Excursions through the beautiful St. Maries River Valley are beautiful any time of year and by this time next year they are expect to be available by railroad.
The owner of the St. Maries River Railroad has purchased passenger cars and plans to set up an excursion train for tourists in St. Maries. Three of the cars are here and will be open to the public for viewing during the Christmas in St. Maries celebration Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the depot on 10th Street.
Other events planned for Saturday’s CHRISTMAS IN ST. MARIES include Craft fairs at the Eagle’s Lodge, Grub Box and PACE Fitness with merchant sales and festivities at area businesses
12:30PM Santa’s Arrival on Main Avenue
1 to 5PM Vendors on the Main Avenue
1 to 4PM Horse-drawn wagon rides pick up and drop off at the Grub Box
Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Contest • Letters to Santa & Pictures with Santa at The Paperhouse
5PM Lighted Christmas Parade
Something for everyone to kick off the holiday season.
Most any resident can tell you St. Maries is a pretty great place to live and those of us who live here are thankful we do.
We’re thankful for our neighbors and for the friendly atmosphere that abounds throughout this community. We’re thankful for the rivers, the lakes and the mountains. Still others are thankful for the four distinct seasons those living in northern Idaho experience each year. Many are thankful for the hunting and fishing, the hiking and bicycling trails, and the multitude of outdoor activities available.
This Thanksgiving weekend many of us are thankful to call St. Maries home.
Don’t feel like cooking dinner tonight?
The St. Maries Eagles Lodge’s third annual soup and pie dinner is from 5 to 7 p.m. tonight, Nov. 16. The cost for the meal is two cans of food per person.
With this event, you’re eating dinner while helping stock the shelves area residents in need.
“We hope to have a lot of support to help out our local food bank,” Gordon Hutchison said.
Local restaurants will supply the soups for the meal. Mr. Hutchison said anyone who would like to donate a pie may bring it to the Eagles before the meal.
The Eagles will also be the site of the annual Craft Fair during Christmas in St. Maries Dec. 1.
From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the community is invited to come and shop several vendor booths.
Members of the Eagles will sell cinnamon rolls for breakfast and coffee will be available all day. Lunch will also be served. The menu will include hot dogs, hamburgers, chili dogs, cheeseburgers and more.
The fundraisers will help support the Eagles Lodge.
St. Maries is filled people and organization working to help those in need, and what a better time to give and share than the holidays.
For 
as long as most residents can remember the St. Maries Elks Lodge has distributed food and gifts each Christmas season to area residents in need.
This year is no different.
And for nearly as long, members of the Elks Lodge have sponsored fundraisers to augment the multitude of generous donations provided by area businesses and individuals.
A favorite fundraiser is Saturday’s annual Elks Turkey Bingo. Hundreds of people turn out to play bingo, and visit with their friends and neighbors while taking a chance at winning a turkey for their holiday meal. For just 25¢ each card it’s an entertainment bargain.
The games start at noon at the St. Maries Elks Lodge and continue until 5PM. Concessions will be available and turkeys abundant.
Have you ever realized that some of the best public events are planned and run by volunteers?
Christmas is just a little more than six weeks away and dozens of volunteers have already been working hard organizing the annual Christmas in St. Maries and the BetterCare Christmas Gala scheduled for the first weekend in December.
BetterCare is Benewah Community Hospital’s very own hospital auxiliary and includes an army of volunteers who work to raise money for equipment and things not budgeted for the facility. The Christmas Gala is Dec. 2 and is one of the most elegant events of the holiday season.
Plans for this year’s gala include a catered sit-down dinner with a menu choice between bacon-wrapped pork loin and chicken cacciatore. Jim Broyles and Carol Robinson will provide musical entertainment during the dinner and BetterCARE’s new Bear program will be introduced. The organization plans to provide a teddy bear to all children admitted to the Benewah Community Hospital.
The theme is an Old Fashioned Christmas. The event will be in the gym at the Church of the Nazarene in St. Maries to accommodate a larger crowd.
