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THE VOICE OF PEND OREILLE COUNT Y SINCE 1901
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Wednesday, March 14, 2012
www.pendoreillerivervalley.com
Volume 109, Number 6 | 3 Sections, 20 Pages
Mill has first union contract “We can concentrate on becoming more competitive in what is a challenging market.”
After two years in negotiation, union ratifies contract without major strike, lockout BY JANELLE ATYEO OF THE MINER
USK – Unionized workers at the Ponderay Newsprint mill voted March 5 and 6 to ratify their first labor contract, restoring many benefits that workers lost in recent years as the mill struggled to stay competitive in a declining industry. Both sides said they are happy to have negotiations behind them. “We can concentrate on becoming more competitive in what is a challenging market,” said Derrick Lindgren, Ponderay’s resident manager and vice president.
Derrick Lindgren PNC Vice President and Resident Manager
“I’m glad we finally reached an agreement to keep the company from unilaterally taking away benefits and pay as well,” said Jim LeBlanc, president of the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers (AWPPW) Local 422. “We’re ready to get back to doing business and working with the company to keep Ponderay Newsprint running efficiently.” Employees lost benefits in 2009, the key reason they chose to unionize.
The perfect game Plattenberger bowls a 300 at age 79 BY MICHELLE NEDVED OF THE MINER
MINER PHOTO|MICHELLE NEDVED
Don Plattenberger bowls at OK Lanes Friday evening before league bowling starts. He bowled a 300 Tuesday, March 6, while subbing on a team during league play.
OLDTOWN – “You could hear a pin drop,” says Don Plattenberger, recalling the silence at OK Lanes in Oldtown the night he bowled a perfect 300 game, Tuesday, March 6. The long-time bowler was substituting on a team during the Early Birds league play that night. “Not too bad considering April 6 I’ll be 80 years old,” he said. While this is by no means Plattenberger’s first 300 game – he’s bowled seven or eight of them – this is the first time it counted, his first 300 during league play. “I thought it was pretty neat,” he said. A 300 is a perfect score. In order to achieve it, a bowler must throw nothing but strikes, 12 times. One for each of the first through nine frames, and then three in the 10th. The local bowling community was abuzz with the news during this past week and Plattenberger received a round of applause when he walked into OK Lanes Friday night to play on his regular league, the Friday Night Leftovers. But he plays it down. “It was a lot of luck,” he said, explaining that to bowl a 300, skill is only one component. He got one of his strikes on a Brooklyn, when the ball enters the opposite pocket it should, depending on what hand you throw with. Plattenberger’s a lefty, so the ball entered between the 1 pin and 3 pin. On another frame, Plattenberger almost left the seven pin standing. “But a bird dog came out and knocked it over,” he said. When other bowlers realized what was happening at the four-five lane, everyone stopped their game and watched PlattenSEE PERFECT, 2A
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B R I E F LY
The labor contract restores the employees’ 401(k) match and reduces their co-pays toward the medical insurance. LeBlanc pointed out that the company had restored the 401(k) and medical co-pays to non-union employees in January 2011. “Basically we got back what they gave other employees,” he said. The contract also gives the first raises employees have seen since 2007. Raises will start in 2013 at 2 percent each year. Amongst production employees, the median wage is more than $20 per hour. “It’s a good, competitive agreement, so it’s not outside the industry standard,” Lindgren said. “It compares to what the managing partner has in place at other operations.” Ponderay Newsprint is managed by Resolute Forest Products,
SEE MILL, 2A
MINER PHOTO|DON GRONNING
Tom Garrett of the Pend Oreille County Salary Commission, standing, looks for direction from the county commissioners while county Sheriff Alan Botzheim, Auditor Marianne Nichols and Public Works Director Sam Castro look on at Monday’s commissioner meeting.
Elected officials cool to idea of county manager
BY DON GRONNING OF THE MINER
NEWPORT – Pend Oreille County commissioner Diane Wear’s idea to establish a county administrator position and reduce county commissioner salaries to pay for it has been met with a cool reception from
other county elected officials. “I see no cost benefit here,” County Treasurer Terri Miller said. She said the county can’t afford an administrator. “I don’t see what an administrator can do that you can’t do,” Miller said at Monday’s county SEE COUNTY, 2A
Road layoffs ‘unavoidable’ Director plans for more cuts to keep road budget afloat BY JANELLE ATYEO OF THE MINER
NEWPORT – The Pend Oreille County road department took deep cuts last year to come out of a $700,000 deficit. The budget is back on track, but it’s not comfortable. Public works director Sam Castro met with road employees Thursday, March 8, and announced the need for further cuts this year, saying a reduction in force is “unavoidable.” Last year, six road workers were laid off for almost half the year, but they were brought
back on in time to help with snow plowing operations this winter. This time around though, layoffs would be permanent. It hasn’t been decided yet how many layoffs will be needed or which positions will go. Castro has been meeting with county commissioners to decide where to cut. They will meet again Monday, March 19, at 1:30 p.m. to discuss an amendment to the road budget. Castro said he would like to have a decision soon, but commissioners indicated it may take some time to decide. Jobs aren’t the only things on the line. The budget workSEE LAYOFFS, 2A
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Three commissioner seats up for election
Fiber rates subject of hearing
Romney wins Idaho nomination
NEWPORT – Two seats on the Pend Oreille County Board of Commissioners are up for election this year. The District 3 seat held by Republican John Hankey will have a new face after Hankey announced he will not run again. (See separate story.) Also up for election this year is the District 1 commissioner seat currently held Democrat Diane Wear. County commissioners hold office for four-year terms. On the non-partisan Pend Oreille Public Utility District board of commissioners, Dan Peterson’s seat in District 1 is up for election, a six-year term. Candidates will file for election May 14-18. Declarations of candidacy can be accepted via mail on April 30. The primary election is set for Aug. 7 and the general election is Nov. 6.
NEWPORT – Rates for fiber optic service will be the subject of a public hearing Tuesday, March 20, at 11:30 a.m. The Pend Oreille Public Utility District board of commissioners will discuss wholesale rates for fiber. Per state law, the PUD can sell broadband service wholesale to a retail service provider. The RSP will ultimately decide what the customer will pay for service. The hearing will be at the PUD’s Newport offices, 130 N. Washington Ave. The district is proposing a fee of $50 per month for standard class service for residential customers and small businesses and a $35 a month introductory offer through the end of 2013. That is the rate the retail service provider will pay the PUD, not the rate the customer will pay for service.
PRIEST RIVER – Facilities filled up quickly last Tuesday evening, March 6, the day of Idaho’s first Republican caucus. The crowd at Priest River Junior High had to move from the cafeteria in the annex to the auditorium. Mitt Romney won the state’s 32 delegates, but in Bonner County, Ron Paul came out on top. Once the totals were tallied for the first round, organizers in Priest River, Clark Fork and Blanchard called into the Sandpoint site and reported their first round votes. Once round one was complete, Newt Gingrich and Buddy Roemer were eliminated because they received the least votes. Rounds two and three were conducted in the same manner, with Mitt Romney being eliminated in the second round. At the end of the third and final round, Ron
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Paul had 53.26 percent of the vote in Bonner County and Rick Santorum had 46.74 percent.
Hankey won’t seek another term as county commissioner
Hankey
NEWPORT – Pend Oreille County Commissioner John Hankey will not run for another term on the county commission. “If I were five years younger I would run again,” Hankey said. Hankey is a Republican who represents District 3 in the north part of the county. His term expires this year. Hankey said he has heard of one person who is interested in running.