The Newport Miner the voice of pend oreille county since 1901
Wednesday, JULY 12, 2017
www.pendoreillerivervalley.com
Volume 115, Number 24 | 2 Sections, 16 Pages $1.00
Mill Pond Campground closed as dam removal begins SULLIVAN LAKE – Work on the Mill Pond Dam Removal project will begin Tuesday, July 18, according to a press release from the U.S. Forest Service. The dam is being removed to improve stream processes and fish habitat, restore fish passage on Sullivan Creek and reduce the risk of failure of the aging structure. Starting on July 17 at 10 p.m., Mill Pond Campground, Mill Pond Historic Site, and Elk Creek trailhead will be closed to the public for approximately two years during construction. This closure includes 1.7 miles of hiking trails and 1.2 miles of Sullivan Creek, above and below the dam. In addition, a small clearing along the Highline Road will be used for staging and storing equipment during this project and is part of the public closure. The Elk Creek Trailhead will be relocated adjacent to Sullivan Lake Road near the entrance to the Mill Pond Historic Site. The upper loop of the Elk Creek trail, north of the Sullivan Lake Road, will remain open with access to Elk Creek Falls. To help mitigate the loss of the ten campsites at Mill Pond for two years, Seattle City Light and the Forest Service have partnered to construct seven new campsites at Sullivan Lake and reopen a nearby previously closed campground. Seven new walk-in campsites are located in the Cedar Loop of East Sullivan Campground approximately two miles south of Mill Pond. These sites will open by July 20 and will be available on a first-come, first serve basis. Fees for these sites will be the same as Mill Pond campground ($18/per night). These sites offer individual food storage lockers, See dam, 2A
Miner photo|Don Gronning
Suspicious fire Firefighters spray water onto a burning log in a small wildfire in Newport Monday, July 10, on the south side of Highway 2 near the museum. The fire started about 12:30 p.m. and crews were on the scene for about three hours. The cause of the fire is suspicious, says Chief Mike Nokes of South Pend Oreille Fire and Rescue. The state Department of Natural Resources is investigating. While no Newport city firefighters responded, SPOFR, Fire District 4, the Forest Service and DNR had crews there.
Council considers surplusing property By Don Gronning Of The Miner
NEWPORT – The Newport City Council started a process that could result in the city selling or leasing two city properties, at their July 5 council meeting. The council met on a Wednes-
day instead of their usual Monday because of the Fourth of July holiday. City Administrator Ray King asked the council for authority to get appraisals on the properties, one located on Washington Avenue and the other on Highway 2. He said the council could do a
variety of things with the properties, including leasing or selling them. King said the council shouldn’t discount leasing the property. He said the city receives about $20,000 a year from leasing propSee property, 2A
Oldtown post office slated to close in September Post office boxes will be transferred to Newport By Sophia Aldous Of The Miner
Miner photo|Sophia Aldous
Family Foods Office Manager Karyn Werner helps a postal service customer at the window last Thursday. The Oldtown Postal Unit, which is contracted through the United States Postal Service, is scheduled to close Sept. 22.
OLDTOWN – The postal unit that resides in Family Foods is slated to close Sept. 22, with the post office boxes therein transferring to the Newport Post Office, but not if Family Foods Office Manager Karyn Werner has anything to say about it. “It’s just really inconvenient for our customers,” Werner said. “The parking at Newport is terrible and even worse in the winter when there’s snow piled everywhere.” In a letter Werner received from the Seattle District of the United States Postal Service (USPS), postmarked June 6, it said that the USPS would be terminating its Contract Postal Unit (CPU) service with Fam-
ily Foods effective Friday, Sept. 22, and that the Post Office Boxes currently in place in the Oldtown CPU will be moved to the Newport Post Office at 100 N. Washington Ave. Post office box customers will retain their ZIP Code (83822), box number, and be able to use their same keys. The letter cites a lack of revenue as the reasoning for the closing of the post office. Werner said she was unsure how much the post office generates in annual revenue, but she said she currently has 97 post office boxes rented, and that the post office has been in the building for more than 20 years. When she first got word that the post office would be closing, she See post office, 2A
B r i e f ly Primary ballots go out NEWPORT – Ballots were set to go in the mail Wednesday, July 12, for the primary election in Pend Oreille County. Some 8,758 ballots were set to be mailed and 84 had already been sent out, mostly to military and overseas voters. Voters will choose between Karen Hardy, who prefers the Democratic Party and Shelly Short, who prefers Republican, for the District 7 state Senate seat. Short was appointed to the seat last spring when Brian Dansel went to work for the Trump administration.
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Susan Swanson, who prefers the Democratic Party, will face Jaqueln Maycumber, who prefers Republican for the district 7 representative. Maycumber will appointed to fill that seat, vacated by Short when she became Senator. All four will run again in the general election to decide who will serve. Voters in Fire District 4 will vote in the non partisan race for commissioner, position No. 2. It’s a six year term. Baneta (Bonnie) Sheffler, Lee Sumerlin and Ryan Telleson are running, with the top two going on to the 5B-6B
general election. Ballots must be returned by Aug. 1.
Ribbon Cutting for Newport Improvement project NEWPORT – The ribbon cutting for the SE Newport Improvement Project is Monday, July 17 at 3 p.m. at the project site in front of Concept Cable. The public is invited to attend. Representatives from Washington State Transportation Improvement Board, which assisted the city in funding the project, will be present.
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