Lake Life -July 2013

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Presorted Standard | US Postage Paid Newport, WA | Permit No. 18 | ECRWWS

Inside Stricter boating laws in affect page 4

Volume 2, Issue 4

Book clubs broaden reading horizons page 5

Fiber project goes live page 10

Produced by The Newport & Gem State Miner Newspapers

What’s a triploid trout? page 7

July 2013

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Master Gardeners For questions call: (509) 447-2401 or visit the website: http://pendoreille.wsu.edu

Dinner catered by Janet of Cusick Tavern Lemon Chicken with sides, dessert & beverages.

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Published: July 2013 Publisher: Fred Willenbrock Writers & editors: Michelle Nedved, Don Gronning, Desiree´Hood Design: Pandi Gruver, Charisse Neufeldt Advertising: Susan Willenbrock, Lindsay Guscott, Cindy Boober LAKE LIFE is published monthly in April, May, July, July and August as a supplement to The Newport Miner and Gem State Miner, 421 S. Spokane, Newport WA 99156.

TELEPHONE: 509-447-2433 E-MAIL: minernews@povn.com, mineradvertising@povn.com FAX: 509-447-9222 Reproduction of articles & photographs is prohibited without permission of the publisher.

See all issues at: The Miner Online: www.pendoreillerivervalley.com.

To receive Lake Life in the mail call 509-447-2433.

People around here really know how to celebrate Independence Day

D

iamond Lake resident Cliff Snow caught the fabulous fireworks show on the Fourth of July on Diamond Lake. One of his pictures is on the cover. The Diamond Lake Improvement Association paid for the show and set up the barge where they were launched. A boat parade and many large gatherings before the show made it clear that lake people know how to celebrate the Fourth. Unusually hot weather made the weekend one of the best in years.

This is the fourth out of five issues of Lake Life we will publish this summer. People are at the height of their summer fun and relaxation on the lakes. The worker bees of the area are checking for milfoil and cleaning up the roads and beaches. We thank them for their efforts. The small force of government workers from the fire district and water and sewer districts are planning and implementing better ways to serve us.

We hope this publication and the weekly Newport Miner newspaper helps you follow both the fun and the work around the lakes and surrounding region. It’s been a great summer and there is more to come.

-Fred Willenbrock Publisher

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Sacheen Lake milfoil to be treated

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About 19 acres, shown in blue, are where the thickest patches of milfoil are located on Sacheen Lake. The Sacheen Lake Water and Sewer District will pay about $12,000 to have the milfoil chemically treated with Renovate MAX G sometime in August. The money is paid from the district’s maintenance and operations levy. Milfoil grows in relatively shallow water about 15 feet deep or less, mostly near the shore. Most of Sacheen Lake is about 3-40 feet deep, with one 70-foot hole.

County reviewing Shore Master Program comments

BY DON GRONNING OF THE MINER

NEWPORT – Pend Oreille County Commissioners are preparing to respond to the 32 comments received on the Shoreline Master Program.

The latest round of public comments wrapped up May 29.

Commissioners planned a meeting last week to go over the remarks but the meeting was canceled after it was pointed out that there wasn’t adequate notice for the meeting. Commissioners still plan a meeting, county commission chairman Mike Manus said, but that meeting hasn’t been scheduled yet.

It is unclear how much the commissioners can influence the SMP, which was adopted as is by a previous board of county commissioners.

If they make substantial changes, it could start the process all over again, with the need for public hearings, Pend Oreille County Community Development Director Mike Lithgow said.

The state Department of Ecology collected the comments, which were forwarded to Lithgow.

Lithgow originally had 45 days to develop written responses to the comments.

Because of his workload, Lithgow requested an additional 45 days, which was granted, she said. The replies will be posted on Ecology’s website, according to Jaime Short, a shoreline planner with Ecology. She anticipates his responses will be online about Sept. 16.

Short said that after Ecology gets the plan, they need to consider the comments and write the final findings and conclusions. Those are forwarded to the director of the Department of Ecology, Maia D. Bellon. She can either accept the plan as written, give conditional approval, which would require some changes or reject it, Short said. She said it is unclear when that may happen.

“Our goal is to get it done within 30 days,” Short said.

“Statewide, it tends to take longer.”

If the plan is accepted, the

Shoreline Master Program goes into effect 14 days after she signs it. It can still be appealed to the Growth Management Hearings Board within 60 days.

Any appeal is based on the written record, Short said.

Yakima County’s Shoreline plan was successfully appealed by the Yakama Tribe, which argued that the plan didn’t adequately consider the cumulative impact on the shoreline from gravel mining. The county had to redo cumulative impact analysis at their expense, she said.

In Pend Oreille County, the written remarks covered a variety of areas.

Leon and Patricia Zimmerman of Metaline pointed out that the area the Box Canyon Motel is in has been classified as Rural Conservancy, even though the Box Canyon Motel has been operating as a business since the 1950s.

Several comments were about the larger setbacks required under the new SMP. “The setbacks you are asking for are way too much.

Are you going to pay my taxes on the land we can not use?” wrote Jimmy and Christine Easling of Cusick.

The setbacks range from 50foot buffers for rural higher

intensity shorelines and urban residential shorelines to 200 feet for areas designated natural. Cusick and Newport have some urban shoreline.

The rural higher intensity shorelines are located around the dams in the north part of the county.

Most residential areas will need 100-foot setbacks.

Other comments challenged the science involved with the shoreline setbacks.

Wayne Schettle of Cusick pointed out there have been no field studies conducted.

“Since no field studies were conducted, how is it possible to determine any impacts and their cause. Where is the science?” Schettle wrote.

Rhonda McKenzie and Mike McKenzie of Metaline wrote about the economic impacts of the buffers.

“Pend Oreille County is already experiencing economic decline, this will only contribute to a further decline as potential waterfront property sales have already been avoided, thanks to the SMP,” they wrote. “If there is any way possible to reconsider the setbacks, at least long enough to research and do scientific studies on the actual properties affected it would be extremely appreciated.”

