'Who are we?'

HARRISON - On any given weekday, this quiet little town nestled on the eastern shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene is sprinkled with a handful of tourists enjoying the lake and the trail of the Coeur d'Alenes.

But come to town on any summer weekend and Harrison is transformed into, well, a boater's party town.

"It really is a tale of two towns," explains Paul Hoskinson, president of the Harrison Chamber of Commerce. "If you want backwater come down here mid-week, but if you want the rodeo, come on a weekend."

Over the years, Harrison has become known for its weekend wildlife, but recently the town's leaders have made it a point to temper some of the wildness with structured events almost every weekend of the summer.

"This was the wild, wild west in the '70s," Hoskinson said. "But we've had about three or four years now where the civil unrest has come to an end for the most part."

But, he added, it's still a boater's town on the weekends, so they walk a fine line to ensure that all tourists have a little fun.

This Sunday, for example, the town will host its 60th annual Old Time Picnic.

The morning will start out with breakfast in the park until 10 a.m., and then a fun run and games, like old time sack races, and prizes for the kids and adults who attend.

They will have a register that people can sign to get an Old Time Picnic ribbon. Ribbons are handed out every year to commemorate the number of years they have attended the event.

About 2:45, prizes will be handed out to the oldest Old Timer, the youngest Old Timer, and the Old Timer in attendance who lives the farthest away.

Hoskinson said the picnic is symbolic of the town rebuilding itself from a fire-ravaged, old mining hub to a tourism town in 1953. He said the town leaders came home from World War II and built a park in the city center.

That's kind of what is happening in Harrison now, he explained.

"It's a new town with new blood," he said. "We are kind of at the 'who are we?' stage."

He said the backwater party town is transforming into a community that caters to boaters and bicyclists now.

Ever since the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes came through downtown, Harrison's tourism window expanded beyond boating season. They now have bikers touring through town from April through October.

"This is probably overstated, but we have a combined 100,000 bikers a year come through town," he said. "Average age of the bikers is 60 and up, and that's a lot of disposable income walking around town.

"It's not just the boating town of the '70s anymore."

There's a new energy and passion in Harrison's business community, Hoskinson said. Harrison Idaho Water Adventures has expanded from three boats to almost 10 watercraft.

Tony Kraack, who works for the boat rental company, said they can now provide watercraft for any type of water sport.

"We have fishing boats, ski boats and pontoon boats," he said, adding that they have kayaks and paddle boards too.

Oh, and one more thing.

"We have the best prices on the lake," Kraack said.

Kraack said the company is focused on the south end of the lake but is seeking a location on the north shore as well.

"We can now deliver boats to Rockford Bay, which is an easier drive for our Coeur d'Alene and Spokane customers," he said.

The south end of the lake is becoming a popular place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the north end, Kraack said.

"It's nothing compared to the lake up north," he said. "Kayakers like this end in particular - especially the Shadowy St. Joe River."

They like to come down and view the wildlife along the banks of the river and in the marshy areas that surround Harrison. Kraack said there usually are moose along the banks, as well as osprey and an occasional bald eagle or two.

Kraack said a day trip up the Coeur d'Alene River to visit the Cataldo Mission is also pretty popular for boaters.

"But you better have a full tank of gas because there are no gas stations up there," he said. "You've got the chain lakes up there too. That's where all the locals go for tubing and skiing because the water is smooth and it's usually 10 degrees warmer than Lake Coeur d'Alene."

Kraack, who grew up in Harrison, said he has noticed a lot more collaboration between businesses and community leaders recently, as well.

A good example of that is how Harrison Idaho Water Adventures teamed up with many of those businesses to publish a map of the lake this year that promotes many of the summer activities around the lake. (The map is inserted in today's Press).

"We help each other out and send each other business whenever we can," he said. "And everybody's friends; that's what's nice about it."

It's that new passion that is going to transform Harrison over the next few years, Hoskinson said. He points to the new owners of One Shot Charlie's as an example.

"They came here last year with a new passion, a new menu and fresh blood," he said. "It's the fresh blood that will define who we are over the next 50 years or so."

Whitney Hruza and her brother, Jordan Hall, are the new owners. They're the former owners of the Hog Fish Bar on east Sherman Avenue in Coeur d'Alene.

Hruza said they opened for business at One Shot Charlie's last November after the tourists were long gone for the season. It was the locals who kept them afloat.

"It was a rough time but we didn't take anything out of the business and we stayed in the black," she said. "We lived off our tips, but here we are and it's summer now."

Her brother, Hall, said having the landmark bar helped too.

"One Shot's is the key to Harrison," he joked.

Hoskinson said if the town had a few more people like Hruza and Hall it would be thriving.

"We need more passionate, energetic people," he said. "Bring a little sweat with you and you can make a profit down here."

He said there are a couple of pretty good business opportunities in town. One is the eight-room Osprey Bed and Breakfast that is up for sale.

"It's not that these businesses are losers," he said. "It's that some of these long established business owners are getting tired."

In his opinion, Hoskinson said Harrison is in need of the 30-year-old class of people. He pointed out Russ Wilbur, who ended his career with Super 1 Foods to open the Corskie House Bed and Breakfast.

"Russ is getting tired and I am right behind him," Hoskinson quipped.