Theron Bruce and Coral Klaudt celebrate 40th anniversary



Theron Bruce and Coral Klaudt were married on Coral’s parent’s (Ray and June Klaudt) 25th wedding anniversary, May 1, 1971 at the Church of the Nazarene in Orofino.

They first lived in Missoula, MT before moving to Peck in the autumn of 1971. They met at Bruce’s dairy in 1968, the summer Coral moved to Orofino from Missoula.

Theron attended Banner School, graduated from Orofino High School in 1965, from ISU in 1970 and LCSC in 1994. He has been involved in the logging industry, in education, and at present enjoys a long rewarding career in school bus driving. He drives the same Harmony Heights route that he rode as a boy and concurrently tends the home places.

He enjoys visiting and traveling, trains, hobby-logging and woodworking (from sawing it to sawing it up and building it).

Coral attended public schools in Missoula, MT, graduated from Sentinel High School in 1968, and attended Business College there. She worked at State Hospital North, and for the Army Corps of Engineers.

Primarily a homemaker, she also enjoys gardening, especially her flowers, and has studied and become an accredited flower show judge. She enjoys sharing her flowers and floral art, and helping out at flower shows and county fairs around the area.

Family and faith are priorities to Theron and Coral. They are members of the Church of the Nazarene in Orofino, where Theron served as treasurer and board member for many years, and Coral has helped organize and decorate for seasons dinners and special occasions.

They are both music fans, especially Southern Gospel, Gaither and Blue Grass music. They have lived in Peck for 40 years, where they raised their four children Jeremy, Cicely, Jason and Jarel. Their children attended Peck and Orofino schools, all graduating from Orofino High School before moving on to higher education opportunities and attaining degrees at LCSC, U of I, the U.S. Navy, NIC and others.

 

Family outings and traveling to visit their children and grandchildren in their various unique and interesting locations around the country are highlights.

Their children are: son Jeremy, his wife Krista in AK with their children Taylor, Sydney and Jerron; daughter Cicely and husband Nathan Bernard on the Oregon coast with their son Sawyer; son Jason and wife Trisha in Florida (with the U.S. Navy) and their girls Rachel and Hannah; and their son Jarel and wife Megan in Wyoming with bird dog Ava Hund. Also part of the family are: DesiRae, Tim and Drake Zabel of Clarkston, WA.

With all the Bruce family coming home to Peck in July, a family reunion celebration was held, honoring special birthdays and anniversaries, including a picnic and camping at the Grangemont place.

Smoking Cessation

The most important New Year's resolution you may ever make

The New Year is a symbol of renewal and can be a time to prepare for new beginnings. It is a time to set goals and make them public so that you can get support and encouragement from friends and family. Many smokers use the New Year's holiday as motivation to quit.

For some, this is the first time they've tried to quit; for others, they may have tried before. Regardless, this may be the most important resolution a smoker ever makes. Free help is available by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

Break the Addiction

Nicotine is the drug in tobacco products that makes them addictive. In fact, nicotine dependence is the most com-mon form of addiction in the United States. Research suggests that nicotine is as addictive as heroin, cocaine, or alcohol.

Quitting smoking can be challenging and may require multiple attempts. But you can quit, and it's important to keep trying. Don't give up! You learn something new every time you try.

Almost 50 million smokers have successfully quit. In fact, since 2002, the number of former U.S. smokers has exceeded the number of current smokers.

Smokers want to smoke because nicotine changes the way the brain works and causes them to crave more and more nicotine. These powerful cravings can make it hard to think about anything else. Smoking can cause both physical and mental addiction. But smokers can beat addiction to tobacco.

The first days are the most uncomfortable. The physical symptoms end about three weeks after you quit. You can beat the mental addiction, too.

Improve Your Health

Breaking free from nicotine dependence is not the only reason to quit smoking. Cigar-ette smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals and chemical compounds, many of which are toxic or carcinogenic (i.e., cause cancer).

Smoking is one cause of dangerous plaque buildup inside your arteries. Plaque is made of cholesterol and scar tissue. It clogs and narrows your arteries. This can trigger chest pain, weakness, heart attack, or stroke. Plaque can rupture and cause clots that block arteries. Completely blocked arteries can cause sud-den death.

Fortunately, people who stop smoking can greatly reduce their risk for disease and premature death. And the younger you are when you quit, the better your chance for avoiding these problems. So don't wait!

