The River Journal August 2011

Because there’s more to life than bad news

A News MAGAZINE Worth Wading Through

IT’S TIME TO gET THAT BOAT

AFLOAT!

and get ready for Shakespeare Local News • Environment • Wildlife • Opinion • People • Entertainment • Humor • Politics

August 2011 | FREE | www.RiverJournal.com

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August 2011

Inside

3 Get that boat afloat!

4 They say the lady is fair - Shakespeare in the Parks 5 Sandpoint’s fourth “R” - the ReStore 6 Clark Fork goes wireless

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

8 The yellow-rumped warbler

SALES

9 Wolf season nears

Call 208.255.6957 or email trish@riverjournal.com

10 What good fathers do - Kathy’s Faith Walk

PRESS RELEASES

10 Idaho reviews energy plan - A Seat in the House

(Email only) to editorial@riverjournal.com

11 Too many bills? Don’t pay ‘em. - Politically Incorrect 12 It’s the voter’s fault - Veterans’ News 13 When hearts break - The Scenic Route 14 A haunting these houses go - The Valley of Shadows

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

16 Downtown Sandpoint event calendar

Ministry of Truth and Propaganda

17 Into the Athabasca - The Hawk’s Nest

Jody Forest-joe@riverjournal.com

15 Hillstranded’s Caddy footage - Surrealist Research Bureau

18 Obituaries

Regular Contributors

19 A makeover for Memorial Field

Scott Clawson; Sandy Compton; Marylyn Cork; Idaho Rep. George Eskridge; Lawrence Fury; Dustin Gannon; Matt Haag; Ernie Hawks; Marianne Love; Kathy Osborne; Gary Payton; Boots Reynolds; Lou Springer; Mike Turnlund;

20 How to enjoy the Festival at Sandpoint - Scott Clawson Boots has gone fishing! You can “catch” him here next month, though.

Cover photo of Brian Nietzke boating on Lake Pend Oreille

by Misty Grage. Inset photo of Dan and Lori Muelenberg at Shakespeare in the Parks by Trish Gannon.

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Contents of the River Journal are copyright 2011. 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.

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August 2011| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 20 No. 8| Page

complimentary microbrew tasting

Thursday 8/11 '.#.* Starring

Josh Ritter

with

Darren Smith

our Fair Needs...

Josh Ritter is Moscow-born and raised, known for his distinctive Americana style and narrative lyrics. In 2006 he was named one of the “100 Greatest Living songwriters”

by Paste Magazine and has performed on the Late Show with David Letterman.

Ritter’s live performances are legendary as he never fails to connect with diverse audiences, from Radio City Music Hall to South by Southwest. He returns to Sandpoint, as a headliner, to perform with his Royal City Band.

Josh is joined by fellow Idaho native Darren Smith, a multiinstrumental musician and composer of country, folk rock and indie persuasions.

Underwritten by Evergreen Realty

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We are neighbors helping neighbors live the rural life your way.

Now that Summer Showed Up

Get that Boat Afloat!

DiLuna’s Presents

Chris Webster & Nina Gerber

220 Cedar St. Sandpoint

208.263.0846

A long Indian summer could go some way toward making that up, of course, and on the last day of July, being out on the lake was everything you might want it to be. Perfect weather, perfect views... the only thing that seemed to be missing, at least on that day and

on my boat, was the fish. The big fish, that is.

“That’s why they call it fishing and not catching,” my daughter Misty explained when I suggested that my camera would appreciate it if she and her partner, Brian, would catch some slightly bigger fish.

I wasn’t fishing myself as I don’t have a fishing license—and I would remind those of you who’d like to dip a line in the water that obtaining that license is a necessity, unless you’re under the age of 14. My friend and fellow River Journal writer Matt Haag, who is an Idaho game warden and therefore should know, tells me the penalty for a first offense of fishing without a license is getting your hand cut off. I know, I know, that seems a bit of a stiff penalty, but in its defense, it really cuts down on the repeat offenders.

Okay, that was a lie. They don’t really cut

Tickets $12 advance/$15 day of event

Summer lives eternally in the taste of a justpicked, vine-ripe tomato; the cool feel of waterpacked sand shifting under your bare feet; the smell of cut grass; the sound of waves lapping against the hull of a boat. Each finds their way into the very cells of your body, there to be recalled at a moment’s notice and each capable of transporting you into a moment of Zen. That is, if you pick and eat the tomato, if you walk on the beach, if you’re near a freshly cut lawn and if you manage to get out on the water in a boat.

That last has been a bit difficult for people this year. First, it was the winter that never ended, the rain and cold that made a good book by a cozy fire seem the most attractive occupation on earth. And then came flood season; massive amounts of water drowning the lake, making streams and rivers flow at what seemed the speed of light and filling the waterways with so much debris going out in the water meant a slow crawl to nowhere.

The recession didn’t help either, or, as some economists have taken to calling it, the “Little Depression,” and its recovery on Wall Street that somehow turned off before it reached Main Street. For real people, the rank and file who eat and pay a mortgage and send their kids to college, uncertainty about spending money on anything more than the bare necessities, or even not having extra money to spend at all, has kept many off the water, making a lake that rarely looks crowded look even emptier than normal. Lake Pend Oreille is lonely for boats.

“Three years of recession and then the coldest spring on record—it didn’t help,” said Pam Auletta of Hope Marine Services of the impacts this year on local businesses, and those are words that echo throughout businesses all along the shoreline.

Saturday, Aug. 20 Doors open 5:30 Music at 7:30

by Trish Gannon

off your hand for fishing without a license, and Matt didn’t even tell me that (sorry, Matt) but when it comes to fishing without a license, you really don’t want to go there. There’s big fines, and you can lose your ability to hunt or fish in the state for up to three years. And why would you not get a fishing license anyway? The fees generated from licenses (and fines) go right back into protecting and managing our fishery, so that there’s fish for you to catch. Step number one—go out and get your license.

Step number two is to go out and get a copy of the rule books. There’s one for fishing, so you don’t accidentally take home and fry up an endangered Bull Trout or kokanee salmon or even worse, throw back one of the lake trout that earn you a bounty of up to $15 for each fish, as long as you take the head in. (Which is hard to do if you threw it back in the lake.)

To find out which fish are covered under the angler incentive program, and how much you can get, visit the Fish and Game website online (http://tinyurl.com/3l95af6) or stop and pick up one of the rule books, which are available in just about every business that’s related to fishing and a whole bunch more that are not.

Also get your rule book for boating, because there’s things you need to comply with there as well (learn more here: http://tinyurl. com/3jam4du). For example, you need to have a life jacket (or personal floatation device) for each person in the boat, and they don’t count if they’re in the closet at home. You also need fire extinguishers, flame arrestors, ventilation systems, mufflers, sound makers and distress signals, not to mention lights if you’re boating at night, and flags if you’re pulling skiers or tubers.

You also need an invasive species sticker, not just on motorized boats but on canoes and kayaks as well. (Inflatables under ten feet do not require the sticker.) The stickers are available through Idaho Parks and Recreation, and fund mitigation and prevention efforts around invasive aquatic species like quagga mussels. The stickers can be purchased online (http://tinyurl.com/3pdpohq) or at one of 24 different vendors in Bonner County.

Sergeant Hoskins with the Bonner County Sheriff’s Marine Division would remind boaters the Division provides free boat inspections and free boating safety classes. He also warns boaters to “be very careful [when boating].

There’s still a lot of debris out there.”

If you’re new to fishing, and find you’re only catching the little ones and prefer to throw them back, my daughter tells me you must first talk sweetly to them, apologize for hooking them, and then give them a little kiss before putting them gently back in the lake. No lie.

That’s what you should do.

August 2011| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 20 No. 8| Page

They Say the Lady is Fair Much Ado About Nothing at the Heron Ballfield Clark Fork Baptist Church

Main & Second • Clark Fork

Sunday School............9:45 am Morning Worship............11 am Evening Service...............6 pm Wednesday Service.........7 pm Call 266-0405 for transportation

Bible Preaching and Traditional Music

In Shakespeare’s writing, as in the world at large, “the course of true love never did run smooth,” and this is as true in Much Ado About Nothing as it is in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

In yet another unforgettable comedy, Montana’s Shakespeare in the Parks will perform Much Ado About Nothing on Saturday, August 20 in the Heron ball field at 6 pm Montana time (that’s 5 pm for you Idaho fans.)

As always, the event is free of charge.

The story of two pair of lovers, Much Ado tells the tale of Benedick and Beatrice, who have nothing but scorn for love, and Claudia and Hero, whose love is tested by gossip. The play warns that “Some Cupid kills with arrows; some with traps.”

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This is the 39th year of Montana State University’s Shakespeare in the Parks program, which brings the works of the Bard to rural communities throughout Montana, and once again hundreds of fans will converge on the ball field behind the old Heron School to watch magic happen in the shadow of Sawtooth Mountain.

Community coordinator Debbie Lyman, who works tirelessly each year to bring this free production to our local area, wants to get the word out to prospective attendees that Shakespeare in the Parks is not just a performance; it’s an experience.

by Trish Gannon

“I’ve seen people bring everything from a blanket to sit on to a full course dinner with wine,” she said, and points out there are no restrictions about what to bring with you to increase your enjoyment of the play. At a typical performance toddlers and dogs play on the periphery, neighbors chatter and catch up on news, wine is uncorked, finger food is shared, and then the talented actors with Montana’s Shakespeare in the Parks take the stage and the audience is treated to what might be the finest Shakespeare performance they’ve ever seen.

Shakespeare in the Parks, it could be argued, is a Shakespeare experience in the way he himself intended it to be: live (complete with pauses, and sometimes laughter, when the evening train rolls through town) and unplugged. It’s an experience you won’t want to miss.

Heron, Montana is located just over the state line on Hwy. 200 south of the Clark Fork River.

Photos: Above, Val Albi of Pend Oreille Pasta demonstrates how to enjoy dinner at Shakespeare in the Park in style. (Yes, they can help you create your own picnic as well.) Photo by Trish Gannon. At left: Beatrice and Benedick in MSIP’s 2011 summer production of Much Ado About Nothing. Photo courtesy of Winslow Studio & Gallery.

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Page | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 20 No. 8| August 2011

Sandpoint’s Fourth “R”

Residents can Reduce, Re-use, Recycle... or Re-Store Hidden back off of Boyer Avenue, just behind Panhandle Special Needs, Sandpoint boasts a house of wonder for those interested in the old, the funky, the unique and the reusable in the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

A re-sale store primarily for building materials and other home improvement goods, whose proceeds benefit the highly popular Habitat for Humanity, the first ReStore in the nation opened in Austin, Texas in September of 1992. Conceived by Diane Beaver MacKie as a way to generate funding for the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate, the concept of a store selling donated surplus or gently-used building materials became a model fundraiser throughout the nation, with over 650 such ReStores operating today.

