The River Journal, September 2010

Because there’s more to life than bad news

Getting

out...

and up

A News MAGAZINE Worth Wading Through

Local hiker’s trip reports give a year-round look at area trails

Local News • Environment • Opinion • People • Hiking • Veterans • Humor • Politics

September 2010 | FREE | www.RiverJournal.com

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 27 years in law enforcement, mostly at the command and staff officer level  10 years of volunteer service with Priest Lake Search & Rescue  10 years of volunteer fire service ranging from firefighter to chief in Alaska and Idaho  Nearly 4 years as an officer in the USAF  Bachelor of Science, Criminology  A fiscal conservative with a proven track record of finding economical solutions.

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The Raggedy Edge a novel of anarchy, survival and hope by River Journal columnist Michael Turnlund Jarad and Myla find themselves in a world of violence as their community crumbles after the nation-wide electrical grid inexplicably fails - the singular energy lifeblood of a destitute near-future America. Within weeks their hometown spirals into anarchy as town folk struggle to meet their basic needs. Many leave in search of refuge; survivors return with tales of terror. Forced to abandon their home, Jarad and Myla flee to a small cabin in the mountains. It is here they make a stand against a world gone savage, grappling with others who might prove to be allies, or worse!

Get it at Amazon.com!

September 2010 NIC - Where they feel valued (p 2) Accidental non-smoker (p 4) Online resources (p 6) Time for Politics (p 7) News briefs (p 8)

Departments Editorial 10..........Wellness 12-13......Outdoors 16..........Veterans 18..........Education 20..........Politics 22..........Faith 24-25......Other Worlds 25..........Sandpoint Calendar 26..........Obituaries 27..........Humor

Cover: Jim Fulling took this shot of his wife Betsy on a recent hike up to Harrison Lake.

Betsy’s hike reports, now online at the River Journal website, chronicle her eight-year journey into our area mountains. And there’s even more online you might not have known about. Find the story on page 6.

11 Currents Books for Fall 15 The Hawk’s Nest 17 Politically Incorrect Sorry, Mom 19 Love Notes An unexpected phone call 23 The Scenic Route Dogs & trucks 27 From the Mouth of the River

THE RIVER JOURNAL A News Magazine Worth Wading Through ~just going with the flow~ P.O. Box 151•Clark Fork, ID 83811 www.RiverJournal.com•208.255.6957

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STAFF Calm Center of Tranquility Trish Gannon-trish@riverjournal.com

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Desire Aguirre; Scott Clawson; Sandy Compton; Marylyn Cork; Dick Cvitanich; Idaho Rep. George Eskridge; Lawrence Fury; Dustin Gannon; Matt Haag; Ernie Hawks; Lt. Cary Kelly; Emily Levine; Marianne Love; Kathy Osborne; Gary Payton; Boots Reynolds; Sandpoint Wellness Council; Lou Springer; Mike Turnlund; Michael White

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Contents of the River Journal are copyright 2010.

Reproduction of any material, including original artwork and advertising, is prohibited. The River Journal is published the first week of each month and is distributed in over 16 communities in Sanders County, Montana, and Bonner, Boundary and Kootenai counties in Idaho. The River Journal is printed on 40 percent recycled paper with soy-based ink. We appreciate your efforts to recycle.

“A World Where They Feel Valued” Linda Michal gives direction to students at NIC Idaho, then three years later moved to Boise, where she worked for Planned Parenthood and Central District Health Department. In 1989 she moved to Coeur d’Alene.

“When I first moved here I worked for the Spokane County Health District.” As a nurse epidemiologist, she had spent years dealing with sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV and AIDS, issues she’s still committed to working on through her involvement with the North Idaho AIDS Coalition and at NIC. Then a nurse at North Idaho College left and Linda joined the staff there as a Nurse Practitioner. Ever since, her job duties have grown. She became head of Student Health Services, and then added the directorship of counseling services to her duties five years ago.

And now, of course, Dean of Students has joined that list.

Her first marriage ended but ten years ago she met Ernie Hawks (yes, our Ernie Hawks) and they bought a fixer-upper in the woods near Athol where they still live, fitting in the neverending house remodeling with their varied interests in the Unitarian Church, Linda’s service on the board of the Human Rights Education Institute, hiking the myriad trails in the area and beyond, listening to good music and sampling the various wines offered by our local wineries.

They are currently anxiously anticipating being

grandparents for the first time as Linda’s daughter Ana and her husband Noah are expecting a daughter in December.

She spent 14 years as a volunteer with the Dirne Clinic, a Coeur d’Alene-based medical resource staffed by volunteers to provide medical services to non-insured or under-insured residents, until the time that Dirne began receiving federal funding and working there would have become a regular, full-time position. Health care, and access to it, still remains her greatest interest.

“Dirne... has a several month waiting list. The demand is so great.”

She sees this even in her students at NIC. “My biggest concern is access to health care—not just for our traditional students (18- to 24-yearolds who attend after high school), but all our students.” NIC has a large percentage of nontraditional students, especially, like now, during times of economic uncertainty, when people return to school in the hopes of improving their job prospects. This year NIC has seen their student enrollment jump by 12 percent over last fall, which itself was 16 to 18 percent higher than the previous year.

The average age of a student at NIC, in fact, is 26 and they don’t all attend classes at the Coeur d’Alene Campus. NIC maintains a strong outreach program, offering classes in outlying communities as well as online.

For parents of those traditional students, Linda has some advice: “You need to be having conversations with your kids about how to be responsible before they get to college. More and more we’re learning that even at this age, the brain is still developing—they’re not adults yet.”

Responsibility is what will get students through the issues of drinking and sex that so concern communities about college kids, although Linda points out that many studies show that people’s perception of student sexual activity and level of drinking are generally greater than the reality. “If you go out, who’s the designated driver? Are you planning ahead? We’d like to think there are no underage drinkers, but if kids are going to make that choice, are they

Photo by Ernie Hawks

It was almost inevitable that Linda Michal would become a nurse. Her mother had suggested it as a career, given how caring Linda had been as a child and as a teenager, and coming of age in the late 60s, as she did, it was easier for a female to go to nursing school than it was to become a doctor. What might also have been inevitable, given her love for and interest in young adults, is the position she holds today—Dean of Students at North Idaho College.

Not that she isn’t still nursing. In what might be a first for any community college, and certainly a first for this one, is that Linda still retains her position, held for the last 20 years, as the Director of Student Health Services and Therapeutic Counseling as well.

“Linda has led an absolutely terrific organization in Student Health Services and Counseling, and obviously we have a great deal of respect for her and her talents,” said Priscilla Bell, President of NIC. “She brings to NIC great talent, experience, insight and knowledge.

Everyone here thinks she’s wonderful.”

It all started back in Cleveland, where Linda was born and raised. She got her nursing diploma at St. Luke’s, and spent a year in college at Kent State, returning there to finish the autumn after student protesters were fired upon by National Guard troops.

“When I went back that fall, after having also lived through the riots in Cleveland, seeing tanks and people with guns right here at home, things started changing. It was a very different atmosphere.” That atmosphere, she said, taught her to “question everything. I learned not to accept everything I was told and it led me on a quest to determine what it was that was truly important.”

She married and moved to the mountains, finishing her Bachelor’s degree in Denver and earning her Nurse Practitioner degree. “Denver was too big,” however, and it was a time when a lot of rural health clinics were being established around the country that were recruiting Nurse Practitioners. The Idaho Migrant Council called her name and she moved to Payette in southern

Page | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| September 2010

also choosing to take a taxi? Who are you going to call in an emergency?” These are all questions to which successful students have answers long before they step on a college campus.

And if they don’t, Linda and her staff are available through Student Health and Counseling Services to talk about these issues and others. Having a hard time getting to class on time? Getting your homework done?

Understanding math or science? These are all common issues that the college is prepared to help with, from simple advice to tutoring programs.

And what about money? “Students need to understand the financial aid and student loan process,” Linda explained. “If they don’t have enough money for college, there are often resources, including scholarships, available. I advise them not to be afraid to borrow money, but at the same time not to borrow more than what they actually need for college expenses.”

Because students need to budget their available money to last the full school year, “They might enjoy that 32” HD flat screen TV, but they might see greater benefit from adequate nutrition and gas to get back and forth to classes,” she pointed out.

As a community college, of course, NIC is the area’s most affordable choice for higher education. Full time tuition costs for a non-resident are $3,600, but various discounts for students “in district,” (counties that pay property tax toward NIC and selected areas in nearby states with reciprocity agreements) can drop that cost to just $1,329 for 12 to 16 credits. A ‘typical’ class schedule adds about $500 for books and lab fees.

NIC is a two-year college offering an Associate’s Degree in Arts or Science, or an Associates in Applied Science (AAS). Credits earned there are fully transferable to a four-year college for those who wish to go on to earn a Bachelor’s degree or beyond. As a comprehensive community college, there are also a variety of professional technical programs that offer certificates as well as degrees. The Workforce Training and Community Education Center offers programs to help advance your professional career or enrich your personal life.

And suitably for a school with Linda as its Dean, it has a strong nursing program.

What it’s like to attend the school is really up to the student. “There can be a different experience at a four-year school,” Linda said. “(At NIC) we have a bigger percentage of students living off campus and that can mean students experience less of a sense of community. But that depends on what they choose to become involved in.” And NIC offers a lot to become involved in, from student government to a myriad of clubs, outdoor experience programs, sports, theater, etc.

“NIC,” offers President Bell, “is really the number one choice for higher education for all folks in our region.”

Although the fall registration is over, there are a few late start classes still available, and the registration process for the spring semester is now underway; “It’s time to get your applications in and get ready,” said Bell.

Linda says, if she found a genie in a lamp and got just one wish, it would be that “every child would have the opportunity to grow up in a world where they felt valued, so they believe in themselves and can recognize and support the value of others throughout their life.”

There are no genies in North Idaho, but wearing a couple of hats at NIC is a woman who, given the chance, will give just that to the students at her school.

To learn more about North Idaho College, visit their website at NIC.edu, or call 877-404-4536.

by Trish Gannon September 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| Page

An Accidental Way to Quit Smoking?

by Cathy Bixler

A look at e-cigarettes from the perspective of one happy user I recently got hooked on a new toy that opened a world of discovery for me. I tried smoking an electronic cigarette, hoping to save a little money, and accidentally quit smoking. This is an amazing thing to say.

How in the world can you “accidentally quit smoking” if you are a confirmed smoker?

Seems impossible, but for me, at least, it’s true.

A Chinese man invented the electronic cigarette eight years ago. He was a smoker and his dad had just died from a smokingrelated disease. He wanted a way to smoke more safely.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there are 599 approved additives to cigarettes that you ingest when you smoke. The burning cigarette creates over 4,000 chemical compounds, many of which are toxic and/or carcinogenic.

That is on top of the thousands of chemicals which naturally occur in tobacco. One of those is nicotine.

Nicotine is a naturally occurring liquid alkaloid, as is caffeine and, like caffeine, has a stimulating effect on the body. It stimulates the release of endorphins in the body, causing euphoria. It is also an addictive substance, and a significant reason why smokers continue to smoke.

Nicotine, however, is not the reason why smoking is bad for your health. It’s the tars, chemicals and carcinogens in cigarette smoke that are the cause of most smoking-related health issues. This is why the American Heart Association refers to nicotine replacement therapy—dealing with the addiction to nicotine while avoiding combustible tobacco products—to be “safe and effective.”

“Nicotine alone is generally not harmful, it’s the other stuff in cigarettes, the carbon monoxide [produced] and other thousands of chemicals,” explained Dr. Edwin Salsitz, of the Division of Chemical Dependency at Beth Israel Medical Center.

Believing it’s the smoke that’s most harmful to you, not the nicotine, Hon Lik invented a device that vaporizes a liquid that has nicotine and flavors in it. When you use it you mimic the smoking process, but you are only inhaling vapor, like the steam when you cook spaghetti noodles. Instead of ingesting the thousands of chemicals in cigarette smoke, you are inhaling a vapor that includes food flavoring, propylene glycol (used in fog machines, toothpaste and tons of other stuff) and nicotine.

Most people start out with an e-cig

or “personal vaporizer” that looks like a traditional cigarette and request flavors that taste like tobacco. That lasts about three seconds. Soon one realizes that tobacco doesn’t taste anywhere near as good as coconut cream pie (my current favorite) or coffee mocha frapucchino or grape or cinnamon. I have also switched to a personal vaporizer that is bigger and looks more like a small flashlight, because it holds a bigger battery, so doesn’t need to be re-charged as often.

There is a rather big learning curve to ecigs. You need to find the flavors you like, the nicotine level that suits you, and the device that’s easiest for you to use.

There is a forum on the Internet (ecigarette-forum.com) that’s like AA for smokers who are switching to vaping. People give each other helpful advice, recommend excellent vendors, and discuss this amazing discovery. If you’ve got a minute, go there and read some of the success stories. They are worth it.

It was while exploring this forum that I learned aspects of vaping that fascinated me—political, social, legal, and biochemical.

The political issues are caused to some degree by the potential impact e-cigs have on big government (loss of tax revenue), big tobacco (loss of cigarette profits) and especially big pharmacy (no more will smokers waste their money on “smoking cessation” products that have a 7 percent “success rate”). Do the math—that’s a 93 percent failure rate! So you can bet that these three groups oppose ecigs big time.

The FDA classifies nicotine the same as caffeine. It is perfectly legal. It’s not good for you, but it’s not especially bad for you, either. I n fact, nicotine has been used as an effective treatment for A lzheimer’s, ADHD, MS and other diseases. You can now buy nicotine gum and patches over the counter. Yet the FDA is currently in a lawsuit because they are claiming that personal vaporizers are “drugdelivery devices” which have not been approved

as safe. According to that logic, spoons are “drug-delivery devices” when used to deliver cough syrup to your child. Coffee cups are “drug-delivery devices” delivering caffeine.

Amazingly, anti-smoking groups are opposed to e-cigs. They have decided that smokers must quit their way, ingest no nicotine except from pharmaceutical cessation products that are expensive and ineffective, or die. They fail to see that nicotine is helping some people. They fail to see that harm reduction is a huge improvement. I am reminded of people who are opposed to condoms because they believe in celibacy. Well, assuming that celibacy isn’t happening a lot, what’s the next best alternative for disease and pregnancy prevention? Condoms. Assuming that some people are not managing to quit smoking, what’s the next best alternative? Smokeless products! These includes snus, snuff, chewing tobacco and personal vaporizers. Assuming that people are going to

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continue to drive their cars anyway, recommendations for using seatbelts for harm reduction have been enforced. It’s not safe to ride a motorcycle, but it’s safer with a helmet. Scheesch! We’re not going to get out of life alive, that’s for sure, but we can make decisions daily to reduce our harm.

Remember, it’s the smoke that’s bad for you, not necessarily the nicotine.

The FDA, however, has said that in testing e-cigarettes, the products from two of the dozens of companies selling them included toxic chemicals; one brand included diethylene glycol, “an ingredient used in antifreeze.”

