The River Journal February 2009

Because there’s more to life than bad news

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A News MAGAZINE Worth Wading Through

Did you get your moose yet?

When vehicle meets wildlife, it’s generally the wildlife that wins

Inside:

• The dark side of debit cards • A Look at Lakeview • Will you buy a teacher?

• Chlorine spill gets low tech response

February 2009

Harry Weerheim

Michael White, Realtor

BS Forest Resources & Ecosystem Management For land, Ranches, and Homes with Acreage

R E S o R T

R E A LT Y

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690 ACRES - borders the Clark Fork River & National Forest with paved county road access. The views are spectacular in all directions, but from Castle Rock you can see all the way to Lake Pend oreille & Schweitzer ski mtn. Property consists of about 1/3 good, productive pasture lands & about 2/3 forest land. Power & phone on site, plus a little year-round creek. Easy to subdivide. $3,500,000

240 ACRES Of fORESTED LAND With beautiful lake, mountain and valley views.

Four contiguous parcels (two 80-acre and two 40-acre) borders USFS on multiple sides. Less than 25 miles NE of Sandpoint, in the Rapid Lightning Creek area. Good roads, some newly constructed, high timber values both now & into the future.

Great wildlife and big game habitat. The ultimate private retreat. $995,000

LARGE UNDER GROUND CEMENT HOUSE ON 130 ACRES BoRDERED BY TWo BIG CREEKS & TIMBER CoMPANY LAND! Features include well, electric plus solar and generator backups, two good log cabins, shop & greenhouse too.

New interior road system & county maintained road access just off the pavement.

Awesome views. Priced as vacant land, only $649,500!

90 ACRES on Deep Creek w/ alternative energy cabin, Borders state land, good productive pasture land, beautiful forest and great views. 20 minutes to Sandpoint Bring offers! Asking $495,500

21AC W/ BiG ViEWS Of THE LAkE, Great views of Lake Pend oreille, Lost Lake, surrounding Mountains and valley below. Easy drive to Sandpoint, mostly on paved roads. on the edge of Selle Valley, in an area of very nice homes. Firm at $185,000

8 ACRES w/ 800’ Of WATERfRONT, where the Pack River meets the lake. adjacent to Idaho Club! Boatable into Lake Pend oreille. Great road access, building pad in, perc tested and gorgeous views of river, lake, mountains & wildlife. $995,000

20 ACRES with nice cedar sided home, wired for conventional, solar and generator electric. one mile off paved county road, on newly rocked private road with secondary access road too. Big barn, good views, private but easy drive to town. Asking $299,500

20AC Of GOOD-USABLE LAND with great views, just a short distance off of paved county road. Nice trees and great building sites. Close to Spirit Lake and easy access to Sandpoint, Coeur d’Alene or Spokane. Priced below the average price per acre in this area. Bring all offers! $120,000

8 ACRES. GREAT ViEWS Of SCHWEiTZER From this private, nicely treed lot with power and phone in. Close to town, good access, great views,and a private building site. $200,000

NiCE 20 ACRE pARCEL, great access on county maintained road, wonderful views, lots of good-usable land. Utilities to property line, less than 5 minutes to Clark Fork and only about 40 min to Sandpoint. Priced below market value! $149,500

WHY LIST WITH MICHAEL?

21 ACRES ON LOST LAkE! Great views, power & phone, two building pads w/ roughed-in roads, mostly paved roads on the 10 mile drive to town. Area of nice homes. Great price at $275,000

17 ACRES w/ SAND CREEk fRONTAGE beaver pond, nice forest, usable land, power & phone,and small cottage.

Less than 10 ml to Sandpoint, 1 mile off paved co. rd, 3 parcels sold together for $125,500

Hayden, iD: Quaint & beautiful horse property with good home, big barn, productive hay fields, pasture, views, good county maintained road, close to shopping, dinning, lake, etc... $425,000

Consistently ranked top 10% in sales. Your listing advertised in The Real Estate Book, Homes & Land, Coeur d’ Alene Mag., Sandpoint Mag, The River Journal, Farm & Ranch Mag Page | The River Journal A News and Magazine Worth Wading | www.RiverJournal.com and more...

Member of -Cd’A Selkirk MLS,Through doubles your exposure.| Vol. 18 No. 2 | February 2009

February 2009 Area protected from chlorine gas leak by Teflon tape. See story by Taryn Hecker on page 2

The moose are loose—and all the other wildlife, too. Watch for them on the highways. See story by Trish Gannon on page 3

Idaho’s hidden town - Lakeview.

See story by Herb Huseland on page 8

Also...

Departments Editorial

Cover

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

SALES Call 208.255.6957 or email trish@riverjournal.com

PRESS RELEASES (Email only) to editorial@riverjournal.com

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

Ministry of Truth and Propoganda Jody Forest dgree666@sandpoint.net

District to run $10.995 million levy, the dangers of debit cards, where to get fresh eggs, and climate change at the local level.

6..........Staccato Notes 9..........Veterans 12-17.....Outdoors 18-19.....Sports 20.........Education 21.........Technology 23-25.....Food 26.........Faith 28-29.....Wellness 31.........Other Worlds 32-33.....Politics 39-39.....Obituaries 44-46.....Humor

THE RIVER JOURNAL

7 Trish Gannon Politically Incorrect 11 Sandy Comptons The Scenic Route 27 Ernie Hawks The Hawk’s Nest 35 Paul Rechnitzer Say What?

37 Lou Springer Currents 44 Boots Reynolds From the Mouth of the River

Adam Denham’s late-night encounter with a moose didn’t turn out well for his Datsun 280ZX. See story on page 3. Cover by Trish Gannon

Cartoonists Scott Clawson, Matt Davidson, Jim Tibbs

Regular Contributors

Desire Aguirre; Jinx Beshears; Laura Bry; Scott Clawson; Sandy Compton; Marylyn Cork; Dick Cvitanich; Duke Diercks; Mont. Sen. Jim Elliott; Idaho Rep. George Eskridge; Lawrence Fury; Dustin Gannon; Shaina Gustafson; Matt Haag; Ernie Hawks; Hanna Hurt; Herb Huseland; Emily Levine; Marianne Love; Thomas McMahon; Clint Nicholson; Kathy Osborne; Gary Payton; Angela Potts; Paul Rechnitzer; Boots Reynolds; Sandpoint Wellness Council; Rhoda Sanford; Lou Springer; Mike Turnlund; Tess Vogel; Michael White; Pat Williams; and Kate Wilson

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle Proudly printed at Griffin Publishing in Spokane, Wash. 509.534.3625 Contents of the River Journal are copyright 2009.

Reproduction of any material, including original artwork and advertising, is prohibited. The River Journal is published the first of each month and approximately 8,000 copies are distributed in Sanders County, Montana, and Bonner, Boundary and Kootenai counties in Idaho.

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Disaster Averted—55c Haz Mat team goes low tech to repair leaky chlorine gas tank near Schweitzer Mountain

The chlorine leak reported at the Sandcreek Water Treatment Plant the afternoon of January 8 was the third Sandpoint Fire Chief Robert Tyler had responded to in his three-decade career.

“It was something we were prepared to deal with,” Tyler said. “We had trained for it.”

But the incident was anything but routine.

Within hours of responding, crews believed they’d sealed off the leak and the problem was fixed, but late the next morning a worker returned to the treatment plant and once again smelled chlorine.

In the hours that followed, Tyler and emergency workers ran through all of the “what if” scenarios they could think of – including what could happen if there were

a catastrophic failure of the leaking 150pound tank.

An explosion could create a plume of toxic chlorine gas approximately 6 miles long and 2 miles wide, according to projections the chief received from a technician in Post Falls.

Depending on the direction of the wind, the plume could have enveloped the towns of Sandpoint, Kootenai and Ponderay.

Among the options the chief considered was evacuating residents in those areas and stopping all traffic on Highway 200 to the east and west and southbound traffic on Highway 95, the state’s major northsouth route.

He also considered the alternative of asking residents to shut themselves inside their homes, shelter in-place.

by Taryn Hecker “There’s going to be a certain amount of panic involved with either one of them,” Tyler said.

Thankfully, catastrophe—and panic— was averted.

Many people think of chlorine gas in relation to its use as a weapon in World War I, but it is used in hundreds of cities through the U.S. to treat both drinking water and sewage. Although many communities have switched to a safer treatment method— sodium hypochlorite or ultraviolet light— doing so involves greater costs.

Though the city’s supplier of chlorine is still working to determine why the chlorine tank leaked in the first place, Tyler was able to pinpoint why the initial effort to seal the Continued on page 40

Page | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2 | February 2009

When you meet a moose on the road...

THE MOOSE WINS Moose, elk, deer, bear and big horn sheep... there’s plenty of learning opportunity on area roads for getting up close and personal with wildlife.

Adam Denham wasn’t doing anything special. In fact, he was bored, wasn’t ready for bed, and thought he might just drive around a bit, see if anyone else was out and about at close to midnight in Clark Fork.

It was cold outside so he didn’t take the time to completely clear the ice from his windshield before hopping into his Datsun 280ZX, and then he drove too fast in a small town where the speed limit is 25 mph.

Neither of those facts helped him much when the approximately one thousand pound cow moose stepped onto the highway in front of him less than a mile from his house as he headed east toward Montana.

Of all wildlife/vehicle encounters, moose are generally the most dangerous.

In part it’s because their weight makes for a massive obstacle to hit at any speed, but in part it’s also their size—those gangly legs are generally the part that gets hit by the average car, causing the moose to be flipped into the vehicle.

Which is exactly what happened to Adam. The moose’s legs hit his car on the right front fender, causing her body to crash into the windshield, roll over the top of the car and then down the back. The moose died. So did the car.

“I can buy another used car like this for less than what it would cost me to fix this one,” Adam explained as he looked over the crushed windows and dented body. Which is what he hopes to do as the car itself runs just fine, and he can use it for spare parts.

“We see that sometimes,” explained Bob Anderson, who for 20 years has owned and operated Anderson’s Autobody in Sandpoint. Bob says that with the price of parts and paint these days, repairs from a wildlife encounter are rarely inexpensive.

“You can figure around $2,500 on the low end,” he said, though he pointed out that it all depends on what you hit, how fast you were going, where the animal hit and what you were driving. Front end impacts often cause damage to headlights, hoods, and heating and cooling systems— all expensive parts to replace. If you have collision coverage on your vehicle insurance, you can often make repairs for the cost of your deductible, but older cars carrying only liability coverage offer no insurance for repairs if you hit a deer, moose or bear—and often aren’t worth the cost of the repair anyway.

Although wildlife can be seen on the highways at any time of year, they’re particularly prevalent during the fall (when the imperatives of the rut make wildlife especially mobile— and when the presence of hunters in the woods does appear to make some wildlife more likely to hang out near the highways) and during times like we’re seeing right now, when deep snow and cold temperatures send the animals in search of unfrozen water and food that’s easier to obtain.

Lieutenant Bill McAuliffe with the Bonner County Sheriff’s Department points out that maintained roads aren’t just beneficial to drivers in the winter; “animals tend to use the roadways a lot as well.”

The Idaho Department of Transportation reports that in 2007, there were 1,281 reported crashes with wildlife on Idaho highways, resulting in 202 injuries to people. Since 1997, 27 people have died as a result of these collisions.

In October of 2008, State Farm Insurance issued a report that stated an Idaho motorist has a 1-in-273 chance during the next year of colliding with a deer or other species of big game. It also says collisions with wildlife have increased by 31.2 percent in the last five years. Montana comes in slightly more dangerous, with an increase of 32.2 percent.

Photo by Misty Grage

wildlife are more likely to be present, and tend to

•

•

precautions

With animals out and about, what precautions can you take?

• Don’t speed. “Drive slower,” McAuliffe offered. It’s a simple rule of physics— the slower you’re traveling, the less damage you’re likely to suffer should you hit a deer, bear or moose. “Speed is such a critical factor in the outcome of a collision,” explains award-winning high school physics teacher Griff Jones in the Arbor Scientific video “Understanding car crashes—it’s basic physics.” Drivers new to the area would do well to pay close attention to other drivers on the road. Local drivers generally are aware of areas where

by Trish Gannon

•

slow down in those areas whether they see an animal or not.

Focus on driving. “Don’t divide your attention by doing things like talking on a cell phone,” said McAuliffe. “Pay attention to what cars around you are doing.” Wildlife near highways are unpredictable, and often drivers have only a split second to react to an animal entering the roadway.

Wear your seat belt. “Of course, you’re much better off if you have your seat belt on than you are if you have it off,” McAuliffe remarked. “Your odds of injury are greatly reduced.”

Don’t swerve. Although it’s instinctive to swerve away from an animal in front of you, this is rarely a good idea.

“Generally, I’d recommend you don’t try to avoid hitting it,” McAuliffe said.

“We usually see a lot more damage from people trying to avoid the hit.” And oftentimes fatal damage, as the deer in front of your vehicle is generally less dangerous than the car approaching in the lane you might swerve into if you react without thinking. Deer can accelerate from 0 to 30 mph in 1.5 seconds; if you continue in a straight line and brake, the deer may be gone Continued on page 43

February 2009| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2| Page

Wanna buy a teacher?

District to run a $10.9 million levy

“... They should be cutting expenses, tightening their belt, just like everyone else has to.” That’s Sagle resident Don Sander’s response to Lake Pend Oreille School District’s decision to run a supplemental levy this February 24 for almost $11 million. Sanders’ opinion has been widely circulated via an email that asserts, “it’s imperative we vote NOT THIS TIME!” Superintendent Dick Cvitanich’s response? “How tight do they want the belt to be?” Cvitanich says that the district has already been squeezing its budget, but that operating without a supplemental levy would make the tourniquet so tight, it might just kill the patient.

So how tight is that belt? Over the last three years, the district has cut supply budgets by 40 percent. This year’s budget cut 22 teachers, three administrators and 14 support staff personnel. In planning for the upcoming school year, 2009-2010, the district has already cut all elementary counselors (two full-time positions),

cut two teachers from Sandpoint High School, and cut three teachers from the elementary Upper Quartile Program (a learning program for high-achieving students). They have eliminated all field trips that are not reimbursed by the state, cut the extra-curricular budget by $74,000, reduced administration and clerical budgets at the district office by $60,000, cut computer purchases by $200,000 and cut the extended-day Kindergarten program by $142,000.

In addition, they have eliminated the program for reducing overcrowding in classrooms.

Then the economy went into freefall and in January, Governor Otter requested that the legislature cut funding for K-12 education by 5.35 percent next year.

(Budget writers cut about $18.5 million more than Otter’s requests from various budgets and put that money into the general fund. Republican senators have said public education would get first priority for those dollars. However, it’s expected that sales tax revenues from

by Trish Gannon

holiday shopping will be lower than anticipated, and Gov. Otter might ask for an additional two percent cut beyond what was already taken.)

If applied across the board, that loss of revenue would require the district to further cut salaries and benefits by $1.15 million—at its most simplistic level, that roughly translates to losing an additional 18 teachers and 17 support personnel though the actual losses would be higher. That’s because staffing cuts, due to contract requirements, are based on a first hired/first fired schedule, and staff with lower seniority are also the staff paid the lowest salaries.

As if that picture is not bleak enough, the district is in its final year of a supplemental levy. For over a decade voters in the district have approved a regular supplemental levy every two years; should they fail to do so again this year, an additional 100 positions would have to be cut—our local schools would lose approximately 53 certified staff and 47 classified staff.

Who are those people? No one yet knows, because until the exact loss of funding is realized, no one can plan how to address it. While a 30-year teacher may be the least likely to be cut in terms of seniority, if that teacher is only certified to teach classes considered extra-curricular, and the extra-curricular programs are eliminated, that teacher will be out of a job. (See sidebar on page 38 for a list of the bottom 75 certified staff members based on seniority.)

So what about that extracurricular? The football programs, Academic Decathlon classes, music and band instruction, newspapers and yearbooks—these are all funded through the supplemental levy and might cease to exist should that levy fail. Although some extra-curricular programs are selfsupporting (for example, newspapers and yearbooks typically pay for themselves via advertising and the sale of the product), staffing for those programs is paid for with levy funds, and without a teacher or coach, the program cannot continue.

Staff will be left with the unenviable task Continued on page 36

K.C. MacDonald has taught government and civics for four years at Clark Fork High School. He’s an assistant football coach, a golf coach, and runs a service project that takes kids into the community to perform service such as snow shoveling for those in need.

He has come in early each day to provide tutoring for students, and this year he was named the Idaho Teacher of the Year by the VFW. MacDonald is also in the bottom 75 certified staff in terms of seniority, and is concerned that he will lose his job. “I don’t know what I’ll do if that happens,” he said, “but I don’t see any way that I could continue to live in North Idaho.”

Page | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2 | February 2009

Debit Dilemna

The Hidden Costs of Convenience

by Trish Gannon

“Credit or debit?” That’s rapidly becoming the phrase most heard at checkout counters today, surpassed only by “paper or plastic?” The prevalence of plastic money belies the reality that it was just 20 years ago that debit cards were introduced to the banking public—today, the use of plastic is rapidly replacing the use of money. “We have crossed a cultural as well as an economic threshold when plastic and money are synonyms...” wrote Robert Samuelson in A Quiet Revolution in Money.

A survey undertaken by Visa in 2006 shows that 60 percent of 18- to 25-yearolds rarely even carry cash anymore. They call this group of youngsters “Generation P;” the ‘P’ stands for plastic.

Even Parker Bros. has gotten in on the ‘game,’ replacing Monopoly money with plastic.

And that usage is reflected in currency circulation. Despite a $13 trillion economy in 2006, less than $400 billion in cash currency was circulating in the U.S. Debit cards are a large part of that transformation. While consumers have to qualify to obtain a credit card, just about anyone who deposits money in a bank account today can get a debit card to use in accessing that cash. In 2006, consumer use of debit cards surpassed usage of credit cards; electronic transactions had surpassed both cash and checks by 2002.

And banks are benefitting. Although the profits to banks from customers using debit cards are less than for credit cards, they’re exponentially more than the zero amount they make when you use cash for purchases. In addition, banks are working actively to raise those profits, as you would expect from any business that runs on the return on investment. If you don’t want to be “fee’d to death” by your debit card, you must pay attention and be an informed consumer.

Courtesy Overdrafts

The most questionable bank practice regarding debit cards is the overdraft protection that many banks offer, which in practice can turn out to be an unsolicited loan charging more than 10,000 percent interest.

At one time a bank would deny a debit purchase if a customer didn’t have sufficient money in their account to cover it. Now 14 of the 15 largest banks approve

those charges, for an average fee of $34.

Some banks go even further, and charge $2 to $5 per day for each day your account is overdrafted. The average overdraft amount?—$16.

Is that such a bad deal? Banks don’t think so—in fact, they routinely tout such overdraft protection as a ‘courtesy’ they provide to their customers, who then avoid the embarrassment of a transaction that fails to go through. But as the Center for Responsible Lending discovered, banks not only routinely enroll customers in these programs, they do so without the customer’s knowledge. By doing so, banks gained $17.5 billion in fees in return for $15.8 billion in overdrafts—short term loans they had made, on average, for less than five days.

Even worse, the bank is not required to let you know that you’ve overdrafted from a debit purchase—if you only check your balances once a month when your statement arrives in the mail, you may find yourself in overdraft status for a substantial amount of time.

Even checking your balance online or via the telephone may not protect you from a mistake as some banks routinely include the amount of overdraft protection they provide in the available balance they report.

Is this truly a courtesy? “Banks have the technology to warn customers or merchants at the time of a debit card POS purchase or ATM withdrawal that the customer’s account has insufficient funds—but most do not,” reported CRL. “They can also decline the transaction and save the customer the overdraft fee—but most do not.”

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Check with your bank to find out their specific policies regarding your debit card. Request that they do not allow your card to courtesy overdraft. If needed, tie your account to a savings account, credit card or line of credit to provide overdraft protection.

Keep track of your balance in a register just as you would for a checking account, and make sure you enter all transactions you make. Check your statement carefully each month for bank or merchant errors, such as processing a $4.30 charge for $43.

Credit or debit?

Major banks now offer as the default Continued on page 10

DON’T GET CAUGHT IN THE DARK!

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

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

We pay attention to detail 1200 Triangle Drive Ponderay

208.263.1258

February 2009| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2| Page

STACCATO NOTES Arts

Feb. 13 Student Art Show Reception. The Pend Oreille Arts Council sponsors a reception for the Student Art Show from 5:30 to 7 pm in the POAC Gallery, located in the Old Power House building.The event is free and open to the public. 208-263-6139

Music

At the Pend d’Oreille Winery, 220 Cedar St. in Sandpoint from 5 to 7 pm: Ken Rokicki on jazz guitar Feb. 6; Brother Music and slide guitar blues on Feb. 20; TJ Sherrill, acoustic folk rock on Feb. 27; Daniel Mark Faller on March 6 Live music at Three Glasses, 202½ First Ave., in Sandpoint, at 9 p.m. Feb 6, a hot new band from Boise, Polyphonic Pomegranate; smokin’ hot dance band the Quick and Easy Boys on Feb. 7; Frame of Mind on Feb. 13; Portland band Outpost Reggae on Feb. 14.

At Schweitzer Mountain: Latin, rock and acoustic styles of Sol Jibe, live in Taps at 8 pm for a $5 cover, and Polyphonic Pomegranate live at the St. Bernard at 9 pm. on Feb. 7; Frame of Mind, 9 pm at the St. Bernard Feb. 14; the Shook Twins perform at 9 pm at the St. Bernard on Feb. 21.

Feb. 7 - Join musician Justin Landis at 6:30 pm for a free concert at the Starbucks in downtown Sandpoint.

Feb. 13 - Rock, blues, pop and country at Di Luna’s Cafe with the Tony Furtado concert.

Doors open 5:30 for those with dinner reservations, concert at 7:30. Tickets are $15 advance/$18 at the door.

Feb. 14 - Sweet Sounds at Di Luna’s in downtown Sandpoint with violinist Karen Pogorzelski from 6 to 9 pm. Doors open at 5 pm.

Feb. 14 - Leroy Bell and his Only Friends, presented by KPND 95.3 at Sandpoint’s Panida Theater. Tickets are $18. Call 208-263-2179.

Theater

Feb. 5 to 7 -Sandpoint High School’s Mime and Masque drama students present The Saga of the Prospector’s Daughter, a hilarious melodrama spoof playing at 7 pm each night in the SHS auditorium. Tickets are $5, available

at the door.

Feb. 5 to 7 -The Panida Theater presents the music documentary ‘Tis Autumn: The Search for Jackie Paris, at 7:30 pm as part of the Global Cinema Café film series. Tickets are $7 for adults; $6 seniors/students.

Feb. 7 through Mar. 28 - The East Bonner County Library District hosts a free film appreciation series showcasing feature films by women directors from around the world. The films will be shown at the Sandpoint Library at 1 pm on Saturdays, Feb. 7 through March 28, followed by a one-hour group discussion. The public is invited; however, parental discretion is advised for films with PG-13 and R ratings.

The discussion will be moderated by Sandpoint residents Karla Petermann and Mary Wilkosz.

For more information about the series and a list of the films that will be shown, contact the Library at 208-263-6930 or Karla Petermann at 208-263-8803.