The Sandpoint version opened its doors in 2008 and, like most ReStores, has placed its own unique marketing on what is offered. Some of that comes from the guidance of Philip Kent, the store’s manager, who has maintained a lifelong interest in the craftsmanship, originality and quality of items from times gone by. Which is why you’ll not only find old(er) ovens, cooktops and stoves in Sandpoint’s ReStore, but also (at this writing) a 1950s Kenmore stove with the gleaming design of an heirloom Chevrolet Bel-Air, carpet, wood and tile flooring pieces alongside a hand-knotted wool rug in perfect condition, and mid-range living room furniture clustered around a Queen Anne tilt-top table from the 1840s to 1850s.

“Our store reflects our very generous donors and volunteers” Philip explained. “One thing that makes our store unusual is that we receive an exceptional range of materials. This support from our donors and the constantly growing number of customers has allowed the ReStore to contribute substantially to Habitat’s building program and supply reasonably priced materials to the public in a clean and well organized environment.

“People are surprised when they come in here,” Philip added.

Despite some of the higher-end items offered for sale, Sandpoint’s ReStore still follows the same general format of ReStores throughout the nation; they are a resource for building materials either unused or salvaged from a job that are then donated by local contractors to the program.

These materials include heating and air conditioning units, lumber, molding, plumbing fixtures and supplies, flooring, cabinets and lighting.

The ReStore is also the area’s biggest resource for used appliances. Philip explained that when appliances are donated, “We clean them up, make any repairs needed, and verify they’re in working order. Joe Zavala lends invaluable expertise evaluating and advising on plumbing issues and preparation of donations for sales.”

There are some things you probably won’t find at the ReStore: items

like full sheets of plywood or heavy copper wire, which are generally too valuable to a contractor to become part of a donation. But when kitchen cabinets, windows or doors are replaced, these items tend to become part of the stock of the store.

In addition, some of the material donated is new. Currently the store boasts a large collection of specialty lighting that was donated when a local lighting store went out of business.

As a registered 501(c)3, donations to the ReStore are tax deductible, and proceeds benefit the local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, a program with a mission to “build simple, affordable, decent housing” in partnership with the low-income families who receive them.

The program uses primarily volunteer labor and new, donated materials, along with a sweat equity investment that is required from those chosen to receive a home. The new homeowner makes house payments that go back into the operating funds of the project. Families in need of decent housing apply directly to the local affiliate. Currently Habitat is building one home each year and in the last year, the affiliate has received 18 applications.

The Idaho Panhandle affiliate of Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1991 and is working this summer on their 14th house for the local community. Recent Habitat houses have been built in Schissler Meadows, a 15-lot subdivision in Kootenai (named for the local affiliate’s founder, Mike Schissler); this year’s home is the eighth in that location. To learn more about the organization, visit their website at www.iphfh.org.

Through August, the Habitat ReStore is operating summer hours and is open from 8 am to 5:30 pm Wednesday through Saturday. (In fall, those hours will be 9:30-5:30.) The store also operates a website (www. sandpointrestore.org) though the site is still a work in progress. In future, they hope to be able to keep inventory online so that shoppers have the ability to make online purchases.

If you have materials to donate, the store provides pick-ups within a 20-mile radius; you can call 208-265-5313 and ask for Joe Zavala or email restore@iphfh.org to determine if your materials qualify. After confirmation of acceptability, donations may also be dropped off at the store, located at 1524 Boyer Ave. in Sandpoint, from 10 am to 5 pm every Tuesday through Saturday.

-Trish Gannon

Bonner County Rodeo BOTH NIGHTS - Trick Riding Barrel Racing & Mutton Busting

Drawings for prizes & 12 Wrangler stick horses

“I’d like a grande triple skinny carmel latte. Can you throw in some history with that?”

Coffee ~ Latte ~ Espresso Fruit Smoothies ~ Pastry ~ Farmer’s Market

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Telephone or email orders welcome, delivery available for large orders.

A coffee experience from a fourthgeneration Clarksfork native.

Carter’s Clarksfork Coffee On Hwy. 200 in Annie’s Orchard, just west of Clark Fork Open Mon-Fri 5 am to 5 pm, Weekends 7 am to 4 pm 208.627.3040 ~ pjcarter1234@gmail.com

SATURDAY TOUGH ENOUGH TO WEAR PINK

FRIDAY NIGHT - Family Night Drawing for two bikes & 12 Wrangler stick horses

Dance following performance - live band!

Klondyke BBQ ribs, 4-H Club Pepper Bellies and Beer Garden PLUS: Bulls, Bronc, Saddle Bronc, Barrel Racing, Team Roping, Steer Wrestling & Calf Roping

Bonner County Fairgrounds

Aug. 19 & 20 at 7 pm

August 2011| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 20 No. 8| Page

Clark Fork Goes Wireless Grant funding provides broadband from Newport to Clark Fork

If you don’t use a computer to access the Internet, it’s likely you won’t understand the anticipation felt by residents of Clark Fork who have learned that a federal stimulus grant is bringing broadband to town. But those who wait for ages for pages to load so they can pay bills or read the news know that life in a wireless world is going to get a lot easier—and a lot faster—for residents not just in this rural community, but for those along the wireless path from Newport, Wash. all the way east to the Montana state line.

This service is coming to Clark Fork and other areas as part of a federal grant program through the United States Department of Agriculture. Designed much like the Rural Electrification Administration, which brought electricity to the boon toons, these grant funds are used to bring high speed internet to areas which might otherwise do without.

In 2009, Pend Oreille Valley Networks, an internet service provider based in Newport, researched and applied for a grant that would cover 85 percent of the cost of building the infrastructure to provide wireless internet to the community of Clark Fork. In late 2009, they learned they had been chosen as one of the recipients for the Rural Development Utilities Program Community Connect grants.

From Cook’s Mountain in Newport to Clark Fork’s City Hall, a series of towers will beam broadband service to the residents of this small, eastern Idaho town. The addition of broadband repeaters on the towers (not paid for under the grant) will allow POVN to provide broadband access not just to Clark Fork, but to anyone along the way with line of sight (within 15 miles) to the towers. (Amplifiers for greater distances are available at an added cost.)

Recently Melannie Jones, POVN Operations VP and author of the successful grant, answered questions about the service.

TRJ - So what is this wireless service anyway?

Is it like satellite?

MJ - No, it’s not like satellite. It’s a land based wireless connection(s) to a fiber optic service at the POVN office in Newport. This service does not have the lag time that is normally experienced with a satellite connection, so you can do things like stream video, play online games and use voice over internet services.

TRJ - I’m tired of waiting! When will your broadband be available to me?

MJ - Gauging the end date of construction is like naming the day your tomatoes will be ripe! Right now (end of July) our best guess is that Clark Fork residents can go wireless with us some time in October.

TRJ -Why is it taking so long for high speed to become available?

MJ - You can thank Mother Nature for that. First we had to finalize bids and secure leases for the placement of the towers on

Gold Cup, Gold Mountain and Clark Fork City Hall. By the end of 2010 we were ready to begin building roads to the tower sites and constructing foundations for the towers.

Then came a winter of snow, snow and more snow, as you might remember. With our construction sites on the tops of mountains, it was mid June before we could get back into those areas. And those concrete foundations take 30 days to cure before the tower can be constructed. Right now the tower components are on site and ready to be constructed on Gold Cup Mountain. We are just beginning work on Gold Mountain near Sandpoint. Then we’ll construct the tower adjacent to City Hall in Clark Fork.

TRJ - I live in Clark Fork. What am I going to get for free?

MJ - First, you’ll get our standard POVN WiFi setup package. This includes a site survey, a 2.4 GHz or 900 MHz radio, plus radio installation, antennae and necessary cabling, a package that usually costs $250 to $350. In addition, the grant requires us to provide, equip and staff an Internet Community Center for two years, which will be located next to your current City Hall. This will provide ten WiFi Internet stations available for use free of charge to anyone.

The 900 MHz radio, by the way, is designed for areas where line of sight may be impeded by trees or brush. We can’t get a signal through a mountain, but some areas without direct line of sight might be serviced on the 900 MHz band. The only way to be sure is to call for a site survey.

TRJ - Is all that available only if I live within the only if I live within the city limits?

MJ - There’s a possibility that homes close to city limits will also be included in the guidelines for the free setup package.

We encourage anyone interested in the area to apply so we can evaluate their location.

The Internet Community Center is open to everyone.

by Trish Gannon

TRJ - So what’s this gonna cost me?

MJ - Our standard wireless service package costs $50 per month, which is both faster and less expensive than many of the alternatives, like satellite, currently available to the area.

In addition, we don’t require any contracts for our service.

TRJ - What about Hope? Can they get this service too?

MJ - The free setup packages are only available to Clark Fork residents. But because POVN invested in repeaters for the towers, WiFi is going to be available to people in all the areas along the service corridor. Depending on where you live, this includes homes in Priest River, Laclede, Dover, Sandpoint, Sagle, Ponderay, Kootenai and Hope. Again, we are encouraging everyone to sign up now for a site survey and to take advantage of our anniversary specials, which include 50 percent off the standard install price.

TRJ - Is this available for businesses, too?

MJ - Yes, businesses in Clark Fork are included in the grant proposal for the free setup package.

TRJ - What’s this I hear about internet telephone service?

MJ - One of the services POVN will be offering that is supported by WiFi is Internet Telephone (VOIP). Internet Telephone can partially or completely replace base and long distance telephone charges. For the one phone number home a VOIP Adapter is attached to an existing phone and incoming and outgoing calls are redirected over WiFi Internet.

Internet telephone works concurrently with Internet usage and does not interrupt or interfere with uploads and downloads.

For the business client who has multiple phone numbers and/or extensions requiring personal messages, or who needs to track and record calls, POVN offers phones that will address these needs and provide many other features to enhance businesses needs.

Page | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 20 No. 8| August 2011

TRJ - Are the new towers going to improve my cell phone reception as well?

MJ - Not at this time. Once the grant period has expired we will be able to offer space to any cell company that would like to add their equipment to our tower.

TRJ - How do I sign up?

MJ - Call POVN at 1-888-800-POVN(7686) TRJ - What made POVN decide to do this?

MJ - POVN is a business, and we recognized a business opportunity that would help us reach a broader base of customers with a service they want.

But POVN is also especially interested in providing service to rural areas because our company started by a librarian, a retired Boeing engineer and a business entrepreneur who were tired of waiting for large Internet providers to recognize the needs of 400 homes in the Newport/Oldtown area.

TRJ - Do you have future plans for other ‘dead spots’ in Bonner or Boundary counties?

MJ - Expansion is always a part of our growth plan.

TRJ - Anything else we should know?

