Columbia Cup, Now Us

The dates are drawing near for the fist unlimited Hydro race here in 45 years. Those of you that attended the race in Tri-Cities over the week-end, or watched it on television,(SWX) were both awed by the race itself and the interaction of the community. Hundreds of volunteers were present, some that had been present for the entire 48 years that hydro racing has been held in the Tri-Cities.

We realize that such a fan base is only possible by the number of years the races have been held. We are told though, that 70% of the attendees are from Spokane and Coeur d'Alene areas. We need your participation. There is a need for race days volunteers in all venues.

The success of our first of hopefully many years of racing depends solely on the community supporting the race as well as the participation of these volunteers. We can still use two more inside people to spend 2 or3 three hours  in the office, answering phones and coordinating activities, Please feel free to contact us by phone at 208-664-3338 or 208-664-3339. You can also access the web site, www.diamondcuprace.com and click on volunteers. The best way is to do both. Contact me at the office, Herb Huseland. Let me know of your interest and availability.

As we gain experience in holding the race again, it will build and get better every year. Please be a part in the success of the annual race. We need you.

There is still plenty of room for more vendors for the race. Go to our web site, click on vendors and fill out the application. Upon approval, we will notify you to submit your fees promptly.  Or just drop in at our offices, 2040 Main St., Coeur d'Alene, Idaho 83814. We are located one block north of the theater in Riverstone.

Volunteer meetings are being held in the Riverstone Hampton Inn, Thursday afternoons 6:30 and Saturday am 9:00 am. Drop ins are welcome. 

Help Wanted-Diamond Cup

While the Diamond Cup still needs volunteers for the race, we have a serious need for office help for the next five weeks. I will be covering from 9-2 pm. We need another person or two to cover from 2 pm to 5 pm.

In addition to our undying gratitude, those that volunteer in the office but not the race, will receive two week-end passes for Saturday and Sunday, Race days Labor Day week-end. Those interested, please call me, Herb Huseland at the office 664-3338 or at home, 683-9107.

Preparations are going on at a feverish pace as the date comes near. Ticket sales are up but we urge you to go to our web site to order yours before the best seats are all gone. Some tickets will be available on site, however. Order from our web site: www.diamondcuprace.com.

If you have never witnessed an unlimited hydro race, it is the Indy 500 and Sprint cup combined. boats that are mostly airborne fly across the water  in excess of 200 mph.  Racing will consist of Friday, August 30 for testing and some qualifying, followed by Saturday preliminary heats with the finals on Sunday.

Friday, if you wish to visit the pits, you can park at the site for a $10 parking fee. Wander through the various race camps, meet the drivers and crews. Trust me, if you have the need for speed, you'll be a lifetime fan. Many from our area travel to the Tri-cities for the Columbia Cup on the River. This year the boats will come to you.

2013 Bayview Daze Revisited

I don't often write about myself or my family, but after this picture was taken of my newest 7 month old granddaughter, I just had to go there this time. Patience, the subject of this post is as that age does, constantly discovering new things.

I had the family, Son Brian, his wife Jennifer and three young ladies of theirs, Alice, Mercy and Irene over for the fireworks, which incidentally were possibly the best in the fantastic history of the MacDonald's Resort and their traditional show. It must have lasted an hour, at least.

During the afternoon, I brought out my five-string banjo for a little pickin'. Brian brought Patience over to watch. When I broke out with a lusty version of Foggy Mountain Breakdown, our little girl's mouth formed a surprised O. This is a picture I just had to share.

This year's festivities were probably the biggest, since the fourth fell on Thursday, many made a four day week-end out of it. I asked the manager of the Captain's Wheel how many dinners were served. Including lunches, they fed 600 people Saturday alone. If you had to wait for your food for a while longer that normal, now you know why. That breaks an all time record for the restaurant.

The unfortunate loss of the Button Hook put most of the load on the Wheel, with help from Ralph's and the Bay Café.

Ta' Ata Ori Sails no more

A hat tip to Paul Turner and Lawrence Killingsworth for this sad news. The Ta' Ata Ori, a 46 foot Sailing yacht is leaving Bayview for the salt chuck again. Killingsworth has sailed the Pend Oreille for the last eight years in the queen of Bayview, with the previous owner, a total of about 20 years.

In a former incarnation, Ta' sailed the South Pacific, Polynesia and the Orient. The boat will leave Bayview August 5, heading for Bremerton, Washington, where once again it will ride the ocean swells.

When asked, Lawrence couldn't define what he would do next, with a smaller boat a possibility, or, (gasp) even a power boat. The Bayview sailing fraternity will miss her. She sailed with a crew of five, many times including Spokesman-Review's Paul Turner of "Slice" fame. She will be missed.

Diamond Cup Regatta

Sorry I haven't been posting regularly lately. I am working in the Diamond Cup office from 9-3 M-F and can answer questions relating to the race. The address of the office is 2040 Main St, Coeur d'Alene, Id 83814, located in the Riverstone complex. Our phone is 208-664-3338.

