Each day, the travelers were on the road early, trying to get to cemeteries at 9 a.m. when they opened. In France, dinner is served late, and “we were starving by then,” Johnson said. “Everyday we were hitting the ground.”
died. Those battlefields are now filled with graves. At one battlefield, live ammo shells are still beneath the green grass. The site is mowed by sheep rather than equipment, to avoid any blasts.
Johnson said his trip had so many important and memorable moments that it’s hard to describe in detail to a casual listener. However, he said he’s willing to share his photos and speak about the journey with veteran groups in the valley. “I love to talk about it,” he said. “It was something I’ll never forget.”
the Ardennes American Cemetery, Henri-Chapelle, the Somme, and finally Normandy, Mortain-Bocage and the Britany American Cemetery.
“One special person I had to visit was Walter L. Choquette,” Johnson said. “I found his grave when we went to France on our honeymoon in 2011. He’s from Butte, and Courtney and I love Butte. I got to learn his story over the years. He was on the high school basketball team, and I felt a personal connection to him.”
Choquette was killed defending Graignes soon after D-Day. The Lewiston-Clarkston Valley visitors found his grave and visited his memorial in Graignes.
During their extensive road trip, they saw Carentan, St. Mere Eglise and Utah Beach, as well as spending time on Omaha Beach.
“The site that sticks with me the most is Omaha Beach,” Johnson said. “You can see every detail of the beach. I could see exactly where a man from Clarkston came ashore.”
Harland Reid Way is buried in Vineland Cemetery in
In contrast to Americans, the British buried their soldiers where they
Sandaine can be reached at kerris@lmtribune.com.
August Frank/Golden Times
Various brochures brought back by Dustin Johnson from his recent trip.
Clarkston. He was one of the first men on the beach on D-Day. He was wound-
Letters of love and kindness
The three teachers who wrote to me after I sent them information and pictures about my LCSC Warrior Award are some of my favorite people.
Denice Strohmaier taught junior high English and some vocal music at Asotin until she retired. She came to the school when I did in 1975. Both of my sons were taught by her and enjoyed it. Denice and her late husband Ted both graduated from Sandpoint High School. She is a very loving and caring person. Her son Joe and his wife Kristy live in Lewiston as does Denice. Her daughter Katie, an
outstanding singer, lives in England.
I had a nice note from Joanie Holland who, like Denice, is a retired Asotin teacher. Joanie is a “cool,” understanding person who was a wonderful special education teacher. She and her husband Roger and daughter Suzie live in Oregon in retirement.
The third letter I received about the Lifetime Warrior Award was from June McComas, a retired California elementary school teacher. June was married to my late friend Ed McComas who played baseball with me at the University of Idaho and town team baseball at
Kamiah and the Lewiston Orchards in 1952 and ’53. The NAIA World Series is held a block from our house in late May, and Ed and June often stayed at our house along with my other former teammates Ray and Klea Copeland, and Roger and Dorothy Olson. We all had a great time during series week. June and I are the only one of the eight of us who are still alive.
her. She was a sweet, smart little girl who then was the big sister who helped her mother take care of her little brothers Doug and Matt. She loved life and her friends, family and fellow students and teachers. At the age of 17, she graduated from Highland High School as class valedictorian and most valuable basketball player in 1976.
I already mentioned Marlene and Bill Stellmon and their five children. Another favorite lady I know is Francie Hilbert Tatko. She and her late husband also have five children. Francie lives in Lewiston now, but she was raised in Keuterville and graduated from St. Gertrude Academy in Cottonwood. Bob was on the school board when I was the school superintendent at Highland in Craigmont. Francie is a fun, very intelligent lady I enjoy. Two of our children were classmates of their children, and our daughter Jolyn was a basketball teammate to their daughter Bobbi, who is a very successful basketball coach of the Walla Walla Community College Lady Warriors. Before closing this article I want to talk about my beloved wife Barbara and my wonderful daughter Jolyn who are now with God as his angels. I can’t think of enough words to say how much I thought of and loved Jolyn. I did write a short book about
We used to take Jolyn to University of Idaho Vandal football games, and she always wanted to be a Vandal. She did become a true Vandal, had high grades, was a flag girl in the band and was president of her Alpha Gamma Delta sorority before graduating in 1980 with majors in elementary and special education. She then taught kindergarten at Lewiston’s Whitman Grade School until she passed away at age 46 on April 18, 2005.