MJ - Throughout the year, POVN is celebrating 15 years of providing internet service to rural communities by offering over $25,000 in specials and discounts. This includes free WiFi upgrades for dial-up clients, half off the set-up fee for new WiFi customers, additional free months of service, free WiFi hotspot usage, and the chance to win a year of free WiFi, dial-up, web hosting or VOIP service. Give us a call toll free at 888-800-POVN or visit our website at www.povn.com.

super country saturday

saTurday 8/13 ))#.* Starring

Rodney Crowell David Nail and

with Special Guest

Lindy Gravelle

The Dish on AirPipe

The excitement about broadband availability in Clark Fork is tempered with confusion. After all, didn’t AirPipe come into the community recently, and aren’t they offering broadband internet service?

The River Journal spoke with Mark Michelson, the regional installer for AirPipe, to get an idea of what AirPipe is offering to area residents.

AirPipe is also a wireless internet provider, but the service they currently offer in the Clark Fork area is a wired one. This is because the company purchased the infrastructure from the Hope Cable network (much of which was purchased itself from Northland Cable), and they’re now offering high speed cable internet to those residents who live along the old cable lines. Those lines are located almost exclusively within the city limits, though they say demand will push the expansion of those lines.

To determine whether you can receive cable internet services via AirPipe, you’ll have to call them. Their toll-free number is 866-969-8351.

The AirPipe website (www.air-pipe.com) lists pricing plans from $49.95 to $199.95 depending on the upload/download speeds desired, though Mike indicated there are plans available from $39.95.

Installation is an additional $99.95, though there is a $50 discount on installation available.

What’s the difference between satellite, cable and wireless internet?

Your guess is as good as mine, to tell the truth, though both cable and wireless internet appear to be light speeds (I’m not sure if that should be taken literally or not) faster than satellite.

Unlike satellite, both cable and wireless internet are relatively unaffected by weather.

One difference to be aware of is that wireless internet can be turned off when you so desire, whereas cable internet is generally always on, regardless of whether your computer itself is turned on or off. When either are on, your computer is vulnerable to hacking, and an ‘always on’ internet connection is generally more attractive to hackers than one that is periodically turned off.

Hacking, by the way, is not limited to someone stealing the data from your computer. Increasingly, hackers are using your internet connection to disguise their own, generally for nefarious purposes. This has actually been a real problem in this area, with local residents coming to the attention of the FBI due to “their” computer use, which was actually usage by another party.

Any computer connected to the internet, therefore, should have strong firewalls to prevent outsider access or ‘hijacking’ of your internet service, along with good antivirus, anti-malware and anti-spybot software. If your computer does not have these things, or if you’re not sure whether these types of programs are enabled, you should contact a computer company to make sure you are adequately protected.

-Trish Gannon

Texan Rodney Crowell has enjoyed a successful songwriting and singing career in country music over three decades, winning a Grammy® Award in 1989 for Best Country song, “After All This Time.” His numerous No. 1 hits include “It’s Such a Small World” with Rosanne Cash, and “Ashes by Now.” He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003.

David Nail has ignited the country music scene with recent hits “Let it Rain,” and “Red Light,” nominated for single Record of the Year in 2010 by the Academy of Country Music. In 2011 “Turning Home” earned a Best Male Country Grammy® Nomination.

Underwritten by Idaho Forests Group with support from Ruen Drilling, Inc. Presented by K★102 Country

888.265.4554

info and tickets: or order online visit us at:

www.festivalatsandpoint.com

A Bird in Hand

Mike Turnlund

The yellow-rumped Warbler (I did not make this up)

Yes, you read that right: the Yellow-rumped Warbler. This bird’s name goes to show that the American Ornithological Association folks spend too much time with birds and not enough time with other people. I mean really, yellowrumped? Why not call this poor bird the Yellowcrowned Warbler (one of its original names), or the Black and Yellow Warbler, or even better, the Yellow-patched Warbler? Why focus on the… um... rump? It causes me to wonder how ornithologists view people.

In the end (pun alert!) I suppose it doesn’t really matter, because the bird does sport a yellow rump. According to bird physiology the rump is the posterior portion—in this case, the top—of a bird’s body, above the tail and below the back. And this bird’s yellow rump

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is a distinctive field mark. Indeed, if you see a smaller, sparrow-sized bird flitting in a tree with a bright yellow patch above its tail, it will be a Yellow-rumped Warbler. As a side note, the Northern Harrier, a sometimes less than distinctive bird of prey, can also be identified by the color of its rump. The Northern Harrier has a prominent white patch that definitively identifies the bird anytime of the year.

Where might you find a Yellow-rumped Warbler in our area? Just about anywhere. My experience has been that they seem to prefer deciduous trees like cottonwoods and willows.

They are insectivores and you’ll often see them ‘hawking’ – fluttering out from a branch to grab a passing insect from the wing. They also have a distinctive call and one that you’ve probably heard a dozen times without knowing whom the soloist was. To my ears I hear a high trilled and rapid hurry-hurry-hurry-hurryhurry or similarly, churry-churry-churrychurry-churry, etc. If you need something more specific, go to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s website and find the audio link there. But make sure you pick the one for the Audubon Warbler.

And that brings us to the rest of the story.

As a specie the Yellow-rumped Warbler is currently a combination of two closelyrelated birds: the Audubon Warbler and the Myrtle Warbler, both considered two facets of the same jewel. I say currently because these folks might change their minds again and make each variety its own separate specie. But who knows, considering what I mentioned in the first paragraph. Enough said. Conveniently, the Audubon summers in western North America whereas the Myrtle makes claim on the eastern half of the continent, though both varieties spend their winters in Central America.

So, what’s the difference between the two varieties?

The Audubon is the one that you’ll see around here. The male is the most distinctive and will probably be the one that gets your attention. He is predominantly steely blue in color, though he might appear almost black.

And he is covered with yellow patches: on the top of his head, under his throat, on the both sides of his chest under the wings, and, of

course, the rump. The bird I drew for this article (view it on our website) sits in such a way as to show off all the patches simultaneously, though you probably won’t see this on a bird in the field. But you’ll definitely see yellow somewhere. Here is a very pretty little bird. The female is more modest in her coloring, favoring earth tones, a streaky breast, and fewer yellow patches. But that yellow rump will still be there. As a point of reference, the Audubon’s eastern cousin, the Myrtle Warbler, trades the yellow throat patch for a white one and adds a dashing white eye-stripe to the combination.

I’ve had readers write me to complain that they often don’t see the birds that I write about and claim to be common. I am sure to get another round of complaints with the Yellowrumped, which is a very common variety of bird during the summer. There are two things to keep in mind when out birding. First, birds are common in a specific habitat. For instance, you look at a distribution map for Yellow-rumped Warblers, and or any other “common” specie, and the entire Northwest region, for example, will indicate the existence of the bird. But you never see them. Why not? Because common means within each species specific habitat. For example, Wood Ducks are very common across North Idaho, but only in their preferred habitat: small ponds and slack water near stands of tall trees. Go to the habitat and then you will find whatever it is you are looking for.

Second, birds will instinctively and actively avoid you. In their world they are the prey and anything bigger than them is potentially a predator. By nature most birds are skittish and quick to flee. Who can blame them? So when you do decide to go out and add to your birding life list, wear natural colors like brown and green, and try to blend in. Find a likely spot and then simply remain still and silent. After about ten minutes the birds will begin to appear. They were there the entire time, but your chancing upon them made them hide. Once you become part of the background they’ll get back to making a living.

Drop me a line and let me know how it goes.

Happy birding!

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Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness August 2011| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 20 No. 8| Page

The Game Trail

Wolf season approaches Matt Haag

mhaag@idfg.idaho.gov Summer is slowly melting the snow and ice in the higher elevations. A patrol to the high mountain lakes proved that old man winter has been enjoying his stay in North Idaho, and wants to lounge around for a few more weeks.

The trails were covered in snow and in some cases, the lakes still covered in ice. Maybe by the time this prints things will have melted a good deal more. However, I wouldn’t doubt if there are some snow fields in the crests of the Selkirk and Cabinet Mountains that persist until the next snow fall!

Huckleberries seem to be doing well, with people enjoying some nice fat berries in the low elevations thanks to July rains. Higher elevations are proving to be a little behind schedule; can’t really blame them though! An attempted trip into Darling Lake in mid-July, cut short by snow, showed the berries to be just in the flowering stage. Well, at least it will keep the bears happy late into the fall.

With fall right around the corner, so are hunting seasons with some starting as soon as August 30! The season I get asked the most about is, of course, the wolf hunts. We had a very successful season in 2009, but the 2010 season was stopped by a judicial ruling. IDFG is looking forward to managing wolves like all the rest of the critters we have. The IDFG commissioners met July 27 and 28 in Salmon, Idaho where they laid the groundwork for this year’s wolf hunts. Here’s a look at the hunting season.

Standard hunting season dates statewide: August 30-March 31, except for August 30December 31 in Island Park and Beaverhead wolf management zones. Hunters may buy two tags per calendar year. Bag limit: No person may take more than one wolf per legal tag in

his or her possession. Wolf seasons are AnyWeapon seasons. Electronic calls may be used statewide. Wolves may be taken incidentally during fall bear baiting. Reduced-price nonresident wolf tags ($31.75) will be offered statewide. Hunters must report killing a wolf within 72 hours. Hunters must present skull and hide to IDFG office within 10 days. The wolf season closes when the harvest limit for that zone is reached or on the season closing date, whichever comes first.

Harvest limits are being proposed in the Salmon, Southern Mountain, Beaverhead, Island Park and Sawtooth Zones, where hunting proved effective in more open country and additional wolf mortality occurs from control actions to resolve ongoing livestock depredations.

Recent research confirms wolves are dispersing throughout the northern Rocky Mountains, and Idaho wolves are breeding with populations in other states and vice versa.

Nevertheless, Fish and Game has proposed a closing date of December 31 for the Beaverhead and Island Park Zones, which closes hunting prior to the peak snowmobile season in Island Park and corresponds to the closing dates in Montana. These zones are late winter/spring dispersal areas between Yellowstone Park and other wolf populations in Montana and Wyoming.

Fish and Game is not proposing specific harvest limits in the Panhandle, Lolo, Selway and Middle Fork Zones because of documented impacts to elk and other prey species. Terrain or access is difficult in these areas and hunters did not reach harvest limits in the Panhandle, Lolo, and Selway Zones in 2009. Fish and Game isn’t proposing specific harvest limits in the Palouse-Hells Canyon, Dworshak-Elk City, McCall-Weiser, and Southern Idaho Zones because of high conflict potential with livestock and other domestic animals.

Fish and Game uses a similar strategy for black bears and mountain lions, which have long been under state management. In general, both populations are thriving in Idaho.

