Big world, small parts: how a local electrical repair shop reaches around the globe

By Liv Stecker

You’ve passed it a million times on your way to work, or picking up the kids from school, or heading out to get your groceries. The little white cement block building on the side of highway 395 nestled in behind Radio Shack, you might not ever notice it until you need to.

Road Runner Electrical opened on March 1, 1992 in Colville by Richard Shull, who has been rebuilding alternators and starters for vehicles since the mid 1970s.

“The rebuild industry has changed so much in the last 20 years, it’s unreal,” Shull says of the shift in auto parts over the decades - when he first opened the business in 1992, he says it was more cost effective to rebuild or repair 29 out of 30 alternators that came through the door. Now, as electrical systems for automobiles are manufactured overseas at a fraction of the cost, it’s often cheaper to replace the whole starter or alternator than to repair it. The statistics have flip-flopped. “Now it’s one out of every 30 that we rebuild.” He says. Shull kept three employees busy rebuilding alternators when Road Runner was at it’s busiest.

In 2000, Matt Prater joined the team at Road Runner and seventeen years later, he and Shull run the entire operation together. Prater bought into the business several years ago and in the spring of 2017, he bought the business from Shull in it’s entirety.

Road Runner has shifted gears to keep up with the changing times. In addition to a flourishing eBay business where they sell electrical parts and repair kits to buyers all over the world.

“We can buy battery isolators from Malaysia and sell them back to people in Malaysia for cheaper than they can buy them there, where they were made.” Matt says. A map of the world hangs on the wall behind the counter at Road Runner, with brightly colored thumb tacks placed in every country (to date, more than 48) and state that the guys have shipped parts to. It’s proof positive that the world wide web has made it a much smaller world, even in a blue collar industry like electrical repair.  But the global eBay sales are only a fraction of what Road Runner offers.

While most of their local business consists of repeat customers over the years, Shull says that remote industry is really their bread and butter.

“70% of our business is from out of town,” he remarks, places like the Lucky Friday Mine in Silver Valley, Idaho, who have used Road Runner for their electrical parts and repairs for decades. But the guys at Road Runner say that they have first-time local clientele to thank for all of the real head-scratcher repair jobs. Road Runner has established themselves locally as the Do-It-Yourself mechanic’s last stop once they’ve reached the end of their limited expertise… or in some cases, just beyond the end.

“With our return customers, when something goes wrong, we’re the first ones they call,” Shull says, but the weekend warrior mechanics often don’t know what they’re up against until the whole thing is taken apart. “We’re the last ones they call, the last hope.” He laughs.

Prater and Shull say that clients bring in alternators in all states of disrepair and disassembly for them to fix. And fix it they do. Along with alternator and starter repair, Road Runner also sells new and rebuilt models, along with parts and supplies, batteries and accessories, and much more. They also repair power tools, trailers, winches and build custom battery cables.  

A few years ago, Road Runner began selling Old Hickory Sheds, which grace the open lot next to their location at 485 N Highway in Colville. Road Runner’s new hours are Monday - Thursday, 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM, and Friday 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM.

Prater laughs that his most productive hours in the shop are the ones when it’s closed and he can focus on his projects. One of his customers recently reminded him that being a business owner meant he was able to choose which 16 hours a day he put in, and while he admits it’s a lot of time and commitment, he says he enjoys the flexibility that being his own boss brings. You can reach the guys at Road Runner at (509) 684-1778, or stop on by the shop and check it out for yourself.

From gravel to gavel: how a small-town orphan became a big city judge

By Liv Stecker

Spokane County District Court Judge Aimee Maurer isn’t exactly sure when her birthday is. This odd uncertainty is one of the reasons that she is so good at her job. Born in Korea, Maurer was adopted as an infant by parents who lived just outside of Portland, Oregon. After a prolonged adoption process, the infant named Park Wol Haw was placed with Keith and Deborah  Jones in December of 1974. Maurer had been left on the steps of an orphanage in Seoul in June of that year when she was only days old. (while this is true of China, Korea did not have the strict family number limits). In the 1960, less than 15 years before Maurer’s one-way trip to Oregon, international adoption was unheard of in the United States. As the Korean War drew to a close, missionary Harry Holt saw the plight of abandoned babies   in Korea. Many orphans were the result of U.S. military presence during the Korean conflict which left behind thousands of bi-racial children. In addition to building orphanages in the war-torn country, Harry Holt  lobbied for a change in US Congressional Law to allow for the adoption of children from foreign countries, of which Korea would be the frontrunner.

