The River Journal, February 2010

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Good Times are Rolling

Sandpoint’s

Mardi Gras

FEBRUARY 2010

Michael White, Realtor

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

Harry Weerheim Sales Associate, R E S o R t

R E A lt Y

You will get more knowledge skills and service Óän°Ó ä°nx ÊUÊwww.nor thidaholandman.com

Residential & Resort Specialist Captain & EMT, Schweitzer Mtn VFD Experienced Home Builder 208-610-6577

690 ACRES - borders the Clark Fork River & National Forest with paved county road access. VIews are spectacular in all directions, you can see to Lake Pend Oreille & Schweitzer Mtn. Property is 1/3 productive pasture lands & about 2/3 forest land. Power & phone on site, plus a little year-round creek. Easy to subdivide. $3,500,000

640 ACRES of SomE of thE moSt pRoduCtivE lAnd in North America!

240 acres of Palouse farm fields, 400 ac of prime timber land with a big year-around creek, awesome views, and wildlife galore. It even has an old farm house, well, electric, phone, new rocked road and paved access! This is the perfect property for farming and ranching, survival, family or corporate retreat. Bring Offers! Asking $1,700,000

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. $799,500

undER GRound houSE on 130 ACRES bordered by two big creeks & timber company land!

IncludeS well, electric plus solar and generator backups, two good log cabins, shop & greenhouse. New interior road system & county road access. Awesome views. Priced as vacant land, only $599,000!

thiS GEoRGEouS 85 ACRE property features deeded waterfront, borders public lands, and has river & mountain views. Located about 9 miles down Lakeshore Dr. from Sandpoint on county roads. This exceptional land is nicely forested, with plenty of usable land.Three parcels sold together or separately. Asking $925,000

8 ACRES w/ 800’ of WAtERfRont, where the Pack River meets Lake Pend Oreille. 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. Bring all offers $995,000

NEW

LIST

ING

40 ACRES with gorgeous lake views, county road frontage, less than one mile to Clark Fork, ID power and phone are in the road, property is flat on bottom and up on top for excellent building sites. Unparalleled views of Lake Pend Oreille, River, valley & mountains. $199,500

DU E RE PRIC

Georgeous 25 Acre Kootenai Riverfront Estate very nice 2007 home is 3930 sq’, hardwood & tile floors, Corian counter tops. Huge shop with full office, foyer-sitting area and full BaRm both house and shop have hydronic heat, wood fired or electric and backup generator system too! Awsome cedar barn, fully insulated, top of the line stalls, tack room and arena. Nice new cabin on the river. Extensive water system throughout property, entire property post and rail fenced, perfect walk out waterfront, views, too much to list, see website... $1,200,000

BEAutiful, old WoRld Monitor style Barn/ House, on 20 acres, just a few minutes to Sandpoint.

Property has lake views, pond, forest and meadows, with nice walking trails throughout and great views.

House is unfinished on inside, currently set up as shop & apt. Asking $399,000

DU E RE PRIC

niCE, WEll Built homE on 27 AC Located on a paved county road 10 min. north of Bonners Ferry. This 3 Bd/3Ba Super Good Cents Energy Home was built in 1996 to CA building codes & is quality throughout. Nice property, hike to public land & lakes, great views. Backup gen. elect. $324,900

Nice little, well built cabin on 5 acres with additional lake view bldg site. Sunny Side area, just a short walk to Lake Pend Oreille! Cabin has sleeping loft, kitchen, bathroom and laundry. Road to building pad w/ lake view, septic and well on site. Asking $185,000

DU E RE PRIC

20.6 ACRES IN THE KELSO LAKE AREA At the end of Sunset Road... sits about 7 ac of good, usable land with nice forest and great views, plus an additional 13ac area of subirrigated pasture / wetland/ shallow pond with farming or grazing potential.. Owner Financing $59,900

CED

CED

2008, niCE, nEW, WEll Built 3Bd/2Ba in Kootenai, ID just minutes to downtown Sandpoint.

This home features beautiful wood work, vaulted ceilings and great views. Nearly a half acre lot is biggest in subdivision and access is all on paved roads.

Large two car attached garage $224,500

CED

17 ACRES w/ SAnd CREEK fRontAGE beaver pond, nice forest,good- usable land, power & phone,and cabin. Less than 10 ml to Sandpoint, 1 mile off paved co. rd, 3 parcels sold together for $99,500

20 ACRE piCtuRESquE fARm & RAnCh,.

Quaint & beautiful horse property with good home, barn & shop. Pproductive pasture, nice views, county maintained road, Easy access into public lands, town or lake. Asking $399,500

GOOD 3 BEDROOM STARTER HOME. Just 7 blocks from downtown Sandpoint, big yard equals three lots, zoned for a triplex and excellent long term, stable renter for the investment minded. Asking $199,500

PRIC

Very Nice 15ac property with one big pond, one little pond, beautiful views, good usable land with nice mature trees, forest and meadows. Well built,3 story, Alternative energy house, with passive solar design is about 90% “ dried in” and ready to finish your way.

Owner financing available, Asking $179,000

DU E RE

CED

Beautiful lake view 21 Ac parcel, aprox ten miles to Sandpoint, Selle Valley, awesome views of Lake Pend Oreille, valley, selkirks and cabinet mountains, flat / benched & sloped land, road to building site roughed in, appraised Oct 2009 $175K Asking $170K

WHY LIST WITH MICHAEL? Consistently ranked top in sales. Your listing advertised in Page | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| February 2010 more magazines and websites. Member of Cd’A and Selkirk MLS, doubles your exposure.

February 2010

Healing with words-Nancy CopelandPayton writes of loss and renewal.

See story by Ernie Hawks on page 3

Sandpoint gets ready for Lent.

See story on page 4

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

SALES Call 208.255.6957 or email trish@riverjournal.com

Young entrepreneur seeks to make a difference. See story by Marylyn Cork on page 6

Radio signals from the deep? See story

by Lawrence Fury on page 20

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

Ministry of Truth and Propaganda Cartoonists Scott Clawson, Matt Davidson, Kriss Perras

Buying survival property, don’t feed the wildlife, Legislature faces serious budget shortages, drugfree pain relief and that stuff on the highway.

Departments Editorial

Cover

(Email only) to editorial@riverjournal.com

Jody Forest dgree666@sandpoint.net

Also...

8-10.......Outdoors 16-17.....Veterans’ News 18.........Faith 20-21.....Other Worlds 22-23.....Wellness 24.........Obituaries 26.........Politics 27-29.....Humor

PRESS RELEASES

11 Politically Incorrect On killing cars 12-14 Love Notes Girl Scouts 15 The Hawk’s Nest The new knee 19 The Scenic Route Star Peak 25 Currents Development 29 From the Mouth of the River Newsletters on the fridge

Area residents pull out the masks and beads to celebrate. Photo by Trish Gannon

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; Kriss Perras Running Waters; Sandpoint Wellness Council; Rhoda Sanford; Lou Springer; Mike Turnlund; Tess Vogel; Michael White; and Pat Williams

“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 2010.

Reproduction of any material, including original artwork and advertising, is prohibited. The River Journal is published the first week of each month and is distributed in over 16 communities in Sanders County, Montana, and Bonner, Boundary and Kootenai counties in Idaho.

The River Journal is printed on 40 percent recycled paper with soy-based ink. We appreciate your efforts to recycle.

GRAND OPENING Sunday, March 6

The Heron Hens Sweet Shoppe open 7:30 to 2 Wed-Sun 150 Railroad Ave. Heron, Mont

Coffee, specialty drinks, pastries, donuts, croissants & cookies 406-847-8308 • HeronHensSweetShoppe@gmail.com

HELLO HOPE! Need reliable, high-speed Internet service?

Call for a free site survey today! Intermax serves many areas of Bonner County from Dover to Hope.

208.762.8065 - Coeur d’Alene 208.265.3533 - Sandpoint www.IntermaxNetworks.com

Benefit for Haden March 6 • 3 pm Clark Fork High School Benefit Dinner and Live & Silent Auctions Haden Kistler, age 11, just underwent emergency surgery at Sacred Heart Medical Center to remove two brain tumors and is currently undergoing radiation treatments in Seattle.

You can help by: donating auction items and/or attending the dinner.

For more info:

266-0455 or 266-1290

In the language of flowers, there’s more ways than roses to say “I love you.”

120 Cedar St. Sandpoint

208.265.7900

www.PetalTalk.com

Healing with Medicine, Healing with Spirit, then Healing with Words Sandpoint minister publishes book on loss This book is an invitation to awaken to life’s enduring rhythm of sacred gift, of loss, and of renewing gift once again. It is astonishing how each of our days is saturated by gift and loss.

These pages beckon us to be attentive to that rhythm.

You’ll find those words in the prologue of “The Losses of Our Lives; The Sacred Gifts of Renewal in Everyday Loss” by local pastor Dr. Nancy Copeland-Payton.

Nancy answered the phone when I called with a gentle, loving voice. I sensed right away a centered, grounded person.