Feb. 12 & 13 The Panida Theater hosts the film Rachel Getting Married, starring Anne Hathaway and Debra Winger, at 7:30 pm each night. 208-263-9191 Feb. 14- Bring a date and enjoy an evening of Improv! The Heron Players host a Valentine Dinner Theater in Heron, Mont. Doors open at 6 pm (MST). Cost is $20 and includes chicken or salmon dinner. For tickets, call 877-328-7659 Feb. 22 Ivano’s Ristorante Italiano, 102 S. 1st Ave., hosts The StoryTelling Company Dinner Show with Sandy Compton. Seating begins at 5 pm, and the show begins at 5:30. For reservations, call Ivano’s at 208-263-0211.

Events

Feb. 7. Gene Gibson, Sandpoint Friends of NRA, will join Shooting Sports leaders interested in developing a county or area wide competition for our Shooting Sports members in the 4-H program from 10 am to noon at the Bonner County Extension Office. Any interested leader or parent may attend this brainstorming session to come up with an evaluation system that demonstrates the member’s talent in the shooting sports project. Call 208-263-8511 Feb. 13 & 14 Pend d’Oreille Winery, 220 Cedar St., invites the community to their annual Valentine’s Weekend Art and Release Party. The two-day event, from 5 pm to 7 pm each night, features tastings of Pend d’Oreille Winery’s

Terroir Series “Malbec” Releases from two different vineyards, as well an opportunity to visit with the label artist, Sandpoint’s Dianne Schuppel. On Friday, Marshall McLean will perform his acoustic folk rock music; Saturday music features the Bridges Home duo Tami and Dave Gunter. Also on Saturday, the chocolatier from Little Henry’s Chocolates in Coeur d’Alene will talk about her chocolate making and wine pairing. Call 208-265-8545 for more information.

Feb. 14 If you are leading cooking in your 4-H club or thinking of leading cooking, come to this workshop to find out more about the cooking projects offered in Bonner County. There are some old favorites and some new and updated cooking projects. 10-12 noon at the Bonner County Extension Office, 208-263-8511 Feb. 14 Charity Bachelor Auction and Dance.

Stage Right Cellars, 302 N. 1st Ave., in Sandpoint hosts a Charity Auction and Dance beginning at 5 pm. The event is still seeking more bachelors (all ages) and silent auction items (call Barb at 208-597-5824).

Feb. 19 through 24 Sandpoint Mardi Gras. The town goes wild during this annual celebration filled with outrageous events, contests and performances at various downtown locations and businesses. Sponsored by the Downtown Sandpoint Business Association. 208-2551876. See ad on page 30 for details.

Feb. 20 & 21 The Angels Over Sandpoint present their annual adult variety show, The Follies, at 8 pm both nights at the Panida Theater. General admission is $20. 208-2639191 Feb. 21 - Fundamentals of feeding livestock.

This class is for any livestock 4-H leader, parent or member, or any interested individual. This class is free but pre-registration is required as space is limited. If the morning class fills up, they will offer an afternoon session. Preregister by calling 263-8511. From 10 am to noon at the Bonner County Extension Office.

Feb. 28 - Two classes offered at the Bonner County Extension Office. From 10 am to noon, learn about 4-H community pride projects.

Get tips to take your project to the next level.

This program is open to any youth group that needs direction in community service. Then from 1 to 3 pm, enjoy the Teen Conference open house. Learn about what the conference is about, who can go, how much it costs and what happens there. The Teen Conference is open to any youth, not just those involved in 4-H. Call 208-263-8511 for more information.

Page | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2 | February 2009

Politically Incorrect TRISH GANNON | www.riverjournal.com | trish@riverjournal.com

Becoming a Tasty Cook As I sat down at the computer to write this column, the aroma of a tasty roast filled the house. Tasty, in relation to this roast, isn’t just an adjective—it’s also a proper name, because this roast came from one of Dex Vogel’s cows. I picked up several boxes of beef from Angus Custom Cuts and, after working my way through a few pounds of hamburger, roast and a variety of steaks, I knew this steer had to have a name, so I christened him Tasty. It fit him well.

This column isn’t about Tasty, however, as he’s going to get his own story just as soon as Dex finishes with basketball and has time to sit down for an interview.

This column is about cooking, because it wasn’t until Tasty entered my life that I became a good cook.

Food has never played a very important role in my life. As a teenager, I could have lived forever on Swanson’s® chicken pot pies and Doritos® Nacho Cheese corn chips (then a brand new product) covered with a thick layer of melted cheddar. As I grew older, my repetoire did not grow by much.

On my fortieth birthday my neighbor Janet asked me what my ‘comfort food’ was.

I stared at her blankly. Food as comfort?

Food, I thought, was simply fuel.

That’s not to say that I didn’t have strong opinions about food and diet. After all, I grew up in an America not only afraid of food (eggs and butter would kill you if you ate them very often) but one enamored with the promise of technology (eat just like the astronauts!—I still remember with fondness some kind of chocolate food product roll I ate with relish, imagining astronauts circling the earth above me, eating the very same thing).

At the same time it was also an America beginning to recognize that when we tried to replicate God, we generally got it wrong, or at least not completely right. A growing natural (now called organic) food philosophy gained greater attention, one that I might have embraced except for the fact that every so-called natural food store or restaurant I ever entered smelled bad.

So I rejected all of it. I developed a philosophy of food that, at its heart, was pretty much a denial of any food philosophy at all. I figured if God made it, and your body wanted it, it was probably good for you and left it at that and there

my interest in food ended. Besides, I was a terrible cook. Cooking was simply another chore to me, an activity where you had to do a lot of work (shopping, storing food, cooking it and then cleaning up the mess) for very little return, because everything I made tasted.... well, bad.

Given my propensity for burning whatever I cooked, this was not very surprising, but it didn’t lead me toward any great interest in food, either. Swanson® chicken pot pies remained on the menu—God might not have made them, but he made the chickens and the peas and the carrots and that was enough.

As the years passed, my food philosophy slowly grew more sophisticated in the true, dictionary-defined meaning of the word: 1. complex 2. made worldly-wise by wide experience and 3. intellectually appealing.

The complexity came about by developing any opinions at all. Experience taught me that what the food industry provided was lacking—the tomato in the store didn’t taste anything like the tomato that grew in my mother’s garden. And intellectually, it became harder and harder to ignore the very real dangers present in eating the food that packs the shelves of the standard grocery store. Downer cows, e coli, salmonella poisoning... the almost constant stream of alerts and food recalls (this week—anything made with peanut butter!) would make anyone with half a brain a little uneasy, and I always figured I had more than half a brain.

My experience (and experiments) with food continued to grow beyond what industry provides and I discovered Wood’s hamburger meat, Ronniger’s potatoes, fresh eggs from Timothy and Christine Dick, the taste of a Pend d’Oreille Winery merlot (thanks, Ernie and Linda), that first home-grown steer I got from Steve Johnson, and the sheer glory of those sumptuous, pale golden cobs when the corn man arrives at the Farmer’s Market.

On the intellectual side, I also discovered Michael Pollan, who put my growing food philosophy into words in an article for the New York Times on food.

“Eat food,” he wrote. “Not too much.

Mostly plants.” (You can read it here: http:// w w w.ny times.com /2007/01/28/ magazine/28nutritionism.t.html)

Food, by the way, is that stuff that God makes, or as close as you can get to it.

It’s the potatoes from Dave Ronniger, the eggs from your neighbor’s chickens, the cow from Dex or Steve or any of the other people around here who raise cattle (or pigs or chickens or whatever it is you find tasty). It’s not, sad to say, what you find in that Swanson’s® pot pie or in that bright red bag of Doritos®. The ingredients in those products are, more than likely, the ingredients that cause what the Centers for Disease Control say is an estimated three bouts of food poisoning per year for each and every American.

My experience with food grew further still when my son went to work at Dock of the Bay with Barney and Carol Ballard, both of whom take simple cooking to high art.

My daughter followed him there within a year, and suddenly I had kids in the house who not only appreciated good food, but preferred it over my own offerings of burnt pizza. I began cooking more, and in the process began incorporating more of God’s food into my meals.

On top of the growing realization experience provided that some food tastes really good—maybe even more than really good—I met David. I won’t try to explain David’s eating habits other than to say I’m not sure if there’s anything David won’t eat, and that includes the mystery dish that’s been in the back of the refrigerator for six or eight months. By this point in his life, I think he may only possess four or five taste buds. And that means he loves everything I make. “Wow, that was great,” he’ll say after using a piece of bread to wipe his plate really clean. “Thank you.”

He thinks I’m a good cook. He really does. And sometimes, I am. The simple secret is in the quality of the ingredients (well, and in watching what you’re cooking instead of going off to check email while it burns). Don’t get me wrong—nobody’s going to come to dinner at my house and say, “Trish, that was incredible! You should open a restaurant!” But they now might actually say, “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever had a roast that tasted so good.” And if that dinner is held in late fall, they’ll ask for seconds on the corn.

February 2009| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2| Page

Lakeview

Bonner County’s hidden village

by Herb Huseland

Nestled in the southeastern corner of Lake Pend Oreille sits a ghost town.

Lakeview, once a large metropolis, was like many others in the West, a gold and silver rush town. Once home to thousands, this mountainside village sits lonely and quiet in today’s world. The one main street slides down the hill toward the lake. Clustered on both sides are a combination of old, small houses mixed with some ancient mobile homes. One such home on the north side of the street used to be a one room school house, still with double front doors. Up the

shore a little way is the Portland Cement Plant, one of two that operated adjacent to Lakeview.

The harbor, which is in the mouth of Gold Creek, is about one-half mile below town. The old resort, once a bustling café and bar, is now a private residence. A few homes are semi-occupied by summer weekenders, and out-of-town vacationers.

On a Sunday afternoon, not a soul was stirring.

There are by rough count, about fifty dwellings in town. A few modern homes are being built, apparently as hideaways. One such new log home is being constructed on a knoll just above the lake.

Spectacular views are available, but the original town wasn’t built for tourists. Miners, prospectors and the accompanying gamblers, shady ladies and the sort were the only residents. There are some quaint homes dating to the past.

One such place is a Victorian home built by the Webers, owners of the Weber mines. They operated their own steamer for transportation to and from Lakeview.

Many University professors, including WSC president Dr. Enoch Bryan, vacationed there, and it is still in use by his family.

Tom Musson, resident of Granite Creek for many years now, lives in Bayview, but travels to Lakeview and Granite on a regular

Above: Ron Utz serving one of his famous Yak burgers Photo by Herb Huseland

basis. He said, “I swamped my boat up at the mine a little north of Lakeview in midwinter. This was in the seventies. I walked up the beach to the Lakeview resort, then owned by John and Carol Bruno. They took me in, fed me, gave me a gallon jug of wine and gave me the use of a cabin.

“There was a real character, Mary Lou Weber, who owned one of the old mines.

She would winter in Mexico, then spend her summers at the bar in the resort.”

Musson rides his snowmobile up over the pass to Lakeview, quite often in the winter.

He swears by the Yak burgers at the Happy Hermit.

You’ll find it two miles south of Lakeview, a restaurant and motel. The Happy Hermit, owned and operated by Ron Utz and his son, Roger, operates year around. The Happy Hermit burned down about three years ago and was rebuilt in the same location. They provide meals, drinks and gas for those who are short or have come in by snowmobile.

According to Ron, “We don’t make any money on gas sales. At most, we sell 2 or 3 gallons at a time for snowmobiles. After hauling it up over the 4,000 foot pass to get here and storing it for months it’s about break even.” Their specialty is Yak burgers.

Meat is purchased from a Yak farm near Bayview. Utz, a great fan of Yak, explained that of “beef, chicken, pork and even bison, yak has the lowest fat content.” We can attest that the burger is very good.

Continued on page 34

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Page | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2 | February 2009

Veterans’ News Where the money goes - the VVA guest writer Douglas Darling, President, Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter #890 While Congress may still be wondering where their appropriated money has gone to, our fellow citizens of Bonner County can rest a bit easy when it comes to the funds you’ve donated over the past year to the local Vietnam Veterans Chapter—it all goes back to the community in the form of assistance to needy veterans and their families.

VVA Chapter #890 offers two graduating seniors from area high schools scholarships in academic or trade colleges of their own choice. These yearly scholarships can be used toward tuition, books, or materials to further their education.

Chapter #890 also offers assistance to families for emergency housing, food, utility assistance or firewood. These gifts, loans and grants are to help a vet or family when they cannot pay their utility bill, pay for emergency housing or need additional firewood to heat their home.

Food vouchers are also given to purchase food. We also donate to area food banks to stockpile food during the year. At our fundraising events, such as the July standdown, we distribute the leftover food supplies to food banks, area soup kitchens, and to veterans needing food to last them through the winter months. Donated surplus clothing is also distributed to vets during the winter months, more surplus from the summer’s stand down.

Chapter administrative costs such as building rent, maintenance, utility costs, and insurance for our functions are less than 1 percent of our costs to put on these events.

We hold these fundraising events during the year to provide these services to our fellow vets and their families and ask that if you’d like to be involved, contact us! We certainly do have a lot of fun in raising the dollars. We get donations from the public but do not receive any funds from the VA, federal, or state government, though we have applied for, and are expected to receive, a VA Grant this year to help pay a portion of the food for our annual stand-down.

We believe we owe it to our country’s veterans, as well as our fellow citizens, to help repay those who’ve unselfishly donated a part of their own lives to help make this country such a wonderful place to live in.

Some of our events and expenditures

include: A twice-yearly highway litter cleanup • Firewood cutting and costs for saw and splitter maintenance $25 • Rummage sale proceeds average $7,000 (look for it in early August) • Minor weatherization of veterans’ and widows’ homes $400 • Wheel chair ramps or porches (donated labor and materials) • Veterans Golf Scramble proceeds $4,500 • Stand down donations totaled $10,000 (used half in 2008 and half planned for 2009) • Assistance with food for needy $2,500 • Assistance with emergency housing, rent, and mortgage $3,000 • Assistance with utilities $1,000 • Funding for counseling sessions $500 • Funding for transportation costs to VA Hospital $200 • Donated $500 towards DAV Van In addition, we’ve given assistance with VA claims and paperwork, funded classes for PTSD and other disorders associated with veterans, donated household furnishings to needy vets, given donations to other local veterans groups such as the VFW and DAV chapters, donated manpower to Veterans Day celebrations, and time and equipment to the 4th of July celebrations at area cemeteries.

We’ve also manned booths at events like the County Fair and at gun shows. On average, our V.V.A. Chapter donates about $5,000 directly back to members of the community for utility assistance, emergency housing, rent, mortgage help, food, transportation, and heating (mostly firewood we cut and store during the summer months).

We could always use helpers and volunteers at our events so if you’d like to join in the fun or know a Vietnam vet who’d like to join our group, our meetings are held the second Tuesday of every month at VFW Hall in Sandpoint (corner of Pine and Division) at 6 pm. If you’d like to donate to V.V.A. Chapter #890 you can do so at PO Box 2014, Sandpoint, ID 83864 I know I’ve given only a rough outline due to space requirements but if you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us or simply swing by a monthly meeting. Thank You for your time. Respectfully; Douglas Darling, President Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter # 890

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February 2009| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2| Page

Debit- Continued from page option a Visa/MasterCard debit card that can be run like a credit card at businesses that accept credit. Choose the debit option (where you enter a PIN number) and the bank charges that business a set fee (and increasingly, charges you a fee as well). But run it as a credit transaction, where you sign a receipt, and the bank charges the business based on a percentage of sales.

Because of these fees, and because of a growing tendency to use debit cards for small purchases, some businesses are posting signage regarding minimum purchases for using a debit card. By law, they cannot do this—any merchant who accepts debit cards with the Visa or MasterCard logo are prohibited by their agreement with the company from setting minimum limits for purchases.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Although banks are more frequently charging customers a fee for Point of Sale transactions, if yours does not, consider saving the business you patronize some money and running your card as a debit. You might also take into account their continued importance to you as a business, and consider making small purchases with cash.

Card Blocking

Unknown to many debit card users is a

practice called card blocking, where your account is charged an estimated amount of money for a transaction that may not hit your bank account for several days. You’ll run into this practice most often with

on credit. Even if your bank advertises a “zero liability” debit card, that doesn’t mean you’re protected from fraudulent purchases, as most bank protection plans are limited to signature purchases—if someone uses your PIN number with your card, the assumption is that you gave it to them and the charge might stand.

Should someone manage to rip you off using your debit card, that money disappears from your account and doesn’t come back into it until the dispute is resolved. This can result in your bouncing checks you’ve already written.

According to the Federal Reserve, “... your liability for an unauthorized withdrawal can vary: Your loss is limited to $50 if you notify the financial institution Many consumers are unaware that within two business days after learning of money in your bank account can be loss or theft of your card or code. ‘reserved’ to cover your anticipated tip “But you could lose as much as $500 if you do not tell the card issuer within to a waiter or waitress. two business days after learning of loss or gas stations, though it’s also common for theft. If you do not report an unauthorized hotels and car rental companies. transfer that appears on your statement “Here’s how it works: Suppose you use a within 60 days after the statement is credit or debit card when you check into a mailed to you, you risk unlimited loss on $100-a-night hotel for five nights. At least transfers made after the 60-day period. $500 would likely be blocked. In addition, That means you could lose all the money in hotels and rental car companies often add your account plus your maximum overdraft anticipated charges for “incidentals” like line of credit, if any.” food, beverages, or gasoline to the blocked WHAT YOU CAN DO: Only use your debit amount. These incidental amounts can card with institutions you trust. Only use a vary widely among merchants,” explains credit card for online purchases. Keep your the Federal Trade Commission.

PIN number in a safe place. Check your “If you pay your bill with the same card bank statement every month. you used when you checked in, the final charge on your credit card, or final amount on your debit card, probably will replace Many people believe they can protect the block in a day or two. However, if you themselves by writing “see ID” or “ask for pay your bill with a different card, or with ID” on the back of their debit (and credit) cash or a check, the company that issued cards, thus preventing a thief from using the card you used at check-in might hold their card. Unfortunately, this not only the block for up to 15 days after you’ve doesn’t help, it abrogates your agreement checked out. That’s because they weren’t with the issuing company in two ways. notified of the final payment and didn’t First, your MasterCard/Visa is not valid know you paid another way.” unless it’s signed (and the same goes for a More frequently, restaurants are now debit card with those logos). By agreement, blocking out charges when you have a a merchant is not allowed to complete a large party and pay by debit. They do this transaction with a card that’s not signed. to cover whatever amount you might write If the merchant accepts a card that’s not on the tip line. signed, then they assume financial liability WHAT YOU CAN DO: This practice varies for fraudulent charges. with different banks, so make sure you Merchants are instructed, when given know the policies your bank follows an unsigned card, to have you sign it on the regarding who they allow to place blocks spot and then check your ID for a matching on cards, how much can be blocked, and signature. how long the block can hold. Also make The second part also refers to the sure you know how your bank handles agreement between card companies and overdrafts caused by a block on your the merchant—specifically, the agreement account—some banks will not charge an that a merchant can not legally ask you to overdraft fee triggered by a block, but produce ID when you use a signed credit many will. card. If they honor your request to check ID, then they violate their agreement with the credit card company not to do so.

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Page 10 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2 | February 2009

The Scenic Route Dr. Neu- Continued from page 42

be a little bit of extra help when I go out on cow calls. Somehow things never go as planned, and the fees are low, so time is of the essence).

After a little (maybe a lot) of yelling

heifer was barely contained. We raced to the heifer in the chute, vaccinated, tattooed and ear-tagged her before she broke her neck. The chute then crashed onto its side and, after much sweating, we were able

report it. Nobody likes a tattletale, but most people don’t call unless there is truly a problem. I also don’t mind taking these calls because ICOMPTON can also help people on SANDY | www.sandycompton.com what direction to go. mrcomptonjr@hotmail.com How do you|deal with your personal emotions when you encounter animals and their owners suffering? I am usually able to detach myself a little from the pain (otherwise I would be crying endlessly The word and is derived fromthere the my heart instead of skulking off with my atCourage. every euthanasia, some days Middle English corage, meaning “heart as tail between my legs. It’s not always easier can be up to four). the seat of feeling;” stemming from Latin, I do believe I am truly relieving animal’s to deal with what’s going on outside of cor, which means suffering, and I “heart.” also believe animals have my skin when I choose courage, but that’s Cowardice has, of course, as itsSo not where I live, and I need to be secure souls and are headed straightcoward to Heaven. root, which stems perhaps, The American where I live. Acting the coward is allowing I have peace. I do not perform euthanasia Heritage Dictionary says, from Old French insecurity in the form of my own fears to if it does not leave me feeling ethically couard; “one with his tail between his rule me. and morally ‘okay’ (for example, a healthy legs.”

This rumination is brought about by one animal, but the owner is word: moving or an of those silly, damned things that happen I find corage a fascinating “heart doesn’t want to feed for another asowner the seat of feeling.”

Even itthough we from time to time to writers who sign their winter, etc.). have come to understand that mind is work with a byline. Someone recently left in the arena. I’m talking about the kind I am unable corage to be a short note attached with masking tape of courage it takes to discern what to moreOnce likely intheawhile seat of emotion, the strongest one, and I am is appropriately descriptive. In acts right of to the driver’s side window of my car. The do about that difficult co-worker or the there and tearing with the both, ownerdon’t and note was written on a copy of an opinion neighbor who sometimes parks with their courage acts up of cowardice hankies.

That most often piece I wrote that was published not long bumper in your driveway. Do you talk to wegrabbing feel them in our hearts? happens when I am a close friend of the ago. It was not a criticism of my writing them, talk about them or just shut up Even in moments of fear when our owner, the be owner is a big tough ‘man’s skill, but a somewhat snide comment about and let it be? And how do you respond to hearts might pounding, once we move and/or neglected horses are a shameful problem a with someone whose opinions don’tfor agree (and he is shedding or the case myAbused toman’ act courageously, we feeltears), a change in our opinion. yours?

Your response says more about you community.

If you believe you know of any abused or neglected just seems so very (liketo anbegin owner who chest.

There may be asad flutter with, The note was unsigned. I consider that than it does about the other person. but heart to slow moveor ananimal, act of cowardice. hasthen the our pet as theirseems only close friend, please call your local sheriff’s So,office. mysterious note-writer and into a steadier a more If you haven’t enough courage of your their husband tempo, just died, etc.). purposeful others like you; grow some courage. rhythm.

It is as the if the heart understands convictions andthree sign heifers a letterwere to What’s strangest/wackiest and boltingtoofwrite cattle, to loosen the rickety contraption and set Surreptitiousness has no place in healthy that there is important work to do in this, the editor calling me out on my opinion or situation you’ve ever encountered as a lined up in the alley, ready to go into their her free. We took care of the cow in the If you disagree with me, don’t and it better be firing on all cylinders. the courage to greet on the street were and discourse. veterinarian? rusty old chute.

Theme family members alley by snubbing her toengage a post. disparage me to others, in Getting rumorIn the of cowardice, disagreement in other a civilasway, I dosecret keepmoments notes about some ofthe the express cursingyour and hollering at each they mongering, everything done for a Bangs vaccine spit tobacco juice on this my heart beats faster, too, but doesn’t it seem then how am I going to see your point of strangest cases and experiences that I’ve let the first heifer into the chute. She saw windshield way is not as easy asnasty it sounds. or leave and threatening tobeen falter,through, to flutter become any other than soand I have a fewarrhythmic? to pick from. view it asfrom a chance to runperspective for freedom andone hit Now, we just had the free heifer to catch, And, thealways end of makes a cowardly act, can’t we of disdain? If I’m disdainful of myself for comments on my answering machine.

