Train rides may resume
—Photo by JUDD WILSON Rotarian Sam Brooks spoke about bringing a train ride to Newport with a packed house of interested community members at Rotary Park in Oldtown Jan. 4.
(Photo by JUDD WILSON) Pend Oreille Valley Railroad manager Kelly Driver and Rotarian Sam Brooks answered questions about a possible train ride at a community meeting at Rotary Park in Oldtown Jan. 4.
Retired state of Hawaii guide Larry Braley volunteered his services to helping a Rotary-led Newport train ride get off the ground Jan. 4. (Photo by JUDD WILSON)
OLDTOWN — The Newport/Priest River Rotary Club is considering taking over the train ride that the North Pend Oreille Valley Lions Club previously managed and which closed earlier this year, said Rotarian and project lead Sam Brooks Jan. 4. The Rotarians will make a decision Jan. 25, said Brooks, who presided over a community meeting here to assess community support for the project.
At the meeting, more than half of the approximately 60 people in attendance voiced strong interest in the project, which organizers said would require more than 20 people per train ride to pull off successfully. About 30 people worked for each ride, and hundreds volunteered overall, at the NPOV Lions Club-led train ride. The train route would run from Newport to Dalkena, Wash. Brooks said tickets will likely cost $20 for adults and $15 for kids for the two-hour, round-trip ride from Newport to Dalkena. Brooks said ideally the train season would run from late July and continue for about six weeks.
Brooks and Pend Oreille Valley Railroad manager Kelly Driver said that there are too many serious obstacles in the way for the train to cover the Newport to Sandpoint route at present.
Rotarian Brad Mingay said the Rotary Club has been in communications with the Ione Lions Club for about six months regarding the possibility of taking over the train operation. The Rotarians received an offer two months ago from the Lions, and Brooks said he plans to formulate a counter-offer.
“The most important thing is that we’re very confident that as Rotary we can’t handle it alone,” said Brooks. “It’s got to be a community effort.”
A former State of Hawaii tourism guide, Larry Braley, volunteered to serve on the project in a leadership capacity, an offer which Brooks welcomed.
“With a day like today, to have this many people here tells me lots of people are interested,” said Brooks, on a very snowy meeting day. He invited any people who want to volunteer on the train to join the Rotary Club and to contact him at 509-447-4045.