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Recreation

Law gets tough on boating under the influence OLYMPIA – Boating under the influence laws got a bit tougher in Washington over the weekend. Governor Jay Inslee signed the boating safety bill (Senate Bill 5437) in May, a three-part bill that changes Washington’s boating safety

laws and gets tough on boaters operating under the influence.

The law changes went into effect July 28.

Most notably, the bill strengthens Washington’s boating under the influence (BUI) law by making the penalty

for BUI a gross misdemeanor punishable by a maximum fine of $5,000 and 364 days in jail.

Additionally, the law now allows for implied consent, which means an officer can require a boat operator to take a breath or blood test if the officer believes

the operator is boating under the influence. If the operator refuses, he/she could be issued a $1,000 civil infraction.

“Washington has a long history of being a maritime state.

We need to keep boating safe and fun, and this legislation will

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help us do that. I’m delighted that by working with our state partners and boating stakeholders, we were able to develop legislation that everyone could agree to,” said Don Hoch, Washington State Parks director.

“The cultural, economic and recreational significance of Washington state waterways can’t be overemphasized. Likewise, neither can boating safety.

The passage of this measure provides law enforcement with additional tools and strengthens our commitment to limiting tragedies on waterways,” said Bruce Bjork, chief of police for the Department of Fish and Wildlife, an agency that played a key role in writing and promoting the legislation.

Lastly, the law gives marine law enforcement officers the ability to hold negligent or reckless boaters accountable and the authority to issue citations for vessel accidents they did not witness. Now, when an officer is investigating a vessel accident, like a vessel-to-vessel collision, and it’s determined a boat operator caused the accident by breaking a boating safety law, the officer can arrest the operator for criminal violations or issue a citation for an infraction.

“This is a great change and something we’ve needed for a long time. We’ve had this authority on land, but we lacked it on the water. I think this is really going to help us educate boaters about the importance of the boating rules of the road,” said Ed Holmes, Mercer Island police chief and president of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.

According to State Parks data, alcohol is a factor in 30 percent of boating fatalities. The law change was intended to deter BUI by increasing the penalty and introducing implied consent in the form of a monetary penalty – not tied to the driver’s license.

Other changes to the law include the following: • Testing language consistent with driving under the influence (DUI) procedures: The statute was updated to reference the breath and blood testing SEE LAW, 19

Entertainment

Book clubs expand reading horizons

BY MICHELLE NEDVED OF THE MINER

DIAMOND LAKE – There’s nothing better than reading a good book during the lazy days of summer, especially next to a lake. Residents at Diamond Lake agree, some of them take the passion farther and belong to book clubs.

The Diamond Lake Book Club is 31 members strong and has been meeting for more than seven years. They meet on the third Monday of each month, except for August because of busy schedules, at various members’ houses.

They just reviewed “The Secret Garden,” a children’s book many members had read as a child, but reread it from an adult perspective. They are currently reading “The Pillars of the Earth,” a historical novel by Ken Follett published in 1989 about the building of a cathedral in the town of Kingsbridge, England.

At their September meeting, members will each write a book of choice on a piece of paper. The slips are then drawn from a hat to create the book list for the next several months.

“In the past we have read some very provocative books that provided two hours of excellent discussion from various points of view,” club secretary Peggy Greene said. “We often read the works of local artists as well as books that pertain to women’s issues. We try to include at least one classic in the year’s choices.”

Member Val Urbat concurs that the books inspire lively discussion.

“The books we pick are really interesting,” she said. “Some of them go into history and forms of beliefs.”

One member hosts while another member leads the review discussion at each meeting.

The book club helps broaden the members’ reading repertoire.

“The neat thing about a book club is it gets you out of a routine,” Urbat said. While she loves murder mysteries, she gets exposed to various other books through the club.

Urbat said while anyone is welcome to join the club, not just lake residents or women, the group is entirely comprised

of woman. She said many of them range in age from 50 to 75.

They hold a special Christmas meeting each year and collect spare change in a Christmas Jar, inspired by a holiday book they read one year. The money is then donated to a local organization, such as

Youth Emergency Services or the school lunch program at Stratton Elementary. They also chose a holiday-themed book to read.

Anyone interested in joining the group can contact Greene at 509-447-2706.

Some book clubs, however, are a bit more exclusive. One

group of seven women have been meeting about two years.

Member Diane Metzger said they wanted to keep it small and manageable because of everyone’s busy schedules. They meet at members’ homes and take turns choosing books and providing dinner.

Member Susan Willenbrock

said last year they met at various Spokane restaurants because two members worked in Spokane. This year, however, they meet at each others’ homes and pick a theme for the meal, such as hor d’oeuvres or Mexican. A cocktail recipe adds SEE BOOKS, 19

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Weather Babble to do with weather, though An icy tale I am frantically looking for a BOB LUTZ CLIMATOLOGIST

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connection as we speak! Okay, somehow I got off task here, so let’s get back to the subject at hand which is ice cream – ah – I mean ice that falls from the sky.

I am often asked to explain the difference between all the weather terms used when frozen precipitation is in the forecast. We’ll start with the most misunderstood form of ice then move to the easiest, maybe breaking for a bowl of ice cream in between.

So, let’s start with graupel, not to be confused with grapple, or Grapel, (accused Israeli spy – don’t ask). It can’t even be compared with its brother, Hail or sister, Sleet. No, graupel is its own animal and is the most confusing for a variety of reasons. You might even hear graupel referred to as snow pellets, which IS in fact the same thing. Now that I have you thoroughly confused, you’ll find it comforting to know that in reality, graupel is not all that complicated. Graupel is a snowflake that encounters “supercooled” water. In a process called “accretion” ice crystals (or a rime ice coating) form up on the outside of the snowflake disguising it as an ice pellet. It falls more rapidly than snow, and tends to bounce like a jumping bean. Graupel is most common during the late winter and early spring months when the overall atmosphere is still rather cold and volatile. Graupel is pretty soft, and unlike hail, falls apart very easily when handled.

And on the subject of hail, it is much harder to break apart, and can become rather large.

That is why I call hail the “king” of all ice that falls from the sky.

Hail is very conceded in that it will only associate itself with strong to severe thunderstorms.

