Because there’s more to life than bad news
A Newsmagazine Worth Wading Through
Scott Discovers Floating Plus: Dangerous Sandpoint, Garbage Changes, Speaking for Trees, Follow the Leader. and more inside!
September 2016 • FREE
Making a New Friend is Easy
Adopt One Today 870 Kootenai Cut-off in Ponderay
208.265.PAWS PASIdaho.org
ELDERCARE HOME‌ Abundant Life Home and Gardens since December 2010. A private, certified through the state of Idaho family home, assisted living and nursing facility, located 12 miles north of Sandpoint, Idaho, one mile off of Hwy. 95. Private and Medicaid. Loving, safe, Christian, family-style beautiful country environment. Our main service is love and compassion for those who deserve respect, honor and encouragement during this time of their lives. Our unique location at the base of the Selkirk Mountains brings nature inside including organic orchard and vegetable gardens. Fresh delicious food from scratch. Come visit us or call 208-263-9438, we’d love to talk and help you plan for those you love and care about. Many references, one opening.
IT’S TAILGATE TIME! Hope Memorial Community Center
Tailgate Sale
Sept. 10 - 8 am to Noon 415 Wellington Place • Hope, Idaho • 264-5481
At Sandpoint’s Panida Theater
KUHL Styles for Cooler Days www.FinanMcDonald.com
301 N. First, Sandpoint • 263.3622
300 N. First • 255-7801
Sept. 20 • 8 pm (doors at 7) Ultra Splash Zone - $59 (so close you’re covered) Spash Zone - $39 (taste the watermelon!) Safe Zone - $29 (no ponchos required)
www.KateMcAlister.com
Idaho House of Representatives
Seat 1A
Paid for by Kate for Representative Committee, Karl Dye Treasurer
VOTE for,ɈLJ[P]L 3LHKLYZOPW
GENERAL ELECTION NOV 8, 2016
Internet.... Everywhere
All Seasons Garden & Floral
31831 Hwy 200 Sandpoint 208.265.2944 Open Daily Monday-Saturday 9 to 5
Some Like it 4 different varieties of Garlic available from mild, to Wild! All hardy, Northwest-grown varieties.
Need reliable, high-speed Internet service? Call for a free site survey today! Intermax serves many areas of Bonner County from Dover to Hope as well as locations throughout Kootenai County.
208.762.8065 in Coeur d’Alene • 208.265.3533 in Sandpoint
www.IntermaxNetworks.com
PLUS: 20-50% OFF Trees, Shrubs, Perennials and selected Gift Shop Decor! We have all your indoor growing needs! Still open 6 days a week
Autumn Activities
with Sandpoint Parks and Rec
1123 Lake St. in Sandpoint
208-263-3613
www.SandpointIdaho.gov Scholarships available.
• The Scenic Half, Half Marathon, 5k and 10k takes place Sunday Sept. 18 at 8 am. Late reg. and packet pickup at City Beach Sept. 17 • NEW!!! Men’s volleyball. Play on Thursdays, Oct. 6-Dec. 15. Reg. deadline Sept. 9 •Women’s volleyball. Play Monday/Tuesday, Oct. 3-Dec. 13 • Co-ed Youth Flag Football Sept. 24-Oct 29 • Co-ed Youth Volleyball, grades 3-6, Nov. 5 through December 10 • Sandpoint Soccer plays Sept. 5-Oct. 29. Visit sandpointsoccer.com for info.
FIND ALL THIS AND MORE IN THE FALL ACTIVITY GUIDE The Autumn activity booklet will be available in October. Get your copy at the City Rec office, the Sandpoint Library or online. Page
September 2016
THE RIVER JOURNAL
A News Magazine Worth Wading Through
• September 2016 •
~just going with the flow~ P.O. Box 2656 Sandpoint, ID 83864 www.Facebook.com/RiverJournal (Webpage under redesign) 208.255.6957 • 208.266.1112 RiverJournalIdaho@gmail.com
STAFF Calm Center of Tranquility Trish Gannon • trishgannon@gmail.com
Ministry of Truth & Propaganda
Jody Forest • reach him in the great beyond
Sales & Other Stuff
David Broughton• 208.290.6577 • davidcbroughton@gmail.com
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle Proudly printed at Griffin Publishing in Spokane, Wash. 509.534.3625 Contents of the River Journal are copyright 2016. 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.
6. IS SANDPOINT A DANGEROUS TOWN? Recent news suggests the area might be changing. Trish Gannon
14. THE CHANGING FACE(BOOK) OF NEWS. Recent local events highlight the power of social media. DAVID KEYES - AS I SEE IT
8. WETLANDS CLASS. Brian Baxter and the friends of Scotchman Peaks offer a class on wetlands habitat this September.
16. FOCUS ON NOVEMBER Gil’s thoughts on our November choices haven’t changed. GIL BEYER - IN THE MIDDLE
9. CHANGES IN THE LOCAL GARBAGE MARKET. Learning what happens after you throw it all away. Trish Gannon
17. LOST IN A FALLACY. Clearing out the house, and the garbage in my brain. TRISH GANNON- POLITICALLY INCORRECT.
11. SILHOUETTES. He doesn’t presume to be the Lorax, but in many ways he speaks for the trees. SANDY COMPTON - THE SCENIC ROUTE
18. LEWIS’S WOODPECKER. Mike calls this a bizarre bird, but really it’s just the coloring. MIKE TURNLUND - A BIRD IN HAND
10. NEWS BRIEFS. West Nile Virus, Levy Fails, Forest Collaborative Meeting, Yard Sale and Freedom Festival
19. LEMMING LEADERS. A game of follow the leader with no leader in the Sawtooth Wilderness. ERNIE HAWKS - THE HAWK’S NEST
12 NOT MY DAY. Living with Parkinson’s Disease doesn’t protect you from life’s other calamities. A.C. WOOLNOUGH - ALL SHOOK UP 13. FIGHTING CANCER WITH BERRY GOOD NEWS. “The blues” takes on a new meaning in the fight against cancer. NANCY HASTINGS - GET GROWING
20. IMAGES. Summer helps Gary to develop the images of a more perfect union. GARY PAYTON GARY’S FAITH WALK 21. DAYDREAMING ON TRANQUIL MATTERS. Scott provides an ode to rafting... of the floaty sort. SCOTT CLAWSON - ACRES N’ PAINS
Our Thanks to these fine businesses where you can pick up a copy of the River Journal: Coeur d’Alene North Idaho College Athol Athol Conoco Westmond Westmond Store Sagle Sagle Conoco Sandpoint Waterfront Conoco The Panida Theater Vanderford’s Books Eichardt’s DiLuna’s Cafe
Columbia Bank Dairy Depot Burger Express Sandpoint City Hall Sandpoint Super Drug Gas n’ Go Super 1 Foods Ponderay The Hoot Owl Cafe Babe’s One Stop Co-Op Country Store The Bonner Mall Schweitzer Conoco Hope
Holiday Shores Clark Fork Hay’s Chevron Monarch Market Clark Fork Beverage Samuels Samuels Service Station Elmira Elmira Store Naples Naples Gen. Store Bonners Ferry Super One Foods Safeway
Bonner Books Bonners Visitor Center Noxon Big Sky Pantry Aitken’s Quik Stop Noxon Mercantile Trout Creek Trout Creek Local Store Thompson Falls Town Pump Harvest Foods Plains Conoco The Printery
September 2016
Page
Is Sandpoint a Dangerous Town? If you’re a consumer of social media, particularly the various “local forums” on Facebook, you might be wondering if Sandpoint has gone to the dogs. Almost daily these forums are filled with reports of items stolen, cars broken into, and reports of youth violence. And then an article began circulating, naming Sandpoint, Idaho — yes, that’s our Sandpoint — as the most dangerous town in Idaho. What’s going on? First, that article. The story, shared from the “Only in Your State/Idaho” website, was based on FBI statistics from 2013. So even if we agree with the premise, we’re a few years behind the curve ball on this one. But do we agree with the premise? That would depend on how we define “dangerous.” A closer look at those FBI statistics (2013 is the most current year for which they’re available) reveals that Sandpoint gains its distinction based on crimes against property, not crimes against people. It’s in the areas of burglary, property crime, larceny/theft and motor vehicle theft where our numbers begin to skew the curve. Violent crime (19 reported incidents) is relatively nonexistent; zero reported murders, zero reported rapes, and zero reported robberies. Robbery, by the way, is a crime against both person and property. To be charged with a robbery, a person must have taken (or attempted to take) property from a person, using force. Burglary, on the other hand, is the act of entering a structure with the intent to commit a crime, while theft consists of actually taking property from another without permission. So the designation of ‘dangerous’ doesn’t hold much water if you see
danger as related to physical harm to a person; nonetheless, Sandpoint is (or was) climbing in those statistics that place our property at risk. As a rule, property crime rises as the economy falls, and economic recovery has lagged behind the rest of the state and the nation in Bonner County. A 2015 research report by Headwaters Economics (Bonner County, Idaho’s Resilient Economy) offers some hope in that area, but also some grim statistics for those who live here. Unemployment is dropping, but remains higher than the rest of the state and the nation. While the number of jobs has actually grown, that growth has been outpaced by growth in the labor force, and average earnings per job are only barely increasing. In addition, housing is unaffordable. The U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development defines housing as unaffordable once it reaches 30 percent of income: in Bonner County, housing costs consume 50 percent of income for owners, 47 percent for renters. The most promising economic growth, in fact, reflects an aging community: the growth in non-labor income. Non-labor income (investments, retirement dollars and the like) now accounts for half of the personal income of Bonner County residents. So what does this have to do with crime? It’s an indication that there are still many in the area struggling to get by, and at least some of those may choose theft from others as a way to increase their personal income. If you’re among that portion of residents with property that others might find attractive, there are some things you can do to reduce your risk of being burgled. The most important action to take is
to reduce your home’s attractiveness to burglers. That is, don’t invite them in. This means locking your doors (anathema to many of us who have been here a while), not only on your home but on your vehicle as well. Don’t make it easy for someone to steal your property. Don’t leave valuable items visible in your yard; things like bicycles, sports equipment and the like. If they’re not in use, lock them up. Be aware that most property crimes occur during the day. This goes for your car as well: don’t leave expensive purchases visible where they can tempt a thief. Report crimes as soon as they occur. You might think the theft is small and not worth the hassle of calling the police, but small crimes add up and thieves are not deterred when many victims choose not to report a crime. And note: posting what happened on Facebook is not the equal of reporting a crime to the police. Develop a list of your possessions that includes photos, serial numbers, and anything else that might help to identify your property if it’s ever stolen and recovered. Consider joining, or starting, a neighborhood watch program. The county provides support for these programs (call the Sheriff’s office), but even informal agreements with your neighbors to keep an eye on each other’s
RON’S REPAIR Hope, Idaho 264-5529 Or 208-290-7487 Email r.repair43@gmail.com
Repair & Recycling
Lawn, Garden, Snow Equipment, Generators, Pumps and Older Outboards.
