When the bridge is more troubled than the waters…

By liv Stecker

In 1948, a massive steel cantilever truss bridge replaced the rickety wooden bridge that had spanned the Columbia River outside of Northport since 1897. The new bridge was constructed during the Civilian Conservation Corps development boom after World War II and was a much needed upgrade for the steady stream of logging and mining traffic through the Northport area at the time. For 65 years, the bridge has seen the turning wheels of countless commercial trucks, recreating tourists and locals who reside along the north bank of the Columbia river.

State Highway 25, or the Coulee Reservoir Highway, traces the path of the Columbia River as it transitions into Lake Roosevelt and then back in the river proper just before the Canadian Border. The Highway spans Lake Roosevelt near this transition point in one of the few river crossings in the Northeastern corner of the state. As such, it provides crucial access to communities up and down the Columbia River around Northport and one of the main border crossing stations into British Columbia.

According to the Washington State Department of Transportation website, between 500-800 vehicles use the Northport Bridge every day, with commercial trucks accounting for 40% of this traffic. In December, WSDOT engineers performed an in depth assessment of the historic bridge that led to the discovery of heavy rust on the load bearing bolts of the structure. “We were surprised at the depth of corrosion we found within these bolts during our inspection,” said Bridge Preservation Engineer Harvey Coffman, in a statement for WSDOT. Immediate travel restrictions were placed on the bridge while further tests evaluated the safe load bearing potential of the bridge in it’s current condition.

An initial press release on January 5th from WSDOT issued a 10,000 lb weight limit and emergency flaggers conducted a one-car-at-a-time crossing operation that created wait times for travelers upwards of two hours. After the first public announcement, rumors about the imminent collapse of the bridge were swirling as residents watched a steady increase of heavy traffic continue across the bridge. In a letter to WSDOT, Christy Phillips voiced the concern of many local citizens, “IS this bridge truly safe to cross at all? Does it need replaced instead of repaired?”

The initial press release was revised two days later, clarifying a miscommunication and increasing the safe weight limit of the bridge to 105,500 lbs, allowing for the passage of multiple vehicles in single lane travel on the bridge. To relieve pressure on the corroded bolts, concrete barrier sections have been stacked at either end of the bridge, while engineers develop a repair strategy for the historic structure. According to Harold White, Assistant Regional Administrator for Maintenance and Operations, in response to Phillip’s query, “The bridge is not in need of replacement however a repair plan is being developed that will bring the bridge back to its previous load carrying ability without the added weight or load restrictions.”

The lightened travel restrictions came as a relief to many local commuters and commercial haulers, as wait times at the bridge currently don’t exceed 15 minutes. A temporary traffic light has been placed at the bridge, the first and only stoplight in Northport’s traffic history, and business as usual goes on in the small town.

According to Glenn Wagemann, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Eastern Region Maintenance and Traffic Engineer, routine inspections are performed every 24 months according to state and federal regulations. Underwater inspections of the bridge are performed as required every 60 months, or 5 years. Northport bridge was last inspected in June of 2015, and the most recent underwater inspection happened in September of 2014. The in-depth inspection of December, 2016, was conducted after the acquisition of new ultra sound equipment that could analyze the depth of corrosion more accurately. Concerns that were first raised during a 2004 inspection and voiced by engineers again in 2012 and 2013 were validated by the ultrasound findings. Maintenance and repairs conducted after the 2004 inspection were believed to have been adequate to support weight loads, but with advanced technology it was more readily apparent the depth of corrosion that hadn’t been adequately ascertained during previous inspections. With the help of ultrasound, Wagemann says, “it was determined that a hard outer pack of rust existed.  When the rust was removed, it was found to have resulted in a significant section loss to the anchor bolts. A subsequent structural analysis determined the current situation of the bridge, and the need to restrict weights on the bridge.”

In response to the inquiries of concerned citizens about bridge access for emergency services, Mr. White stated, “Because of the one way traffic it is very challenging to make accommodations for emergency services to allow them to cross safely on a 24/7 basis.  We have been and will remain in contact with the emergency services to keep them informed and reduce delay as much as possible.” Shortly after this communication, 24 hour contact points were established for emergency personnel to reach traffic controllers and gain immediate crossing access.

White says that while repair schedules haven’t been drawn up yet, Wagemann says that the project will likely take place during May or June of this year due to weather restrictions on the repairs needed. The time frame is troubling for many bridge travelers, and especially for the commercial interests who feel the impact of even a 15 minute delay in hectic transport schedules. For now, the extra 15 minutes that school employees and others who have to get to Northport on a daily basis, is a welcome relief from the initial hours-long wait times. Karen Plum, the Kindergarten/1st grade teacher in Northport who lives across the river on Flat Creek Road, has mixed feelings “I am happy that they caught the error,” she says in reference to the safety issue, “but it is an inconvenience at times.”

WSDOT officials updated the official press release on January 12th, informing travelers of the automated traffic controls in place and the safe weight bearing capacity of the bridge. For more information about the bridge and official updates, go to http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/news/2017/01/05/weight-and-lane-restrictions-needed-sr-25-columbia-river-bridge-northport or call WSDOT at 509-324-6015.

Investing in the community

By Liv Stecker

With more than 40 years experience in the screen printing business, Ron Rebelato is no stranger to the outfitting of a team. And what those decades of service have also taught Ron is the truth that any good business is built on the relationships with a good community. Launching a branch of Ronyreb Garment Company in Trail, British Columbia earlier this year, Ron immediately began investigating how he could build that relationship across the border with his neighbors in Northport. Enter Dave Hedrick, Northport local, coach and now a part of Ron’s team in the screen printing business.

