CFVH long term care presents annual car show

Not being able to walk didn't stop residents of the Clark Fork Valley Hospital Long Term Care from venturing into the parking lot Saturday to take in the Wild Horse Plains 4th Annual Car and Bike Show.

Resident Joan Draszt was especially taken with a 1931 Ford Model A that was only five years older than her. She even took time to push one of the car's front tires. Resident Eldon Johnson, 88, came out and immediately asked about Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District's 1939 fire engine, which has been at previous shows and was Johnson's favorite. Chief James Russell said he couldn't get the old engine started, but hopes to have it there for next year's show.

Most of the 25 residents, who range from 46 years old to Carol Wise, who will turn 102 on Christmas Day, saw the car show only through their room windows. Cheryl King, 71, Seth Day, 93, and Alfred Brown, 96, also ventured into the parking lot to see the cars and cycles. About 50 people from around Sanders County came to see the show, said Del Smith, the long term care's activities director.  

Smith said the show was started in remembrance of the late Leo Rambur, a former long term care resident who asked about having a car show. Smith said Rambur passed away in 2016 just before the first show. Smith said the residents love seeing the old vehicles, even if it's through windows.

This year's show, which ran for three hours Saturday, had eight cars and six motorcycles from residents of Plains, Thompson Falls, Perma, Polson and Ronan. "There were some really nice cars here," said Smith, who once again had his 1999 Harley-Davidson Softail at the show. All the cycles were Harley-Davidsons with Kelly Kenyon of Plains sporting the oldest, a 1953 Harley Panhead. The newest bike was a 2006 brought in by Plains resident Buck Larson, who has showed it at the long term care shows for the last three years.

"The residents really love this. It reminds them of the cars they had when they were young," said Smith, who had hoped for more cars at the show, but said the show made the residents happy.

 For the first time Smith had vendors at the event. Potlikker Enterprises, comprised of motorcycle apparel and novelties, owned by Miles Slaughter, and Lynda Wilson of Three J's Handmade Soap had an assortment of soap goods. The St. Regis couple, who plan to marry, combined their goods together on the lawn next to the parking lot. The event included free burgers and hot dogs, cooked by Smith, along with chips and potato salad, compliments of Clark Fork Valley Hospital. McGowan's Grocery sold the pop to them for half price, said Smith, who gave away over 100 burgers and hot dogs.

The event also served as a fundraiser for the long term care residents, who use the money raised at the show and their Christmas bazaar to purchase something they want at the long term care facility that isn't covered in the general budget. Two years ago, they bought an exercise machine and last year they bought electric blinds for their day room. They raised $400 in the show, which included $45 in a 50/50 drawing. 

The oldest car at the show was the Model A brought in by a Perma man who didn't want his name published. The newest was a 1994 Pontiac Firebird owned by Thompson Falls resident Ron Goodrum, who is working on a '69 Pontiac GTO that he hopes to have at next year's show.

Jim Compton, also of Thompson Falls, showed his Volkswagen Bug rat rod, which he named "The Rat" and has owned for 10 years. He said it's a 1974 Bug with a '67 hood on it, along with a variety of non-stock custom parts.

Steve Sniezak, also of Thompson Falls, showed his 1964 Mercury Comet, which he bought from a "little old lady that only drove it to work and the doctor's office" in Tacoma, Washington. Sniezak bought the car in 1985 and painted it yellow, but after a lot of kidding that the car looked like a taxi, he repainted the hood and roof black and added a blue and silver stripe down the side.

Larry and Rita Nielsen of Plains showed their 1967 Ford Galaxy 500, which they won in a raffle at Missoula's Camp Make-A-Dream. They also showed their Dalmatian dogs, Hope and Chance. Ronan resident Ed Loder, whose mother Edith is a resident, had his 1985 Chevy El Camino at the show for the first time.

"The residents really think the show is cool. They can relate to the age of the cars because these are the cars of their youth," said Becky Nichter, who recently took over as the long term care's manager.

Smith hopes to have more cars and more vendors next year. He also plans to have a people's choice trophy next year. Bryan Spellman of Plains photographed all the show vehicles and plans to make a picture book of them, as he did for the 2016 show and as he did for the Ripples Ice Cream Local Yokels' Car and Truck Shows. Long term care's Christmas bazaar is planned for Dec. 5-7.