November - December RU 2020 by Co-Op Gas and Supply Co Inc.

THE

CO-OP

Country Round Up A Paper for, and about, country people

News from the Museum

Boundary County Summer Classes

Gary Peitch Virtual Book Signing Event

See what the Extension Office has planned

Reasoning and Refining

Idaho Agri News

Every moment with your horse is an opportunity

Potato industry bounces back post covid

Boundary County Field Trips

Weed of the Month: St. Johnswort

See what’s new up north

Chase tells us how to deal with this woody weed

OUR COMMUNITY 7BTV is a proud supporter of the Panida Theater. We’re in this together, Sandpoint. The beautiful historic Panida Theater has served as an anchor of stability and a beacon of hope throughout Bonner County history, providing a gathering place that enriches the community - both culturally and economically. While we are practicing social distancing guidelines to curb the spread of the virus, it’s important to remember the uphill battle for our nonprofit organizations.

Gardeners Corner

As our community comes together, the Panida Theater also needs our help to keep the heart of our community beating and stable during this dark time.

Surviving the Political Divide

Please show your love and support for the Panida through gift certificates, financial contributions, and memberships. These are a few ways we can help.

A Story of Stockings and Sledding

Composting like a champ

Dr. Duebendorfer shares some thoughts

Hannah brings another story from the Museum

Recipes for the Season

Kids Coloring Page

Talking to Kids About Money

Real Estate and You

Soup and bread is always a winner

Autumn themed coloring page

Judy Baird shares a financial option

7BTV 208-263-7288 105 S. 3rd Ave., Sandpoint, ID 83864

ERCWSS Postal Customer

Jim Haynes real estate news

Please visit www.panida.org/support for more information.

Presorted Std. U.S Postage PAID Spokane, WA Permit #7

Nov. / Dec. 2020 125 Tibbetts Lane Ponderay, ID 83852 coopgasandsupply.com

From the Editor

The CO-OP Country Round Up November / December 2020 Volume 21 Issue 1

The CO-OP Through 2020

Wow. What a year. To say that this last 12 months has been odd would be an understatement and I know everyone has a story to tell. Here at the CO-OP we have been listening to stories all year. From the wild housing markets and shortages of everything from building supplies to toilet paper and coins, this is just one for the books. In 85 years in business, including the Great Depression, 2020 definitely takes the proverbial cake for challenging. At the CO-OP we are very glad for the sake of our members, employees, and the community, that we never had to shut our doors during the covid pandemic. However we did have to cancel Annual Meeting and the Annual Tree Sale. We were able to remain open and continue to meet the needs of most everyone who came in. While shipping of product did pose some challenges, a little foresight with inventory helped quite a bit. We are excited to be heading into the winter season with most of what we need and with a celebratory spirit. It is the Holiday Season and while we are being careful, we donâ€™t want to miss out on the festivities that make this time of year so treasured to us and our neighbors. On Sunday December 13th from 12 - 2 pm we will host our Annual Holiday Open House. Santa and Mrs. Clause will be at the CO-OP in their sleigh to meet children and parents, and favorite pets. We will take pictures, hand out candy canes, gift bags for the kids, and a treat for the pets. We will also have cookies and cider. It is all FREE so be sure and bring the family out for a bit of holiday fun. We will also be having our Toys for Tots employee bake sale during the Holiday Open House. Prices are always by donation only and if you want to escape baking this year, why not pick something up at our bake sale? The CO-OP will close early on Wednesday November 25 at 4 PM and remain closed through Thanksgiving. We will close at 3 PM on December 24th, Christmas Eve, and remain closed through Christmas Day. We will close early at 3 PM on New Years Eve and remain closed through New Years Day. Drop by the store and see us. Have some coffee and chat awhile. We look forward to seeing you all at the Open House and into the new Year. Blessings.

Virtual Book Signing with Gary Pietsch

Hope, East Hope & Clark Fork's Early History Pietsch's new book begins with the Ice Age Floods and ends with the construction of the Cabinet Gorge Dam. The pages in between are filled with daring stories of pioneers and early settlers working the railroads and battling the elements, all while carving out homes on the hills along the shore of Lake Pend Oreille. Full of personal accounts, this engrossing book is the perfect gift for all who love our lake and land.

A perfect complement to Pietsch's Sandpoint's Early History and Dale Selle's Hunted- purchase all 3 for only $40!

Pre-orders purchased December 1-7 will be signed by the author and available for pick up on the 10th. Secure yours for $19.95 at www.bonnercountyhistory.org

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All proceeds benefit the

BONNER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY &

MUSEUM

HISTORY CREATING COMMUNITY

Proven Track Record at Keeping Propane Prices Low

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Bits and Pieces

The CO-OP Country Round Up November / December 2020 Volume 21 Issue 1

Fall/Winter 2020 Extension Classes

All classes will be held at the Boundary County Extension Office, unless otherwise noted. Pre-registration required. Contact the Boundary County Extension Office to register: 208-267-3235 or for the ZOOM option, email kpainter@uidaho.edu.

Wreath-Making Class, $5 if you bring your own greenery, $15 otherwise Monday, Nov. 30, 2-4pm Learn how to make a fresh wreath while learning about the native evergreen species that grow in our region. Bring your own pruners, wire cutters, scissors, and any wreath embellishments you would like to use. Pesticide Recertification Class, $5 Tuesday, December 1, 8:30am-Noon Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center N. 10881 Boyer Road This class gives you the opportunity to obtain pesticide recertification credits before the end of the year! We anticipate having 3 credits available. The course will cover sprayer calibration and herbicide resistance among other topics. Cooking Gluten Free for the Holidays, $10 Thursday, December 3, 1pm-3pm Do you or someone in your family have an allergy or sensitivity to gluten? Come join us and learn how you can prepare gluten free meals for your family while skipping the stress and frustration. This class will help you navigate the world of gluten free cooking by providing you with helpful tips as well as give you strategies to avoid the common mistakes many beginners make when switching to gluten free cooking. Beginner Cheese Making, $5 Friday, December 4, 1:30-3pm Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center N. 10881 Boyer Road Learn how to make cheese safely at home using cow or goat’s milk. This class will focus primarily on making soft cheeses. We will go over safe cheese making practices and proper sanitation procedures. Class participants will have the opportunity to sample various types of soft cheeses. Class is limited to 15 people. Gifts in a Jar $10 Wednesday, December 9, 2-3:30pm In this class you will learn many different ways to create a unique gift in a jar. You’ll go home with some of your Christmas gifts already made, and recipes for creating more at home. Boundary County Seed Bank: Saving Locally-Adapted Seeds, $5 January 14, 2pm to 4pm In this class, you will learn techniques for saving your own garden seeds. We are building a library of open-pollinated seeds from plants grown here in Boundary County. These plants have proven that they are well-adapted to our conditions here, which will increase your chances of success. Small packets of free seeds will be available. Please contact us if you have seeds you’d like to share with our seed bank. Waterbath Canning, $10 Wednesday, January 20, 1-4pm

Farm Bureau proudly welcomes Kyle Perry to our Sandpoint team. Kyle, son of Farm Bureau agent Kendon Perry, says he is “excited to join my dad and his great team, and thankful to return home after four years at the University of Idaho studying finance and playing football.” Kyle also looks forward to “protecting clients with insurance and financial products, and giving back through volunteerism.” Kendon says he is “very excited to have my son join my team. His education and experience both on and off the field will benefit our team and clients.” Stop in and meet Kyle today. KYLE PERRY, PRODUCTION ASSISTANT TO AGENT KENDON PERRY 302 Main Street (208) 265-5895 khperry@idfbins.com

Welcome To The Family Protecting what matters most.