What they didn’t mention, however, is the tested cigarette contained just onetenth the amount of diethylene glycol contained in an aspirin—presumably considered to be safe. And while it can be used as a coolant, it is used as such only rarely.

Other toxic and/or carcinogenic traces the FDA found in the samples tested included nitrosamines—a cancer-causing agent also found in bacon and beer. Michael Siegal, a professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, has responded: “As these data show, the level of tobacco-specific nitrosamines present in electronic cigarettes is at the trace level. It is measurable in parts per trillion (nanograms per gram). It is comparable to the nitrosamine levels in nicotine replacement products which are approved by the FDA.” I’ve smoked cigarettes for 46 years. It had begun to be obvious that it was harming my health, but I’d tried to quit before and had failed each time. I tried the patch, hypnosis, support groups, Zyban, and cold turkey.

I once quit for two years, but was never happy during that time and finally started smoking again because I was tired of fighting my desires so fiercely all the time. Stopping smoking had ruined my quality of life.

Why is it that so many people continue to smoke, especially given the current social environment, where you are treated like a pariah—a leper? We continue to smoke even though the cost has gone through the roof due to “sin” taxes.

Research has shown that the addiction to smoking goes beyond the physical addiction to nicotine and can include psychosocial reasons that make quitting difficult.

In addition, It looks like there are chemicals in cigarette smoke that really help people on a biochemical level. It looks like one of

them is monoamine oxidase inhibitor, which works with dopamine in your brain. MAOIs are powerful anti-depressants, and there has been speculation in scientific circles that some people addicted to smoking are actually self-medicating themselves for depression.

This startling realization came about when in the testing process for buproprion as an anti-depressant, it was observed that trial participants were reporting a high level of smoking cessation.

In addition to a new anti-depressant medication, the FDA approved buproprion (Wellbutrin, Zyban) as a stop-smoking aid.

I have come to realize that I am one of the people who actually needed something I was getting from cigarettes, and that I was still lacking that “something” with the personal vaporizer. So I began supplementing my vaping with the use of snus (rhymes with moose for those in the Pacific Northwest).

Since then, I am again “comfortable in my own skin.”

People have used smoking for different reasons. Some are hooked on the “handto-mouth” part. Those people do fine with e-cigs at low or NO nicotine. Some people needed the nicotine, too. Those vape with whatever strength of nicotine works for them. Other people needed all that, but needed other stuff, too. I am one of those people. We need vaping and snus or vaping and continued minimal cigarette smoking.

Some people needed only the extra stuff and do fine on snus alone. They stopped smoking and vaping.

The main ingredient in cigarettes is nicotine. Because of that, people focused on nicotine as the thing to alter in smoking cessation devices. But nicotine is just part of the picture. The best analogy I heard was likening cigarettes to pizza. In pizza, the main ingredient by far is the dough. In cigarettes, it’s nicotine. But the reason people eat pizza is the other stuff: pepperoni, artichoke hearts, cheese, and spices. Different people go for different parts, too. Even trace elements, like the basil, salt and pepper are crucial to the appeal of your favorite pizza.

I hope that e-cigarette manufacturers win their lawsuit against the FDA. I hope the FDA never bans e-cigarettes. In my opinion they are the best invention for harm reduction I’ve seen, ever, and that includes seatbelts in cars.

No second-hand smoke to “harm” or piss off the guy next to you. Nothing’s on fire, so you won’t burn down your house. No disgusting smell. No ashtrays. Just luscious vapor and improved health! Sweet!

If you’re interested in trying e-cigarettes, Cathy says the best deals are generally found online— search any of the e-cigarette forums for what users have to say about a particular company and

“I tried smoking an electronic cigarette, hoping to save a little money, and accidentally quit smoking.”

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September 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| Page

Getting Out - and Up Local writer/hiker Betsy Fulling making ‘trip reports’ available online; other resources on website It’s been almost eight years since Betsy Fulling, ‘recovering’ from a diagnosis of and treatment for breast cancer, decided she needed to begin hiking in order to improve her health. She joined her husband Jim on a regular schedule of hiking every Monday while their store, Mountain Stove and Spa in Sandpoint, was closed and, like the postal service, “neither snow, sleet nor hail” have kept the pair from exploring our local Selkirk mountain range (and sometimes the nearby Cabinets) ever since.

Betsy not only hiked but each week kept friends and family in the loop on the pair’s experiences in the high country, in the process creating a treasure trove of information on area trails in all kinds of weather. These reports (368 to date) are slowly being added to the River Journal website for the enjoyment of others anxious to get out into the high country. And they include pictures! Just visit RiverJournal.com and, from the top menu, choose outdoors< hiking<mountainwalkers. The main hiking category includes articles published in the River Journal relating to various area hikes as well.

Speaking of articles published in the River Journal... also being added (slowly) are articles from the almost 17 years of our publication history. It’s a time-consuming

This is not skiing—it’s hiking, as done by Sandpoint’s intrepid Jim and Betsy Fulling, who hike every Monday rain or shine all year long. Read about their hikes on the River Journal website. process, but there are currently over 500 older stories added, mostly from 2001 and 2002, with more being added every day. To access these stories, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “archive.”

There are also thousands of event photos available through the River Journal website (click on ‘photos’ on the home page). This includes over a thousand photos taken during this year’s Festival at Sandpoint, plus photos from the Bonner County Fair, and Montana Shakespeare in the Parks.

Visitors are welcome to download any (or all) photos they like for their personal use; we ask you to remember the River Journal retains copyright however, and these photos may not be used for commercial or private

publication purposes without permission.

It remains to be seen how well candidates will use them, but all have been offered ‘blog space’ on the River Journal website this election season. Simply choose “Elections 2010” from our homepage.

Want the look of the print edition with the convenience of online? Visit our homepage and choose: other>PDF archive. There you can view an automated PDF of each issue’s actual pages. It’s a nice way to send the River Journal to your friends without incurring the expense of mailing!

Finally, we are offering all of our print advertisers the opportunity to place coupons online for our readers. Look for them starting in October.

You know me. I’ve served in your communities before, and I’ve served when times

were tough. I am one of you. I share your concerns. I share your values. I share your dreams for our children. Bonner County needs responsible leadership, not rhetoric. It needs reason, not reactions. It needs leadership that’s committed to maintaining what’s

best about this county. Please vote this November 2.

Brian Orr - Reason, not Rhetoric for county commissioner District 2

Paid for by the committee to re-elect Brian Orr (D), Randy Edgar, treasurer • orr4commissioner.com Page | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| September 2010

Politics is no Party

by Trish Gannon

The election season is upon us once again and yards are sprouting campaign signs like mushrooms during a wet spring.

People from all walks of life, as well as myriad political affiliations, have tossed their hat into the ring, asking you, the voter, to put them in office this November.

How do you decide exactly which person to cast your vote for? That decision, it would appear, is getting more and more difficult for the average voter to make.

Incumbents used to enjoy a huge advantage at the polls; generally better funded, and therefore more able to get their name and political stance out to the public, they also were helped by the fact of simply being the current person in that office.

Many voters check boxes for the incumbent for no better reason than “better the devil you know... .” Incumbency, however, is increasingly less of an advantage than ever before, given a growing public desire to “throw all the bums out!”

Name recognition, according to a number of polls, is another way to get people to check your box on the ballot. Again, incumbents have usually held the edge here. Their (generally) larger budgets have translated into more yard signs, campaign brochures, advertising and direct mail campaigns, along with their greater access to media during the time they’ve been in office, giving them less difficulty in sharing their message with the masses. Again, however, challengers have been taking advantage of technology to eat away at this edge, with personal blogs and websites, along with email campaigns, that help them to get their message to the voting public; at least, that portion of the voting public who look for information on a computer.

Voters have also relied on party designations when voting for an unfamiliar candidate: oftentimes it’s easier to check the box for the R, or the D, than it is to find out which candidate is most likely to support your views in government. Those designations are becoming increasingly elastic, however, as the recent surge of tea party popularity has shown. Is your R candidate a traditional Republican, or does he or she reflect the sentiments of the tea party? Is your D candidate a traditional Democrat, or do their views fit more soundly the Green party, regardless of which party they have signed on with?

As the election nears, various forms of

media also look at what their time and/or budgets will allow them to do on behalf of educating voters. This goes far beyond the mere selling of advertising, with many media outlets offering free space, in print, radio, television or online, to cover candidate forums, sponsor those forums, and treat candidates as legitimate news stories to cover.

Here at the River Journal, I struggle each election season to determine what it is I will do as a form of media regarding candidates for local elections. This has been complicated by what this news magazine calls ‘local;’ a geographic area covering the Clark Fork River Valley from Plains, Montana through the Lake Pend Oreille watershed and down along the Pend Oreille River, as well as covering the area from Bonners Ferry in the north to Athol in the south. With limited time and space, through the years we have sought better and better ways to give voters the information they need in order to make an informed choice at the polls.

For this election, we have offered each and every candidate access to our website where they can post information as they wish. Go to RiverJournal.com and click on “2010 Elections” to go to a page showing all candidates. Click on any candidate’s name to read whatever information they’ve chosen to share.

In addition, we are sending to each candidate a questionnaire asking their opinions on issues we feel are of importance to the people in our area; questions like: how we can remove money from our political process; how can we balance the needs of the people for services against the desire for lower taxes; what specific actions will they take to make government more transparent and accessible to the voter; and what issues are important enough they would buck their own party’s position to support.

In addition, we will be asking Idaho candidates if they would support the removal of party from politics at the local level as our neighbors in Montana have done. Does it matter what party your county coroner belongs to, for example, or are you more concerned that person is able to determine the cause and manner of death when called upon to do so?

We hope these efforts will help you to decide who to cast your vote for in November.

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CREEK… 10 acre parcel adjoining Government Lands with nice little creek just outside of Bayview, Idaho. Good seasonal access and hundreds of acres to wander around on – this is an unusual opportunity for all outdoor recreational opportunities. $79,950-terms

Sundance Realty • Doug Ward PO Box 827 • Bayview, Idaho

208-818-1140

sundanceidaho@roadrunner.com

September 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| Page

Fall Spin In

Want to learn more about the process of turning wool into cloth? Then stop by the Sandpoint Fall Spin-in & Fiber Fair. It’s free and includes a full day of spinning and fiber camaraderie. It all takes place on Saturday, September 18 from 9 am to 5 pm at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, located on the corner of Ontario and Lincoln streets in Sandpoint. On hand will be vendors, demonstrations, door prizes and a raffle, and all is open to the public.

Solar Roads

Scott Brusaw and his wife Julie are still plugging away in Sagle to make his dream of solar roadways come true. They’ve currently built a prototype, thanks to a grant from the Federal Highway Administration, and have recently entered the Ecomagination challenge for the opportunity to win $200 million to turn the prototype into a reality.

Their project was the recent subject of an article in ­ New Scientist, “Sunrise boulevards could bring clean power” (read it here: http:// tinyurl.com/2dnne47). To learn more about this effort to make a difference in lessening our reliance on oil, and to cast your vote for their project in the Ecomagination challenge, visit their website at SolarRoadways.com.

Benefit Concert

The Bonner County Homeless Task Force (Transitions in Progress Services) is holding a benefit reggae concert at Sandpoint’s Panida Theater on September 9 at 8 pm. Grammy nominated, Reggae Hall of Fame performer Pato Banton will offer a high-energy performance.

Tickets are $20 each and available at Eichardt’s, Eve’s Leaves and Pack River Potion downtown, or at the Long Ear in Coeur d’Alene. Business owner ticket packages are also available. Call 208-265-2952 for more information.

Local Documentaries

If you haven’t yet made it into the proposed Scotchman Peaks Wilderness area, and would like to check it out, now’s your chance.

Wildman Films and Booyeah Productions were in the area this summer filming two documentaries featuring this 88,000-acre piece of wilderness. The first, “En Plein Air,” followed a group of painters into the Scotchmans for a documentary on painting in wilderness. The second film, “Grass Routes,” talks about how to successfully bring disparate communities together to achieve a common goal, and does so through the lens of the Friends of Scotchman Peaks.

Trailers for both films can be viewed by visiting the Wildman Films website (WildmanPictures. com) and clicking on “current film.”

The trailer for en Plein Air is approximately three-and-a-half minutes long and the film is expected to be released in the fall of 2010. The Grass Routes trailer is a little over two-and-a-half minutes long, and the film is also expected to be released in the fall of 2010. If you weren’t a fan of this proposed wilderness area before, you will be after watching these incredible images.

Follow the filmmakers on Facebook by ‘liking’ Booyea Productions.

Gun Show

Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans and the Vietnam Veterans of America in Sandpoint sponsor scholarships for area students and help veterans in need with firewood, food, physical assistance, rides to the VA hospital and other medical facilities and more.

To help pay the bills they put on an annual Gun Show that has gained a reputation for being one of the best in the state, according to buyers and sellers. This year the show is slated for September 5 and will be open from 9 am to 4 pm at the VFW Hall on the corner of Pine and Division.

The show provides an opportunity to buy, sell and trade. This includes rifles, pistols, shotguns, ammo, hunting knives, fishing gear, military items and archery equipment. Proceeds from display table rent and admissions goes to benefit local veterans.

Admission for adults is $2 with kids under 12 free with an adult paid admission.If you’d like to rent a table, the cost is $20.

For show or table information call 265-6754.

Bio-Warfare on Bugs

The September 25 Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society presentation, co-sponsored by the City of Sandpoint Park and Recreation Department, will feature Ed Bechinski, professor of Entomology from the University of Idaho. Ed will speak about “beneficial natural enemies of plant-feeding insects.” The event begins at 9:45 am in the Sandpoint Community Hall and is open to the public, free of charge.

The presentation will focus on the identification and biology of commonly encountered predatory insects and parasitoids, with tips on how to succeed at bio-control. Come with your questions and bring any insect specimens!

Join them for interesting slides and practical information on sustainable solutions to some common challenges for all landscapes.

For more information visit their website at NativePlantSociety.org

Dinner for Angels

This month marks the 13th anniversary of the Angels Over Sandpoint.

In over 13 years they have raised and given over $150,000 back to the community.

Last year the Angels gave over $30,000 to individuals to help with their specific situations. This year they have given away almost that much and it’s only the end of August. The economy is really tough for a lot of us. There are people in this community who worked four part time jobs and were laid off of three, leaving one job to support a family; certainly not enough money. So the Angels pay their rent or keep their power on or give them food from their freezer which various angels cook and stock. There are cancer patients who drive back and forth to Coeur d’Alene and need money for gas, or are not working because of their treatments. The Angels have members that evaluate every situation and some of them are so tough. Now more than ever the Angels Over Sandpoint needs funds in these challenging times The Angels usually make money by hosting fun events and they are always thinking of new ways to make money, like this upcoming dinner at 41 South! Can you help? Make your reservations today. If you can’t make it and would still like to help, send your donation to Angels Over Sandpoint, PO Box 2369, Sandpoint, ID 83864.

The dinner takes place on September 23 at 41 South in Sandpoint.

