Do You Recall

10 Years Ago

•Steve Maki, son of the late Walt Maki, took down the sign on his dad’s old store on Main Street, Boundary Hardware, as the store’s contents, featuring hardware and sundries spanning decades, were shipped to Moscow to be auctioned.

•Lon Huggins, 73-years young, began a second stint behind the counter at Napa Auto Parts. After serving in the U.S. Navy, at various local mills and at the local Safeway store, Lon went to work at Napa in 1957, and stayed 35 years, retiring in 1991. After working at Sims Implement since then, Napa owner Jeff Dunn asked him to come back, and Lon did.

•Bowlers past and present attended a surprise party for long-time sponsor Gene Barber, owner of Gene’s OK Tires at the south end of Main Street. Gene, who was presented a commemorative quilt made or bowling shirts and patches, including the old logo, OK Girls, had sponsored a local mens’ and womens’ team since 1959.

•It was announced that the Boundary County Library would receive $11,133.68 to buy computers and get on-line as part of a $1-million grant to rural Idaho libraries across the state by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

15 Years Ago

•School Superintendent John Schwartz said the district was getting down to the bare-bones work of developing a comprehensive facilities project that included a new boiler and repairs to the gym at Mount Hall, restrooms and a library at Evergreen, heating and electrical system improvements at Valley View and a new high school for 900 students. The plan called for moving the Junior High to the facility currently housing the high school.

•BFHS seniors Erin Douthit, Allison Morman, Brent Nyberg, Kelli Ripatti, Karen Taft and Mike Walter achieved 4.0-grade point averages for the third quarter of the 1994-1995 school year.

Area farmers were faced with the dilemma of whether or not to re-plant their winter wheat after a harsher-than-usual winter kill, caused by dry soil conditions last fall and a winter without plant protection from snow. “This is a stressful time for some farmers,” said county extension agent Dave Wattenbarger. “If they decide to repplant, it will take money and time, and buying seed right is hard.”

•Sandy Beggerly cut the ribbon and invited a throng of guests into her house, the first home completed by the Boundary County Chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Chapter president Dave Gause told those attending that they were witnessing a true miracle.

50 Years Ago

•Probate judge George Unternahrer, prosecuting attorney W.W. Nixon, M.E. Shelman, Ralph Earl, sheriff James Mulvaney, Fr. Michael King and Harold Farley of the Idaho Department of Education met with R.W. Quinn, a supervisor with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington, D.C., and William E. Ensor Jr., superintendent of the North Idaho Indian Agency, Lapwai, to develop workable economic development plans for the Kootenai Indians in preparation for using monies expected from the imminent settlement of the tribe’s claim against the federal government.

•H.J. Swiney, director of the Idaho Historical Society, was slated to speak at a “get organized” meeting for those interested in helping form a Boundary County Historical Museum. The meeting was hosted by the Junior Chamber of Commerce at the K-P Hall.

•Lester Howard announced his interest in selling his interest in the firm of Douglas and Howard to Dayton Douglas and J.B. Wages. Mr. Douglas and Mr. Howard operated the Carter Oil distributorship and service station on Main Street Bonners Ferry for 10-years. Wages, a county resident since 1955 who formerly worked at Kootenai Grain Company, planned to operate the service station as J.B’s Carter Servicenter.

100 Years Ago

•Funeral services were held for William B. Thews, who maintained a residence in Spokane but for the last ten years served as the U.S. immigration officer in Bonners Ferry. He served in the Idaho House of Representatives and was at one time clerk of the Oneida County Court.

•E.R. Welch was credited with taking good care of 16 Chinese pheasants given the county by the State of Idaho last fall; the birds were reported to have wintered well and were set free this week in hopes of founding a Panhandle flock. Any sportsman caught taking one of the birds within five years of the release was subject to a $100 fine and a jail sentence.

•The Pastime Cigar Store announced that their fountain was returned to running order, and ice cream was available for the summer.

•Deputy U.S. Marshal J.E. Green came to Bonners Ferry from his office in Moscow to subpoena J.H. Hoagland to appear in Spokane the following week to testify in the case against Howell, a lone man accused of robbing a mail car on the Great Northern Line a year and a half earlier.