Kootenai Tribe donates reader board to BCSD

by Julie Golder Staff Writer
| April 5, 2011 1:35 PM

The Kootenai Tribe in Bonners Ferry donated the electronic reader board that once stood in front of the Kootenai River Inn to Boundary County School District.

Supt. Don Bartling said the school would not have been able to afford this sign if the Kootenai Tribe wasn’t so generous.

“We donated the reader board at a time when we installed our new sign at KRI and we thought it would be a nice thing for tribal council to give it back to the school, kids and the community,” said Jennifer Porter, Kootenai Tribal council chairwoman.

Readers boards similar to the one that has just been placed at Boundary County Middle School on Highway 95 can cost up to $25,000.

“We really want the Kootenai Tribe to know that without their donation of this sign the district could not even think about putting up a new sign right now, and we are tremendously grateful to their generosity and their continued commitment to the community,” Bartling said.

“Council members Veronica and Cecille Abraham put a lot in to making this happen as well,” siad Porter.

Boundary County School District maintenance director Jim Bace has been working on getting the sign up and running.

“The Tribe gave us the sign last fall when the KRI got their new one,” Bace said. “We had some upgrades and repairs to have done and had to wait for some of the snow to go before we could start to install it.”

The reader board was changed adding “Boundary County School District No. 101” with a paw print along the top.

Bace worked with YESCO out of Coeur d’ Alene to get the poles set up so they could hang the sign, and Boundary Electric helped with trenching the electric and conduit to get power to the sign.

Bace said the sign will be fully operational by March 31.

“We will be able to put up school and local events,” said Bartling. “This donation will greatly benefit the community by keeping all current and upcoming events posted for all to read. It will be a pleasure to be able to promote all school activities and events more accurately and efficiently with the new reader board.”