Oneatthat me laugh is a story the chute at 90 miles and hour. whichbe was also not Talk as easy it sounds.

We Don’t a coward. to as me.

Or express hear it incows. our ears, not asis anever steady thump, acting in a cowardly manner, do you think I about Cow work predictable In slow motion the chute lifted from yourself all ran. in Fences wereput jumped.

Horses and print and your name on the but a hollow clanking sound, a am going to feel any differently about you? ormore safe. of A family that runs a few beeflike cows its rotted teetered on Itthe front piece. ignorant dogs were used...grain buckets, 4setneeded of footsteps following us down a lonely I don’tbase like and to feel disdain. makes Bangs vaccines on three heifers. And, edge.

For a moment I thought it might wheelers tractors, etc. who taped the I thinkand of that person hallway. sad, for it disallows the respect that I This vaccine’s protocol is regulated by the me note to my window.

Did they crash back into place.

Unfortunately for Two and a half hours and wait a biguntil rain Antonymous as they are, courage wish to feel for others and tarnishes my state and must be done between 4 and 12 the cow, the chute continued its original after untilwas thelast sidewalk was stormdark later,and the cow seen ripping and cowardice are not very far apart in own self-respect. months of age.just one thin page in the then scuttle off awire few feet the motion and the cow on her head empty, out a 4-strand barbed fenceafter headed the dictionary, It is not so planted easy, sometimes, to embrace Of course, these heifers were 11 months act and resist the temptation to look over with the chute and her tail sticking straight into the back country.

She knew better booster seat edition. Nor are they very courage and avoid cowardice. I fail it three old, and bigact, to boot.

Two sometimes, to see who with else might have up in the air. than shoulder to take any chances that chute. farand apart in weeks a life. One small one tiny and I think many of us do. their seen?

Did they heave a sigh of relief old farmers and a couple of other relatives In the meantime, theabout middle heifer I collected my $20 dollars for the that two decision can take us from one to the other. I’m not talking, either, the kindtook of they hadn’t been “caught?” had been rounded up to help (I always try her chance and raced out the opening made vaccines and a little more for the ranch call I’ve been guilty of both, and I find it always courage a soldier might have in the face of if they hadn’t to make sure ahead time thatI there from the chute sliding forward. third feeAsand headed out.caught themselves. easier to live inside myofskin when listen will to the enemy or a bullfighter mightThe display

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208.255.7010 February January2009| 2009|The TheRiver RiverJournal Journal- -AANews NewsMagazine MagazineWorth WorthWading WadingThrough Through||www.RiverJournal.com www.RiverJournal.com||Vol. Vol.18 18No. No.2| 1 |Page Page1147

A Luminous Forecast What does climate change mean for our area?

by Kate Wilson

The “snowpack economy” that is so familiar to us will also be impacted—this includes recreation, tourism, hydroelectricity, agriculture, forestry, and more. Our ski hills and backcountry trails could experience seasonal shifts. Our peak flow river seasons will change. Hydropower generation will be impacted.

The term “climate change” has quickly become a buzz word, a mantra, and a complicated web of science and theory that can, seemingly, cause one to turn the page, flip the channel, or turn a cheek.

We tend to get caught up in the firestorm of finger-pointing and causation, but regardless of why, there is a when, and it is fast approaching.

Though the topic of climate change can seem like more of a global issue than a local one, impacts to our region are being observed and documented as we speak. The warming of our planet has some pretty serious consequences for our water supply, our communities, our fish and wildlife, our economies, and our very way of life. Instead of being a daunting topic that requires significant time just to wade through years of data, we might be better suited to standing up straight and looking the issue in the eye.

What exactly does climate change refer to?

“Climate change” is any long-term significant change in the “average weather” of a region or the earth as a whole, whereas “ weather”

is the day-to-day playing out of the atmosphere. Average weather may include average temperature, precipitation and wind patterns; “climate” is more stable and predictable than “weather.”

During the modern era, rising carbon dioxide levels are identified as the primary cause of climate change since 1950. There is now consensus on the general warming patterns of the climate in the global scientific community. The “greenhouse effect” has been part of the earth’s process since its beginning; gases like carbon dioxide and methane allow sunlight to reach the earth, but thwart some of the resulting heat from radiating back out into space. Indeed, without the greenhouse effect, the planet would never have been warm enough to allow life to form in the first place. But as larger amounts of carbon dioxide have been released—along with the development of industrial economies— the atmosphere has grown warmer at an accelerated rate. Though natural sources of carbon exist on a massive level, such as volcanoes, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that human activities generate more than 130 times the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by volcanoes (http:// volcanoes.usgs.gov/hazards/gas/index. php).

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states that since 1970, temperatures have gone up at nearly three times the average for the 20th century. The IPCC is a scientific intergovernmental body

that is considered the most authoritative source for climate change data; it is made up of government scientists from around the world.

In general, the IPCC concludes that climate change will strain many of North America’s water resources. A warmer climate will affect the availability of freshwater resources by increasing evaporation and reducing snowpack. The IPCC also predicts that the Columbia River Basin and other heavily used water systems of western North America are expected to be particularly vulnerable.

What does climate change mean for us locally?

The Pacific Northwest temperature predictions range from an average increase of 5 degrees F in the winter and summer, and 4 degrees F in the spring and fall. Both Montana and Idaho are heavily dependent on surface waters for water supply; runoff is reliant on winter snowpack and spring snowmelt. According to the IPCC 2007 Report, warmer climate could mean less snowfall, more winter rain, and faster and earlier snowmelt. This could also result in drier summers—lower levels in our lakes and reservoirs, increased evaporation, and lower streamflows.

Local groups and resources are already observing this pattern.

“Just slight changes in temperature and you have all of these cascading results,” muses Chris Brick, Science Director for the Clark Fork Coalition based in Missoula,

Kate Wilson is a Project Journalist for Avista’s Clark Fork Project. Reach her at hunterolivemint@gmail.com.

Page 12 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2 | February 2009

Montana. The Clark Fork Coalition recently published a report on local climate change predictions in the 22,000 square mile Clark Fork Basin titled Low Flows, Hot Trout.

The report utilizes data gathered in the basin over time, as well as anecdotal information from area residents. It is meant to be “…accessible to the public, informative to those whose livelihoods are directly tied to the river, and illuminating to the policymakers looking for effective responses.”

Local groups such as the Clark Fork Coalition are focusing on the issues and working to get the word out about what people can do, every day, to make a difference and mitigate predicted impacts from climate change upon our communities.

“We did [the report] to localize the issue, to bring the science home, to spark the discussion, and to empower citizen action,” says Brick.

Regionally, climate change is more than just a theory. Since the 1950s, March is hotter in western Montana. Also, precipitation comes as rain, spring snowmelt arrives earlier, wildfires are more frequent, and glaciers are rapidly receding. According to Low Flows, Hot Trout, in Glacier National Park, only 27 of the estimated 150 glaciers remain since the park was established in 1910; scientists predict that by 2030 the glaciers will be gone.

The IPCC reports that in northern Idaho, white pine stands have decreased by 50 to 100 percent, due in part to fire suppression and white pine blister rust, a non-native fungus that has taken a serious toll on the state tree. White pine blister rust impacts to white pine trees also affect grizzly bears; the nut of this precious tree provides grizzlies with an essential prehibernation food source. The pine bark beetles are also vastly increasing in number with the higher temperatures, adding fuel to an already rampant white pine fire.

Western Montana’s growing season has become noticeably longer. Missoula, for instance, gained 15 more frost-free days in the past 50 years. Between 1990 and 2006, the USDA shifted the hardiness zone in most of the watershed by one full zone.

Though a longer growing season can mean bumper crops, our gardeners and farmers may also be impacted by water scarcity during the summer months with the higher temperatures.

A wider range of plant species will thrive, and the forests should also, but the warmer weather will also bring on more insect pests; native plant species distribution will shift over time, moving higher up. Though elk and deer might do better with less of a snowpack situation, they also might find themselves surrounded by more predators and less food sources.

Fish are one of the most treasured resources of our water-laden neck of the woods. Predictions forecast a loss of 5 to 30 percent of the native trout habitat in western Montana within the next century due to warming. As lower elevation streams warm up, these cold water dependent native trout will survive only in cooler waters at higher elevations; the populations will likely grow isolated from each other, decreasing chances of longterm sustainability.

“Not only are hot trout becoming uncomfortably common in the watershed— so are the number of river closures during fishing season on favorite rivers like the Blackfoot, Clark Fork and the Bitterroot,” says Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks regional fisheries manager Pat Saffel in Low Flows, Hot Trout of increasing stream temperatures. “To maintain diversity, we need healthy riparian areas where trees shade the waters and reduce the stress on the fishery.”

The “snowpack economy” that is so familiar to us will also be impacted— this includes recreation, tourism, hydroelectricity, agriculture, forestry, and more. Our ski hills and back country trails could experience seasonal shifts. Our peak flow river seasons will change. Hydropower generation will be impacted.

What is being done to address climate change locally?

Avista Corporation, the utility company that holds license to two dams on the lower Clark Fork River at Noxon Rapids and Cabinet Gorge, acknowledges climate change and its projections for the region with measures like the creation of its own Climate Change Council in 2007.

Avista’s climate council meets on a regular basis to report on issues such as climate policy, federal, state and regional climate initiatives and legislation. Avista is also a member of the Chicago Climate Exchange; the company has already met the greenhouse gas reduction goals. Avista participates in Washington State’s Climate Advisory Team and is a member of the Clean Energy Group, a consortium of low carbon-emitting utilities that is working on federal climate legislation. Avista also encourages its customers to support the “buck a block” program, which supports the development of new renewable energy sources such as wind, biomass, geothermal, landfill gas, and solar (avistautilities.com/ services/renewable).

In addition, Avista’s “Every Little Bit” campaign encourages consumers to use energy in the most resourceful ways possible; “energy efficiency is doing the same amount of work, but in a cleaner, better or cheaper way” (everylittlebit.com).

This program advocates easy ways to save energy, such as setting the thermostat to

68 degrees or lower in the winter, using window insulation kits, planting trees on the north and east sides of your house, and keeping blinds open during the day and closed at night. Numerous rebates and incentives for wise energy use are offered through these programs. In 2008, Avista provided over 18,000 rebates and incentives totaling over $15 million to residential, commercial and limited income customers; the average residential rebate for single family homes was $200.

“It seems counter-intuitive to pay customers to use less of your product.

As demand for energy continues to grow, we need to meet those needs reliably and responsibly. But new energy comes at a price,” says Bruce Folsom, Avista’s senior manager of energy efficiency programming.

“While renewable energy will continue to play an increasingly important role in our energy future, creating new sources of generation is costly. That’s why Avista is committed to the lowest cost “new” source – energy efficiency.”

In Montana, Governor Schweitzer requested the development of a Climate Change Advisory Committee; it comprised 18 citizens and was supported by a panel of experts, public and private technical/ policy specialists, and state staff. The group evaluated current greenhouse gas emissions and made recommendations to the state on existing programs, policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and potential costs of these policies. Montana has a very high rate of greenhouse gas; per capita, it is nearly double the national average. The committee cites the reasons for this as the state’s large fossil fuel production industry, substantial agricultural industry, long distances for transportation, cooler climate, and a low population base.

The city of Sandpoint, Idaho became part of the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement when former Mayor Ray Miller signed on the agreement in 2007. New Mayor Gretchen Hellar plans to continue this effort.

A local Sandpoint group, the Climate Change Action Network (ClimateCAN) is a group of concerned citizens who organized in October 2006; their mission is to educate and empower local communities to make decisions that both prepare for and mitigate the impacts of climate change (climatecan.org).

The “Sandpoint Transition Initiatives” is yet another effort underway to address climate change, as well as peak oil concerns.

This group aims to “bring the community together, develop practical solutions and improve the quality of life for everyone.”

The goal of this initiative is to rebuild local resilience, reduce carbon emissions and achieve independence from Continued on page 34

February 2009| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2| Page 13

Crossbills Crossbills—Wow, what happened to your beak, dude? Have you looked in the mirror?

Crossbills are one of the few birds I can think of that are named for their beak, and well they should be. Except for the upsidedown filter-feeder of the flamingo or the extend-o-matic pouch of the pelican, few birds have as strange or specialized a beak as that of the crossbills. As the name suggests this bird’s bill crosses itself into a shape that looks like it might require some serious remediation by a plastic surgeon.

They may look defective, but are the very opposite. These crossed bills are conifer cone-shredding machines, as these birds are able to pry open even the greenest cone in search of seeds.

There are two species of crossbills in our area, one frequently seen and the other less frequently. The Red Crossbill seems to be the more common of the two, whereas I encounter the White-winged Crossbill only on occasion. Let’s look at each specie individually.

The Red Crossbill is a typical finch in size, meaning it is roughly the size of a large sparrow, though a bit less tubby. I encounter the Red in both large flocks and in smaller groups of twos and threes.

I suspect that these smaller collections are simply part of some larger flock that has dispersed in search of conifer cones, the bird’s primary food. The coloration of the male birds gives this specie its name, as it ranges from bright red to a rusty-orange.

Coloration also tends to be bit muddled, as when a painter tries to cover too much area with too little paint. The females are

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yellow; also in that same splotched color pattern of the males. The wing primaries and tail feathers of both sexes are normally a contrasting dark color, such as gray, brown, or slate. It is important to note that the Red Crossbill does not have white bars on its wings.

In the field I find the mix of these reds and yellows fluttering among tree branches as a means of locating the flocks of these interesting birds. A quick sweep of the binoculars directed at some particularly close specimens will confirm the bill, which is the bird’s most definitive field mark. It is the combination of the twisted beak and the lack of white coloration on the wings that will allow you to finally scribble the Red Crossbill into your life-list of identified birds.

For all intents-and-purposes the Whitewinged Crossbill is the same as the Red Crossbill, except for a pair of distinctive white bars on the wings. Now that is not to say that this bird isn’t otherwise distinctive from its all red or yellow cousin—it is a separate specie. But when separating crossbill species in the field all a person really needs to ascertain is the presence of bright, white bars on the wings. The presence of these markings will identify the bird as a White-winged Crossbill. Aptly named and as simple as that. Both the red male and the yellow female white-wings sport these same service stripes.

My experience is that, in our neck of the woods, the White-winged seems to be

by Mike Turnlund the less common of the two species. But you might never know that because you never really find crossbills. They find you!

Encountering crossbills is serendipitous.

They are notorious wanderers and will range far and wide searching for their favorite food, which are cones of all sorts. Douglas fir, spruce, pine, hemlock, whatever, though White-wings do seem partial to larch cones. Granted, both crossbills do eat insects in season, occasionally indulge in some frozen fruit in winter, and might even show up at your feeder. And you might hear their noisy, but soft chattering before you see them. But typically you come upon them accidentally in a certain place and it might be years before they come that way again. They are truly here today, gone tomorrow.

Crossbills are also quite acrobatic. They often feed upside down on the cones as they quickly dismember them to draw out the hidden seeds. Allegedly crossbills can eat up to three-thousand seeds in a single day! I think what is most amazing about that fact is someone actually counted. And don’t be surprised to see crossbills flying from treetops to the ground and back again. I am not sure what they are doing, but I suspect that they are gobbling up gravel for their stomachs. Then again, I have heard that some species of crossbills eat dirt to improve the digestion of certain types of seeds.

Just for the record, the number of crossbill species in North America might be greater than the currently recognized two. There seems to be patterns across the continent of differences in bill sizes among specific populations. This would allow different groups to not compete with others, thus both being able to effectively exploit the same area. Even more, if these different groups do not interbreed, they might very well be separate species. Time will tell if this proves to be true.

By the way, have you seen any odd birds this winter? The first week of January I saw a couple of male robins hanging out with a flock of starlings. And there is still a handful of intrepid Double-crested cormorants on the south end of long bridge. If you’ve seen anything odd or interesting, drop a comment on the River Journal web site. It would be fun to compare notes. Happy birding!

Mike Turnlund is a teacher at Clark Fork High School.

Reach him at miketurnlund@gmail.com

Page 14 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2 | February 2009

The Game Trail

by Matt Haag

Winter can bring many unique challenges to people and wildlife. The break in the snow has been nice but by the time this issue of the River Journal hits the press we may be looking at more cold and snow.

Hey, its winter right? That’s what’s supposed to happen around these parts.

The snowpack is an essential part of our lives. It replenishes our wells, rivers and lakes and reduces the potential for catastrophic wildland fires. I checked the National Resources Conservation Service website on snowpack levels and we’re sitting around 80 percent for annual accumulation depending where you are in the county. Please note that SNOTEL reporting evaluates the total moisture content of the snow, not necessarily the depth of the snow.

Wildlife does an amazing job adapting to the challenging conditions of winter. Centuries of evolution in our game herds have developed animals that are physiologically designed to survive freezing temperatures and deep snow. Naturally, some of these critters head for areas with less snow, such as southwest facing slopes. Unfortunately, they also head out on the ice and travel the same roads and railroad tracks that we do.

Your Fish and Game department has been actively monitoring our herd’s health by watching the animals’ behavior and physical condition. Our ungulates are finding the food they need and are doing well. Regrettably, they are not faring so well on the roads and railroad tracks. This is a challenge we need to take on as a Department and as a community. When the snow gets deep and the critters head for the roads, what are some ways we can reduce vehicle/wildlife collisions? We can slow down and pay attention to areas where wildlife consistently cross the road. If you take note, the animals are hit in the same stretches of highway throughout the winter. Slow down in those areas and scan the side of the road for critters. There’s no avoiding the suicidal critter that runs straight into the side of your rig from nowhere.

Our hoofed wildlife tend to migrate to lower elevations in the winter as well, putting those animals in our backyards. With the expansion of homes further and further up our mountainsides we lose wintering areas and habitat for these animals. Subsequently, animals, especially moose, move even lower getting into heavily populated areas. Moose would prefer not to be in town but sometimes are they pushed there by various circumstances. The proximity of people, dogs, and vehicles place a lot of stress on

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the moose. They become exhausted and take up a resting spot in our backyards, especially if you have some inviting ornamental landscaping!

How can we as community help out these moose when they wander into our towns? And what can the Department do to help? Please give them some room and respect their size and temperament. Also, dogs tend to bring out the Tasmanian Devil in moose. Instinct dictates that the moose react to a domestic dog as they would a wolf or coyote. They charge and stomp the dog to protect themselves, causing severe if not lethal damage. For the wellbeing of the moose and Fido, please keep them on a leash and keep them away from the moose until they move on.

Additionally, please, please, do not feed the animals. They are physiological adapted to eat available browse in the winter such as twigs and bark. If we upset that process by offering high nutrient feed like grain and hay, we could have a devastating effect on the that animal. Also, survival of the fittest is a necessary process in the animal world. The individuals that are able to produce ample fat reserves to make it through the winter pass that knowledge and genetics on to their offspring, a minute but important process in natural selection. Winter feeding makes the people feel good, but hardly ever changes the fate of the animals. So ask yourself, “Am I feeding because it helps the animals, or am I feeding to make myself feel better?”

So what does IDFG do about moose that are hanging out in town? There is no black and white response to that situation, except that we do not automatically remove that animal. Our first priority is the safety of people—especially children—and then the health of the moose. If the moose has injuries and is showing some aggressive behavior due to being harassed, we may decide to remove the moose. Please don’t hesitate to call us if you think a moose is posing a threat to people.

Logistically, drugging and transporting a moose is a huge endeavor. A 700 pound animal on drugs has unpredictable behavior that can result in people or the animal getting hurt. Some moose never recover from the drugs and are euthanized, due to complications. Then comes the question of where do we bring the moose if it survives? All the roads into the hills are snowed in, so inevitably the moose is released in an area where it finds someone else’s backyard. Moving animals, whether a bear or a moose, is never a solution to the problem, it’s only a temporary fix.

As moose find their way into the places we have chosen for neighborhoods, final options such as drugging, removing, or euthanizing the animals are avoided if a less invasive solution can be reached. Leaving the moose alone to find its way out of the neighbor is the best option, however it takes the most patience.

Thanks to the folks who have shared their backyards with a tired moose this winter. Just giving them a place to rest for a few days can make the difference.

Speaking of giving the animals a rest, I’m alarmed at the number of people antler hunting right where elk are wintering.

Please wait until green-up in the spring to shed hunt, or find a spot where you are not disturbing the elk. The critters thank you!

Leave No Child Inside

600 Schweitzer Plaza Dr. behind Super 8 Motel in Ponderay Matt Haag is an Idaho Fish & Game Conservation Officer.Reach him at 265-8521 or mhaag@idfg.idaho.gov February 2009| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2| Page 15

Land Management K n o w your forest.

Imagine not knowing w h a t different a n ima ls are called: driving down the highway you look over and see cows in a pasture with a deer grazing too and you say to the kids “Oh, look at the animals, children, that one animal is grazing right alongside of the other animals which seem to be so much fatter and a different color, too.” Sounds absurd, doesn’t it? But that is how it seems to me when I hear people say “Look at that beautiful tree, kids and oh, look, there is another beautiful tree which looks pointier” or “Look at all the beautiful pines... there are so many different pines around here,” as they gaze upon a stand of fir and larch trees.

Maybe I am splitting hairs but I cannot imagine living a life of not knowing what the names of the trees are. I can’t claim to know all the ornamental trees which are around, various products of hybridization and importation from different places all over the world, but I do know all the indigenous trees in the area I live in and can’t even imagine owning land and not knowing the names of the residents on my property. I am amazed at the number of land owners I talk to who refer to the trees with needles as their pine trees and the ones with leaves as the hardwoods.

As you might expect, different trees have different requirements to thrive and will do best in specific habitat types. Some trees require some very specific situations to reproduce at all, while others will germinate just about anywhere but in order to reach maturity will need some fairly specific conditions. Some require bare soil to germinate, some require fire, some require full sunlight or shade to thrive while others require drier soil and others require more damp soil. In order to assess your forest, you must know the components of it and what it takes for the various components of the system to function properly. Trees are a major component and need to be understood.

I could not begin to teach a person the identity of the species of trees on their property in this article or all the complexities

of their interactions and requirements for peak health, but I may be able to explain how a person could go about learning the different types of trees on their own.

First, go to the local USFS office and get a copy of their pamphlet on identifying the most common forest trees. This pamphlet is a very basic publication which depicts drawings showing the general shape of the tree from a distance or its form, a closeup of the branches with needle patterns or leaf shapes, a drawing of the pattern of the bark, and drawings of the cones or fruit types. With this simple guide, any land ow ner can spend some

The cone, or fruit, of the Douglas fir is distinctive and easily identified. Visit our website (RiverJournal.com) and read the legend of the mouse and the Douglas fir cone. time in their forest learning the types of trees species which grow there.

I tend to identify trees by their bark and so, in big timber when the branches are way up high, I still know the tree species, but this method is a little trickier as bark patterns can vary within a species, as well as between species. The texture and patterns of bark tend to vary by age within a species, and even vary on an individual tree from the base to the top. So, it is important to learn the needles/leaves, the bark pattern and the general form of the tree.