Net proceeds of the dinner will go to the Angels Over Sandpoint. The evening will begin with a cash bar and social hour at 6 pm with passed appetizers. Dinner will be served at 7 pm and will feature a sneak peek of the upcoming 41 South fall menu. Live music will be provided by Beth Pederson and a special guest. The price of the dinner will be $50 per person and will also include two glasses of wine during dinner.

Space is limited, so please call 41 South for reservations at 208-2652000.

The Angels Over Sandpoint is an all-volunteer organization and relies on generous benefactors to make this all possible. They are a non-profit tax exempt 501 (c) (3) public charity.

Page | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| September 2010

Flu Season has Arrived

Fall has arrived and with it, the onset of flu season. Which means it’s time to get your flu shot. The latest vaccine will protect against the three strains of flu expected to circulate this season, which includes the H1N1 which crossed the globe in pandemic form last year.

Although flu season doesn’t “officially” start until October, cases have already been reported, meaning that flu is off to an early start.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are recommending, for the first time, that everyone over the age of six months get the flu vaccine, not just the elderly and medically vulnerable as has been recommended in the past. This is primarily due to the spread of H1N1 flu, which predominantly hit young, healthy children and adults the hardest last year.

Only one dose is needed; however, children ages 6 months to 9 years need two doses if they’ve never been vaccinated against flu, or if they only received one dose of the H1N1 vaccine last year. Those doses are given four weeks apart.

Anyone who is allergic to eggs, or who has

had an adverse reaction to a flu shot at any time in the past, should not be vaccinated.

In addition, those with fever should not be vaccinated until symptoms of illness have subsided.

Much has been said that H1N1 flu was overly “hyped” last year, which reflects a lack of information of what impact this new strain of flu actually had both in the U.S. and across the world. In terms of lost years of life, the impact was substantially greater than most seem to realize.

In a ‘typical’ flu season, death occurs almost exclusively in the elderly. That is not what was seen last year. The mean age (all ages added together, then divided by the total number) of someone who died in last year’s pandemic was just 37.4 years of age.

Generally, the mean age of death in a flu season is 76.

Of course, any death is tragic to the friends and family of those left behind, but as Michael T. Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, explained, “Those deaths in a traditional flu season are primarily in the elderly, where there’s a

question of how many cases you can prevent with vaccine anyway, whereas these [H1N1 pandemic deaths] are in a much younger population. From a public health perspective, it’s clear that a death is not just a death.

“I think we can all agree that we’d all like to live long, healthy, prosperous lives, and anything that has a median age of death of 37 years is something that cuts short many healthy prosperous lives,” he said.

Distribution of flu vaccine began in August, and many doctor’s offices now have vaccine available. White Cross Pharmacy in Sandpoint will hold a vaccination clinic on September 16 from 9 am to 2 pm; cost is $28.

White Cross is located on Hwy. 2, just past Dairy Depot.

Panhandle Health District, with offices throughout North Idaho, will also be offering flu vaccine at $29 for adults, $10 for children.

PHD can bill Medicare and Medicaid for these services. The office in Sandpoint will have a walk-in clinic for adults on September 16 from 1 pm to 4:30 pm; children will be vaccinated by appointment. (Call 208-263-5159.) For clinics in other areas, visit the PHD website at PHD1.idaho.gov, or call 208-667-9513.

Everyday Idahoans...

We're Here for You!

Your Vote Counts on November 2nd!

Visit our website for: • Calendar of events • Candidate information • Issues and discussion • Voting information or drop in to the Sandpoint HQ: 110 Main Street - Suite 104 208.946.8073 "Like" us on Facebook (Bonner County Democrats) Follow us on Twitter (SandpointDem) For more information, contact the Bonner County Democrats PO Box 465, Sandpoint, ID 83864 E-mail: bcdinfo@bonnerdemocrats.org

www.BonnerDemocrats.org Paid for by the Bonner County Democratic Central Committee–R. Wilfert, Treasurer

September 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| Page

A Holistic Approach to

Your Internal Organs by the Sandpoint Wellness Council www.SandpointWellnessCouncil.com

-By Mary Boyd, MS, PT My greatest joy was to help a 34 year old mother of two boys, 5 and 7, who had complaints of sharp stabbing pains under her left ribs and had been living on pain killers for four years. Her husband was an Iraqi soldier so she’d had the “million dollar army work-up” that revealed nothing. She was afraid to do much of anything that would increase the pain and as a result had gained 100 pounds. She had been educated as a therapist to work with children but was only working 10 hours/week due to the pain. Using visceral manipulation, I worked the fascial restrictions surrounding her small intestines, esophagus, stomach and diaphragm. Upon evaluation, she could barely get onto my treatment table without crying.

After nine treatments she was significantly improved. She was unable to finish with PT as she moved out of the state, but upon discharge was working 25 to 30 hours/week and was off her narcotics.

Visceral manipulation is based on anatomically specific placement of gentle manual forces to encourage normal mobility, tone, and inherent tissue motion of the viscera and their connective tissues and other areas of the body where physiologic motion has been impaired. These gentle forces can potentially improve the functioning of individual organs, organ systems, and the structural integrity of the entire body.

Methods such as Visceral Manipulation have been a part of medical cultures of Europe and Asia since prerecorded times. Manual manipulation of the internal organs has long been a component of some types of Oriental Medicine. Jean-Pierre Barral, DO, first became interested in the biomechanics of

the body when he worked as a physical therapist in France. There he met Dr. Arnaud, a recognized specialist in lung diseases and master of cadaver dissection. Through cadaver dissection, Jean-Pierre was able to follow patterns of stress in the tissues and their potential to promote lines of tension within the body. This was fundamental to his development of Visceral Manipulation. JeanPierre graduated from the European School of Osteopathy in 1974 and began teaching spinal biomechanics in England in 1975.

Jean-Pierre first began teaching Visceral Manipulation in the United States in 1985 through the Upledger Institute.

The body functions at its optimal best when motion is free and excursion is full.

When motion is labored, overexcited, depressed, or conflicting with neighboring structures, their mobility dysfunction will arise. Tissues lose their normal motion when they become inflamed. The natural healing process involves local disruption of normal tissue fibers and their replacement with relatively inelastic granular tissue. It can be conceptualized as a local drying out of the affected tissues. Many factors cause tissue inflammation including: infection, direct trauma, repetitious movement, diet, environmental toxins, emotional stress, and surgery.

Organs move in two ways: the first, mobility is caused by the push and pull of the surrounding tissues and motility which is the organ’s own intrinsic active movement.

By treating the organ and restoring the natural physiologic motion, the function of the organ itself will improve.

The word fascia is derived from Latin and means band. It is a layer of fibrous tissue that permeates the body. It

interpenetrates and surrounds the muscles, bones, organs, nerves and blood vessels. It is an uninterrupted, three dimensional web of tissue that extends from head to toe, from front to back, from interior to exterior. The fascia can create tight knots or connective tissue adhesions which may act as trigger points and cause pain following surgery, physical trauma, infection, sedentary lifestyle, pollution, bad diet, poor posture, and pregnancy and delivery. This fascial restriction may cause local pain, may cause restricted movement to an organ that it envelopes, or a line of tension across the abdominal or pelvic cavity or even into the extremities.

The abdominal cavity and all of the structures within it are covered by a thin serous membrane called the peritoneum.

This membrane secretes serous fluid which acts as a lubricant for the organs within the abdominal cavity allowing it to move against one another or on each other freely. The peritoneum is one continuous membrane that runs throughout the body. The peritoneum has different names depending on the part of the body it is in. The visceral ligaments attach organs to the body wall or to another organ. The greater omentum is a double fold of peritoneum that attaches the stomach to the transverse colon while the lesser omentum attaches the stomach to the liver. The messentary is a double fold of peritoneum that attaches the intestines to the posterior abdominal cavity.

Knowing where the peritoneal ligaments are and where they attach helps physical therapists understand the motions of the organs and where our manipulations should be directed. When we treat the mobility of an organ, we stretch and release tension within the visceral ligaments. Visceral ligaments have a rich nerve supply. By releasing a restriction within the visceral ligaments, we harmonize this tissue, and via the nervous system, have an effect on the proprioceptive communication in the body.

Mobility of the hollow organs of the stomach, small intestine, and colon can be affected by direct pressures, pulls, and twists. These abdominal forces can create irritation and spasm resulting in problems with digestion, absorption and elimination as well as impaired vascular and lymphatic function. When the body is no longer bound in a pattern from a restriction of the viscera, it can move with greater ease, increase its ability to adapt to its environment, and have greater health.

Physical therapists are familiar with the feel of fascia and ligamentous restrictions that are interconnected with the mechanical restrictions from within the abdominal or pelvic cavities. Therapists are trained to feel the movement of the organ and its

Page 10 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| September 2010

Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from previous page

ligamentous attachment and how it relates to the structures adjacent to it or structures that may be in the extremities.

Once a restriction is located, the therapist will use the organ to tension the ligament or tension the ligament itself.

Once the correct tension is achieved, the release will follow. Some treatments will consist of following the organ through its normal movement and encouraging it to move a bit further in each plane.

This is a much more gentle treatment, but is often helpful to â&#x20AC;&#x153;wake upâ&#x20AC;? the organ and encourage it to return to its normal movement pattern.

Sometimes we can feel a â&#x20AC;&#x153;line of tensionâ&#x20AC;? that may extend across the body or into the extremities. Internal cavity restrictions that are connected to ligamentous or fascial restrictions in the leg or foot will not improve significantly unless both are addressed.

Visceral manipulation has taught me to look at the body as a whole entity. For 18 years, I treated spine patients with joint and soft tissue mobilization, looking at them only from behind. For the past five years, since I started my visceral manipulation training, I have wondered what is going on in front and how that relates to low back pain.

I question patients about falls, car accidents, surgeries or any trauma. It is always interesting to me how my patients fail to mention certain injuries to meâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;my favorite, â&#x20AC;&#x153;my horse kicked me in the stomachâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and how these injuries may affect their progress with physical therapy. In November I look forward to taking a visceral manipulation cadaver dissection where I will be able to see the organs and their ligaments and lines of tension up close and personal!

Mary Boyd, MS, PT is the owner of Mountain View Physical Therapy and member of the Sandpoint Wellness Council. She can be reached at 290-5575 for questions or on the web at www.

MtnViewPT.com.

Currents Books for Fall Lou Springer

nox5594@blackfoot.net

It is a sure bet that you are a reader and a safe bet that you like to read about the area you live in, so here are some great books that are placed in and are formed by North Idaho: In 1980 Housekeeping, by Marilynne Robinson, was published with little fanfare.

I found it by accident five years later on the shelves of the old Sandpoint Library.

The compelling story is set in Sandpoint. The authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skill in describing scenes is so remarkable that after twentyfive years, every time I cross the Long Bridge, I visualize a train diving into the water like an otter sliding off a rock.

Robinson was a finalist for the 1982 Pulitzer Prize for Housekeeping but didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t win this coveted award until 2005 with her second novel Gideon. When asked why she hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t written for twenty years, Robinson replied that she had been reading. She has become an essayist and continues to pick up accolades for her literary output.

If a well-told tale of a fascinating hobo aunt, maternal suicide and eccentricity isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t your cup of tea and you want a

more robust blend of blood and guts check out the books of the Spokane author Jess Walter. He has written some great mysteries set in Spokane: Over Tumbled Graves, In the Land of the Brave, Citizen Vince. If your tastes run to humor, his most recent novel, Financial Lives of Poets, is beyond funny; the wit is as brilliant as a diamond and as sharp.

If non-fiction is appealing, Walter has that covered too. He earned his chops covering news for the Spokesman Review and wrote Ruby Ridge, the truth and tragedy of the Randy Weaver Family (aka Every Knee Shall Bow) in 1982. This is a disturbingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and you should be disturbedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;fairhanded and well-researched account of the Ruby Ridge debacle.

In the realm of non-fiction, Legendary Lake Pend Oreille Idahoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wilderness of Water, published by Keokee Books, is a remarkable compilation of Hope author, Jane Fritz. Joined by other local authors with essays and articles about all things lake, Fritz has found her voice, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Love the Lake.â&#x20AC;?

More than informative articles about Farragut and lovely essays on canoeing, the 391 page book has stunning photographs on nearly every page, some taken

by Ross Hall, some from family albums and tribal archives.

In addition to the beautiful

,OVE THE LAKE $O THE LAKE â&#x20AC;˘ All public recreation sites â&#x20AC;˘ Resources and advice for boaters and sailors â&#x20AC;˘ Complete guide to 30+ hiking trails â&#x20AC;˘ Paddle routes for kayakers and canoeists â&#x20AC;˘ The lakeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fish and fisheries â&#x20AC;˘ Botany, biology, natural and human history

Get out there with more

KEOKEE GUIDEBOOKS!

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Trails of the Wild Selkirks $16.50

t QIPUPT t QBHFT PG DPMPS QMBUFT t QBHFT PG 3PTT )BMM QIPUPT t GPME PVU DPMPS MBLF NBQ

At all the finer retailers or

photos, every recreation resource is accounted for. Hiking trails, boat docks, kayak put-ins, campgrounds are organized by location and thus easy to plan an outing. Maps are plentiful throughout the guide section.

More than just a carefully laid out guide to recreation, the book contains wonderful information about the geologic and human history of Lake Pend Oreille.

There is much to learn about the peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Kalispellâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;who have lived here for 10.000 years. This book succeeds in a great part to give a glimpse of tribal life before European contact.

Anecdotes about early settlers around the lake help explain place names and are interesting for any history buff, Lists of wildlife and descriptions of the Delta are satisfying. And did I mention how great the photos are?

While I am awed by the literary genius of Robinson and the wit of Walter, I am floored by the amount of well-organized and beautifully-presented material in Legendary Lake Pend Oreille. This is a book that you want on your dinner table to thumb through and read in odd moments. This is a book you can wrap up in festive paper and give proudly to your lake-loving friends.

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s note: Lou is in no way affiliated with Keokee Books.

$24

Trails of the Wild Cabinets $15.50

Climberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guide to North Idaho and the Cabinet Wilderness $17.50

September 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| Page 11

DON’T GET CAUGHT IN THE DARK!

The weather here is unpredictable, and your connection to power can be too.

We can help you keep the lights on. Call today to learn more.

A Bird in Hand

Double-Crested Cormorant Mike Turnlund

mturnlund@gmail.com Cormer... carmar... karma... How do you say it? Core-more-aunt. Cormorant.

Specifically, the Double-crested cormorant.

And a bird by any other name is just as weird.

There are few birds in our area as strange as the Double-crested cormorant.

They are quite common around Lake Pend Oreille and other nearby large bodies of water. A good place to spot them is at the “bone yard” across from Denton Slough and at the south end of Long Bridge on highway 95. You’ll see them standing with their wings hung out to dry. Quite bizarre when you think about it.

