Rec center organizers thankful for support

On behalf of the non-profit Sandpoint Centre Corporation, I would like to express our deepest gratitude to the many businesses that supported our effort to create a recreational district to fund the building and maintenance of a recreational center for Bonner County residents.

Safeway, Staples, Wal-Mart and the Bonner Mall were all gracious enough to allow us the use of their storefronts from which to gather signatures petitioning the county to place a referendum on the ballot so that voters can decide on this issue. Many other businesses kept petitions at their sales counters or passed them around at their office meetings, including North Idaho Animal Hospital, Sandpoint Sports, Monarch Mountain Coffee, Duke's Cowboy Grill, Outdoor Experience, Arlo's Restaurant, Sears, Coldwater Creek, Napa Auto Parts, Hidden Lakes Golf Course, Evergreen Realty and Tomlinson-Black Realty. No doubt I have missed others, but please believe that we are deeply grateful for your community support.

Thanks to these businesses and to the many individuals who helped gather signatures, in just one month we collected over 4800 signatures in support of this wonderful project, testifying to the need and the desire in our community for such a recreational center. Clearly there is broad-based support to build such a center.

We also wish to express our thanks to Bonner County Clerk Marie Scott and her staff for their expert help. She is a great blessing to this community. And finally, thanks to all who signed the petitions, helping us to successfully achieve the required number for a ballot measure in February.

RANDY HOHF

Sandpoint