In 1980, Jolyn married the love of her life, Ed Dahmen, who worked at the paper mill in Lewiston. They moved to Clarkston in the mid-’90s where their two boys graduated from high school in 2004 and 2006. Zach graduated from Whitworth University in Spokane where he now lives. Joel is a professional golfer who lives in Scottdale, Ariz., with his wife Lona and 1-year-old son Riggs. Since 2017, Joel has won about $12 million. Jolyn was a wonderful mother who took Joel to golf tournaments all summer.
In May of 1960, Benita Ruark got me a date with her fellow 1955 LHS Bengal graduate and fellow bank employee, Barbara Wagner. We went out with Benita and her husband, my friend Mel Ruark, to dinner and then dancing at the Stables Club. I was immediately in love with the beautiful Barbara who was also beautiful inside with the greatest of personalities.
We were married Aug. 19, 1960, at Grace Lutheran Church in the Lewiston Orchards. After 63 wonderful years together, my beloved Barbara passed away on May 11, 2023, at the age of 87. Like most husbands I am biased, but I have never met a better, nicer, kinder person than my Barbara. She loved her family and so enjoyed her Presbyterian Church and friends. Those who knew her enjoyed her pleasant smile and outgoing personality. After I dragged her around for 15 years from Seattle to Craigmont, we settled in Asotin where our Doug and Matthew graduated. My beloved Barbara stood by me in difficult times like when we lost our precious Jolyn in 2005 and I lost my job in 1990. We enjoyed each other, our family and traveling in retirement.
She and Jolyn have left me with wonderful memories, but with a broken heart.
Riggs, 90, is a lifelong Lewistonian. He’s an avid Warriors fan, a retired educator, coach and school superintendent and volunteers his time at the Nez Perce County Historical Society. He can be reached at bdriggo@gmail.com.
An education in preservation
My profession for 54 years was conducted in the pet industry as a groomer, speaker, writer and grooming competition judge. A love for dogs began in childhood with a retired circus dog that allowed me to dress her in a bonnet and push her around the neighborhood in a baby carriage.
I can’t remember a time when a canine companion didn’t accompany, protect and comfort me.
I was fortunate when I married into a family with a tradition and reputation for producing quality show dogs. Many of you may remember Dorothy Christiansen’s My-Ida-Ho Kennels which produced American cocker spaniels. Dorothy was one of the founding members of the Lewis-Clark Kennel Club. She, Grace Griner, Jean
Sweet and Marilyn Casey were the first officers when it formed in 1947 and incorporated in 1950.
From the beginning, the club was involved in the community by offering rewards for lost animals or bringing animal abusers to justice in addition to the preservation and promotion of purebred dogs. In 1952, club president Lloyd Moody took over for Hayden Mann in charge of an animal shelter. D.K. Warden donated a small building for an isolation house to keep ill animals away from the healthy. It was the first structure the shelter ever owned because they’d been renting property at 29th Street and 11th Avenue.
People often have an impression that dog shows are won by the prettiest dogs in the ring. The purpose is to select the best
dog that is closest to breed standards, with hope that the progeny will be of the finest quality. If breeders in the U.S. hadn’t stepped in, many dog breeds wouldn’t exist today because the war in Europe depleted them. Even today, if dogs were wild, many of the breeds would be considered an endangered species, even more rare than the giant panda. Those who continue their commitment to them are considered preservation breeders. They strive to conform to standards in excellence set by breed clubs according to the job they were bred to do in assistance to humans.
Good breeders do health and temperament testing in an effort to provide quality puppies.
They produce consistency in the litters where the size, color and temperament are determined by good genet-
ics. The study of pedigree and an understanding of dog conformation has become an art. Not every puppy in a litter will become a show dog. Those not selected as potential breeding stock are sold as good quality pets. As a buyer, you should expect to learn about the parents of the dog, the care and training needed. A good breeder should also be a good mentor.
If you seek a purebred dog to become a part of your family, attending a dog show is a good place to begin. A catalog shows the names of those exhibiting and their breed of choice. You have an opportunity to determine the right dog for you. The American Kennel Club website is full of tips and information as well. At a show, approach the person handling a breed you’re interested in after the class is over when they’d have
more time to discuss all aspects of the dogs they show. Lewis-Clark Kennel Club has offered classes for training dogs, scholarships to veterinary students, puppy matches and a meet the breed program held at North 40. They join Palouse Hills Kennel Club to hold an annual dog show where nearly a thousand dogs are shown. The show is held at the Nez Perce County Fairgrounds in April each year. The club always seeks new members.