The initial birth of a hail stone occurs when a common raindrop freezes. The frozen droplets fall, then gets blown back up into the cloud over and over and over and over and over (okay, I think you get the point) again by strong updrafts from the surface of the earth. The stronger the updrafts, the more trips the droplet gets to make up into the cloud. Eventually the hail builds up so many layers of ice, that it becomes too heavy (sort of like me when I eat too much ice cream) to be supported by the SEE WEATHER, 17

Fishing

State keeps the spice in fishing

BY FRED WILLENBROCK OF THE MINER

SPOKANE – When told that some people view the state’s efforts to manage the lake fishery as more like amusement park management than science, Bill Baker, regional biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife didn’t seem offended. He said they do try to put some “spice” in the fishing.

Baker, who is in charge of the fish plan for Pend Oreille, Stevens and Ferry county lakes, said they look at ways to provide a variety of fishing experiences for people.

This means planting different types and sizes of trout in area waters and launching a campaign to encourage people to try them all.

All the fish they plant now in Pend Oreille County are triploids which means they have been made sterile at the hatchery. Baker said this is done because of all the native fish enhancement projects going on in the county, like the one for Bull Trout in the Pend Oreille River. Trout tend to want to wander up stream and down to spawn and they don’t want the hatchery fish to do that with native fish.

In recent years at Diamond Lake, the fishery plan has meant allowing a mixed species to survive. In the past, they had poisoned the lake to kill the warm water fish like bass and sunfish so they could plant trout. Baker said they haven’t done that in years and do not plan to do it again. They think the current plan is working great.

This summer anglers agreed. Many limits of various species and sizes were regularly taken and some lunker brown and rainbow trout were hauled out. Bass fishermen are also finding success.

WDFW credits their aggressive stocking program for the trout fishing success.

It is more expensive since the other warm water species tend to feed on their hatchery

trout.

“We primarily stock rainbow trout and brown trout,” Baker said. “We have good reports from (Diamond Lake).”

The way they build the fish populations is by planting fish hauled from the Spokane hatchery. This year that included 27,000 rainbow trout, 8-10 inches long. Because of the mild winter he said they were larger than usual. They also planted 12,000 brown trout 7-8 inches long.

To spice things up even more they dump a few hundred big trout in the lake, which are over a pound.

Only triploids planted in Pend Oreille County The process for making trout sterile is complex. When trout spawn, the female’s eggs possess two sets of chromosomes and the male’s sperm possess one set. After the eggs are fertilized, the chromosomes recombine and each egg inherits one set of chromosomes from the female and another set from the male – similar to humans. The third set is then kicked out of the egg. Rarely in the wild, an egg will “forget” to kick out the third set and the fish becomes what is known as a triploid, possessing three sets of chromosomes. Triploid fish look, swim, jump, and taste like normal fish, except for one important difference – they never develop normal eggs or sperm and are unable to reproduce.

Through experimentation with this natural process, researchers found that they could create triploid trout both by exposing trout eggs to pressure and by placing trout eggs in a warm water bath shortly after fertilization. Both processes inhibit a trout egg’s ability to kick out that third set of chromosomes and, a triploid fish is born.

Hatchery staff say that contrary to rumors these fish do not grow bigger, faster. In fact, they have noticed that they might not be as hearty.

SEE FISHING, 18

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Invasion

Pacific Northwest ‘only place on continent’ unaffected by mussel invasion

Preventive strategy urged

VANCOUVER, Wash. – They are about the size of a dime, reproduce rapidly and can attach to any hard surface. If they become established in Washington, they could cause hundreds of millions of dollars a year in damage.

They are zebra and quagga mussels, and a partnership of state agencies is implementing a new strategy to make sure these critters don’t hitchhike on watercraft and spread into Washington’s waterways.

“If introduced into the Columbia River system, zebra and quagga mussels could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars a year in lost hydropower production and damages to irrigation systems. They also would shut down state rivers and lakes

to boating, fishing and commercial businesses,” said Wendy Brown, executive coordinator of the Washington Invasive Species Council.

Beginning in early May, the Washington State Department of Transportation is notifying commercial haulers of oversize watercraft that their oversize load permit information is being provided to the Washington State Patrol and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and that state law prohibits the transport of aquatic invasive species. When the cargo appears at a Washington port of entry, state inspectors will look for zebra and quagga mussels. The permit application lists a toll-free telephone number for more information.

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Once established, these invasive mussels change ecosystems and consume food sources critical to native mussels and other species, such as trout.

clog water intake pipes and filters, reducing water pumping capabilities for power and water treatment plants. Once established, these mussels change ecosystems and consume food sources critical to native mussels and other species, such as salmon and trout.

Representatives of state and federal agencies, utilities, local governments, academic institutions and others gathered in Vancouver, Wash., this past May

to enhance the passions, and strategic plans, for heading off an invasion of non­native zebra and quagga mussels.

One speaker said that the Pacific Northwest, including Alaska and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, is the “only place on the continent” yet unaffected by mussel invasions that have destroyed natural ecosystems, and robbed economies elsewhere.

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the local environment following the introduction of non­native mussels to the Great Lakes in the mid­to late 1980s, said Ronald Griffiths, one of the first to investigate the zebra mussel infestation in Lake St. Clair (which has shoreline in Detroit, Mich., and the province of Ontario) and Lake Erie in 1988 as a scientist for the Ontario Ministry of Environment.

“They had already been in North America for two years” at the time, Griffiths said, likely brought in as incidental cargo to commercial ships from across the Atlantic. Within a year, “they were essentially popping up at all the ports in the Great Lakes.”

Then, the mollusks “got on trailers and started to get cargoed around” through much of the eastern part of Canada and the United States, he said.

Impacts to the local ecosystem were observed relatively quickly.

The “filter feeders” essentially strained suspended matter and food particles from the water, reducing the amount of phytoplankton available for other, native organisms and providing a clear path for sunlight to the bottom of the relatively shallow Lake St. Clair.

“They turn it into nothingness,” he said. “By 1990 this entire basin went clear.”

“A dozen species were wiped SEE MUSSELS, 19

From the commissioner’s desk Volunteer on county boards, commissions There are several boards and commissions in the county that are served by volunteers.

These boards are important to the function of local government and we are very GUEST grateful for OPINION the service KAREN SKOOG the volunPEND OREILLE teers provide!

