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| NOVEMBER 14, 2012
THE NEWPORT MINER
West Priest Lake levy fails
Decision on Inn at the Lake not expected before first of year BY DON GRONNING OF THE MINER
NEWPORT – A daylong hearing was held Wednesday, Nov. 8 before a hearing examiner for the Inn at the Lake, a vacation rental located at Diamond Lake. The county maintains that the inn is operating without a vacation rental permit, that three bedrooms and two bathrooms were constructed without a building permit and that the property is being used as a vacation rental and a special events center in a residential area. The county issued a notice of violation and the owners appealed, contending they have been operating as a vacation rental for years and are grandfa-
thered in. The county chose to hire a hearings examiner to hear the case. The other option was to have the county planning commission hear the case. Michael Dempsey of Spokane County was hired as hearings examiner. Pend Oreille County will pay Spokane County $113.29 an hour, plus travel expenses for Dempsey’s services. A tour of the entire property by attorneys and the hearing examiner was conducted Wednesday, Nov. 7, but a scheduled inspection Friday, Nov. 9 by the building inspector was confined to two rooms. That was by pre arrangement, said Stacy Bjordahl, an attorney for the owners of the Inn at the
Lake. Gayle Cagianut owns the Inn at the Lake through the Cagianut Family Trust. “The attorneys agreed to inspect only the two rooms at issue,” Bjordahl said. The county and the owners are in settlement negotiations and the scope of the inspection was spelled out in the settlement documents, she said. Attorney Stanley Schwartz was hired to represent the county since prosecuting attorney Tom Metzger lives next door. It was the Metzgers’ complaint about the inn that started the process. Schwartz, who was assisted by another attorney from his firm, said the next step is for attorneys to prepare written briefs.
SANDPOINT – Voters in the West Priest Lake Fire District declined to approve a levy increase during the general election last week, 169 to 152 votes. If approved, the levy rate would have increased from 14 cents per $1,000 of valuation to 23 cents
Those are to be filed by Wednesday, Nov. 21. Swartz said there is a significant amount of documents for the hearings examiner to review. Pend Oreille County community development director Mike Lithgow said he, Metzger and building inspector Rick Cruse testified for the county. Gayle and Joe Cagianut, former owner and current manager Blaine Coffey and land use expert Dwight Hume testified for the owners. Bjordahl said that depending on what is submitted in the closing briefs, the other side may get an opportunity to respond. In any event, she doesn’t expect a decision before the first of the year.
HOT BOX
Special deadline Tuesdays 2 p.m.
Volunteers build new warming huts BY MICHELLE NEDVED OF THE MINER
PRIEST LAKE – A group of volunteers came together to rebuild decades old snowmobiler warming huts at Priest Lake over the last year. New buildings are at Camel’s Prairie on the east side of the lake and Mollies Warming Hut at the north end of the snowmobile system is also new. Jim McReynolds, a lake resident and member of the Bonner County Snowmobile Committee, said his neighbor Jeff Horswill came to him one day and wondered about building new warming huts. Horswill is a regular snowmobiler and spends his weekends at the lake. The buildings that were in place had been there for about 20 years, but were much older than that, having a pre-
vious life as line shacks for lumber companies. Horswill owns a small sawmill at Priest Lake, and the Jump Off Joe Resort in Washington, and offered to donate building supplies and help with construction. That was just the beginning. McReynolds mentioned the idea at a snowmobile committee meeting and started asking around for donations. They started pouring in. Members had extra building supplies such as windows and doors they didn’t need, lumber companies donated wood, and fundraisers were held to raise funds for the remaining needs. The project began during snowmobile season 2010 and finished up just recently with the completion of the Camel’s Prairie warming hut. Mollies was done last fall.
COURTESY PHOTO|JIM MCREYNOLDS
The new warming hut at Camel’s Prairie is not only more functional, it looks better.