Having a dog gives you a reason to get out of bed every morning. They fill so many of our needs for companionship and love. Having a pet has proven to extend life expectancy. I know my dogs have given me reason to smile every day. How about yours?
Christiansen lives in Lewiston. She can be reached at petpal535@gmail.com.
Woods Trish Brown
Cottonwood Community Hall
506 King St., basement, Cottonwood, (208) 792-2465, meals at noon Tuesdays.
Craig Mountain Senior Center
413 Nezperce St., Winchester, (208) 9246581, meals at noon Wednesdays.
Daley Senior Care
30302 Harley Lane, Culdesac, (208) 7917438, meals at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. daily.
Friendly Senior Citizens of Troy
100 S. Main St., Troy, (208) 835-6092, dine-in or pick-up; noon Wednesdays.
Grangeville Senior Center
108 Truck Route, Grangeville, (208) 9832033, meals are at noon Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Juliaetta-Kendrick Senior Citizens Center
104 S. Sixth St., Kendrick, (208) 289-5031, meals from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays.
Kamiah Senior Center
125 N. Maple St., Kamiah, (208) 935-0244, meals at noon Mondays, Wednesdays and
REGIONAL SENIOR MEAL SITES
Fridays.
Lewiston Community Center
1424 Main St., Lewiston, (208) 743-6983, meals at noon Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Moscow Senior Center
412 E. Third St., Moscow, (208) 882-1562, noon Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Nezperce Senior Citizens
501 Cedar St., Nezperce, (208) 937-2465, noon Mondays and Thursdays.
Orofino Senior Center
930 Michigan Ave., Orofino, (208) 476-4238, noon Tuesdays and Fridays.
Palouse Senior Meals
220 E. Main St., Palouse, (509) 878-2301, meals at noon Wednesdays.
Pomeroy Senior Center
695 Main St., Pomeroy, (509) 843-3308, noon Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Potlatch Senior Citizens
Potlatch Senior Citizens Meal Site, 645 Pine St., Potlatch, (208) 875-1071, meals at noon
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Pullman Senior Center
190 SE Crestview St., Building B, Northside Entrance, Pullman, (509) 338-3307, meals at noon Tuesdays and Fridays.
Riggins Odd Fellows Building
121 S. Lodge St., Riggins, (208) 628-4147, meals at noon Tuesdays.
Spud Hill Seniors
401 Line St., Deary, (208) 877-1717, meals at noon Tuesdays.
Senior Round Table
549 Fifth St., Clarkston, (509) 295-8685, noon Tues-days, Thursdays, Fridays.
Weippe Hilltop Senior Citizens Center
115 First St. W., Weippe, (208) 435-4553, meals noon Mondays and Thursdays.
Pullman Meals on Wheels (509) 397-4305.
Valley Meals on Wheels (208) 799-5767.
WA-ID Volunteer Center, in the Lewiston Community Center at 1424 Main St., strives to provide individualized volunteer opportunities for those wishing to serve in Lewiston, Clarkston, Asotin, Pomeroy, Moscow and the Orofino area. Information and other volunteer openings can be found at waidvolunteercenter.org or by calling (208) 746-7787.
Volunteer needs include:
Tutors — America Reads needs tutors to help students in kindergarten through third grade become proficient readers. Volunteers need to be able to commit to at least an hour a week for the school year. Background check required.
Food bank help — Volunteers are needed to repack frozen and dry foods for distribution. Front counter volunteers and drivers for morning food pickups also are needed.
AARP tax preparer —
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Do you feel comfortable with computers? Can you spare a couple of mornings a week? AARP Tax Aide Program needs volunteers to help prepare free basic tax returns for seniors and low-income individuals. No experience necessary. Training and materials are provided.
Project Warmup — Crafters are needed to make hats, scarves, mittens and lap blankets (yarn is provided). Completed items are donated to local nonprofit agencies.
Companions — The Senior Companion program provides companionship and respite care to the elderly and disabled. It allows low-income senior volunteers an opportunity to assist those who need minor help to continue living independently. Senior Companions visit clients in their homes, but it is not an in-home care program.
Medicare counselor —
The State Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA)
program trains volunteers to assist local seniors with Medicare questions for Asotin, Garfield and Whitman counties.
Local hospital auxiliary — Volunteers are needed to greet people, deliver flowers, staff the courtesy cart, deliver mail, assist in the gift shop, create baby and child items, do clerical work, provide hospital tours and more.