COUNTY Terms have COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 1 varying expiration dates, but currently we have several open positions. Check our website at pendoreilleco.org or e-mail commissioners@pendoreille. org for information. Please consider volunteering.

The Board of Equalization hears appeals brought by taxpayers on matters of valuation or exemption status and has the power and responsibility to unilaterally equalize the value of property in the county. This important board has three board members with two openings.

The Pend Oreille County Planning Commission has nine appointed seats with alternates. This commission is charged with important current and long range planning functions. They meet monthly and frequently bi-monthly.

There is one opening.

The Library Board of Trustees is the policy-making body of Pend Oreille County Library District, which is a junior taxing district. It is governed by a five member Board of Trustees and administered by a library director appointed by the board.

There are two openings.

The three member Weed Board develops policy, adopts the county weed list which identifies mandatory weed control, reviews and oversees the annual budget and holds public hearings on new weed policy. There are two openings.

The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board of seven volunteers work to evaluate, plan and develop county

Diamond Lake level near normal

park facilities and recreation opportunities. There is one opening.

The Civil Service Commission acts pursuant to RCW 41.14, setting rules and regulations regarding employment within the Sheriff’s Office. There are no current openings.

DIAMOND LAKE – Dry summer weather and hard work have lowered Diamond Lake to near normal levels. But those who have been working for more than a year to bring the level down from record high levels say there is more work to do.

Dan Holman, a Diamond Lake Improvement Association board member said July 31 that only about 3 inches of

water is still flowing through the North Shore Road culvert.

This is the main outlet for the lake and when the lake level drops below the bottom of the culvert the road will act like a dam. At that time, evaporation will be the main cause of the lake level dropping anymore before winter.

Volunteers have been clearing out the ditch from the road to the beaver ponds and plan

to continue the work after Labor Day. They also have a breach in the beaver pond dams and plan to install tubes in the dams soon.

The DLIA has a hydraulics permit from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to clear new obstructions and install the tubes. They have also hired a licensed trapper to trap beavers and will continue trapping this fall.

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July 2013 | Lake Life 9

Technology

PUD has 151 fiber customers

BY DESIREÉ HOOD OF THE MINER

NEWPORT – With more than 3,600 homes connected to the PUD fiber system in south Pend Oreille County, only 151 are actually using the high-speed internet services. PUD officials say that is about to change.

Owners of more than 619 of the 3,600 places that have fiber attached to them have signed up with retail service providers and are just waiting to get hooked up. They need the PUD to finish the installation of the electronics at the house and then the Retail Service Provider (RSP) crews to connect them inside.

By plan, most of the early connections have been in the Diamond and Sacheen Lake areas.

But crews should start moving toward Newport soon.

About 4,000 home and business owners signed up in the project area by last September, requesting the PUD connect them. The PUD “connects” the

homes and businesses by running the fiber from the backbone to the house, often times to an empty gray box. The PUD realizes that homes and businesses signing up to get a connection does not mean they will actually use the fiber.

There are still about 400 connections that the PUD has

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not completed because they are more difficult underground connections. More than 156 of these installations were handed off to Henkels and McCoy, the contractor, and they have completed 63 houses and businesses.

About 151 people have been connected as of the end of July and are running with the new fiber system. This is an increase from July 16, where 540 requests for service were made and close to 100 had been connected.

According to John Jordan, general manager of the PUD, the work in the area includes installing underground cables and doing the work necessary to connect the hubs. But a delay in getting the needed materials has slowed work.

Needed materials include electrical collars, which are used to connect the fiber to the electrical service. They had less than 100 remaining collars in stock in the middle of July and are awaiting a shipment of more collars Aug. 22.

“Once we get the collars in, we hope to start hooking people up with outside contractors and working hard on the splicing,” Jordan said.

Robert Fritz, Community Network Systems (CNS) supervisor, said that the connections of those requesting service should be completed by the end of September, which is the ending date on the project and federal grant.

“The end of September is when the end of the contracts are currently written for and that is the end of the federal project,” Fritz SEE PUD, 11

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Annual meetings set for both lakes DIAMOND LAKE – The Diamond Lake Improvement Association’s annual meeting is set for Saturday, Aug. 31, at 9 a.m., at the Carbon Lodge at Camp Cowles on the north side of the lake.

The Sacheen Lake Association’s annual picnic is at the Meyers Harter Sanctuary at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 17.

Technology

PUD | More than 4,000 homes, businesses signed consent forms bulk of the time is prep. Once you start going, it goes very quickly.”

Nila said the crew is averaging 20 splicing hook-ups per week.

The $34.1 million fiber-to-thehome build-out in south Pend Oreille County is now costing $38.3 million. The project was largely funded by a $27 million federal stimulus grant, which ends Sept. 30.

Y o u r e r v W o

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SACHEEN LAKE – Bids for the Sacheen Lake Sewer were opened Wednesday, July 31.

The deadline for the bids was extended a week in order to allow time for more bidders.

The plan is to hold a special meeting Monday, Aug. 5 to review the top bids. Sacheen Lake Water and Sewer District commissioners plan to award the contracts at the regular board meeting Wednesday, Aug. 7, at 7 p.m. If all goes according to plan, ground will be broken on the project about two weeks after that.

box comes off the house.”

Splicing is another project that has taken longer than the PUD originally anticipated.

According to Dario Nila, CNS specialist with the PUD, the splicing work takes about four hours to hook up one strand of a 144 cable.

“Splicing is a very tedious and exacting thing,” Nila said. “The

Su b

Bids on Sacheen sewer project opened

The PUD originally ordered 2,000 gray boxes, and they are all attached to a house or business.

“We were planning on taking off the empty gray boxes and putting on the ones with the guts and then we can utilize the other gray boxes,” Fritz said. “Once we put one with all the electronics and guts in it, the empty gray

d orl

said.

He said that the goal is to hook up the customers who have made requests to the third party service providers.

According to Fritz, more than 4,000 owners of homes and businesses signed consent forms prior to September 2012 to have the fiber cables ran to their homes. These are the residents and businesses that the PUD has put on a priority list to complete by the end of the grant, at no cost to the customer.