Volunteers stock the warming huts with firewood, which is there for snowmobilers and other recreationalists to use in the hut. Signs posted ask that if users are in
Commission adopts three-year fish rule book BOISE – Local fishing opportunities will change a bit this season, after the Idaho Fish and Game Commission adopted a three-year fishing brochure Thursday, Nov. 8. The rules would cover 2013 through 2015. The change is based on 11 months of public interaction and responses to an angler survey conducted in 2011, state fishery manager Jeff Dillon told commissioners. For the first time since 1999, anglers will again be allowed to harvest kokanee in Lake Pend Oreille as a result of the success of the Lake Pend Oreille fishery recovery program. Anglers will be allowed to harvest six kokanee per day in Pend Oreille in 2013. In addition, the increase in kokanee has made it possible to move back toward trophy rainbow trout management. A size and bag limit will be reinstated for rainbows: six rainbow trout, only one more than 20 inches long; and the $15 per head angler
incentive will no longer be in effect for rainbow trout. The $15 incentive remains in place for lake trout in Lake Pend Oreille. Elsewhere in the Panhandle Region the limit on kokanee was lowered to six fish in Priest Lake and Upper Priest Lake. In Lake Pend Oreille anglers are allowed to harvest six kokanee and six rainbow trout – only one more than 20 inches long. One other statewide change sets Free Fishing Day for 2013, 2014 and 2015. Clark Fork River and tributaries, Pack River and tributaries and Grouse Creek and tributaries will be closed to trout harvest from Dec. 1 to the Friday before the Memorial Day weekend. In Big Elk Creek, Crooked Creek and Red River in the Clearwater Region; in Parkcenter Pond, Weiser Community Pond, McDevitt Pond and Wilson Ponds in the Southwest Region; in Edson Fichter Pond in the Southeast Region; and in Becker Pond in the
Upper Snake Region, the trout limit is reduced to two. The goal is to increase opportunity for more anglers to catch stocked fish and to reduce the boom and bust cycle with the stocking program. In the Magic Valley Region the length limit is removed on small mouth bass in Magic Reservoir, and in the Southeast Region the bass limit is removed in the Treasureton Reservoir. In the Upper Snake Region the limit is removed on rainbow trout and hybrid trout in the South Fork Snake River tributaries. The limit on brown trout is two, with none under 16 inches. In Henrys Lake Outlet, the 400-yard section from the USGS gauge to the Henrys Lake Dam opens to fishing. These changes take effect Jan. 1, 2013. Anglers should consult the new 2013-2015 seasons and rules brochure, which will be available at all license vendors, Fish and Game offices and on the Fish and Game website before January.
per $1,000, after the homeowners exemption. The levy would have added $69,009 to the district’s coffers and been used for new equipment for firefighters, an incentive program for volunteers, training and improvements to fire stations, among other items.
the position to replace wood, please do so. McReynolds said that does happen. “We ask that they just be considerate,” he said.
ABANDONED VEHICLE SALE R & B Towing, South 141 Classic Lane, Elk, Washington, 99009. 1984 Ford Bronco. VIN # 1FMEU15GXELA36463. Sale: November 21, 2012, 12:05 p.m. Public viewing: 9:00 a.m.-12:05 p.m. (41) HISTORY BOOKS ARE PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFTS! Pend Oreille County’s special collector’s edition includes triumphs, tragedies, names you’ll recognize, and historic pictures you’ll love. $18.30 ($5.38 to ship). Available at The Miner Newspapers (509) 4472433. 8:30 - 5:30 Monday through Friday. (41HB-6) THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS ARE FAST APPROACHING! Make your reservations today to board your dog for the upcoming holidays as space is limited. Ask your dog loving friends why they love boarding and grooming at LuckyUs Ranch! (509) 447-3541. (40HB-2) FRIDAYS ONLY 9:00- 3:00. 918 West 5th Street, Newport. Jewelry, Christmas, gifts, collectibles, antiques, alpaca products. New items every day! (41p) 418 BEARDMORE Priest River. 3 bedroom, 2 bath. Smoking/ pets negotiable. Water, sewer/ trash included in monthly rent of $695. Security deposit required. (208) 448-1121. (40HB-2p) Miner want ads work.
RAILROAD MEMORABILIA For sale. Great Northern Railway - Northern Pacific - others. Locks, keys, tools, lamps. (509) 447-3377. (41p) HOLIDAY PORCH SALE One of a kind Christmas stuff. A little bit of everything unique for the holidays including gifts, fresh cut trees, boughs, and much much more! November 15 through December 9, 10 am to 5 pm. South 519 Scott Avenue, Newport. (41HB-2) ORDER YOUR FLOCKED Christmas tree now. Can do an artificial or fresh tree. (509) 6717103. View at the Holiday Porch Sale! (41HB-2) FOR RENT 3 bedroom 1 bath manufactured home, Diamond Lake area Large yard, wraparound porch, carport. $650, garbage, water, washer and dryer included. (509) 671-6668. (41-4p) FREE INFORMATION FOR SENIORS ESTATE PLANNING/ PRESERVATION AND MEDICAID Thursday, December 6th, from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm at Denise Stewart Law Office, 301 South Washington Avenue, Suite A, Newport. Coffee and cookies provided. Call (509) 447-3242 to reserve a spot as space is limited. (40HB-4) OLDTOWN AUTO SALES We buy clean used cars and RV’s. See our complete inventory online at www.oldtownautos.com.(51-tf)
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