She accepted my request to interview her and invited my wife and myself up to the mountain home/ personal retreat she shares with her husband Gary, who writes a bimonthly column on faith in these very pages.

Nancy knew early that she wanted to be a healer. Her friends in Kansas City would bring her injured and sick animals they found; some she nursed back to health while others were lost to the rhythm of life and death. With these early experiences she learned two things; the joy of healing and pain of loss.

The want to heal and a love for the science lead her into medical school after college. She became a doctor and was Board Certified in internal medicine and emergency medicine.

During this training she discovered the Presbyterian faith she had grown up in no longer seemed to be working for her. She still felt a connection to Spirit but the religion of the church seemed to get in the way of her faith. As a young adult, she fell away from the church of her youth all together, for over twenty years. Still, she practiced meditation and yoga and, in fact, credits both of them for keeping her centered and grounded while doing her internships.

While living in Iran she was introduced to the Sufis, who expanded her spiritual connection; still the “religion” felt binding.

Later, while working in England as a physician, she and her husband felt their sons needed a more formal spiritual affiliation. This journey led them to a study of the Christian mystics, many of them from Celtic spirituality. Ironically, that discovery led them back to the church where Nancy had started as a child, Presbyterian.

“It was a different church with the same name,” she said. “It wasn’t as binding.”

Another “push/ pull” was happening in Copeland-Payton’s life at about that time. She was changing and medicine was

changing. The business of the profession wasn’t always allowing the time necessary for suitable work with the patients. She didn’t feel she was able to give the time to the kind of healing that she loved and which had been her reason for making the commitment to the profession. That felt like a push for her because she didn’t feel she was in integrity with herself to continue working in the changed system.

At the same time, she found herself wanting to be with the family of the patients who needed counsel in their grief.

It happened while still in England managing an emergency room, which started her thinking about life and death. Often she would watch the hospital chaplains and felt

the work they were doing was as fascinating and as important as her own was. Soon the chaplains were encouraging her to take on that role.

She was also developing many questions in her mind as she studied her newfound connection to God; questions that did not go away or get adequately answered. So she entered Westminster College in Cambridge as a seminary student.

“They had much better questions than I ever thought,” she said, “I learned there is power in the question that can be lost in the answer.”

She followed this quest as it pulled her out of medicine and into the ministry.

The two professions, as well as life itself, taught her lessons of loss and recovery as well as finding the gifts to be discovered in loss.

She talks of all kinds of loss, losses we

Ernie Hawks

adults think simple, yet are still loss. The move away from your tree house, or creek but the flowers keep blooming and things kept going on.

She writes; “When we are alert, we awaken to a vague yet insistent sense of longing for something lost. Think of this as an invitation to stop and look at life anew.

We’re beckoned to pause our headlong rush into the next moment and to be quiet, to listen deeply, to become attentive to our yearnings. As we awake to ancient longings, we may hear the coyote howl or our own voice call into the night seeking wholeness, completeness, oneness.

“We may even faintly hear God’s voice calling to us, “Where are you?”.”

Not all loss is small and the things we are passionate about need to be grieved.

For example, the loss of one we love.

Again from the book: “He’s dead. I’m sorry.

I’m so very sorry.”

I had said those searing words to strangers how many times? Now they’re said to me and my husband. How can we say good-bye to our third son, when we’ve not said hello? The pain takes my breath away, threatening to drown me.

She maintains in the book that after we’ve grieved our most painful losses, there may be unexpected gifts.

An old priest, wise in the ways of life and loss, sat with me decades later. He gently said, “Take Colin with you everywhere. Keep him close by at all times. Colin gives you compassion for the agony of other people’s suffering. It is his painful gift to you.”

I couldn’t help but ask if the book was a compilation of notes from her many workshops and retreats she facilitates.

“No, I wanted to start new, but I think it has been gestating all my life,” she said.

Copeland-Payton does understand the value of the question and to stay in the question as it motivates growth. Her book gently brings the reader back to the question with exercises at the end of each chapter that offer “Spiritual Practices” and “Exploring Deeper” sections encouraging the reader follow the questions, deeply as one studies the rhythms of life.

My first impression of Nancy was right; she is gentle and loving, grounded in the way of one who knows and spends time with her spiritual self, who is willing to delve into and be with the questions. That too, is evident in the book.

“The Losses of our Lives” is available wherever fine books are sold.

Photo by Ernie Hawks.

February 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| Page

Sandpoint Mardi Gras Goes Beyond Beads

There’s no French Quarter in Sandpoint, no smell of fresh beignets and coffee in the morning, no jambalaya on order—except on special occasions—on local restaurant menus. And of the about 30 churches with a Sandpoint mailing address, only one is Catholic. Nonetheless, intrepid residents from Sandpoint and beyond will take part in a traditional holiday of debauchery marking the beginning of Lent, as Madcap Mardi Gras fills local businesses with activity in its eighth annual celebration from February 11 through February 16.

It started as the brainstorm of Marsha Ogilvie, now a Sandpoint city council member but then the owner of All Smiles, and her desire to do something to make Sandpoint a ‘destination place’ during the dreary days after Christmas while winter holds what seems to be a neverending grip on the area. (Except for this year, of course.)

Jeff Nizzoli, owner of Eichardt’s, had long put on a Mardi Gras party of his own and he was an enthusiastic early supporter. and, after eleven months of meetings, with a core group of about a dozen, Sandpoint hosted its first Mardi Gras celebration.

“We wanted all the fun and excitement of this holiday, while still doing something

that emphasized the family-friendly nature of our town,” Marsha explained. So no, you’re not going to see topless women begging for beads

as massive floats drive down First Avenue. But what you will see is an awful lot of people having an awful lot of fun.

A top event for this year’s Mardi Gras, as it has been for each of the previous ones, is the Madcap Golf Scramble. Businesses throughout the downtown area convert their retail space into amazingly creative miniature golf holes; in many cases, libations

are also provided. Golfers, in teams of four, play in costume, anything from a simple bundle of beads around the neck to more elaborate creations involving feathers, leather and more.

“Mardi Gras Golf is one of the most insane events we have in Sandpoint,” said Pierre Bordenave, who has made up a foursome each year. “The basic premise is to get dressed up in your best Mardi Gras golf outfit and try your luck at sinking the putts on some of the most intriguing and world class golf hole layouts in the world.

This is the original and the only Sandpoint Open where each business has set up a hole for the players to play through their business, all the while being distracted by a variety of unconventional hazards and often at various levels of impaired state of mind.

This is for adults and expects a lot from those that have stayed out late on Friday night to get in and play at the shotgun start at 9 am Saturday, but it is worth it.”

Cost for golf is $25 per person and includes lunch. Register with Sue at 208-2639391 or online at www.SandpointMardiGras. com. The downtown golf scramble takes place on Saturday, February 13 with a shotgun start at 9 am.

Kathleen Hyde owned Bearweare

With our Back to School cD We Were aBle to Donate over $25,000 to local elementary throughout iDaho, WaShington, anD oregon.

Page | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| February 2010

Graphics downtown and hosted a ‘golf hole’ from the first. Now the director of the Downtown Sandpoint Business Association, she’s also now in charge of the entire Mardi Gras celebration, due to its benefit for downtown businesses.

“It’s great to see all the people downtown who come to participate in the events,” she explained. “With things like the poker run and the mini golf, businesses that might not normally draw a crowd have the opportunity to entice people through their doors and see what they have to offer.”

The Madcap Poker Run is another crowd pleaser, though card skills are not required.

Over 30 businesses downtown participate.

Players can go to any or all and, depending on the business, have to perform in some manner, for which they get a card. The best resulting poker hand wins.

What types of performance? Each business chooses their own, but in years past performances have included Mexican hat dances (Jalapenos), Elvis Presley imitations (Larson’s), and a rather memorable oysterswallowing challenge one year at the then Power House Bar & Grill.

The poker run takes place on Monday, February 15 from 3 to 6 pm ending up with an awards party at MickDuff ’s.

Looking for fun with the kids? Sunday, February 14, is Family Day from 11 am to 1 pm. Test your skills at carving Spam (yes, Spam) into creative shapes, or see just how many Oreo cookies you can stack before your tower falls over. Make your own mask to wear as you celebrate carnival silliness.

On Saturday, February 13 from 1 to 5 pm learn about the delicate balance of a rubber chicken as you attempt to fling it into various containers and targets. Each participating business downtown features its own unique themes and prizes. Many businesses also offer the opportunity to guess the number of beads in a bowl—a chaste way to build up your collection.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday of Carnival week, Pend d’Oreille Winery in downtown Sandpoint encourages you to celebrate Mardi Gras with your favorite valentine by presenting Merlove & Chocolate, the opportunity to pair their Merlot Library Flight with three different types of chocolate. Live music is also provided.

Perhaps nowhere else does the spirit of Mardi Gras pervade more deeply than during the Angels Over Sandpoint’s annual variety revue, The Follies. If you’re 21 or older, get your tickets now (order online at SandpointGeneralStore.com) for a Friday or Saturday performance at the Panida Theater.

As the Angels warn each year, skip this event if you find you’re easily offended.