Two doors west of the Hope Post Office
WATERFRONT • RESIDENTIAL • ACREAGE • COMMERCIAL
Buying or selling, our experienced staff can help make your real estate dreams come true! 113 Cedar St. Sandpoint • 208.263.3167 • CMBrewster.com Page
I Buy Batteries Ron Powell
September 2016
property can be a deterrent; thieves rely on targets who aren’t paying attention. If your finances support it, consider investing in a security system. Finally, consider investing in your community: do what you can to help those who are not as well off, and make this a place where no one feels the only way they can get by is to take from others. -Trish Gannon
Proud to Provide Environmentally Conscientious Construction and Consultation P.O. Box 118 • Hope, Idaho • 208.264.5621
Two great weekends of celebration! September 3, 4 & 5 D N A R G September 10 & 11 ! G N I N OPE
September 2016
Page
Thank You Thank you to the fairgoers, vendors, exhibitors, superintendents, the many volunteers, and committee members for the hours donated. To our 4-H leaders, members, Jennifer, Suzanne, Abby and Patti with 4-H and Extension. We will all miss Patti she retires in March. The Fair Board that provides direction and affords us an award-winning fair and events throughout the year : Larry, Gail, Sharon, Marj, Elaine, Monica and with over 23 years of service Tim. Bob Snider, Sheena Fiedler, Gary Spurgeon who put their heart and soy into their jobs to bring our community a beautiful facility and work at numerous events all year and our totally awesome fair staff. To the current board of commissioners for their support of our fair A special thank you to our valued sponsors for supporting the 2016 “Farm Gate to Dinner Plate” Fair, Rodeo, Challenge of Champions, and Demo Derby, which packed the grandstands. The entertainers that worked so great with us. I am very appreciative of the local nonprofits that brought back old fashioned family dinners. This community fair reflects tradition, love of community and plants seeds for the future.
Thank you, Rhonda Livingstone Fair and Facility Manager Page
Wetlands Class
Brian Baxter of Silver Cloud Associates to lead class on riparian habitat for Friends of Scotchman Peaks Early autumn is a beautiful time to study wetland habitats! Cool mornings keep the insects down, fall bird migration is happening, and beaver, otter, muskrat and mink are busy preparing for winter. Wetland habitats are some of the richest environs in our area. Diversity is the key word here, with wetland plants, sedges, and riparian trees and shrubs, as well as wildlife in a stunning variety of species. On Saturday, September 10, Brian Baxter, one of Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness’ outdoor education specialists, will lead a class on riparian habitats and the things that live there. The class will begin with a classroom session at the Heron Community Center at 9 am Pacific Time, 10 Mountain, and then transition to the field for an afternoon of onsite Bring along your cameras, binoculars and tracking guidebooks as the class
will also scope out birds of prey, waterfowl, terrestrial mammals, aquatic mammals and their tracks in the mud! The class will also be on the lookout for amphibians and reptiles. Each adventure depends on what Mother Nature chooses to show and share, but classe like this always find some treasures, Bring lunch and snacks, rain gear, layers for those changes in the weather and good walking shoes. Waterproof boots are a plus. This hike is rated easy to moderate with some short hikes into field locations. Meet at the Heron Community Center with a full tank of gas! To sign up for this class, visit www. scotchmanpeaks.org/event/wetlandwanderings-with-brian-baxter/ Photo below: FSPW outdoor education teacher Brian Baxter leads a class in the Ross Creek Cedars.
“We have lost respect... for the intricate web of life that water supports.” Sandra Postel
September 2016
Changes in the Local Garbage Market Having visited the transfer station in Clark Fork quite frequently in the last two months, as I prepared to move, I noticed the changes right away. “Just put it all in the ‘lumber’ bin,” the attendant told me one morning as I pulled in with a truck load of used building supplies, yard waste, old fencing and odds and ends. The county is no longer separating out some of its garbage; instead, it will all be trucked to a landfill in Oregon. “It was a financial decision,” explained Matt Klingler, the Public Works Director for Bonner County. The county contracts with Waste Management for garbage pickup, and “it ends up being a matter of logistics,” he said. Separate roll-offs for metal, lumber and yard waste meant separate trucks had to be sent out to pick up the loads in each one. For outlying transfer stations and facilities, that cost added up until, “it was no longer cost effective to do it.” Residents who would like to see their metal waste recycled as opposed to landfilled can still take their metal items to the landfill in Colburn, or to Pacific Steel and Recycling in Sandpoint. (At Pacific Steel, you can also specify the dollars you receive for metal be donated to the local Disabled American Veterans chapter.) In addition, the wood piles at the Colburn site will now also end up in landfills. Formerly, the county contracted with a company to grind up wood products for re-use, but neighbor complaints about the dust have put an end to that practice. “Unfortunately, it’s not a product we can sell,” said Matt, and the county wants to be a good neighbor. “We’ll still be grinding wood at our sites on the west side of the county, though,” he added. What to do with the massive amount of garbage generated by county residents is an on-going dance with cost-effectiveness in the lead and happy neighbors as a partner, while adapting to realities in the world at large is the tune that plays in the background. Take tires for instance. (Take them to
the transfer station, in fact.) The county pays around $5,000 to $6,000 a month for a company to take the tires and grind them up for re-use in other projects. At one time the county tried to recoup some of that cost by charging a drop-off fee for tires; the result was residents who dumped their used tires on the side of the road. “We decided it was worth the cost to us to allow people to drop off tires for free, rather than seeing them dumped throughout the county,” Matt said. Electronics dance to a similar tune.
