The Clearwater Tribune is the official county newspaper of beautiful Clearwater County, located in north-central Idaho. Orofino is the county seat. Other towns in Clearwater County include Weippe, Pierce, Ahsahka, and Greer. We at the Clearwater Tribune are dedicated to providing interesting, informative hometown news.
Waiting at the SpokaneAirport for the trip of their lifetime are WWII Veterans: Robert M. Goodwin (Navy Quartermaster First Class 1941-1946) (left) and Perk Lyda (Navy Seaman First Class 1946-1947) (right). Harmon Cross (Army First Sgt. 1967-Viet Nam and 2009-Iraq) is pictured in the rear.
By Alannah Allbrett
Two longtime Orofino residents, both WWII Veterans, got the trip of a lifetime to visit the WWII Memorial in Washington, DC, Sept. 24. Perk Lyda and Robert M. Goodwin got to participate in the Inland Northwest Honor Flight (INWHF) program which makes it possible for WWII veterans, who are physically able, to see the memorial created with them in mind.
Harmon Cross (First Sgt., US Army) a veteran of both Viet Nam and Iraq, volunteered to escort them to the airport in Spokane and back home when they returned. Jerry McDuffy, Marine Corps veteran, served as their official Guardian and helped them every step of the way on this historic trip.
This, all-expense paid trip, was not one for the faint-hearted. Their itinerary had them scheduled for breakfast each morning by They were kept busy with trips to ArlingtonNationalCemetery – viewing the Changing of the Guard, visiting the Women’s Memorial at Arlington, the World War I Memorial, the Korean War and Vietnam War Memorials, the Navy and Marine Corps Memorials, and the AirForceMonument.
As the INWHF website says, “Support for these trips is provided by volunteers, and is at no cost to the veterans. Top priority is given to our most senior heroes - survivors of WWII and any veteran with a terminal illness who wishes to visit their memorial.” If you wish to become involved in supporting trips like this for other veterans, the web address is: www.inwhonorflight.org.
Orofino is saying goodbye this week to Roy Clay, former mayor, current councilman and longtime businessman who passed away Friday at the local hospital.
His presence will certainly be missed by the entire community.
Roy is one of the first persons I met when I moved here in 1969 and I always admired him and his three children, Mike, Kathy Hanson and Cindy Freeman. I often commented that Roy and his late wife Rose did a fine job of rearing their three children.
I was treated with respect and courtesy by Roy during our 40 plus years of doing business together through the Ponderosa and Tribune.
When my family broke up in 1984 Roy was the one business person who approached me and said he was sorry for the loss I had experienced. He was never chauvinistic and to me, being a female in the business world in Orofino in the 1980’s, made Roy a lasting star in my world.
I will miss him, his graciousness and leadership and offer sympathy to his family who will suffer a great void in their lives as all three of them continue to live here.
Quote: A man can have no better epitaph than that which is inscribed in the heart of his friends.
Wendy Ray of Orofino (center) with daughter’s Stacy (Ray) Fish of Boise (left) and Melissa (Ray) Elkinton of Portland after they finished The Dirty Dash in Boise Aug. 27.
Wendy Ray of Orofino and her two daughters recently got very “dirty.”
Ever hear of The Dirty Dash? It’s a fundraising mud run obstacle course at Boise’s BogusBasin. According to the website, http://www.thedirtydash.com/, The Dirty Dash “is a mud run obstacle course where a military boot camp meets your inner five-year-old’s fantasy and subsequently converts boy to man and then…man to swine.”
The Dirty Dash is held at different locations throughout the country, and courses are either 5K or 10K. Boise’s event, held Aug. 27, raised funds for the YMCA.
Participants in the event are encouraged to wear costumes, with awards given for things like the muddiest suit or dirtiest boss. Spectators may purchase water balloons to throw at participants during the Hog Wash.
“Stacy, my youngest, decided that it would be a great thing to do on the day of her bachelorette party. It was a great success and we all made it!” said Wendy.
Stacy (Ray) Fish, a 2001 graduate of OrofinoHigh School, and older sister Melissa (Ray) Elkinton, a 1998 OHS graduate, were joined in the event by Missy Coblentz and Carly Geidl, both of Boise.
It didn’t take long for the young Orofino Maniacs to find out what it is like to play in the CIL. For you non-football fans, that stands for the Central Idaho League. And, especially when you consider it’s size, with only three schools: Orofino, Kamiah and Grangeville, the respect this league receives state wide is amazing; rightfully so. Ask any of the coaches from the larger 3 –A programs from McCall to Bonners Ferry and they will tell you the same thing. Most of them cannot remember the last time they beat a smaller CIL opponent. One big reason for all the respect for our league: KAMIAH!