Mardi Gras. The words are actually French for Fat Tuesday, though the holiday has grown far beyond that last day prior

to Lent, a forty-day period (not counting Sundays) prior to Easter where the adherents of many Christian faiths commemorate and imitate Christ’s 40-day sojourn in the wilderness. As Lent is to abstinence, Mardi Gras is to gluttony, and Fat Tuesday is when it reaches its peak.

This is North Idaho, however, so don’t expect anything too wild. Nevertheless, if you’re not exhausted from the week’s previous events, Fat Tuesday offers you one last chance to celebrate.

MickDuff ’s downtown will host a special Mardi Gras trivia night where you can strut your knowledge of all things Carnival. It

starts at 7 pm.

And because Sandpoint is, after all, Sandpoint, even fun serves a purpose. In addition to helping fill the Angels’ coffers by purchasing tickets to the Follies, and thus furthering their good works, Fat Tuesday also offers the kick-off to the Relay for Life. Stop by the Masonic Lodge downtown on 2nd avenue at 5:30 for complimentary appetizers and drinks, and learn how you can help in the fight against cancer. This year’s Relay for Life will take place June 4 and 5 at the Bonner County Fairgrounds.

You can learn more at RelayforLife.org/ bonnerid.

TWO SHOWS! Feb. 12 & 13 Doors open 7 pm. Show begins 8 pm

RATED R (Racy, Rauncy and Ridiculous!)

Only those who are not easily offended, and who are at least 21 years of age or older, will be admitted.

Tickets are $20 and are available at Eve’s Leaves, Petal Talk, and Eichardt’s in downtown Sandpoint, or purchase online at SandpointGeneralStore.com

February 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| Page

Sandpoint Youth Creates International Non-Profit

by Marylyn Cork

The weather didn’t cooperate the evening Travis Thompson introduced his new nonprofit, TACTIC, to the residents of his hometown. On what was probably the worst driving night in Bonner County so far this winter, only a small group of hardy souls ventured out, a donation for Toys for Tots in hand. Once inside the Panida’s Little Theater, however, all was festive.

Attendees dined on delicious Thai food from a Sandpoint restaurant, while a local musician performed. A brief slide show explained the new non-profit’s goals and purposes.

If all goes according to plan, Sandpoint can expect to hear more of TACTIC (Targeting Advocacy to Traditional Indigenous Cultures) in the future. Its founder, Travis Thompson, is not your average 23-year-old. Despite his tender years and modest means, Travis has already traveled widely for the purpose of helping the poor and disadvantaged with whom he comes in contact. He is now once again in northern India, his second time there, expecting not to come home again for another six months to a year. He works with Tibetan refugees in the area around Dharamsala, the home of the Dalai Lama.

Travis says his interest in the developing world began with a visit to China as a high school senior, giving him his first introduction to a culture far different from his own. After his freshman year at the University of Idaho, he dropped out for a time to backpack around New Zealand, but also spent some time teaching alternative education to Maori youth. Coming home, he returned to college and learned about genocide in Darfur, a region in the African country of Sudan. It inspired him to organize and lead a Stand Chapter at the university calling attention to the problem.

One of his activities was to try to persuade the state of Idaho to divest its ties to companies that do business in the Sudan.

That put him in opposition to Gov. Butch Otter’s goals for the state. A letter Travis wrote to a Boise newspaper countering Otter’s policies was picked up by another southern Idaho newspaper as well. In 2009, the letter reached Sudan, appearing in the Sudan Tribune.

Travis again left school to concentrate on what he refers to as his “original passion,” the plight of India’s Tibetan refugees. He says his interest in Tibetan Buddhism was sparked by a course in World Religions he took while in his freshman year at the U-I.

He traveled to Dharamsala with Volunteer Tibet to teach English classes at a refugee school called E.S. Trust. He also served as the school’s director for a short time, then began working with the Tibetan Women’s Association, coauthoring a book to commemorate the “50th anniversary of the Tibetan Women’s Struggle” in 2009.

Proceeds from that book, “Breaking the Shackles,” and with the above subtitle, along with five other books published by the TWA last year, go into the education fund that sends Tibetan women to university.

Travis returned home from India in May 2009 and founded the nonprofit he named TACTIC. He has three co-partners, all U-I students: Emily Wettstein of Boise; Amanda Carnahan, a Washingtonian; and Grayson Stone, Idaho Falls. TACTIC is designed to work with local grass roots organizations already existing in indigenous communities.

“TACTIC will assist those local groups with volunteer coordination and fund-raising management,” Travis said. “The indigenous peoples know what they need; we just want to help them any way we can.”

Currently, TACTIC has three volunteers in Dharamsala teaching English to Tibetan refugees. Why English? “It’s the national language of India,” Travis explained. “The country has 50 different local dialects.”

TACTIC is implementing three projects this year. One will assist in providing housing for Tibetan nuns. Why is this so important?

According to Travis, the Chinese government has a policy encouraging its soldiers to rape Tibetan nuns. “They are then not allowed to return to their nunneries because they are considered ‘tainted’,” he said. “They become homeless; they are hermits.” Their only option is to emigrate, which means they have to cross the Himalayas to reach India or Nepal. “Since 1986, there has been a massive influx of nuns crossing the border.

The Tibetan Nuns Project was founded in the 1980s to provide housing for them, but the influx has become so strong the organization can’t keep up.”

TACTIC’s second project is a soccer program, intended to be run on Big Brother-Big Sister lines. “The Tibetan young men and women refugees are becoming alcoholics and are abusing drugs because there are not enough jobs for them to make a living and there is no outlet for them to do anything.” The soccer league would use the older youth to teach the younger ones how to play the game. “Parents often stay

behind in Tibet while sending their kids out of the country with total strangers. They need role models and an outlet.� TACTIC will supply equipment and uniforms; their instructors must promise to abstain from alcohol and drugs.

The third initiative will be a joint effort

by TACTIC and the Tibetan Women’s Association to provide education sponsorship. That will assist with projects such as the six books already published that raise funds for higher education for Tibetan women.

TACTIC’s main contact and assistance in India currently come from four Tibetan youth whom Travis helped find housing during his first volunteer stint in India in 2007-2008.

Two of the young men have gone on to jobs with the government and the other two are employed directly by TACTIC: Rigden, who is the web site designer, and Jamiyang, who heads up the soccer program. Travis hopes to be able to bring them both to the U.S. next year to help with fund raising and presentations to local communities.

TACTIC’s future goals are ambitious.

Travis foresees the organization working in other regions of the world, such as Botswana with the Kalahari bushmen; Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo; and with indigenous tribes in South America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. He also hopes there will be projects in this country, too. Only time will tell, but the need is great the wide world over.

On December 5, 2008, Travis sent an email to his family describing the conditions at the school in which he was teaching. “Being at E.S. Trust, I have been sent back 70 years. We have no hot water and no clean water, so we have to walk a half a mile every day to wash ourselves, take showers, get drinking water, and hand wash our clothes.

The water from the spring is so clean, and I am able to drink right from the spout; but for taking baths and washing clothes it is so cold .... You cannot do anything in the afternoon at the spring, because it is the rural Laundromat, shower hole, and water supply.�

In another e-mail, after filling in as the director of E.S. Trust, he wrote: “It is funny to think that I am running a school. Mr. Feldhausen, Mr. Berryhill—all of my favorite principals that I looked up to—I am now in their shoes, and it feels like I know what they went through to help us. I am truly humbled by their compassion for students.�

The next time TACTIC sponsors a benefit in Sandpoint, please try to attend. Travis doesn’t himself benefit monetarily. He’s a volunteer, paying his own travel expenses and drawing no salary for what he does. To learn more, check the web site: culturaltactics.org.

Photo, facing page: A boy at a tsunami rehabilitation camp at Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, India. Photo by Laxman.. Photo, above: Travis Thompson, courtesy TACTIC.

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A Bird in Hand

The Great Blue Heron Mike Turnlund

mturnlund@gmail.com As I write this article it is late January, but going outside you might assume it was March. The rain is falling, the snow has mostly disappeared, and I have thoughts of starting my garden. Where did the winter go? Hopefully old man winter will return in February, because I look forward to the cold and ice every year. Why, might you ask? Why would I welcome sub-zero temperatures, the bitter cold wind, and the ever present risk of a sudden and painful slip on the ice? Because I love the special seasonal gifts winter brings to our neck of the woods: skiing, ice skating and, best of all, ice fishing. And it is the last item that brings us to our bird of the month, the Great Blue Heron. What does the Great Blue Heron have to do with ice fishing? Read below to find out.

In our area the Great Blue Heron is a year-round resident. They are easy birds to identify, even for the non-birder. As their name suggests, they are large birds. They typically stand about four feet in height and are blue. Well, mostly blue. And they are unlikely to be confused with any other bird. At least not around here. They have some cousins elsewhere in the country that might rival them in size or color, but typically these kin are only visitors. The one exception is the Great Egret, which from a distance might seem to match the Great Blue Heron for size, but is pure white in plumage. It sometimes ranges here, though I haven’t seen them, except in my travels

along the Pacific Coast and the Midwest.