There is a company that will pay for old televisions and computers because there are valuable materials inside that can be recycled. But newer televisions and LCD computer screens, “are literally throw-away,” Matt explained. “There’s nothing of value to be gained by taking them apart.” Electronics can also be recycled at no extra charge at our transfer stations. Glass and plastic recycling, long a dream of many locals who embrace the three Rs of reduce, reuse and recycle, won’t be coming our way any time soon. “I haven’t seen it myself, but I’ve heard the glass and plastic are really piling up in Spokane,” said Matt. At one time, China would buy almost as much glass and plastic as we could throw away. But times change and that market has dried up, particularly as growth in China means they’re producing ever more of their own trash. “It would cost us close to $750,000 a year to recycle glass and plastic here. It seems counter-intuitive; it should be cheaper to recycle,” said
by Trish Gannon
Matt. “But it’s not.” In the short term future, the county is planning to continue with improvements at its various sites around the county... paving, and keeping them clean. They’ve also brought in a large container for recycling cardboard at the Dufort site (“They pay for cardboard, though not a lot.”) and hope to do the same at other sites down the road. “And once we get that done, then long term, lowering the tax bill for people,” Matt said. The waste hierarchy suggests to reduce, reuse, and then recycle, but with a growing population, along with a consumer-based culture, it’s not likely the county is going to be dealing with a reduction in waste any time soon. The second option of re-use, however, gets a growing workout in the “minimalls” located at the transfer stations — places where locals leave items of values for others to take home as they please. That’s another area that Matt is looking at, expanding the areas made available where people can do just that. Over the years, these growing changes in how the county deals with its garbage have been positive, at least from the standpoint of aesthetics. It is increasingly rare (though not completely over) that we drive down our back roads to find furniture, household appliances and car parts randomly thrown into ditches. The dump sites themselves may not be particularly attractive, but they’re all enclosed by fences and the newer ones, like Clark Fork, are kept scrupulously clean. It is obvious that the challenges of dealing with garbage will continue to change as the world changes around us. We can all do our part to support the efforts of our own community by dumping our waste responsibly, recycling where we can, making available items that can be reused by others and paying attention to the ways in which we can reduce our own consumption.
September 2016
Page
West Nile Virus in Boundary County
While the national news is full of information about Zika virus, local concern should focus more on West Nile virus, confirmed in a mid-August press release from Panhandle Health as present in Bonners Ferry, causing the death of two horses. West Nile Virus, carried and spread by infected mosquitos, can mimic symptoms of the common cold or flu: headaches, fever, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. Some people exhibit a skin rash which typically shows up 2 to 14 days after being bitten. Those over the age of 50, or with underlying health issues, are typically more at risk for severe illness. While most West Nile infections are mild, a small portion of those infected (less than one percent) can go on to develop neurologic illnesses such as meningitis or encephalitis, which is sometimes fatal. Panhandle Health reports that West Nile was first confirmed in Idaho in 2004, but the horse deaths in Boundary County are the first reports of the virus in North Idaho since 2006. West Nile virus infection is particularly dangerous for horses, with a close to 30 percent fatality rate. A vaccine for West Nile is available for horses; there is currently no vaccine available for humans. Reducing exposure
to mosquitos (via insect repellents and skin covering) and eliminating standing water which can harbor mosquitos is critical in avoiding this virus.
Lake Pend Oreille School District Levy Fails
A $55.1 million plant facilities levy to build new schools in the Lake Pend Oreille School District, including a new middle school in Sandpoint, failed substantially at the polls on August 30. With close to a 50 percent voter turnout, almost 67 percent of those voters declined to support the levy request (as of 8 am Aug. 31). The levy, which was designed to last for 6 years, would have cost almost $200 per year to a homeowner with an assessed value of $100,000 after factoring in the homeowner’s exemption in the first year of the levy.
Panhandle Forest Collaborative Meeting Sept. 14
The Panhandle Forest Collaborative, a diverse group focusing on issues in the Panhandle National Forest, will be meeting on Wednesday, September 14 from 12:00-3:30 PM at the County Administration Building, 1st Floor Conference Room, 1500 HWY 2, Sandpoint. Contact Liz Johnson-Gebhardt, Panhandle Forest Collaborative Chair (lizjg35@hotmail.com, (208)
448-0210) for more information, or visit https://sites.google.com/site/ panhandleforestcollaborative/home to find more information about the Panhandle Forest Collaborative and current projects.
Sandpoint Area Seniors Yard Sale Sept. 9
“One person’s trash is another’s treasure!” The SASi Seniors and friends of SASi have been cleaning out their closets and cupboards! Come on down to the Sandpoint Senior Center’s garage at 820 Main Street to find your treasures on Friday, September 9 from 9am - 3pm. Lots of clothing, kids’ stuff, furniture, craft items and more! All proceeds will help fund SASi’s valuable food program for homebound seniors and for families getting help for Alzheimer’s at the DayBreak Center. For more info, call 208-263-6860 or go to www. sandpointareaseniors.org.
Inland Northwest Freedom Festival Sept. 17
An Inland Northwest Freedom Festival will take place at the Bonner County Fairgrounds in Sandpoint on September 17 from 8:00am-7:00pm, Followed by music from Hit Christian Country Group Red Roots from 7-9pm. America is presently under judgment – and the worst is yet to come. We must prepare our churches to live faithfully, boldly, and filled with hope in the present age. There is a day of deliverance coming for every believer EVERGREEN REALTY and we will overcome – not in the Whatever Your Event Needs present age, but in the promised future God has made available to all who put Sales Associate, GRI their trust in Him. This event stems from a grass roots movement of Christfollowers who are seeking to unite the Christian community by igniting the presence of Christ and His Gospel through the promotion of the biblical values of freedom and liberty in which our great nation was founded. Prominent Custom Wedding & Event Supplies national and local speakers, as well as Dishes, linens, chairs, tables, tents influential musicians, have been invited and more. Expanded selection to promote and inspire a vision toward restoring the time honored values of covers any event, big or small. 321 N. First Ave. - Sandpoint freedom and liberty set forth by our 800.829.6370 Founding Fathers. For more information 1201 Michigan St. • Sandpoint 208.263.6370 on the event and the speakers, log on to www.weddingsinsandpoint.com www.inlandnorthwest freedomalliance. EvergreenRealty.com org or email information@ SchweitzerMountain.com northwestfreedomfestival.org. Page 10 September 2016
Curt Hagan
We’ve Got It Covered
All About Weddings
208.263.9748
and
ing ater the d to as ake ues
ore vey ater heir
Silhouettes
At dusk, I come to the confluence of two of my favorite rivers. Having followed one south through its spectacular sources, I turn west and follow the other home. The mid-summer sky resembles a pewter plate with a hammered copper rim at the downstream edge and a deep blue burnish in the east. Against that bright western sky, lacy silhouettes of the forest rise, sometimes en masse, but more often as individual filigrees reaching toward the light. At sixty miles an hour, they leap straight out of the hillside at my approach, ascending into the light like spears thrust up in some ancient ritual dance. They are each different. The pines: spindly, bristling, roughskinned lodgepole; tall, graceful, heavytopped white pine; young, bushy, longneedled Ponderosa — bull pine full of knots and sap and deformities, the ugly duckling of the forest; a hundred years away from being stately, self-pruned yellow pine 120 feet tall. Grand fir — white fir, balsam fir, piss fir, depending on what you might have done for money in the forest. They have pointed tops and branches that sweep down and out. Doug fir, most useful weed in the woods, is rounded in the crown, with heavy limbs drooping away from the trunk. These are often marred by a void where wind or snow has broken out a mass of branches. Western larch — tamarack, and don’t let easterners tell you different — are tall and straight with limbs arcing up from the bole like stacked menorahs in the upper reaches of the tree. Hemlock have dangling leaders Council website at tristatecouncil.org.
Hay’s Chevron Gas • Convenience Store Unofficial Historical Society
Oil Changes Tire Rotation by appointment
208-266-1338
by Sandy Compton heavy with tiny cones and the second messiest limb pattern in the forest. Only cottonwoods are less organized, with massive leaves, bulky trunks and a spray of big branches exploding all akimbo out and down from the top. Paper birches, with elliptic, serrate leaves, often have bunched boles and very possibly spiky dying tops courtesy of the birch borer. Aspen, with heartshaped leaves and slender, bone-white trunks growing straight up, are one of the most graceful — and short-lived — trees in our forest. Cedars have butt-heavy tapered boles with shaggy branches that sweep down and out before rising again near the end. Against the light, each generalized shape allows me to discern its distinct species, but every tree has its own form. This evening, viewed against that sky, all stand out as individuals, each as unique as any living population might be. Each has its history. Many — if not most — are longer than mine or any homo sapiens for that matter. I would guess that over half of the silhouettes I witness tonight germinated before the entirety of the present human population of the earth was conceived. Our culture — and a lot of others, for that matter — tends to treat trees and most other plants as objects, something to be dealt with, at and for our convenience. I’m not immune. I may be somewhat more sensitive than some to the value of a forest — or an individual tree — but I’m guilty of occasional bouts of mercenary herbicide. I’ve sent loads of logs to the mill for money. And I admit that there is nothing quite like taking the measure of a big tree and felling it exactly where I wish it to be.
