Boundary County Commissioners on Monday approved a resolution to allow off-premise liquor sales at the state liquor store in Bonners Ferry, but as early as this morning, it looked like putting that resolution into effect would take months.

"As you can imagine, we run on a pretty strict budget, and before we can increase hours for employees, we have to have legislative funding," Idaho State Division of Liquor director Jeff Anderson said Monday afternoon. "At the very earliest, we might be able to get funding when our new fiscal year begins July 1."

At around 10 a.m. today, district sales manager Tom Legerski confirmed that assessment, saying that both he and Anderson had received the resolution, but concurred that it would take at least until July 1 to find the money to pay the additional personnel costs it will take to keep the Bonners Ferry store open for an extra five hours a week.

Shortly after 3 p.m., the phone rang again.

"Has the article been published yet?" Jeff asked.

"First thing this morning."

"Hmm ... we were wrong, the store will be open this Sunday."

"Huh?"

I turns out that word of the resolution went not only to the bosses, but to the managers of state-run liquor stores throughout the state.

"A store manager in eastern Idaho said her Saturday sales didn't warrant being open all day, and she agreed to trim her schedule by six hours a week," Jeff said. "But I'm only the state director ... you'd better call Joel just to make sure."

Joel MacDonald, long-time manager at the Bonners Ferry package store, confirmed, and he sounded excited that not only will he and his staff get a few more hours to work each week, but that their work is very likely to bring added benefit to local North Idaho College students and a few more dollars to the ever-shrinking budgets of local city and county government.

"I guess it's true!" Joel said. "Tom called me and told me to put out the signs!"

On Sunday, March 20, 2011, the Bonners Ferry Liquor Store will be open from noon to 5 p.m. (that gives store staff half an hour to prepare for opening and half an hour to clean up and close at the end of the day.)

To find out details, call Joel at (208) 267-2823.

When asked Sunday morning what he, as a journalist, thought of the proposal, publisher Mike Weland said, "Hic! Huh?" fell over and went back to sleep.