Field marks for this largest North American heron are distinctive and easy to remember. As stated above, the dominant color for these birds is blue, though a light slate-blue to gray might be just as common.

The face and head are typically white and will be set off by large, black jaunty plumes on each side of the head, reaching backward from the temple area. Sometimes these plumes are so long that they will arc down to the middle of the neck. On some individuals the plume is missing or less developed, making the bird look like it might be wearing a black cap.

The bird also has a notable S-curve to

its neck, which increases and decreases in severity and length as the bird shortens or elongates its neck. A bird at rest often nestles its head down onto its shoulders, completely hiding its neck in a ruff of breast feathers. In the winter, I often see such birds standing on one leg, the other pulled up tight against the body. The neck coloration can range from rusty red to light blue to offwhite, or combinations thereof.

The Great Blue Heron has a large, yellow bill and it knows how to use it! You will often spot this bird wading through deep pools of water, stalking fish or any other thing that moves. It is not a picky eater.

Fish, turtles, snakes, frogs—anything is fair game. Or you might glimpse it striding open fields on its long pale legs, hunting for mice or whatever else it can scare up. This might explain why the Great Blue Heron has such a broad distribution, from Alaska to Nova Scotia to Central America—it can exploit a variety of habitats.

Flushing a Great Blue Heron from its haunts is always memorable. The bird will vocalize a deep croak that is unlike anything else. It flies with its neck curled tight against its body and its legs trailing behind, with its deep blue primaries flapping rhythmically— not too fast, not too slow. A Great Blue Heron suggests to me what a pterodactyl might look like in flight.

So what does a Great Blue Heron have to do with ice fishing? Well, sometimes when I go out ice fishing I find a Great Blue Heron taking a deep interest in my activity.

He (or she) will stand perfectly still and watch me as I sit and fish. But as soon as I pull a fish out of the water, the bird will extend its neck and take a hopeful step or two towards me. It is as if the bird is telling me “if that fish is too small to keep, instead of tossing it back perhaps you might like to share it with me!” And so I do. I will toss the bird the fish, which he deftly picks off of the ice and with a toss in the air, catches and swallows it head first. As soon as the action ends, he returns to his one-legged observation, his head again hunkered down between his shoulders, watching... waiting.

These are very patient birds!

Great Blue Herons make our area an even more special place, any time of the year. Keep an eye out. They are everywhere.

And trust me, they are watching you. Happy birding!

Sandpoint City Rec

YOUTH: Basketball Open Gym on Sundays, Free • American Red Cross babysitting training, $65 w/poss. certifications • Childrens’ intro to Taekwondo, Karate and self-defense #4 ($20 for 3 sessions/starts Feb. 8) • ECO Art, $20/3 sessions • Beginner Cooking, $20/3 sessions w/meals ADULT: Budget Cooking, $20 kids 12/under, $29 for 13+/3 sessions w/meals • Health, Beauty & Wellness, $30/3 weeks, take home products • Backcountry Decision Making (w/US Forest Service) FREE FAMILY ACTIVITIES: Women/Teen Self-Defense ($15/includes session and take-home workbook) • Creative Workshop, $2 age 612/$3 ages 13+ Page | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| February 2010

The Game Trail

A difference between preservation and conservation Matt Haag

mhaag@idfg.idaho.gov Are you one of the many Bonner County residents that feed wildlife? Your heart might be in the right place but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the only thing right about feeding wild animals. I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be doing my job if I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make this very clear: if you are feeding any wildlife, especially deer, elk and moose, you are responsible for killing those animals in the long run whether you like it or not. So quit it, knock it off, break the habit, and tell your neighbor to please do the same.

Feeding wildlife is not illegal in Idaho, but it has gotten so out of hand it now needs to be regulated. There are many states, especially in the West, that are taking a stance against feeding wildlife because they realize the risk to humans and wildlife alike. I applaud the Montana legislators and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks for passing a law last year that makes feeding wildlife illegal. The folks in Montana are obviously concerned with humanâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;wildlife conflicts, the health of deer and elk herds, reducing vehicle wildlife collisions, and the concentration of predators in close proximity to human dwellings.

Montanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s law prohibits any person from providing supplemental feed attractants to game animals by: purposely or knowingly attracting bears with supplemental feed attractants... or purposely or knowingly providing supplemental feed attractants in a manner that results in an artificial concentration of game animals that may potentially contribute to the transmission of disease or that constitutes a threat to public safety .... â&#x20AC;?Supplemental feed attractantâ&#x20AC;? means any food, garbage, or other attractant for game animals.

Wild animals that are fed by humans may congregate in unnaturally high numbers, creating the perfect opportunity for diseases to spread. As populations of wildlife grow unnaturally from being fed, a small number of diseased animals will come in contact with the entire local population spreading disease unnaturally fast. Diseases that can affect our pets and us such as rabies and distemper flourish on unnaturally high

animal populations and spread quickly at feed sites.  Deer concentrated at feeding sites are more likely to contract diseases such as tuberculosis, salmonella, and brucellosis. The prevalence of saliva and nose-to-nose contact at these locations allows the deadly diseases to be easily passed from one deer to another. Feeding wildlife, especially prey species such as deer, squirrels and turkeys, often attracts predator species such as coyotes, bobcats and mountain lions. Due to increased food availability, the prey densities increase; this in turn attracts these predators. Conservation Officers throughout the state receive numerous calls about predators acting strange and being destructive to personal property.

More times than not, this is a direct result of people feeding wildlife and creating the unsafe situation of attracting predators to areas close to human activity. Unfortunately, the result is that individual animal has to be euthanized to protect people and property.

Deer and elk are well adapted to their seasonally changing diet. They are ruminants like domestic cows, so they have a compartmentalized digestive system than contains a rumen. The rumen is the large, first chamber of a ruminant animalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stomach in which microorganisms break down plant cellulose before the food is returned to the mouth as cud for additional chewing. Rumen microorganisms in deer began to adjust to a diet switching from easily digested grasses and forbs available in spring and summer, to one much harder to digest of cured grasses and woody browse in the winter. This adjustment is a gradual process, so introducing highly digestible feed such as commercially blended mixes this time of year does not do the deer any good, and results in the problems of diarrhea, impaction, acidosis, and rumenitis.

Feeding causes animals to deviate from natural food sources and natural movement patterns. Pulling animals off of historic winter range has dire consequences for us and the animals. Deer, elk, and moose will cross roadways at a higher rate to get to feed sites, causing vehicles damage, human injury, and wildlife destruction.

If you are feeding make it a resolution that you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feed anymore, ever. You are not helping the wildlife and you are being a terrible neighbor. If you want to enjoy wildlife on your property spend the time and money you did feeding by planting native vegetation that is desirable browse and forage for deer and elk. If you need

help selecting those plants, please contact me.

I believe that we need to have laws banning feeding for the good of the wildlife and people of our great state. If you feel as strongly about it as I do, please contact your elected official and discuss those possibilities. It would be a great opportunity to let the other counties in Idaho knows that Bonner County cares about wildlife and is willing to be proactive about issues.

Now is the time to start thinking about getting signed up for Hunter Education.

Classes are being added to the schedule every day. The way, and the only way, to sign up is go to our website at http:// fishandgame.idaho.gov/, click on the hunter education tab and find a class near you.

Antler shed hunting is picking up and what a great time to spend with the younger generation in the outdoors. Please be cognizant of wintering elk and deer, they need the break so donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t push around the mountains just to find some antlers.

Leave No Child Inside

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February 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| Page

Land Management Riparian Areas Michael White

NorthIdahoLandMan.com

michael@keokee.com

Because of my background in natural resources and land management, as a real estate agent, I specialize in land, ranches and homes with acreage. I have several alternative energy properties listed and one has a huge underground house on it, etc. So because of these things, I have seen a marked increase in clients who are looking for “Survival Properties.” Perhaps they want to prepare for a collapse of the financial infrastructure, a collapse of energy infrastructure or a collapse of governmental institutions. Some want to prepare for the “end days” as prophesied in their religion, some want to be prepared for a world war which may affect the continent or just be prepared for natural disasters such as meteor impacts, polar shift, massive volcanic eruption, earthquakes, global warming, global cooling, or all of the above.

Their reasons are varied, but they all share a desire to be self-sustainable and not have to rely on the infrastructure of the modern world, as much as is possible, or have a place to retreat to and live off the land if needed.

Some think this mentality is eccentric or plain crazy but others think it wise while most remain indifferent. I believe it is simply a great country lifestyle which brings a certain peace of mind on many levels.

But what is a “survival” property and what are the elements one looks for in choosing or even developing this type of property? It does depend to some degree on how you see the need for such property unfolding. Specifically, do you believe you will need to protect the property by force of arms? If so, there are added components of defensibility of the property, most notably to hold the high ground, have clear visibility of approach routes and if possible a means of preventing wheeled vehicles from entering your property. Let’s face it, as individuals or a small group, we can not realistically protect a property from a real military force with say tanks, aircraft, etc. Realistically one could only hope to protect against civil unrest, i.e. roving groups who want to steal resources or a majority of the population who find themselves unprepared and then may be inclined to go collect the resources of others who are prepared. But I will leave further discussions of that for the experts in this area, as I am not one.