The Scenic Route Sandy Compton’s book The Scenic Route, as well as his many others, is available online at bluecreekpress.com, or at Vanderford’s Books or The Corner Bookstore in Sandpoint.
mrcomptonjr@hotmail.com I come by it naturally. Grandpa logged that place down the river with a crosscut. Dad logged it with a 35-pound Homelite. I use a Stihl with a weight-topower ratio that would astound either of them. Lucky me. When I was in 4-H about a thousand years ago, my focus was forestry. Kids across the river raised beef cows and showed sheep and took chickens and rabbits to fair. I filled three-ring binders with pressed needles and slices of wood, cones and bark samples. I skewered tiny bugs — and some big ones — on pins and lined them up in plastic boxes to show the common forest pests. I undertook forest thinning projects, once to the detriment of my right foot, which still bears a scar from the day I sliced into my boot with a single-bit axe. So, I have been living and working with trees for a long time, it seems. Perhaps that is why tonight, as I follow my river home, it’s like coming into a crowd and recognizing old and dear friends by their profiles. Each silhouette speaks to me of respect and gratitude, acknowledging the myriad seasons and planetary resources necessary to make that living stick of wood a reality. It’s not “just” a tree. It’s as much a miracle of creation and evolution as we are. And, likely, it took longer to build. As we attempt to “manage” the planet, let us remember that the Earth isn’t really ours, any more than the trees are. We are the Earth’s and the trees are fellow travelers with us. Sandy Compton has sold books to almost all of his friends. Now, he would like some strangers to buy some. www. bluecreekpress.com.
m | Vol 17 No. 18 | November 2008 | Page 5 September 2016
Page 11
All Shook Up
Not My Day
A.C. Woolnough
A.C. Woolnough is the stroke (in the early 1950s) my world was, It was not my day. In fact, it was not Asst. State Director for the as they say, rocked! my day for three days in a row. Parkinson’s Action Network. Most of the rest of the day was a blur It all started in February in as was the next morning and the ride to Washington DC. For the second year in the airport. Because of schedules, I had a row, I was attending The Parkinson’s ACWooly@gmail.com a three-hour wait at the airport and the Action Network Forum where about only bright spot of the three-day trip — I 250 folks in the Parkinson’s Disease missed the shuttle to NIH (and my hotel) had a Maryland crab cake in Maryland community spend time advocating by ten minutes and the next one was 90 (an item on my bucket list). The flights for federal funding for neurological minutes later. I met a nice gentleman were uneventful (although Baltimore to research. Typically, in these gatherings, who had been going to NIH for cancer Phoenix to Spokane is anything but a most of the attendees are Caucasian— treatments for many years who knew straight line) and we landed at a little for a variety of historical and cultural his way around the airport and where after 11 pm. I’m used to Alaska Air’s reasons — think about some of the to pick up the shuttle — except the 20-minute baggage guarantee and was unethical research minority groups shuttle never arrived. After another disappointed by the 45-minute wait for have been subjected to, for example. hour, we finally took a cab and I arrived my gate-checked bag — causing me to When I saw an African American at my hotel after 11 pm instead of early get home after 1:00 am. woman sitting by herself at breakfast I afternoon. It was not my day. Like I said, it was not my day. joined her and started a conversation. It The next morning, I took the shuttle turned out that she is the Patient Care to NIH and went through security, NOTE: As I write this, I have an Coordinator for the National Institute of admissions and began to get poked, MRI scheduled for tomorrow. Future Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the prodded, stabbed, examined and columns will continue to chronicle National Institute of Health in Bethesda evaluated — all relatively routine my journey with Parkinson’s and Maryland — across the street from for research studies. Then came the information on strokes. Until then, Walter Reed Army Hospital where the bombshell. The doctor asked me if I please have a better day than I did. President gets his annual checkup. She ever had an MRI (brain scan) — I have invited me to participate in a PD study not. She was surprised by my answer. there, saying I would be the first person This was after several repetitions of from Idaho to do so. reflex tests and the like — followed by a An appointment was made, travel frown and “hmmm…” Needless to say, arrangements completed and I packed I became concerned and asked why she for the trip. The bad news was a 6:00 thought I would have had an MRI. She am departure from Spokane airport. paused for a moment and then said, “I To err on the side of caution, I always think you’ve had a stroke in the recent plan for two hours from my house to the past.” Since my grandfather died from a airport and a 45-minute cushion before departure. That meant leaving no later The vision of Your eyes may than 3:15 am — ugh! And then things took a turn for the worse. As I traveled panelized, change with time south on 95 through Sagle, I switched realized. but your lifestyle to the news only to hear that Delta (my doesn't have to. airline) had a world-wide ground stop due to a “system malfunction.” What to All general vision do? Go home and wait for things to get needs with many better — and potentially miss my flight insurances accepted. when operations resumed? Or, proceed An independent to the airport and wait — for who knows optometrist with how long? 14 years local I decided to continue and had the experience. opportunity to watch the sun rise as the plane sat forlornly on the tarmac. Two 208.255.5513 www.mehomes.net hours late, we arrived in Salt Lake City. The good news was they were passing Paul Koch, O.D. out free snacks and drinks. The bad Offices conveniently located news was they were doing so because Dan McMahon, Gen. Contractor in the Vision Center at of another two-hour delay. After finally Ponderay WalMart dan@mebldg.com arriving in Baltimore, I discovered I had Page 12 September 2016
Sustainable. Adaptable. Sensible. (208)264.6700
Get Growing!
Fighting Cancer with Berry Good News
Nancy Hastings grew up on a 300-acre farm and owns All Seasons Garden and Floral in Sandpoint with her husband John. They have been cultivating community gardens and growing for almost two decades in North Idaho. AllSeasonsGardenandFloral@gmail.com
We all know that sunscreen protects us against the chance of skin cancer. But what if what you’re eating and growing today could also form building blocks to screen out and decrease your chance of cancer? The University of Ohio and other researchers have unlocked amazing discoveries on the one-two punch of antioxidants and phytochemicals in specifically dark skinned berries and fruits in the fight against cancer. Studies on human cells have found that anthocyanins, a natural compound in plants that colors the red, purple and blue fruits, made a sizable impact on the growth of cancer cells. Another phytochemical released from these dark fruits is ellagic acid, which prevents the carcinogens from attaching to our DNA and strengthens connective tissue to keep cancer from spreading. In Ohio State’s experiments the cancer was not only slowed down, but up to 20 percent of the cancer cells were killed. The top ten super dark fruits are carefully rated according to their antioxidant and polyphenols content and include the 1. Elderberry, 2. Aronia (Black Chokeberry), 3. Black Currant 4. Blueberries 5. Sweet Cherry 6. Strawberry 7. Blackberry 8. Plum 9. Raspberry and 10. Apple The antioxidants produced from these fruits neutralize highly reactive molecules that are called free radicals that can damage our cells and lead to both cancer and inflammation, which causes many other chronic health problems, including heart disease. It’s hard to believe that the health news of these “Super Fruits” could get any better, but amazingly enough we are doubly fortunate because all of these
ten are very easy to grow in own back yards! Further studies have concluded that flash freezing these fruits still preserves most of their beneficial properties for us to enjoy through a healthy winter! The top two of these super fruits are probably the most unknown to the average consumer. When looking for Elderberry (the common name for the
plant) you must focus on looking for the specific genus of Sambucus Canadensis — York, Adams and Nova are the best producers for medicinals. Because it is a native to our area, you may find some of these tall plants with their dark blue/ black clusters along the roadside. Please be alert to county herbicide spraying that is done in most of the ditches and steer away from that immediate area and pick from wild bushes a good 50 yards off the road, with permission of course. Elderberries should be cooked down and juiced to extract their
by Nancy Hastings
wonders and then can be canned in mason jars to preserve their freshness. Never pick the red elderberries or eat elderberries raw as the skins have certain toxins that will give you a tummy ache. There are many beautiful “ornamental” dark leafed Sambucus used in landscapes that may produce some berries, but these are not meant to be eaten. Aronia melanorcarpa is the botanical plant you are looking for if you seek to add Black Chokeberry to your arsenal of antioxidant eats. The Autumn Magic Aronia has become one of my favorite landscape additions as a medium, 5foot privacy screen with durable, rich leathery green leaves that turn brilliant red in the fall long after the burning bush is bare. This chokeberry is easy to grow and throws off wonderful spring sprays of white flowers that will become your medicinal maverick once the black berries form in the fall and are cooked down. Much like the elderberries… avoid the “red berry” Aronia brilliantissima, this is purely a beautiful landscape plant and not meant to be picked for medicinal use. Better eating habits can begin today and impact your health for the rest of your life. Why not take a walk around your yard and see where you can plant these wonderful cancer fighting fruits in your landscape? If you’d like more information, visit online at cancertutor. com/ellagicacid.
