New Broom Sweeps Clean

L-R Donald "Bear" Rose, Cindy Post-Grandy, Bob Prince, Linda Williams, Jeanne Bjergo

A mulligan in golf is a do-over, for those of you that think smacking a helpless small round ball around a cow pasture is recreation. After a two month delay, a brand new slate of officers and board members have been elected to the Bayview chamber of Commerce.Tuesday night was the first meeting chaired by the new slate of officers. President is the long time Mayor and Council member from Hayden Lake, Bob Prince. Prince moved to Bayview a couple of years ago and has been a calming influence between those that like controversy and turmoil. For the last two years, Bayview has been split into several special interest groups that have collectively torn apart the former cooperative fabric that used to be Bayview.

Prince, not tarred with the identity that each of these groups represented, became an almost required choice for president. Asked, earlier about his vision for the community, he replied, "I want to work toward unifying the various factions. It's time to work for the betterment of the village we live in, not personal squabbles."

Others that have been chosen to lead this year, are: Cindy Post Grandy, Vice-President. Cindy has worked tirelessly in and for the community for several years, constantly volunteering for what ever is needed.

Secretary was also a slam dunk. Linda Williams who has toiled as administrator for several years at the Bayview Water & Sewer Department, will enlarge her duties to include the business of the chamber.

Jeanne Bjergo, co-owner with her husband Scott, of the Bayview Mercantile, since the Spring of 2007, was selected to be treasurer. Her qualifications as a lottery winner made her a shoo-in as well.

Board member at large, Donald "Bear" Rose, was the obvious choice for member-at-large, since he is probably the largest member of the chamber. Rose, until they sold the resort, was co-owner with his wife Sandy, of Boileau's Resort and the Buttonhook Restaurant. Now retired, also from survey engineering from Meckel Engineering, lives with his wife in a new home overlooking Scenic Bay, with a God's eye view of the lake.

Skip Wilcox stepped up as the chairman of the nominating committee that chose these fine people to run. The membership wholeheartedly agreed with him. He deserves recognition as the person that may have changed the course of this community.

With this new group, all dedicated toward Bayview, rather than limited interests, it should be a fine crew. We offer our congratulations and hopes for the future. It should be noted, that not all of these people chosen for the above responsibilities have lived here for 20 years, nor are any of them progeny of pioneer families. The old way of greeting newcomers to Bayview, was,"How long have you lived here," the implication being, the longer one had lived here, the more important or valuable or something, those that thought that way, were.

In the last few years, many that formerly recreated here from Spokane and other areas near by, moved to Bayview permanently. Others, lured by friends or relatives,or managed to find us on their own. Gradually, the old "how long have you lived here," has been replaced by individual evaluations as who and what the newcomers are. Some come here with delusions that they will change this backwoods place populated by characters from deliverance, to one of class and importance, not realizing that which they left behind should have stayed there. Those folks usually get spit out like a used up wad of chew.

One last thought. Business in Bayview have come to a screeching halt. While the Mercantile struggles on, helped by the price of going to town for everything, places like the Captain's Wheel, Terry's Cafe and Ralph's Internet Cafe are in trouble. Customer patronage has fallen way off. Partly, this is due to more of our seniors going south for the winter. Partly it is from many that have lost their construction jobs and aren't working. I urge each of you, if you are still in this area, to make a point of patronizing these local businesses, so that when spring comes and the tourists arrive, these places won't sit boarded up. Go out to dinner once a week if you can afford to. Stop by JD's or the Wheel for a toddy when the mood strikes you. Stop by Ralph's for breakfast or those great tacos he makes. Check out the lunches and breakfasts that Terry's has, and don't forget, Terry has just opened up a second terry's on Main Street in Spirit Lake. Get out and support your local businesses. They really need you.