Quitting smoking:

·   lowers the risk for lung and other types of cancer.

·   reduces the risk for coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease.

·   reduces respiratory symptoms, such as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.

·   reduces the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), one of the leading causes of death in the United States.

·   reduces the risk for infertility among women during their reproductive years. Women who stop smoking during pregnancy also reduce their risk of having a low birth weight baby.

If you quit smoking, you will also help protect your children, family, and friends from exposure to secondhand smoke that can cause immediate harm to the nonsmokers who breathe it.

Support to Quit

For support to quit, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669; TTY 1-800-332-8615). You can get free support and advice from experienced coun-selors, a personalized quit plan, self-help materials, the latest information about cessation medications, and more.

You may also want to check out these resources 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669) or you can go online to: idaho.quitnet .com or call the 2-1-1 Idaho CareLine (dial 2-1-1 or 1-800-926-2588) to find classes nearby to help you quit using tobacco.

This message was brought to you by the Nez Perce Tobacco Prevention Coalition and the Center Disease Control. For more information you may also contact Nimiipuu Health Community Wellness 843-2271 or Mary Johnson 935-4110 or Jean Anne Moose at 621-4612.

Weippe Library helps bring technology to area

Dan Lambert from Frontier Communications helped string the lights on the tall trees near Weippe Library.

  The Weippe Library is helping community members light up their world.  A Technology Petting Zoo was held at the library with help from First Step Internet. Two tech savvy support personnel assisted Library Director Terri Summerfield with relieving gadget fears of the young and old alike. 

  First Step Internet has been instrumental in providing high speed Internet to the Library and community and was part of the BTOP (Broadband Technology Opportunities Program) grants provided by the Idaho Commission for Libraries and federal government. With the recent upgrade, the library’s Internet speed has increased from 1.5 Mbps to over 9 Mbps.  This increase helps the eight person Technology Center, free WiFi and cell service run smoothly with little noticeable slow-downs.

  Smart-phones, iPads, laptops, Kindles and MP3s were on display and available for the public to touch and play with. While checking out the latest gadgets, patrons were able to register for a free iPod, won door prizes and enjoyed refreshments provided by the Friends of the Library. After the Technology Petting zoo, patrons went outside to see the lighting of the trees around the library.

  Dan Lambert from Frontier Communications helped string the lights on the tall trees making the library a festival community hub.  Frontier Communications is also supporting and promoting high-speed Internet to the Weippe area with Fiber Optics.

  If you have any questions about gadgets, technology or the Internet, don’t hesitate to call the staff at the Weippe Public Library, First Step Internet or Frontier Communications.

Andrea Schilling, a love for gemstones and an eye for fine jewelry



Pictured (l to r) are some examples of Andrea Schilling’s lovely jewelry. First is a necklace and earring set made of cherry quartz, carved wood beads and crystal accents. Next is a necklace of South American topaz and azurite. Second from the right is a necklace made of Swarovsky crystals and Picasso jasper and a silvertone owl. On the far right is a necklace of blue turquoise and howlite turquoise in pink tones. Visit our website to see these creations in full color: www.clearwatertribune.com

By Alannah Allbrett

Andrea Schilling of Orofino has a passion for beautiful gem stones like turquoise, lapis lazuli, and crystals. She breaks out smiling when she talks about her favorite gem stone moss agate. And now her passion for lovely gem stones will develop into a business shortly.

Andrea comes from the city of Cochabamba, in central Bolivia, a city of more than a million people. Andrea worked for a company there which made sweaters out of alpaca wool (one of their customers was Bill Cosby). The company was interested in using long distance telephone service via Skype on their computers, and Andrea was asked to test that program. She didn’t want to practice on her actual customers, so she went online and ran into her future husband Les Schilling. They met online, became friends, and later were married. Andrea came to this country eleven years ago and became a “proud U.S. citizen” in 2007 because she wanted to be able to vote in the presidential election.

Andrea said she became interested in making her own jewelry after her husband, Les Schilling, gave her a used starter tool kit purchased from eBay. It was filled with lots of different kinds of pliers for making jewelry. She was also inspired by two other people Kathy McIntosh and Sissy Morris. “They have been wonderful encouragement for me” said Andrea.

Andrea became adept at fashioning beautiful jewelry pieces, which she made as gifts. Friends started asking her to make jewelry for them, and friends of her husband wanted it for their wives.