DiLuna’s Cafe
Simply Great Food Open Wed-Sun, 8-2
220 Cedar St. Sandpoint 208.263.0846
September 2016
Page 13
The Changing Face(book) of News
208-290-5947 Beautiful country home in Sandpoint, on 5 acres with expansive views of Schweitzer. Recently updated, 4 BR, 3 BA. Barn/shop with chicken coop, greenhouse, room for RV. Fenced garden, fruit trees, treehouse & close to town! $429,000 20161217 Affordable Housing Opportunity on a turk key home in Priest River. 3 BD, 2 BA ready for eligible buyer. Income limits apply. Quiet street and close to town amenities. Fenced yard plus new paint, carpet and appliances. $150.000 20163179 Homestead ready single level home nested in the woods in Clark Fork. Fenced open area, 4 BR, 2 BA on 5 +/- acres. Well cared for with multiple outbuildings. Beautiful mountain views, quiet road and peaceful setting. $275,500 20161388 Updated home on 3+ parked out acres in Priest River. 3 BR/ 2 BA plus two bonus rooms on second floor. Two-car and single car detached garages. Barn/shop with attached dog kennel. Very private home. $224,900 20143651 Two homes for an affordable price on close to an acre in Clark Fork. Doublewide with 4 BR, 2 BA plus 2 BR, 2 BA singlewide. Quiet, private setting yet in town. New roofs on both properties. Skylights, covered porches, upgrades. Great for an extended family or investment opportunity. $164,000 20163159
It was just a matter of time that social media reporting gained a foothold in this area. It might have been destined anyway, but a few changes in our media market sped the move along. For those of you who aren’t part of the Facebook, Twitter world — not to mention the Instagram and Snapchat phenomenon — the rest of this column is not for you. You Luddites are dismissed to go back to your rotary dial phones, TVs with three stations and your eight track players. For the rest of you, welcome to the brave, new world of getting information out in our region. With the disemboweling of staff at the Daily Bee, the complete and continuing turnover of news and ad staffs at the Bonners Ferry Herald and the shuttering of the Priest River Times office in the past 18 months, it was inevitable that Facebook sites like Sandpoint Rant & Rave, News Bonners Ferry and Priest River-Newport Area News would dig in. This sea change was never more evident than during the run up to the school levy election that was held on Tuesday, Aug. 30. The pro and anti levy folks hit Facebook with abandon about six months ago. The pro levy organization would send out photos of poor school conditions on
all of the local Facebook sites and the antis would answer with evidence that the district wasn’t spending its money wisely. Local Facebook people would repost the information on their personal pages and pretty soon the information was spread far and wide accompanied by smiling, frowning or heart-shaped emoticons. Each side also deployed what are called trolls. If there were a positive posting about the levy, sure enough Tracy Ford Lutrick and others would answer and question the information and usually insult the poster. On the other hand, if there was some anti-levy information out there, there was a group of five or so folks deployed to challenge the information. Some were school district employees. These folks didn’t usually resort to name calling but it was obvious that all sides were watching the FB sites like never before. Mrs. Lutrick, who moved here a few years ago from Alabama, is an extreme troll. It isn’t uncommon for her to keep up arguments on three or four Facebook pages simultaneously, to the delight of her supporters, and to the groaning dismay of others who would prefer not to see her name pop up quite so often. Full disclosure: I went the social media route during the primary season
Annie’s Orchard Plants • Shrubs • Trees • Landscaping Supplies
Mon-Sat 8am to 5pm • 1 Mile West of Clark Fork • 266-1245 PLUS Annie’s Orchard Antiques, Equipment Rentals and Kayak Rentals! Call Carol Curtis Asso. Broker, GRI, Realtor
Don’t Travel Miles... Check Out Our Piles!
208-290-5947 Page 14
September 2016
The Way I See It when former ISP officer Terry Ford took on Daryl Wheeler to be Bonner County Sheriff. There were some questions raised about how Wheeler and his family handled the affairs of elderly neighbors and a grandson of the couple raised issue with the fact that the sheriff and his family were getting paid to help the couple. The Bee was scared off of the story but that didn’t stop social media. This is where I first learned about the fine art of trolling from Mrs. Lutrick. Pretty soon the Facebook sites Sandpoint Watchdog, Rosebud and Sandpoint Local Forum had lively discussions underway about why Sheriff Wheeler should retain his seat or if he should be booted. His undersheriff was fired when it came to light that he had constructed a fake website with this opponent’s name and likeness. That didn’t hurt Wheeler in the primary and he crushed Ford. Ford is back for the general election as a write in candidate. Each community in this area has its own Facebook page and many have lots of them. Bonners Ferry has: • News Bonners Ferry • Bonners Ferry • Bonners Ferry Idaho • Bonners Ferry Facebook yard sale • Bonners Ferry Rant and Rave • Bonners Ferry Yard Sale There are six more with Boundary County in their names. One page — News Bonners Ferry — just hired back longtime local journalist Mike Weland to be its editor. Weland was a Facebook pioneer in Boundary County and cut his journalistic teeth as a reporter for the Bonners Ferry Herald and Kootenai Valley Times and was the information officer for Boundary County. He developed a solid Facebook following before he left for Alaska and established an active FB page there. In the meantime, he kept his audience in Boundary County entertained with downright funny posts mixed with police blotter activity as well an an x-rated post here and there to
by David Keyes David Keyes is the former publisher of three North Idaho newspapers.
DavidKeyes09@gmail.com keep people checking in. News Bonners Ferry has 3,812 likes while the 100+ year-old Bonners Ferry Herald has 2,092 likes and fewer paid subscribers. News Bonners Ferry does a much better job updating its Facebook page with breaking news, police reports, etc. than the Herald. Sandpoint and Priest River also have a ton of Facebook pages — each with its own stated purpose but all morphing into the space that used to be occupied by the local newspaper. Each locale has a Rant & Rave page that does a much better job of letting people vent than the letters to the editor sections of the area papers. There are numerous yard sale or to give away pages that have ripped revenue right out of the classified ad sections. The problem is our local newspapers have ceded their unique positions in our communities by practicing topdown information dissemination. Long gone are the days where an editor or publisher decides what is news. The news and advertising monopoly that once inhabited most of the towns in our region has all but been replaced by active websites, Facebook pages and the Sandpoint Reader. The trend is accelerating. The impact of social media has fundamentally changed how elections will be won and lost here and, more importantly, how residents will get their information. As we go to press, it’s clear the antilevy folks were successful in their social media campaign against the school district. With an approximate 50 percent voter turnout, close to 67 percent of those voters sent a resounding NO! to the school board.
American Heritage Wildlife Foundation
preserving wildlife through rehabilitation and education. An Idaho 501(c)3 and North Idaho’s only non-profit with permits to work with mammals and birds.
YOU CAN HELP!
PINTS FOR A CAUSE September 14 at Idaho Pour Authority, 203 Cedar in Sandpoint, 5–8 pm
COMEDY NIGHT FOR WILDLIFE September 17 at the Sandpoint Center (Columbia Bank Bldg.) with Kermit Apio. 6 pm. Tickets $20. Appetizers provided, silent auction, raffles
Sip n’ Shop for Wildlife
Oct. 5 at the Pend d’Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar in Sandpoint. 5–8 pm.
