Join more than 700 others for lunch today and support a piece of our history at the same time.
The 26th annual St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Eagles Lodge Friday, March 14. Served will be the traditional baked potato with all the fixings and dessert for $5. Take-out orders are available for those who call ahead.
Kay Sather, Sara Renner, Colleen Smith, Priscilla Derry and Sarah Mason are some of the volunteers that help put the St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon that benefits the Hughes House Trust each year. The 26th annual event is Friday.
It takes a volunteer crew of more than 20 people to organize and run the fundraiser each year. Money raised from the event goes to support operation costs of the Hughes Historical House on Main Avenue. Approximately $2,000 was raised last year.
Call 208-245-2421 to make an order.
Corbin Scheer, Heyburn elementary student, was recently featured in the St. Maries Gazette Record after he won the local spelling bee. Below are his questions and answers as they appeared in the March 5th publication.
Corbin Scheer was the fourth grade spelling champion at Heyburn Elementary’s spelling bee Jan. 30. He spelled market to win.
Did you expect to win the local bee? Are there any perks to being the winner?
Not really because I wasn’t a very good speller before and I just thought someone else would win. But I did do some practicing and it helped. Not really any perks. Just what I already do. I hang out with my friends and play.
Was there someone you thought would win?
Yeah. (There’s a girl) in my fourth grade class who is really smart. She never talks a lot but she is really smart and I thought she would beat me because she is so smart. I was kind of nervous. There were a bunch of people in the audience and it can be scary when you are up there for the first time. There were a lot of good spellers. My winning word was market.
So now you’re headed to the regional bee in March. Are you nervous?
Yeah. There’s going to be a lot more people. And I will compete against fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth graders. I’m up against kids in middle school. It’s also in Coeur d’Alene, which is a bigger place. I have been to NIC with my mom because she coaches volleyball so we went there for volleyball tournaments. There won’t be very many kids there that I know except for the fifth grade winner from our school.
What are you doing to practice?
I’ve been trying to start practicing the words that my teacher gave me. I usually try to practice for two hours in the morning and in the evening. I try to get a few words in. My mom helps me and she is really good because she knows all the words and all the definitions. There are 375 words on the list and 375 definitions.
What advice or tips have you received?
My uncle told me if you go to the park and there are people there just sit down on a bench and start spelling words. My mom told me to just practice in front of family, to spell words to them.
Are there any words you’re worried about?
There are going to be some pretty big words. There’s a whole bunch of them. I can’t think of any right now. The ones at the local bee were kind of easy. But the new words are hard. That’s why I’m trying to practice so much. I think there are also some words in the list that are foreign words and so they can be hard. Carriage has been a hard one for me.
Do you have any favorite words you like to spell?
My favorite word to spell is Mississippi because it’s a word that I didn’t know how to spell for a long time. It’s a long word and I am now able to spell it. It’s a good word.
Any tricks you use to help you do better when you are on stage?
I just try not to think about it. I look over the audience and that helps a lot.
I know you are probably nervous for the regional bee. Are you excited?
Yeah. I think I should do pretty good. Maybe stay in for a few rounds. I think I should do okay. I have a lot of self-confidence. And some of my friends, and my family, will be in the audience too.
What are your favorite subjects in school and why?
I like math and spelling. Spelling because I always do get good grades. I like math a lot. I’m pretty good at it and I learn lots of stuff that I can use when I’m grown up.
When you’re not practicing for the regional bee, what hobbies do you enjoy?
I like to ride dirt bikes. And I play sports. My mom coaches volleyball so I go to volleyball tournaments with her. I really like playing sports. It’s a favorite of mine.
As the seasons change, so does our focus. The volunteers in our area start to get ready to do big, big things. And this summer’s events are no different.
Even though the second annual St. Maries Relay for Life isn’t until August, planning and fundraising begins this week. Anyone who wants more information about the event should attend the kick-off meeting Tuesday, March 11. It starts at 6 p.m. in the multipurpose room at Heyburn Elementary.
Aki Hicks, Brandi Scheffelmaier, Crystal Houck holding Dalton Swisher, Stephanie Remington, Sandy Auer, Kristina Mills, Starla Thompson and her daughter Aspen invite the community to the Relay for Life kick-off in St. Maries, which is March 11.
Sisters Crystal Houck and Starla Thompson led the effort to host the first event in St. Maries last year. The women lost their grandmother to cancer and wanted to do something in her memory. That first effort boasted nine teams and netted more than $30,000 for the American Cancer Society.
Lucky for us, the sisters are back. Crystal and Starla, with the help of several other local volunteers, are organizing the 2014 event.
Teams can register at the March 11th meeting and will then be able to start fundraising. Organizers hope to have 20 teams this year and raise $50,000.
Area residents are invited to enjoy a free breakfast and hear a compelling story.
The breakfast is provided courtesy of Potlatch Corporation. The story is about the work CASA volunteers do in Benewah County.