They were not any bigger, faster, or quicker. They didn’t run any fancy offense, and they rarely even threw the ball. So, how did the Kamiah Kubs offense rack up 42 points against the Maniacs defense? How did they stifle an offense that was a scoring machine one week ago against Kellogg? (Orofino had only 85 yards on the ground and less than 150 yards through the air).
For the answers, I went looking…where else, but the Fair Barn. And, that’s where I found Coach Kuykendall shopping the pigs, sheep and, undoubtedly, “the beef.” He was looking over the quality of the animals, but I think he, like some others, was probably looking harder at the names of the kids who raised them and who might need a little “help”. He’s a funny guy, our coach. He doesn’t get enough out of spending his time and money on the kids in the football program; as many are aware, he gives some pretty hefty support to the 4-H program as well.
“Sure!” Coach responded when I surprised him with a request for an interview.
“They were a lot more physical than us, but we’re real happy with some of the things we saw, and we know we will keep getting better. Tanner (running back, Tanner Schwartz) had some great runs and a few things worked for us. Kamiah’s line just totally disrupted our offense. We couldn’t run the middle, and they were too quick for us outside. Drake (Coach’s son, and quarterback for the Maniacs) had defenders hanging off him almost every time he threw the ball. Anytime you are starting a freshman and four sophomores this may happen…They were just a little more mature overall and therefore more physical.”
The Maniacs went into Friday’s contest dinged up, with their senior lineman, Thad Goodrich, on the sidelines. He should be back for next week, though, and that should help beef-up the Maniac’s line. And, speaking of beef, while on my way to the OCI parade, I happened on to a big part (well, two big parts) of the future of the Maniac football program: freshmen linemen, Cody and Austin Fugate.
The six foot-plus twins already tip the scales at over 520 pounds (combined weight, of course). They tell me they have a buddy, another freshman, who goes by the name, Alaska (Tyler Batterman) and is as big as them and also plays ball on the JV team. I can’t wait for this to all come together, and I’m sure the Orofino coaches can’t either… And, neither should the Orofino fans. Next action for the Maniacs is at home against the St. Maries Lumberjacks. Game time is tomorrow at OHS field.
In my opinion
The athletes who are playing football currently for Orofino (the high school and the COMMUNITY) are exceptional kids and really deserve a little more support from their community. So, why wait?A lot of you fans will be there when the championship games are played, but where are you now when the kids really need the encouragement? “Little Kamiah” showed up with as many fans as Orofino at our own home field last Friday…maybe more, by game’s end. Perhaps that is why they win so consistently. Why not support your team, and all the high school athletic programs, and your community, by attending a game?
So, where’s the beef? It’s hanging some where in a locker probably by now, or maybe starting to show up on the dinner table at Coach’s home or any of the other awesome supporters of the 4-H youthlivestock programs. If you need to hire a contractor, purchase groceries, book a room, or anything else, why not look to those who do their share to support our youth here, locally. There is a list of these livestock purchasers in this week’s Clearwater Tribune.
When one thinks of deadly heat waves Arizona, Chicago, or a tenement in New York City might come to mind. According to Clearwater County Coroner, Will Rambeau, there were two deaths in the county in August that were likely heat related.
Though the hot season has basically passed for our area for this year, there is always next year to consider. People with chronic illnesses and the elderly are particularly at risk.
Rambeau said, “There are people here who try to cool themselves with only a fan, as air-conditioning is not the norm for this area.” He went on to point out that some medications make people more sensitive to sunlight as well.
Preventative steps to take to take to avoid heatstroke or possible death are: (a) Keep well hydrated and drink lots of water. (b) A person with known chronic illnesses should advise their doctor if they do not have air-conditioning. (c) Arrange to spend the hottest part of the day with a family member or even in a public building such as a library to keep body temperatures at a safe level.
“It would be ideal,” said Rambeau, “for a family member or friend, to check on the person regularly.” It’s a matter of life and death.
Boise - Idaho Transportation Department Director Brian Ness denied a request by Friends of the Clearwater to put permits on hold and conduct a third contested case hearing about the proposed transport of over-legal loads by Weyerhaeuser on U.S. 12.
Weyerhaeuser proposes moving 12 over-legal loads from the Port of Wilma in WashingtonState across U.S. 12 to the Montana border en route to its paper processing plant in Grande Prairie, Alberta. The equipment will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The organization Friends of the Clearwater requested a contested case hearing before issuance of the permits.
Previously, contested case hearings were held on ExxonMobil's plan to use U.S. 12 to move equipment and ConocoPhillips' use of U.S. 12 to move equipment.
