Rewinding Time

Jim’s Video: movies and nostalgia

By Liv Stecker 

  Janice Weaver never planned on a career in video rentals, but sometimes, the job just picks you. In 1984, she and her partner, Jim Haynes, took over an appliance shop where he could finally get away from the toll that logging was taking on him and his oldest son. The appliance shop happened to be located in the old lobby of the historic Keller Hotel in Kettle Falls.  Appliances didn’t end up being Jim’s thing, but somewhere along the way they decided to start renting out VHS tapes, when the home VCR craze took off in the early 80s. The men never quite got away from the logging industry, but the video rentals were a hit.

 

  Living in the renovated portion of the old hotel that had once been the office and a small kitchenette with booths for patrons, Janice has become a fixture in the community during the 30 years that she has rented movies to local residents. What began as a supplement to the appliance business is now a landmark. Jim’s Video, is a spot that Kettle Falls and the surrounding area know and love as a great place to get a movie as well as the lowdown on what to watch. On a random Tuesday morning, visitors can find themselves engrossed in a detailed conversation about vampire verses zombie genres, and how they just don’t make actors like they used to. Janice knows her customers, as she should - multiple generations of them. She says that her favorite part of running Jim’s Video is the customers that she gets to know and watch grow up. Her glass covered front counter showcases the many faces of movie lovers from all around the area. School photos, family portraits, military pictures… they all share a piece of their history with Janice and her little nook.

  Janice started out renting VHS tapes for her store from a video place in Deer Park called Alpine Video. After badgering Jim to start buying her own videos for years, she finally worked her way into a buying account when she put her foot down about the purchase of a favorite movie.  She can’t remember the title of the movie now, but she says it was worth the fight.  Even with the advent of Redbox and Netflix and her hardest competitor – the DVR, Janice says business is good. She offers customer service that you can’t find in a vending machine or a website. People rent her movies, and if it won’t play, “they slap it on the counter and say ‘hey Janice, this don’t work!’ and I fix it.” She says when her customers have tried Redbox: “takes one time and it doesn’t work,” and they’re out their rental money with no compensation. DVRs have impacted her business since now families can pre-record anything they want to see for later viewing. It isn’t hindered by the limited selections of Redbox or Netflix, and it’s completely customizable. She says that people used to stop and grab a movie or a show to watch after dinner. Now they just record it during the day and it’s waiting for them at home. Even so, the difference in rentals hasn’t been enough to worry her. Her biggest pet peeve in the video store is unreturned rentals. Janice hails from a generation where “I forgot” isn’t an excuse for anything. Sheepish renters returning movies past their due date know that they can stick some change for the late fees into the case and Janice will donate it to the food bank.  For all of her motherly scolding, the movies still come in late, or sometimes not at all, a cost that hits the small business hard.

  Jim’s Video offers over 1500 movie titles, and that’s not including holiday movies or the VHS collection in the basement. Janice also stocks entire seasons of TV shows and video games for XBOX 360 and PS3. She keeps things simple by charging the same rental price for every movie. No new release prices or bargain bins, just one fee. It seems like a reasonable price to pay for the piece of nostalgia you’re buying into at Jim’s Video. One of the few remaining rental stores, Janice’s place is not just a nod to ever-changing technology: the store itself is a living history book that tells the story of our cultural evolution.

  The Keller Hotel was opened in 1934 by Margaret “Grandma” Keller. She ran the cozy 15-room inn with a tiny restaurant until 1952 when it was bought by Guy Hunter. In 1957 it was sold again, and the hotel closed in 1958, marking the end of an era in Kettle Falls. The hotel watched the boom as the small community of Meyer’s Falls was merged with the town of Kettle Falls when the latter was relocated during the flooding of Lake Roosevelt in 1940. The old hotel sat proudly along the new main street that delineated the two towns. Next to a new movie theater and playing host to the ebb and flow of tourist traffic and a burgeoning logging economy, it met the lodging needs of the community for more than 20 years. After closing, the hotel was eventually converted to an appliance store and repair shop, owned by Orville “Clem” Clemens, who rented the rooms upstairs to students just out of high school. When Jim and Janice took over, the second story was in need of some serious repair and attention, which Jim provided, renovating several of the rooms into a livable apartment space, where Janice’s daughter lived for a time. Jim had started work on the rest of the hotel when he passed away unexpectedly five years ago. Since then, Janice has kept the story of the hotel, and Jim’s Video, alive and well.