And this is one of the distinctive traits of these large, black birds. Bigger than ducks, but smaller than geese, these slim aquatic birds are divers extraordinaire. They hunt their prey—predominantly fish—by diving. You can often spot cormorants swimming low in the water, with only the top of their backs and necks above the surface. When so spotted these birds are on fishing expeditions. They generally only enter the water to feed, otherwise they spend their time standing on pilings or rocks, drying their wings and hanging out with their buddies. Cormorants do not have waterproof feathers on their wings, thus the need to dry them out between excursions in the water. The feathers next their body are waterproof, therefore cold water does not seem to bother them. I have seen cormorants staying in our area until January. When the lake begins to ice over, they head for the coast or areas further south.

Cormorants are distinctive in body

structure. They are totally dark, with only a bit of orange flesh around the bill area to break up the monotony. The bill is long and hooked, perfect for grabbing fish.

They swallow their victims whole. They have long, S-curved necks which extend in a strangely bent fashion when flying.

They tend to keep low to the water surface when on the wing. They are quite powerful fliers.

These birds are named for the plumes the males sprout during breeding season.

Two little tufts of white feathers extend from the side of the head, behind the eyes, and actually look quite goofy. But the females find such finery to be quite debonair. To each her own!

Cormorant populations took quite a hit a few decades back when DDT was commonly used as a pesticide. With the disuse of DDT, their populations rebounded. In fact, in some areas they exploded. There are other species of cormorants, but the doublecrested is the only specie that normally inhabits our inland domains.

Cormorants are diverse nesters, willing to raise a brood on the ground or in trees.

They tend to nest in groups, so if you stumble upon one nest, there will be more.

And they sure do make a mess of things.

One day out fishing on Lake Pend Oreille I happened upon an old nesting site on a gravel bar. Gross! I didn’t even want to step out of the boat to have a look-see. And I thought Canada geese were the worse for leaving little impressions behind!

The next time you cruise past Lake Pend Oreille with the family, demonstrate your knowledge by pointing out the Doublecrested Cormorants. Casually share a few interesting facts and your family will begin to show a new appreciation for your sophistication. Trust me, it works! Happy birding.

The Scotchman Peaks Keep ‘em wild.

We pay attention to detail 1200 Triangle Drive Ponderay

208.263.1258

For our Families, For tomorrow. www.ScotchmanPeaks.org

Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness

Page 12 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| September 2010

The Game Trail

Properly preparing your wild game Matt Haag

mhaag@idfg.idaho.gov I’m shaking my head trying to figure out just exactly what happened to summer.

Seems time flew by faster than usual and fall is the air.

By the time you read this article, many hunting seasons will already be open in North Idaho.

The weather can be unpredictable during September hunts ranging from warm to darn right hot. Sportsmen have a responsibility and moral obligation to have a plan to take care of their meat before they head out into the woods.

The easiest part of hunting is pulling the trigger or releasing an arrow at your quarry.

Seasoned hunters know the work begins right after that moment they pull the trigger.

How you care for your meat from the time it hits the ground to the time you pack it away in the freezer is directly related to the quality and taste of your wild meat. I hear some folks say that elk they shot last was more gamey than any other elk they have ever shot in their life. It’s not the intrinsic quality of the meat, it’s how it was cared for before hit the dinner plate.

The first step to caring for you meat is making a clean, quick kill. To do so requires practice and knowledge of your equipment prior to the season, so make sure you’re getting lots of time behind that bow or rifle.

Sights and scopes have a tendency to get jarred out of position during hunts, so check and make sure everything is squared away before you head out on your hunt.

After you make a such cleanaskill, time isand of increase nutrients, nitrogen the essence. You are fighting Mother Nature in every way, and the warmer and moister Thisareseptic pilot project is being things the tougher the battle.

Get introduced in order to comply with water your animal field dressed and eviscerated immediately, every moment that goes by quality standards as determined by the gas from the microbial will build Federal Clean Water processes Act. Designated to pressure the rumen. you wait protect in water quality,The the longer plan, known as the harder it is to eviscerate and the poorer a “Total Maximum Daily Load” for Lake the meat quality. Ask anybody who has had Pend contents Oreille, addresses issues rumen sprayed in nutrient their face, the resulting dry heaves and possible loss of lakeshore lunchInis notaddition, worth it! many One of the participated bigger mistakes is homeowners in aI see survey hunters leaving the esophagus in place and in 2007 concerning a variety of water hide on around neck. the quality issues.theAs is This turnsis one out,oftheir most insulated areas on an elk and deer and

leaving that in place ultimately results in souring of the front quarters and that good neck meat, even in cooler temperatures. Cut all the way up through the brisket and neck as far as you can go. After you have removed those parts pry the body cavity open with some stout sticks to allow quicker cooling.

A properly field dressed animal will cool rapidly even without skinning the animal.

Some hunters are divided on whether to skin the animal or not. If leaving the hide on helps facilitate keeping the meat clean, like dragging a deer to the vehicle, then by all means leave it on. However if you are a good distance to the vehicle then your best bet is to purchase some game bags or make some out of old sheets. Cheesecloth material works best, but avoid plastic bags as they don’t allow for proper cooling.

When I was stationed in Orofino, an old hunter from Alaska gave me some great advice on game bags. It was a rather buggy year during the early hunting season and the flies, yellow jackets, and hornets were on the rampage trying to steal meat and infuriate any human that got in the way.

I was complaining about it as I checked this gentleman’s elk. He told something along lines of “You ain’t see nothing if you think this is bad. Come to Alaska.” With the amount of time he told me that he had spent in the Alaska bush, I didn’t doubt it.

Here’s what he does to his game bags: Put three unpeeled lemons and a bottle of small Tabasco in a blender and juice the contents.

Let your game bags soak in the solution for an hour and then sun-dry your bags and store in some type of zip top baggie. Why you ask? The citric acid from the solution burns flies when they land on the bag, making them fly away and not allow time to lay eggs. More importantly, the solution lowers the pH balance of the skin making it hard for bacteria to grow. Bacteria really love conditions when the temperatures are above 40 degrees and the pH level is around 7 or 8. Some folks have told me they use salt

Council website at tristatecouncil.org.

Hay’s Chevron Gas • Convenience Store Unofficial Historical Society

Oil Changes Tire Rotation by appointment

208-266-1338

and pepper in addition to the citric solution, or just plain vinegar in a spray bottle.

When the temperatures get cooler we don’t have to worry about bugs that much, but there are some things to remember about caring for meat. Don’t cut up the meat or allow the meat to freeze for 12 hours, which allows it to go through the rigor mortis processes. After rigor occurs you will notice that the outer layers of the muscle tissue will stiffen. Hanging the meat and allowing it to age will ensure a better tasting and most tender meat.

Hope that helps some folks enjoy the quality of wild game meat. If you have tricks that work for you please share them with me!

I hope everybody has a safe and enjoyable hunting season. Don’t forget it’s all of our responsibilities to report people who are stealing our wild animals. Please take the time to call your local conservation officer, county dispatch center, or Citizen’s Against Poaching Hotline 1-800-632-5999. If you want to call me directly please call 208-9460671 or email at matt.haag(at)idfg.idaho. gov. Your local officers are on Facebook as well; come find us at IDFG Sandpoint.

Leave no Child Inside... And PLEASE stop feeding the wildlife.

Sanders County MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER

NANCY BEECH Democrat for

COMMISSIONER

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Worth Wading Through www.RiverJournal.com | Vol 17 No. Worth 18 | November 2008 || Page 5 September 2010||The River Journal - A News Magazine Wading Through www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| Page 13

Your Republican Party Ticket • visit co.bonner.id.us/clerk/elections.html for polling places County Legislative Districts

Representatives Dick Harwood, Eric Anderson and

Legislative District #1 √ Shawn Keough for Senator √ Eric Anderson for Representative Pos. A √ George Eskridge for Representative Pos. B Legislative District #2 √ Joyce Broadsword for Senator √ Shannon McMillan for Representative Pos A √ Dick Harwood for Representative Pos B

George Eskridge, and Senators Shawn Keough &

Joyce Broadsword (not shown: Shannon McMillan)

Bonner County Offices √ √ √ √ √ √

Mike Nielsen - County Commissioner Dist. 2 Lewis Rich - County Commissioner Dist. 3 Bud Mueller - Clerk of the District Court Jerry Clemons - Assessor Kathryn “Kitt” Rose - Coroner Treasurer - Cheryl Piehl

Jerry Clemons, Chryl Piehl, Bud Mueller, Lewis Rich & Mike Nielsen. (Kitt Rose not shown)

√ √ √ √ √ √ √

Idaho State Governor - C.L. “Butch” Otter Lieutenant Governor - Brad Little Secretary of State - Ben Ysura State Controller - Donna M. Jones State Treasurer - Ron Crane Attorney General - Lawrence Wasden Superintendent of Public Instruction - Tom Luna

√ √

Federal Offices United States Senator - Mike Crapo U.S. Representatives Dist. 1 - Raul Labrador

We support: limited government, low taxes, respect for state sovereignty, sound money, private property rights, individual freedom, the rule of law and support for the U.S. and Idaho Constitutions. Visit our website to see the complete Idaho Republican party platform.

BonnerCountyRepublicans.com

PaidWading for by the Bonner |County Republican Party, Allen| Banks, Page 14 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Through www.RiverJournal.com Vol. 19Treasurer No. 9| September 2010

The Hawk’s Nest

A bountiful summer Ernie Hawks

michalhawks@dishmail.net In the wheat country where I grew up harvest should be about over and the stubble almost plowed down. In the gardens around here the raspberries are nearly done, blueberries are still going strong and we are waiting for tomatoes. In a few weeks the apples and pairs will be ready. In short, it is the time for us to enjoy the bounty of the summer’s growing as the plants around us get ready to shed their leaves and fruit.

I can’t help but look back on my bounty for the summer, wonderful memories—some I’ll talk about here, too.

We are planning an extended vacation in Hawaii this winter to witness and celebrate the birth of our first grandkid, pictures in February. Since that trip is on the horizon, we decided to do our recreating in the vacation land of North Idaho this summer.

There was time spent at outdoor concerts, music festivals and summer theater, but most of it was spent hiking in our regional mountain ranges. I hope we aren’t done yet but so far we have amassed many miles, all in day hikes either from home or while car camping.

Day hikes for us are usually in the six to eight mile range; however, there was that Bernard Peak hike at about 16—for that one we were prepared. There was another one past Beaver Lake in search of Lambertson Lake however, that turned out to be about 14. Then there was one in June where we did about ten miles on Ross Creek.

The unexpected adventure of the Ross Creek day was water, everywhere, flowing on most of the trails, so we wore our sandals most of the trek. We knew there would be crossings but didn’t expect the trails themselves to be creek beds so our boots rode on our backs.

The day we looked for Lamberton Lake we wandered around on tracks we had never been on before. It reminded me of the old frontiersman who said he had never been lost but he was a might confused once—for about three months. We were only out about three hours longer than intended.

I had given it some thought; looked at a topographic map casually, then laid it aside.

We ran into a friend near the trailhead who had never walked it—another source of good information. How much more prepared could we be? Besides, we were only a few miles from home, so nothing could happen. Moreover, all we did was miss one right turn.

We took track after track with thoughts like “I bet this just loops around” or “this will probably go a ways and we can cut back to where we started.” All the time walking

past small wetlands, through diverse forests and meadows, viewing a variety of birds and water fowl. We watched a fawn get a drink and waited for a bull moose to move away so we felt safe to proceed.

After we had been out about as long as we intended, and hadn’t seen the lake, we decided the right decision was to take the route we knew—the way we had come. So backtrack we did. When we reached the car we were out of water and food, more tired than expected, but full of great memories. A look at the map and I knew exactly what we had done, Now we still look forward to doing it right, or at least differently.

Bernard Peak was a little different than we had planned. We decided early in the spring that it would be our big hike. The peak is eight miles from the parking lot at Farragut State Park and the trail gains about three thousand feet. Even though there is a road to the top we decided to hike the round trip, 16 miles.

We knew the lower end, a good trail out of the park through a well-maintained forest.

As soon as we crossed the park boundary we were on the lower end of the High Line trail, still familiar territory. A canyon created by rock faces on each side narrows as the trail climbs beside a small brook. Finally the stream flows from beneath a rock part way up the end of the gorge. To continue we climbed around boulders and skirted damp cliffs to a small plateau at the top.

Once there it is easy walking through mature Douglas firs. There is a small pond where we expected to break and, hopefully, see some wildlife. What we saw and heard were hungry mosquitoes apparently glad to see us from the way they swarmed us. We continued, as fast as we could, until we came to an opening facing west. There were vistas to the south and west across the Rathdrum Prairie toward Mt. Spokane and no bugs gleefully eager to taste our presence.

A short break and we crossed to the north with panoramic views of Pend Oreille Lake.

It was about four miles at that point and we stayed on that north slope to the bottom of Bernard.

Because of that north slope it was dark, a magnificent trek through cedars and across small streams. The soil smelled of rich decomposing vegetation, damp due to the lack of direct sunlight. When the trail started to climb, twice the switchbacks turned with a view straight west, the length of Highway 54 and beyond to Twin Lakes. From the same vantage we could see the length of the lake and to the Cabinets in the distant north. The second one was the last view of the lake as we followed our path into the valley on the west side of the peak and zigzagged to the top.

Eight miles, about three thousand feet

and a race away from vicious mosquitoes, but we were not ready for what we saw at the top.

As I said there is a road and apparently several people have used it, and on that road they have carried garbage. There were piles, not some tossed and scattered, but piles of beer cans and assorted liquor bottles. There was old furniture, partly burned, left without any regard for the beauty of the place. It was a filthy display of total disrespect for the earth, a result of disgusting human debauchery no other animal would create.

The sight of beer cans does not offend me, in my refrigerator. Nor does the sight of liquor bottles, in my cupboard. But it is easy to haul that crap away once the party is over, and I don’t understand not doing that.

Juxtaposed to the wretched refuse yearning to be hauled was a sublime view to the south over the Coeur d’Alenes and on to a misty blue horizon.

We ate lunch looking over those mountains and valleys before making our way back to the car.

In spite of some sore muscles and a few skeeter bites, it was a good day.

Except for this short rant, my memories of the summer are very fond. So, I will choose to focus on the bounty of fun stuff we did and leave the garbage where we found it.

That is, unless I can put together a crew with trucks and garbage bags, for a drive up to the top of Bernard Peak, and clean it up.

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September 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| Page 15

Veterans’ News

Some lesser known benefits for veterans and Transparency Act of 2009.

Improved housing for military personnel/ (Donated 250K of Nobel prize money to Fisher House).

• Provided minimum essential health care coverage by Veteran’s Affairs.

• Established the Blinded Veterans Association.

• Established the Major Charles R. Soltes, Jr., O.D. Department of Veterans Affairs Blind Rehabilitation Center.

• The Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin Act of 2009.

• The Korean War Veterans Recognition Act. • Promoted a bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Women Airforce Service Pilots (“WASP”).

• Established the Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development • The Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009.

• The Veterans’ Compensation Cost-ofLiving Adjustment Act of 2009.

• Worked to clear the backlog of veterans’ claims to streamline benefits to those who served.

• Made it easier for veterans with PTSD to receive the benefits and treatment they need.

There has been more money put into programs and into benefits aimed specifically at active duty personnel, their families and the veteran community in the past 18 months than in the eight years of the previous administration. These are facts not widely recognized nor reported by the national media.

