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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 RiverJournalIdaho@gmail.com
STAFF Calm Center of Tranquility Trish Gannon • trishgannon@gmail.com
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“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 2015. 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.
• April 2015 •
On the Cover: “On the Pacific Northwest Trail” by Pierre Nordique from Seattle - Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
14. EASTERTIDE The tidings of spring bring with it a renewed call to stewardship. GARY’S FAITH WALK
6. KEEP YOUR FLOCK SAFE FROM BIRD FLU. Returning migratory birds have brought a highly pathogenic virus back with them this year. Trish Gannon
15. HOG HEAVEN Or maybe it was just hog wild out on Ernie’s little piece of paradise. THE HAWK’S NEST
7. RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER Mike says this is a sweet treat of a bird! A BIRD IN HAND 8. CRIME ON THE RISE Sanders Co. responds to growing burglaries in rural areas. Trish Gannon 11. ANOTHER LOOK AT VIETNAM-ERA DISCHARGES Gil reports some Vietnam Vets may not be able to upgrade their discharge and receive long-denied benefits. VETERANS’ NEWS 12. A GOAL TO RUN FOR A personal connection to a syndrome that affects thousands of women led a local biologist to the CDA Marathon. BECKY HAAG 13. BOBCATS, BLIMPS & BIGFOOT, OH MY! Jody catches up on the lastest in cryptic crypto news. SURREALIST RESEARCH BUREAU
16. THE TRAILS ARE OPEN Spring brings with it an invitation to gear up for the summer hiking season. Trish Gannon 17. WHEN THE UNPREDICTABLE STRIKES Yes, the ski bums missed out on winter. But if that’s the worst that happens... THE SCENIC ROUTE 18. UPCOMING EVENTS 19. GARDENING FOR THE FUTURE If spring time has you itching to expand your garden, consider these two favored perennials. GET GROWING 20. THE WAY WE WAS Scott remembers carrying a rifle into the store 50 years ago, but today, an axe at the bank draws a different response. SCOTT CLAWSON
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Backyard Chicken Keepers:
Keep Your Flock Safe From Bird Flu While the East Coast seems to have been continually hammered with winter weather, we here in the Inland Northwest have been luxuriating—and maybe gloating a bit—in what has seemed to be an early spring. It’s not just the sunshine and warm weather that heralds the end of winter, but birds have returned from their seasonal sojourn further south, and the air is full of tweets, chirps and honks. But while the birds have arrived on the wings of spring, they have brought a particularly unwelcome guest this year: avian influenza, or bird flu. And if you keep backyard chickens, this is news you need to pay attention to. Wild birds—particularly water fowl—can harbor the flu virus and pass it on to your backyard flock. There are over 144 avian flu viruses, but of particular concern are those considered highly pathogenic. Chickens (along with ducks, geese, turkeys and other backyard birds) typically die quickly from the virus, within one to three days. And that poses a huge risk not only to the American poultry business, but to the hearts of anyone who has developed a certain fondness for their backyard chickens. A highly pathogenic form of avian influenza made its first U.S. appearance this year along the Pacific Flyway, a major migratory path for wild birds and our “backyard,” so to speak. The flu has infected backyard chicken flocks in Washington, Oregon, California, Utah... and Idaho. Because of the highly contagious nature of the flu among birds, over 30 nations have instigated at least some form of trade restrictions on American poultry, and over a quarter million chickens have been destroyed in British Columbia, where the flu was also found. There have been no cases in America where bird flu has been passed to humans, but due to the flu virus’ ability to swap genes among different strains, bird viruses that have infected humans in Asia have been particularly deadly. And just this February, the Page
World Health Organization warned that avian influenza strains are currently spreading widely and swapping their genetic material at a rate never before seen. If a chicken is found to be infected with the virus, the entire flock will be killed.
So how can you keep your chickens safe?
Your first line of defense is to keep wild birds and their virus away from your chickens. While this might sound easy, in practice it might be more difficult, particularly if you are in the habit of allowing your chickens to free range. Chickens kept in a fenced enclosure that includes a closed top (roofed with netting) should keep most wild birds out. Pay particular care to your feeding habits, and don’t leave feed out to attract wildlife—any wildlife. It is believed that rodents can pass on the bird influenza simply by walking through feces from an infected bird. Remember, the strain currently spreading is highly contagious. Finally, practice good biosecurity, a fancy way of saying wash your hands, change your shoes, and implement a “no visitors” policy. While watching the geese at Sandpoint’s City Beach is always a treat, as is checking out the arriving birds at Denton Slough, the last thing you want to do is track home a virus that will kill your flock, or allow someone to visit who might do so. Get in the habit of keeping a
special set of shoes that are only used in the coop or run, and isolate any new birds you may bring into your flock. The USDA offers more information on good biosecurity online at healthybirds. aphis.usda.gov. The USDA says there are eight warning signs you may have an infectious disease in your birds: a sudden increase in bird deaths; respiratory signals such as sneezing, coughing, gasping for air and nasal discharge; a lack of energy and poor appetite; a drop in egg production or consistent soft, misshapen eggs; swelling around the eyes, neck or head; purple discoloration of wattles, comb or legs; and tremors, drooping wings, twisting of the head or circling behavior. Flock owners are asked to report any signs of infectious disease or death in their flocks to the USDA at 1-866536-7593, or to your state veterinarian. Despite concerns about the bird flu, all poultry and wild birds are safe to eat if the meat is cooked to 165 degrees. Anyone handling a bird suspected to harbor a virus, however, should clean their hands thoroughly and monitor themselves for any flu symptoms. If you become sick, let your primary care provider know you have potentially been exposed to avian influenza. -Trish Gannon
April 2015
• A Bird in Hand
Michael Turnlund •
Red-Naped Sapsucker:
A Woodpecker with a Sweet Tooth Woodpeckers are a diverse family of birds. In our region, all woodpecker species “peck” wood at one time or another, but not always for the same reasons. Some, like the Downy and the Hairy, search out insect prey hiding in tree bark, which they might peck at in order to free their meal. Others, such as the grand Pileated, will drill huge rectangular holes in dead trees in order to capture their favorite prey, carpenter ants. But others, such as the Northern Flicker, rarely if ever find their meals in or on trees. Instead, they pursue ants on the ground. They will, however, excavate deep nesting cavities in trees, proving that they, too, know how to use those powerful bills like any other self-respecting woodpecker. Counted among these woodpeckers is probably the most strange of all, and whom forge a path somewhere between the extremes: the sapsucker. This woodpecker has found a delicious way to make a living—delicious if you have a sweet tooth. And this bird evidently must have one. Our one local species of sapsucker is the Red-naped sapsucker. In physical structure the Red-naped is as woodpecker as woodpeckers can get and its coloration is very typical. Most distinctive is the red throat and the red crown on the top of the head, with strongly patterned black and white striping on the face and neck. The only readily apparent difference between the male and the female is that the female has a white chin. This last point might not be apparent in the field without using binoculars. The bird is named for the relatively faint red patch on the back of the head—the nape area. In addition, the backsides of both males and females are predominantly black, highlighted by highly-variable white speckling. Also, note the large, vertical white stripe on the bird’s side (on the folded black wings). It’s unmistakable. The chests and bellies are bland grays and yellows.