Andrea and Les like to visit Laughlin, NV and While there, they have noticed a wide range of jewelry for sale. Andrea said when one walks into the main lobby of the casino in Laughlin, right away they notice inexpensive jewelry made in China. In another spot in the building, one can find expensive jewelry using real silver or gold clasps. The wide range in price between the cheap jewelry and the fine jewelry became apparent, and Andrea decided there was a definite need for something in between – fin, handmade jewelry that wasn’t exorbitant in price but still of good quality.

On their last trip to Laughlin, the Schillings found a store they loved called Garden Critters. The owner of that store uses welded metal, wrapped around river rock to create unusual art pieces and garden ornaments. Those pieces inspired Andrea to get ready to start her own business and furnish Crazy Critters with her own creations. When she gets her website going, she will be up and running. For information on Andrea’s creations call: 476-0249.

Local counselor and author A. Jay Kessinger publishes a book

A. Jay Kessinger

By Alannah Allbrett

“If God Gets Angry, Why Can’t I?” is the title of a book written by local author, Jay Kessinger (MSW, LCSW) a licensed counselor for over 40 years.

Kessinger says the book is not about God, and it’s not about anger. Rather, it is a book about attitudes and feelings. He explains that the word God is in the title because some of the attitudes discussed are moral and judgmental – God representing the ultimate moral authority in any given society according to Kessinger.

Likewise, the choice of the word Angry is prominent in the title because “Anger is the emotion that’s most likely to be judged in a condemning way when dealing with moral standards.” says Kessinger. “Judgment might be too harsh to apply to all situations,” said Kessinger in this discussion. “There are also what I call non-accepting attitudes toward certain feelings,” demonstrating a person’s feelings might be judged as unacceptable, inappropriate, or just not important. An adoption of these attitudes can lead to internal conflicts and counterproductive ways of dealing with feelings.

Some of the weighty topics this book tackles are: the purposes and functions of feelings; sexual feelings; spiritual experiences, and using feelings to help manage one’s life. The book’s goal is help people manage their feelings (and their lives) in productive new ways.

Jay has worked in the field of mental health as a counselor, psychotherapist, and a case manager. He has practiced at State Hospital North, in outpatient mental health, and in private practice.

To learn more about the specifics of this book, published by Digital Legend, visit the following webpage: www.ifgodgetsangry.com/ or check out the link on Facebook.

Norwegian reporter seeks fate of lost grandfather

Pelle Nilssen's grandfather, Henry (Nilssen) Nelson, worked for Schmidt Bros. mill and lived in Weippe in the 1940s.

  The Clearwater Tribune last month received an e-mail from a retired Norwegian reporter, Pelle Nilssen, who lives in Olso, Norway’s capital. Pelle explained that his grandfather, Henry (Nilssen) Nelson, who was born in Norway in 1889, immigrated to the United States in early 1909, leaving behind a wife, Maren Sofie, and a son, Pelle's father. Pelle is out to solve the mystery of what became of this grandfather he never met, who left behind a young family to come to the United States. The story has always intrigued him, and when he retired, his daughter-in-law encouraged him to explore it.

  Pelle has tracked Henry to Clearwater County, having come across a filled-out D.S.S. Form 1 (a U.S. Army registration card) that suggests Henry worked for Schmidt Bros. Mill in early 1944, when he was 55, and that he lived in Weippe. Henry listed his wife as Ethel, not Maren Sofie, suggesting that he married again after coming to the United States. Pelle doesn't know why his grandfather decided to leave, why he never came back, what became of him. It is one of the many mysteries surrounding Henry's strange story.

  Nilssen is a very common name in Norway, and often changed in America to Nelson. With the help of the Internet, Pelle and his daughter-in-law used Henry's birth date to track him to Butte, Montana. A lot of Norwegians immigrated to Butte, and earlier this year Henry visited the area. He was interviewed by the Silver State Post, which published the interview in its Oct. 12 issue.

  The mining and smelting operations in Montana were an irresistible lure for people looking for work and a new start. In Norway, Henry worked at the Visnes Mine near Stavanger. Metal for the Statue of Liberty was mined from Visnes. Like Butte, it contained a rich vein of copper.

  It is unclear how much time Henry may have spent in Butte. In 1917, eight years after he left Norway, Henry's name appears on a list of men who signed up with the United States Army to fight in World War I. The location Henry listed on the form was Deer Lodge. Pelle hasn't been able to confirm whether it was the town of Deer Lodge, or the county of Deer Lodge, both in Montana.