Instead of writing about the military/ defensible aspects of survival properties, I will focus on the aspects of property which make it good for being self-sustainable.

Good sun exposure is of great importance for being able to grow your own produce, as is land with good flat areas to put your garden on, which have some decent top soil. Generally, most forest soils can be converted into garden land with clearing, and adding alkaline to make the soil less acidic, but most any soil can be made better with added manure, compost, etc.

It is important and not widely known that adding wood chips and or bark to gardens can induce nutrient deficiencies and should be avoided. I believe it is important not so much to choose a property which has perfect soil for gardening, as it is to make sure the property has a place which can be made into a good garden. Building or buying a greenhouse is also a very prudent idea which can greatly increase the growing season and help compensate for less than perfect farming land.

Water is, of course, of utmost importance and while I do believe that fresh, fishable water is the best to have on your property, it is not a necessity. A good producing spring, which can gravity feed to your dwelling, would be second best but a good well with a hand pump for backup will work too.

I think it very important to be bordering or in walking distance to the vast areas of public lands which our area has. The private lands would quickly become hunted out, if the general population were to need to live off of the land. Therefore the ability to be able to go out on regular hunting trips, on foot, would become of paramount importance, given that motorized transportation may no longer be available.

It would be important that the land you choose have areas which would be suitable for raising livestock too, which does not necessarily mean you need plowable pastures, even for horses, but rather some larger areas of relatively flat or gently sloped land which the animals could live on, and hopefully do some seasonal foraging on. Open forest is fine for all types of stock, including horses and cattle, but especially goats and sheep which can live most anywhere but do require a source of food during the winter months, which goes back to your gardening capabilities.

Overall the land you choose or have should have reliable water, an area of good sun exposure which can be made into a garden area and be within a reasonable distance to large areas of public lands. There are many alternative energy options too but these are not absolutely necessary. It would be prudent, however, to be prepared to be able to cook and heat with a good, old fashioned wood fire which, in the long run, may be the only reliable source of energy we have available.

For more extensive information on this topic contact me through my web site and I can offer much more specific information or direct you to several good sources for survival preparedness.

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Page 10 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| February 2010

Politically Incorrect

On Killing Cars Trish Gannon

trish@riverjournal.com When the weather was hovering around zero, the door froze shut on the Geo Storm and forcing it open somehow did something not-so-good to the little latch assembly that holds the door shut. I’ve had this happen to me before, though, so I knew what was called for: WD-40 to the rescue! Of course, I didn’t have any WD-40 in the house, but I figured cooking spray was pretty much the same thing, and I did have that, given that I don’t do much baking anymore.

Unfortunately, cooking spray is not the same as WD-40, which I discovered a millisecond after I used it, when what appeared to be extremely light and fluffy butter exploded out of my door assembly.

My consternation was complete when I realized it didn’t even fix the door.

Now you can drive a car while physically holding the door shut, but not if it’s a stick shift, as the Geo is, and the bungee-cordholding-the-door-shut just wasn’t working for me. I decided it was time to go back to driving the Yukon.

This didn’t break my heart, because the Storm is not a fun car to drive. The heater is barely adequate, there’s no radio or stereo, the seats turn your butt to concrete within five miles, the interior lights don’t exist, and it’s very, very difficult for an old body like mine to haul itself into and out of a car designed for the enjoyment of teenage boys desperate for a car of their own. But it gets 40 mpg highway and around 33 mpg around town so the Storm has been my car of choice for a while. At least, until the door wouldn’t shut.

I would have driven the Saturn—it’s no gas mileage miracle, but it’s no Yukon, either—but the Saturn is not exactly running either. It started up just fine when I picked it up in Coeur d’Alene, where Amy left it after her dad bought her a new car. But by the time I got it to Sandpoint, it wasn’t starting any more. And then the Yukon wouldn’t start. I was hoping for bad

battery cables, or even a blown cell in the battery, but it looks like it’s new alternator time for the old Yuke.

I was back to the Geo, because as long as the weather doesn’t drop under about 18 degrees, the door will shut. Then I drove to Sandpoint and, you guessed it, the Geo wouldn’t start.

I must say, my history with cars is not good but breaking three cars in just 20 days is a record even for me.

I had stopped at the grocery store with the Geo, and when I came out, it was reluctant to start and reluctant to run once it did start. I hoped it was a gas problem, as it had been sitting for a while, and made my way down to the Schweitzer Conoco to fill up and throw a bottle of Heat into the tank.

Then it refused to start at all.

It’s not often that I allow myself to get all pissy about the choices I’ve made in my life and where they’ve led, but car troubles are one of the things that can lead me there in a heartbeat and it was no different this night. There I sat, after calling David, whining in my car. I fantasized about a nice, new car, with heated seats as long as I was fantasizing, that started as every single time I turned the key and I felt sorry for myself.

I wasn’t quite over it by the time David got there, and he began banging away at things underneath my hood with a socket wrench, if I remember correctly. I could have done that myself, but I knew that wouldn’t work. Of course, the damn car started. That’s the thing about David—he can do things the absolute wrong way to do them and somehow make it work which, in the mood I was in, was infuriating. Still, the car was running rough and I warned him of this before I tried to turn out on the road where, of course, the car died in oncoming traffic.

Frantically I hopped out of the Geo and began pushing it out of the busy roadway.

David said we should use his car and some rope to tow it back up the hill. The rope broke when we tried this, and as he and I said on the cold ground trying to remove the rope now seemingly welded to something underneath his own car, I began to laugh.

“I hope you’re not crying,” David said, but

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somehow I’d made it past the whiny stage and into the “oh my god this is so ridiculous it’s funny” part of the evening. We left the car there (thanks Schweitzer Conoco) and took the laughter home.

The next day (a Sunday, of course) Misty brought Rob to my rescue.

Rob has been my vehicular white knight for a long time, over a decade at least, which I think means he’s been coming to save my sorry ass from about the time that he first got a license to drive. The verdict on the Geo? The distributor. The whole darn stinking thing needs to be replaced. Did you know there’s more to that assembly than just the cap and the plugs? There is.

And while I’m at it, there’s that whole doorlatch assembly thing to think about.

I don’t like dealing with broken-down vehicles and I don’t like fixing broken-down vehicles, and I sure as heck don’t like coming up with the money to pay to fix a brokendown vehicle. And given that I’m a glass-ishalf-empty kind of gal, it might surprise you to find out that I saw something positive in all this. It certainly surprised me—so much so, in fact, that I can’t really remember what it is anymore, but it got me through that next day and that’s what counts.

I can tell you, however, that when your vehicle breaks down, either because it’s old or you ran out of gas or some wild and crazy thing just happened out of the blue to make the motor quit turning over, you come face to face with the kind of life you’ve been living. And the definition of that is found in the answer to this question: who are you going to call?

I have towing on my insurance, roadside assistance on my cell phone, and a TripleA card in the glove box, as well as good friendships with a couple of mechanics in a couple of towns who seem to relish the opportunity to lecture me on the care and feeding of vehicles. More importantly, though, I have people like David and Misty and Rob who will put aside whatever plans they’ve made to come out into the cold and lay on the ground and start taking things apart to find out which piece isn’t working.

I’ve also got a brother who doesn’t hesitate to loan me his car to use, despite my history, until I get around to a permanent fix for all the other vehicles I’ve killed this month.

I wouldn’t turn my nose up at a brand new vehicle with heated leather seats (and a really bitchin’ stereo as long as I’m fantasizing again) but I wouldn’t trade what I’ve got for one. So I guess I don’t have anything to whine about after all. At least, not until the next time my car breaks down.

February 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| Page 11

Love Notes

A “Lov(e)”ing Ambassador for Girl Scouts Marianne Love

slightdetour.blogspot.com

billmar@dishmail.net

Until a few weeks ago, my knowledge of Girl Scouts was fairly minimal. I knew why I never joined. I also remember attending the 1965 Girl Scout Roundup at Farragut where Coeur d’Alene’s Louise Shadduck welcomed me, acting like she certainly remembered my face from the one and only time we’d met before. That familiarity certainly impressed me.

Of course, the late Louise Shadduck was a phenomenal and charming woman, known throughout Idaho as a great ambassador.

As Idaho’s Commerce Secretary, she was instrumental in bringing both the Girl Scout Roundup and the 1967 Boy Scout Jamboree to Farragut.

Although I was a Brown during my early years, I was never a Brownie Scout. At that time, it was much more convenient for us country kids to join 4-H, while city girls joined scouts. My contemporaries, Marilyn Dalby Sabella, Christine Moon Hengstler and Susan McConnaughey Hedeen, all have great memories of their scouting experiences under guidance from devoted leaders like Marilyn’s mom Marilyn, Audrey Piatt and Mrs. Bowman.