The birds are medium-sized as far as woodpeckers go. What kind of name is “sapsucker” anyway? It makes the bird out to be like some giant avian mosquito that pokes its beak into a tree to suck out its vital fluids. Not quite. Instead, sapsuckers have developed a real cool trick in finding their next meal. The bird chips out a series of small circular patches of bark on, say, a birch or aspen tree, causing the sap to run and well up in the holes. In fact, these little holes are called “wells.” Have you ever noticed a grid pattern of small circular scars in a standing hardwood tree, such as a birch or even an apple tree? Those are old sapsucker wells, now healed over. The sapsucker inadvertently becomes the friend of a great many other critters, as they learn to seek out a meal at these freshly-made wells. Hummingbirds can become frequent visitors, especially early in the summer when they first arrive at their breeding grounds. Insects, too, are attracted to these sweet food sources, though this can become a mixed blessing as the sapsucker might make them into a meal. Sapsuckers must understand what makes a balanced diet, as they do not limit themselves to tree sap. Like other small woodpeckers, they will search out bugs hiding in tree bark. They will also hawk flying insects, meaning they will fly out and grab them in mid-air. And berries and other fruit are added to the menu when they come into season. Because of their diet, you’re going to mainly find the Red-naped sapsucker in mixed forests at lower elevations. That is, right here in our area. They are quite common if you know what to look for. I add them to my summer bird list multiple times a season. And look for their nests, which are typical woodpecker tree trunk excavations. The Red-naped does prefer to nest in live trees, such as larches, birches, and aspens. They will reuse the same tree year after year,
starting lower on the tree and working their way up. They sometimes even reuse the prior year’s nesting hole. As a species, the Red-naped is pinched in distribution between the very similar Red-breasted sapsucker on the west coast and the Yellow-bellied sapsucker to the east. Wherever the neighboring species overlap with the Red-naped, there will be hybridization between them. I can only imagine what you’d call these combinations… For us, the Red-naped is only a summer visitor, which makes sense as during the cold season tree sap doesn’t run and there are no bugs, or berries, etc. But when things warm up, they are quick to return and make house. So keep an eye out for them. They should start showing up in late April, definitely by May, depending on the weather. There you go. You are now a sapsucker expert. Start your season by checking out those hardwoods in your favorite grove of trees, looking for those distinctive wells. I guarantee it: you find the wells, and you’ll find your sapsucker. Or your money back. Happy birding!
You can find Mike’s books on Amazon, or email him at mturnlund(at)gmail.com
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April 2015
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Crime is on the Rise in our Rural Communities and Sanders County is Up in Arms The post that made its way around Facebook was alarming: “There have been a rash of burglaries in Western Sanders County with a great loss or property and physical harm to persons who live here. Guns being pulled on innocent citizens, women beaten, people lives threatened... This has got to stop.” Other posts were even more alarming, warning that “about a dozen men” have been roaming western Sanders County and eastern Bonner County, “robbing people at gunpoint.” With the rumor mill flaring out of control, residents in Sanders County called for a community meeting and, on a Thursday night, an overflow crowd of almost 250 people packed the auditorium at Noxon High School to hear from community leaders exactly what was going on. Sheriff Tom Rummel and Undersheriff Lanny Hensley were there, as were Sanders County Commissioners Tony Cox (a retired Montana Highway Patrol trooper) and long-term commissioner Carol Brooker (although Carol remained in the audience instead of at the speaker’s dais). Prosecuting Attorney
Bob Zimmerman also answered questions from the clearly agitated and concerned audience, with the meeting mediated by Kevin Johnson, owner of Johnson’s Hardware. So what, exactly, is going on? Sanders County, according to the sheriff ’s office, is seeing an increase in burglaries, primarily of unoccupied homes, and has too few deputies to respond as quickly as they would like. The office has six deputies available to patrol a county that’s 115 miles long and 65 miles wide. It’s simply not enough. “Your frustration is my frustration,” Rummel said. “I am doing everything I can do.” That includes establishing a $1,000 reward for information with Crimestoppers, “Every dollar I had available,” said Rummel. Additionally, he is “push(ing) as much law enforcement as I can” to the west end of the county, but with only six deputies to cover the county 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, that’s not a lot. Undersheriff Lanny Hensley underlined the problem, saying, “Tactics that worked ten years ago don’t work now. We have to look
beyond the enforcement end, and look to education.” Although there is an increase in reported burglaries, it should be noted that this is not a totally new problem, and it’s not the Wild West situation suggested by social media. For years... decades, even... the onset of spring not only brings birds returning to their fair weather homes, but also a growing number of residents who, when they arrive from wherever they have spent their winter, discover that their unattended home has been burglarized in their absence. Unoccupied homes are an irresistible target for opportunistic thieves, a situation exacerbated recently by two factors: drugs, and social media. “With the drug use comes the crime,” said Hensley, who added that as poverty levels increase, so does drug use, and Sanders County is not exempt from this national trend. Meth is a particular problem, with users often turning to burglary to fund their addiction. Added to this is the growing use of social media, not just by community members, but by thieves as well. As
“Your frustration is my frustration,” Sanders County Sheriff Tom Rummel told a standing-room-only crowd of concerned residents at Noxon’s high school in March, regarding recent burglaries in the area. Photo by David Broughton. Page
April 2015
residents increasingly post information ins in the tiny town of Kootenai earlier response as necessary, with some about their vacations, or show pictures this year underscores that statement. attendees asking about the personal that detail just what possessions they Unlike Sanders County, however, liability of a “shoot, shovel and own, it’s not just friendly eyes who Sheriff Darryl Wheeler says his shut up” approach. It’s a response might be looking and taking note. department is “doing well,” and he feels law enforcement in both counties “Friends of friends” may not be your the east end of the county is adequately discourage. friends at all—instead, they may be the protected by the Sheriff ’s Department. “You have an absolute right people planning their next burglary. So how can residents best address in Montana to protect yourself,” Even your post that you’re “locked and a growing crime problem? Rummel warned Zimmerman, the prosecuting loaded” might backfire, and advertise would like to see support for more attorney. “But your actions have to be yours is a home where guns are deputies—three or four of them would commensurate to the threat.” available. be nice—which would give him the In layman’s terms... if you choose Though no one is going to be manpower to patrol the rural areas of to shoot at someone on your property, happy with increased crime regardless his county. And those attending the the threat to you must be both real, of the reasons behind it, what likely meeting seemed willing to support and immediate. The loss of property, got the community up in arms was that. In an area not known for its love no matter how valuable, will generally the assault of a woman in her home, of taxes, residents asked about levies not be seen as an adequate reason for in broad daylight. Although Rummel to pay for more deputies, which in shooting. “It’s ridiculous that people was unwilling to speak about an active Sanders County cost about $65,000 have to be put in that position,” said investigation, he nonetheless indicated each for salaries, benefits, training and Bonner County’s Johnson, “but a he does not believe the assault to be a equipment. As the county is currently possession is generally not worth the sign that criminals who have yet to be moving into its budget hearings, now taking of someone’s life.” identified are increasing their daring, would be the time to make their wishes Zimmerman declined to give a and their willingness to confront those known. layman’s example of when the use who, in this area, are more than likely “Money’s tight,” Commissioner Cox of a firearm would be appropriate, to be armed. told the audience, “and we’ve asked all telling those at the meeting they should At least for the present, the assault departments to cut their budgets by ten “consult with your own attorney,” if appears to be a unique situation; for the percent.” While he acknowledged that a they were inclined to respond in such a most part, Sanders County is faced with cut to the sheriff ’s budget hardly seems way. dealing with what is probably a limited feasible, he warned that getting the Beyond increasing taxes to pay number of people who are choosing county to pay for more deputies wasn’t for more deputies, and establishing a easy burglaries as a lifestyle. a done deal. “Roads, law enforcement, neighborhood watch program, there Two people, in fact, have been fire... they’re all important,” he said. are relatively simple things people can arrested for just that. The county will be listening closely do to help reduce the incidence of rural But just as the water in the Clark to community input as they set their crime. Fork flows from Sanders County into upcoming budget. Most important is to not become Bonner, so does the apprehension While it’s clear that six deputies a target for thieves—and that means about growing crime. The Bonner seems inadequate even in the best making your home as unattractive to County Sheriff ’s Department says, of times, the department says that them as possible. Even as little an action however, that residents on the east end what’s really needed on the west end as leaving your outdoor lights on might of Bonner County have no reason to be is to continue the process they’ve encourage a thief to look for an easier any more cautious