The most common conifers in this area are, beginning with the most shade tolerant, cedar, hemlock, Grand fir, spruce, Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, white pine, larch and Ponderosa pine. Most people recognize cedar trees—they have scales instead of needles with unique bark and form. Hemlock has very short needles with an unruly pattern, very small cones and the tops look hooked or droopy. Grand fir have a very grey bark which if cut into will have purple streaks; the needles are short, rounded on the ends and come out flat off

by Michael White

the twig or rather do not grow all around the twig. Spruce and Doug fir needles grow all around the twig like a bottle brush, and are both pointy on the end but spruce needles are much stiffer (they really prick you) and Douglas fir bark is thick and corky while spruce bark is flakey, curling out on the ends away from the tree trunk.

Lodgepole pine bark is very dark grey— almost black— and this tree has smaller cones. The needles grow in bundles of two.

White pine has grey bark which is smooth when young or on the higher reaches of the tree but, as the tree gets older, it reminds me of alligator skin and the needles are in bundles of five (think w-h-i-t-e). The Ponderosa pine has classic pine bark, usually reddish, very long needles and they come in bundles of three (Adam, Hoss and Little Joe). Larch is the only deciduous (sheds or loses foliage at the end of the growing season) conifer we have. The needles grow out of a nodule on the twigs and they are relatively short, about one inch long.

These brief descriptions may help you refresh your memory or familiarize you with the differences to look for but in no way will be enough to teach you the different species.

I highly recommend that you get the free pamphlets at the USFS office and/ or buy a good plant identification book which includes both trees and plants. Learn to identify the trees first, then do some research on the requirements of these species, where and under what conditions they are most healthy. After you have a good understanding of the trees learn some of the key plants (habitat indicator species) and edible plants too. Then you can read a book on forest ecology of the Inland Northwest and the information will have much more meaning. This will allow you to begin understanding the forest and its complexities.

With this base of knowledge you will be able to much better understand and make intelligent decisions about your forest. So, whether you are just walking on your land with friends, or your children or whether you are talking to a forester about getting a management plan done for the Forest Land Tax Exemption or to guide your future management activities or to a local logger, you will have a base of knowledge to relate and understand better how it applies to your property.

Michael White is a Realtor with a BS in Forest Resources and Ecosystem Management. Visit NorthIdahoLandMan.com Page 16 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2 | February 2009

Under the Night Lights

by Patrick Sande As the sun sets and moon starts its journey across the night time you wait in line is when you’re waiting for a friend. sky, most skiers and boarders retire to warmer haunts in search A night of skiing ends the same way as if you hung up your of a cozy fire, hot cocoa or cold beer. They reflect on the boots at sunset. You change into your favorite sweatshirt highs (and sometimes the lows) of the day gone by. They and find your way to a fireplace, couch or bar. You Aching gaze outside as the snowflakes begin to fall and plan reflect on the day you just had and start planning for their next day on the slopes. Yet, for a select few, for the next. As you look outside, you see the for daylight? this is not the standard routine. For these folks, snowflakes start to fall again. Just then, the Try the Sunday the setting sun marks not an end to the day, but switch is flipped, the lights on the slopes go out merely a change in scenery as they continue their and you call it a day.

Solution at alpine pursuits into the night.

Night skiing takes place at Schweitzer from Schweitzer. Lift tickets late December to early March. It happens As the alpenglow wanes, the lights kick on and the chairs continue to spin. Falling snowflakes every Friday and Saturday night (plus Sundays just $20 after 12:30. take on a new glow as the night lights reflect on on Presidents week). Night skiing operates their descent. Fresh snow builds on the ground from 3 to 8 pm off of the Basin Express high Not available February 15. faster than you can track it up, making your smile speed quad and the Musical Chairs double. grow ever wider. Night skiing is a fun and unique Night access is also available to the Stomping experience not to be missed.

Grounds Terrain Park, where features will be built There’s something special about skiing down a as soon as snowpack allows. Cost is $15 for adults slope illuminated by lights. You dance with your shadow and $10 for juniors, senior citizens, college students while peering at the backdrop of the night sky. While and beginners.

Sandpoint twinkles in the distance, you get to experience the In addition, $8 lift tickets are available for night skiing at pleasant solitude of being one of the few enjoying fresh turns on Schweitzer. The resort’s “Own the Night” program allows nonsuch a peaceful night. profit organizations to sell discounted lift tickets to the public.

On nights when the stars are out, everything changes again. Fifty percent of the proceeds go directly to the organization Almost instinctively, you know how many runs you have left simply selling tickets. The program was kicked off January 9, with the by looking at the moon’s position in the sky. first organization being the Girl Scouts. Discounted tickets are The lifties seem to recognize people by their grin and the only not available at the resort.

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February 2009| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2| Page 17

From Bermuda to the Beach

A Vote for Success The importance of sports varies widely for many reasons, but I for one cannot get my arms around why some people believe that sports are not an important element in our school system. I would not be the person I am today without sports in my life, now and when I was growing up.

With hard times facing this country, I would think that people would embrace an activity that can clear the head, keep the heart pumping, and take one’s mind off all the negative things happening around them. But for some, including many of the people planning to vote against our upcoming levy, sports is a waste of money and should not be in the school curriculum at all. Cut The Sports!

I disagree completely.

There are many aspects in life that can be learned while participating in sports, whether it is soccer, football, basketball, volleyball, baseball, track, golf, bowling, or anything that challenges the mind and body in a different capacity. In team sports, people learn social skills such as how to work in groups to attain common goals. In individual sports, people learn how to overcome obstacles using their mind and body to achieve specific goals. Either of which teaches children how to be competitive in a very competitive world.

Participating in sports also helps people stay healthy, and judging by the obesity that has overtaken the United States, it can’t hurt to give our children the encouragement and opportunity to exercise. Not only is exercise good for the body, it is essential for mental health.

Let’s face it. This country is getting lazy! I for one will not succumb to it. I say we encourage our children to get out there and join a sport. I feel some people would rather our children plop down in front of the computer and play video games, and while I’m not a big fan of it, I do agree that there can be some vital things learned from this, but it won’t help the heart stay strong and the waist stay slim.

Sports also give our children something to do. How many times do we as parents hear our children say, “There’s nothing to do, I’m bored.”? Extracurricular activities such as sports give our children something to look forward to, something to do that has meaning, all the while staying active and healthy.

I recall in high school that being involved in sports was a positive reward for working hard in school. If my grades didn’t pass, I didn’t play. It wasn’t up to the school whether I played or not, it was up to my parents. I was held to a higher standard from my parents than I was by the school. My parents were involved in my grades, and in my sports. That gave me the drive to succeed in both. I learned that hard work paid off, both in the classroom and the gridiron.

I can remember having a conversation at the dinner table

one night with my parents, and I made a comment about one of my classmates being dumb. My parents quickly corrected me and told me my classmate was not dumb at all, but very intelligent. He was the quarterback of our football team, and in order to be a good quarterback, you had to be smart, you had to take on the role of a leader. He led us to four undefeated league titles, no losses on our home field in four years, and a state championship.

He was able to take ten other high school boys, unite them for a common goal, and be successful. He was instrumental in boosting confidence in all of us, helping us to grow up and be responsible for our jobs on the football field. Dumb?

Our coach taught us how to be gracious winners. We did have a lot of experience on the winning side, but he also taught us how to accept losing. We went on to lose three times in the divisional playoffs over the next three years, and while it was never as fun losing as it was winning, we walked off the field with our heads high and with a sense of accomplishment. It’s called sportsmanship.

By Clint Nicholson

Our coach was later named to the Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame for his accomplishments. He was and will always be one of my favorite teachers. He rarely opened a textbook for us to read, unless you call the playbook a textbook, and I think he still thinks you spell “cat” with a “k”, but he was a great teacher, mentor, and leader.

The quarterback of our football team, well, he went on to the military and participated in Desert Storm. He was honored to fight for our freedom as a Sergeant in the Army, uniting a team of soldiers into battle with a common goal, teaching them to be responsible for their jobs, and came out successful. He now has five children and is happy leading them down a healthy road to success.

Not only did football provide an activity for some, it provided many other opportunities for students. Rarely did we ever play a football game without our “fight song” roaring in the background. It was an opportunity for the band to sharpen their skills while performing in front of a crowd.

The cheerleaders were AWESOME! The drill team always performed a great halftime show. The whole town came together to watch and cheer on the home team.

When football was over, we moved on to basketball. When basketball was over, we moved on to track. And when track was over, we moved on to baseball. We never accomplished the same success as we did in football, but we never quit learning sportsmanship, leadership, competition, teamwork and respect. These are all life lessons I’m happy to pass on to my children, and what fun to watch my children use these tools in their chosen sports.

There is a story of a man who received a basketball for his birthday one year. At first, he really didn’t use the ball very much for its intended purpose. Later, he began taking the ball to school every day and practicing with it, and soon became a talented high school basketball player. In difficult situations on the court, he demanded the ball with confidence. Sometimes he succeeded, sometimes he failed, but in the end, he learned how to accept failure, and nurture success. He never went on to play professional basketball—he had other dreams—but credits the game for teaching him some great life lessons. He still plays Continued on page 40

Page 18 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2 | February 2009

des to about call on mething ay was ’— was so video hdown. call on hdown.

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Spilled Milk & Skinned Knees

By Dustin Gannon

As I recall, the last time we spoke I was crippled with a state of fear and confusion. My voice was far from steady and my knees were as straight as the annual parades in New York that are filled with rainbows and happiness. I was searching for an answer to my problems at quarterback because I was unsure of the state of my current one. However, a hero did rise and reclaim is place on the throne.

Yes, I’m talking about Ben Roethlisberger.

He suffered a concussion in the final game of the season as he, and the Pittsburgh Steelers headed into the playoffs.

Let’s start with the Wild Card games.

In the NFC the Eagles came into Minnesota and took down the Vikings while the home team underdogs in Arizona dethroned rookie of the year Matt Ryan and the Falcons. Meanwhile the Chargers rode the short legs of Darren Sproles right over

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the Colts, and Ed Reed single-handedly dismantled Chad Pennington and the Dolphins. The first three divisional games all had shared something in common—all the home teams had lost. So the Ravens beat the first place Titans, the Cardinals came out of nowhere and murdered the Panthers, and the Eagles even took down the defending champions, the New York Giants.

One game had remained in the divisional round and it wasn’t looking good for the home teams. However, what most people had failed to realize was that the home team in this last game was my Steelers, and of course, the best defensive team in the entire league. Four teams remain, Cardinals and the Eagles in the NFC, and the Steelers and the Ravens in the AFC. The Cardinals and the Ravens were two teams who were literally on fire, surprising teams every week, making plays and winning games. The Cardinals outlasted the Eagles and continue their storybook season by making it to their first Superbowl in franchise history. As for the Ravens, I don’t discredit their hot spark in the playoffs one bit, they surprised good teams and won. They played the Titans, who respectively had the third best defense in the league and won. But they didn’t play the best defense in the league and it showed when they lost to it for the third time this season.

Now it comes to the last two teams, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers. All of my so-called friends have no problem jumping at the chance to tell me how Larry Fitzgerald is going to torch my defense for a few touchdowns and how the Cardinals are going to win. I have a different story.

The characters in my story are called Troy Polamalu, Lamaar Woodley, James Harrison, James Farrior, and Ryan Clark, who sent Ravens RB Willis McGahee to the hospital last week. Kurt Warner will be too busy worrying about the defensive player of the year Harrison coming in for the sack and he’ll forget about the sack machine Woodley coming in on the other side. While he’s doing that he’ll have a hard time accounting for linebacker James

Farrior and Polamalu. Just getting a pass off against this defense is going to be a feat in itself. Kurt has had a tremendous season this year but like I said about the Ravens, he hasn’t played against the best defense yet and you’ll definitely see that in the Superbowl.

Roethlisberger will once again prove all my friends wrong when he manages the football game with the help of his legs to scramble out of the pocket to hit a healthy Hines Ward, or maybe even an explosive Santonio Holmes. Forget about the dynamic combo of Boldin and L-Fitz—yeah, they are good, really good even, but I can’t stress enough how they haven’t played against the best defense in the league!!!!

Willie Parker is healthy and the Cards run defense is nowhere near making headlines so you can expect a diverse selection of play calling from the Steelers in order to set up for Roethlisberger, and the pass.

Maybe I’m saying these things because I’m a Pennsylvania native, or because I love the Steelers, or maybe I’m just saying it because it’s all true. Defense wins championships. It’s been said before, and I can guarantee that it will be said again after February 1st. The final score will show about the time this goes to the printer so once you read this, if you have anything to say, you can find me standing in black and gold saying, “I told you so.”

February 2009| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2| Page 19

FOCUS ON EDUCATION

Face to Face Bill Litsinger • Bob Wynhausen 1400 AM KSPT • 1450 AM KBFI

Extracurricular IS one of the basics The upcoming educational levy presented to voters for a decision on February 24th is a hot topic for many citizens. A difficult economy makes marking the “YES” box a challenge. Many letters to the editor have talked about trimming the budget and getting “back to basics”. In the same sentence, naysayers often write about the elimination of all extra curricular programs. They claim that athletics, academic contests such as Aca-Deca, Mars Rover, instrumental and choral competitions, yearbook and school newspaper are all frills.

I couldn’t disagree more. In fact, I would claim that all of the above have been public school “basics” for many years. I attended public school from 1956 through 1969.

During that time extra curricular activities were an integral part of the public school experience. As a high school student I sang in the choir, served as a student body officer, and lettered in football, wrestling and baseball. As a teacher, principal, and district leader from 1974 through today, I am happy to note that extra curricular activities have continued to flourish.

Between my school and work, that is 58 years. To those wishing a return to the basics, I ask this question. How long does it take before something is considered a basic? Surely 58 years is long enough.

Aside from my personal opinion, there is a vast amount of research linking participation in school activities to success in school. Plain and simple; students who participate earn higher grades and are more involved in their school. Some of the latest data link participation in athletic and academic competition to leadership positions in roles outside of the school setting. Many of our current leaders in government and industry learned the values of teamwork, sacrifice, and leadership on the athletic fields, music rooms, and

stages of our schools.

Beyond the role of extra curricular activities in creating better students and better leaders, I would ask those who suggest that extra curricular activities be eliminated to consult with our local law enforcement officials. Ask them where they want students to spend their time after school, on Friday nights, and And they Do don’t to—after don’t weekends. we have want our youth all, engaged we Americans believe if it’s ours, it’s ours in wholesome activities at a time in their and we can do with it what we want? lives when experimentation is common, Or or out on the streets, unsupervised? I believeis and we want it, then I know how they will answer. you have to givehealth it to usstandpoint, and if you extra don’t, From a public then you sponsor terrorism and curricular activities play a major rolewe’ll in both physical and mental health. Childhood By has the turned way, China wants thatbiggest oil as obesity into one of the well. Remember China?

The people who health issues facing our nation.

In fact, life expectancy for today’s as oil a loaned us all that money? youth China’s whole is not spiraling upward as it should. consumption is around 6.5 billion barrels Childhood issues, every and a year, anddiabetes, is growingheart at 7 percent overall areabout at risk when students year. wellness It produces 3.6 billion barrels aren’t in healthy activities.

I do everyengaged year. Does this math look good to not believeCan it isanyone wise toother create another anyone? than Sarah excuse for students to gobelieve home,we sit can in Palin and George Bush front of a computer or television, and drill our way out of this problem? Anyone continue a sedentary Finally, all who doesn’t think welifestyle. better hit the ground data from school violence studies indicate running to figure out how to fuel what we that schools must continue to create an want fueled with something other than atmosphere of trust and belonging for oil probably deserves to go back to an students. Extra curricular activities may be the single greatest variable in keeping could goway on students connected in : aI positive forever, but you’ll quit reading.

So one final to their schools and friends. We do not discussion for the American public. First, need to be eliminating opportunities for let’s have independent analysis of students to a betrue, a part of something greater what happened on September 11, 2001. than themselves.

The official explanation simplysuggests doesn’t I hope the next time someone holdwewater. is oneextra of those “who that can This eliminate curricular knew what, must be activities andwhen” returnquestions to the that basics that answered—and must you will make surepeople/institutions they understand these activities are a basic and have been for manySpeaking years. Thank you for supporting of accountability, you might our 24. IPlease bestudents surprisedontoFebruary learn that wouldvote not “YES.” support an effort to impeach President Bush after the November elections. First, because that’s too late, and second, because more than Bush have been involved in crimes against the American

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Page 20 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2 | February 2009

Thomas’

by Thomas’ McMahon

TECH TALES A company that I recently found over the internet strongly believes that even small differences in energy conservation can have a big difference. MiniWIZ is shrinking down the green movement so that it affordable, and practical for everyday use. The gadgets MiniWIZ has come out with are not designed to power your house or anything like that. Rather, they are aimed towards small, electronic devices like cell phones, mp3 players, and the like. All of their products are portable

so in theory you may never have to run out of power again.

MiniWIZ’s products mainly branch around their golden child, the HYmini.

The HYmini is “a handheld, universal charger/adapter device that harnesses renewable wind power, solar power, and conventional wall plug power to recharge almost all your 5V digital gadgets.” Its sleek appearance and small size make it extremely handy for people looking to go green or take that little extra step. The small wind generator can capture energy alone, or can hook up to 1-4 small solar capturing devices for maximum efficiency.

If you are not planning on being able to use the generator, you can just plug it into the wall and it will charge from there,

then you will have backup power for your devices.

MiniWIZ is making it easy for people to use the HYmini with products that make it really easy to travel. For someone who bikes around town a lot there is a bike mount. So when commuting you are generating power; can’t really get much greener than that. Plus, the faster you go the more energy you will make! That doesn’t mean you can strap the HYmini to a car however—at 45 mph the generator stops putting power into the battery for mechanical and safety reasons. There is even an armband so you can charge your iPod while you run. Please note, this doesn’t work on treadmills.

If it’s night time, you don’t want to use an outlet, and want to strengthen your wrist, MiniWIZ has a hand crank that you can use to charge your personal devices.

This would be great to have around when your cell phone dies on the road, or for when the power goes out. You can also purchase different brand adaptors for cell phones, iPods, DC adaptors, and personal gaming devices directly from their website; ht t p: // w w w.hy mini. com.

MiniWIZ’s newest product is its most passive yet, but possibly one of the most effective.

It’s currently not on the market yet, but will be released some time this year. Utilizing old plastic bottles, the Solarbulb quickly makes an ambient lamp using nothing but sunshine.

The modern looking design simply screws onto a plastic bottle and charges during the day; a sensor makes sure it turns on at night for up to six hours of continuous light.

The convenience and environmental aspects of MiniWIZ’s products make it almost a no brainer for any consumer. The options are vast: if you ride your bike then strap on the HYmini, drive to work then put the solar panels on your dash or leave them on your windowsill, use the hand crank for emergencies, and the Solarbulb for healthy, ambient light in your home or outside.

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February 2009| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2| Page 21

Lite Lit

I have always loved to read and I look forward to sharing the books that I have read with you.

Hot on the teen reading scene right now is Twilight

by Stephenie Meyer, the first in a fourbook series.

Twilight tells

Tessa’s book rating scale: 4= I should have never read this.

44= Um… It’s okay. with Tess Vogel 444= A decent read.

4444= I would read it again!

44444= I would so read this over and over again!!! Love it!!!

Twilight

the story of Edward Cullen and Isabella (Bella) Swan, who live in Forks, Washington.

This story is told from the view point of Bella, a seventeen-year-old girl who just moved from her home in Phoenix, Arizona to come and live with her dad in Forks. She is an awkward, but intelligent girl who is completely oblivious to how pretty she is.

While at Forks, she meets Edward Cullen and his family, who seem to be perfect. She soon discovers there is one thing that makes them even more different than everyone

else: they’re vampires!

Instead of drinking human blood like most vampires, the Cullens drink animal blood; they call it being a “vegetarian.”

Edward Cullen is a perfect gentleman and is amazingly gorgeous. Soon, Edward and Bella cannot stay away from each other any longer.

This is a story about a seemingly impossible romance between Bella and Edward, but they soon find a way to be together. As they try to work through the whole “I’m a vampire and I want to kill you thing” there is an even bigger danger coming. One night, when Bella is out with Edward and his family, three vampires come along their path, putting Bella in grave danger. James, the leader of the coven and his partner Victoria pursue Bella so that they can kill her. Laurent, the third member of the vampire “pack,” stays out of the whole ordeal and leaves for Denali, Alaska in hopes of finding solace among another coven of “vegetarian” vampires. Soon James is able to lure Bella to an old ballet studio where she once took ballet. There a battle for Bella takes place between the Cullens and James.

I absolutely loved this book, which kept me reading for hours at a time. After starting it, you won’t be able to put it down!

I don’t think that there should be an age limit on any books, but I probably wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone under the age of eleven or twelve because anyone under that age might not be able to fully understand what is going on.

44444

increase nutrients, such as nitrogen and This septic pilot project is being introduced in order to comply with water quality standards as determined by the Federal Clean Water Act. Designated to protect water quality, the plan, known as a “Total Maximum Daily Load” for Lake Pend Oreille, addresses nutrient issues In addition, many lakeshore homeowners participated in a survey in 2007 concerning a variety of water quality issues. As is turns out, their

I rate this book five stars because of the amazing story line and how it flows through the pages.

Ed note: adult readers who enjoy the vampire genre can think of this series of books as Laurell K. Hamilton without all the sex.

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The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol 17 No. 18 | November 2008 | Page 5 Page 22 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2 | February 2009

Duke’s

FOOD OBSESSION

by Duke Diercks Cold Weather Comfort

Chili, also known as chili con carne, like many dishes can be great, made with quality ingredients, using the right techniques; or, it can be a disaster- a shadow of its intended self, most often canned and ridiculously cheap. In fact, what many of us know as chili, is a far cry from what is what it was at its inception.

I am somewhat of a chili purist. Chili, quite simply does not have beans. Any beans. And vegetarian chili is an oxymoron.

But that is not to say that I can’t appreciate a can of chili. Nope, I can get down and trashy with the best of them, figuratively “waking up the next morning” after a randy night of opening a can of Nalley’s.

In fact, there is really no better chili for chili dogs with squirt cheese than canned chili with beans, but that is another article.

Chili con carne, is the Americanized term for chiles con carne- quite literally chile peppers with meat. The modern day king or father of chili, Frank Tolbert, writes in his book A Bowl of Red, that the early recipe for chili was simply chunks of beef stewed together with reconstituted dried chili pods and spices.

In his great book, The Tex Mex cookbook, Robb Walsh traces the explosion of the popularity of chili to the Colombian Exhibition of 1893 in Chicago. There, the Texas exhibit re-created the chili stands of San Antonio where you could buy a bowl of

red and crackers for a nickel. A few years later, chili stands and canned chili began popping up across the U.S. Whether you are a bean person, or not, love intense heat, or not, chili is a great one-pot meal, especially during our long winters. Below, I am giving the recipe for Earl’s Chili from Duke’s Cowboy Grill. (R.I.P) I swore I would never give out this recipe, but I am on deadline. And, to help myself sleep at night, I am giving you the amounts f o r approximately 18 gallons of chili- so it is up to you to break it down to the batch size you’d like. One tip: do not pass on the masa harina flour.

This is a key ingredient for giving the chili earthiness and mouth feel.

Chili is best served with diced white onions, cheddar cheese and a very cold beer or glass of iced tea.

And, if you really want the authentic feel, make a Frito Pie: dump a bag of Fritos in a bowl, ladle over eight ounces of chili, and top with onions, cheese and mustard. No joke.