Northport is situated more closely to Trail, B.C. than any large town in the US, making it a convenient trip for shopping, sports and recreation as well as entertainment and cultural experiences. For decades, students and adults alike from Northport have played on sports teams based in Trail and Rossland, while their Canadian neighbors enjoy the hospitality of some of Northport’s finest features, including the historic Kuk’s Tavern, The Mustang Grill and the recently re-opened Rivertown Grill. Ron is a frequent guest at Rivertown, and good friends with many Northport residents. It only made sense to expand his business to the small border town.

Offering competitive prices and great customer service wasn’t enough for Ron and Dave in their quest to build relationship with Northport and the surrounding area. They wanted to do more. Ron approached the athletic director of Northport High School, Erik Stark about donating hoodies to both the girls and boys high school basketball teams as a gesture of their support for the community and investment. Stark was as surprised as the more than 30 students who received the customized hoodies were.

“I can’t believe that he is doing this for our little school,” Stark voiced. It’s a big gift for a place who has fought hard to keep a solid athletic program alive over the years as Northport faces the same economic decline as many small rural towns. Having local people buy in on such a tangible level is a huge vote of confidence for the young athletes in the program. The hoodies were delivered to players in January, and many of the students haven’t stopped wearing them since. Check out Ronyreb Garment Company on Facebook or contact Dave at 509-675-5942 or dlhedrick2@gmail.com or Ron in Trail at 250-364-0058, or ronrebelato@yahoo.com for more information about the services they offer.

A Joyful Way: Love of the Irish

By Liv Stecker

When Deirdre Abeid launched the Haran School of Irish Dance outside of Kettle Falls in 1992, she had no idea the legacy that had begun. A first generation descendant of an Irish immigrant mother, Deirdre was handed down the spirit of her national heritage in the form of music and dancing. A prolific singer, musician, and step dancer, “Dooda”, as her family and close friends affectionately called her, brought her Irish cultural education with her to Stevens County when she moved here to raise her family in the late 1970s.  

In addition to leading the choir at her beloved church and participating in local community theater as an actor, dancer and choreographer, Deirdre and her husband Simon raised their three children, cultivated a small farm and served the community in countless ways. Always full of life and energy, Deirdre was tirelessly busy and involved in the lives of many people. In 1992, Hopi Schott was one of the first three students that began taking lessons in the upstairs of Simon’s shop. “I remember how effortless Dooda was in her dancing, and joyful in her ways of teaching, and how none of us could have guessed what we had  started that summer.” She recalls.

What began as a few local students in the early nineties snowballed into a busy and active dance studio after Deirdre earned her TCRG teaching certificate – Teasgicoir Choimisiuin Le Rinci Gaelacha – from the Dublin-based Irish Dance Commission and students began to compete regionally and nationally. Deirdre’s life was tragically cut short in 2004 after she was diagnosed with cancer during a trip to Ireland with a group of her students. But the legacy of her Irish heritage has been preserved as her daughters, Claire and Caitlin, carry on the torch of her dance studios in Kettle Falls and Spokane.

Caitlin runs the Haran dance school near Ninth and Perry in Spokane, producing hundreds of students that have learned, performed and competed all over the region and world. Abeid’s son, Mellad, formed a Celtic band in Spokane, known as An Dóchas (Gaelic for “The Hope”), who frequently play with the Haran Dancers in large stage productions.

Claire has remained in Kettle Falls, taking over the original dance studio after Deirdre’s passing, owning her mother’s perspective on the dance as a timeless enjoyment. In an interview with the Seattle Times in 1997, Deirdre was quoted in response to the sudden upswing of interest due to the popularity of Riverdance, “...for those of us who have been doing it long before, we'll still be here after it wanes. It's a joyful way to dance. And people who take it up find a love of it themselves."

From her teenage years, Claire taught classes of all levels, taking over the instruction completely during her mother’s illness, and continuously since, even while touring with professional dance troupes including Michael Londra’s (of Riverdance) Celtic Fire and the Ireland based Celtic Legends. Averaging 60 students at any given time, Claire’s community focus on keeping her mother’s vision alive has enabled countless local dancers to perform and compete on national and international stages.

Many world class competitors and professional performance level dancers have come out of the studio, including Brittany Roberson, who began dancing as a young girl with Deirdre and Claire. Brittany started teaching at the studio while Claire was pregnant with her first baby in the fall of 2014. Now the two instructors tag-team classes of all levels, from beginner to world champion level, including classes one day a week in Chewelah at the Aaron Huff Memorial Cultural Center. Brittany helps to cover the bases while Claire continues to work as a choreographer for Michael Londra. The Kettle Falls Haran School of Irish Dance is launching several new beginner level classes this spring as they prepare for a show in April and competition season begins. Now the mother of a toddler, Claire looks forward to incorporating her young son in the family tradition.

Deirdre’s passion for her Irish heritage and her love for people lives on in the joyful dance that her daughters give to the  community. Before her death, Deirdre wrote: "Try to live like Jesus ...see love in every face and try to give that love back." In the happy steps of hundreds of dancers, Deirdre still gives love back to countless people in Stevens County and beyond. If you are interested in finding out more about joining a class with the Haran Dancers, please contact Claire and/or Brittany by email or dancingharan@gmail.com dancingbritty@gmail.com or phone 509-690-7088. You can also find more information on their facebook page, Kettle Falls Haran School of Irish Dance.