There are many in opposition to this administration who are hell bent to do everything in their power to see it fail. I question these motives when many of the things they are doing actually hurt their constituents and seem to violate the very

Gil Beyer, ETC USN Ret. vintage@gotsky.com

Di Luna’s presents SALEM Saturday, Sept. 11

Doors Open at 5:30 Show starts 8:00

Here it is the end of August. The Festival has completed another highly successful season. Let me say this—if you didn’t hear something you liked you don’t like music!

By the time you read this the Labor Day weekend will have slid past us and we’ll get our lake back. Soon we’ll be well on our way into Fall. It seems that the older I get the faster the seasons fly by. Quicker than you can blink the General Elections of November will be on us. This coming election will be important for many reasons but for many veterans—and those soon to be veterans—it bears special significance. I recently received an email from a Boundary County resident that listed the real accomplishments of the current administration. I was surprised by the number of actions taken over the past 18 months that directly benefited the veteran community.

What follows are some of these changes.

They are in no particular order of importance or potential value.

• Provided for the expenses of families of fallen soldiers to be on hand when the body arrives at Dover AFB. • Improved benefits for veterans.

• Ended media blackout on war casualties; reporting full information.

• Initiated a new policy to promote federal hiring of military spouses: the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act. • Authorized construction/opening of additional health centers to care for veterans.

• The Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 improving care for millions of veterans.

• The Veterans Health Care Budget Reform

$15 advance/$18 door

•

oath of office they took upon assuming office.

Some have even tried to promote the idea that less is being done by this Administration and Congress than was done in the preceding eight years. To this claim I say, “Bulls**t”. The one thing that the previous administration did well was ensure a growing pool of veterans without making any attempt to provide for the needs of these newly minted vets. High sounding rhetoric does nothing to pay the costs of treatment. Some are real good at talking about the sacrifices we veterans have made on Memorial Day or Veterans Day but are real slow to put the money into hospitals, clinics and programs that help our veterans.

I suggest we all listen very, very closely to those who want to represent us—at every level from county to Washington, DC—and make our voting decisions based on their words and deeds rather than party affiliation. We Idahoans pride ourselves on being ‘Independents.’ Now is the time to assert that independence and choose our elected officials based on what they offer as real solutions to our very real problems.

On a much lighter—or should I say higher—note there has been significant movement on the medical marijuana front.

In a recently published policy statement the VA has decided that it will allow patients that are being treated at its hospitals and clinics to use medical marijuana in those states where its use is legal. This policy took effect on August 1. Granted, the VA doctors will still not be allowed to prescribe medical marijuana but it does remove the threat that patients who use it could lose their access to other pain medications. This policy ensures that treatment plans will be promulgated on a case by case basis—not a blanket policy. Progress is being made; we can only hope that it comes more quickly. Until next month hang in there—we shall endeavor to persevere.

There’s Hope if you need physical therapy.

There’s also Sandpoint.

Caribou Physical Therapy

DI LUNA’S

Hope: 264-5067 • Sandpoint: 265-8333 www.CaribouPHysicalTherapy.com

Page 16 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| September 2010

Politically Incorrect

An apology to my mother Trish Gannon

trish@riverjournal.com Another August has come and gone like the lighting that flashes during hot summer nights. The wolf spiders have again attempted to take over residence of my front porch, and Dustin and Gail have brought death and destruction to them on behalf of my sanity.

I found myself wondering this year whether they have a communal memory of me that tells each new spider, “Hey, bungee jump off the roof right in front of her head. She totally freaks out; it’s hilarious!” Please don’t write to me about how beneficial spiders are; the ones at my house have earned their deaths.

Festival and Fair have come and gone and taught me yet again that I am much too old to stay up past 9 pm.

My mother called me at the Festival right around 10 pm on Michael Franti night. I didn’t hear the phone, but a few minutes later saw that I had missed a call from her. I found a tarp in the back of the information booth to hide under in an attempt to hear what she said when I returned her call: at ten o’clock at night, I was afraid she had called to tell me she’d had a heart attack, and she would have lived if I had only answered the phone and gotten help to her. (I’ve said it before: I’m not an optimist.)

No heart attack, though she might have wanted to induce one in me. Mother had just gotten around to reading my column in the then-current issue of the River Journal and was incensed that I had called her a hillbilly.

“I’m not a hillbilly!” she (almost) yelled at me.

“I’m a Texan!” So there. She’s not a hillbilly, she’s a Texan. Retraction duly printed.

And she’s right. Mom is not a hillbilly, at least not as the dictionary defines the term.

A hillbilly, according to Wikipedia, “is a

term referring to people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas of the United States, primarily Appalachia.” Given that mother’s family, for the last 170-plus years, lived in parts of Texas that most certainly were not mountainous, and many times were not even remote, hillbilly is a misnomer.

Of course, Wikipedia expands the definition by defining “the ‘classic’ hillbilly stereotype—the poor, ignorant, feuding family with a huge brood of children tending the family moonshine still...” which brings us a little closer to my roots. We were certainly poor, most certainly NOT ignorant, seemed to have a lot of feuds, didn’t really have huge broods of children (my great-grandmother had three, my grandmother one, and my mother five),

Shoes = NOT a hillbilly but my daddy certainly had an acquaintance with moonshine.

My mother’s dislike of being characterized a hillbilly, of course, has nothing to do with definitions and everything to do with the perjorative connotation it’s had for much of her lifetime. Hillbilly, to her, is a slur.

It’s not to me, probably because I didn’t grow up in a culture where the term was flung in my face to cut me down to size but also, I think, because I am very proud of my family and what they accomplished, despite there being some ‘hillbilly’ aspects to their history.

On both sides of my family, my ancestors were pioneers. They were the advance scouts

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of this nation’s love affair with “Manifest Destiny;” my family’s history is a snapshot of the questing spirit that filled this country’s borders from sea to sea. My ancestors were courageous, confident explorers who were always ready to do whatever they needed in order to make a better life.

Mother’s family arrived in Texas in the early to mid-1800s, and the state is littered with historical markers recognizing the achievements of various members of her family, like Robert Stadler Graves (her fourth great-grand uncle), Robert McGrady (greatgreat grand uncle), and Henry Clay Newberry (her great-great grandfather).

Mom’s great-grandfather was a Texas politician and her grandfather was the town photographer (and mailman). Her father was the grand master of the local Masonic lodge. The point being, she’s not a hillbilly.

Mom herself was born just a year prior to the Great Depression and she remembers her grandmother, Big Mama, taking paper out of the garbage cans at the post office in order to write letters on the back of it to her son who was serving in World War II. This was less about being poor, however, than about being thrifty, at least according to the family stories.

In a picture taken of my mother in school, she is one of only three children wearing shoes. Mom, let me say it again, was not a hillbilly.

She did, however, marry beneath her; after all, she never said a word about me characterizing my father as a hillbilly!

Dad’s family, of course, were also pioneers, this time in Tennessee. They arrived in the western part of the state right around the time is was opened up for settlement. Many of his family were also “high mucky mucks” in the area, though it seems like my dad’s father, a barrel maker, never quite lived up to the family potential.

My father’s story is a fascinating one, and too complex to tell here, but what I can say is that whatever he accomplished in life, he did on his own. Much like his ancestors before him, my father was confident that a better life could be had and he went wherever he had to to make that happen.

But he started out poor; he started out barefoot. I wouldn’t go so far as to call his family ignorant, but I don’t think any of them held a college degree. Not that you would have guessed that, had you known my dad.

He was almost totally self-educated, and most people who knew him assumed he had some kind of high-falutin’ degree. He loved that.

And that’s probably why I call myself a hillbilly; sometimes I think the best parts of my roots can be found in the life that’s buried in that word. But my mom is not a hillbilly—she’s a Texan. And don’t you forget it! (I certainly won’t.)

September 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| Page 17

Home Horticulture Workshop Series Presented and coordinated by

Bonner County Master Gardeners Association

Registration Form Name:

Address:

City: State:

Zip:

Phone: Email: September 15 “Composting” Presented by Mike Bauer, Extension Educator September 22 “Soil Preparation” Presented by Mikey Haven, Master Gardener & Mike Bauer, Ext. Educator September 29 “Raised Beds” Presented by Master Gardener Becky Reynolds October 6 “Controlling Garden Insect Pests” Presented by Tom Ekberg, entomologist October 20 “Growing Garlic” Presented by Pat Van Volkinberg October 27 “Simple Greenhouses and Cold Frames” Presented by Marsha Semar November 3 “Landscaping with Native Plants” Presented by John Hastings, All Seasons Garden & Floral $

enclosed.

All classes are $10 each and are held at the Bonner County Extension Office, 4205 N. Boyer, Sandpoint, ID on Wednesdays from 6pm to 8pm.

Please mark the classes you wish to attend. Email inquires to bonnermg@ uidaho.edu.

Make checks payable & return to:

Bonner County Master Gardener Association,

PO Box 58, Ponderay, ID 83852-0058

Focus on Education Welcome 2010-2011 Dick Cvitanich

Superintendent, LPOSD

dick.cvitanich@lposd.org I hope you are as excited as we are to open the 2010-2011 school year. We have been busy preparing all summer for the arrival of our students and staff. Upon their return they will find old and new friends, upgraded facilities, and programs all designed to make their school experience the best it can be.

From a facility standpoint, a good deal of work has been accomplished this summer under the direction of new Facilities Director, Matt Diel. Most noteworthy are the finishing touches on Kootenai Elementary School, additional space and fresh paint at Lake Pend Oreille Alternative High School, a bicycle shelter and rack at Sandpoint Middle School courtesy of Pend Oreille Peddlers, and a host of smaller projects throughout our district.

We are proud of these facility improvements and expect that students, staff, and community members will see a brighter, cleaner and more welcoming learning atmosphere. All of these projects, and those completed last year such as the remodel of Sagle Elementary, were paid for through our Plant and Facility levy supported by voters. We are proud of this community partnership and the successful completion of all projects on time and under budget. All of the projects are paid in full and there is no long term debt.

The health and safety of our students and academic achievement serve as our two most important tasks. The Plant and Facility Levy has helped remedy the health and safety issues. However, our measure of academic success continues to demand equal focus. I am proud to note that our student ISAT test scores were the highest recorded since testing began in all subject areas; math, reading, language usage, and science. This accountability is important and we will endeavor to help our students improve this performance.

Our recently released ACT scores placed college bound students well above the state average in every tested area. Students are developing four year plans through the support of our counseling department and this goal focus serves as a roadmap for success after graduation. Our goal is to build upon student success and improve the instructional program.

To this end we have added an Upper Quartile science program at Sandpoint Middle School to accompany the advanced math already in place at the school. This

program is designed for high achievers from the Upper Quartile programs found in our elementary schools. We are in year two of our new math program district wide, that features a fair balance between application and computational knowledge.

Our fine arts programs continue to flourish through dedicated teachers and community members. Over 85 percent of our sixth graders participated in instrumental music last year. No student was turned away if they could not afford an instrument; many community members donated to solve this dilemma.

For the first time in a number of years we welcome approximately a dozen new teachers to our district. We are proud of these new staff members who will replace those who have retired or moved on. We also have new leadership in the district.

Perky Hadagone-Smith will be the new Principal at Northside Elementary. Perky has been a highly successful science teacher at Sandpoint Middle School, elementary teacher, volunteer art teacher and classified staff member in her career. Former Northside Elementary Principal Rick Kline has moved to Kootenai Elementary where he will serve as Principal and Title 1 Director. He replaces retired Principal Betsy Walker and Title 1 Director Judy Hull. The two positions were combined as a budget savings strategy. As noted above, Matt Diel is the new Facility Director, replacing the retired Sid Rayfield.

The district continues to keep a close eye upon finances. For the past five years the district has earned an A+ audit prepared by an independent accounting firm. The district was one of the few in the state not forced to declare a financial emergency as a result of state budget reductions to public education.

It has taken a team effort led by Business Manager Lisa Hals and the Board of Trustees to make this happen.

In short, we are ready for the school year to begin. I always look forward to the first day as it is an opportunity to start anew. It is filled with opportunity and promise. Please join us as partners in helping to create a world class school system for the children of our community.

Sincerely, Dick Cvitanich, Superintendent With school started, and winter on its way, don’t forget the school closure hotline number at 208-263-2312. There is a lot of information available to parents on the district’s website at lposd.org, including links to the websites for each individual school.

Page 18 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| September 2010

Love Notes

An unexpected phone call

speak about her, the waterworks came on,” he recalled. “We adopted a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy long before it became popular.”

When his paternal grandmother died, Huck became keeper of “The Sad Box.” “I was resigned to open it some day and view its contents,” he said. “After only 58 years, I was finally man enough to face my past with the assurance that I could handle and get over anything that came my way.”

Once opened, “The Sad Box” almost instantly turned into “The Glad Box.” Huck and Debbie found a photo of Bill’s mother along with a host of letters written between the families after the auto accident.

They also found the funeral guest registry for Mildred, which included a curious signature.

Huck’s maternal grandfather Talmadge Jones (first husband to Helen Tingle) had signed the list and had included “Wanda Jane Jones (baby sister)” of Orange, Tex. Turns out that Wanda was Millie Walling’s half sister from another of Jones’s marriages. Huck wasted no time looking up her name in the white pages and stunningly found it.

He dialed the number and identified himself. Upon hearing Huck’s voice and explanation, Wanda Jane Jones, a retired school principal, immediately asked him if his eyes ever got better. The trauma of the accident had caused Huck’s eyes to cross, a condition that corrected itself after about three years.

Revelations gleaned from the research and from the newly named Glad Box led to more phone calls, more letters exchanged and an eventual plan for these long-lost blood relatives to reconnect and even to meet other family members living in Shreveport, Louisiana.

The official family odyssey began Friday, July 23 on the garage port at Wanda Jane Jones’ home in Orange, Tex. After introductions and hugs, the group, including relatives and in-laws, went inside the house where fascinating stories of long ago unfolded.

A few hours later, after lots of talk, picture taking and plans for the holiday season when Wanda might visit her niece and nephew in Oklahoma, the travelers headed on, bound for a Shreveport reunion with a stop-over in beautiful Natchitoches (pronounced Nack-itish), La. The next day in Shreveport, we met several members of the Tingle family, including Grady who is Bill and Margaret’s only living uncle. Grady and his wife Regina provided more information about Millie and her mother Helen.

Millie was remembered as beautiful and much-loved, while Helen, who had married the first time at 14, was known as a brilliant woman and avid reader. We learned that both women were favorites among family members.

Three days’ worth of reconnecting and getting acquainted after more than 50 years of separation ended all too quickly on a warm

Sad Box” and never opened it.

Mildred “Millie” Walling’s death and slightdetour.blogspot.com her husband’s lengthy recovery also meant that Huck and Sandra Walling would grow billmar@dishmail.net up living with their paternal grandparents, I almost hung up on Huck. I thought he learning very little about their other was a telemarketer. What else is one to think grandmother Helen Tingle Love or the young when an evening caller says, “I’m looking for aunt and uncle born to her 22 years after William Love?” Spells telemarketer to me, their own mother.