than before. already begun—to come together as target down the road—say, in Wyoming. “I stay in pretty close contact with a community. While there is interest Motion sensing lights can do the same, Sanders County,” said Detectivein a formal approach to that, with the while being less a burden on your Sergaent Gary Johnson, “and I have no development of neighborhood watch electric bill. reason to believe right now that (thieves programs, formality is not required. Burglars generally hate dogs, so targeting rural areas) have their eyes on “Loose lips sink ships,” Rummel said, a dog—particularly a yappy one that homes across the border.” As to rumors and he urged residents to watch for will make its presence known—is a that some of the thieves might actually suspicious activity, and report the same good idea. Game cameras are another live on the Idaho side of the state line, to the department. option. Although not a deterrence Johnson said, “There are suspects in “We need cold, hard evidence to put in themselves, if you manage to get a these crimes, and they’re not local (to a case together,” he said, and pointed picture of a stranger on your property Idaho).” out that seemingly small actions, like at the time a burglary has occurred, this That’s not to say that Idaho is taking a picture of the license plate of is the type of evidence that can land immune to the intersection of drugs, an unfamiliar car in the area, could be a criminal behind bars, removing the social media and crime. “We can no the key to successfully prosecuting a problem at its source. longer have the mentality that crime case if a burglary occurs. Another action that can lead happens somewhere else,” he said. “It A large contingent of those who CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE happens here, too.” A rash of car break- met in Noxon, however, see a stronger April 2015 Page
Up in Arms - Continued
to lock my doors.” “We can no longer have the mentality that we live in the country and don’t have to do that,” said Johnson. “Lock your doors.” A lot of us remember what it was like here 30 years ago and think we ought to be able to live the same lifestyle. But since the 1980 census (35 years ago), population has grown a staggering 60 percent in Sanders County, and 72% in Bonner County. No, it’s not like it used to be. Probably what is most important for residents to remember, however, is that these crimes are not likely to have been committed by strangers. When someone’s home is robbed, it has probably been robbed by the children or friends of someone in the community. And that means there are people out there who know what is going on. This doesn’t mean the rumor mill is accurate, and you “know” that some certain person has committed a crime because you heard something from someone else. But if you have real information about crimes in the area—if you’ve heard someone talking Saturday 9:00 to 5:30 about criminal activities yourself, Sunday 10:00 to 4:00 or seen someone with items you know they can’t afford, or even seen vehicles that appear to be “casing” a neighborhood—take pictures and call the police. Be prepared to swear out a statement, and to testify in Heating & air conditioning, court. “We can’t act on suspicion and tile, garage doors & innuendo,” said Sheriff Wheeler, but other suppliers law enforcement can act on credible information that leads to evidence. For opportunistic thieves, rural Montana might have seemed like easy BBQs, gardening, pond pickin’s. But as Sanders County gets kits, sheds, spas and riled up, it’s likely that those looking for ways to make a quick buck—by stone products taking from others—may have to set their sights some place else all together. Although Sheriff Rummel says, “I Blinds, cabinets, doors & hate social media,” the sheriff ’s office windows, flooring, furniture does have a Facebook page where residents can find information. Check and pool tables. for a notice of upcoming neighborhood watch meetings. If you’d like to donate to increase the reward for information, or if you’d like to report information, call Crime Stoppers at 406-721-4444, or the Sanders County Sheriff ’s Office Ponderay at 406-827-3584 ext. 3 for Dispatch. Design Center -Trish Gannon Page 10 April 2015
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to usable evidence is one often surprisingly overlooked: document what you own. “I know there’s people who are going to hear me tell you to take a picture of your guns and your serial numbers and think I’m encroaching on their rights,” said Sheriff Wheeler. “But if you have that information, and your gun is later stolen, we now have a way not only to return it to you if it’s found,” but to, potentially, charge the holder with possession of stolen property. This is true not just for guns, but for any item that can be converted to quick cash for a thief: electronics, yard equipment, tools and the like. You can buy an electric engraving pen for less than $20, a cheap investment compared to the loss of something valuable. Having a neighbor watch your home if you’re away is a help, and you might want to save posting your vacation photos online until after you’re back home. “If you’re gone for the winter, and your driveway isn’t plowed, that’s a signal right there to a thief that your house is empty,” said Johnson. Any indication that your home is not occupied is seen as a green light by a would-be thief. Take a good look at how you use social media, and the type of information you put out on the Internet. Your picture of your new gun, or flat screen TV, may be just enough information to put your house on a burglar’s target list. Not to mention your post that the doctor gave you some “really good drugs” after your surgery. Have a friend look over your Facebook page and tell you just how much information they can learn from it. If you’re selling items online, set up a neutral place to meet a buyer. Don’t invite them into your home, where they might well be scoping out your set-up for a surprise visit in the future. It should go without saying that you should keep your doors locked... on your home, your car, and on sheds where you store valuable items. This may be the most controversial piece of advice out there, because part of the reason we all live here is “I don’t have
• Veterans’ News Gil Beyer ETC, USN Ret. • Discharge Reviews for Viet Nam Vets I feel like a bear just coming out of hibernation—hungry and pissed. After a winter that simply didn’t fulfill its promise—remember the 12” to 14” inches of snow over a couple of days we had in mid-December?—I’m sorry now that I was asleep at all. When The River Journal shut down after the December issue I was more than ready for a nice long winter’s nap. I figured we needed the break after what transpired in early November. With no deadlines to meet I simply stored up some odds and ends that I thought might come in useful later. First on the list is about the now former Republican Senator from Oklahoma, Tom Coburn, throwing veterans under the bus because a program aimed to reduce the suicide rate amongst veterans was too ‘costly.’ I need to explain this. On December 15, 2014, Senator Coburn stopped the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act. The goal of this bill was to reduce the high number of veteran suicides. The bill would require reports on successful veteran suicide prevention programs and allow the VA to pay incentives to hire psychiatrists. Paul Rieckhoff, CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said that despite his reputation as a budget hawk, Coburn should have recognized that the $22 million cost of the bill is worth the lives it would have saved. “It’s a shame that after two decades of service in Washington, Sen. Coburn will always be remembered for this final, misguided attack on veterans nationwide. If it takes 90 days for the new Congress to re-pass this bill, the statistics tell us another 1,980 vets will have died by suicide. That should be a heavy burden on the conscience of Sen. Coburn and this Congress.” On February 12, 2015, the Clay Hunt bill was signed by President Obama after passing both chambers with wide majorities. I’m fairly sure that the passage of this bill reduced Paul Reickhoff ’s number by around 650 if all the provisions were implemented immediately—although I
doubt that the VA could move that fast. Early on, before this winter’s nap, I ran into another interesting item that can potentially be of benefit for thousands of Army veterans. In November of 2014 Secretary of the Army McHugh ordered the review of all punitive discharges. McHugh’s Nov. 3 directive was prompted by a September order by then Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel which acknowledged that thousands of soldiers may have been kicked out of service because of behavior problems related to post-traumatic stress. All of the Service Secretaries have been directed to “fully and carefully consider every petition based on behaviors that may result from PTSD brought by a veteran.” These reviews will be done primarily on Viet Nam Era veterans. For veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the military services must give a medical evaluation to any service member who claims to have PTSD before approving an “other-than-honorable” discharge. The procedure did not exist during the Vietnam War. All veterans with less than honorable discharges who believe their discharges may have been influenced by behaviors resulting from post-traumatic stress should petition for upgrades to their discharges. These upgrades could result in reversals of decisions by
the Veterans Affairs Department to deny benefits such as disability pay, separation pay or GI Bill benefits. Information on how to start this process can be found online at www. monterey.army.mil/legal/trial_defense/ how_to_upgrade_your_discharge. pdf. A synopsis of the process for each branch of service can be found at www. realwarriors.net/veterans/discharge/ upgrade.php. I would recommend that all veterans’ organizations service officers and county veterans’ officers make themselves familiar with these procedures. May is next up on the calendar and I’m now going to start asking for volunteers to help me hand out ‘Forget-Me-Nots’ on Memorial Day, May 25th. I’ll be looking for a minimum of 18 people—the more the merrier—to contribute two hours of their time on that day. I know it sounds far away right now but it has been my experience that it sneaks up on us every year. It should be well-known by now, but every dime raised on that one day stays in the area. All monies raised goes toward supporting the DAV van that transports veterans to appointments at the VA Medical Center in Spokane. You can reach me by email at 40Vintage@gmail.com or by phone at 208-265-0950 if you want to ‘shake your can’ for area veterans.