Learn how to safely make and preserve your own high-acid foods including jams, jellies, tomato products, pickled vegetables, and fruits. This hands-on class will also teach participants about canning basics as well as proper storage and handling of home canned foods. Each participant will make their own jar of Blueberry-Lemon Jam which they can pick up the day after the class. Pressure Canning, $10 Wednesday, January 27, 1-4pm Learn how to safely make and preserve low-acid foods at home such as vegetables, meats, dried beans, and mixed foods. This hands-on class will also teach participants the basics of pressure canning and proper care for their pressure canner. Each participant will preserve their own jar of beans which they can pick up the day after the class. Grafting Fruit Trees, Part 1, $20 Friday, January 29, 10am-Noon In this two-part class, we will learn about collecting scion wood from your favorite apple trees while they are dormant (Part 1) and then we will graft the scions on to hardy rootstock later this spring (Part 2). Course fee covers grafting supplies and rootstock (and scion, if you don’t have your own) for grafting two apple trees.

UI Extension Sheep and Goat Weekly Webinar: UI Extension offers weekly webinars on sheep and goat topics on Thursdays at 11:30pm. Follow them on Facebook @UISheepandGoats for the current schedule of topics. UI Extension Beef Cattle Webinar: Every other Wednesday at 11am PST / 12pm MST UI Extension offers webinars on Beef Cattle topics every other Wednesday at 11:00am. Follow them on Facebook.com/UIBeef for the current schedule of topics. Check our website for current classes and our newsletter: https://www.uidaho.edu/extension/county/boundary For all things ag, check our blog: BoundaryAgBlog.wordpr

Then and Now

The CO-OP Country Round Up November / December 2020 Volume 21 Issue 1

A Tree Is A Tree Is A Tree

This next week is Thanksgiving. One of the tactical challenges of celebrating this year is how we are going to handle social distancing with our family when these are the very people we have been waiting all year to NOT socially distance ourselves from. It is no secret that in this neck of the woods there will be numerous households celebrating as if nothing has changed. They have lived their lives on the edge and this is pandemic no different than some of the more awful things they have experienced. There will also be the mask wearing, social distancing, temperature taking, attendance checking folks whom just want to stay safe and protect Grama and Grandpa. Thankfully I am not the police and I won’t be taking attendance anywhere. I will however be enjoying some turkey dinner and all the fixings right along side some very special people both in the flesh, and on the screen. But once the dinner has been eaten, the coffee and pie served, something else entirely is going to take place and I refuse to ask permission to partake on any level. My family is going to begin the Christmas Season with carols as old as the church and as full of worship. It is how we bring in the season and recognize that this time of year truly is different than any other. It is the season of The Light of The World. The next day is the tree hunt. Over the years this event has morphed. What began as a two family excursion into the forest with four adults, seven kids and two dogs in tow has become a simple trip to the tree farm. Old knees can no longer climb the hills and descend into creeks for the perfect tree. And those seven kids have grown and have children of their own, far away beyond the forest walls. It isn’t the same now. Like so many other events the names and the places have changed but the heart of the experience has not. The irreplaceable moment when the perfect tree has been spotted, cut down, and the scent of fresh sap fills the nostrils with the aroma of Christmas, this is another level of the holiday to be experienced. Not everyone will share in the exuberance my daughter and I have for this annual tree harvest. A better, more acceptable global footprint might be to plant a permanent tree in the front yard and admire it, lighted and decorated, from behind my windows, warm hot chocolate in hand. A tree is a tree, is a tree, right? Nope. Not for my daughter. In her world the tree hunt must be kept alive until she can live it out with her own children Compact Tractors 20.9-62 HP Easy operation and extended family. So we will go hunting at the local Christmas tree farms. The ones we have are all online and most pick up business the day Together we do more. after Thanksgiving. I expect they will be overwhelmed this year with customers, like me, trying to squeeze as much Christmas Our #1 selling* sub-compact and compact tractors are ready for winter with an optional heated cab and snow removal attachments like snow blowers, blades into four weeks as humanly possible. My daughter and I will and rotary sweepers. Stop in for a demo and to claim this offer on select models. dress warm, go get a cup of coffee from the local stand, maybe with a shot of chocolate, and head out for the man-made forest wonderlands. The trees will be perfectly trimmed, starkly $0 DOWN SAVE green against the snowy caps on each branch. They will be so NO PAYMENTS perfect it will be hard to choose one. It will all come down to 0% APR UP TO FOR 90 DAYS money and size. She will keep asking “What do you think of 84 MONTHS $1,200 this one?” I will sip my coffee, hobble through the terrain and I will try my hardest to make a choice before the sun leaves us. VISIT US TODAY FOR THIS LIMITED-TIME OFFER This is our tradition now, here’s and mine. Because a tree is not just a tree. It is our tree. Happy Holidays.

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LOG PRICES Species

November 2020

August 2020

Douglas-fir/western larch

$400 - $515/MBF

$400- $490/MBF

Grand fir/western hemlock

$390 - $485

$375 - $460

Lodgepole pine

$340 - $450

$370 - $460

Ponderosa pine

$370 (6-7”) - $420 (8”+)

$300 - $380

Western white pine Western redcedar Cedar poles Pulp Tonwood

$390 - $420

$850 - $1,150

$800 - $1,150

*$1,800*

$20 - $28+/ton

$20- 34/ton

$52/ton +/-

$50/ton +/-

Note that these figures represent prices paid by competitive domestic facilities in the Inland Northwest, and are based on average-sized logs and standard log lengths—usually 16’6” and 33’. MBF = Thousand Board Feet. Also, please note that the higher prices may reflect prices only paid in select locations within the Inland Northwest. *Pole value varies widely depending upon length. Market information as of November 10, 2020. The lumber market has significantly fallen over the last two months as sawmills picked up production and lumber demand backed off. However, lumber prices still remained high and the futures market looks encouraging for the long run. On the log market front, prices have edged upward a little, but still remain modest in relation to lumber values. - Mike Wolcott, ACF, Certified Forester This information is provided by Inland Forest Management, Inc., a forestry consulting company. For additional information, they can be contacted at 208-263-9420, IFM@inlandforest.com or www.inlandforest.com.