“If you hadn’t already signed up before the (Sept. 28) date of last year, then no, you would not qualify to get it done during the project timeline,” Fritz said.

If customers had signed the consent form but had not had construction done, they are still able to contact the RSPs and the PUD will add those customers to the installation list. More than 150 additional residents have signed up since September.

More than 3,600 of the 4,000 have seen some of the install happen. Fritz said that 95 percent of the work has been completed to these homes and businesses.

Some residents have been connected from the overhead fiber backbone to their house, com-

plete with a gray box that will eventually hold the electronics to make the fiber work once the customer requests the hook up.

“We had more connections than we had gray boxes so the cable is coiled there,” Fritz said.

“They will get the gray box when the electronics get installed as opposed to the gray box that some people have.”

We C

FROM PAGE 10

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Summer Precautions

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Tips to lower the risk of bee, wasp and hornet stings OLYMPIA – To many, pesky bee stings typically only cause temporary throbbing. That doesn’t mean you’ll never have a bad reaction. Public health officials warn that having one type of reaction after a sting doesn’t mean a person will always have the same reaction next time.

While it’s crucial for people who’ve had an allergic response to avoid the insect of concern, a previously non-reactive person can develop sensitivity at any time. Insect stings can cause different symptoms, ranging from brief pain to a severe allergic reaction. First-aid kits should contain an antihistamine to help prepare for an unexpected seri-

ous reaction to a bite or sting.

There are several steps one can take to lower the risk of bee, hornet, wasp and other insect stings: • Avoid insect encounters: slowly move away; don’t wave your arms or swat at them.

• Cover exposed skin and wear shoes.

• Don’t use products with strong perfumes such as soaps, shampoos, and deodorants; they can attract insects.

• Avoid wearing bright colors or flower-patterned clothing.

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fruit in your garden, and keep a well-fitting lid on your garbage can.

• Never disturb insect nests.

Arrange to have a nest removed by a professional pest control service if it’s in or near your home.

• Keep food and drinks covered when outside. Meats and sugary drinks attract wasps and bees.

Both can get into open bottles or cans that you’re drinking from.

Insect stings typically don’t require a visit to a doctor. However, call 911 if you’re having any symptoms that suggest a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).

Signs of anaphylaxis include skin reactions in parts of the body other than the sting area. Hives, itching, and flushed or pale skin are almost always present.

People may also have difficulty breathing; swelling of the throat and tongue; a weak and rapid pulse; nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea; dizziness or fainting; or a loss of consciousness. Any of these symptoms should be treated as a medical emergency.

Divers surveying milfoil on Diamond Lake DIAMOND LAKE – Divers are preparing to do their annual survey of Diamond Lake for milfoil in early August. Generally, the divers survey from the shoreline out to approximately 300 feet from the shore.

Diver-down flags are used to identify a dive when it is in operation. The flags are red with a white diagonal line. Boaters should be cautious while boating and keep a sharp lookout and safe speed when traveling where dive flags are present.

Maintain a distance of at least 200 feet from diver-down flags.

Surveying will be conducted in several areas of the lake. The Diamond Lake Improvement Association uses the results to determine if hand pulling or chemical treatments are needed. The procedures have proved successful in keeping milfoil under control.

Diamond Lake Boat Parade

Fun on the Fourth Boats, docks and just about anything that floated were in the annual Diamond Lake boat parade Thursday, July 4. Fireworks from a barge in the lake ended the Independence Day celebration.

Lake Life photos| Fred Willenbrock

July 2013 | Lake Life 13

Summer Precautions Wolf says. .

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Avoiding tick bites in the outdoors When working, camping, or walking in a tick habitat – wooded, brushy or grassy places – a few simple precautions can reduce your chance of being bitten.

Wear long pants and a longsleeved shirt. Tuck your pant legs into socks or boots and shirt into pants. This can help keep ticks on the outside of your clothing where they can be more easily spotted and removed.

Wear light colored, tightly woven clothing, which will allow the dark tick to be seen more easily. The tight weave makes it harder for the tick to attach itself.

Use tick repellent when necessary, and carefully follow instructions on the label.

Products containing DEET or permethrin are very effective in repelling ticks. Take special care when using repellents on children.

Check yourself, your children, and pets thoroughly for ticks. Carefully inspect areas around the head, neck, ears, under arms, between legs, and back of knees. Look for what may appear like a new freckle or speck of dirt.

Shower or bathe (preferably within two hours after being in tick habitat) to wash off and more easily find ticks that are crawling on you.

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OLYMPIA – Ticks are small blood-feeding parasites that can transmit diseases to people. Some types of ticks perch on the edge of low-lying vegetation and grab onto animals and people as they brush past. Other ticks are associated with rodents and their nests and may only come out at night to feed. Once aboard, ticks crawl until they find a good spot to feed, then burrow their mouthparts into the skin for a blood meal. Their bodies slowly enlarge to accommodate the amount of blood ingested. Ticks feed anywhere from several minutes to several days depending on their species, life stage, and type of host.

14 Lake Life | July 2013

When staying in summer cabins or vacation homes, especially in eastern Washington, make sure rodents, and their ticks, aren’t spending the night with you. Practice rodent control by not attracting rodents, sealing them out of your living areas, trapping rodents, and properly cleaning up rodent-contaminated areas.

Focus your management of tick habitat to areas frequently used by your family, not necessarily your entire property. Use brick, paving, decking, gravel, container plantings, and low water reSEE TICKS, 18

Who to Contact Pend Oreille County Commissioners 509-447-4119 District 1: Karen Skoog, vice chairwoman (2016) District 2: Mike Manus, chairman (2013) District 3: Steve Kiss, Member (2016) Four-year terms Annual salary: Manus $53,148, Skoog and Kiss $50,490 Duties: Serve as chief legislative and executive body in county; including, but not limited to, approve taxes; adopt a balanced budget, operate budgets under control of appointed department heads; oversee public roads and works; counseling; planning of unincorporated areas; and other services which are not clearly the responsibility of another elected official. Appoint citizens to commissions and boards; represent the county locally, regionally and statewide on various boards such as public health and economic development.

