on This Day in Bonners Ferry History
100 Year
A good sized Plymouth Rock cockerel has taken up its abode at the blacksmith shop of J.R. Meeker and has become quite a pet. The chicken came to the shop one morning and finding Mr. Meeker a good provider of wheat decided to remain. It rarely goes out of the shop and seems to be perfectly contented. C.H. Bixler, of the grill, claims the cockerel but is likely to have to prove the claim beyond a doubt before getting possession.
M.F. McAnelly, who is farming several hundred acres of fine bottom land near Copeland, will soon begin the construction of a large corn silo with a capacity of 60 tons. The silo will have dimensions of 12 by 30 feet. Mr. McAnelly has a fine crop of corn this year and figures that with the new silo he will be able to keep his herd of fine grade and thoroughbred Brown Swiss cows in good shape the year round.
The Golden Rule Transfer Company has ordered a carload of ice and the arrival of the shipment is expected today. The ice supply in the city is entirely exhausted and all that is available is manufactured at the plant of the City Meat Market.
The case of J.H. Burns against the great Northern railway company, in which the plaintiff asked $200 for a horse killed by the defendant company’s train on July 28th, 1917, in the local freight yards, was given a jury trial yesterday afternoon before Probate Judge Henderson. The jury brought in a verdict for the plaintiff, allowing him $150 damages.
50 Year
The two latest additions to the extensive rural water network in Boundary county have been placed in operation and are now supplying water needs to 61 member families. Now in service are water units of the Twenty-Mile and Cow Creek Water associations.
A small army of sportsmen and boy scouts descended on a number of mountain lakes last Sunday in Idaho’s two northern most counties. The fish were placed in plastic sacks filled with ten pounds of water and pure oxygen. About 55 people cooperated on the project and 13 different lakes received fish. One pound of fish, about 1100 fish of fingerling size, is added to each sack.
“The Badger”, Bonners Ferry high school student publication, has taken on a new, professional look this year after changing format to a four-page tabloid newspaper that is being printed by letterpress in The Herald’s printing department. The paper is to be published bi-weekly.
At a special meeting of the Bonners Ferry city council last Friday evening, a motion was passed by the council to assure that all facts and facets will receive careful consideration by professional counselors who will advise the council regarding possible sale of the city’s water and electrical facilities. Washington Water Power company made an offer in Late July to purchase the city facilities for the sum of $1,600,000. The annual gross business of the combined water and electrical facilities of the city total $267,955.46 for the year 1966. Mrs. Lande, City Clerk, points out that $209,000 in outstanding bonds is yet to be paid by the city for the existing water filtration plant. If the facilities were sold, that amount would be taken out of the purchase price to pay off the bonds.
15 Year
Charlie Meeker was all smiles as he was honored for his great service at the Kootenai River Inn, where he’s worked for the last 13 years.
After two long years in the making, the City of Bonners Ferry took a huge step forward Sept. 19 in an attempt to revamp what many feel has been a slumping retail atmosphere here for decades. Setting aside a handful of protests, the Bonners Ferry City Council unanimously passed a resolution of intent to form a Local Improvement District (LID) to help fund improvements for the downtown revitalization project.
Thanks to Bonners Ferry Mayor Darrell Kerby, Landfill Manager Woody Watts, his crew at the landfill and the Helping hands of Naples, Barbara Russell and Bette Farrell, the first “Take It Or Leave It” days were a huge success. People from all over the city and county came to the landfill with items to leave and many went home with a “treasure”.
Despite their contention that an application for the bullet proof vest program was submitted illegally by the Sheriff’s Department, the Boundary County Commissioners approved the reimbursement request Tuesday.
Governor Dirk Kempthorn rolled up his sleeves to kick off Wednesday’s ceremonial groundbreaking for the pedestrian underpass in Bonners Ferry. Boundary County Commission Chairman Murreleen Skeen, Kootenai Tribal Chairman Gary Aitken and Bonners Ferry Mayor Darrell Kerby participated in the ceremony. The underpass is set for construction in 2003 and will connect the City parking lot with the Kootenai River Inn as part of the downtown revitalization project.