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Primary health care for both adults & children, preventative health care and education, STD screening, women’s health, sports physicals, vaccinations, X-Rays, Stress-reduction classes, prescription assistance, Medicaid pediatric and adult dental emergencies. Sliding scale for those with no insurance. Saturday Clinics and Walk-In Appointments available.
Bonners Ferry Clinic Priest River Clinic Ponderay Clinic Veterans Clinic 6615 Comanche St. 6509 Hwy 2 Ste 101 30410 Hwy 200 30410 Hwy 200 208-263-7101 208-448-2321 Ponderay 208-267-1718 Dental: 255-3459 208-263-0450 Dental: 267-3201
April 2015
Page 11
A Cause Worth Running For Turner Syndrome, which affects an estimated one in every 2,000 females, is caused by a defect during fetal development in which all or part of the second X-chromosome is missing. TS can cause an array of medical and developmental challenges, ranging from short stature (necessitating daily Human Growth Hormone injections), to heart irregularities, increased risk for cardiovascular disease, hearing loss, kidney problems, immune disorders, social impairments, learning disabilities, immune disorders, thyroid dysfunction, pregnancy complications, and most commonly sterility. Because every girl with TS is presented with her set of challenges in life, some have a more difficult road to travel than others, and for some their medical needs lead to the road cut short with a shortened life. In fact, research suggests that monosomy X is present in 3 percent of all conceptions, but that 99 percent result in miscarriage, with the condition possibly responsible for 15 percent of all miscarriages. So while many have
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never heard of Turner Syndrome (or have heard very little), chances are we know someone affected by it. There is no cure for TS and diagnosis at an early age (ideally prenatal or at birth), can help provide all the tools currently available for a long and prosperous life. Unfortunately, Turner Syndrome is not understood enough, common enough, or on the radar of enough pediatricians, for many to receive the benefit of an early diagnosis. Our first child is one of the roughly 70,000 girls and women in the U.S. with TS. She is 8 years old now and other than the fact that she is very open about her diagnosis, meeting her would lend you no clues. She is little, but I (her mother) am little. She is chatty, outgoing, spunky, intelligent and quite possibly the kindest person you will ever meet—a true blessing. She is benefiting from a diagnosis she received within days of birth. Not all TS girls are so lucky. So we decided to “pay it forward” and help raise awareness for Turner Syndrome and money for research to enhance the lives of those with TS. While researching Turner Syndrome one night, I noticed that the Turner Syndrome Foundation, a non-profit based out of New Jersey, participated in races all over the county as a Team to support their valuable work. I quickly contacted them and offered to run as a part of Team TSF in a race to help with a cause so near and dear to my heart. I was quickly informed that no such events were planned in our area, and perhaps I would like to be the new Idaho Team TSF coordinator. Of course, I have energy to burn (evidenced by the fact that I run for fun!). The Turner Syndrome Foundation was started in 2007 (coincidently the year our daughter was born) by a mother who saw a need for more to be done in research and awareness for early diagnosis for those with TS. The Foundation’s goal “is to support research initiatives and develop educational programs which will increase professional awareness and
by Becky Haag
enhance medical care those affected by Turner Syndrome.” I contacted many races when choosing one to participate in as a Team. While most races were open to our participation, Cynthia, the race director with the Coeur d’Alene Marathon, was ENTHUSIASTIC! They also have several distances to choose from for TEAM TSF runners to participate in including a kid’s race. Including the kids in this endeavor was paramount because I also wanted this to be an opportunity for girls in the region with TS to network and meet and share stories and realize they are not alone! The Coeur d’Alene Marathon is the perfect match! They have been helpful and encouraging every step of the way, and the race itself is a fundraiser for another good cause, the Centennial Trail Fund. In exchange for our Turner Syndrome Foundation Team volunteering for a race aid station (we need 15 – 30 volunteers for this) the race has offered us a table at the race packet pickup Expo at the Coeur d’Alene Resort to provide outreach and education to the public as well as a table at the kid’s expo on race day where we hope to do some face painting and continue outreach, education and fundraising. If you run you can join Team TSF and set up a pledge page at the following link, and I can then provide you with a promotional code for a discount on your race registration (http://bit.ly/1G3RuXv). Register to run this beautiful course at a distance of 26.2, 13.1 or 3.1 miles at cdamarathon. com. Or you can stop by one of our tables, say hi, and learn a little more about TS, and help support our wonderful cause. The race takes place in beautiful Coeur d’Alene, Idaho over Memorial Day weekend on May 24 with the prerace packet pickup on May 23. Maybe you will even meet the inspiration for this whole endeavor, Stella, who has an uncanny knack for brightening the day of each person she meets.
April 2015
• Surrealist Research Bureau
Jody Forest •
Bobcats, Blimps & Dodos, Oh My!
The past few months since TRJ’s winter hiatus have seen a goodly amount of news in the world of cryptozoology and monster hunting and I thought I’d share some of it with you. Firstly, one of the worlds most beloved extinct creatures, the Dodo, long believed hunted to oblivion 300 years ago, has apparently resurfaced in a surprising manner. A trailcam from the rain forests of Costa Rica captured one in a few frames of a motion sensitive camera. I’m no expert but it does appear to resemble one markedly. Many commentators on the www. cryptomundo website (where you can check it out yourself) seem to think the footage must be faked since the flightless Dodo, originally from the island of Mauritius, would have no way of traveling to Costa Rica. On a side note, scattered reports of sightings in the 1990s of real, living Dodos on Mauritius led to at least one expedition to search for and photograph them but no specimens could be found. In a TRJ column last fall I mentioned the Falcon Project, whose mission, according to their website (www.the-falconproject.com), is to “conduct an extensive aerial search for an unrecognized North American Primate, aka Sasquatch or Bigfoot, by means of a helium-filled airship (blimp) which holds thermal imaging and hi-def video equipment whose advantages over fixed wing aircraft and helicopters include both stealth and maneuverability.” The team includes both William Barnes and Derek Randles, both longtime Sasquatch hunters, along with University of Idaho professor of Anatomy and Anthropology Jeff Meldrum, as well. Their website is well worth a look and for those of you with some time on your
hands, at last report they were looking for committed volunteers to help man the ground equipment. I assume a background in camping would also be welcome. And in kinda’ Bigfoot news the comedian Bobcat Goldthwaith (of Shakes the Clown fame) has tried his hand at directing a non-comedic thriller called Willow Creek (available at the East Bonner County Library), a lost footage movie about a young couple’s search for the truth behind the infamous 1967 Patterson-Gimlin film as they hike the woods and forests of Willow Creek, California. I’m burned out on “lost footage” movies ever since the awful Blair Witch Project inspired dozens of copycat knock-offs like Cloverfield or the recent As Above So Below, but I have to admit Goldthwaith did a credible journeyman’s job and this is the best of a bad lot. It kept my interest except for one interminable scene towards the end of the movie where the two attractive protagonists (victims) stare into the handheld camera for 20 minutes reacting to strange thumps and footsteps outside their tent. The 2014 film is only a blessed 80 minutes long, and includes both additional commentary with the director and a Making of Willow Creek feature. Finally, there’s a new book I’d like to plug from Hancock House books about my own personal favorite northwest monster. “Discovering Cadborosaurus” by Paul LeBlond, John Kirk, and Jason Walton, contains many drawings as well as actual photos by the pre-eminent Caddy Researchers of our time. I came across an old quote by Thomas Browne you might like: “We are beholden to every man we meet that they do not kill us.” So, with the vermouth-lipped duck of doubt slowly roasting in my oven of Truth, I bid you adieu! Keep spreading the word: Soylent Green is People! All Homage to Xena.