Lewiston City Library — Volunteer needs include circulation support, tech tutors and programming support.
Mobile blood drive canteen — Volunteers serve refreshments to donors immediately following donations, help maintain a comfortable atmosphere, talk with donors and answer questions while observing the donors for possible adverse reactions
Museum docents — Skills include meet-andgreet abilities, friendly personality and the ability to answer questions about
Interlink to compile new senior social directory
Interlink of Clarkston has landed a grant of $10,000 from the Innovia Foundation in Spokane. The volunteer organization will use the money to compile information for a new “Senior Social Directory” for the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley.
“Health directories exist. Resource directories exist,” Mark Havens, executive director of Interlink, said in a news release. “But no one has ever compiled a social directory containing contact information for clubs, civic groups, membership organizations, churches and any type of
gathering (that) welcomes new members.”
The social directory will be targeted to two groups: retirees who have recently relocated to the L-C Valley, as well as the valley’s growing population of “solo seniors” (retirees who are living alone and have no family members or close friends living in the community), Havens said.
Interlink aims to have the directory printed and available before the end of 2024.
Interlink is inviting any group or organization that would like to be featured in the social directory to
the displays at the center. Training is provided.
Transportation — Drive seniors or disabled community members to and from destinations across the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley. You must have a valid driver’s license and auto insurance.
Garden and Park Volunteers — General lawn maintenance, weeding, sweeping, etc. Training provided. Community service approved.
Building updates — Habitat for Humanity volunteers will help with many updates to the former
send their contact information by email to director@ interlink-volunteers.org or phone at (509) 751-9143. Those who would like to join Innovia in sponsoring the new social directory are also asked to contact Interlink.
TO SUBMIT
BRIEFS:
Groups and organizations may submit event information pertaining to seniors in the region for free publication in the monthly Golden Times magazine. All submissions are subject to editing and space restraints and must include the name and phone number of the person submitting the information. Questions may be directed to editor Dallas Marshall at dmarshall@lmtribune.com.
Clark Communications Building. We need to work on painting, cleaning, removing shelves, removing walls and everything in between.
Interlink Inc. is a nonprofit organization in Clarkston that matches community volunteers to people needing assistance to remain independent in their own homes. For information about becoming a volunteer and volunteer opportunities, call (509) 7519143. Volunteer applications and additional information also can be found online at interlinkvolunteers.org.
Royal Plaza of Olympus Living provides a retirement community with a 24/7 dedicated staff, world-class care and a beautiful environment. We offer independence when you want it, and assistance when you need it.
*Cable and WIFI *Maintenance *3 Meals Per Day *Hair Salon *Climate Controlled Units *Housekeeping *Snacks *Library *Fitness Area * Laundry *Month to Month Lease *Chapel *Full Social Calander
VALLEY MEALS ON WHEELS — JULY MENU
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
Menus are prepared by St. Joseph Regional Medical Center and are subject to change.
HOT: Pork loin/ mashed potatoes/ squash
SACK: Tuna salad/pickled beet salad/applesauce
HOT: Ham/scalloped potatoes/ broccoli
HOT: Chicken cordon bleu/ peas
SACK: Egg salad/ chips/pears 1 2
SACK: Pastrami/ broccoli salad/pear 8
SACK: Roast beef/pasta salad/Jell-O fluff 14 15
HOT: Roasted turkey/yams/ green beans
SACK: Seafood salad/ coleslaw/pudding
28
HOT: Pork loin/ mashed potatoes/ squash
SACK: Tuna salad/pickled beet salad/applesauce
8 Hamburger gravy
Cowboy quiche