“Potlatch really gave us a boost by agreeing to fund the breakfast,” Dan Hammes, who is helping organize the event, said. “This is our first attempt here in Benewah County to raise money and tell the story about our CASA program. We hope we get a good turnout.”
The first-ever Ray of Hope breakfast in Benewah County is March 6 at 7 a.m. at the Eagles Lodge in St. Maries. CASA volunteers (Court Appointed Special Advocates) are appointed by a judge and advocate on behalf of children who have been removed from the home because their parents are in trouble with the law.
Several local businesses have agreed to be major sponsors of the fundraiser by contributing $250 to CASA.
“Once again local businesses have stepped forward when the community needed the help. Now we need to get area residents to take the time and attend the breakfast and learn more about what these volunteers do for us here,” Mr. Hammes said.
In addition to breakfast there will be a short program that will include brief comments by different speakers and a video about CASA. The purpose is to make more people aware of what CASA does and to raise money.
“When people see what CASA does the response is universal – they want to help. Not everyone can be a volunteer but even a small donation will go a long way to ensuring we continue to offer these services to children who need it most here in Benewah County,” Mr. Hammes said.
The breakfast starts at 7 a.m. Those attending are asked to RSVP by calling the Gazette Record at 245-4538.
This question and answer series with Race the Joe! Race Director Shirley Ackerman appeared in the Feb. 19 edition of the St. Maries Gazette Record Ten Questions
1. When is this year’s jet boat race?
The 2nd Annual Race the Joe! 2014 jet boat race is scheduled May 23-25.
2. What events are being planned?
Friday, May 23 is the Show & Shine Boat Show, sponsored by Avista. It is a free community event. It starts at 6 p.m. at the Cormana Building, St. Maries. Come meet and take photographs with the race teams. Fireworks at dusk. Saturday, May 24 and 25 racing starts at 10 a.m. with several legs between IFI Landing to Calder and back. Spectators may watch for free from any riverbank with public access.
3. What do you enjoy about being involved with the organization of the jet boat race?
Jet boat racing is fun. It’s a tremendous joy to see families and friends enjoying a great event right here in our beautiful community. The fans that come and patronize our local businesses are so complimentary about our community. The race teams absolutely love coming to St. Maries and having the chance to race here. As race organizers we are building a fantastic community event people can enjoy for years to come.
4. How many volunteers helped with last year’s race?
We had approximately 100 volunteers take part in last year’s race.
5. What jobs are available to volunteers?
Volunteers were from EMS, fire departments, law enforcement, communications and others in the community who helped with race logistics such as monitoring race pit areas, set up and take down of fencing, signs, chairs and tables and clean-up crew. We also rely on Safety Boat Captains to help monitor the waterways of the course.
6. What is the time commitment for a volunteer? Is there any training required?
Volunteers may get as involved as their time allows. The St. Maries – St. Joe Jet Boat Chamber committee meets at least once a month, and usually meets more frequently in the months leading up to the race. All volunteers are asked to attend a safety briefing the week of the race itself. We also will have specific safety boat training in early May this year.
7. How can people who want to volunteer get involved?
They may contact me directly at shelackr@hotmail.com or contact the Chamber office at (208) 245-3563. Volunteers are still needed; we welcome anyone who would like to be a part of this fun event.
8. Are there any specific local civic groups/ organizations that help with the event each year?
Civic groups include members of the St. Maries Chamber of Commerce, Benewah Co. Sheriff’s Department, Shoshone Co. Sheriff’s Department, St. Maries Fire Department, St. Maries Ambulance, St. Joe EMS, Calder Volunteer Fire Department and Benewah Co. Search and Rescue Communications. Volunteers from various groups such as Kiwanis, Rotary, Masons, Paul Bunyan Days, St. Joe Car Club and others have helped as well.
9. Why are volunteers so important not only to this event, but to others as well?
Volunteerism builds a strong community and creates opportunities for others. These events and civic organizations/groups absolutely would not be possible without these individuals’ passion to give back to their community. Local volunteers bring a wealth of knowledge and passion in their areas of expertise such as EMS, fire and law enforcement which are absolutely essential to keeping racers and fans safe. Local volunteers stepped forward to bring the 2012 USA World Jet Boat Championship to the St. Joe River. And it was these same volunteers with the support of many others in the community that have now created an exciting free community event that brings in people and economic development to this area. Volunteers help make this a wonderful free event for everyone to enjoy. They also help to reduce the costs associated with putting on a race of this size and bring their passion to make it a fun, safe event for everyone.
10. Is there anything else people should know about this year’s race or becoming a volunteer?
There are many ways to volunteer at a jet boat race. Are you interested in learning how to be a scorer, timer or flagger at the start lines? Do you have a boat and knowledge of the St. Joe River, perhaps you may want to learn to be a safety boat captain or flagger? Do you want to help keep people safe and see the race teams up close, then help monitor traffic and pedestrians at the race hot pit areas? Do you like walking in nature? Then the clean-up crew is a great job with lots of camaraderie. Volunteers must be 18 or older. In some areas they may be 12 to 17 depending on the duties associated with the volunteer position.