About five years after Mildred Walling’s and I seldom give them the time it takes me to drop what I’m doing, trip over my feet death, another tragedy led to even more running to the phone, pick up and learn it’s family separation. Helen Love died of cancer, some script reader trying to help out a good leaving behind a set of 7-year-old twins, Bill and Margaret. Her husband Edgar would cause.

I like good causes, but I resent anonymous eventually remarry. From that point on, callers trying to rake in a buck over the phone Bill and Margaret’s lives centered primarily in the name of these entities. I’ll initiate my around the new family with little or no word of the Oklahoma relatives. own donating decisions, thank you!

Fast forward several decades. Huck For some unknown reason, I extended Huck more mercy than usual. Good choice, Walling lives in Tulsa and co-owns SageNet, (sagenet.com) a provider of broadband data I quickly learned.

“And what do you wish to speak to him networking solutions. His sister Sandy, an adjunct professor at the University of about?” I asked rather cynically.

“His mother Helen was my grandmother,” Oklahoma and consultant for nonprofit the yet unknown voice said, “Bill is my groups, lives in Oklahoma City.

Both reared their own families, and life uncle.”

Oops! Huck was NOT a telemarketer, and has moved on with no word of whatever I now had a mystery on my hands as well as a happened to their aunt and uncle. Now retired, Huck’s wife Debbie dabbles in telephone receiver ready to pass on to Bill.

“This gentleman says he’s your nephew,” I genealogy.

One day earlier this year, she asked “about told my husband.

Curiosity got the best of me. I raced my mother’s family,” Huck told me recently. upstairs and picked up the other phone. “I always remember thinking, ‘Now, what Huck Walling from Oklahoma was telling was my mother’s maiden name??? Millie Bill how he had come on to Bill’s name and Love or Millie Jones or what? Very confusing number. He’d first tried Monroe, Louisiana, for us kids.

“I had no idea where to begin, so Debbie reaching a nonworking number. Two William Loves were listed for Idaho, one in Boise, one went straight to her Internet tool kit (whitepages.com) and searched for William in Sandpoint.

Bill was quick to tell him the other was Edgar Love, Jr.,” Huck explained. A few our son, Willie who had recently moved from minutes later, Huck and Bill were comparing notes over the phone about their faint Boise to Sandpoint.

After that, a fascinating family story memories of a time so long ago.

In that conversation Bill remained unfolded.

Up until that early March evening, our two characteristically cautious but realized children and I had figured Bill’s only other later that Huck was the “real deal” after living relative was his twin sister Margaret. I bringing up a toy sword that had captured was astonished to learn that he and Margaret the fascination of the two little boys during a had an older half sister but saddened when rare childhood meeting. Huck described the Huck explained to me that the sister had sword in detail.

A few minutes into that first conversation, died in a tragic automobile accident near I asked Huck if he had any photos of Bill’s Oklahoma City in the early 1950s.

The family had been on their way into the mother. I learned a few months later that city where their mother planned to pick up my inquiry that evening led to even more emotional discoveries for the Walling the gifts she had purchased on “layaway.”

Thanks to the efforts of another family siblings.

“This inquiry sent me to ‘The Sad Box,’” member, on Christmas Day that year, in the hospital, the two small children did open Huck explained to me. “It was a green, metal their presents, purchased by their mother. locking box... we could write a book about Otherwise, all other reminders of the tragedy, ‘The Sad Box’ and its contents, but you may including sympathy letters, family pictures, rest assured I had never opened it before news clippings about the accident and the your inquiry.” Huck and Sandy grew up in a funeral guest list were sealed in a box and time when adults put tragedies behind them, put away. Throughout their lives, Huck and rarely talking of them.

“As children, Sandy and I never heard Sandy referred to the container as the “The Continued on next page much about our mother. When anyone would September 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| Page 19

Marianne Love

Continued from previous page Sunday morning with Huck, Sandy, Margaret and Bill standing over the grave of Helen Tingle Love in Pineville, La. After placing a bouquet of flowers at the headstone, Bill said a prayer of thanks. Then, Huck sang two verses of “Amazing Grace.”

“I once was lost but now am found” seemed more poignant than ever as this group of relatives parted company, determined to keep in better touch.

This meaningful and memorable family experience all happened, thanks to a few quick clicks of a mouse, leading to Internet sites like whitepages. com, familysearch.com or ancestry. com. These sites provided just enough information for Huck to pick up the telephone and make some fruitful calls.

Stories like this one are not new to our immediate family. In fact, this is the third such discovery for us in the past ten years.

Having suffered tragedy and loss of both parents early in her life, my own mother, during the past decade, has connected with and met dozens of her family members from the Chicago area, thanks to similar research efforts. In her case, a telephone call opened one door, while a one-sentence posting under the Halter family name on genforum. genealogy.com opened the other.

These days, it seems that many longtime family mysteries are often easily solved. If our three personal experiences are any example of the outcome, I can happily state that initiating the search is well worth the effort.

One more moral to this story that I learned firsthand: don’t always be so quick to hang up if you think there’s a telemarketer at the other end. The unknown caller might actually have something to offer that can change your life.

Ray Allen is available for private parties, special events, restaurants, etc Jazz standards and pop tunes. Solo on guitar and vocals. Also booking for the Monarch Mountain Band, great bluegrass and newgrass

Call 208-610-8244

A Seat in the House

Annual Energy Summit George Eskridge

Idaho Dist. 1B Representative

idaholeginfo@lso.idaho.gov 1-800-626-0471 Adequate funding for Idaho’s road and bridge system continues to be an issue and although a number of legislative proposals were introduced in the legislature two years ago to increase funding for our transportation system none were passed into legislation.

Recognizing that adequate funding for our transportation infrastructure remains an issue, Governor Otter, on June 23, 2009, created by executive order a “Gubernatorial Task Force on Modernizing Transportation Funding in Idaho” The task force consists of fifteen members and two non-voting members. The membership includes: • The Lieutenant Governor who chairs the meetings of the task force • The Chairs of the Senate Transportation Committee and the House Transportation and Defense Committee • Four members of the Idaho House of Representatives, including a member of the minority party • Four members of the Idaho Senate, including a member of the minority party (Senator Shawn Keough from Legislative District One is one of the Senate members) • Four members of the public • The Chair of the Idaho Transportation Department board and another ITD board member as non-voting, ex officio members.

The task force has been charged with the assignment to “consider both traditional and non-traditional sources of revenue for maintenance and preservation of highways and bridges, including but not limited to possible revisions to the rates, methods and manner of calculating any and all taxes, fees and registrations relating to fuels, motor vehicles and motor carriers.”

The task force is to provide its findings and recommendations to the Governor by December 1 of this year and is required to draft and present legislation for consideration by the legislature in the 2011 legislative session. The Task Force will “cease to exist on and after July 1, 2011.

Senate Transportation Chairman, John McGee and Legislative District One Senator Shawn Keough, met with the Bonner County Area Transportation Team on August 25 to provide the team with information on the Task Force activities to date. Senator Broadsword and I also were present at the meeting with Senators McGee and Keough.

Senator McGee and Senator Keough informed the Transportation Team that

several funding recommendations were being considered by the task force, including an increase in the fuel tax, increasing motor vehicle registration fees (including large commercial vehicles), a sales tax on fuel purchases in lieu of a fixed fuel tax, and even a tax based on miles driven in a vehicle.

It was emphasized that any of these various funding recommendations and/or other funding proposals could be provided to the legislature for consideration in the next session.

Unfortunately an article in the Bonner County Daily Bee covering the meeting caused some to believe that the legislature will definitely pass some kind of tax the next session based on the task force’s recommendations. As a result Senator Keough, Senator Broadsword and I have had concerns expressed to us that because of the current economy the legislature should not be considering any tax increases this next session.

In response to these concerns we had tried to make clear in the meeting that while there is a need for increased road maintenance funds and funding for additional transportation infrastructure that because of the current economy it is highly unlikely that any tax increases will be passed this next session.

As Senator Keough emphasized during the meeting “our task on the Governor’s Transportation Task Force is to identify the need to maintain the current road system, project the future expansion needs and to fairly estimate how the costs should be borne among the users” Considering the recommendations and the corresponding costs of these recommendations will be the task of the upcoming legislature.

Undoubtedly funding increases will be part of the recommendations, but the increase (if any) and the timing of any increase will be up to the legislature and the Governor. However, recognizing the difficult economic situation that the citizens of Idaho are facing currently, I believe, along with Senator Keough and Senator Broadsword, that it will be difficult to get a majority of legislators to support any funding increase in the 2011 session.

However, even though the legislature may not take action this next session transportation funding is going to remain a significant and important issue in the upcoming months and I would welcome your ideas and recommendations on how the legislature should address this issue.

Thanks for reading and as always please contact me with issues of importance to you.

My home phone is (208) 265-0123 and my mailing address is P.O. Box 112, Dover, Idaho 83825. George

Page 20 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| September 2010

DOWNTOWN SANDPOINT EVENTS SANDPOINT EVENTS

Harvest Fest

September

9 - Wild Selkirks Slideshow and Celebration, free appetizers, Pend d’Oreille Winery 5:30 pm 9- Pato Banton Reggae Concert, 8 pm, Panida $20 10 - JJ Grey & Mofro, 8 pm, Panida. $18 11 - Butte, America, Panida Little Theater, 2:30 & 7:30 15-17 - The Girl Who Played with Fire, Panida, 7:30 pm 16 - Chix Mix for women who love to cook and entertain, Pend d’Oreille Winery, 5 pm 18 - Musical Road Trip, 7 pm, Panida Theater, $15 19- Scenic Half Marathon (Scenichalf.com) 23 & 25 The Secret in Their Eyes, Panida, 7:30 pm 24- Barbara’s Bench Benefit Concert, $13, 7:30 pm, Panida 24 - The Beatles Tribute Band, 8 pm, $30, Panida 25 - Oktoberfest, sponsored by DSBA

Final Day of Market

Oct. 9

October

1 - Laura Love, 7:30 pm, Panida Theater 2 Oktoberfest, 510 Olive (Luther Park) 2 Desperate House Dads comedy tour, 8 pm, Panida Theater, $20 8 & 9 - All Bonner County Bazaar and Craft Fair. Sandpoint Community Hall, 10 to 6 Fri. 10 to 4 Sat.

PLUS:

Experience Downtown Sandpoint!

Visit www.DowntownSandpoint.com for a complete calendar of events

Farmer’s Market Wednesdays from 3 to 5:30 and Saturdays from 9 to 1 at Third & Oak Winery Music - Live music every Friday night at Pend d’Oreille Winery Open Mic Blues Jam every Monday night at Eichardt’s Trivia every Tuesday night at MickDuff’s.

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September 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| Page 21 starting at 8 am

Gary’s Faith Walk

Transition, Respite and Renewal Gary Payton

gdp.sandpoint@gmail.com

MARIE SCOTT Your Elected Clerk Experienced in

• • • •

BUDGETARY MANAGEMENT ADMINISTRATION LEADERSHIP SUPERVISION

Marie Scott Serves as: • • • •

The Clerk of the District Court County Auditor County Recorder Clerk to the Board of Commissioners • Chief Elections Officer Resource for our Taxing Districts These diverse responsibilities require a multi- talented, experienced person at the helm.

Signs of seasonal transition are all around us. The hint of gold on birch and mountain maple. Squirrels frantically dropping cones from high atop the Ponderosas. Colorful birds stuffing themselves on elderberries before long flights south. Earlier sunsets and much cooler nights.

We humans have our markers of transition, too. School buses back on the road. Weekend football and soccer games. The steadily lowering level of Lake Pend Oreille. And, yes, the taste of the last tomato nurtured lovingly against all the odds of the North Country.

Summer in all its predictable intensity is past. Me? I filled it with good things, mostly.

Wonderful visits with family. Day hikes and kayaking. A wedding to mark the promise of new life together. Frivolous movies. A live concert by the river. A little home repair.

Noxious weed pulling and brush clearing enough for days of back ache. All these things squeezed in around the demands of service and work.

Near the end of August though, I was much in need of respite and renewal from the self-generated demands of summer. Traveling with my friend, Sandy, that respite came in the form of the wildness of the Wyoming front range. The roar of the rapids on Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone backdropped hikes in the canyon and nights on the boulder strewn valley floor. Throughout the night, the full moon illuminated the landscape from crags to rushing water. At 11,000 feet, the majesty of Beartooth Pass offered high alpine plateaus, glacial lakes, snow fields and extraordinary views of the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains. Then, homeward bound, the

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Three Forks, Montana river confluence put me in the living stream of native, Lewis and Clark, and settler history. And, after it all, I was ready for autumn.

The man named Jesus understood the need for transition, respite, and renewal.

After days and days of intense ministry, he told his disciples “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.”

(Mark 6:30) Following their extensive travel, labors of love, teaching and conversation, he understood they could be renewed in a deserted place of rest and prayer.

On other days, Jesus followed the same pattern of renewal himself. Can you imagine the pressures of teaching, feeding, and caring for “the five thousand?” As that day of loaves and fishes ended, he “went up on the mountain to pray.” (Mark 6:46) And, yet again after a day of highly focused engagement with sick, diseased, and demanding people, “At daybreak, he departed and went into a deserted place.” (Luke 4:42) I know how much I was in need of a deserted place after the frantic pace of summer. I had packed it full, enjoyed it well and was so tired from it all. So in this seasonal transition, have you found your time and place for renewal? Has the chance for quietude and rest come your way? Are you ready for autumn?

If, perhaps, the answer is “no,” maybe it is not too late to take time for a deserted place.

Late huckleberries still beckon. Our alpine lakes aren’t yet ringed by ice. Reliable reports suggest the last fish still hasn’t been caught in the Clark Fork, Lake Pend Oreille, the Pend Oreille River, or Priest Lake. And, high above the Scotchman Peaks, the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, and the Selkirk Range call us to “come away” and “rest a while.”

By example, we have been shown a way to transition from a season of intense activity to the next season of our lives. Does this way call to you now?

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Page 22 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| September 2010

The Scenic Route

Dogs and trucks and joy Sandy Compton

mrcomptonjr@hotmail.com www.SandyCompton.com

Sometimes, things happen fast. Not often.

But sometimes.

These times surprise me because most things seem to happen verrrrrry slowly.

“C’mon, for cryin’ out loud,” we shout in impatience. Looking back is another matter, but the pace of our lives looking forward seems glacial, no matter what we do to hurry it along.

Thank God. It keeps us anchored to the planet, which we need to be. The species is stuck here, barring time travel, for a long damned time, even though our culture tries to achieve exit velocity and often acts like we’re just visiting. But, we haven’t figured an efficient way off this rock—nor anywhere to go even if we could. Sirius, the bright point in the southern sky we call the “Dog Star,” is our nearest galactic neighbor. Even if we travel 10,980,000 miles per minute—the speed of light—we don’t arrive at Sirius until after eight-point-seven years. And no one has gone even half that fast.

Three weeks ago, I suddenly got a dog.