  Kettle Falls has changed almost as much as video technology in the years since Grandma Keller ran her hotel, but some things remain constant. Jim’s Video is a piece of that nostalgic stability that communities require to survive, and Janice’s faithful customers understand that. While she’s the first one to tell you that she can’t stand to use her credit card machine and that there’s nothing wrong with a good old VHS tape, she keeps current with all of the new releases and can talk you right through the latest Academy Award Winners.  Beyond a video store, it’s a network of friends and family and a reminder of the things that bring us together: History, customer service, and a good movie.

Preserving The Story Of The Falls

Kettle Falls Historical Center Brings the Past Alive

By Liv Stecker

The Grand Coulee Dam stopped the flow of the Columbia River in March of 1940. As the waters of Lake Roosevelt began to rise, members of the Colville Indian tribe scrambled to relocate remains from their sacred burial grounds and move thousands of years of cultural history out of harm's way before it was lost forever under water. The dam was an economic boost to the struggling farmlands of central Washington that carried an undocumented cost to the Native American culture and ecology along the Upper Columbia. The job market flourished and a future for wheat farmers statewide was secured but countless tiny towns and historical sites were drowned by the flood of progress. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Lake Roosevelt was drawn down to accommodate the construction of a third powerhouse on Grand Coulee Dam. In 1969, the waters were low enough to expose the once powerful Kettle Falls. Anthropologist David Chance, from the University of Idaho, seized this opportunity to conduct excavations around the old falls, on a mission to recover pieces of history lost in the lake.

 

As Chance dug up layers of the 9000-year-old story of Kettle Falls, the seed of an idea took root. A handful of local Kettle Falls residents, including the granddaughter of the last "Salmon Chief" of the Kettle Falls salmon runs, realized that they had an opportunity to document the culture and history that had been buried under 380 feet of water. In the mid 1970s, Rowena Macintosh, Darrell Shute, Bill Brauner and Eileen Weatherman formed a committee to develop a Historical Center for the culturally rich Kettle Falls area. As the idea took shape, Washington Water Power (now Avista Utilities) donated 6 acres of land above the river to the Historical Center.

The property was adjacent to the historical site of Fort Colville, operated by Hudson's Bay Company in the early 1800s and the St. Paul Mission, established near the falls in 1845. Prior to European contact, the falls served as a culturally important gathering place that was quickly capitalized on by the emerging fur trade. From pre-history until the powerful falls were inundated in the 1940 flooding of Lake Roosevelt, there was an unceasing stream of commerce and community celebration in the area of Kettle Falls.

The mission of the Kettle Falls Historical Center is "to preserve the history of 9000 years of habitation." The volunteers and board members seek to fulfill this by putting on display the people and the culture surrounding the falls, and to educate the community. Board president Steve Schott says that Kettle Falls once was "one of the richest, and most generous environments on earth." Before salmon harvesting would begin, Native Americans had thanksgiving feasts while the fish moved by, until the salmon chief gave the nod to begin. This conservation practice was maintained for generations, allowing for the healthy maintenance of salmon populations in the Upper Columbia, a vital dietary staple of numerous regional tribes.