After hearing about the Holt adoption program through their church, the Joneses had been placed on a waiting list for a baby.  In the meantime, they adopted two young American foster boys while they waited for their baby from Korea. Before they made the top of the list, they received a call from the Holt Agency.

“I know you’re further down the list,” the Holt employee told them, “but I feel like she is meant to be with you.”

The tiny Korean girl became a part of the Oregon family who added two more adopted siblings, one more girl and another boy, into the mix before they relocated to the Colville area in the mid-1980s.

“They loved the beauty of the area, but mostly they wanted the idyllic small town American lifestyle,” Maurer says of her parents’ move across the Northwest. “They wanted an environment where they could put down roots.” The Joneses established a farm and ran a small arts-and-crafts business in an old homestead on a dirt road south of town with their five adopted children. They grew most of their own food and everybody chipped in to help with the family business.

Maurer’s father became a Precinct Committee Officer and the family became involved in the local political landscape of northern Stevens County.

“It was a big deal to see his name there on the ballot,” Maurer remembers, “It really struck me how you, as an individual, can effect change in  the community you live. ” While Maurer and her siblings were homeschooled all throughout elementary and high school, she began to voice an interest in law school after graduation. At the time, her dad told her that she was “too short to be a lawyer,” which only served to spur the compact, 5 foot, 1 inch spitfire to prove him wrong.

Maurer was married in 1996 and welcomed her first child, daughter Madeline, the following year. In 2000, following the birth of her first son Liam, she started school at Spokane Falls Community College. Maurer’s second son, Oliver was born in 2008.  “In the back of my mind I still had this desire to be a lawyer,” Maurer said of the years she spent building a new life when her marriage ended. “I wanted to be a prosecutor, and focus on domestic violence,” she said, now armed with experience that motivated her from the damage to her own marriage and the fracturing of her parent’s family under abusive circumstances. She was accepted to Gonzaga Law School in 2003, proving to her father that height was no determiner of destiny.

Maurer went on after graduation to work for the Kootenai County Public Defenders, The Washington State Court of Appeals and worked in the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Domestic Violence and DUI Units as well as working for private law firms in insurance defense and plaintiff work. The broad diversity of experience was backed by an underlying motivation for the diminutive but feisty lawyer.

“In the back of my mind I knew that someday I wanted to be a judge,” she says, “and a good judge has both civil and criminal defense and prosecutor experience. I tried to pace my career to gain well rounded experience.” In 2009 when she was working as a prosecutor, she met Joshua Maurer, a defense attorney with whom she promptly got into an argument, one that she says he claims victory in. Regardless of who won the argument, the pair was married soon after. . Maurer and her husband operated their own law firm until 2014 when the opportunity to run for judge presented itself.

“In Spokane County, an incumbent judge had not lost an election in nearly 25 years,” says Maurer, but she viewed the campaign as a full time job, motivated by one strategy learned from years of overcoming daunting obstacles: “It can be done.” Maurer is a firm believer in a perspective that she says  every political view can get behind.

“When I ran, both sides could find consensus in the fact that the system is broken.” Criminal justice accounts for 70% of the Spokane County budget. She is an advocate of reforms that will use taxpayer money wisely and efficiently. For Maurer, the answers can be found in getting back to a strong work ethic and better education. Without these, “Crime rates go up, the jails are full and costs are rising... The U.S. jail system is the number one provider of mental health services in the nation.” Maurer says. If the process of getting there wasn’t enough of a challenge for the young Judge, the job itself is no walk in the park.

“We have our challenges,” Maurer shares, “but on a daily basis, we affect people’s lives.” In addition to the daily docket, Maurer sits on committees that are working to implement reforms in the criminal justice system.  She is committed to making her community a better and stronger place, one person at a time.

In spite of the imperfections of her family: biological, adopted or otherwise, Maurer says that she was taught the value of hard work. As a single mother in law school with a non-traditional educational background, not to mention her adoption and unconventional upbringing, she is a powerful example of the potential of dedication and hard work. There are no excuses big enough to stand in the way of what you really want to do.

“You can make a difference in your community and in other people’s lives,” Maurer says, and if anybody knows, she does.

Rotary Career Fair Oct. 26th!

