Speeders Still Draw a Crowd!

There was a different feel to the annual speeder event today, a much less hectic pace.  With less speeders coming to share rides, however, don't think there was less enthusiasm!  People seemed to enjoy sitting on the dock, visiting while waiting for their turn.  And they definitely liked the longer rides.

Irv and Janice Johnson (above) eagerly bought tickets when they first went  on sale, knowing this would be their chance to take grandson James on the ride to Princeton. Janice (Vowels) grew up in Princeton, and saw the trains run right past her house each day.  James and his parents were visiting from Sacramento and the whole gang rode the rails.

Fearless leader Jim West was on the move all day, starting probably at 4 am when he opened all the windows in the depot to cool things off. He had his comfy motorhome parked near the caboose, but never accuse this guy of slacking or sneaking off for a nap. He worked non-stop all day!

David Zuhn is another trooper, serving on the HPG board and coming all the way from St. Paul, Minnesota to help with speeders.  Thanks Dave, we love seeing you out this way!

And let's give a lot of applause to the model railroaders who delighted everyone with their layouts. The N gauge set-up came from Lewiston and the HO layout traveled from Spokane.  There were some tense moments when the guys from Spokane saw the freight scale standing right smack in the middle of things, but amazingly enough the layout wrapped perfectly around the scale.  Whew!

Kenney and Jenny Gonzales came out to grab a speeder ride after seeing the announcement on Facebook.  Kenney grew up in Princeton and saw the trains come through, but he and Jenny chose the Kennedy Ford route to see some new country.  Jenny's grandpa, Bill Biggam, had been an active member of the Latah Railway model railroaders at the Latah County fairgrounds in Moscow before his death.

Music again fills the Depot!

Thank you Gary Eller for strumming and singing at the Depot yesterday.  Karen Rohn, the WIMHPG VP, has carried Gary's book in her store, and said yes to him stopping by to play a  few tunes. It was a sweet little event, one everyone enjoyed. Thanks Ryon Ownbey for capturing this nice photo.  And look for Gary to return in the future to do a full-fledged concert!

Meanwhile, speeders are coming SOON with extended rides this year.  July 12 is the date!  Call the Depot at 208-875-1357 for further details on pre-sale tickets, new routes and other events happening that day.

US Bank partners with Depot again!

Last week US Bank proved once again that it endorses what we are doing at the Depot. Michelle French, Potlatch branch manager, and Michelle Hovey, district manager, presented the HPG with a check for $3500. The bank has been generous in the past as we have competed with other groups through US Bank's grant program.  But we never get tired of saying thank you for the encouragement! Fresh from our success with the Idaho Gives competition on May 1 (we tallied nearly $10,000 on that), the HPG is ready to move along with more work upstairs.

Pictured above are (left to right):  Michelle French, Michelle Hovey, HPG President and recent US Bank retiree Kenny Cada, HPG Secretary Robin McKinney, HPG Treasurer Barbara West, and HPG Vice-President Karen Rohn, who also operates a gift and art shop in the Depot.

Governor Butch Otter Pays the Depot a Visit

It is campaign season so Idaho's governor was at Bennett Lumber for some handshaking while traveling through north Idaho. But he didn't need any arm twisting to stop by the Depot to congratulate us on the May 1 "Idaho Gives" top honors for most donors in the small non-profit category. Otter spoke a few minutes before mingling with others who had come to greet him.  He is pictured above with (left to right) Janice McMillan, BJ Swanson, Shirley Green, Dale Good, Bonnie Good, Governor Otter, Kenny Cada (HPG President) and Karen Rohn (HPG VP).

HPG Treasurer Barb West reported that the Depot snagged $8600 from Idaho Gives and another $1200 in checks from those who couldn't participate online.  That is getting close to $10,000!!!!

HPG Secretary and owner of Thread It , Depot tenant Robin McKinney visited with Latah County Commissioner Dave McGraw while the governor addressed community residents and others. Robin's business has steadily increased since she moved in March 1, and she feels right at home sharing business space with Karen Rohn.

"Idaho Gives" challenge nets over $8500 for the Depot!