Earls Chili: 30# Beef stew meat 20# Burger Meat 10c masa harina 6# Bacon Ends and Pieces 2 c oil 24 Onions Chopped 1 ½ c chopped garlic 8 c. chili Powder 6 - #10 cans tomatoes chopped 2 can chipotle pureed in Cuisinart 3 gal beef stock 18 oz brown sugar or piloncillo Salt to taste Chop bacon in Cuisinart. Put bacon and one cup oil in a very large skillet. Add onions and garlic. Brown – do not burn!

Add buffalo meat and burger meat. Brown and cook until chunks separate. Add hot water to dried chiles until soft. Put chiles and enough water (including chipotles) in blender and blend until smooth paste. Add the rest of the ingredients except masa and salt and cook for 1.5 hours at about 200 degrees. Mix masa with water until a runny paste forms. Add masa to chile and salt to taste. Cook for another hour until meat is tender. Be sure to stir and scrape occasionally and add water if necessary.

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February 2009| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2| Page 23

Local Food SixRiversMarket.com of the

A New Way to Shop Local Inland Northwest ning, the web-based

by Emily LeVine market becomes What do you do when your garden is frozen, the farmer’s market is over, and you want to buy some local food?

You can call individual farmers; Hey, Farmer John, got any carrots?

Farmer Jane, got any beef? Farmer Fred, got any eggs? Then you may spend the rest of your afternoon driving over to Priest Lake, then out to Sagle, then up to Bonners Ferry just to make your dinner. With careful planning and efficiency, this method could work. But these days our lives are full, and we need convenient and realistic ways to run our errands.

Enter the Six Rivers Market.

Based on a few models functioning around the country, the market basically works like an online farmer’s market.

Simply: Producers list their products online, consumers buy them, and, once a week, goods can be picked up in town.

Poof. Local food, made easy.

In more depth: Local producers can list any food product they have for sale, and they update their quantities and availabilities on a weekly basis. At a certain time during the week (say for two or three days), consumers can log on, search through the available merchandise, and fill a virtual shopping cart. Buyers can choose from any products offered, so can buy salad from Farmer Jeff and bacon from Farmer Jill if they like. Individual farmers receive the orders, fill them, and deliver the merchandise to a centralized location, where orders are sorted and any one person’s multifarm order is united. For three or four hours that afternoon and eveEmily LeVine is a soon-to-be farmer living in the Selle Valley. If you have ideas, questions, or comments, or topics you’d like to read about regarding local food, please contact her at localfoodchallenge@ gmail.com

a reality, and shoppers can stop in and pick up their consolidated orders during set hours in a centralized location.

wages of a market manager, the costs of running the website, and expenses for an in-town location for drop-off and pick-up. The group is governed by a small board of directors.

Convenient. Realistic. Easy.

With a strong focus on local food, the site will market only goods grown and produced within 250 miles of Sandpoint. Some products expected to be available (and some are already listed on the site) include fresh produce, breads, cookies, cakes, fruit pies, jams, jellies, candy and honey, eggs, meat. The site will operate yearround, so can act as a supplement to the farmer’s market in the season, and the sole consolidated source for local food in the off-months.

Six Rivers Market functions as a cooperative grocery store. Like a membership to Costco or a storefront coop, producers and consumers alike must be members of the market to participate in buying or selling.

Memberships cost $100 annually, or $75 before March 1. You can also choose to pay by the month for a fee of $15/month. This money funds the

Meadow Summers, a Sandpoint resident and local food proponent, has been developing the idea with a small group of people for over a year, and will be launching the first ordering cycle in April 2009. The name “Six Rivers” refers to the Pend Oreille, Priest, Kootenai, CLark Fork, Upper Pack, Lower Pack, and Moyie Rivers, which together form the bioregion the market hopes to serve.

The market is currently preparing for its springtime launch, but is still gathering a few essential tools to begin. The Sandpoint drop-off and pickup location has not yet been determined, and the market is still a bit short of its $9,000 start-up goal. If you are interested in helping this new, innovative way to distribute local food, or if you’d like to become a member or just look around, please visit the beautiful website at www.sixriversmarket.com.

Local Food of the Month: Mashed Potatoes I’ve had a lot of mashed potatoes in my life. But for some reason, the last few weeks have been full of the most decadent, delicious, delightful batches that I’ve ever had. The secret? Good potatoes. The ultimate mashing potato is a golden variety, such as Yukon Gold or Alby’s Gold.

These varieties seem to absorb infinite amounts of butter and milk.

I got Yukons from both Ronnigers and Vern’s Veggies (available for a limited time from Winter Ridge), cut them into quarters, and soaked them in cold water before rinsing and boiling them. Test the potatoes frequently, as overcooked tots produce a funny-textured mash. My mom says the other key to mashed potatoes is hot milk. So get it toasty, and add butter and cream until your arteries start to clog just looking at it.

Then add salt. Eat them hot. Yum. Fry the leftovers in more butter for breakfast, or make Shepard’s Pie.

Page 24 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2 | February 2009

From Hen House to Your House Where to Get ‘em You Choose

By Katrina Wright, Thompson Falls Market

Where does your food come from? To be funny some might say “The grocery store.”

Though true, the reality is that most food travels over 1,500 miles before reaching your local store. If you trace food back to its source, more often than not you will discover a large corporate ran farm whose sole interest is quantity and sales over quality and care.

Modern day food systems have systematically eliminated the family farm causing the food source to move farther and farther away from the dinner table. Large corporations have engineered methods to increase food production and decrease costs resulting in more profits for them and substandard quality for the consumer.

Recent trends point to a resurgence of local farms being supported by the local consumer. With the sharp rise and fall of the stock markets, and the ever changing demands on the global food supply, it makes sense for consumers to support their local farmer first. Area farmers may not be able to replace the huge food supplying conglomerates, but they can put an element of certainty in an uncertain world – direct knowledge of where the food comes from and how it was raised or treated.

Next question, how can you support farmers in the winter? Eggs. Yes, hens are laying eggs this time of year and quite frankly – the incredible edible egg is 100% better when within a few miles it travels from hen house to your house.

Here are egg facts to consider. The average American consumes 254 eggs per year. That adds up to 76 billion eggs that need produced annually.

P

ETERSON

The eggs you buy in the grocery store are more than likely purchased from a mass egg supplier. Iowa, Ohio, California, Pennsylvania, and Indiana are the five largest egg producing states and they represent about 50% of all U.S. laying hens (www.

FoodRoutes.org).

The Single Comb White Leghorn hen dominates today’s egg industry decreasing the genetic diversity of chickens and diluting the nutritional quality of an egg. Egg suppliers that live in your community more than likely care for a variety of traditional breeds that lay eggs in various shades of color; most often brown.

In conventional egg production, four to six hens are confined to an 18 by 20 inch cage. In a recent Oprah Show special titled “How We Treat the Animals We Eat”, reporter Lisa Ling visited an egg farm that housed over 70,000 chickens in one hen house. The hens never step foot on soil or feel the warmth of the sun on their backs, and the cages are stacked to the ceiling of a massive hen warehouse.

Alternately, locally raised hens are often cage free, their feet get to touch the ground, they enjoy basking in the sun and they eat healthy grains fed directly to them by the farmer, your neighbor.

Are locally produced eggs more expensive than grocery store eggs? At Harvest Foods in Thompson Falls, one dozen eggs cost between $1.95 for large white eggs to $2.99 for brown eggs from Washington. The cost for local large brown eggs are between $2.00 to $3.00 per dozen.

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Diversifying where you purchase your food will help strengthen the local economy and develop the local food supply.

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Cascade Creek Farm - Rob, Mimi, Emily & Devin Fredericks, 5261 Westside Rd Bonners Ferry, ID.208267-1325. www.cascadecreekfarm. com. Featuring Emmi’s Eggs (Free Range), Huckleberry Homestead - Tim & Christine Dick, Clark Fork, Idaho (208)266-0155. info@ Huckleberr yTent AndBreakfast. com Heritage Farms - Wilbur & Luana Hiebert, Cocolalla, ID (208)6834410 www.naturalheritagefarms. com. We have eggs available year around.

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February 2009| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2| Page 25

Kathy Osborne’s

Faith Walk

I have been thinking for the last week or so what I would write about if it were my last chance to share my walk of faith. First, I have been able to share this walk because Trish invited me to. Thanks Trish. I‘ve enjoyed the response from readers because it let me know I was making a difference.

A writer always wonders about that. This column has also caused me to grow and stretch but when it comes down to it, not that much in my walk has changed.

I still believe that the Holy Bible is the final, authoritative and divinely inspired Word of God, Yahweh, and it remains the only guide by which I measure my decisions.

I still believe that there are not many ways to reach God, but only one: through Jesus Christ. Why? Because that is what Jesus said about himself: “I Am The Way, The Truth, and The Life. No man comes to the Father but by me.” Gospel of John 14:1-6.

I find it interesting that some people believe Jesus is not the only way to God, but merely a good teacher. I submit that a good teacher cannot be a liar. Either Jesus is who He said He is, or He is a liar and cannot be trusted. I believe, as a result of His work in my life, that Jesus told the truth and can therefore be trusted. I believe He is the only avenue to the Father, and to eternal life. I understand that this view is not widely shared. It is, however, scripturally accurate.

I know that God is love, He is merciful, and He extends grace to all who will receive it. I also know that He has laid down some truths which, in the end, will not be ignored. The hardest among these is that sin separated all mankind from God. But in His mercy He made a way for me to have personal relationship with Himself through Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to wipe that sin away. Without accepting this truth, I cannot hope to see eternal life. I do not observe a cafeteria-style faith, picking and choosing the parts of the Bible

that make me feel good. I choose to take it in its entirety because it is truth. It reveals proven truth about God, about the world, about people, about me, and about my future. Everything about my walk of faith revolves around this. God is love. I am in love and out of it I will not go.

If anything in my walk of faith has changed it is my value of process. I believe that God, not me, draws people to Himself and that different people get there in different time frames. Because I understand this, my walk of faith will continue to deepen my love for others as God loves them. It will continue to call me to accountability for my decisions and attitudes. And it will continue to connect me to other believers, old and new, and allow me to accept their process as they move forward in their own walk of faith.

Kathy Osborne is the editor of the Co-Op Country Round-Up.

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Page 26 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2 | February 2009

The Hawk’s Nest ERNIE HAWKS | www.photosbyhawks.com | ernie@photosbyhawks.com

A Good Work Ethic

I have always wanted to work hard. Hard work is a reward in itself. In my attempt to gain that reward I have traveled to the Canadian Rockies, Europe, and driven across the United States, just to mention a few of the places this quest has taken me to do my work.

Let me explain my work ethic a bit.

In order to bring this column to you each month I have selflessly hiked mountain trails in the American West as well as British Colombia, and Alberta, Canada.

This has required trekking through sub alpine forests to the glacial waters of high mountain lakes, some above the tree line, in an effort to bring to my readers, in photos and words, places they may never get to see.

I have sat on the shores of large lakes, reflecting majestic mountains, reaching thousands of feet into clear blue skies; feathery clouds cling to the cliffs and crevasses while I listen to concerts on the water’s edge, simply to share the experience with you.

I have wandered through the windsculpted rocks of Sardinia looking over sandstone-crusted islands protruding out of the indigo waters of the northern Mediterranean, just to bring it back to you in this column.

I have traveled from the Sycamore swamps of Virginia to the roaring waters of Niagara, sweated in the searing heat of the South Dakota Badlands and climbed to the chins of the presidents at Mt. Rushmore.

Nothing requires too much of me, not even soaking in hot springs or celebrating the beginning of a new year in Venice.

So, it probably is no surprise to you when I say I have discovered a new challenge in my struggle get the perfect story to put on these pages.

I am going to apply for a position that will take me away from home for six months, but I’m willing to do that. The job is Island Caretaker on the Great Barrier Reef.

The job description on the web site reads: “The role of Island Caretaker is a six-month contract, based on luxurious Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef.

It’s a live-in position with flexible working hours and key responsibilities include exploring the islands of the Great Barrier Reef to discover what the area has to

offer.

“You’ll be required to report back on your adventures to Tourism Queensland headquarters in Brisbane (and the rest of the world) via weekly blogs, photo diary, video updates and ongoing media interviews.

The offer is a unique opportunity to help promote the wondrous Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

“Other duties may include (but are not limited to) Feed the fish—there are over 1,500 species of fish living in the Great Barrier Reef. Don’t worry—you won’t need to feed them all.

“Clean the pool—the pool has an automatic filter, but if you happen to see a stray leaf floating on the surface it’s a great excuse to dive in and enjoy a few laps.

“Collect the mail—during your explorations, why not join the aerial postal service for a day? It’s a great opportunity to get a bird’s eye view of the reef and islands.”

This will be a real opportunity to challenge me to exercise my work ethic.

I will have to live in a villa on the island, snorkel along the white sand beaches and visit with folks who are there to play and, if necessary, play with them.

I bring experience to the job too. One of the duties listed above is explore the island. I have done that in Italy, in a couple provinces in Canada and many places in the United States. I even lived on a boat for a few years, which is like living on a very tiny island.

I will need to feed the fish; I’ve done that before. I called it fishing but in truth all I did was feed them my bait.

I’ll have to deal with the press, That’s easy, I am the press. In fact, I’ve been on both sides of that issue and know what to say and what not to say.

I have my own blog with my wife, have a photography business and am in charge of getting the mail when at home.

I’ve been thinking about the postings I would be required to make. Maybe they will look like this.

I got up at the crack of 10 and watched the tide go out as I drank my morning coffee. Left the office (my spot next to the pool) and walked lazily down the beach to assist some visitors as they looked for clouds in the sky from their beach chairs.

At about 12 I remembered I had scheduled a

meeting for lunch. Since it was kind of a power lunch, as opposed to just my usual working lunch, I put on a shirt. After work I sat alone at the table with a guest from some exotic place far away; we each had another glass of the vintage Australian wine left from the meeting.

In the afternoon, as I was snorkeling, several dolphins I had befriended earlier accompanied me. I left my aquatic friends and strolled to a vista near the villa where I live to share the coming of the evening over the reef with many of the tourists who look to me as their host.

There was a late dinner on the beach under the starry sky as the waves of the incoming tide splashed happily on the sand.

Yes, I am willing to make a sacrifice like this in order to bring these columns to you.

No, no, a thank you isn’t necessary. The hard work will be my reward.

February 2009| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2| Page 27

A Holistic Approach to

Dermatitis by the Sandpoint Wellness Council

Krystle Shapiro, Touchstone Massage Therapies (208/290-6760) This month the Sandpoint Wellness Council is addressing the common condition many people experience called Dermatitis. This skin irritation can take on many forms. Infants may experience “cradle cap,” adults may experience dandruff, rough itchy skin, dry flaky skin, redness and tenderness, or have oozing lesions.

Causes can originate from contact with irritants and/or allergens, such as poison ivy, metals, cleaning products, dyes, and often latex, thus causing a reaction by the immune system. This is considered “contact dermatitis.” Systemic or internal causes are brought on by an overreaction of the immune system to such things as a bacterial infection or other existing conditions such as cellulitis or psoriasis.

What happens is that mast cells in our body release histamines, dilate the vessels, and bring on inflammation in response to the irritant. A person may respond to prolonged exposure to irritants such as working in water or with harsh chemicals that create a response. Eliminating these exposures oftentimes eliminates the response.

Other times exposures to ingredients in soaps, perfumes, preservatives in lotions, and sunscreens may create an allergic reaction when the person is exposed to sunlight.

Research has been revealing that stress brings on a wide variety of skin conditions as our bodies work hard to eliminate the chemistry of stress, our skin being one of our pathways for emitting toxins, especially through sweating. Diet plays an important role as well. Many people suffer from food sensitivities and/or allergic responses to certain foods or ingredients in processed foods, such as dyes, preservatives, and chemical flavoring additives.

Many remedies continue to be researched to address all the underlying reasons for the varied responses.

Oftentimes treatments with chemicals known to reduce inflammation may in turn create other sensitivities. Many of us have experienced added challenges in the side effects of the remedies we take. The body is wise and really seeks out natural sources for returning to balance. As I research solutions as a holistic nutritionist in training, I find

reason in seeking stress reduction and diet enrichment as a primary focus in addressing many symptoms we experience. “The Textbook of Natural Medicine,” by Joseph Pizzorno Jr. and Michael Murray, offers suggestions to seek naturopathic advice as this approach seeks to understand the underlying causes often found in the digestive system as this is a foundation for our well being. Disturbances and imbalances in the nutrition we provide our bodies affect all systems keeping us healthy. A topic on everyone’s mind lately focuses on our need to have adequate fatty acid intake, especially Omega 3s found in fish and fish oils. Ingesting healthy oils is critical to proper functioning and detoxifying. I find the following excerpt from their textbook important and may be useful information in helping us reduce or eliminate our responses to such irritating skin conditions.

“Effective management requires relief from and prevention of itching while treating the underlying metabolic abnormalities.

The food and environmental allergens must be detected and controlled.” When looking at diet, they suggest “limit[ing] animal products and add[ing] fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, and halibut” as a positive beginning to effectively managing symptoms of dermatitis.

Following are some ideas from our council members.

Robin Mize, Quantum Biofeedback (208/610-9997) Dermatitis is a general term that describes an inflammation of the skin. It is a stress response caused by an allergen or irritant introduced to the body. There are different types of dermatitis, including seborrheic dermatitis and atopic dermatitis (eczema). Though the disorder can have many causes and occur in many forms, it usually involves swollen, reddened and itchy skin. Many times it leads to oozing.

Even though dermatitis is not considered life threatening, it is a reaction from the body that I believe deserves Continued on next page

Members of the Sandpoint Wellness Council include: Owen Marcus, Penny Waters, Robin and Layman Mize, Ilani Kopiecki, Krystle Shapiro and Mario Roxas. Not pictured are Kristine Battey, Mary Boyd, Tess Hahn, Julie Hutslar and Toni Tessier. To learn more, visit www.SandpointWellnessCouncil.com.

Page 28 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2 | February 2009

concern. Our bodies talk to us if we are willing to listen, and I believe the skin is a huge communicator. It is our largest detoxification organ and I believe when we have a response like dermatitis or any type of a rash we should listen. There is a battle going on and it can weaken us.

Again, the beautiful part of the Quantum Biofeedback program is that there are over 10,000 frequency signatures imprinted in the program and many of them are the well known allergens, food stressors, and environmental stressors.

When hooked up to the program the computer’s fast speed asks the body to react to the signatures of these frequencies. When the program is done with the assessment, it gives the practitioner the feedback of their highest stressors. It also automatically trains the body to react to the stressor.

Then the person is able to stay away from the allergen.

So if you have dermatitis please don’t ignore it. This is your body talking to you. It is your opportunity to get to know your body at a deeper level. Remove the stressor and the body heals itself.

Penny Waters, Your Relaxation Destination (208/597-4343) The skin is the largest organ in the body with numerous responsibilities, including protecting us from harmful invaders and eliminating unwanted elements such as toxins. When the skin shows signs of irritation and inflammation, it is revealing that it is overburdened in its tasks of protection and/or elimination.

Contact dermatitis causes various eruptions, irritations and inflammations on the skin because the skin comes in contact with some kind of external irritant or allergen. Once the offending agent is discovered, ongoing dermatitis can be eliminated. Building a stronger immune system may actually eliminate the dermatitis response to this agent, if the client is interested in taking this preventative approach.

The kidneys, liver, lungs, and immune system are designed to cleanse our blood by tackling offending elements which enter our body via food, breathing, absorption, and body fluids. The skin also supports elimination of toxins every day by ‘breathing out’ toxins in the form of vapors we cannot see. A signal that our body is exposed to more toxins than the internal organs can handle is dermatitis. The problem is an internal one and must be handled with internal support. Oftentimes a chemical ingredient topical ointment will only send the toxins back into the sickened body adding to the toxic overload and creating a toxic response somewhere else. This is

the classic seesaw between asthma and eczema. A more natural topical support, such as an ointment made with olive oil, calendula, comfrey and chickweed, can really help calm the dermatitis and return the skin to health more quickly.

Such natural ingredients are more readily recognized by the body and what is drawn

in provides additional internal support.

Cleansing the internal organs will require a food and herb program that supports healthy organs and blood. Fresh vegetables, fruits, broths, with little meat is a good start. Minimal or no dairy, alcohol, or sugar is also advised. Herbs that are known as alternatives include milk thistle, dandelion, red clover and cleavers and would be recommended for their healing abilities. Alternatives are cleansing as they breakdown toxic elements, neutralize inflammatory responses, and promote elimination. I also have a bowel formula in capsule form that is usually essential for returning the client and their skin to wellness.

Reflexology encourages elimination of toxic material, absorption of nutritional food, and balance to all organs and glands to ensure that the body can return to health. After all, the good food and herbs in the world can do little if the organs and glands are not functioning well enough to take full advantage of them.

Owen Marcus, Rolfer (208/265-8440) As a Rolfer, clients don’t generally come to me because of dermatitis, but over the years some of my clients have had it. And I’ve learned something interesting: often the cause of chronic dermatitis is beneath the skin.

Contact dermatitis occurs after exposure to an external irritant. Most chronic dermatitis, however, is caused

by something the body is producing. In a response to stress or through the body’s attempt to detoxify itself through the skin, the body creates—or releases—a toxic substance that irritates the skin from the inside.

Occasionally during a series of Rolfing sessions, a client will go through a short period of pimples or have a little rash as the body releases whatever toxins were stored in the tissue. For years studies have shown the body stores toxins such as DDT in its tissue. When circulation is returned to an area that was tense, the blood flushes out what was stored there.

If our primary detoxifying organs—the liver, kidneys and spleen—can’t handle the load, other organs such as the lungs, large intestine, and the skin try to help.

You may not even realize that your body produces its own toxins.

Even that natural survival response, stress, produces its own potentially toxic chemicals. With minor stress continuing over time, the body tenses and accumulates the by products of stress. Ever heard of a “stress rash”?

Now you know what causes it; the skin is trying to release the stress-caused toxins that the other organs can’t handle.

As an emotional organ, the skin reflects our stress and emotional state. We live in such a stress-filled culture, it’s no surprise that one in 30 Americans experiences dermatitis every year.

Eliminating chronic dermatitis usually means detoxifying the body through herbs, bodywork, sweating, and nutrition.

By strengthening the primary detoxifying organs and the body’s general level of health, the burden is off the skin. Teaching our bodies how to better deal with stress is always important. And, as always, breathing always helps.

Skin problems are not usually life threatening, of course, but if you suffer from dermatitis, you want to get well. Many years ago, the top dermatologist in Arizona was one of my clients. We repeatedly spoke about how stress was a huge cause of skin problems. He really cared about his patients, and he was often frustrated he could not fully heal them because he couldn’t reduce their stress levels. This demonstrates the importance of helping ourselves and helping those who help us by determining the causes of our stressors, work to reduce them, and ultimately heal ourselves.

Please visit sandpointwellnesscouncil.com to read other articles by The Sandpoint Wellness Council members, add your comments and suggest topics of interest you would like us to address in future articles.