Tickets cost $25 each and can be purchased at the hospital or from any BetterCARE member. Admission includes an entry into the drawing for a fully-decorated 7-foot Christmas tree, which has been donated by Archie’s IGA. Gift baskets will also be raffled this year.
Time to start thinking of Christmas and BetterCare’s annual is just the thing to get you in the spirit of the holidays.
Republican Dave Resser came out the winner in the highly-contested battle for Benewah County Sheriff. He finished in front of Democrat Rick O’Donnell by 638 votes, while write-in candidate Jim Comack received the support of 179 voters.
The other Benewah County contest was that for Benewah County Commissioner. Voters decided to keep Commissioner Bud McCall, giving him 1,075 votes over his opponent, Republican Tom Howard.
District 5 legislative races were closer. The closest being the race for Representative Seat A, with Rep. Cindy Agidius winning by 61 votes. Rep. Ken De Vries lost the race for Seat B to Dem. Shirley Ringo by 964 votes. Dem. Dan Schmidt retained his seat in the Senate defeating Rep. Gresham Bouma by 275 votes.
In statewide results, both amendments to the state constitution, including SJR 102, involving the Board of Corrections managing felony probation, and HJR 2AA, involving protecting hunting, fishing and trapping as a way of life, passed. All three propositions involving educational reforms proposed by Superintendent Tom Luna and approved by the legislature earlier this year were rejected by voters.
Rep. Raul Labrador was reelected to serve as the U.S. Representative for District 1.
Benewah County voters cast their ballots as follows:
Sheriff
Rep. Dave Resser 2,162
Dem. Rick O’Donnell 1,524
Writ-in Jim Comack 179
Commissioner District 1
Dem. Jack Buell 2,925
Commissioner District 3
Dem. Bud McCall 2,426
Rep. Tom Howard 1,351
Prosecuting Attorney
Doug Payne 2,480
Magistrate Patrick McFadden Retention
Yes 3,115
No 723
In other Idaho races voted upon by area residents:
District 5 Senate
Dem. Dan Schmidt 8,254
Rep. Gresham Bouma 7,979
District 5 Representative Seat A
Rep. Cindy Agidius 8,069
Dem. Paulette Jordan 8,008
District 5 Representative Seat B
Dem. Shirley Ringo 8,502
Rep. Ken De Vries 7,538
U.S. Representative, District 1
Rep. Raul Labrador 148,153 62.9 percent
Dem. Jimmy Farris 73,244 31.1 percent
Lib. Rob Oates 8,900 3.8 percent
Ind. Pro-Life 5,284 2.2 percent
Poll results for amendments and propositions included:
S.J.R. 102:
Yes 358,806 74.6 percent
No 122,043 25.4 percent
H.J.R. 2aa:
Yes 363,430 74.3 percent
No 125,529 25.7 percent
Proposition 1
Yes 219,723 43.1 percent
No 289,646 56.9 percent
Proposition 2
Yes 216,257 42.4 percent
No 293,976 57.6 percent
Proposition 3
Yes 171,902 33.7 percent
No 337,825 66.3 percent
It’s another busying weekend in St. Maries! Book sales for the library, an auction and spaghetti for the Boller family and the Dutch oven dinner for
If you’re in need of a good winter read chances are you’ll find it at the seventh annual Friends of the Library book sale. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3.
This year, children who attend with an adult can take home five free children’s book as well as a free video. Hardcover books will be sold for $1 and paperbacks are 25 cents.
The Friends of the Library collects books year round from the community in preparation for their annual sale and uses the money to help support the library.
The nonprofit group averages between 20 and 30 members. Anyone who wants to get involved can visit the library for more information.
Another great event this weekend is the spaghetti dinner and benefit for longtime St. Maries resident Kenny Boller and his family. Mr. Boller was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in April. He’s received chemotherapy treatments and will undergo a stem-cell transplant soon.
The Spaghetti-O’s, a group of volunteers who frequently pull together when there is a need, will serve the dinner. Kenny’s friends, family and neighbors have pulled together a live auction, silent auction and dessert auction to help pay for the families expenses.
And that’s not all.