David Chance's excavations instigated a movement by local residents that resulted in a dedicated group of people who volunteer tirelessly to preserve area history and educate visitors and upcoming generations. The Center opened in 1984, in a building constructed entirely using donated materials and volunteer labor. Open from May 15 - September 15 every year, it is still staffed entirely by volunteers and funded through donations, fundraisers and membership fees. Members of the Kettle Falls Historical Center pay $15 for individuals and $20 for a family membership, which includes unlimited entrance to the Center, 10% off of purchases at the Shop at the Falls, the Center gift shop, and a newsletter subscription.

Each spring, the Center holds an art and writing contest for local students. The theme for the writing contest this year is "Means of Transportation Before 1900", and the art contest has different divisions for the mediums of painting, photography and more. The winning students are awarded cash prizes, and the art and writing is featured on display for the first two weeks that the Center is open in the spring. The entire month of June will feature a community art show, featuring local artists of all varieties on display. In July the Center will showcase Native American Art and Culture. Membership in the Historical Center means access to all of these unique displays and a chance to learn more about our culturally rich area.

The "Shop At The Falls" gift shop inside the Historical Center

On Saturday, April 18th, the Kettle Falls Historical Center will be holding their annual fundraising auction on site at the museum starting at 10 AM. Local businesses and individuals donated over 100 auction items and gift certificates. All proceeds go to the upkeep and development of the Center. The opening day event this year for the Historical Center is Saturday, May 16^th.

A pine dugout canoe crafted on site at the museum

With the exception of last year, the Center has conducted the auction and the writing and art contest. Due to unforeseen circumstances involving the board of directors and the volunteers, a series of losses due to illness and life circumstances set the Center back on it's heels and unable to staff certain events and days at the museum. New volunteers are beginning to step up, but the need for fresh faces and new eyes on the project is vital for the long-term survival of the Historical Center. Donations and community involvement are the critical piece to ensuring the continuation of the museum and the work that goes on there. The museum opens May 15^th for the 2015 season. To become a member, swing by between the hours of 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

You can find more information at The Kettle Falls Historical Center website: https://sites.google.com/site/kettlefallshistoricalcenter/, or call 509-738-6964.

Bi-County prom a “roaring” success

photo credit: Sound By Steve

By Liv Stecker

A swirl of glitter and taffeta hailed more than 16 schools that were represented at the annual By-County Prom at Fairchild Air Force Base on Saturday, March 14^th. Hundreds of 9^th-12^th graders traveled by bus, limousine and SUV to the “Funspot” on base, where students were able to catch a break from dancing and go bowling, take some swings in the batting cage, and pose for professional prom photos. Schools from as far away as Selkirk and Northport, and including members of the regional 2B and 1B sports leagues were present and accounted for. It’s a chance for schools with small classes to mix and mingle with students from other small schools – and not total strangers, since these kids see each other all year long at sporting events. Schools present included Almira-Coulee-Hartline, Creston, Cusick, Davenport, Harrington, Inchelium, Liberty, Lind/Ritzville, Northport, Odessa, Reardan, Selkirk, Sprague, Wellpinit, Wilbur, and Wilson Creek. Hundreds of high school students, dressed to the nines, put on a parade of glamor and imagination, with the “Roaring 20’s” theme. The dance floor was packed while Sound By Steve, a DJ from nearby Davenport, rocked the tunes and the candid photos all night long. A steady stream of old and new music, much of it by request, kept the partyers on their toes. The collaboration prom is facilitated through the 2B Bi-County Principal’s Association, and organized by all of the schools involved, headed in part by Jim Evans of Almira-Coulee-Hartline. Fairchild Base’s Funspot is a multi-activity hub that includes a snack bar and roller skating rink that converts to a massive dance floor, along with plenty of room for the dancers to catch their breath and take a break. Administrators see the prom as a chance to experience something bigger than individual proms in the small schools would allow. Pooling the resources of so many different places makes for quite the party, in a safe and well-organized structure. Traveling from out of town, plenty of willing teacher and parent chaperones, and strict rules on the Air Force Base give administrators some relief from worries about traditionally risky after parties and student accountability. While many couples came to the prom together, a lot of students showed up solo, or with a group of friends, excited to connect with acquaintances from basketball and volleyball, and to meet new people that they don’t spend the whole school year with, side by side. The revelers danced until midnight and then made their way happily to the various pumpkin-coaches that carried them back home.

