Bonners Ferry, ID

By: R.J. Cohn
Editor

All it takes is a little sunshine to bring the natives out.

Toss in Bonners Ferry’s second annual Salsa Festival, the Farmer’s Market along with 67-degree weather, stir vigorously and voila - you’ll have throngs of crowds from Coeur d’Alene to western Montana pouring into Main Street to sample the zesty concoctions of 18 local salsa makers trying to wow a panel of five judges for bragging rights and cash prizes.

With Shriner clowns, vendors selling hot tamales and a live rock band blasting away on May 3, hundreds of festival-goers in shorts and short sleeves — many for the first time in more than year — whetted their taste buds on some of the spiciest, hottest and unique variations of salsa north of the Mexican border.

Sponsored by Friends of Downtown, the event - which was advertised on KPND 95.3 FM throughout the week - drew scores of visitors from throughout the region, as evidenced by out-of-county license plates that filled the streets.

After a serious round of salsa-tasting, the discerning and shrewd panel of judges crowned Kevin Callos with first place honors, which won him $75. Second place honors were taken by Mary Cheney, who received $50.

Second place honors were taken by Mary Cheney, who received $50.

The “People’s Choice” third award was won by Tim Fulton, who took home $25. Laura Anderson’s salsa came in fourth place, while Katherine Casady took fifth place honor.

A total of 311 votes were cast compared to 200 from last year’s event, said organizer Dolly Boling.

“Next year we may place salsa entries into various categories like hot, spicy, mild and medium to make judging for competitive salsas more representative,” she said.

Click here to register http://www.ruralnorthwest.com/boundary/SwishRegistration.pdf

By: R,J, Cohn
Editor

For Charlene Lyle, the thought of owning a home in rural north Idaho as a single mother with three young children was only a pipedream that happened to other people on TV reality shows.

But thanks to Boundary County’s Habitat for Humanity, dreams like Lyle’s are coming true.

Ringed by the Purcell Mountains on five acres with a sweeping view of the Kootenai River, Lyle’s nearly-completed 1,200-square foot home in Paradise Valley is almost the stuff of dreams.

But it’s as real as it gets for the 32-year-old Boundary Community Hospital employee raising two daughters and a son ranging from 7 to 12 years of age.

“She was elated and thrilled when she learned she was chosen as the recipient of a new home from 17 applicants,” said Habitat for Humanity board member Sherrie Hendricks. “It’s like a dream come true.”

When completed in early July, Lyle’s home will be the seventh built by the nonprofit affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International since its inception in Boundary County 15 years ago.

To view entire article click on http://www.ruralnorthwest.com/artman/publish/article_8631.shtml

By: R.J. Cohn
Editor

Time has returned to downtown Bonners Ferry.

After more than a 25-year absence following the removal of a square clock mounted on a pole in front of the now defunct 1st Security Bank on Main Street, time has reared up over the heart of downtown from a 50-foot tower on the roof of City Hall.

And with spring lighting up the north Idaho skyline, the timing of the city’s unique four-faced clock tower that can be seen coming down both the North and South Hill couldn’t be more fitting.

It if doesn’t quite rival Big Ben of Westminster of landmark clock towers like Moscow’s Spasskaya Tower, it still carries a panache and a distinct flair symbolized by its red-peaked cap and wrap-around catwalks all of its own.

It has taken nearly a year to transform the former cinder block tower - which once served as the fire department’s hose tower in the 1950s - into what former city administrator Mike Woodward called the “capstone of downtown.”

“It was a diamond-in-the-rough just waiting to happen,” said Woodward. “The painting on the old tower had been peeling for years, the structure was chipped, and it was definitely an eyesore. It has turned into something very appealing that adds a lot of charm to Bonners Ferry.”

Sparked by a community fundraiser that pulled in close to $23,000, the clock tower - which was repainted and underwent a series of costly repairs - was originally planned to be in operation by Christmas.

To view entire article go to: http://www.ruralnorthwest.com/artman/publish/article_8496.shtml

By: R.J. Cohn
Editor

If stepping up to the plate to do the right thing is part of the tightly-woven fabric of Boundary County, then the new Julien Bucher Early Learning Center is a testament to a community that dug deep into its pockets for a facility that will enrich preschoolers for generations.

More than a year after Bucher died in a farming accident, his name and the passion he had for Boundary County will live on in the 3,000-square foot Head Start building bearing his name.

Thanks to a community fundraiser that brought in $70,000 and an acre of land donated to Head Start by Boundary County Commissioners, preschoolers will no longer have to shuffle into a poorly insulated makeshift room at the Fairgrounds that served as a food service and restroom facility.

To view entire article go to: http://www.ruralnorthwest.com/artman/publish/article_8657.shtml

By: R.J. Cohn
Editor Rural Northwest.Com

Seven Boundary County organizations - from the Boundary County Fair Board to the South Boundary Fire District - were big winners in securing more than $16,000 in grants from the Idaho Community Foundation.

The statewide, nonprofit organization composed of more than 370 individual funds awarded grants ranging from $1,500 to $3,000 to the following organizations:

* Boundary County Fair Board, $2,000, to complete walkway to improve handicapped accessibility to the proposed patio area.