Scarecrow Contest
through October at Hickey Farms. Entry fee is $10, prizes awarded! American Heritage Wildlife Foundation
www.AHWF.org 208.266.1488
September 2016
Page 15
The Focus is on November by Gil Beyer
Here in the Middle
Okay, the Labor Day holiday weekend for ‘more efficient management’. Here A retired Navy man, Gil Beyer has served is over. The kids are back in school and you can think ‘the feds pay the bills as a library trustee and on the county the lakes are once again ours. We have (firefighting and road maintenance) and Planning & Zoning survived another invasion of relatives the states get the profits from selling board, (where he had and friends from less scenic areas. But off our hunting, fishing and recreating the distinction of being all is not serene in North Idaho. We have lands.’ At a recent “Conversations with fired from a volunteer just entered the Final Sixty Days before Constituents” event at Farmin Park, position). He is currently the General Election! Labrador called a questioner ‘rude’ when the county Democratic I’m not going to get into the morass she asked a question about alternative State Committeeman that is the Presidential race. Idaho will energy funding he didn’t want to and LD1 Chair. have so little impact on that race it isn’t answer. This event was essentially 40vintage@gmail.com even worth talking about. We need to unannounced with only the BCRCC and focus on the so called ‘Down Ticket’ Sandpoint Parks & Recreation being ousted official almost eight months to races. A look at the ballot reveals real informed. Could it be he didn’t want plant IEDs for the incoming people to choices for Idaho voters. From the US much real ‘conversation’? deal with. The ousted person won’t be Senate down, the decisions we make Moving on to Idaho Legislative around to deal with all the stuff they on November 8th will impact Idaho District 1, there is a real opportunity sneak in. Case in point is the elimination for several years. It is time to ignore to make things better for the majority of Panhandle Health District’s oversight party labels and vote in our own best of North Idahoans. We need to retain of septic system placement. Suddick interests. the most effective Senator we’ve ever and Bailey won’t have to deal with the Starting with the US Senate race, the had (Shawn Keough) and oust the fallout from that ridiculous decision but incumbent has been in office since 1998. House incumbents. We need to replace many homeowners will. I’ll bet that During that time he has twice voted Scott and Dixon with people who the premiums the county has to pay for against the Affordable Care Act (2009 really care about the majority of the insurance will go up as more decisions & 2010); against expended background District’s residents. Kate McAlister go against the county. The lawsuits are checks for gun buyers (2013); sent out a and Stephen Howlett would bring a already beginning to pile up. press release saying that ‘up or down’ breath of fresh air to Boise. If we can Let’s start a ‘write-in’ campaign for votes should be made for Supreme Court get all the Independents and disaffected County Commissioner, District Three. nominees of President Bush (2006) Republicans to go to the polls in We can write-in “Anybody but Dan and then reversing that position on November we have a real chance to McDonald.” Recently there are rumors President Obama’s nominee in 2016. improve our image: the image we now that there really is some interest in Crapo is also known as the first Mormon have is of being a bunch of xenophobic, doing a write-in campaign to compete elected to the Senate from Idaho and gun-toting, climate change deniers that against McDonald. It appears that there for being fined $250 (2013) with a year’s would make the Bible a text book in are many disaffected Republicans and suspension of his driver’s privileges our schools. That image is abhorrent unaffiliated voters who are tired of after pleading guilty to a DUI. Let’s to most but we all would have to vote minority rule. Maybe true democracy just say it appears his principles are to change it! Personally, I don’t want will return to north Idaho. We again will ‘flexible’. a representative who thinks the Civil look at candidates rather than party. In Congressional District 1, the War isn’t over after 150 years or one The write-in candidacy of Terry Ford incumbent, Labrador, is seeking his who listens to the ‘little Supreme Court for Sheriff could be very good for Bonner fourth term in the US House. His major in his head’ to make decisions. There County. The incumbent only won by accomplishment in office thus far are reasons that we have separation of 1,104 votes in a closed primary. The was to force a shutdown of the entire Church and State. incumbent won’t be protected in the federal government in 2013 over the Next we come to Bonner County general election when everyone gets to Affordable Care Act. That fiasco cost races — there aren’t any except for a vote for that office. Wheeler is on record millions in revenue to people who write-in campaign for Sheriff — more’s as a ‘Constitutional Sheriff’. In plain depend on tourism and related services the pity. If we are to achieve any kind of English that means he thinks he gets to and did nothing to change that Act. balance in our Commissioner’s Office we choose which laws he will enforce. My He also proposed reducing funding need more people to step forward. To understanding is that the oath of office to Idaho National Laboratory— that me it is a sad state of affairs when the says that he will enforce all laws equally region’s largest employer — that would winners of a closed primary are de facto and all the orders of those appointed have devastated the economy of the winners of the General Election held six over him. Idaho Falls area. He is a Hispanic months later. While I was delighted to These races could make for some who has done nothing to improve see Suddick lose it saddened me to see interesting conversations over the next the immigration policies of the U.S. McDonald win. All we did was exchange several weeks. Labrador’s most recent actions are to one ideologue bully for another. try and shift federal lands to the states By losing in the primary it gives the Page 16 September 2016
Politically Incorrect Lost in a Fallacy Trish Gannon is the owner/publisher of the River Journal. She lives in Clark Fork and despite the suggestion of many friends, will never knit a sweater for her chickens to wear.
trishgannon@gmail.com It has been just a year since my mother died, and only a few months since my brother, Joe, did the same. As they both lived with me in Clark Fork, this left a big hole in my life, in more ways than one. So I decided to sell my place in Clark Fork, and move into Sandpoint with my David, with whom I’m celebrating ten years of togetherness this year. But my place is large, and David’s place is not. Furthermore, David’s place is full to the brim with his own possessions. I was faced with a drastic paring down, not only of my own “stuff,” but of the things left behind by my mother and my brother as well. Through the years, I have been a fan of the paring process. At one time, many years ago, I accepted (and failed) the 100-thing challenge. Although I did not manage to purge my possessions to just 100 things, since that point I have looked on the items I own with new eyes — and mostly those were unfavorable glances. I have held yard sales, and taken many loads of items to various non-profit donation centers, including the “mini-malls” at our local transfer stations. I made a firm rule that before I could bring anything new into my home, I had to get rid of something else in order to make room. And still, as I began to prepare for this new challenge in my life, I was drowning in things! Not just my own, but those belonging to Mom, to Joe, and even those belonging to my three grown children. And as I began this newest round of weeding out, I quickly grew overwhelmed, over-stressed and over-worked. I found myself at a point
where I couldn’t make even the simplest decisions about what to do with things on my own. Finally, one day, I broke down and cried. A lot. I had become trapped in the fallacy of sunk costs. While there are many logical fallacies than can trip one up, this one, I suspect, might be one of the most common. This is where we believe it is reasonable to continue to invest in something because we don’t want to lose what we have already invested in it. In economics, this often results in throwing good money after bad, and in life it means we tend to hang on to things based on their past value to us. I was investing a lot of time, energy and emotion into possessions simply because I had invested money into them previously, or because (especially in the case of things owned by others) because of the emotion I had invested in them. “No, Trish, you are not throwing your mother away if you throw away something she chose to keep.” Seriously, I had to say that to myself. It was only when I was willing to recognize the fallacy that I was able to begin to walk away from the things that were drowning me. If I thought they had a monetary value, I did try to sell things (cheaply), but no one else will ever see the same dollar value in our things that we see, and it helps to recognize that. It also helps to recognize that our own time has value — a monetary value. I became a daily visitor to the dump and, given the speed in which items I left on the free table disappeared, other people got the thrill of finding something they needed without having to pay for it. (At least, not with cash.) And as my pile of possessions slowly diminished, I began to recognize what an anchor they all had been.
by Trish Gannon Anchors are a very good thing if you’re staying in one place, but are less so if you’re on the move. As items began to leave my home, my inner Zen — my calm center of tranquility — began to grow. Let’s be honest, it didn’t grow a lot, but I was no longer on the verge of tears every moment of my day. I have heard about, though not read, a new book by Marie Kondo (The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up) that suggests we all need to re-think our possessions. I’m not sure that I agree — different strokes for different folks, and all that — but I do agree with her statement that, “When we really delve into the reasons for why we can’t let something go, there are only two: an attachment to the past, or a fear for the future.” Attachments to the past are not such a bad thing. I take a great deal of comfort from sitting in the rocking chair that my father sat in as a young boy, pouring my granddaughters a drink into a glass that I used as a child, or pulling a book from a bookcase given to me by a brother who’s now gone. But for me, there is value in limiting how much of that past intrudes on my present as there is little enjoyment to be found in memories so piled up they are inaccessible in practice. Fear for the future is also not so bad; prudent fear, that is. I understand why my mother, a child of the Depression, kept cases of years-expired food in her kitchen. She never lost her fear of not having enough food to eat, and their presence gave her reassurance. But the value of keeping something in case it’s needed in the future drops rapidly if that item can’t be found when it’s needed. This has been my lesson in the summer of 2016, and I realize it’s been my lesson all along: moderation in all things... including in actual things.