Long known as one of Sandpoint’s civic leaders “extraordinaire,” Marilyn viewed scouting as “awesome and life-changing ... the hikes, the campfires, the sing-alongs ... the community service projects taught me a lot about loving and respecting the earth and especially the importance of service to others.” All paid off for her as an adult, known for her endless contributions to Sandpoint. A few years ago she was honored as a “Woman of Distinction” by (formerly known as) the Inland Empire Council of Girl Scouts.

For Chris, a distinguished and oftpublished psychology professor/researcher at Pacific Lutheran University and the University of Washington, scouting meant a basic background in Roberts Rules of Order, which she has used throughout her life. Girl Scout activities at Camp Stidwell on Mirror Lake also planted the seed for her love of hiking and French culture.

“I can close my eyes and see the giant tamarack trees, smell the dried grasses and hear the grasshoppers,” she recalls.

“The hike was led by a group of women, including a stunning young French woman,

Elizabeth O’ Meara ... when I think about it, my lifelong love of France probably started that summer with my introduction to Elizabeth’s grace and what I took to be a ‘why not?’ way of looking at life.”

Meanwhile, a Brownie leader named Mrs. Bowman left an indelible mark in Susan’s heart. “ ... she made her house available to little girls fledging out in their first group activity beyond school or church,” Susan, a Virginia business owner, remembers.

“My experience with her was probably my first independent opportunity to exercise service to others.

“The service end ... is what attracted me most,” she adds. “For girls to band together in a common cause to help others in some manner, to be friendly and helpful to one another ... the comradeship felt in belonging to something bigger than one’s self. That was what scouting was for me ....”

Several decades have passed since my friends participated in scouting, but many basic principles and activities associated with the national organization, founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low, and now known as Girl Scouts of the USA remain steadfast and sacred to members, leaders and organization professionals like my daughter-in-law, Debbie Love. A few years ago, Debbie, a Boise native and BSU grad, began working for GSUSA with southern Idaho’s Silver Sage Council.

Even with her connections, I still didn’t know much more about Girl Scouts, except that we seemed to have a lot more Tagalongs, Thin Mints and Samoas around the house. In January, 2010, after moving to Sandpoint, Debbie transferred to the Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington & Northern Idaho. She now serves as its program and membership development coordinator.

To learn more about the organization and to spotlight what Debbie hopes to accomplish in her new role, I’ve attended an area leaders’ meeting where I listened to several dedicated and enthusiastic adult volunteers plotting out a myriad of activities for the upcoming year.

I also asked Debbie to respond to a few questions for this column in hopes of generating additional interest among potential adult volunteers and aspiring new members.

General overview of your experience with Girl Scouts: For more than three years I

have worked for the Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Council, which geographically covers southern Idaho, parts of northern Nevada,

and eastern Oregon. I was the membership/ marketing manager and then promoted to youth development director.

My job entailed developing curriculum and outcome measurements for programs throughout the council and ensuring outreach and collaborations with outside organizations. I also played a key role in the development of trainings for volunteers and staff of program changes and updates from GSUSA. I have had many wonderful opportunities in Girl Scouts. For example, we started a Girl Scout program at the Idaho Women’s Correctional Facility located in Pocatello called Girl Scouts Beyond Bars. It’s a national program where girls are able to visit their mothers while they are incarcerated, working together as a mother/daughter team.

There were no programs for the mothers on how to work with their daughters once they’re released from prison, and this particular Girl Scout program was able to bring this opportunity to the correctional facility. Girl Scouts also has a program for girls in detention centers which is being implemented in Idaho Falls.

I was also fortunate enough in developing a program where we took a group of high school Girl Scouts to Ecuador and completed many service projects, such as teaching English, gardening, painting, cleaning, providing school supplies, etc… at local schools, free clinics and within the Amazon rain forest.

I worked very diligently in recruiting and retaining older Girl Scouts through the Teen Advisory Committee, which is a venue for older girls in giving input to the council and board of directors. I was able to support the girls in emphasizing a girl-led committee, providing them the empowerment and organization skills necessary for leadership development.

Another program is the Gold Award, which is the highest award a Girl Scout Senior and/or Girl Scout Ambassador can earn. To earn this prestigious award, girls have to complete a minimum of 80 hours, and their project must be sustainable within their community.

Touch on what makes you proud of your association with Girl Scouts: Many things

do; however, you never truly realize the impact you make upon children until later.

One recent accomplishment makes me feel like a proud mother. Just after moving to Sandpoint, I checked my e-mail and noticed in my inbox a very special name: Hosanna,

February 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| Page 12

a Girl Scout Ambassador who was a Gold Award Recipient.

Hosanna’s Gold Award project has earned her the honor of being one of ten girls from across the nation as the 2009 National Young Women of Distinction. This is an amazing achievement for her and the state of Idaho. I am very happy for Hosanna.

It feels good to be a part of an organization where there are caring adults who mentor girls and guide them in succeeding in the goals that they set for themselves.

Tell about a project/event that has given you particular satisfaction as a scouting official:

I led a team of volunteers (45 volunteers on five committees) for the event, Jubilation, which is a weekend troop encampment held every three years (triennia) in Filer, Idaho. This year more than 1,200 girls and adults attended.

It was an amazing and very moving event seeing all of the girls and adults there for Girl Scouting. I believe the greatest satisfaction is empowering the volunteers by supporting their efforts in helping girls.

It is great going to a Girl Scout event and knowing that it is completely volunteer led and seeing the girls smiling, laughing and most of all being themselves in an all-girl and safe environment.

Current family set-up and why you moved to Sandpoint: My husband and I decided

to make the move from Boise to Sandpoint when he was offered a position at Sandpoint High School as the journalism/Cedar Post adviser.

What are your areas of responsibilities in your new role? Where can people expect to see you? The areas I will be currently serving

include Bonner, Boundary, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Ferry, and Okanogan counties.

Geographically, it is a large area, but with help from adult volunteers and girls i n v o l v e d within these

What is your message to the communities about the scouting program about the general goals would you like to attain?

When did you graduate from Boise State, and what were your areas of concentration:

I finally graduated from Boise State in ’05.

I had originally wanted to graduate in elementary education; however, during my last year I made a dramatic change and switched my major to Multi Ethnic Studies, emphasis in Mexican Americans, Native Americans and Asian Americans under the discipline of sociology, followed with a minor in Canadian Studies.

My interests in Canada started in fourth grade while on a trip in Mexico where I met a Canadian girl, who was my age. We met over a large iguana on the beach and paid $1 to have our picture taken with this beastly animal, big enough to eat both of us for dinner.

We instantly became friends and still remain in contact. She finds it funny that I earned a minor in Canadian studies all because I thought those Canadians were sure nice people! Starting at a young age, I have always had a genuine interest in learning about people, relationships and cultures.

Interests outside of your career: I enjoy

reading, crocheting, hiking, fishing and spending time with my husband Will and our Border Collies, Brooke and Todd. I have also picked up the sport of cycling. A friend and I have decided to take on a crazy challenge and train for the STP (Seattle to Portland) in July 2010. Check out our blog: www.thestpexperiment.blogspot.com

• Courage by exploring new adventures; there are many opportunities for an older Girl Scout to go on travel destinations nationally and internationally. Also for an older Girl Scout, earning her Gold Award, will help qualify her for scholarships at many universities. She will also immediately move up one rank in any of the U.S. military branches.

• Confidence by discovering their abilities.

• Character by shaping their values • Connections by forming friendships with other girls!

Girl Scouts pursue music, sports, theatre, science, travel, animals, art, camping, and many other activities. Girl Scouting inspires and empowers girls on their journey of discovery and leadership in a physically and emotionally safe, girls-only environment.

While learning these skills, they will ultimately give back to their community, reach out to others and, by being a part of Girl Scouts, will make the world a better place!

communities, Girl Scouting is possible. People can expect to see me and or volunteers at open houses at local schools, community/civic groups and community organized events.

What do you consider the most valuable attribute young women can acquire from the program? Knowing oneself and

believing in one’s individual capabilities, having the ability to have empathize and relate to others, and caring enough to make their communities a better place. What an accomplishment to see a girl going into her community with courage, confidence and character in making the world a better place!

What are the increments girls attain as they work their way through scouting? There are

many benefits to the Girl Scout program.

While progressing from the grade level Daisy to Ambassador, they earn badges and awards that signify new and higher levels of knowledge and skills.

What opportunities/skills can dedicated scouts pick up while participating? Girl Scouts

make new friends, learn about themselves and, most importantly, they have fun. As a Girl Scout, they are encouraged to try new things and experiment with new ideas. Girl Scouting is a unique, girl-only place where they will learn:

Girl Scouting focuses on a Leadership Development Model that empowers girls to discover themselves, connect with others, and take action to make the world a better place. Girl Scouts is a leading expert on the growth and development of girls.

Together, with committed adult volunteers who partner with girls to guide and inspire their growth and achievement, the organization builds girls of courage, confidence and character who do make the world a better place. Girl Scouts is one of the few organizations in the United States that is girl-focused and girl-driven.