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Rural Life

The CO-OP Country Round Up November / December 2020

Volume 21 Issuue 1

Reflective Riders: Reasoning and Refining By Samantha Harvey As folks seek to improve their equine partnership, the evolving and challenging journey of horsemanship can be daunting. Horse enthusiasts frequently do not realize each interaction with the animal is teaching him something whether they intended to or not. Mindless actions unintentionally contribute towards current and future unwanted and resistant behaviors in the horse. If when a horse displays reasonable behavior asking the human for guidance he is ignored, critiqued, contained, or reprimanded by the rider, it leaves him defensive. A resulting cycle of anticipation and fear emerges and the horse is often labeled as bad, ornery, stubborn, etc. when he resorts to dramatic and dangerous behaviors to protect himself due to the human’s passive, after-the-fact approach. Rarely do people ever connect the dots that their past actions (or lack thereof) have contributed to the horse’s current and future undesired responses. Below are some thoughts to consider while striving to be a better partner for the horse. You don’t know what you don’t know. Do not judge your past decisions and interactions, learn from them. Recognize what influenced you to make them, and how to improve future choices. Horseback riding and understanding equine behavior are not natural. There is no single “program” or shortcut to condense or quickly learn everything. Initial approaches and concepts often evolve with more equine-related experiences. You aren’t a horse trainer, and that is okay. Riders can become overwhelmed with critical thoughts of self-doubt, especially when comparing themselves to the horse trainer or more experienced riders. The horse can immediately recognize a change in the human student’s intention and availability, and he will begin to offer different responses. The learning curve with horses can be an emotional rollercoaster. There is a fine line between inspiring folks as to what an equine partnership can be without overwhelming them with what theirs currently is. In our instant-gratification society, the challenge is keeping humans interested and committed to the follow-through in learning to continuously refine and improve what I call “Conversations with the Horse,” or pro-actively communicating and supporting the animal. Horses physically display what I call the ‘mirror effect’ towards the human. Often they are reflecting what a person is mentally, emotionally, and physically projecting; people do not always like what they see in the reflection. A person can learn and evolve from this feedback, or choose to ignore it, either way, the horse has no agenda, only honest responses. The horse world has created the illusion of the “trained” horse. Despite training, a horse will not respond in the same manner to every single person. Have you ever seen one person handle/ride a horse, and then someone else interacts with the same horse, and it looks like a different animal? The horse is adapting to the quality of the communication offered. There is also the belief that a “trained horse” can be continuously relied upon to take care of the rider. This is often why the school, lesson, or babysitter horse is handled in a “patterned” manner, meaning the horse knows exactly what to expect in how he will be caught, tacked, where he is mounted, how long he is ridden, etc. What happens the day the pattern of interaction changes? Often, the horse has a total melt down. The most dangerous horses I have met were the “bombproof” ones. Folks misinterpret a horse’s quiet movement as him being okay, rather than being able to recognize when the horse is mentally shut down and checked out, and if his slow movements are a reflection of his defensiveness, rather than obedience. Then when outside the horse’s comfort zone, the human experiences a “surprising” response from their seemingly reliable and confident steed. Other scenarios include the inexperienced rider relying on the trained horse to take over in concerning situations. If there is no mental/physical decompression for the horse after each of these situations, emotional defensiveness begins building in the animal. This increases his anticipation, and often he will become reactive and defensive about things he once seemed “fine” with. Recognize the horse’s effort and his willingness to try. The best way to support the horse’s current willingness is for the rider to seize a variety of opportunities to increase their understanding of the connection between the horse’s thoughts, emotions, and physical behaviors. By learning to refine the timing of communication, the specificity of aids, and how to offer guidance to the horse diminishes solely relying on his willingness to try. At some point, his effort will end if the rider does not offer a supportive leadership role. The partnership with the horse is a continually evolving journey. There is no definitive “endpoint” in learning with horses. Riders need

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to appreciate wherever they are in their journey of horsemanship without comparing themselves to others. Practicing mental presence to absorb, assess, and experiment with their horse allows for improvement in their skills and contribution to the partnership. Every moment is an opportunity to learn with the horse. By practicing staying emotionally and egotistically neutral, riders start to recognize the “feedback” from the horse as vital information. This awareness helps develop their horsemanship skills. Learning to pro-actively support the horse and viewing experiences as learning opportunities contribute to building a solid foundation in the partnership. This increases the rider’s ability to make “real-time” decisions, offer relevant communication, and become the supportive leader the horse trusts.

Offering Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey, for 17 years Sam has been based from May through October at The Equestrian Center, LLC, located just 12 miles north of Sandpoint, ID. For over 25 years she has offered lessons, training, guest lectured, demos and clinics nationally. She works with students and horse of all levels and disciplines. For more information please visit www.learnhorses.com 208-265-2644

Ag Education

The CO-OP Country Round Up November / December 2020 Volume 21 Issue 1

Potato Industry Bouncing Back From COVID Challenges By: Sean Ellis, Idaho Farm Bureau

POCATELLO – Idaho’s iconic potato industry suffered through a major scare due to the restrictions and shutdowns imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic. But major efforts by the industry that were coordinated by the state and national groups that represent it have helped potato producers weather that storm. And one major silver lining of the challenge is that U.S. consumers have learned how important spuds are. That was one of the main messages during the Idaho Potato Commission’s annual, “The Big Idaho Potato Harvest Meeting,” which was held virtually Nov. 12. During the first few months of 2020, Idaho and U.S. potato farmers were receiving prices for their spuds that were well above normal, state and national potato industry leaders told people who participated in the Zoom meeting. Then the COVID-19 restrictions and shutdowns hit and, boom, that good fortune came to a quick halt. “The potato industry … was generally having a strong year and then March happened and the shutdown threatened the livelihood of farmers in Idaho and across the nation,” said Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council. About 60 percent of the nation’s potato production goes to the foodservice industry and those channels were virtually eliminated almost overnight, causing a major backlog of spuds. “The backlog of potatoes was so big it could fill the U.S. Capitol 14 times over,” Quarles said. With 60 percent of potato growers’ market shut down, “The potato industry was facing severe harm,” said IPC President and CEO Frank Muir. At the same time, retail sales of potatoes and potato products soared. That led the state and national potato industry to pivot from their normal programs and undertake a major effort to rapidly shift potatoes from foodservice channels to retail outlets, Muir said. That resulted in a huge amount of potatoes being shifted to grocery stores and other retail outlets, where consumers were quickly scooping them up. With so many people buying up large amounts of potatoes to cook at home, the IPC began a major effort to educate consumers on how to store and cook those spuds, Muir said. An IPC social media campaign has helped educate consumers “how to make Idaho potatoes part of their everyday meals … all three meals,” Muir said. “We (also) reinforced to consumers the value and essential nature of potatoes to their family meals.” One of the bright spots of the reaction to the pandemic is that “consumers have learned how to cook at home again,” he added. “We see that trend continuing.” Demand has remained strong at the retail level and the foodservice industry is bouncing back quicker than people had anticipated, Muir said. “We are seeing a recovery,” he said.Fortunately, despite the coronavirus-related restrictions and other challenges posed by the pandemic, “demand (for potatoes) is still very strong,” said Potatoes USA President and CEO Blair Richardson. He said there has been a 15 percent increase so far this year in retail sales of potatoes and spuds account for 22.4 percent of all vegetables sold at grocery stores this year, ranking them No. 1 in that category. The pandemic forced more people to cook food in their own homes, Richardson said, and Potatoes USA has increased its social media efforts to “build a broad and dynamic conversation about potatoes….” “This has been a turbulent year,” he added. “However, it has shown people how important our industry is to the country and the world.” Early during the coronavirus shutdown, “toilet paper, hand sanitizer and potatoes were all out of stock,” Muir said. “When push comes to shove, potatoes are a (must-have) item that consumers have to have at home.” State and national potato industry leaders, assisted by Idaho’s congressional delegation, also pushed for relief from USDA for potato farmers impacted by the COVID-related shutdowns, industry leaders said.Those efforts helped result in potatoes being included in USDA’s bonus buy program of surplus commodities as well as in USDA’s food box program. In addition, more than $119 million has been provided so far to potato farmers through the federal Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. Richardson said the clear steps the nation’s potato industry took during the COVID-19 crisis has put it on a path to recovery. “Hopefully, the actions we took can be applied to (other) challenges in the future,” he added. https://www.idahofb.org/News

