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The Newport Miner THE VOICE OF PEND OREILLE COUNT Y SINCE 1901
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Wednesday, May 23, 2012
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Priest Lake celebrates Memorial Day 7A - 8A
Volume 109, Number 16 | 2 Sections, 22 Pages
Races develop for county offices BY JANELLE ATYEO OF THE MINER
MINER PHOTO|FRED WILLENBROCK
After another successful event, the seven Newport store operators gathered Tuesday at the Kitchen Shoppe to draw winners from the customers who visited Saturday. From left to right are: Jolene Gangle, My Sister’s Cottage; Maggie Christie, The Shanty; Jeremy Byler, Bushel’s Bulk Food and Bakery; Jill Linton, Just Because; Sue Scobby, The Kitchen Shoppe; Shannon Reel and Paula Seiler of Concrete Earth and Sweet Salvage; and Elaine Peterson, Into the Garden, Up to the Lake.
‘Girls Out’ event another success story
Sales hold again for the biannual event in its third year
Who Let the Girls Out occurs in May and November – most recently this past weekend, May 19, BY MICHELLE NEDVED from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. OF THE MINER Tuesday, the store owners gathered at The Kitchen Shoppe NEWPORT – There are two to compare sales and attendance Saturdays a year when downstories while drawing winning town Newport feels different. Cars customer names. Although the are parked bumper to bumper. official tallies weren’t completed Sidewalks are full of yet, the consensus shoppers. Bright green “We joke it’s the was that despite the flags fly from select continuing weak power of seven.” storefronts. It’s a small economy that sales town business phenom- Sue Scobby were holding at the ena that is even more same level as last impressive during the The Kitchen Shoppe Owner year. They said the poor economy of the fall event does better MINER PHOTO|JANELLE ATYEO past few years. before Christmas and Shoppers browse the offerings at Into the Garden, Up to the Lake in Oldtown Saturday “It’s kind of what you’d like your with fewer spring activities going during the Who Let the Girls Out event. town to be like every day,” said on that draw shoppers away. Sue Scobby, owner of The Kitchen Besides The Kitchen Shoppe, par- Concrete Earth, Bushels (formerly women. It’s just a coincidence that Shoppe, one of seven business own- ticipating businesses include Just Sharon’s Country Store) and Into six of the seven store owners are ers responsible for the Who Let the Because, My Sister’s Cottage, the the Garden Up to the Lake. Girls Out!? shopping event. Shanty Boutique, Sweet Salvage/ The event is catered toward SEE SHOPPING, 2A
New PUD manager focused on education
Many PUD employees nearing retirement in five to 10 years
opened the opportunity for him to come back to the area he and his wife, Ruth, fell in love with. Ruth currently manages a BY JANELLE ATYEO sewing store on the Washington OF THE MINER coast, and her husband said she’ll be looking into starting NEWPORT – The new general her own store in Newport once manager of the Pend Oreille they get settled in. The couple Public Utility District has has six daughters, the taken the reins. youngest, age 18, is gradJay Pickett started May uating from Auburn High 7 and spent the first week School this spring. They meeting staff and touring have seven granddaughthe PUD’s facilities. ters and one grandson. He’s already familiar with Pickett said he’s looking the county. While workforward to being a part ing for Seattle City Light, Pickett of the community. He’s Pickett spent about two already offered his SCUBA years in the north county area diving skills for the search and while managing the Boundary rescue team. project. He left in 2010 to care At the PUD, Pickett will be for family in western Washingfocused on education, he said, ton. looking to the future to help fill Most recently, he worked for the spots of many employees Centralia City Light. His situation changed, he said, and that SEE PUD, 2A
IONE – Gardner Cave at Crawford State Park is open now and will open for group tours Friday, May 25, with tours at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. The park is closed Tuesdays and Wednesday. It is open the rest of the week from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. There is a park attendant on duty. The Discover Pass, which costs $30 and is good for two vehicles for a year, allows people admission to all the state parks. You can also buy a one day-pass for $10. Both passes allow you into Gardner Cave. Crawford State Park was nearly closed last year, before the Pend Oreille County Economic Development Council, the North Pend Oreille Chamber of Commerce, the Port of Pend Oreille and the county parks department offered to fund it. The state found a way to keep the park open and the
SEE RACES, 2A
Two paddling events planned this summer North county event set for mid-July, Poker Paddle planned for August BY JANELLE ATYEO OF THE MINER
NEWPORT – It may be a gamble, but the Pend Oreille River will see two Poker Paddle
events this summer. The Greater Newport Area Chamber of Commerce, which has long run the annual Poker Paddle, will continue the event for the 31st year but with a new twist. The Poker Paddle will take place Aug. 18. The chamber also decided to
SEE PADDLE, 2A
Graduate in tennis shoes? No way, says Newport principal Senior girl starts petition to allow less formal shoes