The Rotary Club sponsored Career Fair will be held again this year on October 26th at the Community College for area high school students with an adult session scheduled from 2:30 until 5 p.m.   The Career Fair is one of the ways in which the Colville Rotary Club is working to support the youth in our community.  Too often young people struggle to find direction in their lives and lack the preparation that leads to rewarding employment opportunities. The result can be discouragement, apathy and dependence.  The purpose of the career fair is to help students and their parents become aware that there is a huge demand for for people with technical and vocational skills and that there are affordable training programs available to obtain those skills.  Many times these careers can provide a higher lifetime income than a purely academic career when the cost of expensive 4 year degree programs are taken into account.  Even for students whose goals include an academic degree, a vocational skill can provide the means to earn a living and pay for schooling without incurring crushing debt.  Those students who want to remain in the area after graduation will also find that many good positions are available with local employers if they have the needed skills.

Representatives from local and regional businesses, trade associations, governmental agencies and community college programs will be available to speak with interested students and later in the day with adults.  Last year some of the participants advertized current openings. Some of the representatives scheduled to attend this year include: Hewes Craft, Colmac Coil, Colmac Industries, Boise Cascade, Columbia Cedar, WA DNR, Avista, Providence Health, Spokane Home Builders Association, US Border Patrol, National Forest, Washington State Troopers, Animal Hospital, Buena Vista, Clarks, SCC, NW HVAC school, Dollars for Scholars, Rural Resources, Job Corp, US Army.

Training programs that will be represented include the fields of aviation, welding, cosmetology, criminal justice, automotive, machining, diesel/heavy equipment, et cetera.

Adults who are interested in preparing for one of these careers will have the same opportunity to speak with representatives during the 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. session.  This is also an opportunity for parents to come and get information that can help them guide their students in choosing a path forward.

The Rotary Club will have an exposition at the fair regarding the different activities the club sponsors in our community.

Armed Robbery At First National Bank In Chewelah!

Chewelah's First National Bank in 1905

A Throwback Story By Barry McCombs

The year was 1938, just a few years after bank robbers John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd and Bonnie and Clyde were dominating the headlines in the newspapers.  I had found some old newspaper clippings on the Chewelah holdup while flipping through one of my great-grandfather’s scrapbooks and then found out that one of the principals in this little drama, Mr. Cy Lavigne, was still alive in 1982 so I went to his cabin at Black Lake and visited with him.  At that time Cy was a spry 85 year old with an excellent memory which I tested by asking about some details of my ancestors who had been dead fifty years or more. Cy was an assistant clerk at the bank when the robbery occurred and using his memory along with the old newspaper clippings we reconstructed a crime that took place during the Great Depression.

At 2:30 p.m. on September 22, 1938, two gunmen stepped into the First National Bank of Chewelah and ordered the bank employees and three customers who happened to be in the bank to put up their hands. One man, later described as “very swarthy and over 30 years of age”, stood by the door while the other gunman, said to be “about 30, tall with blond bushy hair”, ordered J.A. Raftis, a cashier, to show where the money was kept.  Mr. Lavigne said that he kept playing with the hammer on his revolver while he held the gun under Jim Raftis’ nose. (As he recounted this, I sensed that he still held a grudge at the man for threatening their lives.)  The robbers gathered up $802  but in their excitement overlooked $11,000  in payroll money for the old magnesite plant in Chewelah.  As the gunmen ran out the door, the bank employees set off an alarm which rang in a business house next door.

At this point, Mr. Lavigne  jumped into action and what followed provides an interesting contrast and comparison to attitudes, policies and debates regarding gun control and citizen involvement in our own time.  Grabbing a 32 Colt automatic pistol kept at the bank, Cy rushed out the back door and started firing at the bandits just as they were making their getaway in a 36 Ford sedan.  The robbers returned fire and he could hear bullets striking the wall of the bank.  While this was going on he suddenly became aware that a young employee of the bank, Miss Lola Haney, was standing next to him yelling, “I wish I had a gun, I wish I had a gun.”  Cy told her to get the “blank” back inside.  When the getaway car was later discovered it had 5 holes from Cy’s weapon in the passenger door, 3 of which went through the window.