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April 2015
Page 13
• Gary’s Faith Walk
Gary Payton •
Eastertide, Faith & Climate Responsibility Eastertide... we’re in it now, you know! Yes, a season of 50 days between Easter Sunday and Pentecost. Oh, the names may vary… Eastertide, the Easter Season, or Paschal Tide… but, the opportunity is the same— the opportunity to reflect deeply on the meaning of faith and our responsibilities to each other and to the world. Amidst Eastertide in our North Country, trees bud, grass greens, lupine emerges from a too-short winter sleep, and critters domestic and wild bring new life into creation. In some ways, it feels like spring has felt so many times before. But, if we are honest, we know it is different. Too little snow pack, too many above average warm days in the midst of winter, worry about August and September wildfires. Behind it all is the growing impact of human caused climate change; climate change brought about in part by our burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas) and the CO2 release into our atmosphere. As my faith walk continues, I struggle with my contribution to climate change. How do I live with the contradictions of personal lifestyle versus a sense of responsibility to current and future generations and to the planet? I drive. I heat our house with natural gas and wood. I employ the seasonal tools of our region—snow blower and chain saw. I fly to see our children and grandchildren.
On the one hand, I seek to offset my carbon pollution by supporting projects which reduce the impact of CO2. Organizations like the Appalachian Carbon Partnership work with landowners to manage forests to store more carbon. Activities like NativeEnergy and TerraPass assist carbon reducing projects such as wind energy, farm methane reduction, and landfill gas capture. On the other, I seek to stay connected with the wisdom of GreenFaith, an interfaith partnership for the environment. GreenFaith seeks to inspire and mobilize people for environmental leadership. The organization reminds us all of our moral responsibility to protect the earth and all its lifeforms. Their core values of spirit, stewardship, and justice call me to action. Following that call, I’ve also come to know the life and work of David Suzuki, the extraordinary Canadian scientist, academic, broadcaster and environmental activist. The mission of the foundation he established is “to protect the diversity of nature and our quality of life, now and for the future.” To move toward these lofty goals, he has offered us all the Nature Challenge. • Find ways to reduce home heat and energy use by 10 percent. • Replace household pesticides with nontoxic alternatives.
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Page 14
“The Platinum Review” 2015
Written, directed and produced by the Heron Players
DiLuna’s presents
220 Cedar St. Sandpoint 208.263.0846
• Choose an energy-efficient home and appliances. • Eat meat-free meals once a week. • Prepare meals with locally grown food for a total of one month a year. • If one buys a car, make it low polluting and fuel efficient. • Use transit, carpool, walk, or bike one day a week. • Support alternative transportation. • Learn more about conserving nature and tell family and friends and political and business leaders. As I ponder these stretch goals, I reflect on a message from the Gospel of John. After a frustrating night of fishing in the Sea of Tiberius, Jesus serves bread and charcoal-cooked fish to some of the fisherman disciples. He questions the loyal Simon Peter deeply, “Do you love me?” And, three times in reply to Peter’s affirmative answer, Jesus charges him, “Feed my lambs... tend my sheep... feed my sheep.” In this season of Eastertide, I embrace Jesus’ metaphor of lambs and sheep as a charge to care for the people in God’s creation. And, I chose to extend that metaphor as a charge to care as well for the earth and all its species. It is my spiritual, moral, and climate responsibility.
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April 2015
• The Hawk’s Nest
Hog Heaven
It was a quiet morning at the Hawk’s Nest as I walked out the door and off the porch. I wanted to soak up one of those unusually very mild, late winter days. Although with the warm winter we had been having, I guess I would have to call it a typical day. Sometimes at the Hawk’s Nest we can hear train whistles in the distance, but on this quiet day with moderate temperatures, even they were silent. As I walked across the yard I sensed something behind me. Before I could turn there was some strange snorting I wasn’t used to. When I turned around there were two pigs. Two pigs, just standing there acting like I was supposed to do something for them. I started laughing and shouted Sooo eeeeeeeee. They just looked at me. Maybe I’m not as good at conversation as I thought. Or could it be that is just a made up word from some old movie. We expect to see wildlife and occasionally a strange dog or cat may show up. A sheep, freshly sheared, wandered in once. A horse from across the road was eating our grass one morning when we got up. But we have never had pigs and I hadn’t heard of anyone around raising pigs. Where
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Ernie Hawks •
could they have come from? I walked up on the deck and one followed me. The whole thing seemed pretty bizarre and my laughter would not go away as they looked at me with their funny looking snouts as if I was supposed to do something. I called a neighbor who knows more about what is going on in the neighborhood than I normally do and said, “I have two pigs in my yard.” He joined my laughter. Several years ago (maybe ten) a herd of cows wandered out of our woods. I yelled in my best cowboy voice and waved my arms until they disappeared again. That worked great for two days and then they showed up again, eating my wife’s flowers, including her prized viburnum. They also knocked over a birdbath and broke several planters. They were not the gentle strain of cows. I wondered what viburnum-flavored steaks tasted like. Anyway, that time more yelling and a couple wildly tossed stones got them moving on. A week later we were on vacation getting ready to do a river trip and we got a call from a neighbor who said the cows came back. “I ran them off—bet they will never be back.” They weren’t, and we did not ask any questions, just said thanks. Now there are pigs (or hogs, I’m not sure), and they don’t react to anything I do except look at me and snort. An ATV with a tank-top-attired, teenage girl came down the drive. She yelled that the pigs belonged to her uncles, and she had called some cousins for help. Soon, several young guys showed up and the round-up began. They were not laughing. More than once I heard
“just get a gun.” It wasn’t long and I understood the only person who really wanted these oinkers alive was the uncle. Everyone else was getting pretty impatient for bacon and this experience wasn’t necessarily going to go well for the hogs. Two ATVs roared and spun around trying to direct the undirectables. A couple fellows and the girl ran ahead and beside yelling and poking the porkers with points of poles. The girl grabbed a four-foot birch log a couple inches in diameter and whacked one of the wandering farm animals over the head. It was the first time either of the pigs reacted to anything. It stopped. That’s all, just stopped. She let fly with the birch log at the other one and at the same time she let fly with her opinion of these animals. She yelled, “%@#&ing pigs!” She missed, with the log, which I think is still flying, but not with the words. One boy managed to get a rope around the neck of one pig. This seemed to be a good way to get it going. In fact, it took off so fast the guy’s feet came off the ground so another one grabbed the rope, too. Now two young herders looked like ribbons in the wind, but the pig was going in the right direction. The other hog, the one that had taken a hit on the head, came to and decided to follow. Everyone headed down a trail through our woods, hogs screeching and snorting, kids yelling and cursing and ATV engines revving. As the noises faded I heard a train whistle blow in the distance and then it was a mild, quiet, late winter morning at the Hawk’s Nest. Ernie Hawks is author of “Every Day is a High Holy Day: Stories of an Adventuring Spirit.”