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Country Life

The CO-OP Country Round Up November / December 2020 Volume 21 Issue 1

Boundary County Field Trips By Deborah Crain, Pend Oreille Chapter, Sandpoint

On a crisp Thursday in June a fledgling group of Idaho Master Naturalists from the Pend Oreille Chapter migrated north to visit two field sites. Due to covid19, our class of 2020 has been meeting online and the field trips are a welcome outlet to get to know one another, learn in the field, and breathe fresh air. The first stop was to the Slow Cheetah Skeleton Museum, 18 miles north of Bonners Ferry, a unique and extensive collection of mammal skeletons passionately curated by its founder, Nate Hart. The first question for Nate voiced by our education chair, Pat Meyers (and on all of our minds) was “why name it Slow Cheetah”? Nate answered slyly that it is a tongue-in-cheek nod to Darwinism, and the result that the slowest cheetah winds up as a skeleton in a museum. Nate then introduced us to his life’s work of assembling an impressive display of mammalian osteology, the study of bones. He has been collecting bones since he was ten years old and conveyed a deep respect and appreciation for the stories told by the remains of animals that once roamed the earth. He showed how bones reveal cancer, injuries, deformities as well as the age and size of each animal. The remains can also reveal suffering inflicted by other animals and man, such as a coyote that starved to death after it endured losing its lower jaw to the errant shot of a hunter. The collection includes a variety of full skeletons including grizzly bear, caribou, lemur, monkey, bat, of course a cheetah, and many, many more. There are skulls galore with comparisons made between polar, grizzly, and black bears. Nate’s specimens come from several continents, obtaining donations from poached animals allowing one to experience beyond North Idaho. Touch the leg of an elephant crafted into an umbrella stand or experience the wonder of a fullsized giraffe skeleton. The museum is located at 23 Ursus Lane, Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Call for hours or tours: 208-9200890 www.slowcheetahskeletons.org

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Slow Cheetah Skeleton Museum – courtesy Deborah Crain

The Master Naturalist Class then headed northwest to the Boundary-Smith Creek Wildlife Management Area to view the progress of the “Bees to Bears” climate adaptation project. Norm Merz from Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) explained the history and process of this massive project. Sarah Lanthier, from IDFG, and Kristina Boyd, formerly Citizen Science Coordinator for the project, were also available to answer questions. Bees to Bears is a project to restore 250 acres of, lowland habitat to improve the climate for six species of greatest conservation need. These species are western toads, leopard frogs, two types of bumblebees, pale-jumping slugs and grizzly bears. These species have been compromised by the combination of reduction in wetlands and hotter temperatures. The major goal is to provide a cooler environment through land contouring, development of ponds, and adding shaded areas by topography and planting trees, as well as planting wildflowers and milkweed for bees and monarch butterflies. Viewing the scale of the project in person is awe-inspiring. More than 250 volunteers, many from our Master Naturalist Chapter, have planted over 47,000 trees and shrubs. Forty-seven species of native wildflower seeds have been collected and spread over the preserve. This project in conjunction with IDFG, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, Ducks Unlimited, and Selkirk Outdoor Leadership and Education groups began in 2018 and is expected to be completed this year. This project shows that with environmental knowledge and hard work people can help restore our natural world for the better. More information can be viewed on the website: www.idfg.idaho.gov/ bees2bears

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Our Environment

The CO-OP Country Round Up November / December 2020 Volume 21 Issue 1

Weed of the Month: St. Johnswort By Chase Youngdahl, Bonner County Weeds Manager

Hope this fall finds you well and on schedule with winter preparations. This is the last installment for the year 2020. Is everyone ready for it to be over? Yep, me too! Despite the pandemic, we had a solid field season with our operations and cooperative projects, and customer traffic never fell below average. I had mentioned this spring that weeds are unaffected by disruptive, human issues. The season showed that citizen weed control warriors concur—so thank you all for continuing to do your part! We’re now in the time of year for clipping and saving these articles until spring. Or, if you put them in such a safe spot that even you can’t find them later, you can now reference the archives on our website. :-) Weed of the Month is St. Johnswort (Hypericum performatum), sometimes called Goatweed or Klamathweed. Originally from Europe and western Asia, this is a former Idaho state listed noxious weed that was de-listed some time ago. The Idaho State Department of Agriculture is often petitioned to add a weed to the noxious weeds list, and if they end up taking it to the legislature, they typically want to see one dropped to add one in order to avoid running the risk of the list becoming diluted. St. Johnswort is one that hit the chopping block to make way for another; that’s the short story. Currently, there are 8 other western states that still have St. Johnswort on their noxious weeds list, including all of our neighboring states. With that, we have St. Johnswort listed as an invasive weed of concern in Bonner County. Even though some exotic invaders are not on the state noxious weeds list, it doesn’t mean they are not an environmental or economic threat, it only means you’re not obligated by state law to control them. St. Johnswort is an herbaceous, tap-rooted perennial that grows 1-3 feet in height (sometimes taller in ideal conditions) producing numerous branches. Even though it’s herbaceous, the base of the stems are somewhat woody, particularly later in the growing season. Flowers are bright yellow with 5 petals surrounding a thick cluster of stamens. Aside from the flowers, a key factor to confirm identity is the translucent specks covering the leaves—most noticeable when holding the leaves up to light. St. Johnswort thrives on disturbance; recently logged or cleared areas, heavily grazed pastures and recently disturbed roadsides. Showing its adaptability, it can also be found in woodland and natural meadow areas. Aside from infestations decreasing the amount of desirable forage in a pasture or open rangeland, it contains phototoxic compounds. If livestock (especially white-haired) graze on St. Johnswort and subsequently are exposed to strong sunlight, they may develop burned-blistered skin. Mechanical methods of control may be effective depending on the situation. Hand pulling is only practical on very small infestations and where other means of control may not be suitable—gardens, landscape beds, etc. St. Johnswort does not tolerate tillage very well, so that’s an option in areas where it makes sense. Mowing is mostly ineffective due to resprouting from roots, but it may postpone seed dispersal. The most effective herbicide combination where allowed by the label is Opensight® (aminopyralid + metsulfuron) tank mixed with 2,4-D and a surfactant. You may achieve some control with Weedmaster® (2,4D + dicamba), Vastlan® (triclopyr) or Crossbow® (2,4-D + triclopyr) if the use site is not appropriate for an aminopyralid product. Herbicide applications on St. Johnswort need to happen earlier in the season [while actively growing], and preferably prior to flowering. Control GET UP TO $1,500 OFF† SELECT 2020 SUMMIT 850 E-TEC MODELS percentage seems to drop sigAND PRIOR nificantly after flowering.