* Boundary County 4-H, $3,000, to continue its after-school program.

* Boundary County Historical Society, Inc., $2,500, to upgrade restrooms to comply with federal regulations on handicapped accessibility.

* Friends of the Boundary County Restorium, $3,000, to install the facility’s new emergency generator, including cement pad and hookup.

* Paradise Valley Volunteer Fire Department, $2,000, to purchase tables and chairs for community room at the Main Fire Station.

* Second Chance Animal Adoption, $1,500, to purchase dog and cat kennels for the new planned shelter.

* South Boundary Fire District, $2,100, to buy carpet, ceiling panels and lighting for it Community Center.

ICF awarded a total of $204,916 in grants for 95 nonprofit organizations or projects in 10 counties in North Idaho.

Grants ranged in size from $480 to complete educational signage at the North Idaho Native Plant Arboretum in Bonner County to $5,000 for the Idaho Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health for outreach and education in Kootenai County.

The Fenton Family Fund in ICF provided $50,000 for projects in North Idaho.

Grants are awarded by the ICF Board primarily on the recommendation of the Foundation’s Northern Region Advisory Panel, which is comprised of local community leaders who volunteer their service as grant reviewers. The next Northern Region Competitive Grant Cycle will open Nov. 1.

ICF’s Northern Region is composed of Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce and Shoshone counties. Carl Hendricks of Naples is a Northern Region Advisory Panel member.

Since it began making grants in 1991, ICF has made charitable distributions totaling more than $37 million. To learn more about the Foundation or join as a member, visit ICF’s Web site at www.idcomfdn.org, or call 1-800-657-5357.

For Many, Community Action Partnership is a Lifeline for Survival

By: R.J. Cohn
Editor

When it comes to going to bat for Boundary County’s low-income and disadvantaged families, Christine Villanueva has virtually been a one-woman whirlwind for almost a decade.
Now in her 10th year with Community Action Partnership, Villanueva has been like a lifeline for those with incomes below 75 percent of the federal poverty threshold.

Villaneuva has not only supplied thousands of needy residents with food on their table, she has also provided 285 families with $98,776 worth of energy assistance since November 15, 2008. She believes this amount will reach a staggering $200,000 before the end of the year.

“Life is just more expensive than ever,” says Villanueva, who also serves on Bonners Ferry’s Horizons Project steering committee. “It’s hard on a lot of families here.”

To view entire article go to http://www.ruralnorthwest.com/artman/publish/article_8213.shtml

Widely-Acclaimed Program to be Presented at BFHS and Middle School

By: R.J. Cohn
Editor

A large-scale prevention program aimed at significantly reducing first-time meth use through an aggressive statewide campaign is coming to Bonners Ferry.

Presentations of the widely-acclaimed Idaho Meth Project - an innovative program geared to educating Idaho’s teenagers and middle schoolers before they start experimenting with the highly-addictive drug - will be given at both Bonners Ferry High and Middle schools March 26.

Sponsored by the Bonners Ferry Chamber of Commerce, the nonprofit project launched in January is on a statewide blitz promoting a series of graphic ads and films depicting the ravages of methamphetamine use. Designed to prevent meth use by raising awareness of the dangers of the easy-to-obtain drug, the program was first established two years ago in Montana where it is credited with a 45 percent decline in teen meth use in that state.

To view entire article go to Rural Nortwest http://www.ruralnorthwest.com/artman/publish/article_8260.shtml

By: R.J. Cohn

For job seekers looking for new career and employment opportunities in the area, circle Saturday, March 29 on your calendar for the first multi-business job fair in Boundary County.

Scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Exhibit Hall in the Fairgrounds, residents interested in securing employment with local companies won’t have to compete with hundreds of others at other job fairs in neighboring counties.

Anita Stockdale-Woods, who is organizing the event, hopes to have close to 20 businesses and organizations at the job fair, which is being hosted by the Greater Bonners Ferry Chamber of Commerce.

“I’m hoping the turnout will be so positive that the event will turn into an annual job fair that will not only help prospective applicants, but will also improve exposure for local existing businesses,” said Stockdale-Woods, a relationship services officer for Panhandle State Bank.

She is also hoping the event will help match qualified employees with companies at the job fair, many of which will be conducting on-site interviews and providing applications.

“It’s also an opportunity for many of Boundary County’s home-based businesses to get the word out for more exposure,” she said.

So far, close to a dozen businesses and organizations have contacted Stockdale-Woods and will have representatives present at the March 29 job fair. They include: Panhandle State Bank, Mountain West Bank, Boundary Community Hospital, Idaho Educational Services, Partnership for Inclusion, Welco, University of Phoenix, Bonners Ferry Chamber of Commerce, Community Cancer Services, True North Expeditions and Teresa’s Family Salon.

Of those, Stockdale-Woods said Welco, Idaho Educational Services, Partnership for Inclusion, BCH and True North Expeditions will be accepting resumes and applications for prospective applicants.

For more information, contact Anita Stockdale-Woods at (208) 818-7498 or email her at anitaw@panhandlebank.com.

THE NEW CHAMBER WEBSITE IS HERE!!!

Go to www.bonnersferrychamber.com and check it out!