HOT: Stuffed peppers/rice/ broccoli
SACK: Turkey/chickpea salad/Jell-O
HOT: Pesto chicken casserole/ cauliflower
HOT: Lasagna/ squash
SACK: Tuna salad/green salad/ apple
HOT: Chicken cordon bleu/ peas
HOT: Cheeseburger casserole/corn
SACK: Turkey salad/pea salad/cottage cheese
HOT: Chicken pot pie/green beans
SACK: Egg salad/ broccoli salad/cookies
HOT: Beefy mac and cheese/cauliflower
SACK: Chicken salad/spinach salad/ cookies
HOT: Chicken strips/mac and cheese/peas
SACK: Egg salad/green salad/lemon pudding
HOT: Teriyaki meatballs/rice/ peas
HOT: Chicken tetrazzini/carrots
SACK: Roast beef/potato salad/ orange 4
HOT: Philly steak and onions/potatoes/cabbage
SACK: Uncrustable/carrot almond salad/cake
HOT: Taco casserole/corn
SACK: Uncrustable/yogurt/ peaches 5
HOT: Salisbury steak/ mashed potatoes/ green beans
SACK: Chicken salad/ chips/pineapple
HOT: Vegetarian lasagna/mixed veggies
SACK: Ham/crudite cup/ fruit salad 6
HOT: Spaghetti with meat sauce/ mushrooms
SACK: Pastrami/threebean salad/cookies
HOT: Chicken and rice casserole/cauliflower
SACK: Ham/potato salad/chocolate pudding 18 16
SACK: Egg salad/ chips/pears 22 23
SACK: Pastrami/ broccoli salad/pear 29
HOT: Stuffed peppers/rice/ broccoli
SACK: Turkey/chickpea salad/Jell-O
HOT: Pesto chicken casserole/ cauliflower
30
HOT: Cheeseburger casserole/corn
SACK: Turkey salad/pea salad/cottage cheese
SACK: Uncrustable/ chips/peaches 17
HOT: Beefy mac and cheese/cauliflower
SACK: Chicken salad/spinach salad/ cookies
HOT: Chicken strips/mac and cheese/peas
Meals are delivered to established clients between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. 365 days of the year, with delivery guaranteed by 1 p.m. each day. Individuals can have a hot meal delivered to their residence for $4 per day or a hot meal and a sack lunch for $5 per day. More info: (208) 799-5767. 3
SACK: Egg salad/green salad/lemon pudding 31
SACK: Roast beef/potato salad/ orange 25
HOT: Tuna noodle casserole/carrots
SACK: Pastrami/ cucumber and tomato salad/fruit cobbler
HOT: Chicken tetrazzini/carrots
HOT: Taco casserole/corn
SACK: Uncrustable/yogurt/ peaches
HOT: Stroganoff/ noodles/lima beans
SACK: Turkey salad/celery and carrots/banana
HOT: Vegetarian lasagna/mixed veggies
SACK: Ham/crudite cup/ fruit salad
9 Taco pie
Chicken enchiladas
Sloppy joe 30 Lasagna
Chicken nacho
Biscuits and gravy
LEWISTON SENIOR NUTRITION PROGRAM — When: Noon, Mon./Tues. and 11:30 a.m. Wed.
Chicken fried steak
Chicken salad sandwich
22 Chicken nuggets 23 Beefy mac and cheese 30 Birthday dinner: Roast beef/mashed potatoes/carrots/juice/roll/cake and ice cream
SENIOR ROUND TABLE NUTRITION PROGRAM — When: Noon, Tues./Thurs./Fri.
• Where: Lewiston Community Center, 1424 Main St., or call for delivery at (208) 743-6983. On-site meals are every Monday through Wednesday. • Cost: $4 suggested for seniors 60 and older; $5 for nonseniors • Note: Menu is subject to change.
T M W TH F M
16 Goulash/carrots/pickled beets/Jell-O with fruit/garlic toast
Baked fish/Tater Tots/veggie medley/fruit cocktail/dessert
All meals served with: hot veggies, salad, fruit and bread. 23 Pulled pork with gravy/mashed potatoes/corn/roll
SENIOR MENUS FOR JULY
• Where: Valley Community and Senior Center, 549 Fifth St., No. F, Clarkston, or call (509) 758-3816 for delivery. • Cost: Donations appreciated for seniors 60 and older; $7 for nonseniors • Note: Menu is subject to change.
Omelet/mixed berries/bacon/potatoes/biscuit and gravy 9 Pork fritters/mashed potatoes/green beans/ pears/roll
11 Saucy meatballs over pasta/broccoli/ pickled beets/peaches/garlic toast
18 Chicken strips/jojos/veggie medley/ applesauce/dessert
Fried chicken/mashed potatoes/corn/ mandarin oranges/roll
Chicken salad sandwich/ salad bar
Hot dog/ salad bar
Club sandwich/ salad bar
$5 suggested for seniors 60 and older; $7 for nonseniors. • Notes: Soup (starting at 10:30 a.m.), salad bar (at 11:30 a.m.) and dessert are available daily. Menu is subject to change. • Online: users.moscow.com/srcenter.
Breaded chicken/roast broccoli/brown rice/peaches
Ham/roll/mashed potatoes/roasted broccoli and carrots
Braised beef/pasta/corn/melon slices
Meatloaf with gravy/roasted cauliflower/roll
W TH F