Biological control for St. Johnswort has generally been regarded as a success story via the Chrysolina beetle. Overall St. Johnswort density has been reduced in areas of widespread Chrysolina releases, although it seems to be cyclical—possibly due to climatic issues, according to the University of California Weed Research & Information Center. In my observations, Bonner County is a microcosm of that research. Tens of thousands of the Chrysolina beetles have been released across northern Idaho over the last several years. St. Johnswort infestation levels across the Bonner County landscape as a whole are still high, but in years where the Chrysolina cycle is on the uptick, STJW densities seem to go down in some pockets. All the best during the holiday season!

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The CO-OP Gas & Supply Company, Inc. is in the process of retiring stock from the cooperative. If you see your own name on this list, or know how to reach anyone on this list, please contact Linda Fitchett at 208.263.6820 CHARLES D RICHARD J STEVE JERRY JACK RICHARD W TIM DOUGLAS A RANDALL T ROBERT M RAYMOND L EDWARD PAUL BUD DA JAMES MICHAEL A HARRY L KENDRA RON L MAURICE JANETTE BILLIE L (KRAUSE) GARY GEORGE LEON LEON CLINTON C BILL BILL W CARL DON DAG W ALBERT MICHAEL JEFFREY WAYNE L BRUCE DORIAN EFFIE MICHAEL B RICHARD W RON CLINTON SCOTT MIKE ROBERT & RENEE MICHAEL T MRS JOHN FRED ELSWORTH M ROBERT ROBERTA BENNIE DARWIN EDWARD N LARRY WARREN W FRANK E NORMAN N LLOYD A FRANK ED E DENNIS DAVID W LARRY J WL

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HAMMONS HAMPEL HAMREN HAND HAND HANKEY HANNA HANSEN HANSON HANSON HARBOUR HARDEE HARDEE HARDEGGER HARDY HARDY HARGRAVE HARMON HARMS HARMS HAROLD HARPER HARPER HARPER HARRINGTON HARRIS HARRIS HARSHAW CO HART HART HARTBARGER HARTLE HARTMAN HARTMAN HARTT HARTY HARVEY COLE HASKEW HASLETT HATCH HATCHER HATFIELD HATFIELD HATFIELD HATTENBERG HATTOX HAUCK HAUGEN HAWKINS HAWKINS HAWKINS HAWKINS HAWKS HAWS HAYDEN HAYES HAYES HAYNES HAYNES HAYS HAYWARD HAZELTINE HEAD HEAD HEALEA HEATH HEATH HEFLEY HEGEWOLD HEKI HEKI

Thank you! ALLAN JACK CLINTON STANLEY EDWARD A WILLIAM C PETER A JC JACQUELINE MYRVIN RICHARD D CHARLES JAMES R HELEN M FRED ROBERT L JIM CW BRUCE ELIZABETH GEORGE HAROLD DAN DON BERT RA HOWARD BRENDA BROWN JOHN R MAX D MIKE A NICK STEPHEN C H GRANT OR DEBBIE JERRY ALLEN ELDEN MARVIN KURT JACK LAWRENCE ORVILLE RAY MILT GARRY L RUDOLPH E ROGER MRS CLAUDE ANDY DARRELL WILLIAM FRED JAMES I ALBERT W ALVA DON MRS J O GEORGE DONALD E WAYNE RICHARD MACK DUANE D ROBERT FRANCIS OF BOB STEVE L CHET CURTIS

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KENDALL RANCH KENT KENWORTHY KENWORTHY KERBY KERL KIBLER KIBLER SHEET METAL KICE KIEBERT KILE KILPATRICK KIMBALL KIMP KINCAID KINCAID KINCAID KING KING KING KING KINGSLAND KINS KINUCAN KIRBY KIRK KIRK KIRKENDALL KISSINGER KITTEL KITTELL KJOS KLAKKAN KLEIN KLINE KLINGER KLOPFENSTEIN KLOVEN KLUVER KNAGGS KNAPTON KNIGHT KNUDSON KOKOT KOON KOONTZ KOSSMAN KOSTER KOTHE KRAGER KRAMER KRAMER KRANZLER KRATZBERG KRATZBERG KREBS KREBS KRIEBEL KRISLOCK KROGSETH KROHMER KROHN KRUEGER KRUSE KUBECKA KUCHERRY KUCHERRY TRUCKING KUEHL KUEHN KUHEL KUNEY CO KUNKA KUNKEL KUNKLE KURANZ LABROSSE