  Pelle knows Henry worked on the railroads, including the Milwaukee Railroad. Pacific Railroad, the official name of the line that included Milwaukee, Chicago, and St. Paul, had the power to assign Social Security numbers to immigrant workers. Pelle suspects that this is why he can't find many government records-Pacific Railroad could have them tucked away someplace.

  In 1920 Henry Nilssen is listed in a Montana state census as a single, with a wife and child in Norway. He'd been gone for 13 years and, so far as Pelle knows, never sent letters, yet Henry apparently cared enough about his family to list them as living in Norway.

  On the D.S.S. 1 Form, Henry's wife is listed as Ethel. When he married her is unknown. Whether he had any children with her, and what became of them if he did, is unknown. “Did they have any children while living in Weippe? Did they go to school there?” Pelle remarked in an e-mail. Maren Sofie died in 1924. “We do not know when/if he was informed about this. We do not know when/where he met Ethel,” Pelle said.

  When Pelle visited Deer Lodge he found a burial record for Henry Nilssen, and in the old part of the county cemetery, went looking for the plot. All he found was an unmarked grave. With Henry Nilssen being so common a name, it is impossible to say whether it is Pelle's grandfather who is buried there.

  Plus, there is the D.S.S. 1 Form. “I reckon that these communities are so small, that it would be possible to find and ask old people if anybody remembers a Henry and/or Ethel Nelson (or children),” Pelle remarked. His excitement at the possibility of fresh information is evident even in a simple e-mail.

  If anyone reading this remembers Henry and Ethel, please contact the Clearwater Tribune at (208) 476-4571, or e-mail us at cleartrib@cebridge.net.

This D.S.S. Form 1 appears to have been filled out by Pelle Nilssen's grandfather, Henry, who fought in World War I for the United States. A street name was not included on the form, but it does list Henry's town of residence as Weippe and his employer as Schmidt Bros.

Fifth and sixth graders ski and ride free at participating Ski Idaho Resorts

If you’re a fifth or sixth grader you’ve got it made this winter! No more days spent lying around watching television or playing video games! This winter you can get out and enjoy the fun and beauty of Idaho with the fifth and sixth grade Ski or Ride Free Passport.

The fifth and sixth grade Ski or Ride Free Passport program allows students from anywhere in fifth and sixth grade to sign up for the program and receive three free lift tickets at each Idaho ski area for fifth graders or two free lift tickets for sixth graders at each participating Ski Idaho ski area. That’s over 54 day of free skiing or riding in fifth grade and 28 days of free skiing or riding in sixth grade!

To sign up simply go to www.skiidaho.us/fifth-grade-ski-or-ride-free-passport, complete the on-line application or download the printable version, pay the $20 processing fee (receive a $5 off promo code at www.idsaves.org/passport) and your student will be mailed his or her own “Ski or Ride Free Passport” booklet. The passport also includes special deals on equipment rentals, lessons and some ski areas even offer specials for parents or siblings!

The fifth grade passport is accepted at the following Idaho Ski Areas: Bald Mountain, Bogus Basin, Brundage, Cottonwood Butte, Grand Targhee, Kelly Canyon, Little Ski Hill, Lookout Pass, Lost Trail, Magic Mountain, Pebble Creek, Pomerelle, Schweitzer Mountain, Silver Mountain, Snowhaven, Soldier Mountain, Sun Valley *includes Dollar Mt - upgrade to Bald Mountain for $20/day and Tamarack.

Other participating ski areas: 49 Degrees North, Bluewood, Mission Ridge, Mt. Spokane, Loup Loup.

The sixth grade passport is accepted at the following Idaho Ski Areas: Bald Mountain, Bogus Basin, Brundage, Cottonwood Butte, Grand Targhee, Little Ski Hill, Lookout Pass, Magic Mountain, Pebble Creek, Silver Mountain, Snowhaven, Soldier Mountain, Sun Valley *includes Dollar Mt - upgrade to Bald Mountain for $20/day and Tamarack.

Grab your fishing pole! OK Rock reveals its secrets

By Alannah Allbrett

The mystery of the okay rock is finally unraveled. Diane Upton opened up the can of worms [excuse the pun], by writing a Letter to the Editor inquiring if anyone knew the meaning and origin of the OK Rock near Orofino’s bridge over the Clearwater River.