Matson. “I feel like they are making this up as they go,” she said. BY DON GRONNING She said she doesn’t believe the OF THE MINER boys are under the same shoe requirements as the girls – that they NEWPORT – For Shadra Green, would be able to graduate in nice Converse tennis shoes mean a lot. looking athletic shoes. “I’ve had two surgeries and So she started a petition to allow they were my reward,” girls to wear “close toed Green says. When she “Honestly, it’s shoes.” their day. They underwent the knee “The graduating women surgeries, the shoes of made it through 2012 should be treated were a way she kept her equally to the graduating (high school).” men of 2012,” the petition spirits up. Green planned to reads. She has a couple -Denise Green wear the Converse dozen signatures on the shoes when she goes Student’s Mother petition. through graduation Matson says that the ceremonies at Newport school has a dress code for High School June 9. graduation – dress slacks, Then she learned that a collared shirt and dress dress shoes were required and she shoes for the boys and a dress or wouldn’t be allowed to accept her slacks and dress shoes for the girls diploma in Converse. She says she – that is based on tradition. was initially told that sneakers “Students have demonstrated MINER PHOTO|DON GRONNING would be acceptable, then learned their respect for community sup- Newport High School senior Shadra Green wants to wear her Converse tennis they would not be allowed. She port by making Newport High shoes to graduation but school officials say no. They say the graduation dress had an unsatisfactory meeting code is to show respect for the community. with high school principal Denis SEE SHOES, 2A
|| Gardner Cave open
NEWPORT – Elections are drawing much attention this year with the Presidential election year. In Washington, candidates filed for offices during the week of May 14-18. The primary election is Aug. 7 and the general election is Nov. 6. In Pend Oreille County, two commissioner seats are up for election. In the primary, only voters in those respective districts will vote for their top candidate. Other county voters will have to wait for the general election to have their say about commissioner candidates. All candidates will appear on the primary. The two candidates who get the highest number of votes – regardless of party – will move on to the general election. For example,
if two Republicans get the most votes in the primary in one district, they would both move on to the general election in November. The District 1 commissioner seat, representing the southern most end of the county, is up for election. Incumbent Diane Wear, who has served one term so far, is the only Democrat to have filed for office. Republicans Karen Skoog and Douglas Quandt will be on the primary ballot, along with Anthony Newcomb. Newcomb, who ran against Wear in the last election as a Republican, filed as an independent. The District 3 commissioner seat is also up for election. It covers the greatest area of the county, from around Cusick to the Canadian boarder. Incumbent John Hankey
B R I E F LY
local money was used to extend the season through October. Attendance wasn’t what as great as hoped in the extended season, said EDC president Lonnie Johnson.
County lifts no wake zone at Sacheen Lake NEWPORT – The Pend Oreille County commissioners lifted the no wake zone on Sacheen Lake Tuesday but left the no wake zone on Diamond Lake and Bead Lake. Sacheen Lake has dropped to a normal lake level for this time of year, while Diamond Lake and Bead Lake remain high, according to county commissioner Diane Wear. Boast must operate at a speed limit slow enough to prevent from creating a wake. “Sacheen has a hydraulic permit in place that allows work clearing debris from beaver dams,” she said. “Diamond is still working on its permitting and access and
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remains unusually high, as does Bead Lake.” County commissioners, the sheriff and the emergency management service departments have received several requests to keep the no wake restriction at Diamond Lake, Wear said. County commissioners will continue to review the restriction each week.
Area schools prepare for graduation NEWPORT – Area high schools will graduate their seniors in the coming weeks and soon school will be out for the summer. House of the Lord Christian Academy in Oldtown will have commencement ceremonies Friday, June 1 at 7 p.m. The last day of school is Thursday, June 7. Cusick and Priest River high schools have graduation
Saturday, June 2, at 10 a.m. Cusick will have a scholarship and baccalaureate night Thursday, May 24 at 6 p.m. in the high school commons. The last day of school for the rest of the Cusick students is Friday, June 8. Students will be released at 11 a.m. The end of Priest River’s school year is also June 8. It will be a full day for students. Saturday, June 9, Newport High School seniors will graduate at noon, and Selkirk’s graduation is at 1 p.m. Newport’s last day of school is June 12 with an early release. Selkirk seniors will give their senior presentations Wednesday, May 30 at 7p.m. at the high school. The public is invited to attend. Eighth grade promotion is June 14 at 7 p.m. The last day of school is Friday, June 15 with an early release.
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