At the same time Mr. Lavigne was exchanging shots with the robbers, Mr. Heathfield, an insurance man from Spokane heard the alarm go off in the business next to the bank.  He ran to his car, pulled a 22 automatic pistol from it and started firing at the Ford from the center of the street. It was reported in the paper that Mr. Heathfield put several rounds through the rear window of the car.  Cy had to stop and laugh about that for awhile. He said Heathfield, a friend of his, was amazed to find out, when the getaway car was discovered that only one of his bullets had it the car and that was in the trunk.  While he was shooting he kept seeing holes appearing in the back window and thought he was really laying in his shots close.  Actually, the holes he saw were made by the bandits firing back at him from inside of the car.

All of this activity disturbed the ruminations of a couple of retired gentlemen who made it their habit to sit on the burb of the sidewalk under some shade trees near the bank.  A stray bullet grazed the pants of one of the men. Cy said the two of them crept on their hands and knees slowly around a building and then made tracks for safer ground.

After the robbers got away from the bank, several people watched the car drive slowly till it got out of town. (Were they trying to not draw attention to themselves or was Chewelah already known as a speed trap in 1938?)  When the reached the Sand Canyon road on the edge of town, the car picked up speed and began to race furiously up the the road.  By this time Marshall Otto Thygesen of Chewelah gave chase.  He reported that he had nearly caught up to them before burning a bearing on his car.

While the news spread about the holdup there was no lack of volunteers to chase down the bad guys.  A dozen or more cars full of manhunters patrolled the Sand Canyon and upper Chewelah Creek area all that afternoon and evening.  Small posses were organized from the American Legion Post and armed with high-powered rifles and shotguns.  These groups were sent out to investigate many conflicting sightings of the bandits.  No trace of the robbers was found, however, until much later when deer hunters came upon the getaway car covered with brush in the Bear Creek area.  Inside the car investigators found dried blood and other evidence the bandits had been hit.  Some arrests were eventually made in connection with the robbery.

After the holdup, Cy Lavigne changed his 32 automatic for a 30-06.  He felt that he would have stopped the robbers if he would have had the rifle.  Over the years society put more restraints on anyone but  trained police officers jumping into a melee with criminals.  To protect the safety of their customers and employees, banks eventually forbid clerks from having firearms on the premises. Cy could see the wisdom in this but judging from the deer antlers hanging from his cabin wall he was still a good shot and I wouldn’t have wanted to test his resolve in a tight situation.

Studio 224 - Not Your Mama’s Salon

Chris, Jenny and Jill at Studio 224

By Liv Stecker

Jill Woodward is something of a legend in the hairdressing world of Colville. For 38 years, the owner and operator extraordinaire of Carefree Hair Design on the south end of town was the stylistic savior of multiple generations. She and her well known shop were fixtures in the community.

 “Carefree was known for how beautiful is was, the plants and stained glass,” Woodward says reminiscently. Her customers became like family to her as she took care of them and then their children, year after year, along with her two daughters who became hairdressers as well. The popular salon served clients who wouldn’t dream of going anyplace else, until 2015 when Woodward underwent emergency open heart surgery. The event was an unexpected wake up call.

 “I am so happy I am alive,” Woodward says. She closed down Carefree and retired from 50 years of hairdressing and moved to Libby, Montana, where she and her husband built an Amish style log home. But Woodward missed her Carefree clientele. When her daughter, Jenny Lambert considered opening her own salon, Woodward was on board.

Jenny's "rustic industrial" makes a homey setting

 “I was encouraging her to get into it,” Woodward says. The salon would provide a space where she could come back periodically to work her magic. “This community is like family to me.... I have to get my fix once a month.”

 Lambert bought the building at 224 N. Main Street in Colville and opened Studio 224 in August of 2017, and while Woodward makes her ‘celebrity hairdresser’ appearances for the first week of every month, she says the new salon is 100% Lambert’s style.

 “...this shop is very Jenny, with the black and white rustic/industrial look.” Woodward says. And it’s not just Studio 224’s aesthetic appeal that is a big switch up from the earthy, colorful vibe of Carefree. Lambert uses Organic Hair Systems products in her business, which Woodward says is an all-around “better choice for your hair.” Lambert has been using the product on her clients for quite some time, with great results.

 The building itself, which formerly housed Colville Monument Works facing Main Street is also serving as a Zumba studio in the evenings and eventually, they hope eventually, a Thai takeout restaurant.

 Studio 224 offers a full array of beauty services, with top-of-the-line organic products and service backed by a two-generation reputation. Lambert offers services off-site as well for special events such as weddings. For more information or to make an appointment with Woodward or Lambert, call 509-675-5656.