The Clearwater Tribune received a call from Jim Routh telling us to talk to Tom Province who turned out to be the person who began painting “OK” on the rock. Tom told of a very politically opinionated and vocal fellow employee. “Everything about him was okay” said Tom. His response to this man was painting the rock OK.

But Tom said he quit painting the rock some 20 years ago and did not know who took over that duty for him.

At the urging of his wife Diane, John Farbo came forward and told us his father, Tom Farbo used to use that rock as a gauge for when steelhead fishing was good. “It is the only rock that’s big enough,” said son John. “And it was right close to the bridge so we could see it easily.” His father painted three orange hash marks on it originally (before the OK came to be).

John’s father Tom and he did “drag fishing” for steelhead from a 14’ aluminum boat. But they always checked the marks on the rock before setting out. The lowest mark meant the river was dangerously low; one would probably hit rocks.

The middle mark meant grab your fishing pole! The level of the water was ideal for catching steelhead by drag fishing. John said his father would call and say, “Hey, let’s go!” “We fished every chance we got if it was right” said John.

“One year the paint OK covered our markers” said John. “We didn’t know who did it, but we adjusted by using the OK as our new guide. We knew where the letters OK coincided with our earlier marks. The bottom of the ‘O’ is the new low mark (unsafe). The crotch of the ‘K” is the medium (ideal fishing) level. And the top is the high water mark.”

When asked what happens if one fishes at the high water level John said, “The current is too strong, and it will just push your bait. It’s too much current to fish.”

“In the eighties, said John ‘The letters on the OK started wearing off, so my dad painted it during the 80’s and 90’s with my son Tyson. When he [dad] passed away in 2001, I started doing it. The last few years my kids, Kylie and Hunter, have taken over. They are in charge.

Kylie is a sophomore at OHS, and Hunter is in the 8^th grade. Each year we paint it a different color (but always use white because it shows up best). The kids wanted to keep it blue and white for the Maniacs, but I wouldn’t let them. When asked why, John said, “I just like change.”

John always painted the rock the last week in August, when the water is at its lowest point. When asked if he has ever been spotted doing that. He said a car honked at him once, but mostly it’s just other fishing buddies and buddies from work that paid any attention to it.

John pointed out that one can pull up a website nowadays to determine the water levels of the river. “But they measure below the Northfork” said John. This rock gauges the upper river, the main flow, and it was the only gauge we had for years.”

Dig for a Cure

By Coach Shannon Erbst

  Volleyball shoes, $90; pink volleyball jersey, $45; pink volleyball, $40. Watching your community come together for an outstanding cause - PRICELESS.

  On Oct. 11, the Orofino Lady Maniac volleyball team was Diggin for a Cure. In a very exciting match against Summit Academy, the Lady Maniacs played one of their best matches of the season. With the emotions running high from the night’s events, the girls really put on a great show.

  It all started with the JV team announcing themselves and who they would be playing for that night. We wanted to honor all the women and men that have either been affected by breast cancer or any cancer at all, with a carnation and a promise to “dig for a cure.” Carnations were discounted and made for the night by Orofino Flower Shop.

  Ready to get started, the JV girls jumped into a three game match filled with pink jerseys, socks and hair. Summit did a great job in participating by wearing pink ribbons in their hair as well as a few girls with pink shoe laces.

  The Maniacs came on strong in all three games, never giving up. As the match progressed there was a gradual sea of pink entering the gym. It was pack the gym in pink night and everyone was in full support. We really pushed for everyone to wear pink to the game because Pepsi and Coke had vowed to donate 50 cents per pink shirt, up to $500 each. So our goal was to create a pink backdrop in the stands with all of the shirts, and with each passing game the pink really came on!

  As fans entered into the school, they were greeted by ICARE selling some beautiful jewelry and a booth where you could purchase pink shirts and other merchandise. In between the varsity and JV matches we had raffles giving away “Dig for a Cure” shirts, calendars and Frisbees. We also held an auction with a beautiful basket full of Pampered Chef items that was donated by Sue Summerton, as well as a poster of the volleyball team that went up for auction. The total between the two auctions was just a little over $200.