Health Care Made Easy

By Liv Stecker

In 2013, The Empire Health Foundation conducted a study to evaluate the accessibility of primary medical care in the Colville/Kettle Falls area. The study ran simultaneous to a shift in medical providers locally that impacted the availability of sliding scales for low income families as well as how private pay parties had access to health care. The study found that 17% of residents in the area did not have medical insurance. Of this number, many were seeking primary health care out of the area, and the majority of the remainder were going untreated. Dr. Barry Bacon, along with Physician's Assistant Don Jackson, set out on a mission to mend what they saw as a gaping hole in primary health care accessibility for their community. There seemed to be a lost demographic between those who qualified for Medicaid and those who had access to private insurance. Even after the advent of the Affordable Health Care Act, local providers witnessed a rapid decline as locals lost faith in the health care system when there was no longer a sliding scale and they couldn't afford the co-pays of their private insurance. Dr. Bacon made the decision to leave the North East Washington Medical Group shortly after Providence Health Care purchased the privately owned clinic.

On January 19, 2015, Dr. Bacon and Don Jackson opened the doors to the Colville Community Health Center, housed in the expanded and remodeled location of Colville Community Dental Clinic - a joint venture in providing "easy to access, easy to understand" primary care, as Dr. Bacon defines it. The clinic is the answer to the disparity in access to care for those who are uninsured or underinsured. It offers a sliding scale for self-pay patients as Bacon says: "thinking outside the clinical model to reach out into the community and change outcomes for people." The mission of the center is “To ensure that a comprehensive range of high quality care is available to best meet the health care needs of the people residing in our service area.”

Operating under the umbrella of North East Washington Health Programs, the clinic targets the missed demographic of patients who have had nowhere else to turn. NEW Health Programs was founded to address all of the primary medical needs of the whole community, offering not only the sliding scale, but access to lab work through Pathology Associates Medical Laboratories, and accepting a wide spectrum of insurance plans. Keeping ahead of illness and injury in the community is the goal. "A solid primary care base is the best value," Dr. Bacon says, to curb the demand for urgent care and afford better outcomes for all patients.

The building is still undergoing remodeling to accommodate the growing practice, and while the program hit the ground running, Dr. Bacon says that there will be growing pains and asks for the patience of the community. In addition to Dr. Bacon and Don Jackson, plans are in the works to add another Physician's Assistant in the near future to help with expansion plans. While the study conducted in 2013 and the goal of the clinic specifically target high risk maternity patients, children under five years old and other at-risk demographics, Dr. Bacon says the idea is to "create a place where everyone can access care." Until now, he goes on, "people either aren't accessing care or they are going outside of the community to get care," a problem that he sees as solvable with the clinic.

The opening of the clinic in January fell less than 6 months after the decision to launch the program, a speedy time frame that Dr. Bacon credits to the motivation and organization of NEW Health Programs and their commitment to community solutions. As their practice grows, Dr. Bacon looks forward to meeting the widely varied needs of the rural Stevens County area. The response so far has been positive, as new and old patients find out about the new clinic and fresh approach to providing primary health care in the area.

In addition to his full time practice at the clinic, Dr. Bacon also put his skills to work in Africa, serving in populations that include the second highest maternal mortality rate and the fourth highest infant mortality rate in the world. He works to both treat and train local doctors in the care of high-risk mothers and premature babies, as well as developing protocols for medical care in resource-poor communities in the region.

Dr. Bacon and the staff at Colville Community Health Center invite you to come see the great things happening in Colville, and discover how accessible health care can be with a community minded organization and providers with a genuine interest in the outcomes of their patients. The clinic is located at 370 N Main Street in Colville, or you can reach them at 509-684-1440.  More information is available at newhp.org.