2018 JULY SHORE LINES: New Honorary Street Name
by Sheryl Puckett
Our friend and neighbor Ralph Jones may be gone, but the Bayview community is keeping his memory and spirit alive by honoring him.
BAYVIEW COMMUNITY COUNCIL BOARD members formed a committee to look into how best to memorialize Ralph. Ideas ranged from a life size bronze statue to a park bench. Ultimately, an honorary street sign placed on Bayview’s N. Main Avenue named after Ralph was chosen.
Local citizen, Alan Rebeck started the process by researching what needed to be done. He proposed N. Main Avenue in Bayview be given the honorary title of “Ralph Jones Blvd” with an alternate submitted as “Ralph Jones Drive” since two possible names are required on the application.
Adding an honorary road name is easier than you would think. Article 84.10 is specific in that only property owners abutting the road have a say in renaming a road or adding an honorary name to an existing road name. Adding an honorary name does not change the original physical address and there is no cost to any of the property owners.
There were nine property owners abutting N. Main Avenue and if 51% sign the petition it’s a done deal. It didn’t take long to get signatures and many property owners were grateful to play a role in honoring Ralph’s memory. The property owners that signed the petition were: George Cooper, Linda Uhl, Sheryl Puckett, Beverly Jean Edmonson Trust, Chan Karupiah and Teresa Karupiah. (Navy regulations do not allow for them to participate in petitions said Alan Griffitts, the Director NSWCCD Acoustic Research.) We welcomed other organizations to join our efforts.
Kootenai County Community Development Director, David Callahan, approved the application on June 21, 2018.
The sign is 36” x 6”. Chan Karupiah gave permission to erect signs on his private property located across from the Bayview Mercantile and on the lawn of the Scenic Bay Apartments. The signs read: Ralph Jones Blvd – A fitting memorial to Ralph.-

So Long, Mr. Bayview

by Sheryl Puckett

I first met Ralph, approximately 26 years ago, he was married and had two children, Valarie and Nathaniel. In fact, Valarie babysat my son. Back then, when Ralph first moved to Bayview, he was a truck driver and was gone often. 

Realizing his strengths: a natural born storyteller, a magnetic personality, and his gift for gab, he mustered the courage to make a change. Ralph started as a bartender at the Captain’s Wheel, moved on to JD’s and later became manager at the restaurant at Vista Bay. When the opportunity came along for a business venture, Ralph decided to try his hand at being an entrepreneur and Ralph’s Coffee House was born. Ralph was the coffee shop and the coffee shop was Ralph. You wouldn’t find a more personable proprietor than Ralph. You weren’t customers at Ralphs, you were part of Ralphs family. The coffee shop was Ralphs stage and he was always on: the comedian, the actor, the therapist and source of all information. Who loves him more: his patrons or his employees? That’s anyone guess.

He loved to fish, and it was this passion that led him to start Oktoberfish Derby on Lake Pend Oreille, an event that attracted fisherman from throughout the Northwest. Many times after the cafe closed you could find Ralph on the lake with a pole in hand.

Ralph had a passion for everything Bayview, from local history to fishing. For the past several years, he proudly served as Master of Ceremonies for the Bayview Daze parade on the Fourth of July. He sponsored little league baseball teams and always helped fundraisers for local groups as well as Athol Elementary school.

Many referred to him as Mr. Bayview. Alan Rebeck said it best, “No single individual has done more to promote interest and business in Bayview than Ralph Jones.”

He was Bayview’s ambassador of good will. I had the honor of nominating and presenting Ralph the 2017 Community Communitarian Award. There are few people who touch so many lives in so many ways. We are all thankful for him.