Mail: P.O. Box 5025, Newport, WA 99156 Board meets every Monday and Tuesday at 9 a.m. in commissioners’ office, main floor of the courthouse.

Clerk of the board: Liz Braun Office hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday

Community Development Dept.

509-447-4821 Mike Lithgow, director Responsible for county land use, growth management planning and the county park system. Also responsible for the review and approval of various development and construction permits, such as building permits, shoreline development permits, subdivi-

sion and mobile home park and recreational vehicle park approvals. The park board meets the third Wednesday of every month at 2 p.m. in the Cusick Community Center.

Mail: P.O. Box 5066, Newport, WA 99156 • Planning Commission District 1: John Stuart, Steve Wilson, Doug Smith; District 2: Don Comins, Steve Bennet, Guy Thomas; District 3: Rob Payne, Susan Hobbs

and Judy Ashton.

Meets on the second Tuesday of each month at the Cusick Community Center for business, and on the fourth Tuesday of each month for workshops, starting at 6 p.m.

Diamond Lake Water & Sewer Dist.

509-447-4660 Fax: 509-447-0180 172 South Shore Road,

Newport, WA 99156-9300 Operates water and sewer systems around Diamond Lake.

Commissioners (six-year term): chairman Bob Graham (2017), Secretary Richard Swan (2016), Ray King (2013).

Commissioner stipend: $70 per meeting Board meets on the first and SEE CONTACT, 16

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Calls to sheriff down in June NEWPORT – Calls to the Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s office for service at Sacheen and Diamond lakes were down in June. A total 239 calls were reported by the sheriff’s office, down from 251 in May. Sheriff Alan Botzheim said there was a string of five burglaries along Fertile Valley Road, and is asking the public to keep a vigil eye out and report any suspicious activity.

Traffic stops totaled 40, followed by 30 boat inspections and 23 reports of suspicious circumstances. Ten burglaries were reported and two structure fires.

July 2013 | Lake Life 15

CONTACT | Sacheen Lake Sewer

FROM PAGE 15

third Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the district office.

Office open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Monday-Friday. Maintenance hours 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Monday-Sunday.

In addition, they can be reached by telephone after hours for emergencies.

& Water Dist.

509-447-4641 Mail: 8272 Fertile Valley Rd., Sacheen Lake, WA 99156 Located at Sacheen Lake in southern Pend Oreille County, the Sacheen Lake Sewer & Water District is in the process of constructing a sewer collection and treatment system that will serve the ma-

jority of the lakefront properties. The district also continues to work on lake water quality and lake level issues as well as milfoil control.

The district also owns and maintains the Myers/Harter Sanctuary, located near the corner of Highway 211 and Fertile Valley Road.

Commissioners: position 1 Perry Pearman (2017), position 2 Gary Garrett (2015), position

3 Peggy Johnsen (2013) Commissioner stipend: 0 District manager: Sheila Pearman Commissioners meet at Sacheen Lake Fire Station, Highway 211, on the first Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m.

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Conservation (USDA)

509-447-4217 Fax: 509-447-0371 P.O. Box 280, Newport, WA 99156 Located at Newport post office, in same office as Pend Oreille Conservation District, Room 110.

Resource conservationist: Mark Simpson

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County including Diamond Lake, Sacheen Lake, Deer Valley, Camden and Fertile Valley areas.

Chief: Mike Nokes 509-4475305 Annual salary: $57,000 Commissioners: Gary Wilkey 509-447-0744, Randy Miller 509-292-8065, Leonard Pielli 509-447-3793, Galen Hansen 509-292-9458, Karen Johnston 509-9397714.

Commissioner stipend: $100 per meeting Commissioners meet the third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at Diamond Lake Station.

Diamond Lake Station is staffed 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday-Friday.

Mail: 325272 Hwy. 2, Newport WA Website: www.spofr.org

Conservation District

509-447-5370 Fax: 509-447-0371 Website: www.pocd.org/ wordpress Email: POCD@Conservewa. net P.O. Box 465, Newport, WA 99156 Office is located with the Natural Resource Conservation Service in the Newport post office, 100 N. Washington, Room 110.

District administrator: Terry Holloway Board of Supervisors: chairman Ralph Christiansen, vice chairman George Stuivenga, treasurer Michele Masuen, and members Randy Leestma and John W. Floyd Board meetings the second Wednesday of every month at 9:30 a.m. except July when there is no meeting. Elections and appointments are held in February.

WEATHER | Sleet is a ‘winter thing’ FROM PAGE 6

updrafts. When that happens, the hail falls to the ground and bounces like a leopard leaping through tall grass. Obviously, the stronger the thunderstorm, the stronger the updrafts, and the larger the hail stones. In fact, as of this writing, some 1-1/4” hail was reported up in Kettle Falls, which is pretty large for this area. That would surely be big enough to give you a wee headache should it hit you on the noggin! By the way, you can further distinguish between hail and graupel rather easily. If you were to slice a piece of graupel, it would likely fall apart and melt rather quickly. Hail on the other hand will be harder to cut into, but when you succeed, you’ll be rewarded with an array of icy layers. Now, if you’re bored like me, you can actually count the layers (like tree rings) to decipher how many trips the hail stone made into the cloud before it fell in your yard.

With the “king” of ice out of the way, we can now discuss sleet. In short, sleet is a winter thing, so if you encounter sleet during the summer months, we are all in big trouble! Simply

put, sleet is a snowflake that melted after it departed from its cloud and encountered a sneaky wedge of warm air lodged between the cold layers. After passing through the warm air, it then went through some colder air again and refroze into an ice pellet before hitting the ground. Sleet is rather small in size, but when it hits you in the EYE while you’re

out shoveling your driveway, you’ll think otherwise! In most cases, when snow turns to sleet in the winter, it means that rain is likely not far behind as the warm air typically wins the battle at all elevations.

So, you no doubt noticed that I did not talk much about snow, and I’m not going to either! It will be here soon enough and we here in Pend Oreille County

know all too well what it looks like. Oh, and somebody recently asked me about freezing rain … No, freezing rain is NOT the same as sleet. It is rain which remains in liquid form until it hits the surface and freezes.

And like freezing rain, I think that about “covers” our icy tale!