(There’s more to this, but not the space to tell it.) Or, the dog got me. Busted him out of the Sanders County Dog Jail where he was doing time for malingering. My mom and sis threw his bail, but he appears to be mostly mine.

I haven’t had a dog in 14 years. The last one — Radar — spoiled me, and I’ve waited to meet his kindred spirit since, and maybe I have. Laddie is a young, rambunctious, modified male. We’re figuring out the alpha thing. He works on obedience. I work on patience. He has issues with personal space.

He thinks it’s all his. I have issues with control.

I think it’s all mine. He’s learning “Off!” and “No!” and to come when I call him. I’m learning that he likes to just play sometimes.

“To hell with school,” he says. “Just throw the ball!”

It’s not nearly as draining as having a baby, but they are similar experiences.

Two weeks after Laddie got paroled, another thing happened fast. I bought a car, but not just a car. I put out a memo to the Universe about the vehicle I wanted, and the Universe said, “OK!” and basically dropped me into the driver’s seat. This car — or is it a truck? — is more than I asked for at less than I was willing to pay. It has things I didn’t know I wanted. It’s actually sort of decadent.

And, I’m OK with that.

On the other hand, I wait for the other

shoe to drop. How’s the mileage, I wonder. It ain’t going to be great. It’s sort of like falling in love. You’re not sure you can move into it completely, as much as you want to, because “you might get hurt.” It’s also sort of like getting a new dog.

The dog likes the new truck—I guess it’s a truck. Jumps right in, assumes the obvious dog position for this particular vehicle.

I may not have had a dog in 14 years, but I have had a pickup. Radar and Laddie have both ridden in it, which is to say that I’ve had it for a long time and 315,260 miles. Light travels this far in 1.728 seconds — about 13 times around the world. That’s about 2,000 miles more than I have driven that pickup.

The other two grand were put on by friends who borrowed it to move and go to the dump over 15 and a half years.

The pickup is being prepared to leave my life. I’m hoping some kid has a dream about my pickup like I had about my new car — uh, truck. So, I’m cleaning out the pickup, and don’t have a clue where most of the rocks and other souvenirs on the dash came from. But, I recognize and stash some of them in the new truck just for what they are and where they came from—the West. Flint. Agate. Jasper.

A coyote tooth. A snail shell. A tarnished aluminum cross with “God Loves,” on the crossbeam and “You,” down the trunk. It’s seed. Adventure dust. One rig is pollinating the other. They are parked together tonight, and I imagine that they are telling each other stories. The new truck has been to New York.

The old truck—it’s been everywhere.

I sweep the sand out of the pickup box, leftover from horseshoe pit construction.

The remaining rocks from the dash go into the box under the freezeless hydrant. I find five quarts of oil and a box of cassette tapes.

The camper shell goes back on and I leave the big metal box that’s ridden in the truck for 15 years, equipped with ice scraper, broom, shovel, axe, tire chains, hydraulic jack. I ponder about what to do with the old man’s tarp, an antique of full-on heavyweight duck canvas which has ridden in that box and served as load cover, sunshade and soogan and smells like a tarp should. Not what to do with it, really, as where to store it. Maybe under the dog in the new truck? Not a bad thought.

Goodbye, Old Blue. Hello, new truck.

Names take time, sometimes.

Hello, new dog—Laddie. Goodbye total independence. Trades have been made.

Joy is sometimes tempered by reality, but it is joy nonetheless. Learning this, like most things, takes time.

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September 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| Page 23

Fact or Valley Fiction ShadowS Part 2 ThE

of

with Lawrence Fury

“Who are these? Why sit they here in Twilight? Wherefore rock they, purgatorial shadows...” - Wilfred Owens I’ve previously reported on ghostly and other phenomena in the Cocolalla and Careywood areas. Here are a number of brief encounters expanding on the whispered stories which sound like Fact, at least from the realm of folklore.

In the 90s, a hiker/camper in the Blacktail area woke one night about the stroke of twelve and got up to relieve himself. It was a bright, starry night with a three-quarter moon so the man could easily walk around unaided by a flashlight. Stepping a few feet from his small tent, he spotted what appeared to be the silhouette of a man about fifty feet away. Thinking it was a lost hiker he hailed him. The figure turned and a dim gray/orange glow briefly emanated from his face, then he vanished all together.

The witness couldn’t make out much detail but he thought the figure was of a fairly large young man wearing very dated clothing, like from the early 20th century; some type of uniform? Could the phantom have been a firefighter from the great fire of 1910?

Next, a fisherman, having spent the late afternoon and early evening fishing in Cocolalla Creek, decided to pack it in and head home with his three bass and several nice perch when in the gloom of twilight he saw what he took to be another angler about forty feet down the bank, whom he hadn’t noticed arrive.

The newcomer didn’t have a fishing pole, and was standing looking into the water.

When the fisherman hailed the new arrival, the other looked up suddenly, then vanished in the wink of an eye. Shaken, the fisherman quickly gathered his gear and headed back

to his pickup. The one detail he had noted was that while the ghostly figure was all in shadow, what little light there was had briefly glinted off what appeared to be something shiny on the specter’s left breast... like a badge.

The following account reminds me of the column I did back in June of ‘08: “N. Idaho, the flesh and a little devil.” A young family who had moved into an older house not far from US 95 in Careywood, who had been driven out shortly thereafter by the visitation of an Imp from the netherworld.

This account was gathered in bits and pieces and concerns three brothers, ages 10, 11 and 12 years old at the time.

First, the oldest began seeing shadows in his room at about the time that the boys’ parents had begun adding an addition to the home. Each boy confided in the others that usually, when alone, they would see a gray face, as if that of a dead person, peering in through a window, once when the oldest, James, was doing the dishes.

Their father worked construction and would often be away for several days a week.

During the summer, the boys would help their mother with chores and the vegetable garden. In between these activities, they would play the usual games, often exploring into the woods near the house.

But when either was alone, he would hear voices just within earshot, as if coming from behind a tree or a thicket of brush twenty feet away, though no one would ever be there.

In the house, doors and curtains would open and close by themselves, and closets were rearranged. Footsteps both indoors and outside seemed to follow them, again when one of the boys would be alone.

One day, James elected to stay home when his mother and brothers went into

Sandpoint for groceries and soon came to regret the decision. Getting a soda out of the refridgerator, a shadow suddenly appeared right beside him as he closed the door. Behind the image was a reflection of it in the hutch, ten feet away in the dining room. Startled, he dropped the can, fortunately unopened, and the shadow disappeared.

Some time before his family came home James sat at the kitchen table, eyeing the room as if it would bite him. Outside the sky had grown overcast, and a wind had sprung up.

There was a scratching at the outside wall, then a thump. Getting up he heard the family dog barking at a board that had been leaning against the side of the house that was now laying on the ground several feet away. Then a male adult voice from near the front door called his name: “James.” Thinking his father had unexpectedly come home, he hurried gratefully out of the kitchen to find the living room empty.

The hairs on his neck stood up in a chill when he heard the back door open. Not taking anything for granted, James cautiously poked his head around the doorway in time to see his mother struggling with three grocery bags. “James, come here and help me.”

James graduated high school six years later and went to college while his parents and brothers continued to live in the house until the two youngest were out on their own.

The occurrences gradually faded away as the boys got older. Could their experiences have been a poltergeist generated by the boys themselves?

Neither parent saw or experienced anything unusual from what I’ve been able to gather.

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Tuesday - Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm • 611 S. Ella, Sandpoint • 208.263.2344 • $3 adults/$1 age 6-18 Kinnikinnick Page 24 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| September 2010

From ThE

Files

of The River Journal’s

SurrealisT Research BureaU Strange Synchronicities I Have Known Call it a case of great minds thinking alike or as a mere coincidence, but astute readers of the River Journal may have noticed last month’s issue carried not one, but two separate articles (by myself and by Sandy Compton) dealing with the “third man phenomena,” which deals with the perception of an unknown presence, usually felt by high altitude climbers or deep earth coal miners.

That serendipity led to this month’s column on coincidences.

One of the earliest, most famous incidents occurred in France to the poet Emile Deschamps, who shared a table at a restaurant one evening with a stranger, a certain M. deFortgibu, who prevailed upon the poet to try a dessert of plum pudding, a treat then unknown in France. Another ten years passed and Deschamps passed by a restaurant window in another city and saw a plum pudding being prepared. Recalling his earlier, sole taste of plum pudding he

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entered the cafe and ordered a slice, only to be told by the owner the newly-baked dessert was reserved for a gentleman at the corner table—who turned out to be the same M. DeFortgibu, who was delighted at the meeting and was happy to share the same dish for the second time.

Another ten years passed and Deschamps was invited to a dinner party in Paris which featured the English treat of plum pudding.

He regaled his hosts with his tale of meeting M. Fortigbu the only other times he’d had plum pudding when there was a knock at the door. It was a stranger, lost, who was asking for directions. It was the elusive Mr. Fortigbu, of course, who was promptly asked to join them for dinner. “Three times in my life I have eaten plum pudding and three times have I seen M. Fortigbu,” said Deschamps.

“My hair stood on my head.”

Literary synchronicities abound. In Edgar Poe’s 1838 story “The Narrative of A. Gordon Pym” three starving, shipwrecked sailors murder and eat their cabin boy, a youth named Richard Parker. Fifty years after the story was written, three real-life shipwrecked sailors were tried and found guilty of murdering and eating their cabin boy—a youth named Richard Parker.

In a previous issue of TRJ I wrote at length on the baffling coincidences surrounding the 1898 pulp novel “Futility,” in which a colossal ship, the Titan, strikes an iceberg on her maiden voyage in about the same place and time as the later, ill-fated Titanic.

In London’s Savoy Hotel in 1953 newspaper columnist Irv Kupcinek was surprised to find items belonging to his old promoter, Harry Hannin, but just two days later Kupcinek received a letter from Harry Hannin from a hotel in Paris. It read: “You’ll never believe this but I’ve just opened a drawer here and found some things with your name on them!”

French astronomer Camille Flammarion was going over proofs of his major work, “The Atmosphere,” when a sudden windstorm sucked out of the window the chapter he’d just completed. A freak wind deposited the pages just a few blocks away at the feet of a messenger boy employed by Flammarion’s publisher who, thinking he must have dropped them himself, brought them to his boss. Thus was published, without the need to rewrite, the chapter titled “The Vagaries of the Wind.”

On a personal note, while doing a crossword puzzle with a friend some years ago the clue was “bird of Boston fame” and as the television blared in the background that Larry Bird was giving a speech in town, a large bird crashed into the living room window and a Fed-Ex employee knocked and the door to deliver a package. His name? Mr. Bird. ‘til next time, All Homage to Xena!

“The tongues of air and earth are strange. And yet (who knows) one little word Learned from the languages of the bird Might make us lords of Fate and Change.”

-Clark Ashton Smith

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September 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| Page 25

Coffelt Funeral Home, Sandpoint, Idaho.

Get complete obituaries online at

www.CoffeltFuneral.com

STANLEY EUGENE DEARMAN Stanley Eugene Dearman, June 29, 1951 - August 31, 2010. Obituary pending.

MASON LOWELL JUSTIN Mason Lowell Justin, December 28, 1973 - August 28, 2010. Obituary pending.

KATHRYN ELECTA NEALE Kathryn Electa Neale, April 12, 1912 - August 28, 2010 Obituary pending.

JANE LOUSIA WAREHIME Jane Lousia Warehime, March 8, 1928 - August 28, 2010. Obituary pending.

VERA COTTLE CAMPBELL Vera Cottle Campbell, September 3, 1920 - August 26, 2010. Born in Stone, Idaho, lived most of her life in California.

Married James Campbell. Loved music and softball, and was active in the LDS church. Mother of three.

EMILY MILDRED RABOURNE Emily Mildred Pace Rabourne, August 5, 1923 - August 24, 2010.

Born in North Carolina. Moved to California. Married Emil V. Lehmann.

Worked in insurance and as a bank teller. Married Roger W. “Whitey” Rabourne, moved to Sandpoint in the early ‘70s. Mother of two. She wrote short stories, a book and composed songs.

RONALD “RONNIE” MILLER Ronald “Ronnie” Miller, September 14, 1941 - August 20, 2010. Born in Pocatello, Idaho, moved to Vay area as a child. Worked for the US Forest Service and married Vonnie Miller. Worked for the sawmill in Colburn 38 years. Retired in 2004. Father of three.

TYLER WILLIAM CORDIE Tyler William Cordie, October 12, 2007 - August 16, 2010.

Born in Sandpoint, Idaho.

Battled cancer for 18 months.

From the time of his birth even in the midst of difficult times he exhibited an exuberance and joy for life. His glowing personality warmed everyone around him. He was all boy.

VICTOR WILLIAM BAXTER JR. Victor William Baxter Jr., February 4, 1929 - August 14, 2010, born a twin in Riverside, Calif. Served with the US Army in Korea as an MP. Worked in the well-drilling business and as a trucker before selling self-crafted jewelry. Married Ida Loman, father of three, stepfather of four. Moved to Sandpoint in ‘97.

JAY EDGAR SMITH Jay Edgar Smith, July 10, 1966 August 13, 2010. Born Snoqualamie, Wash. Attended Walla Walla College and U of M, Missoula. Worked as a carpenter and superintendent, moved to Sandpoint in 2008. Married Jaclin Smith, father of two. Died of injuries from a boating accident.

GEORGE MALONEY George Maloney, December 12, 1925 - August 12, 2010. Born Pinconning, Mich. Moved to Clark Fork, Idaho at the age of 16, riding the rails. Served in the U.S. Marine Corps (Iwo Jima), received Purple Heart. Returned to Clark Fork in ‘48.

Married Ramona (Monie) Mae Sacht. Father of four. Worked as a commercial fisherman, farmer, and for the US Forest Service. Retired in ‘75.

JAMES “JIM” REED James G. “Jim” Reed, September 11, 1927 - August 12, 2010. Born in Sagle, Idaho, a 1946 graduate of Sandpoint High School. Served in the US Army, married Frances Boothe Hawkins. Father of two.

Worked for Co-Op and started a State Farm Insurance agency in ‘63. Retired in ‘88, coached baseball and served on various boards.

PAUL J. LACROIX Napoleon J. (Paul) La Croix, February 4, 1943 - August 11, 2010. Born Waterville, Maine, traveled as a service engineer manager for the beverage packaging industry, married Sandy.

Moved to Sagle, Idaho in ‘95, retired in 2005. Father of five. Helped to build Bottle Bay Fire Station.

ALEDA IRENE KENYON Aleda Irene Carlson Kenyon, November 6, 1913 - August 8, 2010.

Born Fairfield, Calif. Married Elbert Lewis Kenyon and ran Kenyon’s Building Supply. Widowed. Moved to Sandpoint in ‘76 and worked with her daughter at Truby’s. Mother of two.

MICHAEL PATRICK MCKINNEY Michael Patrick McKinney, June 5, 1962 - August 8, 2010. Obituary pending.

FRANCES P. DAVIS Frances P. Loacker Davis, April 4, 1911 - August 7, 2010. Born Spokane, Wash., attended Kinman Business College, moved to Sandpoint in 1930.