September 2016
Page 17
A Bird in Hand
by Mike Turnlund
LEWIS’S WOODPECKER: A Slightly Bizarre Bird
I rarely go birding (that is, intentionally going out to find and identify birds) for woodpeckers. I normally don’t find woodpeckers; they will find me. So when I do go out birding, encountering any woodpecker is a bonus, especially so the Lewis’s woodpecker. And you’ll know this bird when you see it, as there is no other bird that even closely resembles it, this side of a child’s coloring book! The Lewis’s woodpecker was named for the famed explorer Meriwether Lewis. The bird was “discovered” by the Corps of Discovery and named in Lewis’s honor. It is a western bird, preferring pine forests, which we have in abundance in our region. It is what is called “locally common,” meaning, when you find their preferred habitat, you’ll find them. Or at least, your odds are increased that they’ll find you. This is a fair-sized woodpecker, about 10 or 11 inches in length. As I’ve written before, size is difficult to gauge in the field, so imagine a woodpecker that is a bit larger than an American robin, and in flight it resembles a crow.
It is also not very secretive; you’ll often find it sitting in an exposed position. This is because it is one of the few woodpeckers that actively engages in “hawking,” meaning the intentional taking of insects on the wing. The bird will sit in a favorable location to monitor the air space around it, flitting out to grab any passing insect. It does have a big wood-boring bill, but the question remains as to how it uses it. One birding authority stated that the Lewis’s does not use it to bore holes to go after insect grubs, whereas another authority said that it does. I don’t know; I’ve never seen it hammering away on a tree. But the bird knows what it does and does not do, so let the experts argue. These birds will also take fruits and nuts, and I have read that they’ll visit bird feeders and just make a mess of things. Like their cousins the Acorn woodpecker, the Lewis’s will also cache nuts for later consumption. They break nuts, such as acorns, into more manageable sizes with their powerful beaks. The birds mate for life and often
COATS 4 KIDS
Now accepting clean, good quality donations during regular hours next to Vapor Depot at the Bonner Mall in Ponderay Mon-Fri: 10 am to 7 pm Saturday 10 am to 6 pm Sunday Noon to 5 pm
Sponsored by your Bonner Mall Merchants, the Bonner County Daily Bee, Rock 103 and the River Journal Page 18
Do you love birds, and want to know more? Check out Mike’s bird photos, online at birdsidaho. blogspot.com.
mturnlund@gmail.com reuse old nest sites, so I guess they’re into recycling and are “green” birds in more ways than their coloration. In our area these birds are only summer residents; in fact, we’re near the northern limit of their range. Further south they tend to be year-round residents. By September the majority of birds will have boogied south, so keep your eyes peeled for any laggers. My own notes scribbled in my Sibley’s Guide indicate that I’ve seen them into mid-September. I state that this bird is bizarre. Not particularly in behavior, but in coloration. It is so strangely outfitted that it seems unnatural. It is hard to describe and I encourage any internetsavvy reader to google images of the bird. You’ll understand then why they are so hard to describe. At first glance the bird might appear to be black, but the binoculars reveal that this dark coloration is a dark, dark green. This deep coloration covers the wings, the tail (both sides), and the head. The breast is a light silver-gray and the belly and flanks are pink! But the face is truly memorable — the bird almost appears to be wearing a mask. And a strangely colored one at that. As noted above, the head and neck are that dark, dark green, but the face of the bird is a bright, almost burgundy, red. Sticking out is a big, black, glossy bill. And it has gray feet! The bird is unmistakable and an absolute must to add to one’s life list. The Lewis’s woodpecker is a tough bird to find. And if you attempt to find it, I can only hope it finds you! Even if you’ve never seen one, you’ll know it when you see it. These are the types of birds that keep birding such a fun and rewarding activity. Happy birding!
September 2016
The Hawk’s Nest The first sign we saw pointed back the direction we had come and said “Trailhead 5.5 miles.” We had started the morning hike in the Sawtooth Wilderness early. The only member of the party with experience in that area said it was an easy, “dead flat” 6.5 mile round trip. Wait a minute, did that sign says 5.5 miles back to the trailhead? I’m not a mathematician, but if we’ve gone 5.5 miles in one direction that’s going to total way more than 6.5 miles round trip. And it had felt like the last mile and half was about as dead flat as the trajectory of a recently launched moon rocket. Okay, there had been a trail marker early in the walk, a few minutes after heading out, indicating another way. I had even seen it but had not paid enough attention to get trail names and numbers, so assumed our guide knew where we were going. After all, our friend had made this hike several times. Well, I guess, he hadn’t done it for many, many years but that was much more recent than any of the rest of us. We were on Alturus Creek trail following the pure mountain stream flowing from the snows and glaciers of the high crests around us as it traveled toward Alturus Lake where we had camped the night before. It was a base camp so all of our needs were still there except for day hike necessities. Which meant we were over five miles from everything we needed for the cold frosty night with only few hours of daylight left. Alturus Creek cascades through a narrow rugged canyon. The walls are
Lemming Leaders
steep and mostly treed but with several alpine meadows. The trail was in good shape and allowed several views of the huge stone towers that give the Sawtooths their name. We had heard from our guide there would be a log crossing the brook and soon we came to a rather new footbridge. I thought the log must have just been replaced, so didn’t think anything about it. On we marched, commenting on the flowers intermingled with the sage in the meadows. Above us those graybrown crags pierced the high alpine horizon of vibrant blue with bright white clouds.
by Ernie Hawks Ernie Hawks is the author of “Every Day is a High Holy Day: Stories of an Adventuring Spirit,” available on Amazon, Kindle or in your favorite bookstore.
ernestmhawks@gmail.com
possibly be as far as it seemed, right? Up the hill we headed. Dead flat? Maybe around that bend; nope, even steeper, the pain must have been because we were not expecting it. Our group fragmented as we climbed, as many of us stopped to breathe. Then many of us stopped to suck air into burning lungs. Finally we came to a junction with that distance information. Five and a half miles? We all looked at our leader. “You know nothing has looked right all day,” he said breathlessly. “There was that sign back near the beginning of the trail,” I said. Every one looked at me like, “there was a sign?” I started to feel a little uneasy for not saying anything. Then A second bridge took us across the one person said, “I was gabbing away water again. There had been no mention and not paying much attention.” of another crossing. The second bridge Another said, “I was looking at those also seemed a long way from the start of great peaks and valleys and didn’t see the day, especially since we must have anything else.” None of us had taken hiked less then three miles. any responsibility for providing any That is where we started up. It felt direction... just like a flock of lemmings. like the bottom of the hill must be at least “Well, at least it is down hill back to 4 plus miles, but if our overall was only camp,” someone said. going to be a little over six it couldn’t The walk back was just a beautiful as before. We did stop and look at that trail marker and decided tomorrow was another day. Back at camp there was some good-natured teasing and lots of laughing about this experienced team of backcountry lemmings. We did the hike we had planned on another day, enjoying it even more because of the first one. The Sawtooths are dramatic mountains, even when you are on the wrong trail. And it is a joy to experience them with good friends who are willing to go with the flow, no matter where it 1 mi. north of WalMart on Hwy. 95 facebook/CedarsofIdaho Like us on takes them. September 2016 Page 19
Cedar Outlet
Fencing • Decking • Siding Garden Project Lumber
CALL FOR SERVICE
1-208-263-1208
Gary’s Faith Walk Gary Payton is an environmental advocate who is actively engaged with Presbyterians for Earth Care, Fossil Free Presbyterian Church (USA), and leading conservation organizations in Idaho and the region.