February 2009| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2| Page 29

The Downtown Sandpoint Business Association Presents:

SANDPOINT MARDI GRAS February 19 through February 24

February 19 Mardi Gras Guess the Beads Kickoff. The Sandpoint Mardi Gras celebration begins with a noon kickoff of the Guess the Beads in the Bowl. Royalty will be crowned at 6:30 p.m., followed by the Mardi Gras Karaoke and Costume Contest at 7 p.m. in the Coldwater Creek Wine Bar. February 20 Mardi Gras Guess the Beads. Sandpoint Mardi Gras party for those under 21 at EFX Bowling.

February 21 Mardi Gras Downtown Golf Scramble. Guess the Beads Contest, plus the Rubber Chicken Fling, at various downtown Sandpoint locations. And the party continues!

February 22 Mardi Gras Family Day. Head to the Cedar Street Bridge from noon. to 2 p.m. for Mask Making, Spam Carving and Oreo Cookie Stacking contests, plus Guess the Beads.

February 23 Mardi Gras Poker Run. As the Guess the Beads contest continues, head out for the Mardi Gras Poker Run from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with awards at MickDuff’s at 6 p.m.

February 24 Mardi Gras Finale. The Guess the Beads contest ends at noon, with a Mardi Gras Finale throughout the downtown’s “French Quarter.” Enjoy restaurant and pub specials at various downtown locations.

www.MadcapMardiGras.com

HOTLINE: 208-255-1876 Page 30 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2 | February 2009

From ThE

Files

Of The River Journal’s

SurrealisT Research BureaU Break on through to the other side

by Jody Forest “I contradict myself? Very well, I contradict myself.” Walt Whitman The Bible, as we know, contains no errors. How then are we to reconcile hundreds of apparent contradictions? In Genesis 50:13 for example, we learn that Jacob was buried in a cave at Machpelah yet in Acts 7:15 we find him being buried in a sepulchre at Shechem. In Exodus 3:1 we find Jethro was the father-in-law of Moses yet later in Numbers Hobab is named as his father-in-law. And it only gets worse.

In Psalms 15:1 we learn it’s a sin to loan money at interest while in Matthew 25:27 it’s a sin to lend money without charging interest. Did Aaron die on Mt. Hor according to Numbers or in Mosera according to Deuteronomy 10:6? In Matthew it’s mentioned men castrated themselves “for the glory of God” while in Deuteronomy it states eunuchs and castrates may not join the congregation. Was Sisera sleeping when Jael killed him or standing up? Judges gives both seemingly contradictory accounts. Did the Lord inspire David to conduct a census, or was the census inspired by Satan as suggested later in Corinthians?

Even in the New Testament there’s hundreds of blatant inconsistencies. What were the last words of Jesus? In Matthew and Mark it’s “My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” In Luke it’s “into thy hands I commit my spirit” and in John it’s simply “It is finished!” Likewise, John has only Mary visiting the tomb of Jesus, while Luke has five women involved, Mark has three, and Matthew has only two. Similarly, the accounts have the first visit taking place before dawn, after sunrise, and at nighttime. Likewise in Matthew 12:30, “He who is not for me is against me” seems to contradict Mark and Luke’s “He who is not against us is for us!”

Mormon contradictions are even more astonishingly bizarre. I’ll mention only a few: In Esther we learn that after leaving

the Holy Land furious winds propelled the barges for 344 straight days to the new world. Yet even if the wind blew only for a very mild 10 mph that still would’ve been 82,560 miles, or three times around the world! The Book of Mormon also claims the refugees brought with them Hebrew scriptures which miraculously happened to be in perfect King James English a full thousand years before the 1611 King James version of the Bible was

written. Out of pity I’ll leave further contradictions aside for now, yet I’d be remiss if I failed to mention that Mormon Elders have been assiduously expunging those inconsistencies and errors from their pages; nearly 2,000 changes have been made to their “holy” book in the last 131 years, nearly all of them correcting “errors” or quietly dropping clearly disproven historical facts.

I bring this all up due to my recent re-reading of my friend Bob Gover’s nonfiction book “Voodoo Contra” in which he’s taken over or “ridden” by the spirit of a Voodoo Loa at a Santeria ceremony in Haiti. In my readings of Voodoo “scripture” over the years I’ve come to find just as many inconsistencies in their “holy books” as those of the major religions, though as Bob discovered in his own researches, the experience can be just as miraculous and transforming. He was a drinking buddy of the poet Jim Morrison who, like Bob,

strove to “break on through” to another state of consciousness. Being a newly returned Vietnam vet and beginning writer at the time of Jim’s death I started sending poems and stories under the pseudonym Jim Morrison to the scores of underground papers of the time—that same “divine fire” must have spread through hundreds of like-minded souls for within a year the “Jim Morrison Lives” legend had spread, though I’m sure, like any mythos, it’s riddled with inconsistencies.

“The mark of a superior mind is the ability to hold and concur in two opposing viewpoints at the same time.” Ben Franklin Ogopogo Update! Rumors are flying on the Internet that Monster Quest, the hit History Channel series airing on Wednesdays, has captured some “really amazing” new images of Canada’s nearby “Ogopogo,” the mystery serpent of Lake Okanagan. Though tight-lipped to the point of obsession about the new video, the producers have confirmed they’ll be airing sometime in February an hour-long show devoted solely to the Okanagan Lake mystery. Watch for it!

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February 2009| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2| Page 31

A Seat in the House

by George Eskridge

The first session of the Idaho sixtieth legislature commenced January 12 and as expected legislators were provided a somber message in the Governor’s State of the State address to the legislature on the first day of the session.

The Governor unveiled his recommended budget plan for the 2010 fiscal year that is 7.3 percent less than the budget authorized by the legislature for the current fiscal year.

The Governor’s proposed budget recommendation included his proposal for cuts across agencies, including the first ever cut in public school funding. The Governor’s plan calls for a cut in public school funding of 5.3 percent in next year’s budgets, but still less than cuts he is calling for in other agencies. As examples, he is proposing a cut of 7.5 percent for the Department of Health and Welfare, 12 percent for the Department of Water Resources, the same percentage cut for Corrections and 10 percent from the state’s college and university system. As serious as these cuts are for these agencies, other agencies will be cut even more under the Governor’s proposal. The Department of Agriculture would be cut 31 percent, the Department of Commerce 41 percent, Idaho Public Television 51 percent and Parks and Recreation 56 percent.

Given the difficult economic condition and its financial impact on many Idaho citizens, the Governor, with one exception, is not advocating an increase in taxes to help offset cuts in state programs. The exception is his proposal to generate additional revenue to help improve Idaho’s road and bridge system.

The Governor is proposing a plan to raise Idaho Department of Transportation funding about $174 million a year by raising specific taxes and fees. He is advocating an increase from the current 25 cent a gallon gas tax of 2 cents a gallon each year for the next five years, an increase in vehicle registration fees and an increase in the tax on rental cars and miscellaneous increases

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in other transportation related areas.

At the same time he is asking for increased taxes and fees for transportation infrastructure needs, the Governor is also requesting the Department place the new revenue into a restricted account that will prioritize and designate the additional funding specifically for maintenance and operations of Idaho’s highways and bridges. He is also requesting a 10 percent cut in the Department’s administrative costs immediately, not unlike the actions other agencies are implementing to reduce spending.

The Governor’s budget recommendation will be reviewed by the legislature in establishing the fiscal year 2010 budget, but the legislature is not required to do as the Governor recommends. In fact, the legislature may find itself approving a budget that provides even less in state spending than the Governor has proposed.

The legislature’s Economic Outlook Committee in the first week of the legislative session presented a revenue estimate to the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee that is a little over one million dollars less than the estimate used by the Governor in developing his recommendation. The Committee’s estimate was influenced by more recent economic news indicating an even more dismal economy than anticipated just a few weeks ago.

The Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee will have to decide on what revenue estimate will be used when it begins setting appropriation recommendations for the legislature to consider. The Committee will consider the Governor’s estimate, the Economic Outlook Committee’s estimate and additional economic information that may become available when deciding on a final revenue estimate to use when it begins setting appropriation recommendations for the

Continued on next page

George Eskridge is a Representative from District 1B to Idaho’s legislature. Reach him by email at idaholeginfo@lso.idaho. gov, by phone at 800-626-0471 or by mail at PO Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720

Page 32 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2 | February 2009

In Montana

by Pat Williams

On the evening of the inauguration of her husband to the Presidency, Jackie Kennedy looked out a White House window at the beautiful scene of the South Lawn, the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial and said, “So this is the view for which these men fight so hard.”

Through America’s decades, men and women have campaigned for the Presidency because of their desire to hold the most important of elected offices. Beyond that, their personal reasons to occupy the Oval Office range from obsession to generosity.

We have trusted that each president has had as his primary purpose improving the lives of the citizenry and moving the nation further along the road of achieving its promises of enlightenment, leadership and freedom.

President Obama, in an inaugural address all but void of the eloquent rhetoric that marked his campaign speeches, was all business as he spoke of humility, gratitude and mindfulness. He referred to this time as “a moment that will define a generation.”

The President assumes his duties during one of the nation’s most difficult times; not only because of our costly foreign entanglements and severe economic difficulties, but also because we are a people in deficit of trust and consciousness in both self and community.

During my lifetime only five presidents have come to office with a mandate and soaring public expectations: Roosevelt, Kennedy, Reagan, Johnson and Clinton.

Of those only Roosevelt both understood and was willing to utilize the full measure of organized community—that is, government—in the effort to right the ship of state and create a social compact among the people. The others were either denied or failed. John Kennedy was cut short.

Lyndon Johnson’s presidency was destroyed by an unnecessary, unwinable war. Ronald Reagan condemned the very government he led. Bill Clinton all but abandoned the promise of progressive policy.

President Obama, too, has been elected with a strong mandate. It is now for him and his close advisors to determine the correct course and then lead… boldly. He must create the reality of peace, equity, and environmental sanity. To once again convince Americans that government can be the productive instrument of a free people, President Obama and the Congress must create solutions as big as our problems. He must forcefully remind us that the greatness of America lies not in the glitter of our wealth nor in the policy demands of the power elite but rather in the splendor of our ideals and the inherent genius of the common people.

It will be for Obama to convince us to reject the I-meism of the 1980s which encouraged us to determine success by asking “Am I better off than I was four years ago?” and to set aside the selfishness inherent in the “ownership society” of the disastrous past eight years. In place of those failures, Obama must replant the seeds of sharing, compassion, and investment in our neighbors and our nation. Put more simply: reform of health care and education, addressing income inequities, and vigorously responding to the disastrous effects of global warming.

During the general election campaign, it was women and young adults who best understood the promise of Barack Obama and who, in their majority, elected him. He should now engage them in particular in expanding America’s sphere of influence around the world. His greatest ally in that effort will be Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

In 1968, Senator Robert Kennedy predicted that America would elect a black person as president. Well, just on time, forty years later, here we are. Barack Obama has taken the oath of office standing just outside the U.S. Capitol, a building built by black slaves. Indeed this is a time of renewal and change.

Former Montana Congressman Pat Williams is the Northern States Director of Western Progress, and Senior Fellow at the University of Montana

House- Continued from page 32

legislature to consider. The Committee’s estimate could differ significantly from the Governor’s and the Economic Outlook Committee’s estimates.

The Committee has until about the end of January to decide on a final revenue estimate since it will begin to consider individual agency appropriation numbers the first part of February. The number that is finally accepted for budgetary purposes will determine what direction the legislature will take in comparison to the Governor’s recommendation.

Because of the economy and the impact on state revenues there are going to be some difficult state spending decisions for the legislature and the Governor to make before the session ends that will have significant impact on Idaho citizens in the remainder of this fiscal year and the upcoming 2010 fiscal year.

I will keep our readers informed of budgetary actions and other legislature activities in future articles of the River Journal during the time the legislature is in session. I also welcome input from River Journal readers on issues important to you as we progress through the session and deal with spending issues and other legislative activities.

Thanks for reading!! George

Tony Furtado

Feb. 13

Tickets $15 advance/$18 door

An unforgettable Valentine’s Day celebration.

Special menu plus violinist Karen Pogorzelsk

6 to 9 pm Feb. 14

February 2009| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2| Page 33

Lakeview-Continued from page Supplies are hard to come by since this area is snowbound for six months a year.

During the winter, access is by snowmobile over 20 miles of primitive road that stretches from Silverwood and Bunco road, FS road 332 and 278. The only other way in is to drive south from Clark Fork up over high country on FS road 332 or along the shoreline on FS road 278. Ron said,”I can’t bring pop over in my pickup during the coldest part of the year because the cans freeze and explode.” Driving over the highest part of the route, which is about 4,500 feet above sea level, or 2,500 feet above the lake, one finds sheer cliffs, and panoramas that include the water tower at Farragut. When you reach the summit, a road branches off toward the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River. Many old logging and mining access roads branch off without good signage, making the trek an adventure in dead reckoning navigation.

Therein lies the problem that Lakeview has. Seasonal access only. Twenty-seven miles from Bayview, which is located just five miles away by water. By land, it takes more than an hour at an average speed of 20 mph.

Several played-out mines dot the mountains behind Lakeview and up to the old town of Chloride. In its heyday, Lakeview had two large hotels, The Swastika and the Lakeview Hotel. Most will wonder about the name,”Swastika,” but this was 1911, way before Nazi Germany started using it as a symbol. Originally, it was a Greek good luck charm. The Swastika was a destination resort, much like Glacier, Yellowstone and Banff. Owned and operated by the Swastika Mining Company, guests arrived in Hope by rail, then to Lakeview by steamer. The last mine, “The Conjecture,” ceased operations in 1962. According to Ron at the Happy Hermit, “only 6 to 9 people are year-round residents, depending on how many are in jail.”

For cell phone visitors, those who boat over to the dock can call the Happy Hermit for a ride up to the café: 222-7669. Phones on the east side of the lake are provided by a private phone company serving the area from the Happy Hermit, north to Granite Creek and Kilroy. Emergency transportation is usually provided by John Thaxter in the mail boat; he delivers emergency provisions as well. Steve DeHart, now a resident of Kodiak, Alaska, once lived in Lakeview. He tells of his son Craig’s birth.

“My wife started into labor in 1984. George Johnson, then mail boat carrier, ferried two midwives over to supervise the birth.”

Living in Lakeview is not for the faint of heart, and not for those who need a lot of people around them. But visiting Lakeview is a treat for locals who enjoy venturing out into the area to learn what’s around them.

Forecast- Continued from page 13

unrenewable energy and other resources.

Created in February 2008, the Sandpoint Transition Initiative received the official designation as a “Transition Town” from the Transition Network, based in the United Kingdom. Sandpoint is the second town in the U.S. after Boulder, Colorado to receive this designation. (www. sandpointtransitioninitiative.org).

“Transition Initiatives are a response to the twin challenge of peak oil and climate change,” explains Sandpoint TI founder Richard Kuhnel. “TIs take a systems view— looking at the underlying dynamic of root causes and developing local solutions based on some key concepts like resilience and sustainability.”

Acknowledging the potential impacts to our natural resources and communities as a result of climate change is an important step in preparing for our future. Whether or not you can agree on the absolute cause of our changing climate patterns, there

is some pretty serious data from a lot of different sources pointing to its presence.

Reading up on the issue can help answer questions and work toward solutions.

Look up the Low Flows, Hot Trout report at clarkfork.org/publications/lowflows. html. See the 2007 report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change at www.ipcc.ch/index.htm. There are plenty of local, state, and national efforts underfoot; jump on the train or make your own track. Remember, everyone has to be part of the solution; together, our chances improvse exponentially.

“Even if you don’t particularly think that global warming is human-caused, there are a lot of the things that you can do that just make sense anyway,” says Brick. “Decrease dependence on foreign oil. Use energy in environmentally-conscience ways; develop clean sources. Live within our water means.

Figure out ways to solve these problems that are, whether human-caused or not, all smart things to do.”

The Angels Over Sandpoint Present;

February 20 & 21 at 8 pm

at Sandpoint’s Panida Theater Must be 21 to attend!

Tickets are $20. Get yours today at Eve’s Leaves or Petal Talk in downtown Sandpoint, All Seasons Garden Center in Ponderay, or purchase online at www.

SandpointGeneralStore.com

The area’s most anticipated adult variety show; more fun that a person should be allowed to have!

Page 34 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2 | February 2009

Say What?

PAUL RECHNITZER| pushhard@nctv.com February is an interesting word for the shortest month in the year. If you are being paid by the month you will only have to work 28 days to qualify unless it’s a leap year. Of course you knew that. You also knew that the Romans celebrated some sort of purification on the thirteenth day of the second month. So much for the background. Never forget the 14th!

You also know that we celebrate the birth dates of two famous presidents. In the old days we had a holiday on the 12th for Abraham Lincoln and on the 22nd for George Washington. In the eyes of some it was unfortunate that those holidays often fell in the middle of the week so the opportunity for a three-day weekend didn’t exist until the idea was launched to ‘celebrate’ both birthdays at once, thereby giving birth to President’s Day Sales and other promotions. So much for recognizing a couple of outstanding Americans.

While it has been said more than once that comparisons are odious, there is something therapeutic about doing that, especially when it serves to prove your point. This time I think it is noteworthy to note that while George Bush has been criticized no end for the war in Iraq, Abraham Lincoln waged a war even less popular and that killed more of our own people, all the while there being no enemy!

How about that?

In fact, when Lincoln came into office there was so much hostility in the land that he had to work hard at staying alive. Getting into Washington for his inauguration required that he sneak into town via a Pullman car pulled through Baltimore behind a team of horses. Fortunately for us, all the railroads that enabled him to get into town became a legacy almost as great as winning the Civil War. It was Lincoln who early on “grasped the significance of the railroad as a new factor in transportation,” according to his later personal secretary and biographer, John Nicolay. His relationship with railroads continued throughout his life.

The railroads were how he traveled from Illinois to Washington. The initial trip took 13 days and covered seven states. Most of his remarks were delivered from the observation platform on the rear of the train. It was at one stop where he responded to an 11-year-old girl’s suggestion that he grow a beard. He wore a beard for his

remaining days. He gave her a kiss which endeared him to the track-side crowd.

It has long been contended that the famous Gettysburg speech was written on the train. Those who knew him best said that while he may have contemplated what he was going to say, they feel certain the speech was composed before he left Washington.

Considering his high regard for the importance of the railroad it seems logical that his body would be carried on what would be a Funeral Train. In 1865 the mourning for the slain President had never been matched. That 300,000 people would file past the bier in Philadelphia was a first in this nation. Carl Sandburg has written ”Such a final pilgrimage had never before moved with such sober outpouring on so vast a national landscape.” We owe it to ourselves to appreciate those who lead and he was, indeed, a leader.

George Washington, whose birthday is the 22nd, was our good fortune to be a leader first and a president second. It was his stature and character that kept the Revolution intact and moving. It was George Washington who guided the Constitution into a recognizable form. He probably could never have imagined the many assaults and amendments, nor the changes two centuries would bring any more than any other leader in our history.

Time not only takes a toll but changes the social landscape as surely as any great river. That he had the foresight to help craft a statement of principles that not only would

serve the moment but the future is a tribute worthy of more than a long week end.

History is more than an accumulation of dates. It is far more than a latent message in a treasured artifact. The people who supported the Revolution, and it was not everyone, were not looking for a handout, a guaranteed minimum wage, more aid for dependent children or to be bailed out. All they wanted was the freedom to use their own wits and to be successful on their own without being subservient to a King whose only interest was collecting taxes That we have enlarged the role of government in our lives was surely not contemplated by those who paid such a dear price for their liberty. Their expectations were minimal. No one was owed or promised anything but the opportunity to succeed.

So if you are going to spend a moment thinking about why we have Presidents Day, don’t stop with a story about a boy with an axe and a cherry tree (Washington) or the Great Emancipator (Lincoln) but reflect on what these men did in molding the character that has made the sons and daughters of the Revolution so great in the annals of world history.

Charity begins at home Are you giving the IRS more than you should?

WHY?

We’ll keep an eye on your money, and help you keep it where it belongs. In your pocket.

Jim Hutchens, PA Certified Public Accountant 1211 Michigan, Sandpoint

208.265.2500 • 800.338.9835

February 2009| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2| Page 35

Levy

- Continued from page

of deciding whether a band teacher might be kept by doubling up students in an English class and eliminating an English teacher.

Other items that would be lost without levy dollars include technology; student access to computers would have to be limited to the state-mandated testing, which must be done on a computer.

In addition, there would be no new purchases in curriculum materials unless required by the state.

In response, Sanders says, “The economy is now in free fall, folks are getting laid off work, student population levels have decreased. Foreclosures are up. Stores are going our of business. Even Microsoft... announced a layoff of 5,000 jobs. Everybody is tightening their belts and now they want us to agree to provide $10,995,000?”

Cvitanich responds, “Kids are not widgets that can be set on the shelf for two years while the economy gets better... they still need what they need every year; a good solid education. I don’t know that we would be providing this if the levy fails.”

He also encourages people to think about what happens to our community as a whole if the school district, the second

largest employer in the county, loses onethird of its entire budget. “We’re told that every dollar spent locally circulates in the local economy another six times,” he explained. “What is the impact of losing the purchasing power of 135 employees?

Those employees currently represent about $8.7 million in salaries and benefits, at least some portion of which is spent right here in our local businesses. Will your personal economic position improve if it has to absorb that kind of loss in the local market? Do you think all those people can find work locally so they can stay here and raise their families?”

But can you give what you don’t have?

“No,” Cvitanich agrees, but he’s hoping that you can give what you’re already giving.

“The School Board structured this levy proposal to ensure that the taxes for our district’s taxpayers remain flat in 2010 and drop by 45 percent in year 2011.

In other words, our taxpayers can project that the amount they are currently paying in 2009 for the school district will remain unchanged for 2010,” explained Lisa Hals, the district’s budget manager.

“Here’s an example of how this works.

Suppose that your house is currently assessed by the county for $200,000, and you carry the homeowner’s exemption.

This means your property tax is based

LPOSD Certified Staff—bottom 74 in seniority list, Does not include principals, the superintendent, special services staff or cuts already made. You can see the complete seniority lists for certified and classified staff online at www.lposd.org

Larry Smith, CFHS Linda Spade LPO Adam Tajan SHS Krista Eberle FSE Peggy Gaudet FSE Gabrielle Groth-Marnat SE Tyler Haynes SHS Jeanette Hunter SHS Naticia Litven, KE Heather Morgan, SHS Leana Nitcy, FSE Thomas Pagliasotti, LPO Jennifer Shelton, HE Heidi Smith, SE Ben Wimmer, FSE Roger Alexander, SHS Melissa Couch, FSE Damien Gooding, SHS Casey McLaughlin, SHS David Miles, SHS Megan Olson, CFHS Steven Smith, NE Karen Alsager, SHS Margaret Arndt, WE Brian Arthun, CFHS Susan Augustyn, SMS Lynn Bridges, LPO Heather Guthrie, SHS

Darlene Harms, CFHS Kelly C MacDonald, CFHS Mike Martz, SHS Sarah Miles, SHS Sherry Mitchell, SE Stacee Mitchell, LPO Cheryl O’Donnell, SHS Amy Yost, SHS Kimberle Clad, KE Deborah Davis, FSE Ann Dickinson, WE Ryan Dignan, SHS & CFHS name withheld Aaron Gordon, SHS Mary Imaz, SHS Adriane Ineck, CFHS Diane Jones, KE name withheld Chandra Martz, CFHS Katherine Prummer, SE Janice Rudeen, NE Carl Sandell, HE Greg Schuh, FSE Linda Semones, SHS Mike Turnlund, CFHS Maril Valle, SSE Vicki Benner, FSE Mamie Brubaker, SHS

Terence Christianson, SHS Jennifer Cornelius, FS Deanna Giard, SE Shantelle Gillis, NE Martin Jones, CFHS Randi Kulis, SSE Brian Nickerson, SSE Mindy Roget, SSE Chris Warren, FSE Lynn Aase, SHS Robert Burke, SHS Lisa Cessna, SHS Angie Devita, LPO Michael Gearlds, SHS Joan Hamelmann, FSE Melinda Nieman SHS Richard E Price, SHS Amber Mewhinney, CFHS

LPO- Lake Pend Oreille Alternative High School SHS - Sandpoint High School SMS - Sandpoint Middle School FSE - Farmin Stidwell Elem SE - Sagle Elementary KE - Kootenai Elementary HE - Hope Elementary CFHS - Clark Fork High School WE - Washington Elementary

Seniority is not the only determining factor used when cutting staff, but it does play a factor. Will each and every staff member listed here lose their job if the levy fails to pass? Probably not, as staff members with higher seniority will be cut first if their only teaching certification is in a subject the district no longer offers.

on a value of $100,000. Currently, you’re paying $83 for the second year of the supplemental levy which expires June 30, 2009, and $127 for the first year of the plant facility levy, for a total of $210 in property tax support for your local schools.