Hunters will be required to report wolf harvests within 72 hours and bring harvested wolves to Fish and Game to confirm gender, approximate age, kill location and other

information. In 2009, less than one percent of hunters who purchased an Idaho wolf tag were successful. To increase harvest rates in 2011, Fish and Game proposes to allow electronic calls and increase the annual bag limit to two wolves for hunters.

Based on hunter success in 2009 and the inability of hunting pressure to manage wolves across most of their range in North America, Fish and Game proposes a trapping season from December 1 through February 15 in all or some of the Panhandle, Lolo, Dworshak-Elk City, Selway and Middle Fork Zones.

These include areas where access is limited and terrain is difficult, but where wolves are having significant impacts on other big game animals or approaching isolated communities such as Elk City. Fish and Game proposed these areas and this timeframe to allow trapping when pelts are prime, and when there is less potential for conflict with other hunting seasons and recreational uses. Here’s a look at the trapping regulations.

Trapping season dates: December 1February 15. Trappers may buy up to three tags with trapping license for use in those zones with an open trapping season in addition to two tags purchased for hunting; unused tags from hunting season (up to two) may also be used to tag trapped wolves. Bag limit: No person may take more than one wolf per legal tag in his or her possession. Methods of take: Both snares and foothold traps w/jaw spread not to exceed 9 inches are legal during wolf trapping season. Tags purchased for trapping may be used to take wolves through hunting where and when the wolf trapping season is open. Baiting regulations for trapping wolves are consistent with regulations for fur-bearers. A mandatory trapping education class is required before purchasing tags for wolf trapping. There is a 72-hour trap check requirement, same as for fur-bearer trapping.

You must make a mandatory report within 72 hours of kill; mandatory check within 10 days.

If you have any questions or confusion on the regulation framework just give your local Conservation Officer a call, or you can always call our Regional Office in Coeur d’Alene at 208769-1414.

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August 2011| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 20 No. 8| Page

Kathy’s Faith Walk

What good fathers do

A coworker walked into my office the other day and the conversation quickly turned to the subject of trusting God. These days, that often means trusting for financial needs. As we talked we remembered to one another times when God saw us through great financial hardships in the past. We can look back and see that He has rescued us from disaster many times and set our feet on solid ground, a sure path. So why is it even though my friend and I have seen the evidence God will take care of us, we act like each situation is news to God and surely an insurmountable barrier for the Creator of the Universe to navigate through?

The answer is easy... it is because we do not yet know Him. I need to know Him so deeply I will expect Him to behave as a good Father always does, not just hope He will.

Now, that word “know” shows up in lots of places in the Bible but probably none more impactful than Philippians 3:10,11 where Paul writes “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in

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coopcountrystore@yahoo.com his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” (NIV) Paul’s goal here was to know Jesus so well that he could actually experience both Christ’s suffering, and the life that would come from it.

It is pretty hard to know someone without spending time with them. In order to trust God, I have to know Him. In order to know Him I have to spend time with Him. When I spend time with Him, through a variety of circumstances he leads me through, I become more like Him and less like me. It turns out that God just loves to see His reflection in the eyes of His children.

If I want to KNOW that God is going to take care of me I have to let Him walk me through some tough stuff to get there. This is key: Jesus indicates in Matthew 24:40 that whatever is happening to me is also happening to Him. Now this is important—no matter what is happening in my life, easy street or difficult, I can “give

it” to Christ and He will carry it for me. My problem is I keep wanting to take the thing back and worry about it some more—like that is ever going to help. However, of late, I have gotten faster at turning issues over to Him. With each situation, with each greater need comes a greater requirement to trust Him. The good news is I am finally getting the hang of this. However, God, like any good Father, wants to see me grow so I know there will be even more creative lessons down the road for me.

Soon there will be no hesitation at all when I need to trust Him. Knowing God is also about knowing I need Him as Savior from my sin. I need Him as King of my days, as a Shepherd watching the sheepfold of my life, as the Bridegroom and lover of my soul. It’s knowing that as I yield each new circumstance to him quickly and completely, I come to understand that He will always be with me intervening, disciplining, guiding, solving, redirecting, teaching, rescuing, loving, encouraging and caring for my every need because He is my Father and that is what good Fathers do.

George Eskridge, Idaho Rep. for House District 1B Reach him at 208-265-0123 or by mail at PO Box 112, Dover, that using energy wisely is the best, lowest Idaho 83825

Idaho reviews energy plan I serve as Co-Chairman of the Interim Committee on Environment, Energy and Technology. The committee met July 12 and 13 in Boise to address current energy issues.

A major item of discussion was the need to review the current Idaho Energy Plan as recommended when the current plan was adopted by the Idaho Legislature.

It was decided in the meeting to enlist the assistance of the Idaho Strategic Energy Alliance to assist in the review of the energy plan and to provide recommendations for changes in the plan where needed to keep the plan viable as guidance on providing a firm and economical energy supply for Idaho citizens.

Governor Otter created the Alliance and directed it to develop analyses, assess options, and provide advice for executing the 2007 energy plan. The Alliance has over 150 members with broad and varied professional expertise that is useful in reviewing the energy plan and recommending changes in the energy plan to keep the state current with changes in energy development, policies and costs.

The Alliance is to review the current plan and make recommendations for change to the interim committee based on the alliance’s concept of three pillars of Idaho’s energy future.

1) That we maintain and enhance access to stable, secure, sustainable and affordable energy supplies for Idaho citizens and businesses.

2) Determine how we can extract the most economic advantage from energy systems, technologies and markets.

3) To provide a sound understanding of energy fundamentals to Idaho citizens emphasizing that “no energy option is a free lunch—there are positive and negatives to all—

cost option to meeting energy demand, but even with wise use and conservation in order to grow (economically) we require enormous amounts of affordable energy.”

The alliance is expected to meet with the interim committee within the next four to six weeks to present their recommendations to the committee. Following this meeting the committee will continue to work with the alliance and other interested citizens and organizations that have an interest in Idaho energy policy to update the 2007 plan to bring it current with today’s energy environment.

Because natural gas has been discovered in southwest Idaho the committee also devoted a portion of the meeting to natural gas development. The committee was provided information on natural gas supplies in the United States and more specifically natural gas development in Idaho.

One organization that analyses potential gas availability in the United States is the Potential Gas Committee. This is an incorporated, nonprofit organization consisting of knowledgeable and highly experienced volunteer members who work in the natural gas exploration, production and transportation industries and in the field and technical services and consulting services.

The results of the Potential Gas Committee’s latest biennial assessment of the nation’s natural gas resources states: The United States possesses a total resource base of 1,898 trillion feet of natural gas. This is the highest resource evaluation in the committee’s 46-year history. Most of the increase from the previous assessment arose from reevaluation of shalegas plays in the Mid-Continent, Gulf Coast and Rocky Mountain areas.

Bridge Resources Corporation is a natural gas exploration and production company with an interest in Idaho. They currently hold a 50 percent working interest in over 105,000 acres and have drilled 11 wells in the southwest Idaho area. Seven of these wells have gas available and the company is actively engaged in bringing these wells into active production through a process known as “Fracking”.

Fracking is a process in which water, sand and other components are pumped under high pressure into a gas formation to create fractures that allow the gas to flow into the well pipe and up to the surface for collection.

Over 90 percent of natural gas wells in the United States are using the fracking technique making possible more than 600 trillion feet of gas being developed and brought to market.

Development of natural gas in Idaho will not only help meet the nation’s energy needs but will also provide significant economic benefit to the state from severance taxes, royalties, income taxes, property taxes and other economic benefits.

Applications for gas wells have to be submitted to Idaho Department of Lands for permitting; however to insure that the Idaho’s permitting process meets environmental concerns the Department is currently reviewing and revising its rules for granting permits to insure protection of ground water and other environmental issues. In addition the Federal Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Safe Drinking Water Act and other federal rules govern the development of natural gas.

Thanks for reading and as always please contact me with issues of interest. George

Page 10 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 20 No. 8| August 2011

Too many bills? Just don’t pay ‘em.

As we moved into August, frantically trying to soak up as much summer as possible, Congress was just as frantically trying to make political gold out of some pretty moldy hay—raising the debt ceiling. This debate didn’t just occur in the halls of Congress, of course, but exploded throughout social media and the blogosphere, despite the fact that, until recently, most of us had no idea there was a debt ceiling or any idea what it was all about. That didn’t stop any of us from becoming instant experts, opining at large either for or against raising it Yet the question was really a very simple one: do we or do we not pay the bills we have incurred? Quite honestly, I didn’t think we had a choice in this.

Of course, if you listen, read, or participate in some of these debates, you’ll find out quickly that they’re really about what government should spend money on, and where that money should come from. Unfortunately, by refusing to address the actual question at hand, we were playing chicken with the American economy.

Rather shameful, when you think about it.

If you think government is doing a terrible job, and should be prevented from doing much of what it does, then ipso facto you must believe the private sector would do it better. Where do conservatives get their faith in the private

sector, I wondered. So I asked.

And it appears it is simply due to a lack of faith in government itself; a disbelief that government is working for you.

I have a certain amount of sympathy for this paradigm. After all, my family is southern. We fought an entire, stinking war over this issue.

Yes, the powers-that-be wanted to continue to reap the advantages of slavery, but many of the rank and file (those who didn’t own slaves) fought and died for the simple belief that you (government) need to keep your nose out of my business.

In addition, I have witnessed, and been the recipient of, my own share of government ineptness. There have been plenty of times when I have interacted with a government employee and thought to myself, “Sheesh! We’re paying you to be this dumb?!”

But here’s where I seem to differ from my more conservative friends. I have seen the same level of ineptness in the private sector and worse, I have seen it compounded by greed.

The government you elect may be far from perfect, but would you really rather see Wall Street running things? The same Wall Street who partied like it was 1999, then threatened to bring everything crashing down around our ears if we didn’t reach into our pockets and bail

Trish Gannon

POLITICALLY INCORRECT Trish Gannon

trish@riverjournal.com them out?

Do you honestly think that big business gives a flying crapola about whether your kid gets any help to go to college? That they would somehow care more about our veterans home from wars? Are they going to be trying to figure out why the people in your community are dying after the new plant came in, or are they going to be spending their time trying to determine how they can refuse to pay your medical bills?

I may not have much faith in government, but I have a lot less faith in private business when it comes to the protection of the American public.

Raise the debt ceiling? Should we pay our bills? Do the ends justify the means? I believe we should all be rightfully ashamed of any elected official who believes not paying for what we bought is even an option.

Replace government with private business?

If you want to replace democracy with an oligarchy, well, that’s your right. But I won’t be walking through the looking glass with you.

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August 2011| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 20 No. 8| Page 11

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Veterans’ News

It’s the voters’ fault

By the time you read this the single most burning question in America will have been answered: “Did my check come in?” I am afraid that the answer to that question will be ‘No!’ but then again I have a very low level of confidence in the ability of the people in Washington to overcome blind adherence to political dogma and actually practice the difficult art of governance. When it comes to the current crop of Representatives I have very little faith in their ability to understand the magnitude of the problems they will create by their intransigence. They are—I believe— drunk with power to the point that they can’t even see the cliff they are heading for.