It has been a summer of images – mental pictures from being in a place, having conversations, or transmitted via the television screen. The three I share here are deeply connected to my faith journey and how I choose to live my life in our challenged, 21st century America. The first image comes from my initial visit to the Minidoka War Relocation Center near Twin Falls, Idaho. In a dark corner of U.S. history is tucked away the World War II Executive Order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In February 1942, FDR ordered the detention of over 110,000 people of Japanese ancestry. Two-thirds were American citizens. Half were children. Over 13,000 people from Washington, Oregon, and Alaska were imprisoned in the “camp” on Idaho’s Snake River Plain. Minidoka was but one of ten such remote facilities spread across seven states. It was not the barbed wire or the watch tower or the dry expanse of 33,000 acres of Minidoka which touched me most. Rather, it was the haunting words of Sylvia Kobayashi, “I want
Minadoka Internment Camp, photo By War Relocation Authority (archives.gov - Identifier: 539533) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Page 20
Images by Gary Payton
to forget the day we were herded like cattle into a prison camp. What did we do wrong? What was our crime?” And, it was the language of a 1983 Congressional Commission: “The broad historical causes which shaped these decisions were race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of government leaders.” The echoes of this 70 year old chapter reverberate in my mind during our too long, too ugly 2016 presidential election campaign. The second image is a wonderful afternoon at City Beach in Sandpoint with our 8- and 5-year-old grandchildren. I think you can relate to the scene… sand buckets, sunscreen, bare feet, cool Lake Pend Oreille, and peals of laughter amidst the splashes of summer. Next to us, families of Arabic speaking Muslims enjoyed the August day just as we did. Little boys, little girls, caring mothers, sand buckets, sunscreen, bare feet, cool water, and joyful laughter rooted in another land, another culture. As all the children scampered back and forth, in and out of the water, the “ownership” of the sand buckets and the plastic beach balls made no difference. Children were at play while parents and grandparents guarded as parents and grandparents do at water’s edge. And, we all, no matter our country of origin or religious background, enjoyed a day at the beach at the height of summer. The third image came into our
home from the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. I sincerely hope you saw the team competition in women’s gymnastics. Five young women of Team USA vaulted, flipped, flew, balanced, and danced to a gold medal in team competition. Yes, they possessed extraordinary athletic skill. Yes, they trained relentlessly for their moment on the world stage. But, their talent is only part of the story. The image I take away is an image of five young women each draped in the Stars and Stripes — two African Americans, one Hispanic, one who is Jewish and one who is Catholic. In our lives as citizens, we continue to have work to do “in order to form a more perfect union.” (Declaration of Independence) In our lives as people of faith, we have work to do as children of God. Jesus shared the commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39) On my faith walk, I will hold these summer images as I enter a polling booth in November and as I engage with the community around me in the months ahead. I’ll recall a time of fear and racial prejudice when tens of thousand with Japanese ancestry were interned and deprived of their freedom. I’ll recall that this is a nation formed by native peoples, immigrants, slaves and us their children. And I will reflect upon the promise of our future as seen by the hues of our women’s gymnastics team. It is love, not hatred and bigotry, which will shape us into the people we are called to be.
2016 U.S. Women’s Gymnastics gold medalists. Photo by John Cheng, TeamUSA.org.
Children at play at Sandpoint’s town square. Photo by Misty Grage.
September 2016
by Scott Clawson There’s something to be said about floating one of our many little tranquil lakes while shirking duties that wait patiently at home. Actually, there’s a lot to be said! So I’ll start with… To float blissfully on tranquil waters The morning sun bathing our unfurrowed brows Like kelp clad sleeping otters Made drowsy by the sound of cows Actually, there weren’t any cows, so here’s one more fitting (but still rhymes)… As the morning sun bathes my mellow brow There’d be no sense in basking If I still have to be asking What should I really be doing now? Close, but there’s also this… On a dog-day afternoon The sun was chasing the moon We were on a raft And we both just laughed As we got scolded by a loon! Closer yet, but not quite covering… As the day went from sweet to bluster I tried not to get in a fluster By not giving a care And feeling the wind in my hair Because my hat just went somewhere!
Consumer notice: if you buy a raft, buy an anchor for it and one for your hat! Back in June, my inspiration dropped a hint in my lap. An ad actually and highlighted in red felt pen was an inflatable raft on sale! Nervous at first, I recollected my previous two trips in one; both recalling visions of white water, wide eyeballs, wet pants and non-tranquilness. I’m 64 and Tranquil wants to be my middle name. It’s been having talks with my body and they seem to agree on a few points. My pants would like to remain arid. Needlessly said, two days later, I had our new raft inflated and resting on the Bed-Glide in the back of my Colorado when my honey got home from work. She was so elated she almost wet my pants (with her water bottle) when she gave me a big hug. “Can we go try it out?” was followed by, “Can we wait until Saturday?” Bright and early Saturday found us out on Round Lake for our “Maiden Nap” as we no sooner got away from the dock when a coma-like trance set in, while we got ferried around in circles by a light, playful breeze. This was tranquility on steroids! So much so that I eventually forgot where I was. I could go so far as to say my mind was blank, a state of mind I normally reserve for snap decisions. And that’s when dinner landed on my chest, slapped me on the
Acres n Pains Scott Clawson ruminates on life somewhere in the backwoods of Careywood, and turns it all into humor. And he’s even on Pinterest now! (Facebook, too.)
AcresnPains@dishmail.net chin with its cold wet tail and pointed out that I was the only one not fishing, illustrating just how important a good nap can be. Since then, we’ve taken it out every weekend to catch more dinners and a few Zs. Which is a lot like floating around in a big ol’ beanbag chair with your toes in the water and, if you’re like me, you get to see lures fly past your nose. Just lean way back, settle in, close your eyes and hopefully you won’t notice them. Few things in this old world have the ability to unwind the noodle like floating aimlessly with your feet in the water. I’ll leave you with… We bought us a raft A “three person” craft And we find it sublime For making “Quality Time” When we want our day decaffed. ‘Nuff said.
September 2016
Page 21
A Record You Can Trust
Please Vote Nov. 8!
Paid for by the Committee to Re-Elect Shawn Keough, Shawn Keough, Treasurer
Call Carol Curtis Asso. Broker, GRI, Realtor
208-290-5947
Two Houses for One Affordable Price! Two homes on a large (.88 acre) lot offers country living in the city limits in Clark Fork. Privacy, views and lots of room. Doublewide with 4 BR/ 2 BA, skylights, vaulted ceilings, covered porch, deck, large closets and many upgrades. Singlewide offers an additional 2 BR/2 BA, with skylights and vaulted ceilings. Great opportunity for expanded family or investment. Garden, fruit trees and plenty of wildlife. Great views all around. Call today!
$164,000
MLS#20163159
At the Bonner County Fairgrounds
September 23, 24 & 25
Big Rigs Country Style
Custom design and repairs by Karl & Jason
Special pricing on monthly birthstones. WE SET THE STANDARD View or download our weekly sale ad at Open 7 Days a week Sayers Jewelers, inside the Bonner Mall in Ponderay
208.263.0010
Give Us a Try Before You Buy!
Super1Foods.net
SAVE MORE every week with our mobile app! just text to
SUPER 74121
In Sandpoint at 624 Larch St. ALPINE MOTOR CO. • 476749 Highway 95, Ponderay
Sales: 208.946.5282 Service: 208.946.5286 www.AlpineMotors.net
208.255.2417
In Bonners Ferry at 6452 Main
208.267.4000
TRADER’S
1007 Superior, Sandpoint, Idaho • 208-263-7518 • TOLL FREE: 1-877-263-7518 • FAX: 265-4220 Open 6 Days a Week • Monday-Friday 8 am to 5 pm, Sat. 8 am to 3 pm
SHEDS
Don’t forget our quality sheds are built on heavy, 6x6 timbers! Oiled cedar siding, 2”x6” floor joists and 3/4” flooring. 2”x6” roof rated for 105 lb. snow loads. We’ll custom build adding windows, porches, railings, roll up doors, etc. Built to last North Idaho and Montana winters!
8x8 $899.00 8x12 $1299.00 8x16 $1599.00 8x20 $1999.00 WE’LL DELIVER 10x12 $2199.00 ANYWHERE! 10x16 $2599.00
GREENHOUSES
8x8 $1799 .00 8x12 $2250 .00
Idaho Pine Boards
1 x 4..........................68¢/ft 1 x 6..........................88¢/ft 1 x 8.......................$1.15/ft 1 x 10.....................$1.35/ft 1 x 12.....................$1.75/ft
CABINET GRADE REMNANT PLYWOOD PIECES Good Selection • All Sizes Below Cost!
Complement your yard or property with a warm, nicelooking custom greenhouse. Durable, pre-finished and ready! And we’ll help to set up. Polycarb, custom door, 3x2 window, wrap-around wire shelving, full wooden rods for hanging plants, floors are full 2” rough sawn lumber. Come look, you’ll be impressed!
Western Red Cedar Lumber
1 x 4...........................82¢/ft 1 x 6........................$1.18/ft 1 x 8 ......................$1.72/ft 1 x 10......................$2.30/ft 1 x 12......................$3.10/ft
Special on 1”x 4” x 8’ Cedar Boards $3.99 ea.
HARDWOODS!
Walnut Maple Red Oak White Oak Cherry Ebony Rosewood Hickory Hemlock Tigerwood Poplar
African Sapele Aromatic Cedar Wenge Ash Teak Mahogany Purple Heart Canary wood Zebra wood Padouk & MANY MORE!
TRADER’S Good for fencing, trim, etc.