April 2015
Page 15
T ADMI ONE
YOUR PASS TO EXCITEMENT!
On sale April 15 at the fair office or online at bonnercountyfair. com. Includes Bull Riding (June 20), Rodeo (August 7 & 8), Bull Riding (August 14) and Demolition Derby (August 15). Adult $45, Youth (4-12) $20. WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. Sale ends June 15.
June 20, 7:30 pm at the Bonner County Fairgrounds Pre-Sale Tickets go on sale April 20 online. Adults $9 presale/$10 gate • Youth $4 presale/$5 gate (under 3 free) , with 25 to 35 professional bull riders competing. Action packed, top rank bulls, thrills, spills, and Al Parsons will be our announcer. We will have 1 section Barrel Racing during the event. Tryouts on Wednesday, June 17 at 7 pm,10 top times will compete for the title on Saturday night. Great food, snacks and beverages at the Odom Cantina. Special Package “Ladies Night Out”: $30.00, limited to only 25 ladies, must be 21 years of age. Includes; one ticket to event, behind the scenes tour, meet and greet the bull riders, photo with bull riders, dinner and beverage with the Bull Riders and Sponsors prior to the event, and souvenir.
The PRCA is coming to Bonner County
August 7 & 8, 2015. In conjunction with the PRCA event, there will also be women’s barrel racing sanctioned by WPRA (Women’s Professional Rodeo Association). Come see award-winning bullfighters and clowns. Tickets: Adult Pre-Sale $12.00/ $15.00 at gate Youth Pre-sale $6.00/$8.00 at gate Family Package: 2 adults and 2 Children under 12 $50.00, gets you into both Friday& Saturday night Performances. Pre-sale price only, no Family Package offered at gate! Online Sales began May 1st, 2015
2015 Bonner County Fair on Aug. 11-15
This year’s theme is “Season’s Open at the Bonner County Fair.” Animal Livestock sale Aug.15 at 9 am in the Indoor Arena Many new attractions! Carnival, Karaoke Contest, Greased Pig Scramble, Ranch Sorting, Barrel Racing, Little Folks Horse Show, Back Seat Driving, Challenge of Champions vs Tour Bull Riding Friday, August 14, 7:30 pm, Demolition Derby Saturday, August 15, 7:00 pm. Check out our website for contests, ticket sales and updates, and “LIKE” us on Facebook!
The Trails are Open!
For a lot of people in the area, the “trails” are open yearround and even the deepest snow can’t keep those hikelovers away. For a lot more, however, they prefer for most of the snow to have turned into summer water before they venture out—and that’s certainly the case in our mountains this spring (so far). Now is the perfect time to get out and get to know the spectacular scenery that makes the forests of this area a favorite of many, and there are many ways to ease yourself into the hiking season. There may be no better way to get out there than with a volunteer-led hike with the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness. The Friends still have openings on one hike you can join in April. On April 26, join hike leader John Harbuck for a North Idaho Tree and Shrub identification walk. The hike takes place on John’s property on ColburnCulver Road, and you’ll learn how to identify almost every tree species that can be found in the proposed Scotchman Peaks wilderness area. It’s a gentle hike that starts at 3 pm, and will be followed by a potluck supper. Email John at harbuck@norlight.org to join, or visit the Friends’ website at ScotchmanPeaks.org for more information. Do you think trees are for the birds and it’s our feathered friends you’d rather see? Head out to the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge in Bonners Ferry on April 18. The refuge provides habitat for over 200 species of bird, plus a lot of other wildlife as well, including moose and deer. Meet up at 9 am at the education barn, and don’t forget your binocs and field guide. The walk takes about two hours, and children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Bird Walks are always led by experienced birders. For more information, call the Refuge at 208-267-3888. If you’re not looking for a guided hike, but would like to take a simple walk on your own or with the kids, two trails in the Sandpoint area are not to be missed. The Pend Oreille Bay Trail (pobtrail.org) begins in Sandpoint near City Beach (just beyond the Seasons at Sandpoint condos), and follows the lake all the way to Kootenai, where hikers must turn around at the gate. (Beyond the gate is private property.) Total distance round trip is 3 miles. Gold Hill Trail #3 is another perennial favorite for starting out the hiking season, and offers spectacular views of Sandpoint and the surrounding area from the top. The trailhead is located off Bottle Bay Road in Sagle, about fourand-a-half miles from Highway 95. The trail is 3.7 miles to the top. (Photo, below, by Dustin Gannon)
BONNER COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS On North Boyer in SANDPOINT, IDAHO
208-263-8414 • BonnerCountyFair.com
Page 16
April 2015
• The Scenic Route
Sandy Compton •
When the Unpredictable Strikes
This morning, a snowshoe hare hopped across my line of sight, still completely and unfortunately white in the face of our disappeared winter. It was in a hurry, as if it knows how well it stands out against the forest. It was a poignant sighting. I felt a bit of grief that such a well-adapted critter should become so exposed by the vagaries of our odd weather. Life is hard enough for snowshoe hares, what with coyotes and bobcats and owls and eagles, without taking their snow away from them. Perhaps it doesn’t notice. I doubt that it looks down at its ermine fur and thinks, “C’mon! Change!” But maybe it does. Maybe that’s why it’s moving so fast today, because it somehow intuits that it’s extra vulnerable during this early spring. Why, as a member of a top-of-thefood-chain species, that small event should move me emotionally, I’m not sure, but it has something to do with the inevitable and the unexpected running head-on into each other. It’s inevitable for snowshoe hares that they will remain white until sunlight achieves a certain angle of approach to my woods as a result of the earth’s annual chase around our neighborhood star. The argument of global warming aside, this has been a damned weird winter. Of course, it is officially spring now by the calendar, but blooming daphne before the first of April and the growing green haze on southfacing slopes — not to mention the tick population — is far out of the ordinary for this time of year in Montida. This is an anomaly, surely, as is the weather that kept the Northeast buried for most of the winter; part of a big “pattern disturbance” in the way things “normally” happen. Folks in the East moved a lot more snow than most of them have ever had to deal with in their lives. Out here in the warm, warm West, I skied seven times this year, and had a really good ski day about four times. The unexpected weather has raised hell with our patterns of living.