In case you’ve been living in a yurt on the steppes of Asia for several months you should be aware that the House of Representatives and the President have been playing a game of ‘Chicken’ with the government’s debt ceiling.

Default on our national debt will devastate our, and the world’s, economy. That’s not my opinion—it is the opinion of those people who look at this sort thing. People like Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s ratings of government debts.

This confrontation is politics and governance at their worst.

What does this mean to the veteran? To those of us who are retired—having done the required 20 or more years—there is a very good chance that our retirement check will not come in on the first of the month. For those of us who have been rated with a disability high enough to receive a check from the VA that also may not appear in our mailboxes.

For those of us ancient enough to have retired from a second career and are receiving Social Security checks, that too may be missing from your bank account.

What will that mean to the individual veteran? Well, I can’t answer for you but I can answer for myself. If my retirement check stopped coming in, and the VA and Social Security checks stopped too, I would find my monthly income reduced by approximately 85 percent. That would really put a kink in my social life—not to mention the pantry. But I’m fortunate in many ways. I have no large debts—mortgage payments, hospital bills, rent, auto loans etcetera—to cover. And I have, thanks to a series of serendipitous events over my lifetime, adequate resources to weather a severe storm such as this would be.

What about those veterans who have any or all of those debts and limited backup resources? With monthly debt payments dependent on that monthly income, there will be a severe impact on their lives. And where would these veterans turn for help?

State government is more strapped for ready cash than the Feds. County offices—are you kidding? They have less than anyone else.

Certain religious or community organizations may be able to help keep you fed and the lights on but I doubt that there will be much help available to pay the bank loans and health care

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

Is there a solution to this ‘Default-ageddon’ (modifying the word ‘Car-mageddon’ from the recent highway closure in California)? Yes, but I’m afraid that it may come too late to stop a great deal of pain being felt by the great majority of the nation’s people. That solution, I feel, is for our elected representatives to stop playing politics and start actually trying to run the country for the greatest good for the greatest number. Instead of worrying about winning the next election within minutes of winning the last election they must learn to actually work on the People’s Business.

We have almost a fifth of our nation’s work force either unemployed or underemployed. Veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan can’t find work so they join those ranks of the unemployed. What we need now aren’t more cuts and no new taxes as proposed by the Tea-Party wing of the GOP but massive public works projects like those that brought us out of the Great Depression.

If private capital is unable—or unwilling—to create jobs the federal government must! We have a crumbling national infrastructure that could put millions to work. Yes, our deficit is bad but to further reduce spending now is unconscionable. The deficit was created by trying to fight two wars while reducing taxes.

This reduction in revenues created the need to borrow more money and set the stage for where we are at today.

The really sad part of the current situation is that older, middle-class veterans are largely responsible for it. They—the older veterans— bought into the lies that 1) Trickle-down economics worked; 2) Cutting taxes for the top 2 percent created jobs; 3) Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction; and 4) The GOP is the veteran’s friend. None of these things are true. Never were and never will be. What we have here is the culmination of 30 years of consistent lies, half-truths and distortions repeated loudly at every opportunity. That the American voter has bought into this is a scathing indictment of both our national media and our educational systems.

If we do go into default it will be fault of the voter for believing the crap they’ve been fed for the past 30 years. And we veterans will have played a large part in this disaster. The American voter said in the 2010 elections that they wanted less government involvement in their lives. No federal checks is definitely less involvement in our lives. Well, there is an old saw that says, “Be careful what you wish for as you just might get!”

Note: As of 9/30/2010—most recent date I can get info on—there were 109,800 veterans with wartime service in Idaho. That total spans WWII through the Gulf War. (For some reason statistics for the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan aren’t listed)] This represents almost 10 percent of Idaho’s total population.

Page 12 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 20 No. 8| August 2011

When hearts break

Having just returned from a sweet foray into wilderness, I am happy to report it’s still there.

It’s an interesting year in the high country.

Huckleberries at 3,200 feet are hard little green orbs. At 4,200, they are barely blooming.

Syringa has finally blossomed at 5,000 feet on south slopes, and bear grass is just coming on, spreading up the mountain like rising clouds. The mosquito hatch just moved past annoying toward maddening. Under lodgepole and subalpine fir forests above 5,500 feet, intermittent white dunes bury snow brush, gooseberry and tag alder four to eight feet deep. Huge snowfields lie in north-facing cirques. It is the first of July by all signs. The season is a month behind itself in the ragged western edge of the Rocky Mountains.

My absent friend Dick Wentz would love my use of that geographical designation. Any time I referred in his presence to the region radiating from Spokane as the Inland Northwest, he would huff and dig out a field guide—of which he owned many—crack it open and point at the enclosed region map.

“Wemmidge,” he would growl, “where does it say ‘Inland Northwest?’ We live in the goddam Rockies.”

“Wemmidge” was a name stolen from a character in a Hemingway story on the occasion of rekindling an old flame—whose, I’m not telling. In the story, a friend of Wemmidge sees an old girlfriend who has broken his heart walking down the street and turns to him and says, “Wemmidge, it may not be over.” We were both suffering from broken hearts at the time, and we found it good comic relief.

During those days, it was part of my job to go make Dick Wentz laugh every afternoon.

Every day at 2:00 I said to my boss, “I’m going across the street to go see if Wentz is still alive.” My boss would bless my departure with a wry smile, for he was as fond of Dick as I was,

and, at the time, there was a chance that on any given day, he might not be.

Dick had developed a condition that disallowed delivery of the oxygen he needed to walk upstairs. The real problem went unidentified for a time, but after educated guesses like emphysema and anemia, which didn’t prove out, they got around to looking at his heart, and, as I already told you, it was broken.

The doctor who looked at Dick’s heart scan came into the exam room with the results in his hand and asked Dick to join him at the window.

The doctor cracked the shades. “See that building over there?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Dick growled (he growled a lot).

“Do you recognize it?” the doctor asked.

“Hell, yes. It’s the hospital.”

“Right, and as soon as the ambulance gets here, that’s where you’re going.”

Dick told me that story in such a way that we both got tears in our eyes as a result. If there was anything that Dick and I knew how to do together, it was laugh.

After a while, they let him out of the hospital and gave him a whole bunch to increase nutrients, such of asmedications nitrogen and take—some of which he did, and some of which he didn’t—and new rules to live by—some of This septic pilot project is being which he followed, and some which he didn’t. introduced in order to comply with That’s when I started going to seewater him quality standards as determined by the every afternoon at 2:00.

Did youClean ever have a Act. friendDesignated who can say Federal Water to the most water mundane thingthe with such a twist protect quality, plan, known as ofainflection that you both paroxysms “Total Maximum Dailysuffer Load” for Lake of laughter? Part of the laughter is the joy Pend Oreille, addresses nutrient of knowing that the chemistry is aissues joint possession of yours and theirs, and no matter how long is since you last saw each other, it In it addition, many lakeshore flows both ways asparticipated soon as eitherin of you opens homeowners a survey your mouth:concerning forth and back, ’round and about in 2007 a variety of water and through the eye of a needle that puts you quality issues. “Laughter As is turns out,fortheir both in stitches. is good the

Sandy Compton

THE SCENIC ROUTE Sandy Compton

mrcomptonjr@hotmail.com www.SandyCompton.com soul,” another friend of mine tells me. It’s also good for the heart.

In spite of his friends’ best efforts, Dick’s heart never worked quite right again. After a few more years of struggles—as well as many good laughs—it quit altogether.

I have a book in my collection, National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Rocky Mountain States, a gift from Dick. The states include Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado; all of each. It came with a note inside, reminding me that we live in the Rocky Mountains, not the “goddam Inland Northwest.” It is signed, “Wemmidge.”

Spring has come late to the high country this year, but come it has, here on the ragged western edge of the Rockies. My friend Dick can still make me laugh, and still reminds me that it—whatever “it” may be—may not be over.

Council website at tristatecouncil.org.

Hay’s Chevron Gas • Convenience Store Unofficial Historical Society

Oil Changes Tire Rotation by appointment

208-266-1338

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

Paradise, Montana

www.

*Must be booked online. Excludes Fridays and Saturdays and June 19.

Chemical Free Mineral Hot Pools • Rooms, Suites and Cabins available • Harwood House Fine Dining open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch & dinner • Quinn’s Tavern features live entertainment every Saturday night! • Bikini Bar • Wi-Fi • Parties • Conferences • Retreats • Gift Shop • Massage Service

Special Festival lodging packages available online only for the 8th annual Baroque Music Festival July 19 - 21

Make your reservations online at www.quinnshotsprings.com or call 406-826-3150 August 2011| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 20 No. 8| Page 13

A Haunting These Houses Go “... Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against its hills, holding the darkness within... walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone.” - Shirley Jackson, “The Haunting of Hill House.”

I rather feel like Johnny Carson’s predecessor, Jack Parr, when he returned after an unscheduled time away from “The Tonight Show.” His first words when he returned were: “Now, as I was saying...”

Late summer and into the fall is a ripe time for haunted houses. What follows are accounts of real haunted houses, and a house that is apparently doing the haunting itself. That is, the house doesn’t have a ghost, the house is the ghost. See if you agree...

The first haunting is, without being too specific, way past the Dover gravel pit. (I don’t want to bother the current residents... if there are any.)

An older couple was living there at the time I write of, as I learned from my source, a local figure in the retail world, now retired.

The couple had been in the house for a while with nothing unusual happening but for whatever reason, they had not had cause to go down into the basement. One day, with nothing better to do while her husband was off fishing, the woman decided to finally explore the basement.

A light switch to the right of the stairs brought two dusty, barely adequate bulbs to life. Carefully negotiating the unfamiliar wooden stairs, the woman surveyed the basement and its concrete, slab floor. Ceiling high shelves of some vintage lined two of the walls. Several small crates and large, heavy cardboard boxes stood off to the left. A metal work table dominated the center of the basement. A metal storage cabinet stood to the right at the end of the shelves.

Seeing nothing of particular interest, though her husband might appreciate the tools she saw on the shelves, she turned to go back up when something near the metal cabinet caught her eye. She saw what appeared to be fresh, human footprints in the dust, those of a child of maybe ten or so. They led from the cabinet about six feet or so to the outer wall and stopped, as if whoever made them had walked through the wall.

Later, when her husband returned home, the woman told him of what she had been doing and about the footprints. He responded that no one had been down there since they had moved in, let alone a kid.

Going down to see for himself, however, he soon called back up to his wife at the top of the stairs. She went down and over to the cabinet,

Valley of

ThE

ShadowS with Lawrence Fury

where he pointed at the floor. “This the place?” he asked. She nodded and looked down. Just dusty cement, no footprints.