We are making great progress toward what we believe will be an outstanding event. That there hasn't been racing in Kootenai County for 45 years suggests that the fan base will be much higher once the local folks have experienced a race. Many people have been trekking to Tri-Cities from both Coeur d'Alene and Spokane for years. Now you can do both or just stay home and watch the race here.

We have it planned where fans can park at  the Kootenai County Fairgrounds and ride shuttle buses to and from the course. That way, downtown parking will not be clogged and nobody will have to fight for a space near the race course. Both parking and shuttle are included in the ticket prices.

We also have room for more vendors, both food and merchandise at the venue. Time is running out for the best spots, so do not tarry. For some that have applied and not heard back, several e-mails were inadvertently dumped fro the web site. For all the information you need, go to the race website. You can also buy tickets through that site: http://www.diamondcuprace.com/ There is still time for volunteers to apply as well.

Jinxed Again

It seems that every time I set out to help someone, my car quits. The first time was returning Yvonne Wallis from Harborview Hospital, when it quit suddenly in the Super One Parking lot. A good Samaritan bailed me out that time, but one cannot always count on that happening.

This time, I was  donating my time to the Diamond Cup Hydroplane Race, a nonprofit endeavor to bring hydro racing back to Coeur d'Alene. For those that are not aware, this is not a for profit venture, but a bunch of enthusiasts putting up their personal fortunes to bring back racing. The cost of putting this sort of race on is around 500,000.00 per race.

On my way back from town this afternoon, I stopped at the Captain's Wheel for a bit, whereas I jumped back into my car and ... nothing. no start, no radio, no lights no nothing. Tomorrow am I will attempt to find out what is wrong and determine what it will take to fix it. Whatever it is, I don't have it. I was hoping this sort of thing would be out in the future somewhere, not now, not when I was doing important things. Oh  well, it is what it is.

***Update: Well it could have been worse. $80.00 later, a new battery and I'm on the road again. Broke, but mobile.

Diamond Cup Volunteers

There will be a meeting of all the committee members and volunteers in a meet and greet gathering today 6:30 pm at 2040 Main St., Riverstone. If you can, please attend.

It's Over

Bayview Daze Parade Announcer and judges, L-R. Ralph Jones, Sheryl Puckett, Margaret Nelson and Sally Newcombe. (picture by Mike Lee)

As I sit here facing my computer this hour after midnight, it has become totally quiet. The hoards of guests that pack Bayview, left immediately after the fireworks, leaving a few pops and booms from people that still don't get it. You do not set off aerials in a marina. Oh well, I haven't heard the fire department yet so I guess we dodged the bullet once again.

I intercepted a Facebook announcement that a tent was found floating in Lake Pend Oreille floating along peacefully. If you have lost one, contact me and I will put you in contact with the finders. Also, as happens every year, someone left their doge outside during fireworks. It panicked and ran until exhausted. It appears to be a Shit-zu mix. If it is yours, call 683-2553.

As usual, Kevin and the cast of heroes at MacDonalds Resort put on a magnificent show. I hosted a couple from Boise who swore they had never seen a more impressive display. I consistently hear the same remarks, some declaring it is better than the Coeur d'Alene Resort fireworks.

There were a few complaints about food service at the Wheel. I explained that where we used to have two full service restaurants and one smaller one, due to some anti business elements helping out, a late request for a resort license for the Buttonhook was denied last year.

This town is simply not equipped to handle hundreds for food service  in one day. That one couple had to wait an hour for dinner, I explained they were extremely lucky that the overwhelmed crew at the Captain's Wheel got their meal out in that short a time. This was not bad service,, but inadequate facilities to handle the hoards that descend upon Bayview every year at this time.

Hopefully that state can be convinced that a resort license for the Buttonhook is deserved and in fact is necessary for the public good.  Hopefully the crews at the Wheel, Ralph's and the Bay Café will have recovered by Monday, when everyone used to close down for recuperative purposes.

Bayview Daze

It's that time of year again. Bayview Daze will take place next week-end, July 5. 6. 7. Most of the activities will be Saturday, July 6. Things kick off with a Street Fair, followed by our annual parade. Line up for the parade is at 10:00 am with the parade starting at 11:00 am. In honor of the late Jim MacDonald, who sent his sons to a school for pyrotechnics several years ago followed by the first fireworks in Bayview in 1961, paid for solely by MacDonald's Resort.

Grand Marshalls for the parade will be Gary MacDonald and family in honor or their late father, who started the  fireworks shows here. The Parade participants will be directed to enter on 1st Street, turn north on Fir St, turn east on 5th St. and then South on Pend Oreille and then East on 4th St. Entrance to Main St on Corbin. (thank you to Norma Jean for the correction)

Saturday evening at dark will be the fireworks which usually happens about 10:00 pm.

Throughout the day activities will occur, live music. etc. so come on down and help Bayview celebrate. All inquiries about the weekend activities should be addressed to Norma Jean Knowles 683-1980.