In the long term of geological time, this may not seem like a big deal. We will quite possibly have a “normal” winter next year. I will get to ski more often than I did this year and the folks in Boston won’t have to struggle so hard to keep moving. In the short term, though, which is where we humans tend to live, this seasonal aberration is somewhat like the sudden appearance of cancer or the advent of Alzheimer’s. Unexpected, concerning and highly inconvenient. I have a friend who just moved his wife, whom he loves very much, into a home for Alzheimer’s patients. He has struggled mightily not to have to do this, but it has come to a place where he has no other choice. He is like the hare I saw this morning, caught out, mightily exposed, and not yet able to adapt. My friend will eventually adapt, as will the hare — unless it gets eaten. What gives me pause is the knowledge that it’s not the hare’s fault it’s still white in an unexpectedly brown world. It’s being the best hare it can be. Yet, by the nature of its inevitable “hare-ness,” it is in extra danger. My friend, by his nature, is being the best human he can be, and if you know this guy, you know he’s a really good human. He may not be in extra danger physically because of his predicament, but he is exposed emotionally and spiritually by an unpredicted turn of events, and has been for some time. He — and she — have been fighting to stay ahead of the inevitable for a number of years. But, the disease has caught up with them now, like spring has caught up with the rabbit — ahead of schedule, unstoppable and completely not their fault. Whether we know it or not, or are willing to admit it, their struggle is
ours. It is good to remember that we all face the inevitable, that we are all born to die. It is good to remember that we all face the unexpected, that winters disappear ahead of schedule and so do people we love. So, we should enjoy our winters as we can and tell the people we love that we love them. We never know when the unpredictable might take them away. Dedicated to the memory of Mitchell R. Compton, Sr. (June 6, 1928 — March 28, 1986) and Amanda Mariam Compton (October 1979 — March 1983).
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April 2015
Page 17
Save the Date On April 15, don’t miss Growing Potatoes in North Idaho at the Ponderay Event Center, 401 Bonner Mall Way in Ponderay. The workshop takes place at 6 pm and is presented by Becky Reynolds. This is part of the Spring Home Horticulture Series sponsored by Bonner County Gardeners Association. Potatoes are one of the easiest and most popular items grown in most vegetable gardens in North Idaho. Find good varieties for this area, plus how to plant, grow, harvest and store your crop. Learn space-saving and unique growing ideas about the veggies that made Idaho famous. Cost is $10: for more information call 208-265-2070 (leave a message), visit BCGardeners. org, or go to the BC Gardeners’ Facebook page.
On April 17, Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge hosts An Evening About Bears at 6:30 pm. This presentation is free and open to the public. Come and learn more about bears from Brian Johnson of Idaho Fish and Game. Sponsored by Friends of Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge. Learn more on the KNWR Friends website at friendsofkootenainationalwildliferefuge .org, or call 208-267-3888. Registration is open for the Spring 2015 session of READY! for Kindergarten Saturday morning workshops, held April 18. These free early childhood literacy workshops for parents, grandparents and caregivers of babies, toddlers and preschoolers are held three times a Page 18
year in Sandpoint. Parents learn how to “play with a purpose” with their children to boost the skills needed for success in school. This nationally recognized program provides researchbased curriculum as well as free educational toys, games, activities and books. Sponsored by Panhandle Alliance for Education. Register at READYSandpoint.org.
On April 29, Jim Clements will present a workshop on Home Orchards at the Ponderay Event Center, 401 Bonner Mall Way in Ponderay, Starting at 6 pm, this workshop is part of the Spring Home Horticulture Series sponsored by Bonner County Gardeners Association. Clements helped us put the orchard to bed last fall; this class will concentrate on spring and summer issues—location of your orchard site, varieties that do well here, and pruning fruit trees. Cost is $10; for more information call 208-265-2070 (leave a message), visit BCGardeners.org, or go to the BC Gardeners’ Facebook page. The 2015 North Idaho Veterans Stand Down, a day of appreciation for all veterans, takes place on May 9 from 8 am to 2 pm at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds, 4056 N. Government Way in Coeur d’Alene. The St. Vincent de Paul event is held annually to provide services to homeless and disadvantaged veterans in the five northern counties. Services from organizations that provide medical, dental, housing, clothing, food assistance, haircuts, massages and bike repair will be available. Plus, a hot meal will be served to all veterans, volunteers and service providers. For more information, call Eric Swanbeck at 208664-3095, ext. 314.
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April 2015
• Get Growing Nancy Hastings • Gardening for the Future
This surprisingly early spring nags at local gardeners. Lettuce, spinach, kale... onions, cabbage, peas... all can survive some cold weather and all are likely already in the ground. But what do you do when the calendar says April and the weather outside has garden beds just calling for more planting? Why not plan for the next 20 years, and put in an asparagus bed or some jerusalem artichokes. A perennial vegetable, asparagus is not for those impatient for instant results—the asparagus you plant this spring won’t be harvested until 2017. But then it will keep on producing for the next 20 and maybe even 30 years, providing your family with tender, delicious shoots unmatched by anything you can buy at the grocery store. Asparagus can take a little bit of shade but, like most vegetables, it thrives in sunshine and must have a well-drained soil to keep its roots from rotting. Building a new raised bed or tilling a new space with an early application of dolomite lime to bring the ph to 7 is advised here so as to not compete with fungus or bugs other veggies may have left behind. When choosing a spot for your asparagus bed, remember that the plant will sprout ferns several feet high later in the season so you won’t want your asparagus to shade other sun-loving veggies. North or east sides of your garden are ideal. Make sure there are no weeds in your bed, and weed vigilantly after planting—asparagus
doesn’t compete well with weeds and you don’t want your investment to come to nought. Asparagus is planted from “crowns” (a collection of rhizomes and lateral roots) that can be purchased at your local garden supply. Most likely these will be one year old crowns—older crowns tend to more readily succumb to transplant shock. To plant, it’s recommended to dig a trench 6-12 inches wide and 8 inches deep. Place crowns in trenches 12-16 inches apart if you want thick spears or 8-10 inches apart if you like thinner spears. Good drainage is a must for this. Mix together some soil and apply a good organic 5-10-10 fertilizer and create a little mound in your trench. Place the crown on top of the mound, with its roots falling down along the sides. The top of the crown should be at least six inches below ground. Put two to three inches of soil on top of the crowns and then, in a couple weeks, as shoots appear, put down another inch or two of soil. Keep adding soil periodically until your crowns are covered by a soft mound of soil. Water regularly to ensure your plants are well established, and mulch well to prevent weed growth. Side dress 5-10-10 fertilizer again in mid July and every spring at 1 pound per 100 square feet to feed the roots for the upcoming year. Keep the bed well watered all summer and in fall, after the ferny stalks have completely turned brown, cut and remove the tops to keep any insects from wintering.
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By next spring, if you’re greedy, you can harvest a couple of shoots from each plant, but your asparagus will be better off if you wait until the following year before harvesting. Harvest for no longer than two weeks in the first year after planting, for three weeks in the year following, and then for four to five weeks in the years remaining. You don’t want to over-harvest your plant as you need to leave enough to allow a strong root system to develop. If you’d like a little crunch and a nutty alternative in your diet, with low starch and sugar content, you may want to think about planting a bed of Jerusalem artichokes or “Sun Chokes.” This knobby root crop is also a perennial edible that likes to be planted now in full sun with great drainage, but unlike the asparagus it likes it on the dry side and the tubers that you grow and dig can run rampant once it is established in your yard. It also gets much taller since it is a member of the Heliopsis or perennial sunflower family—5 to 10 feet if you let it go into its beautiful yellow blossoms. For this reason, you should separate a Jerusalem artichoke bed away from your standard veggie bed. You could even plant a row of pole beans on the edge of your artichoke bed and use the tall stems for the beans to crawl up! Plant 2-3 eyes of tubers 5 inches deep and 16 inches apart in a good loose soil with about 2 in of compost. Mulch well after plants are one foot tall to retain soil moisture and stomp out weeds. Planting tubers early will give this year’s crop adequate time to grow and to harvest some for eating in late fall after several frosts set their unique flavor and keep some of the tubers in the ground for next year’s crop. Nancy Hastings grew up on a 300+ acre farm and now is co-owner of All Seasons Garden and Floral in Sandpoint. She and her husband John have been cultivating community gardens and growing for 16 years in North Idaho. You can reach them with garden questions or sign up for classes at AllSeasonsGardenandFloral (at) gmail.com
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April 2015
Page 19
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• Acres n’ Pains
The Way We Was
Scott Clawson •
(were, or been, will ne’er be here again.) {The following is an excerpt from an early spring/mid-winter Sunday morning, close enough to 7,000’ to make your ears pop. There was a foot of fresh, wet cotton topping another of aged, crusty hard-pack laying everywhere but in the streets, a few driveways and the roofing of poorly insulated dwellings. Glaciers were lying dormant under every northern eve in town. Adults oscillating independently between torpor, shortlived consciousness (often the direct precursor to heavy drinking and card playing) and what looked an awful lot to the untrained eye like outright hibernation. Out of teens, pre-teens and those still trying to be, rising spring sap effervesced like ginger ale on a bumpy road.} “Whuchawanna do?” I queried my cousin Will at his back porch, big showy flakes trying their best not to melt on my eyebrows, a small drift forming on my head and shoulders but not yet on my mood. “I feel like killin’ sompm,” he grumbled through a look I’d known all our lives: brow down, moderately pooched lips riding high under the nose, steam forming a small cloud above his forehead. He had sisters and therefore my discreet sympathies. Ignoring the current weather conditions, I offered, “Fine day fer plinkin’ varmints!” while prominently displaying my brand new Model 77 Remington semi-auto 22 long rifle with a walnut stock. I’d just got it (a Council website at tristatecouncil.org.