The next day the man went down to do an inventory of the tools and glanced over to where his wife had thought she had seen footprints... and there they were; small, bare footprints of a child that disappeared at the outer cement wall.

Not computing for a long moment, the man, for some reason, reached over to the wall where an old broom stood and swept the footprints away.

As it turned out, a lot of the tools on the shelves were old, maybe from the end of the 19th or early 20th century; an antique dealer would pay a lot for them.

The prints reappeared once more as the man made several trips to gather the tools and again, he swept them away. He then locked the door to the basement and never went down there again. There was no reason to.

Perhaps even now, behind a locked door, small footprints march across a dusty floor and through the wall.

Our next little tale took place in Kootenai, not that long ago. A young couple with a two-year-old son moved into an older house, (naturally) and wondered at the odd attitude of the landlord. He seemed hesitant, even apologetic, without actually ever coming out and saying he was sorry about something.

The rent was great. The young man’s wages were not stellar, to say the least, and $550 a month for a four bedroom, two bath house was a dream.

The house was World War I era. Renovated in the 70s, there were nine rooms total and everything seemed great. Until the first day the young father went to work and his young wife began hearing... things. Just “noises” she would tell him when he came home from work.

Like... she just didn’t know. Maybe whispering, coming from the walls and attic.

At first, he told her it was just nerves. She was likely imagining things because she was home alone all day with the responsibilities of a new mother. She needed to take the baby out, go to the library or to the newly opened WalMart. Make some friends, whatever.

The young woman loved her man to pieces, but he was full of the old crapola.

A few nights later, the young father got up in the middle of the night for a drink of water; his sinuses had always bothered him. (Snoring dried them out.) And he heard... it, them, whispering in the walls. Voices like they were being screened through a mesh of wires and cheesecloth. He was unable to make out words,

but they were human voices all the same.

The young family found a two bedroom apartment in Sandpoint the following month and the landlord of the old house became apologetic once more to another family.

You aren’t required to tell tenants or a buyer if a house is haunted, you see; you must only share whether someone died or was killed in the building.

The one time I went hunting with my friend, “Alex,” was like going hunting with comic Bill Engval. He is fun, and so was Alex.

But the next time Alex headed out, he was all alone. It was late October and he was a few miles west of town when he saw a modest-sized buck through the trees about a couple hundred yards away.

It was a crisp, forty-five degrees. Tree branches—a few birch supporting a few dry leaves that rustled in the wind—framed an increasingly dramatic October sky.

Following an old trail, Alex lost sight of his quarry, but something caught his attention.

Down to his right, in a valley of long shadows, barely visible in the waning light, was a house. “What the F---?” Dark gray, Alex could just make out the shutters of what was apparently the upper floors of a house. But out here, in the middle of the woods? Again, he thought to himself, “What the F---?”

Alex searched briefly for a way down, but there was no trail through the brush and trees.

On top of that, the sky was becoming even more dramatic as heavier, dark clouds had begun to move in. Retreating the way he had come, Alex got back to his rig just before a cold, heavy rain started.

A mountain biker, (of which I proudly am one), told me several years ago that in late August a couple years earlier he had seen what looked to be an old Victorian-style house down in a hollow, but when he was on the same trail a few weeks later, he saw nothing but trees.

From the description of the location, it sounded like the same trail that Alex had trod. I’ve also heard, second-hand, that two horseback riders saw something similar.

If you want neat, tidy explanations to end a story, rent a movie because this isn’t Hollywood!

See you next time, and we’ll put some milk out for “The Time Traveler’s Cat.” In the off chance anyone missed this column for the last four months, I’ve had a lot going on, including working on a book version of this column, “My Secret Idaho: Tales from the Valley of Shadows,” which will hopefully be out in the next year or so.

For now, look for the next installment of the Valley of Shadows in November... or sooner.

Page 14 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 20 No. 8| August 2011

From ThE

Files

of The River Journal’s

SurrealisT Research BureaU Hillstranded, Caddy Footage and Snooki Triumphant!

What a horrible, loathesome month for afficiandos of the cryptid world. I’m a sorta’ fan of the show “Deadliest Catch” and though I’ve only seen a couple of shows, I helped pay my way through college working on a lobster boat off the Santa Barbara Islands, a relatively small boat compared with the massive Time Bandit and Northwestern ships shown on the program and one fueled, on our part at least, by cheap wine and marijuana. As most of you know, two Captains of the Deadliest Catch recently premiered that show’s latest spinoff, “Hillstranded,” featuring the Hillstrand brothers on various adventures around the Pacific Northwest.

Even before the TV show’s premier had ended the chat rooms of various cryptozoological websites (for instance www. cryptomundo.com) lit up with expletives, scorn and an absolute sense of revulsion and sell-out! Some of the more printable comments included, “What a couple of Yahoos!” “Is it me or did the Hillstrands seem drunk throughout?” “Unbelievably horrible, garbage, total garbage!”

The Discovery Channel show had been widely anticipated due to its hype as having filmed clear, unmistakeable evidence of the existence of “Caddy,” a 40- to 60-foot long apparent sea snake often sighted off the British Columbia coast. The resulting 4-5 second excerpt shown revealed merely an amorphous blob with a brief glimpse of a possible head.

Other, more serious, questions were raised as well. “Why is the video in black and white? Do they even make black and white videos anymore?” and “Re-reading earlier descriptions posted it seems now clear the wealth of details describing the film earlier were actually taken from the verbal testimony of the fishermen prior to getting their camera.”

But it was getting worse by the second half of the show. In a search for another reputed 25-foot or so beast in Alaska’s Lake Illiama, the brothers shot up the lakeside randomly with M-16s and AKs as well as drunkenly tossing grenades over the sides of their boat. “The Hillstrands spent their 15 minutes of fame in a blazing crash of a show, disgusting it was, were they drunk the whole time?” and “58 minutes of two drunks bobber fishing, then for a big finish, a hillbilly fish shoot-’em-up!”

The Hillstrand brothers probably did more damage to the careful, budding science of cryptozoology in that one-hour show than a decades worth of painstaking research into the real, grandiloquent wonders of the world.

Now, Grid knows I’m a live-and-let-live kinda’ guy, but it seems as if the Snookis of the world are starting to creep into my own

quiet, safe little neck of the woods. I’ve never seen “The Jersey Shore” but when someone like Snooki (or the Situation or Paulie) gets 50 grand for a half hour Q and A at a prestigious college like Princeton, then maybe it’s time for me put my heterosexual shoulder to the wheel

by Jody Forest

and start helping drag these poor, lost tea baggers into the 21st Century. Hold on Snooki, Paulie, Hillstrand Brothers, Tea Baggers! Help is on the way! Surrealism will burst the fetters of the mind, if need be with real hammers! ‘til next time, All Homage to Xena!

Montana’s Shakespeare in the Parks in Heron, Montana

Saturday, August 20 • 6 pm (MT Time) FUN • FREE • FANTASTIC!

August 2011| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 20 No. 8| Page 15

The Festival at Sandpoint Memorial Field

August 4-14

DOWNTOWN SANDPOINT EVENTS SANDPOINT EVENTS

August

4-14 The Festival at Sandpoint. www.festivalatsandpoint.com 12-13 Spokane-toSandpoint Relay Race.

SpokanetoSandpoint.com. 509346-1440 12-14 &19-21 Artists’ Studio Tour. www.ArtTourDrive.org 13 Sandpoint Farmers Market Kids’ Day. www.

SandpointFarmersMarket.com.

208-597-3355 13 Wings Over Sandpoint Flyin/Splash-in. Bonner County Airport. 208-255-9954 13 8th Annual Celebrate Life Fun Run/Walk. Sandpoint Long Bridge. www.BonnerGeneral. org 13 Eco Green Fair. 10-6 The Granary, 524 Church St. 208946-1973 13-14 POAC Arts and Crafts Fair at City Beach. 208-263-6139 19-20 Bonner County Rodeo at the Bo.Co. Fairgrounds 19-20 & 26-27 Sperm: The Musical. Panida Theater. 208263-9191 20 Lake Celebration. Trinity at City Beach, 2-7 pm. 208-5977188 27 Arts Alliance Annual Fundraising Gala. Call 208-265ARTS 31 Green Fire screening, Panida Theater. www.ScotchmanPeaks. org. or www.Panida.org 3

Experience

Downtown Sandpoint!

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

September

Country Music Tribute Concert. Panida Theater 208-263-9191 8-10 Beginners. The Panida Theater 208-263-9191 10-11 Harvest Party at Pend d’Oreille Winery. www.POWine. com

PLUS: Summer Sounds. Free music Wednesdays at 4 pm, Park Place Stage. Sponsored by POAC. Sandpoint Farmer’s Market open 9 to 1 Saturdays, 3:30-5:30 on Wednesdays.

Winery Music - Live music every Friday night at Pend d’Oreille Winery Pub Music with Truck Mills Blues Jam every Monday night at Eichardt’s Trivia every Tuesday night at MickDuff’s.

Tuesdays with Mike, Trinity at City Beach, 5 to 8 pm.

YOUR IMAGE, YOUR WAY www.ImageMakerPhotoandVideo.com 320 North First Ave ~ 208.263-5322 In-store Photo Studio • Film & Digital Printing • Video to DVD • Photo Restoration • Classes • Cameras • Camera Repair • Accessories Page 16 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 20 No. 8| August 2011

Hiking the Athabasca There was only a couple miles left but a third of that was across the fast flowing, glacial river Chaba. Once on the other side was a slight rise over the Continental Divide and down to Fortress Lake—our destination.

Terry started in. Quickly the swift, glacial till-filled waters surged over his knees. He stopped, trekking poles in place. He could not see his feet or the river bottom through the milky gray glacial melt. The sand under his feet was washing out, making stability impossible; slowly and carefully he turned back.

Further upstream I was able to walk a bar into the middle of the icy stream but the rest was flowing even faster, and deeper, than Terry’s attempt.

Andrew and Jim tried holding arms and going in. With each one using a trekking pole they had six plants in the sandy bottom. With the current lifting up onto their thighs and trying to carry them downstream due to poor footing, they moved back onto the shallow bar. We all retreated to a higher island in the middle of the riverbed to get our numb feet out of the water and assess the possibilities.

The river is only about 10 miles long; its source is the Chaba Glacier. We were at the mid point of its length before it flows into the Athabasca.

After nearly two days of mosquito bogs, scary log bridges, and a long, swinging suspension bridge, our destination was in sight just an icy, fast-flowing glacial river away. We had made it to the last channel of the braided river I had first discovered this route over the Canadian Rockies while reading books on David Thompson, who used it in January of 1811. It is a low, gentle pass with Fortress Lake to the west, flowing into the Columbia by way of the Wood River. The Chaba flows past on the east into the Artic Ocean via the Athabasca and Mackenzie rivers.