  As Doug Adams wrapped up the auction someone shouted, “Alaska Loggers will donate $1.00 for every point the Lady Maniacs score tonight.” As we searched the crowd to see where the generous donation came from, we realized it was from one of the fathers from our volleyball team, Mike Reggear. As soon we announced where that came from the gym blew up with pledges from numerous businesses in town.

  What an amazing sight to see as hands starting raising and people started running up to benches to include their company in the donation. All companies that donated $75 each were: Alaska Logger, McLaughlin Loggers, U.S. Bank, Clearwater Kids, Glenwood Pharmacy, Orofino Physical Therapy, Potlatch, CEA, Harper Chiropractic, Orofino Loggers, Hanson Garage, Woolsey Construction and Brookside Landing. Thank you so much!

  Another amazing donation for the night was from Orofino Builder Supply. They had graciously donated over 250 shirts to be sold during and before the game. The shirts looked awesome in pink, decorated with the volleyball teams’ signatures all over it.

  Just when we thought the night was at the highest point, ICARE came forward and announced that they would be awarding $500 to one of our audience members who is currently fighting cancer. Wow!  The night was only getting better.

  Next on the list of the night’s events was the Lady Maniac Varsity team to announce who they were going to be playing for. As the gym floor started filling up with cancer survivors, fighters and loved ones of family members that had been lost, the entire atmosphere had changed.

  How can such a small event make such a huge impact on so many lives? We had all the players and honorees stand in front of the net for a picture, and what a sight to see. Tears, laughter, hugs and emotions were running high. Everyone was looking to each other and supporting one another whether they knew the person standing next to them or not.  To be someone that has had a family member affected by breast cancer and to witness all the love and support flowing thru the gym made me absolutely speechless. Strangers hugging strangers, mothers hugging daughters and lost loved ones being remembered. Absolutely priceless!

  Next on the list of events: Lady Maniac Volleyball. I was a little worried that with all the emotions on the night the girls may be lacking some focus. Well, they proved me wrong in a big way. We had accomplished something we had not done all year long….the girls came together and showed an extreme amount of chemistry. Was it the night’s events, seeing so many strangers come together for one event? I really think it was in our team all along but with the experiences through the night, it brought out the bond in the girls. They played amazing all three set, never giving up and playing hard to the bitter end.

  Beating Summitt Academy in three games was a huge accomplishment on the night but the true incentive went to all the people we were playing for. It was a great showing by the Lady Maniacs capitalizing on the night’s theme, “Fighting together, to never give up.” Anyone that was at the game that night experienced something that Orofino has never done at that level. It was very memorable and something we will continue to do each year.

  We are so thankful for all the help we had received on the night, thanks to: Heidi Summers, OHS coaching staff; Cindy Haskett, score keeper/coaching staff; Doug Adams, announcer of all games and the night’s events; Bob Alverson, principal and huge motivator/supporter on the night; the parents of Maniac Volleyball; Pepsi and Coke for their $250 donations; Orofino Builders Supply, over 250 Dig for a Cure shirts; Orofino Flower Shop- carnations for honorees for the night; Joe Hall Ford, $500 donation; Sue Summerton, Pampered Chef basket; ICARE, $500 donation to cancer victim at the event; Jim Hill, purchase of team picture at the auction; Barb Wityczak, purchase of Pampered Chef basket; Salon Savvy, hair care products; Harper Chiropractic, t-shirts.

  Thank you also to the OHS Lady Maniac Volleyball players for never giving up and showing true character; all the amazing businesses in town that donated $75 for each point scored by the Maniacs; Linda Johnston for inspiring me every day; and everyone else that had helped with the event, Thank you one hundred times over! Without all the support, we could have never made the night as memorable as it was.

  We raised a little over $3,000. We donated $840 of that to Clearwater Valley Hospital for 10 women to get mammograms. Another $500 was donated to ICARE, to be given to two local women fighting cancer.

  Pictures will be in next week.

  We do have some shirts left over at $5 apiece, if you are interested in buying one call (208) 827-0734 and we can get one to you.

  We live in an amazing community; we have great kids and fantastic fans! And I know that I am very proud to call this home. Go Maniacs!

This group of people who either have or have had cancer; or have a family member or friend with cancer, was honored during the Orofino Lady Maniac “Dig for a Cure” event Oct. 11 at the Orofino High School gymnasium.

Tabby Haskett, Jordynn Schwartz, Taylor Erbst, Sarah Campbell, Kaitlyn Reggear, Madison Parks, Megan Gilmer, Morgan Adams, Courtney Adams, Kyla Cobbs and Coach Shannon Erbst (l to r) listen to the Star Spangled Banner during “Dig for a Cure” Oct. 11.