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12th birthday present to myself) and wasn’t yet willing to let it out of my sight, having siblings of my own. I put it back under my parka, to conceal it from the elements. Like two little farts in a hot snowglobe, we wandered uptown to load up on Slim Jims and fresh ammo. I had half a box but 50 rounds, I figured, was inadequate if the varmint plinkin’ were to get serious, which it often did whenever lips were at all pooched, even moderately so. [I should interject here that pinecones were often times looked upon as wily varmints.] Actually, a full box of 100 rounds didn’t often make it to lunch break even under ‘normal’ conditions, leading me to believe, in retrospect, that it must’ve been a noisy place I grew up in. (Snowmobiles have long since made hibernation obsolete and even considered downright bad for the economy.) We trudged on uptown, I with my rifle, and Will with his “Long Tom” 12 gauge, a blunderbuss nicknamed “YEEOOW,” who’s motto was “Hold me tight and squeeze me easy or I will bite and leave you queasy”. I’d composed that while relocating my shoulder on a previous outing. At twelve a poet, however bruised! “Howdy, boys!” Clyde let out through the steam of a hot coffee mug from behind the counter of his Conoco station as we slogged through the doorway covered in three inches of spring, bristling with weapons and pre-
teen dimples. “Hey, Clyde,” we chimed, leaving a gloppy trail down the aisle to the ammo case, the jerky rack, and back, snow avalanching with every step. “Hope yer not gonna hold me up now, I haven’t had time to get to the bank in a few days, heh, heh!” offered Clyde, ever helpful. “Nah, we both have our allowance, thanks anyway,” we retorted in unison. Across the counter, Clyde eyed Will holding his shotgun, a box of shells and a hand full of jerky sticks, and rang up our transaction with, “Those eyebrows had me goin’ for a second there, William, heh, heh!” Just then, a gust of flakes and a uniform came through the door wearing a badge. “Hey, Leo!” we chorused, a cappella. “Hey, boys! Yer not about to roust ol’ Clyde here are ya, heh, heh?” “Nah, he needs to get to the bank first,” offered Will. “Maybe later.” “That’s good, jail’s about full up anyways, this being Sunday. Don’t shoot anything I wouldn’t,” he instructed. We hid our things from the elements and headed back outside to enjoy some more April in the form of January. (Not realizing at the time that what we were up to was a waning way of growing up.) {And now, for a little contrast, the following excerpt is from just the other day, a seemingly (to me) short fifty years later.} I rolled up to the curb, across from the hardware store I’ve been helpless to avoid for over three decades now, amid
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April 2015
a sudden hail of flakes imitating little pancakes drifting off some cloud-based spatula. It being a balmy 42 degrees out when I left the homestead, all I had to protect myself was a sweatshirt. I haven’t been a Boy Scout for fifty years and it’s maddeningly apparent under circumstances like this. I grabbed a handful of River Journals to slide into unsuspecting hands once I got inside, saving one out for Mel at the bank drive-thru next door on my return trip. Looking back, I could have arranged this a bit differently. That morning, I’d once again found a weak spot in my trusty axe handle by firmly planting both feet and then ever so carefully misjudging the distance to a block of tamarack. Needing a new one now led me indoors covered in pancakes, where I was greeted by this year’s assortment of lawn mowers, turf building equipment and sprinkler things. All are sure-fire indicators of another six weeks of winter. From Fred (name changed to protect his feigned innocence), “Nice weather, eh? Grass seed’s on sale…” I cut him off with a rolled up River Journal to the abdomen, an area of the body known as ‘flinch city’. “Just a new axe handle today, Ray, er, I mean Fred.” “Already?! Geez, it’s only been…” as I headed, by familiarity, to the rack of axes, mauls and replacement parts, where once again, I had the opportunity to host a cost comparison between the ‘part’ and its fully operational counterpart, chauffeuring
home the reason for my collection of seventeen axe heads mixed with those of assorted hammers, mauls and sledges gathering dust and cat hair in my shop, patiently waiting for the next great depression to bolster their value; their splintered handles having been traded for BTUs inside one of my woodstoves. I exchanged currency and another Journal with the checker, received her blessings and returned to the IHOP of springtime northern Idaho and a second helping of pancakes. The scene outdoors had changed, and not all that much for the better. From a lazy serene snow globe, quiet and quaint, by the simple addition of the human race, was now a frenzied mix of ‘all season’ radial tires, cars askewed, jaywalkers skittering (causing even more askewing), one prostrate skateboarder taking a ‘selfie’, and assorted unprintable squeals of presummer jubilation, all being muffled by the acoustics of Mother Nature’s handiwork. Not having a bag or a coat, I shouldered my new axe and headed down the sidewalk toward Mel and her teller window. Beating me there was a nicely suited gent doing his best take on the “Teaberry Shuffle” (or skittering, as it’s often hard to distinguish the two) with a bank pouch in his hand. He was obviously in too big of a hurry to go inside and stand in line like he was about to wish he had. Maybe it was all the ruckus around us, but when he turned his head
towards mine, both his eyes grew toupees and his neck disappeared, a terse “Eeeep!” parting his lips. Not new to hairy eyeballs, myself, I smiled but revealed no ivory; a non-verbal way of broadcasting “No worries” if ever there was one. He didn’t seem to know this one, however, so I decided perhaps it’d help if I were to stash the axe behind my back. I looked around at the distant surprise of another “Eeeep” as one’s ears don’t pick that word up very often this far from tourist season. In an inordinately extravagant SUV, askew and awaiting orders, was a lady, also nicely suited, maniacally trying to describe something over her cell phone without moving her lips enough for me to clearly read. Her eyes were also pretty hairy (but not in a pretty way). And both were pointed right at me! “Scotty!” brought me around again. It was Mel, smiling from behind her microphone. “Is that for me?” “Sure ‘nuff,” I said, dropping a Journal in her slide-out tray, “Gotta go, See ya later, heh, heh,” intuition tickling my sense of self-preservation. Without trying to look hurried, I shuffled (there’s probably some silly rule about running with an axe anyway) back to my rig, my ears picking up the faint wail of sirens on the ‘up-Doppler’. I disappeared into the drifting pancakes, thinking myself fortunate to have spent at least my childhood in a world with a sense of humor.
April 2015
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