I felt drawn to this immediately and mysteriously and had talked to several friends I thought would enjoy the trek. After planning for several months five other adventuring souls agreed to join me. All but one of us is over sixty and excited about the quest.

We hit the trail at Sunwapta Falls, about forty minutes south of Jasper, Alberta. The falls at Sunwapta are also glacier fed and fall about sixty feet through a slot in the rock only thirty feet wide. I have heard two meanings for the name. One is Stony Indian for turbulent water; the other is whirlpool water. Both fit.

We crossed the bridge over the upper falls and once we cleared the safety fencing we were on our way deep into Jasper National Park and its wilderness.

Our first day proved to be a little ambitious but we did the nine miles, arriving tired yet still very much up to the task on which we had embarked.

I doubt if the trail we followed was the same Thompson used. Our trail was mostly in the forest with filtered views of the Athabasca River and the craggy peeks towering over it.

Ernie Hawks

•

Thompson traveled in mid winter so I assume he followed the riverbeds more closely since they would be either frozen or, being glacier fed, nearly dry.

The first test of the second day was a long swinging footbridge across the Athabasca.

After setting up camp the night before, we walked the couple hundred yards to the bridge to check it out. We all crossed over and back and felt confident that, with packs, we would do just fine.

Once across we headed over a low ridge to the Chaba. There were some plank bridges to cross, some rather slippery, but we moved on gaining confidence. About an hour before we reached the Chaba I rounded a bend to see a stream twelve to fourteen feet wide, too deep to see bottom and flowing fast. Over it was a

In ‘deet’ I do log—wet, slippery and partially rotted. Andrew headed over first, sidestepping as he went; I was surprised the log didn’t seem to sag under his weight at all. I knew there were some who would be apprehensive so I followed Andrew. I didn’t want them to stand there and get even more nervous. I reminded each to focus on the log, not the water. Each moved slowly, using trekking poles with every step. Narrow, slick, high passageways requiring excellent balance was a dragon in some of our minds. Everyone took a deep breath and moved across. An hour latter we were in the Chaba Valley as a reward.

I understand Chaba is native for Beaver, but we didn’t see any sign.

Standing in the middle of the stream Jim, Andrew, Terry and I decided to wait and see if the river was any lower the next morning.

Glacial streams tend to flow lighter early in the day before the ice starts melting. We started across the braids, each one between ankle and knee deep separating us from the shore.

Walking back to Linda and Michelle I wondered aloud, but not loud enough for them to hear, if they would have a hot meal waiting us. Terry asked what culture I thought I was living in. We laughed and I made them promise not to repeat what I said. Their promise was a lie.

So it was early afternoon of our second day when we made camp and relaxed. Linda and I wandered around the valley a bit—wow!

We were in an alpine meadow surrounded by serene, glacial-clad peaks. It was easily a destination on its own, even if we did not do the crossing. The bottom is a level floodplain with only short brush and grass. There were few trees so we could see without obstruction the glacier laden mountains around us.

We were just below 4,400 feet, directly across from Fortress Mountain. It is nearly shear from the bottom of the valley floor to its

THE HAWK’S NEST Ernie Hawks

michalhawks@gmail.com twin crags at nearly ten thousand feet. Behind us was Quincy Peak, ten thousand feet with glaciers of blue ice framing a hanging valley carved in the stone face. There was Sadler, just under ten, Chisel, over ten, Black Friar, over ten, Confederation, nearly eleven. We could not find names for three mountains within our view, each with its own rugged, glacial-scared beauty.

Up the river was Chaba Mountain with its ice cap, part of the Columbia ice fields and the source of the river. Down river to the north is Dragon Peak; we would camp across from it on our last night. Dragon Creek flows from snows and glaciers on this peak into the Athabasca.

It travels as many feet vertically as it does horizontally.

We looked over the river to the pass that had been our goal for the hike. Sitting between Fortress and Sadler, which are only a couple miles apart peak to peak, the pass drops to less than half their height, creating an ice-rimmed basin dropping off to the west. It is the start of a tributary ending in the Pacific Ocean near Astoria, Oregon.

Back in camp with the others Jim walked with a sly smile, sat down with a couple water bottles and said, “I have margaritas.”

We built a fire and enjoyed our views and time together. Terry and Michelle are getting married in a few weeks, and we decided the wedding veil needed to be mosquito netting.

Terry said when asked if he will take her as his wife he will answer “In DEET I do.”

That night it rained all night and into the morning. Rain on a glacier is not conducive to lowering river flows.

Our time was short and we had to make a choice. We could be where we were, or try to get a glimpse of Fortress Lake. We chose to just be. Once again, I’m reminded it is the journey not the destination, that is the goal. Is that the mystery I needed to solve?

We didn’t want to rush out of the Chaba Valley so hung out until mid afternoon before we packed up and prepared for the walk out.

We kept looking back and across rivers to the crags and peaks that had invited us and served as our magnificent, mountainous hosts. Six friends, each one with their own motivations for this quest, choosing to challenge ourselves in country that was as beautiful as it was intimidating. An individual and shared adventure, much as each mountain and valley are separate yet part of the whole. We learned about dependence and independence and how we need both.

Back at the trailhead early on the fifth day, we had some blisters, some sore muscles and more then a few mosquito bites. We had fulfilled dreams, slayed dragons, and acquired many memories, all the while deepening friendships.

August 2011| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 20 No. 8| Page 17

Coffelt Funeral Home, Sandpoint, Idaho.

Lakeview Funeral Home, Sandpoint, Idaho.

Get complete obituaries online at

Get complete obituaries online at

www.CoffeltFuneral.com IRIS ADELE JOHNSON February 13, 1932 - July 31, 2011. Look for a complete obituary online.

ALTHA MAY MOLES THOMPSON May 5, 1926 - July 25, 2011. Born Belknap, Mont. Worked 17 years in the Treasuries office, wrote for the Sanders Co. Ledger, married Rex Thompson in ‘49, mother and stepmother of 4. “She was the glue that held our family together.”

SOPHIE LUISE FEUERBACH November 24, 1919 - July 23, 2011. Born Oberstedten, German. Married Hellmut Feuerbach in ‘51, immigrated to the U.S. in ‘61. Became naturalized citizens. Moved to Sandpoint in ‘87. Enjoyed gardening and dearly loved her pets.

ELLIS “ED” FLOYD SMITH April 10, 1922 - July 23, 2011.

Born in Sandpoint, SHS graduate class of 1940. Served in the U.S. Army; landed at Normandy. Married Josiane Restou in ‘45 in France. Worked as a logger, joined Pack River Lumber in ‘57. A father of two he enjoyed the outdoors.

ARDETH JEAN SCHAFER SCHUKAR June 1, 1923 - July 19, 2011. Born Waverly, Iowa. Married Arthur Schukar in ‘46. Moved to Sandpoint in ‘93. Known as “the Cookie Lady,” she baked thousands of cookies. Mother of one.

VIRGINIA P WALSMITH November 10, 1919 - July 19, 2011. Virginia P Walsmith, 91, passed away on Tuesday, July 19, 2011 in Sandpoint, Idaho. Look for a complete obituary online.

www.LakeviewFuneral.org NANCY JANE AVENELL BALL October 5, 1918 - July 29, 2011. Born Fresno, Calif. Married Roy Ball. Beloved mother of ten. “ Grandma, you’re the song that we all sing.”

NOEL EDWARD HANSON July 24, 1937 - July 28, 2011. Born Caspar, Wyo. Began a lifelong sales career as a paperboy at age 10. Married Patricia Franks in ‘55. Worked with Search & Rescue, for Ford Motor Co., Moved to Sandpoint in 1998, opened White Mountain Mortgage, retired in 2007.

Kiwanis member and father of four.

PAULINE NORTON KNAPIK May 25, 1927 - July 27, 2011. Born Lexington, Kent. Worked as an RN and a private duty nurse. Married Joseph Stephens in ‘49. Married Louis Knapik in 1982. Retired in ‘89 and moved to Sagle, then Laclede. Member of the Bonner General Hospital Auxiliary. Mother of 4.

FAYE KATHRYN WHITE ARNETTE DRIGGARS

Born Mitchell, S.D. Married Reginald Driggars in 1949. Worked as a nurse’s aide. Moved to Sandpoint in 2000. Worked for Life Choices Crisis Pregnancy Center and was a member of the First Baptist Church.

Mother of five.

DONALD M MORTON July 15, 1936 - July 26, 2011. Born Dover, Idaho, married Donna Taylor in 1955 (div).

Worked as a meat cutter manager. Married Judy Bricker in ‘73. Moved to Sandpoint in ‘96 and opened Morton Financial Services.

Partnered with Dickinson Insurance and Pend Oreille Services. Member of Kootenai Community Church. Father of 5.

CONSTANCE J “CONNIE” BENNETT

August 13, 1932 - July 17, 2011.

Born San Diego, Calif. Worked as a social worker and director of of welfare. Retired after a severe auto mobile accident, then traveled for Home Depot. Moved to Sandpoint in 2004. Mother of one.

KATHLEEN MARY FRAZIER May 12, 1915 - July 10, 2011. Born Great Falls, Mont.

Worked in the shipyards in WWII. Married Sam Frazier in ‘54, moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1996. Enjoyed gardening, horses, camping and was a “butcher knife carpenter.”

Mother and stepmother of six. One-time holder of the Montana record for the 75-yard dash.

SUZANNE M WINKLER November 11, 1978 - July 7, 2011. Born Spokane, Wash. Worked as a multi-media artist. Received her bachelor’s degree in 2009 and was working as an RN for St. Joseph’s Care Center.

DONALD STEPHEN ANGELL November 19, 1917 - July 5, 2011. Born Moscow, Idaho. .Was an Army Captain in WWII; awarded the Bronze Star. U of Idaho graduate, degree in Mechanical Engineering. Worked for Kaiser Alumninum and retired in ‘82. Married Betty Joe Jeffers in 1942. Father of 3. Proud to serve in the Lions Club and Kiwanis.

LOUISE ANN PORTER VANWAGNER

April 11, 1954 - July 22, 2011. Born Carmel, Calif. Moved to the Clark Fork Valley in 1991. Married Alan VanWagner. Longtime member of Cabinet Mountain Calvary Chapel.

Operated The Quilt Patch in Clark Fork. Mother of 2 “daughters of the heart.” Wacky, witty and wonderful.

STEVEN ROBERT BROWNING June 17, 1964 - July 22, 2011. Born Lindsay, Calif. BS in Business Admin/ Acctg. Married Sonja Baughman in ‘92.

Moved to Sandpoint in 2004 and worked as an auditor for the Bo.Co. Clerk’s Office.