Coming up in our next issue of Lake Life, I’ll tell you why I

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Campfires banned in Pend Oreille County NEWPORT – Recreational fires have been added to the burning ban in Pend Oreille County possibly for the rest of the summer.

The Washington Department of Natural Resources announced that fire danger ratings increased in Pend Oreille County to a “High” level, resulting in burning control restrictions on DNR protected lands that prohibit all campfires.

In 2011, the county commissioners passed an ordinance imposing identical burning controls on county land that are issued by DNR. The ban is in effect through Sept. 30 and prohibits campfires in developed campgrounds and other recreational fires. The ban also prohibits prescribed burns.

Daily updates on burn restrictions are available at 1-800-323BURN.

think September is amongst one of the best months of the year for really enjoying the great outdoors. In the meantime, let’s all enjoy the summer while it’s here, and celebrate its presence with … yeah you guessed it … a bowl of IC. Speaking of which, only two bowls of ice cream were harmed during the writing of this article.

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TICKS | Use tweezers to remove FROM PAGE 14

quirement plants to encourage bright sunny areas immediately around your home. Open sunny areas are less likely to harbor ticks.

Keep grass mowed, shrubs trimmed, and restrict the use of groundcover in family or pet areas.

Keep dogs and cats out of the woods to keep them from bringing home ticks.

Tick control products are available for pets. Follow label instructions and talk to your veterinarian if you have questions.

Widen woodland trails.

Move swing sets, sand boxes, and other children play areas away from the edge of woods and place them on a wood chip or mulch foundation.

Use plantings that don’t attract deer or exclude deer through fencing.

How to remove a tick COURTESY PHOTO|CLIFF SNOW

A late night visitor This little guy visited the Snow residence on Diamond Lake in early July.

Cliff Snow said he hasn’t seen raccoons near his home in a few years.

Promptly remove the tick using fine-tipped tweezers.

Grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible and pull upward with steady, even pressure. Avoid removing the tick with bare hands. Don’t twist or jerk the tick. This may cause

the mouthparts to break off They can, however, idenand remain in the skin. If tify ticks to species. Because this happens, remove the different tick species transmouthparts with tweezers. mit different pathogens, After removing the tick, knowing the tick species disinfect the bite site and may help a health care wash your hands. provider diagnose an illness Note the date that you that could be associated found the tick attached to with a tick bite. you, just in case you become Washington has relatively ill. If a fever, rash, or flufew tick-borne disease cases like illness occurs within reported each year in coma month, let your doctor parison to some areas of the know that you were bitten United States. by a tick.

If you think you have This information may assymptoms of a tick-borne sist your doctor in diagnosdisease, contact your docing your illness. tor.

Avoid folk remedies to The following diseases remove a tick. can be transmitted by a tick Hot matches or coating bite in Washington: Lyme the tick’s body with pedisease, tick-borne relapstroleum jelly, soap, or nail ing fever, Rocky Mountain polish do little to encourage spotted fever, tick paralysis, a tick to detach from skin. tularemia, anaplasmosis In fact, they may make mat- and babesiosis. ters worse by irritating the tick and causing it to release additional saliva, increasing the chance of transmitting disease. These methods of tick removal should be avoided.

FROM PAGE 7

FISHING |

Identifying ticks Neither the Washington State Public Health Laboratory nor the CDC test ticks for disease.

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Each spring, they plant about 15,000, 3-inch rainbow fry for future catches. The Diamond Lake Improvement Association also raises rainbows supplied by the state in a net pen to add to the mix.

This year fish hatchery crews stocked 600 more big rainbow trout averaging 1.5 pounds each in Diamond Lake before Father’s Day weekend.

Sacheen Lake is a good example of what spicing up the fishing action means.

Sacheen Lake received about 5,000 of the rainbow trout this spring.

The state also plants fry and fingerlings there during the year. They had planted large “jumbo” stock from the hatchery that can be as large as 5 pounds to give lucky anglers a thrill.

Sacheen received 300 larger eastern brook trout and 4,000 small tiger trout. Both these species are relatively unique for the area. The purpose is to give anglers some variety in their fishing action.

At this time, this fishery management plan is here to stay and it appears to be a success.

LAW | Marijuana use added FROM PAGE 4

procedures used in DUI cases.

These procedures have been thoroughly tested in court.

• Marijuana references added: The statute was updated with marijuana references that mirror language in Initiative 502,

MUSSELS | FROM PAGE 8

out within five years,” Griffiths said. The losses included native mussel species.

The states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming and the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia are to this point zebra and quagga mussel free, at least there are no known infestations.

Mark Sytsma, head of PSU’s Center for Lakes and Reservoirs, said “it’s critical that we increase the monitoring” for quagga and/or zebra mussel presence in Northwest waterways. A total of 350 contaminated vessels were intercepted during 2012 inspections.

But money for inspections, about $2 million in all in the Northwest states, has been short. Adequate coverage would require a tripling of the effort, experts say.

BOOKS | FROM PAGE 5

to the festivities.

They are currently reading “Man Seeks God,” by Eric Weiner. About a year ago, they read his previous book “The Geography of Bliss,” about his NPR assignment on finding the happiest place on Earth.

Metzger said one member suggested they read his new book because she enjoyed his first one so much. “(We have) lots of laughs and lively discussions, but it’s always about the book,” Willenbrock said.

Members include Metzger, Willenbrock, Kristi Bell, Molly VandeVanter, Fran Zabawa, Karen Ricard and Brenda Yahne.

which made the recreational use of marijuana legal.

• Test refusal is not admissible in court: The statute makes it clear that a boater’s refusal to submit to either a breath or blood test cannot be used as evidence in a court of law.

• Recreational vessel rentals: The statue makes it clear that rented vessels must have all safety equipment, be properly

registered and meet all other state requirements.