Ness said his decision was based on five factors:
Two contested case hearings about moving over legal loads on U.S. 12 involving ConocoPhillips and Imperial Oil/Exxon Mobil have already been held. The two hearings generated 72 hours of testimony.
The two previous cases involved the same issues the Friends of the Clearwater now raises regarding Weyerhaeuser. The Friends of the Clearwater participated in the Imperial Oil hearing;
Two different and independent hearing officers considered the same issues during each of the previous hearings;
After the previous hearings, the two independent hearing officers ruled on the issues and recommended issuing the permits; and
The law does not require nor allow a party to re-litigate issues and claims that have already been ruled upon by the appropriate authority.
“A third contested case hearing is not warranted. The facts and concerns raised in the petition have been fully considered in two separate hearings and resolved by hearing officers,” Ness said.
FIFTY YEARS AGO-Reuby Anderson (left) and Judy Wilfong modeling matching outfits for which Reuby won the ClearwaterCounty 4-H Style Revue.
By Cloann McNall
It’s Fair time in ClearwaterCounty and this is my favorite event of the year. I like the crowds of people, the smell of food, the carnival music and lights, exhibits, shows and parades.
Let’s go back in time…imagine Fair time around 1959-1960 when teenager Reuby (Anderson) Curfman won the ClearwaterCounty 4-H Style Revue. Her 4-H leader was possibly the late Mary Peterson, Reuby said. “It’s been a long time ago so it’s hard to remember the details.”
Her parents were the late Reuben and Rose Anderson.
Reuby, who is married to Pete Curfman, former county commissioner, said Monday she had an old Clearwater Tribune photo of her modeling theaward winning princess style dress of white flocking with blue dots.
The child, wearing a matching dress, in the picture with Reuby is Judy Wilfong, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. George Wilfong.
The dress was made for Lynette Gentry, who was unable to attend the style revue that night.
Reuby said she took eight years of sewing in 4-H and remembers modeling a black velvet dress and a plaid dress. She said, “I loved the black dress and still have it.”
And, yes, she does remember the name of her 4-H Club, the Banner Beavers.
Back then the Style Revue was held at the junior high school. All the 4-H open class exhibits and animals were in the same building with the animals at the end of the building where the flower and hobby exhibits are now.
A 1961 graduate of OrofinoHigh School, Reuby said “back then I thought, if I ever have a daughter I’m gonna sew. I don’t sew much anymore.”
Well, she and husband Pete had that daughter, Cindy, who now lives in Ahsahka and is married and has a family of her own.
The Curfmans also have a son, Ben, who lives at Cavendish with his wife and family.
In the meantime, back at the Curfman homestead on Curfman Road, Pete is retired and takes care of the farm and Reuby continues to work as a substitute mail carrier, and both enjoy their three grandchildren.
Lewis-Clark State College’s Clearwater Valley Educational Talent Search, a program that provides services to junior high and high school students to help prepare them for college in Lapwai, Kamiah, Kooskia and Orofino, recently had its grant renewed for $230,000 to continue the program for another five years through 2016.
LCSC started the Clearwater Valley Educational Talent Search and the Lewis-Clark Valley Talent Search in 2006. Federal TRIO programs are outreach and student service programs designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. TRIOis a suite of eight programs, including Talent Search, that are targeted to serve and assist low-income individuals, first generation college students, and individuals with disabilities through the academic pipeline from middle school to post-baccalaureate programs.
The Talent Search program identifies and assists individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who have the potential to succeed in higher education. The program provides academic, career, and financial counseling to these individuals and encourages them to stay in school, earn a high school degree, and continue on to college.
The Clearwater Valley ETS program has two educational advisors who work with the school districts in the four towns, and someone is at one of the schools at least twice a week. Although the grant is through LCSC, the goal is to get these students to attend any college, not specifically LCSC.
The Clearwater Valley ETS program helps students with studying skills, tutoring, career development activities, funding for field trips, ACT/SAT preparation, college campus visits, time management/organization skills, goal-setting, academic advice, self-esteem building, and assistance with forms for college admission, financial aid, and scholarships.
For the past four academic school years, the program has served more than 600 students. In 2007-08, the program helped 131 high school graduates, of which 127 applied for and 98 registered for college. The numbers have been similar during the last three years.
Traci Birdsell, LCSC’s Director of the Clearwater Valley ETS, says the program has been an asset to both the students and the schools. She states that having a Talent Search educational advisor at a school is like having a second counselor there to help students on career choices, studying for the ACT exams, and focusing on colleges.
