Council Loggers Jubilee Keeps Tradition Alive
Independence Day in Council Idaho is a day full of jam packed celebrations for this country. The spotlight of the festivities for most are the World Famous Porcupine Races, however there is another annual Fourth of July tradition in Council that honors this area’s rich cultural heritage of logging: the Fourth of July Saw Contest. A long standing Council tradition, the Saw Contest tests the skills of dozens of contestants each year, both locals and visitors to the area. It is a big event that takes a lot of work to put on, and two years ago the future of the contest seemed uncertain. The volunteers who were running it at the time had finally decided it was time to retire. The Council Chamber of Commerce started searching for a new person or entity to take over the contest, without much luck until resident Trina Jokela, who had recently returned to Council, heard that there was no one to take on the contest. She loved the competition, and said that “the idea that this competition could possibly go away because there was no one to pick it up, it just broke my heart,” Jokela had been to another celebration of logging heritage in the small town of Morton, Washington. It was called the Morton Loggers Jubilee, and she felt it could be an inspiration for Council. She contacted them and they agreed to help mentor a similar organization in Council, and so she formed the Council Loggers Jubilee.
It takes some time to form a new organization, so resident Kyle Hatfield took over the saw contest for a year in 2024 to keep things going while the Jubilee was forming. Meanwhile Jokela contacted other locals she thought could help, including Sandra Ward, Tanner Freedman, Gabe Wilson, who knew his way around events, Chloe Lucas, who was passionate about the youth, Owen Freedman, Crissy Gipe, and most recently Sophie Daniels. “There are so many people that were passionate and have been passionate about this competition,” said Jokela. They decided a nonprofit would be the best way to grow, and formed a 503(c)(4) nonprofit called the Council Loggers Jubilee. Jokela said their meetings have been a lot of fun. “Our meetings don’t feel like meetings,” she said “It doesn’t feel like a chore.” Possibly because everyone is enthusiastic and full of ideas!
This Fourth of July will be the first time the Council Loggers Jubilee is taking over the event. Their biggest focus this year is to make sure the community can enjoy it. In the past, the Saw Contest has been hot! Most spectators stand on the pavement in 100 plus degree weather to watch. This year they want to improve the spectator experience, and are bringing it shade, fans, misters and bleachers.
For the events, there will still be the main attractions of Large Saw, Medium Saw, and the Jack and Jill Team event. Youth Split will also be returning this year, with a few tweaks, and they are adding some new things, including Tug of War for both adult and youth, which Jokela described as “two brute teams pulling on a rope, and winning!” They will also be reintroducing the Dunk Tank this year, which will be featuring some notable Council citizens, including (but not limited to) County Commissioner Joe Iveson.
The Council Logger Jubilee has a two fold mission, a “lumberjack-style competition that displays logging expertise and talent,” but also to use this opportunity to support the trades in the community. As Trina Jokela put it, the trades are diminishing, especially the logging trade, and the next generation may need more guidance.
To help support this in our community, the Council Loggers Jubilee will be giving scholarships to youth who are interested in pursuing the trades. While youth is, of course, a focus, they also have a scholarship that is not just for youth, but is geared towards the whole community, and how people are giving back to the community as well. They want to help support other businesses or organizations that are also doing important work building up the community. “We really just want the community to prosper because we’re doing an event,” said Jokela. This year, they hope to award at least three scholarships. Applications are open on their website, and while applicants do have to write an essay, Jokela said the scholarships will not necessarily go to who has the best GPA or who has the best essay, but rather they want to look at the whole person (or business) and how they have been (or are planning to) give back to the community.
In all of this, the Council Loggers Jubilee hopes that the community sees their passion and decides to help. So far they have a host of sponsors, including the five main event sponsors, Hileman Logging, sponsoring the Large Saw Competition, Mahon Logging, sponsoring the Medium Saw, Duke Evett, PLLC, sponsoring the Jack and Jill Team event, the Yantis Ranch, sponsoring the Tug of War, and Wild at Heart Beauty Services, who is sponsoring the Youth Split. In addition to sponsors, they are accepting monetary donations and raffle items from the community. “We’ve got goals and dreams,” said Jokela, “but funding those is a bit difficult.” Information on sponsorship, scholarships, and the events can be found online at councilloggersjubilee.com/.
This Independence Day, make sure to see the event that embodies the heart of what Council is all about! The Council Loggers Jubilee begins after the Porcupine Races on the Fourth of July, downtown at Ace Alley. Watch the contest, buy a raffle ticket, and support the community as it celebrates both our independence, and a community heritage of logging.