My goals for the communities that I will be representing will be to let people know that Girl Scouts is out there. I would also like to find more dedicated adult volunteers and families who want to make a difference in a girl’s life.

This means many things, by working directly with the girls or by supporting the adults who do. (Training adults, troop leaders, speaking to girls about their business or teaching a particular skill they may have, sponsoring a troop through using a facility or by donating money). There are many different capacities in which adults can get involved. Girl Scouts gives adults the flexibility to fit their lifestyle and schedules.

What are the “how-to’s” and requirements for girls who want to become scouts and for adults who would like to work with the program? Girls and adults who are

interested in signing up will pay an annual Continued on next page

February 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| Page 13

$1,200,000 Calling all developers!6 parcels adjacent to Little Muskrat Lake with open space; total 25 acres. Abundant wildlife.

Views from some of the 2.5 acre parcels. Surveyed, road punched in and prepped, close to final plat. MLS 2084727 $324,921 Pristine home in Northshore Subdivision.

Community water access to Lake Pend Oreille with dock, landscaped yard, large covered front porch, back deck, fenced yard. Close to schools, parks and located inside city limits. Call for an appointment today! MLS 20902654 $321,021 Everything you want from North Idaho. Beautiful 3 bedroom, 2 bath, cedar sided home on 6+ acres of heavily timbered property with seasonal creek running through it! Wrap around deck, masonry touches and custom amenities make this home a very comfortable place to live. Easy access to town. MLS 20902245

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MLS 20903412 $87,521 Level and ready to build. Trees provide privacy from Highway, yet the access is easy on this 10.25+/- acre parcel. Room for a home, a barn and outbuildings. No building restrictions or CC&Rs. Views of the Selkirk Mountains. Perc tested. MLS 20901362 $99,021 Views to forever. This is a beautiful parcel with lots of trees. Nice benched area for a house with views of surrounding mountains. Fenced on 2 sides. Close to Lake Pend Oreille’s Camp Bay and Livermore Lake. Small structure on site which would be good for storage. MLS 20902021

Scouts- Cont’d from page 13 membership fee of $12, which goes to our national organization, Girl Scouts of the USA. Each troop will meet at different times; it ultimately depends on the volunteer and the troop as to who decides their schedule.

Any girl who pays the annual membership fee is welcomed to participate in any Girl Scout activity available.

A program calendar listing the many opportunities for girls and adult trainings can be found at www.gsewni.org. Troops and individual girls are encouraged to attend Camp Four Echoes located near Coeur d’Alene. For more information on camp, please visit www.campfourechos. com.

Adults interested in volunteering need to complete a volunteer application, provide three references, submit to a background check and complete some training.

GSEWNI sponsors a Fall Product Sale program where the girls will be selling nuts and candies and QSP magazines. For details on the types of nuts and candies please visit www.gsewni.org/fallnutritionalinfo.cfm.

Girl Scout Cookies pre-order sales will begin on February 5. Scouts will take orders and, upon delivery, will collect the money.

Direct sales where you can find scouts in front of local grocery stores will begin March 20, 2010.

From the GSUSA website: “Girl Scout

Cookies are a familiar part of American culture. For more than 80 years, Girl Scouts, with the enthusiastic support of their families, have helped ensure the success of local Girl Scout Cookie activities.

“From its earliest beginnings to its current popularity, the sale of cookies has helped Girl Scouts have fun, develop valuable life skills and make the world a better place by helping to support Girl Scouting in their communities.”

Your office locations/approximate hours/ contact information: GSEWNI serves the

area from the south eastern Washington and middle of the Idaho Panhandle to the Canadian border, and from Montana to the east slopes of the Cascade Mountains.

Headquartered in Spokane, GSEWNI also has service centers in Sandpoint (Second and Main), Coeur d’Alene and Lewiston, and in Richland (Tri-Cities) and Yakima, Wash.

• Spokane, Sandpoint, Coeur d’Alene, and Lewiston offices are open 10 am to 6 pm, Monday through Friday.

• The Tri-Cities office is open 9 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday.

• Spokane store hours are 10 am to 6 pm, Monday through Thursday; 9 am to 5 pm on Friday, and 10 am to 2 pm on Saturday.

• Tri-Cities store hours are 1 pm to 5 pm, Monday through Friday.

For more information, you can reach Debbie Love at 1-800-827-9478 ext 246, or 208-9468736. You may also email her at dlove@gsewni. org.

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Page 14 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| February 2010

The Hawk’s Nest

A New Knee Begins Life

The I in illness is isolation, and the crucial letters in wellness are we.

enable her to get on with life unimpeded by pain. Becoming a poster child for total photosbyhawks.com knee replacement rehabilitation, as her ernie@photosbyhawks.com physical therapist called her, was not an intention.

Walking along the lake was the perfect Since that first walk there have been outing for us. We had been in the house for several more mostly refreshing winter several days—even though the winter was walks along one of the many lakes in our mild—and we needed to let the wind blow area or on a trail in a forest near our home. through our hair. On this January day the We are careful—and it has been a perfect temperature was “light jacket” warm with a winter for us, not to walk in snow or ice blue sky and mild breeze; even just sitting yet. on a rock in the sun was comfortable. I got These are not just walks that will give a couple of pretty good photos of eagles strength and flexibility to her operated that seemed to be there for our viewing knee, they are also treks into a new world pleasure. of pain-free activities. These travels bond Neither the perfect day, the eagles nor Linda to the new knee that she embraces, the fresh air were the highlight of the day and opens opportunities for both of us—so trip for us though. This adventure came I too must support the whole process and just two weeks after my wife Linda had a embrace her healing as if it were my own. total knee replacement. We had been to I think the healing began before she the doctor before the walk for her first even entered the operating room. She post-operation visit. He said her recovery knew the surgery without the right mental was going well, so well it gave him goose attitude and work on her part was nearly bumps. a waste of time. That attitude allowed her She went into the surgery with the to show love for her knee before surgery intention of making the most of the and thank it for the many blessings she had procedure, an avenue to making her life received with it. She did not feel she was a even better. If the stories of the painful victim, never thinking of it as a bad knee, recovery were true, she looked at them as simply as a knee that had worn out through just a part of the process. They would not many years of blissful use. She accepted get in her way. the pain as a symptom, a reminder that The first day home she started walking a correction was in order to continue an as far as she could in our house with a active, full lifestyle. walker. There was a while when she did As I observed that attitude, I have the “granny short-step;” you know, one no doubt that it, coupled with her hard step, pick up and move the walker, then work and dedication to a complete and one more step. By the second day, she was gentle recovery has aided her remarkable pushing the walker around like a grocery recuperation. cart and was questioning its necessity. On We are loving our winter walks together the third day, on the recommendation of and look forward to them as they continue the home health physical therapist, she into spring and summer. I believe we are replaced it with a pair of ski poles and hiking away from a world that includes made her first post-op trip up the steps to pain, sometimes limiting pain, and hiking our second floor successfully. into an unlimited pain free world for both Before the day onsuch the as lake, there had us. increase nutrients, nitrogen and ofCouncil website at tristatecouncil.org. been more physical therapy including a few miles on a stationary bike coupled with This and septic pilot building project exercises. is being Personal Training & Physical Therapy Rolfing stretching strength 208.265.8440 208.946.7072 introduced in order to comply with One unexpected surprise was that shewater was Gas • Convenience Store Naturopathy Physical Therapy quality her standards as determined by the reducing use of pain meds; she didn’t 208.946.0984 208.290.5575 Unofficial Historical Society need them.

As a Water nurse Act. practitioner, Lindato Federal Clean Designated Oncology Massage Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine tells her water patients to stay aheadknown of the protect quality, the plan, as 208.290.6760 208.683.5211 pain because it is difficult to catch up if it a “Total Maximum Daily Load” for Lake Oil Changes & Skincare Craniosacral Therapy Learn moreReflexology, aboutHerbs SWC, its gets tooOreille, serious addresses and may get in theissues way 208.597.4343 208. 610.2005 Pend nutrient Tire Rotation articles and members at our of recovery. Therefore, when she started Biofeedback Learn more about SWC, its articles and reducing her pain meds, I questioned it. web atblog orblog just call by appointment 208.263.8846 members our web or just callus. us.

In addition, many lakeshore She said she just did not need them and Complimentary participated in a survey ashomeowners soon as she felt any pain coming, she health choices would take concerning some—and she did. of water in 2007 a variety She hadissues. set an intention of com quality As is before turns surgery out, their 208-266-1338 a full, fast, yet sensible recovery that would Worth Wading Through www.RiverJournal.com | VolMagazine 17 No. 18 | November 2008 ||Page 5 February 2010|| The River Journal - A News Worth Wading Through www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| Page 15

Ernie Hawks

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Veterans’ News The treatment of veterans Gil Beyer, ETC USN Ret. vintage@gotsky.com

Through the marvels of modern technology and science this month’s article—and the next two—will be submitted via email from my Yucatecan beach front hideaway. It has been said that with age comes wisdom and I have learned that one, I don’t enjoy skiing and two, I don’t really enjoy shoveling snow.