Married Lloyd James “Bud” Davis. Avid volunteer and mother of two, 2002 Woman of Wisdom.

ERMA LEE RUSSELL Erma Lee Russell, August 20, 1918 - August 7, 2010.

Obituary pending.

MEARLENE KASSEBAUM Mearlene Engle Kassebaum, January 6, 1926 - August 5, 2010. Born Beaver Dam, Ind., married Joseph Kassebaum, a marine and lived in eight states.

Moved to Sandpoint in ‘78. Was the vice-president of Oceanside National Bank. Mother of two.

TED W. BLANCHARD Ted Blanchard, December 7, 1959 August 4, 2010. Born East Orange, NJ. Graduated Chico State Univ. with BS in electronics engineering.

Worked as a manager for advanced systems; married Enas Hanna. Semiretired and moved to Careywood, Idaho in 2006. Father of two.

HARRIET F. SHEFFLER Harriet Fay Rembowski Sheffler, October 11, 1927 - August 3, 2010.

Married to Edward Sheffler for 36 years. Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Mother of six.

LILLIAN IRENE BATTERMAN Lillian Irene Batterman, August 20, 1919 - July 30, 2010.

Obituary pending.

Lakeview Funeral Home, Sandpoint, Idaho.

Get complete obituaries online at

www.LakeviewFuneral.org

JOHN WIRTH John William Wirth, June 7, 1943 - August 24, 2010. Born Fargo, ND, grew up in Cle Elum, Wash.

Served in the U.S. Army. Worked in the timber industry and as a farm mechanic.

Died in Sandpoint, Idaho.

BETTY ANN DIEHL Betty Ann Nelson Diehl, June 23, 1925 - August 16, 2010. Born Sandpoint, Idaho, SHS graduate class of ‘43.

Studied home economics at U of I. Married Stanton Diehl. Lived in Camas Prairie and Thompson Falls, Mont. Returned to Sandpoint in ‘72.

Active volunteer and 2004 Woman of Wisdom. Mother of five.

WILLIAM ELLERMEIER William “Bill” Ellermeier, July 3, 1929 - August 14, 2010.

Born Swanton, Neb. Degree in engineering. Served in the U.S. Air Force, HD as a First Lieutenant.

Worked in construction and helped to build Disneyland and Disney World.

Married Jackie Goth. Lived in Calif. and Seattle, Wash before moving to Idaho in ‘85. Past President of Bonner County Sheep Association RUTH UNDERDAL Ruth Frances Underdal. November 25, 1914 - August 13, 2010. Obituary pending.

JOHN CARLSON John Edward Carlson, June 13, 1932 - August 5, 2010. Born Chicago, Ill., grew up in Minnesota and California, Bachelors in economics and political science.

Married Marjory Hentershee, lived in Calif, moved to Hope, Idaho 1979 and purchased Island View Resort.

Page 26 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| September 2010

From the Mouth of the River

As most everyone knows I love to fish. Size and quantity notwithstanding, I catch my share and not just locally. I fish not only in America but abroad as well. I have fished in far away places, such as Minnesota, where I was the guest of renowned steelhead and salmon guide Tim Johnson of the famous family of Johnsons, as seen on TV. “Ya doesn’t have to call me Johnson,” Howard, Jimmy and Bubba, all known for their fishing abilities. Bubba was known mostly from his TV show, Noodlin’. Fishing for big catfish using only his hands, the show was canceled after the first episode when a big Mississippi cat tore his right arm off at the shoulder. Because Bubba couldn’t do anything left handed but hold a beer he had to revert to doing beer commercials.

One of my more memorable fishing companions has been Patrick F. McManus, the famous writer of humorous stories for outdoor magazines and of books about mistakes he made growing up. He has recently retired from the privileged life of high finance and worshipping fans and now writes detective novels for shut-ins, novels with titles like, “Someone Stole My Teeth, Leaving Me To Gummer,” and who can forget the all time best seller, “The Dead Fisherman Had Leaky Waders.” As a fisherman Pat was known throughout the fishing world for having cleaned two gunny sacks full of small perch in one night in the kitchen sink. His wife still talks about that.

Another of my fishing companions is the world renowned international sportsman and Indian guide, David L. Lisaius, whose feats as a guide are extensively written about in the Patrick F. McManus novels. Dave’s ability to catch fish when no one else can has brought him much acclaim. He’s the only man ever to catch Scotland’s famous Loch Ness monster. But in keeping with his sportsmens’ code of catch and release there was no physical evidence brought to shore.

Dave’s outstanding career almost came to an end in Montana. It happened while he was fishing on Lake Koocanusa, a large lake that starts in western Montana and extends into Canada and is known for its large rainbow trout and multitudes of kokanee. While having a cold brewskie in the local watering hole, Dave noticed on their bulletin board the results of the latest fishing derby. First, second and third place in the kokanee division all exceeded four pounds.

Dave was ecstatic. Kokanee over four pounds would make a meal fit for a king. The pink meat of this land locked salmon was to die for. Being the fisherman he was, a five pounder was in his sights, but after three days of fishing and catching over six thousand kokanee with none weighing over eight ounces, Dave was devastated. He had thrown every fly and every lure he had in his tackle box and couldn’t come up with even a four pounder, let alone a five pounder. Disgusted, Dave went back to the lodge to seek out the winners of the derby and find out what secret lure they used to entice the bigger fish to strike.

While sipping on a beer he asked the bartender if he was familiar with how these four pounders were caught.

“Four pounders,” the bartender said. “This is Lake Koocanusa and there was a twenty fish limit in the derby. It took twenty fish to weigh four

pounds. We haven’t seen a four pound kokanee in this lake in thirty years.” Dave is slowly recovering in fisherman’s rehab.

One other fishing companion I spend time with is the noted fly fishing expert and guide Clifford Dare. For fifty years his expertise in the instruction of fly fishing on Montana’s Kootenai River as well as the Clark Fork in Idaho has preceded him. He has been sought out by kings, queens, presidents and dignitaries from around the world, all hoping to use his knowledge to catch a record book wall hanger. With the Kootenai River holding Montana’s largest rainbows and where the record book is almost rewritten every time Clifford takes a float trip down it, it’s no wonder when that momentous day came to catch a world record it was I who accompanied Clifford on that historic trip.

While drifting slowly through the deep emerald pools of the Kootenai and with the sun glistening off the fly line as its back cast curled for a perfect cast to feeding ‘bows, Cliff broke the silence.

“You’re doing that wrong, Cliff exclaimed. “I thought you wanted a wall hanger. You’re casting to five and six pounders. The fish you want are down below these feeders and they’re so big and fat they can’t get two feet off the bottom, let alone rise to a hopper. Take off that dry fly line and put this sinking line on. We’re going down deep for the big ones.”

Clifford has also been known for having invented the type of flies that are the most productive fish catchers in the world. After switching out my floating line for a sinking one, Clifford unlocked his private tackle vault and unfolded from a velvet envelope a fly so spectacular in color it almost blinded me.

“Hand me your leader. I’ll tie this on for ya.

It’s from my secret stash.”

On my third cast Cliff blurted, “You #@$ %&^, give me your fly rod. I’ve told you and told you how to cast my flies. I’ll show you one more time!”

On his first cast, and a beauty it was, and just as he started to mend his line, it happened.

The line snapped tight. “Fish on,” I yelled as the rod started to fold over. You could hear the drag screaming as the big fish started to run.

“Here, here, take your rod,” he yelled.

“No way in hell,” I said. “You know the rules of the river. You hook’em you land’em.

Clifford stood up and braced himself in the drift boat stanchion, all the while making snide remarks about not only me but the fish’s family tree as well.

“Grab the oars and keep the boat steady until we see which way he decides to run,” Cliff exclaimed. “Not with just one oar, you idiot, we’re going in circles,” he screamed as he tried to maintain his balance and still hang on to the fish.

While my skills in drift boat handling were being criticized the fish made a run down stream and kept going deeper and deeper.

“Row, row,” Cliff screamed, “use both

oars.”

The big fish circled the hole and not finding a hiding place he escaped down river to an even bigger and deeper hole.

“Hurry, hurry,” Cliff shouted, “I’m way into my backing.”

When the big fish reached the bottom of the big hole he stopped circling. Slapping and slinging water all over the river with the big long drift boat oars I was glad to be swept into the deep hole by the current. Settling into the back current I was able to stabilize the drift boat. Cliff had retrieved enough line to feel he had some control over the fish, but this monster had discovered a hiding place and would retreat into it at every chance. Every time Cliff would gain a little line the fish would take it back.

They seesawed back and forth until I thought the tippet would break as Cliff had put so much pressure on it. Beads of sweat were dripping off of Cliff’s nose and his shirt was soaked. I had never seen Cliff get this determined over a big fish before. With the sweat dripping into both his eyes and his shoulders playing out on him, Cliff finally conceded that the fish had wrapped itself around a log or some other obstacle and was unable to get free. He sat there soaked in sweat breathing heavy, but still had a tight line on the big fish.

I said, “Well, break him off and we’ll try another day.”

“What?” Cliff blurted. “Get your clothes off and dive down there and unwrap that line. I’m not giving up this easy, besides this was your idea!”

“This water is ice cold!” I exclaimed slipping over the side of the boat.

“Hurry up before you get hypothermia and I lose this fish,” Cliff said.

When I regained consciousness there were two doctors standing around my bed with their arms crossed, starring down at me. “Then what happened?” one of them asked.

“Yeah, what happened to the fish?” inquired the other one.

“Well, as near as I can remember I couldn’t get ‘em.” I said. “He was in an old car body and every time I reached for ‘em he would roll the window up. And that’s when Cliff hit me with the oar!”

Boots Reynolds

September 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| Page 27

Scott Clawson

acresnpains@dishmail.net A while ago, back when summer was just tryin’ out its legs and falling down repeatedly, a friend and co-conspirator in funniness bequeathed upon me an absolute treasure. It’s called “Flarp!” and it’s the sillienst putty I’ve ever encountered.

It requires no batteries, cables, manuals, programming, permits, permission or brains!

Imagination is helpful but not necessary, although timing can be an issue. What it’s capable of went way beyond my scope of expectation. Okay, I’ll give you a hint... it makes sounds very much like a cow 47 hours after eating peanut butter and plum sauce, or maybe tempe. Talk about making a short line out of a long wait just about anywhere you have to go! This is the magic wand for those of you who detest standing in lines. It’s even easily concealed unless yer in the shower but then, hey, what would be the point?

One ‘down side’ I have noticed in this, I now have to wear a disguise to go anywhere I need stuff. If I ever lose my Darth Vader outfit, I’ll have to start shopping in Coeur d’Alene, where the lines are even bigger and therefore tempermental and prone to retributive behavior.

The first time I tried flarpin’ was purely by accident! It happened to be in my winter coat pocket where I’d put it when I was bequeathed it (my high school English teacher probably just had a stroke!), which I was wearing due to it being late May an’ all. Well, I needed a new pond filter and more hose, so naturally I went out to that big orange store in Ponderay where you may need binoculars to find what you’re seekin’. You may also need a good book to read while you stand behind some nut with a complete house package on a couple of carts in front of you at the checkout counter.

Which is what I was doing, ‘cept my book wasn’t all that good so my right hand got bored and opened up what it found in my pocket and dove in like a drunken sailor. The air pocket waiting patiently to exhale from captivity sounded quite a bit like a drunken walrus. This raised more eyebrows than Janet

Jackson at the Super Bowl!

The guy in front of me, who seemed to have everything in his carts but de-icer, suddenly and with breath held tightly went off to find some; cheeks bulging as though he was under water.

This alone saved me twenty minutes to an hour depending on whether he picked paper or plastic.

On a roll, I went across the street to that other big parkin’ lot to pick up some pool filters for my bright blue, 14’ combination dunk tank/bug trap and detritus collect-all.

Feelin’ cocky, I pulled in at the rear of the longest line available, which was big enough to have its own gravity. So I proceeded to disregard section forty-two, article 15 of the “Clean Air Act.” Maybe. The language is a little ambiguous.

Nothing happened! No reply, not even an echo. I can’t explain why. Only half the hominids in front of me had ear buds, phone jacks or helmets interfering with their audo ports. Perhaps I’ll have to give it further attention, maybe like the morning after Thanksgiving dinner.

I decided to keep it handy anyway, which soon proved providential over at the vet clinic where I’ve gotten accustomed to taking naps while getting prescriptions filled for our chemically dependent Canis-AustralisIrrediculous. In front of me was a sweet little ol’ gal with an ancient Pomeranian on visible life support, trying patiently to explain why her joy and reason for goin’ on should get a colostomy to help it survive a might longer.

After all, it figured heavily in her will.

That’s when two of my fingers went flarpin’ to distract my lips from blurtin’ out something inappropriate on such an occasion.

And by gosh, it worked again! She cranked up the oxygen on herself and her companion and hastily retreated outdoors to have a cigarette, mutterin’ something about fresh air. Now I have to get Sophie’s Rx by mail order. It was worth it though. My apologies to the good staff at POVC and I s’pose that poor little ShihTsu sitting next to me starin’ at my pocket, who thought for sure there was some exotic animal about to get loose and grab the nearest bite to eat. The autopsy showed that his sphincter

actually fused shut and he passed on a week later, bug-eyed and anal retentive.

Like I said, there are some down sides to this flarpin’ thing and I haven’t had time to research them all. I’ll post an update on our website if I come across anything startlin’ though. I sure wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt on my account.

I don’t often need to stand in line at home so I decided to do some quick research on one of my neighbors to see how he might react to this wondrous new invention and time saving appliance.

I snuck up on Pat via the blind side of his shop and inched my way under his eave until I was right behind him sitting at his computer tryin’ to figure out his new phone bill or having an aneurism, maybe both. With one eyeball hangin’ ten around the edge of his window trim, I studied his mood, looking to improve on my timing somewhat. Why, I don’t know.

I opened up my Flarp canister, pulled out the green putty, charging the system with fresh air (this is sooo easy!) and waited for the right moment. Then I got to thinkin’: he’s exarmy and I’ve heard they can be unpredictable in a weird situation which is what I was fixing to spring on him. No tellin’ what he might think of me in the heat of... well, flarpin’. Then I saw him do a double take at the ‘puter and when his shoulders bunched up around his ear lobes, I figured it was now or not at all.

With my two most talented fingers I quickly went through a repertoire of herky-herky hand actions that were as much for my own training as anything; me being a good student and all. I was testing a theory that was making itself more obvious each time I flarped. That being, people are simply too close to the edge these days!

Pat had a stranglehold on a fresh beer but his computer had one on his mind and that’s when I produced the audio probability of a medium-size gorilla with a big mouthful of marshmallows straddling an electric fence set on ‘stun and run’ (my best effort to date).

After we cleaned all the beer off the walls, ceiling, electronics, tools, knick-knacks and memorabilia he said, “You know, you vegetarians all sound the same?”

Show your “Friendship” this Fall

www.ScotchmanPeaks.org Page 28 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 9| September 2010

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