“We thank the sponsors of the 2013 Boating Safety Bill for bringing the Recreational Boating Association of Washington into the bill discussions,” stated Steve Greaves, the association’s president. “We believe this collaborative approach will ultimately lead to safer boating.”

a z z i P d e k a Fresh B

Handmade Crust

Take & Bake • By the Slice Free Kids Cones

325182 Hwy 2 • Diamond Lake • 509-447-1100

Gorgeous Home & Horse Setup! Top of the line home has scraped birch floors, hickory cabinets, a beautiful floor to ceiling fireplace. Lovely craftsman stone work throughout the home. Kitchen boasts hickory cabinets, granite counters and a warm friendly open atmosphere. Loft family room. 5 bedrooms 3 baths. Full basement. Wrap around decks w/ stone columns. Large barn, pasture, paddock, riding arena & riding trails.

Add views of Sacheen Lake & nothing is lacking in this beautiful estate. $399,900 Deeded Beach Access on beautiful Diamond Lake!

Boat Slip available!

Enjoy wonderful summer days on the beach. This 2 bedroom 1 bath home. Fenced yard. Low maintenance. Low homeowner fees $100 per year and $200 per season for boat slip. Covered deck great for summer barbecues.

Directions: Diamond Lake. Turn right onto Southshore Diamond Lake Rd. Turn left onto Grizly Loop. Turn left onto Summer Place. Home is on right. $95,900 Great secondary waterfront property.

Willow Cove beach access. Wonderful sandy beach.

Community boat slip.

Build your cabin on beautiful Diamond Lake. $49,900

Private Diamond Lake beach access in this beautiful cedar 1 ½ story home plus basement. 4 bedrooms 3 ½ baths. Living room boasts beautiful panabode floor to ceiling windows and tongue and groove ceiling.

Master suite with private deck and full bath.

Basement has large family room, second master suite with full bath and walk-out entrance.

Large double lot. Borders small neighborhood park. $209,900 Perfect spot for your RV or lake home Coveted Poirier’s Beach private beach deeded access. Walking distance to beautiful Diamond Lake. Low HOA’s. Power installed.

From Newport go south on Hwy 2. Turn right on to Diamond Drive. Keep left to lot. $19,900

Mary Ann Jones,

Des. Broker, ABR GRI SRES maryannjo@johnlscott.com www.johnlscott.com/maryannjo

509-671-0193

888-234-7355 • 800-546-5570

www.JohnLScott.com

301 N. Union Ave • Newport, WA Office 509-447-3144 • Toll FREE 888-234-7355 July 2013 | Lake Life 19

Calender of Events THURSDAY, AUGUST 1 Cub Country: Camp Cowles ‘Music, Magic and Mayhem’ Featuring Laura Sable and Bill Wiemuth: 6:30 p.m. Circle Moon Theater

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2 Cub Country: Camp Cowles ‘Music, Magic and Mayhem’ Featuring Laura Sable and Bill Wiemuth: 6:30 p.m. Circle Moon Theater SATURDAY, AUGUST 3 Cub Country: Camp Cowles ‘Music, Magic and Mayhem’ Featuring Laura Sable and Bill Wiemuth: 6:30 p.m. Circle Moon Theater

Cub Country: Camp Cowles WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7 Diamond Lake Water and Sewer: 10 a.m. - District Office, 172 South Shore Road Diamond Lake Improvement Association: 6:30 p.m. Diamond Lake Fire Station, Highway 2 Sacheen Lake Sewer and Water District Board: 7 p.m. Sacheen Fire Station, Highway 211

SUNDAY, AUGUST 4

Sewer District Board: 10 a.m.

- District Office

Circle Moon Theater SATURDAY, AUGUST 24 Highway 211 Clean Up: 8 a.m. Meyers-Harter Park The Coffey Twins 50s and 60s Rock ‘N Roll Show: 6:30 p.m. Circle Moon Theater

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23 The Coffey Twins 50s and 60s Rock ‘N Roll Show: 6:30 p.m. -

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28 Sacheen Ladies of the Lake: Noon - Various Locations, call President Maria Bullock at 509-998-4221

THURSDAY, AUGUST 8 Cub Country: Camp Cowles FRIDAY, AUGUST 9 Cub Country: Camp Cowles

Golf Course

“Fun & Friendly 9 Holer” Outstanding Food 208-448-1731

SATURDAY, AUGUST 10 Cub Country: Camp Cowles Treasures on Foxwood: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Foxwood Tea House

RC’s Steakhouse

Pend Oreille County

Public Utility District “Quality Service at Low Cost”

509-447-3137

Floating & Free-Standing Docks Gangways & Ramps Boat Lifts & Canopies Swim Rafts

SUNDAY, AUGUST 11 Cub Country: Camp Cowles Treasures on Foxwood: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Foxwood Tea House

1 Mile West of Priest River on Hwy 2

www.popud.com

1-800-310-DOCK www.marinewestindustries.com

509-242-3137

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14 Home and Community Educators Diamond Lake Club: Noon - Call Billie Goodno at 509-447-3781 or Chris King at 208-437-0971 THURSDAY, AUGUST 15 South Pend Oreille Fire & Rescue: 7 p.m. - Station 31, 325272 Highway 2, Diamond Lake

Display yard 8800 N. Fairview, Spokane

HEARING CENTER of DEER PARK Call Today for Your Free Annual Hearing Evaluation

509 276-8859

23 E. Crawford, Suite D Deer Park, WA Eargeek.com Specializing in Labor & Industry Claims All Insurances Accepted / Care Credit Offered / NRA Member Discounts Insured • Licensed • Bonded

FRIDAY, AUGUST 16 The Coffey Twins 50s and 60s Rock ‘N Roll Show: 6:30 p.m. Circle Moon Theater SATURDAY, AUGUST 17 Sacheen Lake Association Annual Picnic: Meyers-Harter Park The Coffey Twins 50s and 60s Rock ‘N Roll Show: 6:30 p.m. Circle Moon Theater

Open to the Public Now Offering Our New Reception Hall Kitchenette • Outside Entrance For Family Gatherings • Receptions Up to 50 People • In Newport MONDAY, AUGUST 19 Diamond Lake Book Club: 1 p.m. - Contact Val Urbat 509220-0200 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21 Diamond Lake Water and 20 Lake Life | July 2013

(for non-funeral related events)

Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home & Crematory Locally Owned & Operated

(208) 448-1012 118 Wisconsin Street • Priest River

(509) 447-3118 423 W. 2nd Street • Newport