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Citizens Air Views Anent Closing of Laclede Ferry at Hearing on FridayBy Frances SleepWhy maintain the Lacledeferry9To air their divergent views on the matter more tnan 30 residents of the Laclede, Priest Hiv* t i and Edgemere area drove to Sandpoint Friday morning over roads made slick- by an early morning snowstorm They came to attend a meeting called by the board of county commissioners to inquire into the feasibility of (losing the ferry.People were not shy about ex-pressng their opinions and in a little more than an hour, chairman of the board Glenn Reed, who served as moderator for the session, had invited comment from nearly everyone present. It’ appeared that sent Intent' played a leading part in the .sons offered for continnin’g Kd1 maintain the ferry at Laclede Why that ferry’s been there since 1862 when there used to be a Hudson Bay trading camp where Laclede is now'” Loren Markham, oldtimer of the district, declaredIt just seems to me if we lose that ferry we're giving up another step in progress, we will lu^t be going back another step in our community, Ted Sprack-11n young farmer from the Riley (reek district near Laclede explained earnestly* We feel we should have an r ven bigger ferry or a bridge. he concluded **You would see a lot of business come our w'ay if there was some way to get it lt;*( ross the river People just don’tLife, Health, Accident, Polio, INSURANCEMrs. Eudora D. BloodRepresenting World Insurance Co.Route 7. Sandpoint, IdahoPhone dlStfccome this way now because they can't take loads across on the ferry I'd be willing to pay a toll to cross, if there was a good ferry ”Inquire Repair Costf William Starky, Laclede resident, inquired reasonably, into the cost of repairing the ferry, which is now out of commission because of a broken pinion gear which powered a shaft and belt to turn the big paddle wheel “If it would take only about $2500 (the rough estimate given by Reed) to repair the ferry good enough for our immediate needs, how much would that hold back the road building program9 Starky wanted to know' He could see no reason why the fate of the ferry had to be decided at ,once^“Can't sufficient repairs be •made now to get the ferry back in operation until spring when the road improvement program is nearer completion9 Starkey suggestedSpracklin. sincerely concerned at the turn of the meeting, stated he felt there should be more time allowed to ascertain the “true feeling of both sides If it turns out that 60 per cent of the people down our way want the ferry out he said “why then it’s okay with me ' He drew i attention to the 70-name petition presented earlier to the board, * and there was no effort to go out and contact people to sign, he added| * Seems to me like I get theimpression that people only want to go to Priest River or Sand-point, George Phillips, Laclede service station operator offered ' “That (the southside road) ma\ be all right fo1 them but ♦here*. quite a few folks on both sides , of the river around Laclede, who are interested m just going back and fortb, so wbv make us go on an extra 20-mile trip9sidinshipkdoAsclebudr;thlt;beyefoiofsicnu tai i ei|lt;00w;eri on • a th ' shvctowoffetha)MwClththmorfrdi6321
Newspaper Details
Sandpoint News Bulletin
Sandpoint, Idaho, US
Thu, Dec 27, 1956
Page 6
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