The Newport Miner the voice of pend oreille county since 1901
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
www.pendoreillerivervalley.com
Volume 116, Number 21 | 3 Sections, 32 Pages $1.00
Rodeo action returns for 69th year By Don Gronning Of The Miner
NEWPORT – The biggest weekend of the summer will kick off Thursday, with the carnival in town ready for action June 21, followed by the 69th annual Newport Rodeo Friday and Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. Rodeo president Ray Hanson says getting the carnival back was a pleasant surprise. “It’s great,” he says. The Rodeo Parade will take place Saturday, along a different route this year because of construction on the Highway 41 bridge in Idaho. In normal years, trucks can be re-routed on Highway 41, instead of down Union Street, which is usually turned into a two-way road. For this year and next, the parade will leave Stratton Elementary as usual, turn left on Calispel to First Street and then jog to continue on Caplispel. It will take the rounded corner on Spruce Street to Spokane Avenue, and then head all the way to Fourth Street and end at Stratton Elementary. It’s the same route the Newport Homecoming parade takes in the fall.
Miner Photo|Caneel Johnson
Twelve members Of Citizens Against the Newport Silicon Smelter turned out to greet Washington Governor Jay Inslee at the Chewelah broadband meeting in Chewelah Thursday, June 14, to express their opposition to a proposed smelter.
Members of CANSS protest Smelter
See Rodeo, 10A
Duxbury signs year contract By Caneel Johnson Of The Miner
NEWPORT – Newport now has a permanent police chief. The council voted to hire Mark Duxbury Monday, June 18. He will make an annual salary of $69,864, plus benefits. Duxbury, 51, was sworn in on Jan. 2 as interim chief. The council made him permanent at the regular Monday night meeting June 18. Duxbury was initially hired on a temporary basis for six months. That paid $33,744 plus benefits. At Duxbury’s request, the council amended the policy to allow the officers to work one 44-hour week consisting of three 12-hour shifts and one eight-hour shift and one 36-hour week consisting of three 12-hour shifts. It would still be 40 hours in a two-week period. Duxbury said the change was needed to maximize coverage without running up overtime. Overtime is required for more than 80 hours in two weeks. The city council approved a mutual agreement with the Pend Oreille County Sherriff’s Office to come to each other’s aid. Each agency will each be responsible for their own costs when assisting the other agency, but if replacement supplies are needed the assisted agency will be responsible that cost. Duxbury has an extensive background in law enforcement. He retired as a captain after 26 years in California. He was the only officer employed by the city until March. Newport hired two more officers. Ryan Nuvill of Elk is a retired marine. His first day was April 16. Raul Lopez of Bonner County was hired March 5. See Newport, 2A
the Chewelah Municipal Building with signs protesting a proposed silicon smelter coming to the Newport area. “Hey Hey, Hi Ho, HiTest Smelter’s got to go,” the crowd chanted. “Down with the evil empire.” Their biggest concern is the environmental impact. “I don’t want to breath
By Caneel Johnson Of The Miner
CHEWELAH – twelve members of the Citizens Against the Newport Silicon Smelter greeted Gov. Jay Inslee with protest signs when he arrived in Chewelah Thursday morning, June 14, for a meeting about broadband internet access. They stood outside
in that toxic smoke,” says Michael Naylor, the chairman of CANSS. Another protester said that their children would take their families and leave Newport if PacWest comes to the county. Inslee told The Miner that he appreciated the protester’s concerns. “I enjoyed talking to the group,” Inslee said
as he was leaving the meeting. “It is always good to get information. We are looking into the environmental impact (of the smelter. The proposed smelter, to be located within a couple miles of Newport, has been controversial for some time. CANSS and another anti-smeltSee CANSS, 2A
Books Out Back is open for business Filling the bookstore gap
By Sophia Aldous Of The Miner
PRIEST RIVER – The closest thing the Pend Oreille River Valley has to a book store are the book sales held by local Friends of the Library groups in West Bonner and Pend Oreille Counties. Books Out Back embodies that in Priest River. Operated out of the back of the Priest River Library, the small bookstore is run by Friends of The West Bonner Libraries, a non-profit organization made up of volunteers dedicated to supporting the West Bonner Library District. Books Out back will celebrate its three-year anniversary Aug. 1.
“The store used to a trailer office space with orange shag carpet,” says bookstore manager and Friends member Carrie Dean. Construction of Books Out Back took about three months, with the Friends paying for the renovation and mounting the bookshelves themselves. Now, the walls are lined with a variety of different books in different genres. The prices are also hard to beat, with children’s books costing only 10 cents, paperbacks are 25 cents, softcover books and hardcover fiction are 50 cents, and hardcover non-fiction books, CDs, and DVDs are $1. Hours are Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. The first Saturday of every month
customers can buy a bag of books for $2. Volunteers that man the bookstore are paid one book for every hour they work. “All the books are donated, and people are usually very generous with their donations,” Dean says. “It’s really rare that we get junk stuff, like old textbooks or waterstained and tattered items.” Dean added that in 2017, 838 people came to Books Out Back to browse and purchase materials. So far in 2018, from January to June, that number is down by 75 people. Dean said she doesn’t know what the reason for the drop could be. All the revenue the bookstore brings in goes to the
B ri e f ly Free food distribution June 21 NEWPORT – There will be a free food distribution Thursday, June 21, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the American Lutheran Church in Newport. Free produce, perishables and other groceries will be given to all families and individuals in need of food assistance. The distribution is open to the public and no documentation or appointment is needed. The event is held in the parking lot of the church regardless of weather conditions, so dress accordingly. The next food distribution events are scheduled for
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Aug. 23 and Oct. 18. The American Lutheran Church is located at 332801 S.R. Highway 2.
Bull of the Woods nominations wanted PRIEST RIVER – The Priest River Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for the 2018 Bull of the Woods of the Timber Days celebration July 27-July 28. The Chamber is looking for a person who has worked in the timber industry; logging, truck driving, or working in one of the area lumber mills, for a good share of their 7B-10B
career. Send in nomination letters stating who your nomination is, why you are nominating them, what part of the timber industry they are involved in, where in the Pend Oreille River Valley they have been involved in the timber industry, and why you think they should be selected as the Bull of the Woods. The Chamber will accept nomination letters until July 7. Letters may be mailed to or dropped off at the Priest River Chamber of Commerce, 119 Main Street, Suite 102, Priest River, ID 83856 or e-mail priestrivercoc@gmail.com.
Opinion
4a
Record
6B
sports
1B
Medical Pages
3B
Life
4B
Police Reports
6B
Obituaries
6B
Public Notices
8B-10B
Rodeo Is Here
Check Out Section C