The Gardenerâ€™s Corner

The CO-OP Country Round Up November / December 2020 Volume 21 Issue 1

BC Gardeners Contribute to Projects

This has been a challenging year for everyone, but the Bonner County Gardeners Association has been able to continue giving to the community. The city of Hope is creating a public park featuring a statue honoring Veterans that was already in place. The BC Gardeners pledged to assist with funding to provide an attractive path of paving stones. The path is now complete. The organization has contributed to the play and learning area for children on the Cedar Street Bridge. Two successful plant sales helped provide funding for continuing expenses, while providing some rare, unusual or old favorite specimens to those who attended the sale. BCGA has an ongoing commitment to cleaning a section of Highway 95, which allows the eye of the traveler to focus on the lovely scenery rather than trash. We wish you all a good holiday season. BCGA is hoping to return to a regular schedule of events and classes sometime in 2021, when precautions for disease prevention allow. The annual garden tour did not take place this year, but it is an event that will return. Visit our website for additional information about upcoming activities at bcgardeners.org. Reflections on Seasons End The season has ended for North Idaho gardens; garlic is planted, the vegetable areas have yielded their last crops, and the perennial gardens have been put to bed for the winter. Now is a good time to assess the season. What varieties yielded best? Which were tastiest? What crops did not do so well? Were there pests to defend against? Grab a notebook and write down the results. Try to remember the date of the first frost. This information is useful in making decisions for the coming year. Now is an ideal time to start a compost pile. All the debris from perennial beds and veggie beds alike are excellent ingredients to start a compost heap, along with kitchen waste. Just avoid fats and meat products, which attract unwanted visitors. If you have chickens or other stock, some manure will get the pile working, and even steaming on a cool morning. There are few things more satisfying than taking waste material and turning it into beautiful amendments for the soil. Whether one uses a bin or just a pile, composting is easy, fun, and inexpensive. If one lives in a more urban setting, a bin with a lid will prevent scavengers. The only tools needed are a fork to turn the pile occasionally, a shovel to harvest the finished compost, a screen to separate out larger, less decomposed elements, and a wheelbarrow or bin for the final product. Composting waste is good for the environment. It saves trips to the dump, where organic matter is mixed with toxic waste, plastics, metal, and other deterrents to healthy decomposition. Compost adds vital nutrients to the soil, improves the texture of the soil, and provides shelter and food for the living creatures needed to promote productive gardens. One needs to purchase fewer amendments to achieve desirable results. Placement of the compost pile is important. It should be convenient for adding materials, near a water source to keep the compost moist, and fairly close to the garden where it will eventually be used. I like a sunlit pile, as it warms up and thaws earlier in the spring and the heat from the sun aids in keeping the pile working well. Start a compost pile now, and by May or so, there will be some lovely organic matter to give the plants a happy start. By Ann Warwick, BC Gardener

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The CO-OP Country Round Up November / December 2020 Volume 21 Issue 1

The Political Divide and Our Well-Being For Us and Our CountryGabrielle Duebendorfer, ND

I was very intrigued with the speaking skill of using “and” instead of “but”. As a clinician I am very familiar with listening skills, but not so much with expressing my differing personal opinions as that is not appropriate with patients. I was delighted to experience the difference of following a reflection of what I heard with “and” instead of “but” as I found it left much more of an opening for further conversation. In practicing with a red friend, I, a blue leaning liberal, was feeling safe enough to pro-actively express how a voiced charged political generalization made me feel. It actually made me and the whole room more relaxed. This brings me back to my dog and me. Layla is a very sweet puppy if I can read her right. It’s like a dance between listening and then responding in the most effective way. I can dance that dance when I am reminding myself that she really just wants to please me and be loved; that her puppyhood behavior and her personality is not out to get me or make me mad, but to be respected by me while I maintain my own boundaries. It can be like that in our relationships with people of differing opinion as well as in the political arena. If we start building bridges based on constructive respectful listening while skillfully expressing our emotions and views, we all feel heard and can enjoy a common sense of Well-Being. That might just pave the road for constructive cooperation on the local and national level. If you are interested in participating in our upcoming (December 12th) one-onone workshop, where red and blue pairs dialogue with each other with the intention of creating bridges rather than wedges, please feel free to contact me at 208-290-5991.

Walking through our forest, freshly covered with snow, with my puppy delighting in the fluff and me relishing the quiet, I feel a deep sense of Well-Being. Everything is ok, peaceful, safe, and inspiring. This article was basically written in my head during this walk. My walks haven’t always been that peaceful with my puppy. There were a few weeks where she definitely exhibited 2-year old behavior and I had a very hard time controlling my own reactivity – almost like a 2-year old in myself because she didn’t behave like I wanted her to! It was two weeks of a very stressful time, promptly leading to a cold – luckily not Covid. Once I figured out that her personality did not jive with my disciplinary approach, understood that opposition just caused more of the same, and that she just needed something in her mouth, our walks have been quite delightful again – opening to Well-Being between and beyond the two of us. I see this potential for an opening to Well-Being in our current divisive political environment, which has really come to a hot point with this election. I hold this opening as important, because I see it causing stress all the way down to my neighbors with no end in sight. It is important from a medical perspective, because chronic stress elevates stress hormones such as cortisol long-term, causing subtle but eventually considerable damage to all body systems. If you are interested in how adrenal dysfunction causes disease, read “When the Body Says No” by Dr. Gabor Mate. He gives a very intriguing and in-depth description of how chronic stress due to – often unconscious - internal divisiveness leads to different diseases. This current political divisiveness not only contributes to illness on the individual level where it gets internalized, but it also causes disharmony in our personal relationships and how our country is being run. We have the perfect opposites here with half the country being pitted against the other – might there be a similarity to my situation with my puppy? A basic misunderstanding and rejection of our “personalities” or maybe better our values, which influence our behavior and actions? How can half of the country be “right” and the other “wrong” with the swing of an election? There are many people in Sandpoint and all over the country who currently are engaged in building bridges, fostering respectful relationships, and encouraging seeing humanity of people across the divide. Skills that are needed to do this are also skills that can be applied to our internal divisiveness - so no effort wasted. A group of people in Sandpoint, who are concerned about the local divisiveness in our community that has evolved within the last few decades, has organized civil discourse trainings based on the Braver Angels (www. braverangels.org) approach. The Braver Angles mission statement describes themselves as a “citizens’ organization uniting red and blue Americans in a working alliance to depolarize America.” They focus on understanding others’ point of view rather than convincing them of theirs, looking for common ground and ways to work together, and practicing skills that bring us together. On the day after the election they facilitated a presentation (https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0xFsqL3xiE) that, besides two excellent speakers and Q&A, involved three red and blue pairs, who either voted for Trump or Biden. It was so delightful to see them enMedical - Dental - Pediatrics gaging in dialogue in a respectful Behavioral Health - VA and hopeful way. It gave me hope that perhaps the next four years 267-1718 Bonners Ferry can honor the whole country’s 265-6252 Ponderay needs instead of those of just one party. That transformation does 265-2242 Sandpoint Pediatrics have to start at home – right here! 448-2321 Priest River Our Civil Discourse group has 263-0450 VA had one basic skill training recently, where we learned how to kaniksuhealthservices.org really listen and speak in a way Around here, we take care of our own, help out that doesn’t antagonize the othour neighbors, work hard, and pitch in where er and yet express one’s differwe’re needed. That’s small town living. ing viewpoint on touchy topics. A brief 45 minute version and skills But small town living does not have to mean sheet can be found here: https:// sacrificing access to quality healthcare. At braverangels.org/online/onKaniksu Health Services, our qualified care teams line-skills-training/. It is quite difprovide excellent healthcare for the residents of ficult, but feeling heard by somenorth Idaho. Together we're building a healthier body of an opposing perspective induces a relaxation response community. that counters the high cortisol response by stressful interactions.

