"An Evening at the Depot"

Saturday morning found Bill Warner and others down to the wire on finishing the platform before "An Evening at the Depot" kicked off.  In a matter of hours, Bill and others were back on that same platform, enjoying a lively theater presentation and great music wafting from the freight room, visiting with friends, and sampling plenty of scrumptious desserts. People came and stayed for the whole evening, listening to the sounds of Charlie Sutton and Henry Willard, We Are Not Brothers, and Forgotten Freight.  But there was quite the prelude leading up to the laid back evening!

Before things kicked off, there was some last minute finish work on the platform, wrapping up around 3 pm.  When APOD Theatre showed up to practice for its performance, Jim West quickly went to work on clearing the stage and adding some lighting.  Meanwhile, the theater group got ready on the platform, including doing some last minute costume prep.  Ironically, during the heyday of the Washington, Idaho and Montana Railway, people sometimes jokingly referred to the little short line as "the Washing, Ironing and Mending" Railway.  It was fitting then that Paul Bauer should be out on the brand new platform, ironing costumes before the actors took the stage in the freight room!

APOD Theatre kicked off the evening with a sampling of the local talent.  Special thanks to Todd and Rebecca Payne for re-energizing the theater movement in town.  

Once the theater acts were over, Charlie Sutton and Henry Willard took the stage.... These two guys are great musicians and also great supporters of the depot, having christened the Freight Room Stage as the first musicians to perform on it, along with Jim and Becca West.

Then it was on to the good tunes by "We Are Not Brothers."  Yes, there is a striking resemblance between the musicians, but Jim West (the evening's MC), left, definitely doesn't look like part of the family tree!

As the bands delivered on the music, Karen Rohn and Gary Hayden delivered on the beverages and desserts, and also presided over the silent auction.  Karen of course is on the HPG board, and runs the Company Store on the weekends with Don Somers.  But Gary also needs to be recognized as one of the best depot supporters around.  Thanks Gary for all you do!

Meanwhile, out on that nice new platform, HPG President Kenny Cada and Potlatch City Councilman Dave Cada visited with Mayor Dave Brown and wife Grace, City Clerk Shelly Hammons and her sister Gail, and local businessman Don Ball.

And inside, on the Freight Room Stage, Forgotten Freight kept up the tempo with some fine bluegrass.  That's hometown boy Stuart Osborne on the far left.  Stuart also does some excellent fiddling. 

As the lights went down, and Forgotten Freight delivered on a final train song, it kind of felt like Potlatch had its own Grand Old Opry stage.  What a great night!

Thanks to all who attended, gave generously of time, talent and money,

and to all who took the time to enjoy that new platform and

Freight Room concert. 

It was an evening to be remembered!