Restoring a 100-plus-year-old train depot is not a job for sissies, as some of these pictures remind us!  We put on the masks, picked up the shovels and did our part.  Yesterday many fine folks from all over the US supplemented our efforts by giving to the Idaho Gives May 1 fundraiser.  Not only did we pick up over $6000 in very much needed financial help, but we snagged the most donors for our small non-profit category, narrowly defeating the Idaho Falls School District Foundation.  It was a wild ride right up until the last, but we stayed in first.  That meant we earned another $2500 in bonus money.  Oh boy, can we use it! Volunteers have prepped the upstairs as the photos show, but cold hard cash is needed to do what comes next.  Electricity to half of the upstairs has depleted our bank accounts, but we still need walls, floors, a rehabbed staircase, etc.  The new funds will make things happen.  

Already we have two tenants waiting for spaces upstairs.  Robin McKinney's sewing business Thread It is busting at the seams in her small downstairs quarters, and the Latah Eagle weekly newspaper's new owner Barry Johnson also wants office space.  With the City of Potlatch annexing more acreage from the old mill site, a new industry will soon break ground on a 10,000 square foot building, hiring 50 workers.  Phase two will be another building, with an additional 100 jobs.  This will all be happening adjacent to the depot, making our wonderful old building a primo location. With paying tenants in our depot, we can finally take it easy a bit (none of us originals are getting any younger!).

Speaking of taking it easy, one cannot wrap up the Idaho Gives recap without another "atta boy" to Jim West, our slave driver and fearless leader who has wanted to make the most of Idaho Gives long before most of us had heard of it.  I found one rare picture of Jim lining up for a chow, rather than wearing a mask, wielding a hammer or playing music to raise funds.  He has been tireless....although I am sure his body tells him to rest more often than he admits!  And thanks to his wonderful sidekick wife, 'Becca, who puts up with all this nonsense!

Additional pictures show some other stalwarts, all incognito in their masks.  Karen Rohn, Kenny Cada and Barb West do know how to get dirty, and even my dear old hubby Jack has gotten into the act in the past. We are a team and we have pulled hard.  Sadly I cannot picture everyone who has stayed with the project. But thank you, one and all for the great efforts at Idaho Gives.  It was a cliff hanger, but well worth it.  "I think I can, I think I can" is more than mere words with this great bunch from the HPG!

The Depot Has Come a Long Way

Remember when the Historic Potlatch Depot looked like this?  Happily times have changed since this 2006 photo was snapped, but now it is time to again help get the building finished.  Idaho has a special event for non-profits happening right now and it is easy to donate.  Here is the link:

Here is the address for the Razoo "Donate Now" button:

http://idahogives.razoo.com/story/The-Washington-Idaho-And-Montana-Railway-History-Preservation-Gp-In?referral_code=share">razoo-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/public/assets/brands/40/donate_now_narrow.png

" />

 

Second Business Opens at the Depot

March 1 kicked off the start of Robin (Parkhurst) McKinney's dream of having her own shop, as she opened "Thread It" adjacent to Karen Rohn's shop, "Black Bird at the Depot."  Robin is a University of Idaho graduate specializing in fashion design, and she does alterations and mending, as well.  Her favorite assignment is creating formal and bridal wear, but she also sells a line of stylish yoga skirts, custom pillows and aprons.  In time, Robin hopes to be one of the first tenants to get a space upstairs, once the second floor remodeling is done. For now, she already has a healthy backlog of custom sewing jobs for area residents, making her first month in the depot a promising start.  Robin is married to Derek McKinney and is a mom to two kids.  Her creative talents certainly compliment the gift items and art available in Karen Rohn's store. Oh, and did we mention that Robin is the new HPG Secretary, while Karen continues as the group's Vice-President? The two women are doing a lot to promote the depot as a great business location.

As for the depot, it now seems in an even better spot to play a significant role as the City of Potlatch has annexed 14 acres gifted to town by Potlatch Corporation.  The new city acreage extends to Scenic Six Park and runs adjacent to the railroad tracks.  By summer, a new arms and munitions company will be expanding in the area, constructing a 10,000 square foot manufacturing plant and hiring 50 new employees.  The company plans a further expansion soon after that.