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The CO-OP Country Round Up November / December 2020

How Traditions are Born: A Story of Stockings and Sledding Written by Hannah Combs and Maggie Mjelde

Brought to you by the Bonner County Historical Society Many of us celebrate the holidays with specific traditions: cutting down and decorating a fir tree with garlands of popcorn or twinkling lights, baking marshmallows on top of sweet potatoes, kissing underneath a sprig of mistletoe. While all of these sound festive in the context of a winter holiday, they would just be bizarre, say, in June. Two ubiquitous Christmas traditions for many families in North Idaho are hanging stockings for Santa to fill and going sledding. But how did these traditions originate? According to Pamela Patton, Director of The Index of Medieval Art at Princeton University, one of our traditional stocking stuffers is rooted in the story of Saint Nicholas of Myra, a 3rd century Catholic saint from southern Turkey. According to legend, a man in St. Nick’s village was unable to provide dowries for his three daughters. They were going to be turned out on the street, but Nicholas, hearing of it, threw his inheritance of gold coins through the window while they were sleeping, and the three young women were able to marry. The story spread and morphed over the centuries. By the 18th century, the legend said that he threw three gold balls down the chimney, and one happened to land in a stocking hung by the fire to dry. On St. Nicholas’ feast day (December 6th), people inspired by the story began to hang socks and stockings in the hopes that they would wake up to similar fortunes. However, golden orbs were hard to come by, so oranges became a similar-looking, and no less exotic, alternative. As the St. Nicholas tradition of gift-giving merged with the Christmas holiday, oranges became a staple in Christmas stockings hung over the fireplace. A longtime resident of Sandpoint remembered that her grandmother growing up in Minnesota always got an orange in her stocking. It was particularly special because it was in the 1890’s, and the smalltown store only ordered one crate of oranges at Christmas time. She thought it was the most amazing fruit. Over the years, little toys joined oranges and socks in Christmas stockings. Another resident remembered that she and her two sisters received baby dolls in their stockings in 1927. The dolls had china heads, hands, and feet. The girls were the daughter of a minister, so they attended church Christmas day. They brought the dolls along with them. Sitting in the front row, they stood up to sing a song. Her three-year-old sister’s doll went crashing to the floor. The church had to take a break because the minister and his wife (the pianist) needed to help her sister recover the tragedy. Sleds, as practical tools, go back thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians may have used a type of sled to haul huge slabs of stone when building pyramids. The BCHS collection contains a sled from 1905 used by T.P. Craig, the Sagle Postmaster, to haul bags of mail thrown off of passing trains to the residents of Sagle. And of course we can’t forget the dog sleds that have carried people and cargo all around the world, including the North and South Poles.

Volume 21 Issue 1

But sledding as a recreational sport didn’t take off until 1885 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The sleepy town at the time was known as a summer destination for British tourists, who enjoyed its rejuvenating mineral springs. During the fall of 1885, a local dared five British visitors to stay on through the winter, bragging that the clear, snowy weather was much more pleasant than dismal, rainy London. The independent bachelors spent the winter playing in the snow, developing what would become the Cresta Run, a ¾-mile-long skeleton sledding course, on which riders have reached speeds of up to 80mph. Pat McDonnell grew up sledding down Pine Street Hill, just west of Sandpoint. Her uncle would pull the kids on their sleds up the road to the top of the hill with his Jeep. At the time, Pine Street was a dirt road with few houses on it. Pat said, “If you were brave (I wasn’t) and didn’t drag your feet (I did), you could slide to the top of the next hill, almost to Syringa. It was great fun.” Whether risking broken bones flying off a competition course, or sailing into a bramble bush on a trash can lid, the danger is part of the fun of sledding. The everyday bruises and cuts can usually be healed with a hot cup of cocoa waiting at home, and maybe a juicy orange to go with it.

Photo caption: Three youths, one wearing a sleigh bell harness, enjoy a snack of icicles while sledding.

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Home and Hearth

The CO-OP Country Round Up November / December 2020 Volume 21 Issue 1

Recipes...

The Holidays have arrived. I don’t know about your house but at ours, tradition is getting tweaked. Our family is split between those whom favor a traditional Thanksgiving meal, my husband and I, and those who literally think traditional fair is unappealing Currently the division stands at 2 for Traditional Turkey and 5 for just about anything else. It looks like the old ship is going down. Not to worry. While Green Bean Casserole is on the fence we may have a few new up-and-comers in Sweet Potatoes with Chestnuts, Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars, and Mexican Hot Chocolate. Even sides like Cranberry salad and whipped yams could make a showing. One thing is for certain: all of these cooks and new ideas about what a Holiday Dinner should look like are going to converge on my kitchen T-4 days and counting. Even if they decide Tri Tip is an option, one way or another a turkey is still going to get cooked because at the end of the day who doesn’t love turkey leftovers?And THAT is one tradition that will hold fast. Here are a couple of recipes for your holiday snack table. Enjoy Deviled Eggs and Capers 24 large eggs, hard boiled, cooled and peeled. 1 can large pitted ripe olives 1 ....oz jar of large capers 1 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons yellow mustard

With a 3” round cookie cutter cut rounds and place on a greased baking sheet. Onto each dough round spoon 1 teaspoon of the strawberry filling. Gently pull up three sides of the dough and pinch together. Some of the filling will show.

Cut each egg in half lengthwise. Turn out hardened yolk into a medium sized glass dish and set aside. Arrange large lettuce leaves around the edge of a large serving platter. Arrange egg white halves on the lettuce in concentric circles leaving room in the center for a small bowl. With a heavy fork mash the egg yolks into a smooth mass. Add the mayonnaise and mustard. Blend until smooth. (For a very smooth mix use a hand blender on low.)

In a bowl whisk the eggs and water together. With a pastry brush apply the egg wash over each cookie. Bake at 375 degrees until edges are just golden brown. Avoid over baking these little gems. Let stand for about 2 minutes before removing to racks to cool. Yield: about 4 dozen

Take a heavy quart freezer bag and fold the top 3 inches or so down over the side. Fill with the egg yolk mixture. Squeeze down into the bottom of the bag. Roll up the top and seal. Cut a very small hole in the bottom corner big enough to let the yolk mix squeeze out in a controlled manner. Squeeze an appropriate amount into each egg white half. After all the shells have been filled garnish the eggs with a sprinkle of Paprika and capers. Place a bowl in the middle of the platter and fill with black ripe olives. Makes 48 deviled eggs. Strawberry Delights 1 cup butter softened 6 oz. cream cheese, softened 2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cup all purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup strawberry jam or homemade preserves 2 eggs 2 teaspoons water In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and cream cheese. Blend in the vanilla, flour and salt. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface to 1/8” thickness.