“If voters approve this levy, then next year (beginning December 20) you will pay $84 for the first year of this supplemental levy, and $126 for the second year of the plant facility levy—no increase in tax at all. The following year, you will pay only $117 for the second year of this supplemental levy.”

Voters will have an opportunity to decide whether or not to support the district’s request on February 24. Polls will be open from 8 am to 8 pm at all schools except Sandpoint Middle School and Lake Pend Oreille Alternative High School. The district office is only an absentee polling site and will not be open for voting on February 24.

An absentee ballot request form is available on the district’s website at www.lposd.org (not the ballot itself) for those who want to vote absentee by mail and who are already registered to vote.

For those who want to vote absentee in person, the district office is available now through February 23, Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 4 pm. Anyone who needs to register to vote may do so at any polling site or at the district office if they vote absentee. For more information call 208-263-2184.

Disclaimer: For five years I have worked with students at Clark Fork High School to produce their newspaper and yearbook. For the last two years, I have been paid a coaching stipend (approximately $1,500) to do so. Although my plan is not to return next year (my youngest child graduates this year), my position is one that would be cut should the levy fail.

It doesn’t have to be like this • Transport to and from school • Rates you can afford

Kootenai Children’S Center 800 McGhee Road Sandpoint Licensed • Bonded Insured

255-2245

Page 36 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2 | February 2009

Death by a Thousand Cuts or Who’s on the Chopping Block?

The state is cutting funding for public schools. The levy has failed. Your job, should you choose to accept it, is to cut 71 certified and 64 classified staff, an approximate one-third reduction in employees. How do you start?

Given you must cut approximately one in every three employees, you might just gather everyone together and play duck, duck, goose, eliminating all the geese. Not that you’d be allowed to, but it has the virtue of simplicity.

Instead, you must determine which programs you will cut. Because all extra-curricular programs were funded by the levy, you can eliminate all coaches, all publication teachers, all Aca-Deca teachers, the band and music instructors, art and drama, dance and cheerleading, photography and athletic directors.

Unfortunately, most of these positions are not full time—they are ‘extra duties’ that staff pick up in order to work a full time position. And you might want to figure out a way to keep some music or drama classes while eliminating performances.

The district requires that certain subjects be taught for a student to graduate—math, science, English, economics, health and humanities, history, speech, American government, practical arts and physical education.

Staff certified to teach those classes move to the top of the list. Teachers who are not certified to teach any of those subjects move to the bottom, regardless of their years of seniority. If those teachers not certified in the subjects required for graduation meet your target number of cuts, you’re done.

If not, then you must work harder.

Local school districts set higher graduation requirements than those set by Idaho colleges for enrolling students. You can cut local standards by eliminating classes not required by the state standards.

Then you’re left with seniority. By law, you must cut those positions lowest on the totem pole.

Bear in mind, however, that all teachers are not paid alike. By cutting from the bottom, you must actually cut more positions. Cutting brand new teachers making $31,700 will require more cuts to achieve your goal than cutting a top-paid teacher earning $53,000.

Good luck.

Currents LOU SPRINGER | nox5594@blackfoot.net

This winter weather has been challenging. impoundments behind the Thompson Falls In early December was the threat of frozen dam and behind the Noxon Rapids dam, heavy machinery and pipes. Mid-December, snow metals have built up. Heavy metals—from up fell in daily abundance. Roofs caved and river mines—have built up to the extent that chimneys toppled. Power outages, flights these toxins are showing up in fish. We are cancelled, school closures and snowed- told to limit our ingestion of fish from these in driveways were minor inconveniences waters. compared to the people who lost lives in In light of two huge SuperFund sites along avalanches. The January thaw transformed the Clark Fork, including the costly removal six feet of snow into treacherous tons that of the polluted soils deposited behind the further jeopardized roofs and ran Zambonies crumbling Bonner dam, it is incomprehensible down driveways to polish the ice. If you the Montana Department of Environmental don’t have a story about either or all of those Quality would have permitted Revett’s Rock incidents, you (lucky dog) must have been Creek Mine to discharge up to three million hanging on a beach in the Baja. gallons a day of water requiring perpetual Our best story occurred during the treatment to remove arsenic, ammonia, January thaw. We found that a heavy-duty nitrates and heavy metals. The marketrubber sled was the perfect tool when moving driven mining industry cannot be trusted to contents of two freezers out of our flooded be around for the long haul. And perpetual shop and through the calf-deep water of the is a long time. The water that will endlessly garden path. The sled became a boat that flow from the mine’s adit and seep from the could float 80 lbs at a time. I tried to keep mines tailings pond will have to be endlessly summer greenery in mind, treated.

For it is our winter weather that nourishes Members of Cabinet Resource Group the lush, astounding variety of grasses, in northwest Montana have been closely fungus, forbs, brush and trees that flourish following the proposed mine’s plans, here. And this wide range of plant life, in attending meetings, writing letters, giving turn, supports another astounding variety of testimony and asking hard questions since insects, reptiles, birds and mammals. We live 1978. One of most effective things that the in the midst of a near rain forest, without the 150-member group accomplished was the incessant rain of the Oregon Coast. birth of Rock Creek Alliance in Sandpoint.

Mountain snows lingering until late June RCA has done a tremendous job of alerting slowly add water to the soil, which drips northern Idaho of the looming threat to through subterranean cracks, and gushes Lake Pond Orielle. It is due to the vigilance out in surprising springs. The water flows as and stubbornness of these two groups achingly cold creeks. The creeks tumble and that Montana State Supreme Court looked merge to form the winding valley streams. at DEQ’s permission and ruled that it was Our winters make agriculture possible in inadequate to “analyze the degradation that the well-watered valleys and even on the big would occur to Rock Creek and the Clark clay benches. It is our winter weather that Fork River due to wastewater discharge from replenishes our wells. It is our lifeblood. the mine.”

Recent fire studies demonstrate that the This decision is important to everyone most consistent predictor of summer fires living in the Clark Fork Valley downstream is the winter snow pack. A low snowpack of the mouth of Rock Creek. An unintended, means higher risk of forest fires; conversely, beneficial result of the Cabinet Gorge dam the deeper the snow, the less chance of was to raise the water table, which in turn devastating fires. made valley wells reliable all summer. Does Think of the winter weather struggles anyone want to gamble with the purity as your water tax. We have been physically of their wells? Those living in the lower taxed by shoveling, plowing, and blowing. Clark Fork Valley have learned that January Nights of worrying about the ice jam that generally brings a big thaw. At intervals of prevents the snow from sliding off a roof is ten years or so, the tax collector throws a mentally taxing. Each of us is prepaying our big rain-on-snow event. We used to call them bill to receive the benefits of clean abundant ‘hundred-year floods’. The six-inches of rain water. Boots Reynolds shared this concept in drenching six-feet of snow in early January one of his From the Mouth of the River columns would have been sloshing around a toxic when he suggested the apples eaten by bears tailings impoundment and pouring out of the from your orchard should be considered land adit. taxes.

As taxpayers, we have an obligation to These dues we pay each winter give guarantee that our assessment will not be all of us a right to be intensely interested squandered. We have all paid a high price in the quality and quantity of water, our this winter to get our summer’s high quality most valuable resource. In the water water.

February 2009| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2| Page 37

Coffelt Funeral Home, Sandpoint, Idaho.

Get complete obituaries online at

www.CoffeltFuneralHome.com

Syth

Arthur Lester “Art” Syth, 84, passed away in Sandpoint, Idaho on Wednesday, December 31, 2008. Funeral services were conducted in Coffelt’s Funeral Chapel. Pastor Jon Pomeroy, Sandpoint Church of God, officiated.Interment was in Pinecrest Memorial Park.

Art was born in Marshfield, Wisc. on August 15, 1924, the son of William and Helen Syth. The family moved to Sidney, Mont. and then to Heron, Mont. in 1938 where Art went to high school. In 1943 he was drafted into the US Army and served with Company B of the 349th Infantry.

He returned to Heron and married Alma Crowley on August 1, 1947 in Kalispell. He farmed, worked in local saw mills, and drove logging truck in the Heron area. In 1964 he retired, due to a disability, and moved to Sandpoint.

He was a lifetime member of the DAV and enjoyed snowmobiling and hunting.

He is survived by his wife, of 61 years, Alma Syth; three children Rose (and Dave) Kalb, Gail (and Dick) Inman; Carl (and Diane) Syth; 7 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Also surviving are his siblings Alta Esler, Melvin Syth, Gerald (and DeEtte) Syth, Verlyn (and JoNell) Syth; and Billy (and Grace) Syth. He was preceded in death by his parents William and Helen Syth, his siblings William and Wayne (twins), Ted Syth, Grace LaMont, Bernard Syth, Alma Rowe, Hugh Syth, Kenneth Syth, May Allen, Marjorie Zuhnter, Lyle Syth, and Esther Mischel.

Johnson

Leland Marvin Johnson, 66, passed away in Cocolalla, Idaho on Friday, January, 2. Funeral services were conducted in the Sandpoint First Christian Church. Pastor Barry Johnson officiated and interment was in Pinecrest Memorial Park.

Leland was born, in Sandpoint, on August 31, 1942; he was one of 3 children of Marvin and Alberta Johnson. He attended school at the old schoolhouse in Cocolalla until the 5th grade and graduated from Sandpoint High School in 1961. He joined the US Army in 1961 serving in Korea for one and a half years. He trained as a communication lineman and finished his tour at Fort Lewis, Wash. in 1964.

While in the Army he married his high school sweetheart, Vickie Erickson on October 31, 1963.

He worked for General Telephone for 13 years.

They had two wonderful sons, Russell and Eric. He moved his family to Alaska where he worked for Anchorage Telephone Utilities for another 13 years.

He enjoyed fishing, hunting and all that Alaska wilderness had to offer. He was accompanied on many of these excursions with his special friend George Wallace. He returned to Cocolalla several times a year to work with his dad on the Christmas Tree Farm.

Leland and Vickie moved back to Cocolalla in

June of 1991, where he retired from the telephone company at age 48 and continued to work on the tree farm until about three years ago when finally “retired.” After retirement Leland and Vickie went out on another adventure. In 1999 they went from one coast to another doing “hot shot” trucking, making long hauls.

On October 9, 2008 his mother, Alberta Johnson passed away at 90 years of age. Leland was extremely dedicated to his family and friends.

He could not give enough to others. Although he was always on the go, he made time to help a friend in need. He was loved by so many people.

Leland was a lifetime member of the VFW, IBEW Local #89 out of Everett, Wash.; he is a past president of the Inland Empire Christmas Tree Association; Past President of the J & R water Association, and a member of the Cocolalla Community Hall.

Leland is survived by his wife Vickie of 45 years, son Russell (Deanna); son Eric (Arin); one granddaughter Elizabeth Johnson; father Marvin Johnson; sister Lois and Mason Chapin; sister Kathleen Johnson; and many nieces and nephews.

Kunas

Florence Cook Kunas died Sunday, January 4 at Life Care where she had been lovingly cared for the last six months. She was 92. A memorial service was held at First Lutheran Church.

Florence was born in 1916 in Jersey City, New Jersey. She grew up there, graduated from high school and went to secretarial school. She enjoyed living near New York City and loved to tell of celebrating New Year’s Eve at Times Square.

Florence met Fred, her husband of 51 years, in New Jersey. They had two children Marty and Jane, while living in South Bound Brook, near Princeton.

They moved to Florida in 1949 six months after Jane was born. Fred drove to Florida with Marty, then age six, in a “Woody” stopping at a hotel in Jupiter Beach to wait out a hurricane. Florence and Jane took the train down to Hollywood, Fla., where they lived for 33 years. Florence worked as a secretary for the school district for 20 years.

She was active in her church, St. John’s Lutheran, and just as in her job, she was sought after for her skills, efficiency and positive attitude.

After retiring, Florence and Fred moved to Buckfield, Maine, close to their son and his family.

They bought a renovated schoolhouse built in 1812. It was Florence’s favorite home. After Fred passed away in 1992 Florence moved to Idaho to be close to her daughter and grandchildren in Sandpoint. She joined First Lutheran Church where she was active and made many friends. She lived at Alpine Vista and The Bridge. Sweet Florence will be missed by us all.

She is survived by her two children: Marty Kunas and Jane Stoll. Also four grandchildren: Fritz Kunas; Kristen Schuelke; Elliot Stoll; and Adrienne Stoll.

Johnson

Gale R. Johnson, 76, passed away Sunday January 11, at Bonner General Hospital in Sandpoint, Idaho. Memorial services will be conducted later in the spring.

Gale was born September 13, 1932 in Sandpoint, the son of Frank and Hilma Johnson. He lived in Kootenai, Idaho all his life and graduated from Sandpoint High School. Gale served with the U.S. Army during the Korean War. His first job was on Cabinet Gorge Dam on the Clark Fork River. During the summers he spent time working for the Forest Service and the rest of his time in various sawmills.

His hobbies were fishing, hunting and he was

an avid skier, skiing many places in the Northwest.

After his health stopped him from skiing he began taking pictures of wildlife.

Gale had health problems for several years and then entered the Life Care Nursing Home in Sandpoint October 10, 2008. He is survived by his brother Harold Johnson and several cousins from Idaho and California.

Palkki

Eugene Jacob Palkki went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on January 12 at Kootenai Medical Center in Coeur D’ Alene, Idaho. He fought a good fight against Hodgkins Lymphoma and related complications, and finished his course on this earth. He will be greatly missed by his family and all those who knew him.

Funeral Services were held at Coffelt Funeral Home [Moon Chapel]; services were officiated

by Pastor Jerry Favor. Burial was at Pinecrest Memorial Park in Sandpoint.

He was born in Grand Rapids, Minn. on August 6, 1939 to Jacob and Daisy Palkki. He moved with his family to northern California in 1948 where he lived most of his life. He graduated from high school in Fort Bragg, Calif. He worked in the lumber industry as a millwright for 44 years. He was a faithful member of his church and loved to study the Bible and teach and preach when the opportunity arose. He loved to spend time with his wife, children and grandchildren. He married his high school sweetheart on August 24, 1958, to whom he was married for 50 years. Together they raised five children.

He is survived by his wife Sharon and 4 sons, Thomas Palkki [Marianne]; Richard Palkki [Rose]; Robert Palkki [Lisa]; and Kenneth Palkki [Musie]; one daughter, Lynette Favor [Jerry]; 27 grandchildren and 1 great-granddaughter. He is also survived by four siblings, Kenneth Palkki,, Duane Palkki, Julia Proctor and Beverly Deaton, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles.

Yeakel

Arlene Yeakel, 89, passed away on Wednesday, January 14, in Sandpoint, Idaho. Funeral services were conducted in the First Baptist Church 1230 Michigan Street with Pastor Barry Johnson, New Song Bible Church, officiating. Interment was in Pinecrest Memorial Park.

Arlene was born January 14, 1920, on a farm near Sandpoint on the Lower Pack River to Arthur and Marie Shields. She attended Oden Grade School and graduated from Hope High School in 1937. She then attended Kinman Business School in Spokane, Wash. In 1943 she married Clem Yeakel and then moved back to Sandpoint in 1952 on the Lower Pack River one mile from where she was born. When their home burned in 1960 they moved to Sandpoint where she and her husband owned and operated the Stout and PendOreille Realties. Arlene also gave piano and accordion lessons for many years.

Arlene and Clem were charter members of Calvary Baptist Church and she was the church pianist until her retirement.

Arlene made her home at Alpine Vista Apartments for the last four years.

She is survived by her son Warren Yeakel; her daughter Charlene Hall; 3 grandchildren: Daniel and Sarah Yeakel and Clemens Hall; and her sister Rachael Olsen. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Clem, two brothers Royal and Denny, and a sister Joyce Robinson.

Candelaria

Benjamin Bennie Candelaria of Sandpoint, Idaho, made his transition from here to heaven on

Page 38 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2 | February 2009

January 21, 2009, at the good ol’ age of 70. He was born on the Fourth of July, 1938, In Merced, Calif. He was preceded in death by his parents Carl and Mary of Italian descent and sister Shirley Soares. Years ago, Shirley and Ben seized an opportunity and traveled around Japan together.

Ben leaves behind his loving wife of 18 years, Marylou, affectionately known as his fiery redhead. His children include daughter Sandra Quiroz who he nicknamed “Sis” and her husband Ray and their daughter Dezirae. His son, Dr. Gary Candelaria and his fiancée, Janice Vickery and her two sons Jason and Kyle: referred to Ben as “The Godfather.” Daughter Brenda Candelaria, also, step children Cheryl Larson and husband Jon and their children Elliot, Erin and Evan, Natalie Junge and husband Brad and daughter Ally, brothers Dale, Joey and Dominick; sisters Carrie and Carlee.

Ben celebrated his 70th birthday last summer on the 4th of July with a roasted pig and 30 of his closest friends and family. It was great to see him go in front of the crowd and sing karaoke. He was known to be the life of the party.

A memorial service was held to celebrate his life at Cedar Hills Church with Pastor Eric Rust officiating.

Agnello

Virginia Agnello stepped out of her mortal body on Sunday evening, January 25. She left surrounded by her daughter, Francesca, her son in law, Bob and his sister Melanie, their two dogs, Pricilla and Lili, her two cats Bridgette and Francis, and many other dear friends. A large bull moose even came and kept guard on her front lawn until the next morning.

She leaves three step-grandchildren, and three step-great-grandchildren, and many dear ones who were like family to her as well.

Memorials may be made to the Panhandle Animal Shelter, 870 Kootenai Cutoff Road, Poneray, ID 83852; in memory of Virginia Agnello.

WWII, Floyd raised turkeys to feed the troops overseas. After the war he followed construction jobs in various locations in California, Nevada, and Washington. Seeking a more permanent lifestyle he took a job with Union Oil Company at Collier Carbon and Chemical Corp. in Brea, Calif. He worked as a pipefitter and crew foreman.

Floyd married Dorothy Swagan on April 27, 1962 in Santa Ana, Calif. Floyd retired after 25 years and he and Dorothy went on to run concession stands at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds. Floyd and Dorothy were snowbirds for many years, finally settling in Hope, Idaho. Following Dorothy’s death in 2005, Floyd moved to Clark Fork.

He was a member of Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Sandpoint. He enjoyed his dog “Missy,” playing pinochle at the Senior Center in Clark Fork, and playing poker with his friends.

He is survived by his two sons, Floyd E. Mutz and William R. Mutz; two daughters, Marian Garrett Ratzak and Paula Johanna Baxter; six grandchildren and four great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and wife Dorothy.

Wright

Walter William Wright, 87, a cousin to the famous “Wright Brothers,” Wilbur and Orville, passed away on Sunday, December 21, 2008 in Sandpoint, Idaho. Memorial services were held at the Lakeview Funeral Home Chapel with Charley Packard officiating.

Walter was born on October 24, 1921 in Loveland, Colo. to Lynn and Myrtle Wright. He was born with a handicapped foot and even after several operations it challenged him for rest of his life. Walter grew up and attended school in Loveland. He started training horses at 10 years of age and became a wrangler at 14. His passion in life was breaking horses, which he did for 13 years in Wyoming and Colorado. Walter married Julie Higgins on September 6, 1985 in Reno, Nev. They made their home in Payette, Idaho where he worked for J.R. Simplot and Kit Mobile Homes. The family moved to Sandpoint in 2001.

Walter was always a gentleman and was respected and loved for that. He will be missed by many. Walter was a companionate man who always extended a helping hand. He loved nature and woodworking, and he enjoyed camping, gardening, fishing, and reading.

He is survived by his wife, Julie Wright; five sons, Lynn Wright, Walter Wright, Leonard Wright, Wayne Wright, and Danny Wright; sister, Carol Yockey; 11 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, one son Kenneth Lee Wright, one brother Paul Wright, and one sister Alma Monroe.

Wagner

Lakeview Funeral Home, Sandpoint, Idaho.

Get complete obituaries online at

www.LakeviewFuneral.com

Mutz

Floyd Edward Mutz, 89, passed away on Thursday, December 18, 2008 in Clark Fork, Idaho. Memorial services were held at Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran Church with Pastor Steve Nickodemus officiating. Mr. Mutz was buried in Pinecrest Cemetery next to his wife Dorothy.

Floyd was born on February 2, 1919 in Los Angeles, Calif. to Earl and Ava Mutz. During

Brianna Kay (Wheeler) Wagner, 25, passed away on Sunday, January 11, in Sandpoint, Idaho.

Memorial services were held at the Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint with Charley Packard officiating.

Brianna was born on June 23, 1983 in Sun Valley, Calif. to Tom and Alison Wheeler. She moved to Sandpoint when she was five years old, grew up, attended schools and graduated from Sandpoint High School in 2001.

She then moved to Crescent City, Calif. to attend College of the Redwoods and she also worked at the Elk Valley Casino. She then moved to Portland, Ore. where she worked for Boost Mobile and Wells Fargo Bank.

Brianna married Ryan Wagner on the beach at Seaside, Ore. on March 31, 2007. The couple has one daughter Kylie. The family moved back to Sandpoint in 2008.

She will be remembered for her infectious smile that could always light up a room. She loved to have fun and laugh, and her newfound joy was

being a mother and wife. Brianna was a “good sport,” enjoyed athletics and her favorite TV show was CSI. She also enjoyed snowboarding, painting, drawing, reading, surfing and spending time on the beach. Her miniature longhaired daschund, “Dahlia” will miss her.

She will be greatly missed by her husband, Ryan Wagner; daughter, Kylie; father Tom Wheeler; brother, Tommy (Danielle) Wheeler; grandmother, Kathy Slayton; in-laws, Dave (Becky) Wagner and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her mother Alison in 2008. Memorial donations may be made in Brianna’s name to U.S. Bank.

Robinette

Jason Daniel Robinette, 25, passed away at his home in Sagle, Idaho on Thursday, January 15. Memorial Services were held at the Lakeview Funeral Home Chapel with Charley Packard officiating.

Jason was born on August 16, 1983 in Santa Maria, Calif., the son of Julie Anderson. He grew up in San Clemente, Calif., later moving to Utah and graduated from high school there in 2001.