“We’ve had students who started out as seventh graders who are now seniors and you can really see the changes,” Birdsell said. “There is more of a community feel to it. We have siblings now involved so we’re excited to be able to offer this program for another five years.”
Evelyn Carter is the LCSC educational advisor for the Orofino area, and is at the high school Mondays and Tuesdays.
The grant for Lewis-Clark Valley ETS program was not renewed.
For more information on the Clearwater Valley ETS program or TRIO at LCSC, contact Birdsell at either tbirdsel@lcsc.edu or call (208) 792-2848.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is offering a unique opportunity to drive across the top of Dworshak Dam – the tallest, straight axis, vertical, concrete dam in the United States – on Saturday, Sept. 17 from to
“Dam Cruise 2011” begins at the DworshakDamVisitorCenter. Restrictions will apply:
Standard trucks, cars and motorcycles only.
No external or saddle-style fuel tanks.
No towed vehicles or trailers.
Drivers must present a current driver’s license and vehicle registration.
Photo identification is required for all passengers 16 years of age and older.
All vehicle occupants must wear a seat belt when the vehicle is moving.
Passengers and driver may exit vehicle to sight-see and will be limited to 20 minutes on top of the dam to allow all visitors the chance to cruise the dam.
All vehicles are subject to inspection. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reserves the right to refuse entry.
Visitors should be aware that suspension of dam crossings may be implemented at any time due to operational needs, maintenance or construction-related activities, or a change in security conditions at a Corps dam.
The DworshakDamVisitorCenter will also be open that day from to
The visitor center offers a variety of interpretive displays, water safety activities, nature-themed movies for families on Fridays and historical films, including the popular “Last of the Log Drives” and “Dworshak Dam Construction.”
To get to the Dworshak Dam Visitor Center, drive five miles west of Orofino on state Highway 7; turn right onto Viewpoint Road and follow visitor center signs for about two miles; the visitor center is adjacent to the north dam abutment, located at North Fork Clearwater River Mile 2 on the north riverbank.
For more information regarding water levels, facilities access or recreation, call the visitor center at 208-476-1255.
Ted Brown took this photograph of his niece Ashley Lampert (left) and his daughter Rachelle Brown (right) standing near the Statue of Liberty with the WorldTradeCenter buildings in the background. The date on the bottom right-hand side of the picture is 09/10/2001. Rachelle now lives in Lewiston. Ashley lives in Canada.
By Alannah Allbrett
Orofino resident, and now City Councilman, Ted Brown took his family to New York City to attend a wedding. They stayed with family members on Long Island while there.
Ted took the above picture of his niece Ashley Lampert (then age 15) and his daughter Rachelle Brown (then age 17) from Liberty Island while viewing the Statue of Liberty.
It was a Monday (09-10-01); they also managed to visit Ellis Island, and the EmpireStateBuilding. They were going to finish the day at the WorldTradeCenter (TwinTowers), but it got to be too late in the day. So they postponed the TwinTowers stop until the following morning. They arrived back to their lodging on LongIsland– late, due to long delays in their train ride. Ted said there had been a huge thunderstorm that night; power was lost and the trains were shut down, creating a two hour delay.
The next morning, Tuesday, September 11 they made the decision to cancel the lengthy trip into Manhattan to see the Twin Towers. The train they would have taken was an early one, and they would have arrived at Penn Station at The first infamous strike, destroying the towers, occurred at
Pennsylvania Station is only a couple blocks away from the towers. Ted said when you step out of the station on that side; you would have immediately looked up in awe at the size of the looming buildings in front of you.
Following the attack, air flights were cancelled preventing them getting a flight out. Car rentals were discontinued temporarily, so they couldn’t rent a car to get home. Finally, two days later, a car was released to them on Thursday, and they departed Long Island at in the morning.
Leaving Long Island, they could see the wreckage and smell the smoke still coming up from the rubble of the destruction at Ground Zero. Ted said that is a smell they will never be able to forget. In their eagerness to get home, they drove straight through to Chicago that day.
Ten years ago a group of evil, but extremely committed religious extremists hijacked four airliners and turned them into weapons. It is difficult to relive those moments when we watched in horror and disbelief as the towers fell, the Pentagon smoldered and a crater in Pennsylvania burned.
That day, the world we lived in changed. As a member of the Senate’s Select Committee on Intelligence, the calamity of 9/11 influences my work daily and shapes every national security decision our country makes. While the workings of the committee are classified, I can report that our country is safer than it was 10 years ago, but only vigilance and dedication will keep it that way.