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Economics

The CO-OP Country Round Up November / December 2020 Volume 21 Issue 1

How to Talk to Your Children About Money by Judy Baird, VP Branch Manager Mountain West Bank I don’t recall having conversations with my parents about budgets and household finances as a child. We just didn’t talk about such things. It wasn’t until I was on my own that I started to understand necessity of keeping track of my income and my expenses. Today, things seem to be much different. Here at the bank we have parents inquiring about adding children to checking accounts and asking for debit cards for them. We have children of all ages proudly coming in to make a deposit into a savings account and keeping track of the balance. A recent article from the National Financial Education Center states above all lessons, one of the best things a parent can do is to strive to model healthy money management behaviors with his or her finances. A mistake along the way, such as incurring excessive debt or failing to be on time with payments, can turn into opportunities to talk with children about financial management. Early childhood is the perfect time to talk about differences between wants and needs. Encourage your child to save money for things they want to purchase. Allow them to have some decision-making authority as to what to do with their money, helping guide their decisions but not necessarily making them for the child. Consider running your own “Family 401k” by matching every dollar they choose to place into a savings account with a dollar or two of your own. Some parents elect to set up a weekly allowance or reward them for certain chores. Start with a small denomination then increase it as your child’s responsibility level grows. Be prepared, however, for the conversation that may be needed when your child decides he or she would rather go without any money that week than having to do his or her chores. Middle childhood money management lessons could include setting up a bank account. Show your child how to make deposits and withdrawals and to keep a record of those transactions. When you receive the bank statement, go over it with them and see how it measures up with what was personally recorded. Around 8 and 10 or so can be the time to include your child in family budgeting decisions such as family vacation, entertainment, or shopping for clothing. Real world decisions can help them decide whether it’s more important to buy one expensive jacket or several discounted outfits that will last the entire school year. Introduce them to thrift shopping, a great way to feel the thrill of a great find or a super bargain. Preparing for future use of credit is a great discussion to have with adolescent children. They don’t need their own credit card and they don’t need to build their credit just yet, but they can build healthy credit habits by paying any bills or “loans” from a parent on time. It’s a good time to start establishing long-term goals. Work together to create a strategy for saving for a car, a school trip or even buying a home 10 years down the road. Older children can even enjoy learning about the stock market, picking a stock for a business in which they have interest. Tracking the stock’s performance can be fun and educational. Trips to the library or utilizing online resources can be options for exploring money management tools. I mentioned in a prior article the Financial Foundations education program on Mountain West Bank’s website www.mountainwestbank.com. At our website, under Education, the Financial Foundations Portal provides links to self-paced interactive game-based lessons for families based around character development, mental wellness, financial readiness, and career exploration. Beyond the program for families, there are also Financial Foundation portals with programs for adults, small businesses, students, and a credit builder program. Best of all, these programs are free. According to the National Financial Education Center, it truly is never too early or too late to have conversations about money with your children. The earlier the better for introducing basic concepts. Continuing these conversations as they grow help solidify the understanding of the importance of smart money management and good planning.

Christmas trivia: History of Christmas 1. What Christian group banned Christmas in Boston from 1659 to 1681? A: The Puritans Even though the ban on Christmas was lifted in 1681, Christmas didn’t become popular in Boston until the mid-19th century. Puritans also suppressed Christmas in England as well, during the Interregnum.

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Real Estate and You

The CO-OP Country Round Up November / December 2020 Volume 21 Issue 1

North Idaho Real Estate Trends Jim Haynes, Associate Broker, Realm Partners

North Idaho real estate prices have been increasing over the past several years at a double-digit pace. Following is a table of the last twelve months showing the single-family home sales for the three northern Idaho counties:

Kootenai County Bonner County Boundary County

Twelve Months Ending Septenber 30, 2018 4,376 944 246

Twelve Months Ending September 30, 2019 4,609 980 213

Percent Change 5.3% 3.8% -13.4%

* Homes, condominiums and townhomes (existing and new) Source: Coeur d’Alene MLS and the Selkirk MLS from 10/1/2018 to 9/30/2020 (information deemed reliable but not guaranteed)

The number of homes sold in Kootenai County increased 5.3% and Bonner County increased 3.8% from the previous year while nationally home sales were unchanged from the previous year. Boundary County experienced a decrease of 13.4%. Following is a table showing median home sales prices for the three northern Idaho counties:

Kootenai County Bonner County Boundary County

Twelve Months Ending September 30, 2018 $315,000 $326,245 $223,000

Twelve Months Ending September 30, 2019 $355,000 $375,000 $295,000

Percent Change 12.7% 14.9% 32.3%

* Homes, condominiums and townhomes (existing and new) Source: Coeur d’Alene MLS and the Selkirk MLS from 10/1/2018 to 9/30/2020 (information deemed reliable but not guaranteed)

Median home sales prices increased between 13% and 32% for the three northern Idaho counties in the year ending September 30, 2020 when compared to the same period a year earlier. Over this same period median home sales prices nationally increased 7.4% from $258,500 in 2019 to $277,600 in 2020. At the end of August 2020, the National Association of Realtors reported there were 4.2 months of inventory which is down from 4.4 months in August of 2019. Locally, Kootenai County has 1.1 months of inventory, down significantly from September of 2019’s inventory of 4.1 months. Bonner County has 1.5 months of inventory and Boundary County has 2.2 months of inventory, both considerably down from last year’s inventories of 3.5 and 3.0 months, respectively. Tight inventories in all three northern Idaho counties help explain median home price increases at two to four times that of the national average. Bonner and Kootenai County’s median home sales prices were below but extremely near the United States median home sales price in 2012. Since then median home sales prices have gone up faster in Kootenai and Bonner Counties than the national median home sales price. For the last twelve months the national median home sales price was $277,600. For Kootenai and Bonner County the median home sales price for the same period was $355,000 and $375,000, respectively. Nationally, the real estate market is picking up steam being pushed ahead in part by low interest rates (2.9% for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage). National inventory is still tight which may hamper continued growth. Regionally, our market continues to be strong with double digit price gains over that same time period. Tight inventories both nationally and regionally provide headwinds for sales going forward. Given current economic conditions price increases near double digits should continue into next year in North Idaho. 1. The median home price is that price at which half of the homes sold for more than that amount, and half sold for less than that amount. The median price is used to remove bias from home prices introduced by high end properties.

Information compiled by Jim Haynes, Associate Broker, Realm Partners 208-290-7249, jim.haynes@frontier.com

Kootenai County * Bonner County * Boundary County *

2012 2411 615 121

Kootenai County * Bonner County * Boundary County *

2012 $170,914 $175,000 $135,000

2013 2,971 645 150

2014 3,162 736 155

2015 3,758 775 188

2016 4,124 837 174

2017 4,299 881 157

2018 4,512 999 217

Oct. 1, 2019 2019 to Sept. 30, 2020 4,415 4,609 912 980 222 213

% change from Previous Year 5.3% 3.8% -13.4%

2013 $184,216 $199,000 $152,750

2014 $198,838 $225,000 $159,900

2015 $215,000 $235,000 $172,450

2016 $230,323 $257,000 $175,000

2017 $257,665 $280,990 $199,900

2018 $292,000 $305,000 $194,000

Oct. 1, 2019 2019 to Sept. 30, 2020 $320,000 $355,000 $334,000 $375,000 $234,000 $295,000

% Change from Previous Year 12.7% 14.9% 32.3%

* Single family homes, condominiums and townhomes (existing and new) Source: Coeur d'Alene MLS and the Selkirk MLS (1/1/12 to 9/30/20, information deemed reliable but not guaranteed)

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