Pam Danielson and Patty Reggear (a cancer survivor) at the Lady Maniac Volleyball “Dig for a Cure” event Oct. 11. Behind Patty is Chad Easterbrook.

Clearwater Rocks

Charlie Pottenger’s boat being towed up the North Fork by Rusty and Darell Bentz. Rusty driving and Darell watching.

Darell Bentz (on the boat) and Rusty Bentz after safely retrieving stranded Charlie Pottenger’s jet boat from the shore of the U.S. Fish Hatchery on the North Fork Clearwater River.

By Charlie Pottenger

  We had often watched other fishermen guide their boats past the junction of the main Clearwater into the North Fork just past the U.S. Fish Hatchery, envious of the success we observed. Our plan was to go through what we knew was a narrow channel and try our luck. Ten seconds after committing the boat to the chosen course it became obvious from the grinding of the bottom on the shallow rocks that those others watched river levels with more wisdom than I possessed.

  We were stuck, grounded on rocks in about 8 to 15 inches of water in a boat needing more than 18 inches! We finally realized we were in a fix!

  At that point we had two choices: first, we could have abandoned the boat and sought help. Second, we could work together to move the boat over these miserable rocks toward the “deeper” waters of the North Fork. Naturally, as boat owner and certified genius, I selected the worst choice, to move the boat to the North Fork. My guest fishermen, John Baldwin of Spokane and Marcie and Darold Stanton of Orofino all helped as we rocked and pushed “Old Ironsides” across some of the devilish boulders.

  Later, Bryce Sundquist, a wonderful vision, thankfully appeared over the jagged rip-rap rocks defining the boundary of the hatchery armed with a huge coil of strong rope and a ratcheting Power-Pull. At this point Darold waded ashore to assist Bryce and an unidentified Idaho Fish and Game Officer who also volunteered. With the rope we moved the boat ever closer to the North Fork.

  At this point Deputy Mike Gladhart of the Clearwater County Sheriff’s Marine Patrol and a second officer arrived on an inflatable jet sled and offered additional help and safety advice, prompting us all to don our life preservers as we were outside of the boat in swift water trying to lift and coax the leaden boat over the last rocks before the North Fork. They also opined that we should have sought help when a 20 or 30 foot upstream tow might have freed the boat and that now that we were in the North Fork we might have to spend massive dollars to get out!

  This was looking grave. Bryce thought I might make it up stream to the Ahsahka boat ramp, but when we tried the trolling motor fouled in the lush North Fork weeds and the jet also was immediately clogged with weeds. Soon thereafter the trolling motor propeller was broken on some of the many large, weedy rocks and we were stuck. We gave up, tied the disabled boat to the Hatchery rocks and went home to spend a miserable, sleepless night.

  The plan was to seek wisdom and make a plan to extract the boat. I called a friend with great boat and wild river experience, Darell Bentz, founder of Bentz Boats in Lewiston. Darell said the only day free in his immediate schedule was Sunday so I drove to pick him up. When I arrived he had recruited his brother, Rusty Bentz to bring his big Bentz boat and we three set out to assess the situation. Three hours were spent trying to understand the complex low-water riverscape in the area between Ahsahka on the North Fork to Pink House on the main Clearwater.

  We drove to the private homes of Mr. Bob Davaz and of Tim and Sharon Barnett. Information gained there led Darell and Rusty to decide to launch their boat at Ahsahka and back it down under the highway and the railroad bridges and down through the riffle where I had destroyed my propeller and plugged my jet. Their wisdom was based on the knowledge the Bentz boat requires only eight inches versus my boat’s 18 inches.

  Well, the happy truth is that even with the catastrophic decisions I had made on Saturday the great skill of the Bentz brothers had rescued my boat and a little of my self esteem. They were able to tow me back to Ahsahka Landing without touching bottom while I sat in my boat coasting gently touching dozens of the mossy blocks lurking close under the surface.

  The good news is that the boat will be inspected and repaired, if necessary. The best news is no one was hurt. The lesson I needed to experience and learn is that the operator of the boat must be positive there is no risk of grounding before going into unknown channels. Another fact...we caught no fish!

  I am encouraged my guests have all expressed a willingness to go again and I am not bribing them!