In the months and years after 9/11, measures and programs were put in place which prevented another attack of that magnitude from happening again. Our overseas intelligence gathering has increased in scope and magnitude; partnerships have been formed where they previously did not exist; and barriers that prevented information sharing between agencies have been broken down.
We have also killed or captured many of those who were either responsible for the attacks or complicit in them. Earlier this year, a group comprised of elite members of the U.S. military and intelligence community delivered a special kind of justice to Osama Bin Laden.
But just because Bin Laden is dead does not mean the threat from radical Islamist terrorists is over. I can attest that for every Bin Laden raid and other success we hear about in the news, there are many others we do not. Those who stand guard do not seek fame or recognition. They do their jobs because they are patriots and love this country.
The enemy we face is a dedicated and amorphous organization whose ideology is present on every continent. Our future success against this enemy will rely less and less on large scale counterinsurgency campaigns with conventional military forces. They will instead be more focused on building partnerships with host nations, denying terror groups the space and funding to train and plot attacks, and when prudent, striking them.
My message to U.S. service members and those in the intelligence community on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 is to stay aggressive and continue to take the fight to the enemy. You have our support and we thank you for the sacrifices you and your families make. We truly are a stronger nation because of you.
To the American people, let us reflect and honor those we lost on 9/11 and in its wake. While we will never forget what occurred on Sept. 11, 2001, we must always remember the lessons we so painfully learned and never lose sight of what needs to be done to prevent another attack on our soil.
Every now and then a researcher will discover a historical enigma, and unproven rumor, a story with a puzzling outcome. Such encounters are an irresistible challenge for Brad Meltzer, the #1 New York Times best-selling author. He unraveled many of them thread-by-thread in last year’s 10-part hit series, Brad Meltzer’s Decoded.
But there are many more secrets that remain unsolved, and Meltzer will tackle some of the most compelling ones when History brings Brad Meltzer’s Decoded back for a second season, airing in fourth quarter 2011.
Joining Brad are: Buddy Levy, a professor and journalist who assumes there is always more than meets the eye; Christine McKinley, a mechanical engineer who believes only what can be proved; and Scoot Rolle, a trial lawyer who is skeptical by nature. Together they will examine the clues, rumors and conspiracy theories behind some of society’s most perplexing mysteries.
Buddy Levy is a professor of English at WashingtonStateUniversity. He is also a freelance journalist who has covered adventure sports and lifestyle around the world, including expeditions in Argentina, Boreno, Europe, Greenland, Morocco and the Philippines.
His magazine articles and essays have appeared in Poets and Writers, Big Sky Journal, Ski, Discover, TV Guide, Trail Runner and Backpacker.
Levy lives in northern Idaho with his wife and two children.
In the new season, the Decoded team will examine unanswered questions surrounding such topics as the Declaration of Independence, FortKnox, Billy the Kid, the Vatican, and an ancient relic from the Crucifixion. Their sleuthing will lead them across the country and, for the first time, overseas.
Season one of Brad Meltzer’s Decoded averaged 1.6 million total viewers and improved History’s Thursday time period by 13 percent in adults 25-54.
Brad Meltzer is the #1 New York Times best selling author of The Inner Circle and seven other thrillers, as well as the non-fiction Heroes for My Son and the acclaimed comic book Justice League of America. Renowned for the depth and accuracy of his research, Meltzer was part of the Department of Homeland Security’s Red Cell program, helping to explore new ways that terrorists may attack the U.S.
Brad Meltzer’s Decoded is produced for History by Go Go Luckey and Berman/Braun. Executive producers for Go Go Luckey are Gary and Julie Auerbach. Executive producers for Berman/Braun are Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun and Gene Stein. Russ McCarroll is executive producer for History.
History and History HD are the leading destinations for revealing, award-winning original non-fiction series and event specials that connect history with viewers in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. Programming covers a diverse variety of historical genres ranging from military history to contemporary history, technology to natural history, as well as science, archeology and pop culture.
Among the network’s program offerings are hit series such as American Pickers, Ax Men, America Restoration, Ice Road Truckers, Top Gear, Pawn Stars and Top Shot, as well as acclaimed specials including Gettysburg, America the Story of US, WWII in HD, 102 Minutes That Changed America and Life After People.
History has earned four Peabody Award, seven Primetime Emmy® Awards, 12 News and Documentary Emmy® Awards and received the prestigious Governor’s Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Science for the network’s Save Our History campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education.
Take a Veteran to School Day is the network’s signature initiative connecting America’s schools and communities with veterans from all wars. The History website, located at www.history.com, is the leading online resource for all things history, featuring over 20,000 videos, images, audio clips, articles and interactive features that allow visitors to dig deeper into a broad range of thousands of historical topics.