Saturday is Hope’s Haven’s third annual Dutch Oven Dinner.
Dinner is served from 5 to 7 p.m. and includes a large menu of approximately 20 entrees and 10 desserts. Volunteers from St. Joe Outfitters will return this year to help cook and serve the food Dutch ovens.
Hope’s Haven is the animal shelter in Benewah County. This year organizers hope to raise money to help refurbish dog kennels. The kennels were first installed in 2001.
For additional information call the shelter at 245-7387.
Despite the rain and threat of snow, area children are excitedly gearing up for trick or treat and Halloween.
Their parents and others in the community have organized events to help make it memorable.
In Fernwood, south of St. Maries, the UpRiver School’s PTO annual carnival is Saturday. Though the PTO conducts fundraisers to purchase extra items for the school, this event is just for fun. The carnival is from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 27.
Other area Halloween activities include:
- Fright Night – 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 26 at Benewah Community Hospital
- Haunted Forest – from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Oct. 26 & 27 at Cherry Bend Boat Park – cost $4
- Harvest Night – from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 31 – at the SM Library
- VeggieTales Movie – begins at 6 p.m. Oct. 31 at the Assembly of God
- Heyburn Harvest Festival – 3 to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 31 at Nazarene Church – cost $5
St. Maries is a great community and at the heart of every great community are its people, its school, and its sports programs.
At the heart of St. Maries are the Lumberjacks. Whether it’s the tough and tumble football players or the state champion volleyball team, the community and the Lumberjack Booster Club are behind its teams, its coaches, through every season.
The Lumberjack Booster Club has supported St. Maries High School for several years, supplementing the school budget with the purchase of uniforms and supplies for the school’s athletic teams. The annual Lumberjack Hall of Fame Banquet & Auction is the primary fundraiser for the booster club.
This year’s banquet is Nov. 9 at the Elks Lodge. The event begins with a social hour at 5 p.m. followed by dinner at 6 p.m. The newest member of the Lumberjack Hall of Fame, Steve Konkright, will be inducted at 6:30 p.m. with the auction and games to follow. Tickets are $20 each and diners have a choice of New York Strip or Chicken for dinner.
Mr. Konkright, or “Konk” has he’s known, taught sixth grade at St. Maries Middle School for approximately 30 years before he retired. In addition to a career as a favored teacher, Konk coached baseball, softball, basketball and volleyball, often as a junior varsity, providing the younger athletes with a strong foundation of knowledge and skill in each sport. During that time the Lumberjacks, varsity and junior varsity carried some impressive records. Who more deserving to be honored than the coach that lead them there.
Just 225 tickets will be sold for the dinner. Tickets can be purchased at the following locations: Archie’s IGA, BrickwaL.L. Spa & Espresso, Country Fair, Mountain Plating and Studio 201
It’s definitely October. The air is cool and crisp, there is a multitude of hunters in town each day, and the cottonwood trees are bedecked in the bright orange, yellow and red of fall, leaving little doubt it’s October.
Another sure sign it’s October is the multitude of campaign signs dotting the roadsides and sprinkling the yards throughout the area.
The Benewah County Farm Bureau wants area voters to be prepared and to do so will sponsor a candidate forum Saturday. The forum begins at 10 a.m. in the conference room at the Federal Building in St. Maries.
All District 5 legislative and county candidates have been invited to attend.
Candidates include Dan Schmidt and Gresham Bouma for state senate; Cindy Agidius and Paulette Jordan for the House Seat A; Shirley Ringo and Ken DeVries for House Seat B.
Benewah County races include commissioners for District 3 Bud McCall and Tom Howard; and Benewah County sheriff candidates Rick O’Donnell (D), Dave Resser(R), and write-in candidate, Jim Comack.
The candidates will answer general questions submitted by members of the public before the forum.
The forum is expected to adjourn at noon.
To submit questions for the candidates mail them to Chairwoman Carole Rust, C/O Benewah County FB, 412 Main Ave., St. Maries or e-mail: spatterson@idfbins.com.
Be prepared. Learn the issues. Meet and listen to the candidates.