He moved to Sandpoint in 2005 and lived with his loving grandparents and brother in Sagle, Idaho.

He enjoyed skateboarding, snowboarding and playing guitar. Jason was loved by all his family and friends, making friends whereever he went.

Survivors include his loving grandparents who raised him, Tom and Dolly Burens; mother and step father, Julie (Jeff) Anderson; father, Jeff Barreth; brothers, Jeffrey Barreth and Joshua Barreth; stepbrothers, Dereck and Caleb Anderson; grandparents, Ray and Judy Lamond; grandfather, Ray Campbell; aunts and uncles and numerous cousins also survive.

Cervin

Dale D. Cervin, 79, passed away on Tuesday, January 20 in Kootenai, Idaho. Memorial services were held at the New Song Bible Church in Sagle with Pastor Barry Johnson officiating.

Dale was born on January 16, 1930 in Rosendale, Minn. to Wilbert and Esther Cervin.

He married Verna Kangas on April 5, 1952 in New Ulm, Minn. The following June, Dale was drafted into the United States Army.

Dale farmed his whole life, living in Minnesota, Montana, and Colorado. He retired in 1996 and moved to Sandpoint to be closer to his children. He has lived with caregivers Barbara Martin and Paul Peterson in Kootenai for the past year and a half.

He enjoyed hunting, traveling, farming and work.

He is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Verna Cervin; son, Rolf Cervin; daughter, Doris (Jamie) Miller; grandchildren, Rachel (Ryan) Hunsaker, Seth (April) Cervin, and KayLeigh, Luke, and Abby Miller; great grandchildren Hunter, Rourke, Teagan, Taylor, and Jennika; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother Harlan, and two sisters Marilyn and Laureen.

Felando

August Craig Felando, 59, passed away peacefully at home with his wife, family and friends by his side on January 21.

August lived and loved with more commitment to passion than anyone I have ever known. Since meeting and marrying him, my beautiful, beautiful man, I have known sheer bliss. Everything he did in life was to benefit another human being in any great or small way.

What will I ever do without him except to write poetry in his honor? He is survived by dear, dear family and friends too numerous to mention; we knew him. You should have. You have survived him. Now make it real!

February 2009| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2| Page 39

Spill- Continued from page leak was a failure.

Hazardous Materials teams used an “AKit,” or device designed to contain the leak, which fits over the top of the tank. When they arrived at the wastewater treatment plant, the kit wasn’t fully assembled.

Crews had to connect a valve to the AKit’s bonnet, or the piece that sits on top of a leaky tank.

The valve wasn’t a compression fitting, meaning it had no seal.

Though there was discussion about using Teflon tape or plumber’s “dope” to seal the connection, the manufacturer’s instructions didn’t specifically say to use tape or dope and the Haz Mat team was worried about possible reactions between the chlorine and other materials.

The chlorine, which is a corrosive, ate away at the threads in the fitting overnight.

When treatment plant worker Chris Wood arrived at the plant the next morning, he could smell chlorine through the door to the plant’s chlorine room.

Puzzled, crews again responded to the plant on Schweitzer Mountain.

Several options for addressing the leak were proposed throughout the day as Tyler contemplated what action to take if the situation escalated and the tank blew.

A conference call with representatives from the Department of Homeland Security and others didn’t provide Tyler with any clear direction.

He knew he had a decision to make,

How Dangerous Is It? Chlorine gas exposure is no laughing matter Linda Michal, BSN, NP Exposure to low levels of chlorine gas can result in nose, throat, and eye irritation. At higher levels, breathing chlorine gas may result in damage to the lungs. Symptoms can include changes in breathing rate, coughing, shortness of breath and chest pain and a burning sensation in the throat and under the sternum.

The response to chlorine exposure depends on the concentration of chlorine gas, the duration of exposure, the water content of the tissues exposed, and individual susceptibility.

The immediate effects of chlorine gas toxicity include acute inflammation of the mucus membranes of the eye, nose, throat, larynx (vocal cords), trachea, and bronchi. Irritation of the airway mucosa leads to local swelling and more severe exposure can the capillaries filling up with blood sometimes to the point where they can rupture. The fluid from the swelling oozes out resulting in filling the alveoli (air sacs of the lungs) with fluid, resulting in the lungs filling with fluid.

The amount of fluid that accumulates

creates difficulty in breathing for the victim. Prompt treatment is important.

If the person is experiencing severe respiratory problems they may need to be place on a ventilator. In the January, 2009 edition of the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, they reported that in the South Carolina major chlorine gas exposure, the people who had severe respiratory effects and needed hospitalization, some who had been on ventilators, most went home after about a week in the hospital.

The eye is seldom damaged severely by chlorine gas toxicity; however, burns and corneal abrasions have occurred.

Acids formed by the chlorine gas reaction with the mucous membranes are buffered, in part, by the tear film and the proteins present in tears.

Consequently, acid burns to the eye typically cause surface but rarely permanent damage. Burns to the center of the cornea may lead to corneal ulcer formation and subsequent scarring.

but felt he was lacking the information he needed—hard facts—that would lead him to a right decision.

Tyler called the supplier and asked if all of the chlorine tanks should be the same temperature. They said yes.

Using a thermal imaging camera, crews were able to determine that the leaking tank was 10 degrees warmer—confirmation that pressure was building.

Tyler knew then that pressure must be relieved and ordered crews to remove the A-Kit. The site was cordoned off until the supplier arrived to encase the leaky cylinder inside a coffin and remove it from the site.

Though the question of what caused the tank to leak remains, Tyler said the problem with the A-Kit has been addressed.

The manufacturer is changing their instructions and a new operating procedure is in place: All Hazardous Materials teams in the state are now carrying a 55-cent roll of Teflon tape.

Taryn Hecker is a freelance writer and photographer in Spirit Lake, Idaho. She can be reached at tarynahecker@gmail.com or (208) 661-3891.

Photos courtesy of Robert Tyler

Sports- Continued from page 18

basketball as much as his schedule will allow, and he not only gets a good exercise, he continues to learn from the game. His name is President Obama.

There are many life lessons to be learned from participating in sports, so before we take away these opportunities from our children, I say we look at how we can tighten our belts in other ways, otherwise, we will continue to loosen our belts. Yes there is tightening to be done, but I don’t think eliminating athletic programs from the schools is the right answer. Let’s come together as a team and find a way to keep these vital learning opportunities in place.

Let’s teach our children teamwork with a vote of confidence.

Page 40 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2 | February 2009

Ponder Points

by Scott Clawson

The best laid plans of mice and men were those set in motion by an experienced grin.

The confidence of knowin’ yer plan will succeed beats prayin’ it does and not make you bleed.

Take, for instance, all this amazing ol’ snow and the sudden constraints on where it should go.

You’d think by now, after all these years, I’d be curtailin’ the shovelin’ in favor of gears.

A snow blower, a backhoe, a tractor and plow, a four wheelin’ go-getter would do me and how!

But then the hook grabs me, a reality check; if I buy all that stuff I’ll be in over my neck.

I once bought a tiller in a bout with stupidity for just behind my ears was a heap of humidity.

The soil conditions I’d picked for cultivation were good only for drainage and lots of aggravation.

I should’ve boughta four ‘wheeler’ a long time ago, I could plow in an hour what takes all day to throw.

But shovelin’s only one thing I do to stay in shape. It keeps my navel from caving, arms from going to crepe.

Out garden’s in raised beds, requirin’ little tillin’. The hard part was just comin’ up with the fillin’.

So that big red tiller’s been sittin’ for years. The income I spent still brings me to tears.

I wasted good money on a thing I couldn’t use. It looks brand new, not missing any screws.

I put my faith in ten pages of glossy ruse that convinced me succinctly I had nothing to lose.

It promised ‘one handed farming’ in my garden of Eden. Liars like that should all be kept from breedin.’

I’m here to tell ya, that ain’t how it goes. Dropping tines in this dirt will make ya have woes.

Eight years and twenty I’ve been workin’ my plan, makin’ it much tougher to get done all that I can.

The chores can be daunting. It’s harder to keep up. So what will I do when I’m no longer a pup?

Later this month, I’ll turn 57, makin’ me ponder how much longer I can maintain this piece of heaven.

I hate to give up, there’s so much that ain’t done, but I’ll confess right now it hasn’t always been fun.

When I started out here I had the same brains as money, the fact that I had neither made it even less funny.

But we made do and kept at it, one board at a time. No bankers, no mortgage; it was probably a crime.

That’s how we did it, my honey and two boys. Without power or plan we ran amok in the joys of life in the northwoods where the tough ones get goin’ and it doesn’t really matter if it’s rainin’ or snowing.

If life was like a chalkboard, though, you could erase the stupid things done along the way you’ve come, causing very lucid dreams.

Like ignoring the snow load on yer roof, busy strainin’ all those rafters ‘til gravity wins and erases yer grins and screws with yer forever-afters.

Life would be groovy if we’d just listen to reason ‘bout pitfalls that arrive from season to season, but it’s hard to consider the many things we need to, as we lay out our homesteads with just a lean-to.

It’s always drought with the dust and rain with the muds, common sense tells ya not to live where it floods.

High winds and fires, both domestic and wild and mosquitoes intent on gettin’ ya riled.

Not enough parking or way too much snow no room for expansion or near enough dough.

Solar gains, storm drains, water and fodder and makin’ solicitors stay away like they oughter.

Not to mention nesting birds, hungry bears and uninvited turds wet behind the ears derisionaries and travelin’ visionaries snow banks and gas tanks and hungry deer herds, wild turkey doodles, losin’ yer noodles and a wide assortment of missionaries.

Knapweed, hawkweed, thistles and more will drive you off to a liquor store, to seek solace for discoverin’ the stink bugs’re back.

Yer firewood’s infested, the kid’s been arrested.

Yer knees aren’t recoverin’, shoulders ain’t either and you can’t seem to find any slack!

And if for good reason you skip out on a season to clear your head of troubles, you might just find you didn’t cover yer hind and everything’s been converted to rubbles.

There ain’t much to it, you can’t always say “screw it... no need to sweat the details.”

Lest you hire someone you can trust when you run, that can handle whatever derails.

On January 11 our water went down. Several hundred dollars showed two ‘faults to a ground’ in a trench line circuit, so how we gonna work it? Get a backhoe or dig like a hound?

It’s only 48 deep, and I ain’t gonna weep ‘cause it could’ve been under the road.

There’s TEETH marks around the faults, from an underground waltz by a gopher in search of a load.

And that’s how it goes, we reap what we sows, that line should’ve been laid in conduit.

So now we ponder if it’ll be much longer ‘til we have to completely re-do it!

February 2009| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2| Page 41

JINXED

by Jinx Beshears

I needed to find a doctor here in Texas.

I thought it would be easy; there are doctors here that specialize in everything from nosebleeds to warts. Not that finding a doctor was a bad thing, but I knew in order to get to a doctor, I actually had to drive to a destination that I had to “google” online to even find. For those of you who are even more computer-impaired than I am, googling is a search on the computer that gives you a map to your desired place in terms found only in “driving in big towns for dummies.”

I had my son print the map out for me and to my surprise the map was three pages long. Not only was there a picture of the map, but the directions were written out in words like, “turn left in 3 miles on Mockingbird Lane and go 1.5 miles and turn right.”

Every road has a number here; if you’re lucky it also has a name. That doesn’t mean that the sign indicating the name of the road is actually going to be where it is supposed to be. Because in Dallas, everything is always under construction. You can begin your career and retire on the same project in Dallas. So Mockingbird Lane isn’t marked anywhere that is should be, you know, like on the street sign. In Dallas, I guess the names of the streets are state secrets.

As my medical insurance is expired, I decided to go to the free clinic for a mammogram. It sounded relatively simple—it was only a 30 mile drive. I left the house at 7 am, hoping to arrive early for the first come-first serve line. Downtown Dallas is not for the weak of heart. Evidently the speed limit of 30 translated into 30 feet every .005 seconds. I could actually hear the wind as the cars and trucks sped past me. At one point I was panicked, a diesel in front of me, a suburban to the left of me, a semi truck to the right and another van behind me. I couldn’t see anything in any direction and that, my friend, is no picnic.

I was looking for the final road to turn on, and after 30 extra miles, I was pretty sure I had passed it. I turned around to go back; unfortunately, I had to do that at least three more times. Finally, I turned on an unmarked road, just hoping it was the correct one. I was looking for a hospital; now why they put the names of the buildings and business on the very top of the building, I have no idea. I was craning my neck out of the window to see if this or that building was the one I needed.

Finally I found a driveway that looked like an emergency room driveway and I turned on it, as by now, it was an emergency.

I asked the valet, (yeah, valet parking!!), if

this was the walk-in clinic, but he didn’t speak English. I asked the next valet who walked up the same question, but he didn’t speak English either. By now, valets were beginning to surround my van, evidently thinking I was trying to get them to park my van without paying, and all they could tell me for sure is that I had to pay $6 to get in, no matter what.

I paid it. I had already driven around looking for a parking place for 30 minutes and the closet thing I could find was three blocks east and three more blocks up in one of those high rise parking lots. I was dizzy just driving around downtown.

The valet gave me a ticket and I walked into the hospital hoping they could at least tell me what planet I was on. The information clerk pointed me in the right direction, sort of. Back outside, another block over. All along that block were tents and large cardboard boxes; it was very disconcerting to see entire families sitting in front of this clinic like that. Some people were in lawn chairs bundled up, some were listening to boom boxes rapping with music that I couldn’t understand the words to.

I walked into the Ambulatory Care Clinic and took my place in line. I could not believe how many people were already there. Though I had left early, it had taken me until 9 to find the place and I was pretty sure I was going to have to wait a few minutes. I finally made it up to the window to sign in and the lady behind the window handed me a number. You know, the kind they give you “now serving number…” I looked at my number and looked back up at her in disbelief. My number was 968. In astonishment I asked her how long the wait would be—she told me approximately 7 or 8 hours. She said it as if it were nothing. As if it was normal. As if waiting 7 hours to get my boob smashed beyond recognition was something I was actually going to do. The first time I ever hear about anyone complain about the wait at Bonner General, they will probably get an ear full.

I took my number and went to the valet to retrieve my car they had parked 10 minutes ago. No refunds. I didn’t even care.

I just wanted to go back home even though it meant driving back the way I came and I had no idea which way that was. So I did the easiest thing; I called my son to ask him where I was. After he quit laughing he directed me to a road he was just positive I would recognize. He has a lot more faith in me than I deserve.

I drove the direction he told me to, ignoring all the fists and fingers being waved in the air at me because I wasn’t keeping

up. Dustin and I got off the phone when he told me I only had a few more miles to go; besides, I think it might be illegal here to talk on a cell phone and drive at the same time. By then though, I couldn’t take anymore. The traffic was finally thinning, so I decided to pull over and collect my nerves.

I sat in the parked car trying to calm myself, doing the whole self talk thing they tell you to do to make your life more positive. I was positive it wasn’t working. Especially when I looked to my right and realized that I had chose to pull over on the road less traveled, next to a cemetery. I thought it was pretty appropriate.

After my experience driving in Dallas traffic, I felt like parking in front of a cemetery might be pushing things a little, so I drove off. Well, at least that’s what I would like to tell you. As most of you know, I am incapable of logic. The little plaque on the cemetery said it began in 1870—how could I just pass up an opportunity to gander at some old headstones like that? I got out of my van and tried to get in the fence, but the gate was locked. That should have been some kind of sign not to continue.

I walked to the side and found an old broken down gate practically falling off its hinges and slid through it. The closest headstones were unreadable, which made them even more eerie for me. I took a picture, yeah, I took my camera in, I admit it. Who knows, I thought I might capture a ghost in one of the pictures taken in broad daylight. I noticed that every time I took a picture, the cars driving by slowed down to watch. Was this “Hungry Ghost Month,” or something? Because I couldn’t remember, I thought I had better leave.

I tried to get out the broken down gate, but it was stuck. How did that happen?

Were the demons trying to keep me here?

Were the hounds of hell getting ready to nip at my ankles? Was it getting colder?

My overactive imagination scared me into nearly breaking the gate off its hinges to get out, but get out I did. I was kinda glad everyone in there was dead, I didn’t need anyone else laughing at my expense.

My day of driving in Dallas was something that I don’t think I will be repeating in the near future. I now know that I am not nearly as a crazy as you have to be to drive in the rat race business.

Besides that, this is the big city, I can call a cab!

Page 42 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2 | February 2009

Wildlife- Continued from page

IF YOU HIT AN ANIMAL

Pull immediately to the side of the road. Even if it was a glancing blow, adrenaline will have flooded your system.

Take the time to catch your breath and slow your heart rate before attempting to drive again. You also need to check to see if the animal, or vehicle parts, are creating a hazard on the roadway.

• Report it. “That’s one of the misconceptions,” McAuliffe explained, “that if you don’t have insurance, and no one was hurt, you don’t have to report it. Idaho Code requires that you report a collision when there’s property damage to someone else, or damage to your own vehicle of $1,500 or more.”

• Report it. Even if you believe damage was minimal, if the MECHANICAL PREVENTION animal is injured or remains in the roadway, report it. Many • Don’t count on deer whistles. Although some manufacturers experienced hunters will often put an animal out of its misery claim up to a 70 percent reduction in collisions when using themselves, but Idaho Code does consider that to be illegal. their device, no study has actually been able to show these Be thankful for that. Sandy Compton tells a truly horrifying tools to be effective. Deer are sensitive to low sounds (in the tale from many years in the past (way beyond the statute of 2 to 6 kilohertz range), but only some of the deer whistles on limitations) of hitting a deer with his brand new truck late the market even emit sounds in this range. In addition, these at night near Hope. The dear was fatally injured but not yet devices must compete with other sounds, such as those from dead; the only weapon in his new truck was an axe. This is not traffic, wind, etc. a situation you want to find yourself in.

• Don’t count on ‘deer guards,’ heavy, steel bumper guards • Have your vehicle inspected, as some damage may not be placed on some vehicles. “I’ve seen some cases where these readily apparent. Bob Anderson notes that the back side of have caused even more damage,” Bob Anderson explained. many headlights are plastic, which can crack and cause your headline not to aim properly, or to light unsteadily. Damage to your radiator may also show up over time, as well as damage to your steering and transmission. You may also Good health comes discover you have alignment with good habits. Make problems. regular eye appointments North Idaho and western to ensure that your eyes Montana roadways are heavily carry you populated with a variety of through a long wildlife, and while a collision and colorful is not inevitable (Anderson says he’s never hit wildlife in life.

Need reliable, high-speed Internet service? Call for a free the area), it’s still very likely. site survey today! Intermax serves many areas of Bonner Being aware that animals can dash in front of your vehicle PAUL E. KOCH, O.D. County from Dover to Hope. at any time is your best way 208.762.8065 - Coeur d’Alene to prepare, so you can act 476999 HWY. 95 NORTH SANDPOINT 208.265.3533 - Sandpoint OFFICE IN WALMART VISION CENTER appropriately when the time www.IntermaxNetworks.com 208.255.5513 comes.

•

before you reach the point of impact.

Know your animals. Fast moving cars, headlights and blowing horns can all cause animals to react in unpredictable ways.

Don’t assume that an animal heading away from the road won’t suddenly turn and attempt to cross in front of you.

Keep in mind that deer tend to be more active, and harder to see, at dawn and dusk. Moose and bear are most often hit at night. A moose in front of you on the road will tend to stay on the road for a way before veering off. In addition, deer and elk tend to travel in herds. If you see one, be on the lookout for others.

You can see it in their eyes

•

HELLO HOPE!

February 2009| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2| Page 43

From the Mouth of the River

Swimming with the women. This always brings up new conversation around the old heating stove at the mercantile when the men are sitting around drinking coffee and telling lies while they’re waiting on Junie to sort the mail. What with this being a long and cold winter, by February we were running out of stories that no one had heard, yet. We knew all the hunting stories and fishing stories by heart and it was inevitable that stories about women would start to surface. One has to be careful about telling these stories as this is a small town and someone near you has either married that girl or is her brother.

So, telling a story that may be the least bit risquĂŠ could bring bodily harm to one’s self. A good example was when Luther saw them Ledbetter girls skinny dippin’ down at the river when he was fishin’ a few years back. “That one older girl,â€? he said, “was pretty heavy set for being in the sixth grade and you could even see a large birth mark on her left hip.â€? “What tha hell,â€? Bugger Red yelled, jumpin’ to his feet and spilling his coffee. “You seen my wife nekkid before I did?â€?

And the fight was on.

Stories like that, folks just shouldn’t tell publicly around a small town. I, on the other hand, not being raised in Chipmunk Falls, had pretty much free range to talk about my wild escapades with women as a young man. Living here for over thirty years I was still considered “the new guy.�

I don’t think half of the people I talk to on a daily basis even know

my real name. I’m just, “the new guy.� “I remember my first nude woman like it was yesterday,� I said, with a distant look in my eyes. Everyone turned their undivided attention to me.

After a moment of dead silence, Chainsaw said, “Well, are ya gonna tell us about it or do we haft’a beat it outta ya?

Who was she? Was it anyone we know?� “Of course not,� I explained. “It was a long time ago. I was just a big old ugly boy back then. I had heard a lot about women from the honky tonks and bars my Dad usta’ hang out in. And then there was all that useless information I received out back of the wood shop at school.

That’s where all the older boys hung out, smoked cigarettes and lied to us younger kids about their sexual escapades. We heard what it was like, who they were with when they first got a French kiss and verbal instructions on how to unhook a bra, etc. They finely got sex education in our schools by combining it with drivers ed. The back seat was where most of that education was learned anyway and a lot of it was at the drive-in theater. But that was a long time after I left school.� “Would you get ta’ the part where you seen that necked woman, and who it was?�

Chainsaw demanded. “Well, It was about 1950, or somewhere in there,� I continued, “and a fellar named Hugh Hefner came out with a magazine he called PLAYBOY. Right there in tha middle of it was a picture of a nude woman in full color. He even gave her name. It was Marilyn Monroe. I’ll never forget it. Mr. Hefner said he was going to put pictures of nude women in every magazine and they would be in classic and artful displays. None of those off color poses. These were going to be women just like the girls next door. Now, I gotta tell ya, I have lived all over this country and I have never seen a girl next door or even one in our part of town that looked like them gals he took pictures of!

Later on Marilyn Monroe went to Korea for the U.S.O. to show the U.S. Marines what they were fighting for.

She stood there on that makeshift stage in that little black dress and declared.

Boots Reynolds

“You’re the most underpaid, underfed, oversexed bunch of professional killers I’ve ever seen.� The jarheads went wild.

The guards had to use live ammo just to keep them off the stage.� “Well,� Scooter said. “We had a wilder event than that right here in Chipmunk Falls. Remember when the boys over at the volunteer fire department decided to give Junior that surprise bachelor party?

They took up a collection and gave Mrs. Shagnasty, the English teacher, fifty-three dollars to slide down their brass pole in her underpants as a surprise for Junior.� “Was he surprised?� I asked. “Boy, I’ll say,� Scooter said. “For one thing, Mrs. Shagnasty was seventy-four years old and they had to get her drunk before she would do it. Have you ever seen a seventy-four-year-old, overweight woman in a pair of bloomers descend down a brass pole at you? Boy, ole Junior was surprised all right. He was so surprised he even called off his wedding. We didn’t find out until later that she was his fiance’s grandmother!�

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Page 44 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 18 No. 2 | February 2009

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