Diagnosed with ALS in 2005 and became an ALS advocate. Member of the First Baptist Church and father of one.

LOIS LORRAIN WYTHE August 15, 1921 - July 21, 2011. Born Boise, Idaho. Shared in the creation of a local Quaker’s group, founder of the Panhandle Environmental League. A Master Gardener and owner of Peaceable Kingdom, established Sandpoint Farmer’s Market and the Kinnickinnick Chapter of the Native Plant Society. Look for a complete obituary online.

MICHAEL DENNY WRASKE June 12, 1951 - July 21, 2011. Born Fresno, Calif. Served in Vietnam and awarded the Purple Heart, plus numerous other medals and citations.

Worked as a logger, a rough neck, a truck driver and owned a construction company. Married Alice Cramer in 2003.

Father of two. Member of ABATE, the National Coalition of Motorcyclists and was a state rep for veterans.

GERALD DUANE SJODEN May 20, 1933 - July 20, 2011.

Born Thompson Falls, Mont.

Served in the U.S. Army, Korea. Worked at Sonoma (Calif) State Hospital, returned to Clark Fork in ‘70 and worked for Forest Service building trails. Member United Methodist Church, American Legion and Veteran’s of Foreign Wars. Father of 1.

JOSHUA PETERS December 5, 1981 - July 15, 2011. Born Sandpoint, Idaho. SHS graduate class of 2000. Loved sports and activities. Married Katherine Dunton (div) 2000. Worked for Green Gallon Solutions, and as security for Copper Mountain Band. Father of two.

GRETCHEN ‘SAMANTHA’ DOENGES GIFFORD November 10, 1953 - July 14, 2011. Born Philadelphia, Penn. Moved to Sandpoint in ‘93, worked for various places and owned a latte stand. Married Cort Gifford.

Mother of one. An avid reader, she swam like a dolphin and cared for animals.

LEVI WALTER WATSON June 8, 1930 - July 13, 2011. Born Jordon, Mont. Thompson Falls HS graduate. Served in the U.S. Navy, Korea. Worked in logging, married Jaquetta Singbeil in ‘74, and did long-haul truck driving. Father of three.

CHARLES MARION WALTON September 29, 1922 - July 9, 2011. Born Coin, Iowa. Married Myrtle Harding 1941. Served in the U.S. Army WWII. Became a longhaul truck driver, retired in ‘85. Moved to Montana, then Sagle in 1990. Member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, the NRA, the American Legion, and the Paint Horse Association.

Father of four.

MILTON KURTZ August 3, 1932 - July 6, 2011.

Born Kansas City, Mo. Served in the U.S. Air Force, Korea. Married Helen LeVine in 1954.Moved to North Idaho in the late 60s. Served 2 decades in the alcohol recovery community. Will be remembered as “Santa Claus” at Bonner Mall and area group homes.

KIRK WAYNE TATE September 22, 1972 - July 3, 2011. Born Pullman, Wash. He served on the USS Nimitz during the Persian Gulf War in 1993. Married Summer McWhorter in 2003. Avid hunter and fisherman, father of two.

“To live in this world you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and when the time comes to let it go, to let it go.” Mary Oliver

Page 18 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 20 No. 8| August 2011

final design

Memorial Field Makeover The Sandpoint Parks and Rec Department has unveiled the final designs plans for a makeover of War Memorial Field, home to, among other things, Bulldog Football, the Festival at Sandpoint, several generations of Sandpoint High School graduates and a locally beloved ‘family’ of osprey.

First built in 1946, the field is dedicated to Bonner County servicemen and women who have given their lives in behalf of their country. The community came together almost 70 years ago to build the field and its seen a lot of use; now, with a complete replacement of the grandstands needed, the community is being asked to come forward again and help raise the $1.3 million necessary for a complete refurbishment.

The work kicked off last year with a drive to raise funds to replace the lights and poles on which osprey nest; further fundraising projects have included the sale of engraved bricks, like those that helped to fund the restoration of the Panida Theater,

plus funds from Bulldog Bench and the Lake Pend Oreille School District (which leases the field for games).

In addition, one dollar from the sale of every ticket to the Festival at Sandpoint this year will go toward field improvements. All told, over $200,000 has been raised so far, and the Friends of Memorial Field are working overtime to raise another $55,000 by the end of August, which will make the final payment on the new lights.

Those who would like to help can contact the Sandpoint Parks and Rec Department by dropping in at their offices at 1123 Lake St. in Sandpoint, calling 208-263-3613, or emailing director Kim Woodruff at kwoodruff@ci.sandpoint.id.us.

Tye Barlow, grandson of the legendary Cotton Barlow (for whom the field’s Barlow Stadium is named) is the chairman for the Friends of Memorial Field fundraising team, and can be reached by email at tyebarlow@yahoo.com.

-TG

perspective

west entry

press box view

west entry

sandpoint grandstand

war

memorial

conceptual design

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August 2011| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 20 No. 8| Page 19

(without really trying)

Go late. Screw the real estate. If you’re not spendin’ the night, why bring a campground?

Wandering around burns calories, lets you mingle, lets you unmingle in a hurry if need be, and most importantly, lets you avoid standing for days outside the fence wondering what it’d be like to parachute into this thing just before the gates open up. As you get older you either acquire more patience or run out of it altogether and neither of these is any comfort as your knees begin to buckle from the weight of all the crap you brought to help you be more comfortable.

Mingling also allows a change of view when the fancy strikes. If you’ve only been in the lawn chair section once, you’ll understand the benefit here, and besides, you get to say “howdy” to all those you haven’t said it to since last August (or one before that). I’m quite sure there are more attributes to the art of standin’ up and I hope to discover a few more of them as time goes by.

In addition, updating with old acquaintances in a crowd of fellow minglers just gets lost in the fog of babble around you.

Without reading lips and hand gestures, you can’t even understand the person yelling at you, let alone pick out any other conversations in the vicinity. Try getting that same anonymity sitting in your lawn furniture while a hundred sets of ears and eyes check out the pickled wingnuts who want to know what you’ve been up to since whenever. It’s a “live” version of Facebook with a groovy soundtrack, mood lighting and optimistic weather predictions lightly seasoned with gull and osprey dribbles.

And being six foot-two, I find I’m reluctant to sit up straight because I get this burning sensation on the back of my head, forcing me

to hunker down, stuff my fluff under a baseball cap and blend in with the rest of humanity.

So, if you’re determined to stunt your evening’s enchantment by entering the competition for the best places to set your fanny while great music is telling it to shake, rattle and roll, then here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Rule number one is ‘don’t trust anyone to give you correct information. They are in this for themselves only. Misery loves company and humility always looks better on someone else.

These are the four main tenets of Congress and they also apply here. If you seek information as to which line might be appropriate, that booth is on the inside (catch 22) and will be happy to fill you in once you get there.

For openers, you desperately need to know which gate you are supposed to be goin’ through, as getting it wrong tends to pucker yer mood and will generate feelings you really don’t need added to all the baggage you already have compressing your backbone. This lug-age consisting of water (or the equivalent), lawn blankets or chairs (low, medium or ‘ladder’ depending on the point of view you seek), cooler (with enough stuff to keep you from pulling out the plastic or straying from your diet), reading materials, more water, umbrellas (to impress those behind you inside, to ward off heat stroke outside and to supply cover in sudden squalls in either location), extra clothing (clean t-shirt for when you forget that clapping and eating shouldn’t happen at the same time, light shirt, light jacket, sweatshirt, poncho, parka and dry socks), camera bag, video bag, bag of batteries, trash bag, picnic supplies, second cooler (for even more liquids), personal items (any medications, toys or wireless devices you can’t be without for roughly ten

Scott Clawson

acresnpains@dishmail.net hours), a handy yet effective disguise (or two) and possibly much, much more. Some people have more baggage than others and it becomes evident at times like this.

Get in line about noon.

Got kids? You’ll need a sherpa (unless that’s the reason you got married in the first place, then ladies you already have one).

So, it’s best to get in shape early guys, starting in late April, by standing out in the driveway for hours at a time while holding onto everything aforementioned and improving on your pain management techniques. For added fascination, measure your height before and after.

This brings up what to do when you find out you’ve been standing in the wrong line for three hours under a canopy where the shade is, well, shade and shade is scarce. This happens to ‘newbies’ and Alzheimer’s patients mostly and me. The sign that reads ‘patron entrance’ could easily be interpreted to mean those who actually bought a ticket, which is what I did.

Turns out there’s more than one definition for ‘patron’ so you should add ‘dictionary’ to that list of essentials. If you’re already wearing your disguise (saving room in your duffle for one more bag of cheese puffs) relax, this moment is what it’s for. Simply release any methane you’ve been hoarding and mosey off to the loose end of the largest mélange of lightly knit locals you’re likely to find (locally).

You’ll notice similar expressions around you, born out of knee jerk indignation tempered by acute realizations and the onset of heat stroke.

Your new line is nearly a thousand strong!

At this point you can probably observe a number of youngsters entrepreneurial enough to stake out a good spot in this line for just such an occasion. You can donate freely to

Page 20 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 20 No. 8| August 2011

their college fund (in time, they will become stock brokers) and assume their position. It may get you a pretty nice patch of turf too if you don’t get tripped up in the initial stampede by someone intent on gaining an advantage.

A few years ago on the way in to see Johnny Lang, I watched a little ol’ lady (or a clever disguise) tap a fully loaded guy’s rear foot inward as he bolted forward, releasing a veritable obstacle course of modern accoutrements. She then left footprints on his left butt and right shoulder, clearing coolers, folding chairs and duffle bags but not quite a splayed six-pack of diet Pepsi, which exploded under the impact of her oddly muscular self esteem.

This is not a sporting event but I was immediately reminded of the opening lap of the ’66 Indianapolis 500-slash-demolition derby!

One of these years, I want to be on the inside when they open the chutes just so I can write an eye witness account of how our locals act in utter chaos, not unlike the land rushes of the 1800s. I haven’t seen a good stampede since my brother hollered “Free Beer!” at Rockin’ the Rivers back in ’04.

To sum up, go late, go lightly and carry a tall cool one. Socialize, dance, listen and wander about because that’s what all the smiling people are doin’ anyways.

Don’t sit down because the person in front of you will be invariably huge like Jerry Luther.

Wear a disguise as you may not remember it all and it seems literally everyone has a camera these days, not to mention a thing for You-tube.

Know your excuses but don’t expect ‘em to work (they’ve been doing this for 29 years now and have undoubtedly heard ‘em all).

Have connections but don’t expect them to work either. Refer to rule #1.

Good luck and enjoy yerself.

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Enjoy our complimentary Taste of the Stars Wine Tasting prior to the concert starting at 4:30pm—Idaho’s largest wine event!

A fireworks finale will close The Festival at Sandpoint’s 29th annual season in spectacular fashion.

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