These two observations have led me to the conclusion that I’d be foolish to stay in the Inland Northwest when I don’t have to. So, for the past six years I have been fleeing to this very spot on the north coast of the Yucatan peninsula while those less fortunate—you Dear Readers—have to deal with those things I have left behind.

However, Mother Nature—as is Her wont—has had the last laugh at this presumptuousness. Since I arrived here on New Year’s Day we have had no temperatures above 67 degrees and almost continuous wind with rain showers. The saving grace with these negatives is that we are not shoveling this stuff and a long-sleeved shirt and long pants are completely adequate to brave the storm.

But I digress—this is supposed to be a column about things of interest to local and regional veterans. So, here goes. Shortly before I left Sandpoint I had a lengthy conversation with another involved and concerned veteran. The gist of his remarks was about the problems and shortcomings of regional services for veterans. It was my

Ron’s Repair

perception from his remarks that he felt that not enough was being done by any of the three arms involved in meeting the needs of our veterans.

Let me define what I mean by the ‘three arms.’ The first one is the U.S. government’s Department of Veterans Affairs, without which the other two arms would be useless. The second arm is made up of the individual states and the local county veterans’ assistance agencies. Lastly, and by no means least, are the nationally chartered and unchartered Veterans Service Organizations—hence forth VSOs—like the Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars and over 200 others.

A brief review of the budgets of the VA quickly reveals the sad fact that until very recently they have been woefully underfunded to adequately accomplish the tasks assigned. During the previous administration’s first term the budget for the VA increased from slightly more than 40 billion dollars to just over 60 billion.

While a 33 percent increase may appear to be substantial it must be reconciled with the fact that we were not at war before that period and during that time we invaded both Iraq and Afghanistan and were creating injured and/or disabled veterans at a high rate. Also during that same period the VA was forced to reallocate available funding—the result of greatly reduced income revenue from the tax cuts the Bush Administration implemented—to those veterans that were rated to be greater than 30 percent disabled. When you cut to the chase the VA was unable to provide the whole spectrum of services needed by our returning men and women that had served honorably and well.

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The situation at the VA didn’t get any better during the second term. Cuts were made to staffing and there was even an attempt made to close some VA medical centers to save money. The result of these funding shortfalls resulted in enormous backlogs and under-serving those veterans in rural or less densely populated regions.

With greater numbers of service personnel surviving horrendous wounds the strain on the VA and Armed Forces medical services was growing exponentially. Think about the stories of mold growing on the walls of Walter Reed Hospital—the best known military hospital in the country—simply because there was inadequate funding for these facilities.

The situation is still bad and until something is done to correct the huge imbalances between expenses and revenue income it will not get any better. I’m hopeful that in the not too distant future somebody, somewhere will finally have the light bulb over their head turn on and ‘get it’—the simple fact that one cannot provide services at any level without having the means to pay for them. This holds true for required care for our injured warriors and a sound, well-maintained national highway system and every other facet of modern society.

One simply cannot expect good service at no cost.

The second arm—or leg if you wish—of veterans’ services are the state and county officials. Generally, I really believe that on a national scale these men and women want to do everything they can for our veterans. They suffer under the very same constraints as the national department does—not enough money, staff or time. Here in Idaho we have an even greater burden. Our legislature and governor are cutting all services throughout

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February 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| Page 16

Veterans-Cont’d from previous page

•

the state. Not only are veterans getting the shaft from these budget cuts but so are our children and every other individual that requires any social and/or health service.

In the name of thrift and efficiency the leaders of Idaho have assured the next generation of Idahoans a lower standard of living than the current generation. They are still operating on the failed “Trickle Down” economic theory and are sacrificing the greater majority of Idahoans—including our returning veterans—to achieving and obtaining less than their parents did.

When you look at the problems we have with the first two arms (or legs) we can clearly see it will take a serious nation-wide effort to get back on track. The revenues must be increased if we are ever to adequately care for our veterans and provide the services they have earned and are entitled to. If we don’t accept the fact we must pay for those things that have been promised there will be no change in the situation. There never has been—nor will there ever be—a “Free Lunch.” Someone has to pay for it. Right now there is a huge debt owed by those that can best afford to pick up the tab. Until such time as we, as a people, accept the debt we owe to those we send into harm’s way things won’t get better.

We owe our sons and daughters the best that we can give them in return for the service that they have given us. Besides, it would do this nation a world of good to reinstitute a vigorous, upwardly mobile middle-class like we had after WWII. Next month I’ll get into the third arm—VSOs. I’ll try to be a little less preachy but if I can get one legislator or elected representative to do one altruistic thing about this national shame I’ll have had success.

• •

Information on Vietnam Naval Operations VA Compensation and Pension Service has initiated a program to collect data on Vietnam naval operations for the purpose of providing regional offices with information to assist with development in Haas-related disability claims based on herbicide exposure from Navy veterans. To date, we have received verification from various sources showing that a number of offshore “blue water” naval vessels conducted operations on the inland “brown water” rivers and delta areas of Vietnam.

We have also identified certain vessel types that operated primarily or exclusively on the inland waterways. The ships and dates of inland waterway service are listed below. If a veteran’s service aboard one of these ships can be confirmed through military records during the time frames specified, then exposure to herbicide agents can be presumed without further development.

• • • • • •

•

• • •

• •

• • • • • • •

All vessels of Inshore Fire Support [IFS] Division 93 during their entire Vietnam tour USS Carronade (IFS 1) USS Clarior River (LSMR 409) [Landing Ship, Medium, Rocket] USS Francis River (LSMR 525) USS White River (LSMR 536) All vessels with the designation LST [Landing Ship, Tank] during their entire tour [WWII ships converted to transport supplies on rivers and serve as barracks for brown water Mobile Riverine Forces] All vessels with the designation LCVP [Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel] during their entire tour All vessels with the designation PCF [Patrol Craft, Fast] during their entire tour, also called Swift Boats, operating for enemy interdiction on close coastal waters All vessels with the designation PBR [Patrol Boat, River] during their entire tour; also called River Patrol Boats as part of the Mobile Riverine Forces operating on inland waterways.]

USS Ingersoll (DD-652) [Destroyer] [Operated on Saigon River, October 2425, 1965] USS Mansfield (DD728 [Destroyer] [Operated on Saigon River August 8-19, 1967 and December 21-24, 1968] USS Richard E. Kraus (DD-849) [Destroyer] [Operated on coastal inlet north of Da Nang, June 2-5, 1966, protecting Marines holding a bridge] USS Basilone (DD-824) [Destroyer] [Operated on Saigon River, May 24-25, 1966] USS Hamner (DD-718) [Destroyer] [Operated on Song Lon Tao and Long Song Tao Rivers, August 15-September 1, 1966] USS Conway (DD-507) [Destroyer] [Operated on Saigon River, early August 1966] USS Fiske (DD-842) [Destroyer] [Operated on Mekong River, June 16-21, 1966] USS Black (DD-666) [Destroyer] [Operated on Saigon River, July 13-19, 1966] USS Providence (CLG-6) [Cruiser, Light, Guided Missile] [Operated on Saigon River 3 days during January 1964] USS Mahan (DLG-11) [Guided Missile Frigate] [Operated on Saigon River October 24-28, 1964] USS Okanogan (APA-220) [Attack Transport] [Operated on Saigon River July 22-23, 29-30, 1968 and August 5-6, 1968] USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) [Combat Stores Ship] [Unloaded supplies on Saigon River and Cam Rahn Bay, April 22-25, 1968]

If you served on any of these ships, please get in touch with your local veterans’ services office for information and help with processing disability claims.

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February 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| Page 17

Kathy’s Faith Walk Honoring God with Art Kathy Osborne

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My little nuclear family is a blessing to me on so many levels.

We are five in all with Mom, Dad, and three kids. Made up of artists and musicians, our home is lively and creative.

At any given moment, somewhere in the house music will be playing; someone will be singing; someone will be creating something. The love of both art and music are considered gifts from God in our home; gifts to be nurtured and used in a way that gives honor back to God rather than being consumed on ourselves. And that honor can come in many forms.

My oldest daughter, the artist, used her skills to create murals in an orphanage in Mexico on her short term there. Now her artistic bend allows her to mix and match beautiful outfits of clothing for just the right look. How can that give honor to God? By her serving manner, her smile and her kindness as she helps each person discover what they need.

My younger daughter loves to sing.

Even when she is just practicing it is joy to me. What mother gets pieces of “Phantom of the Opera” sung to her while making dinner? Some Sundays I get to see her leading worship through singing at our church gathering and I am amazed at the look of peace on her face. She is some place in God’s presence and her gift to the congregation is to take them there too.

My son is a musician. To him, every rhythm, every sound, every note is a thread just waiting to be worked into the fabric of a musical composition no matter how

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simple, or complicated. This is reasonable to him because God releases something in music. There will never be an end to new compositions simply because there is no end to God, from whom it all flows.

The blessing to others comes when these pieces intend to bless, nurture, encourage, restore, and comfort. Everything he knows about God’s character can be expressed through music.

My husband plays his guitar at the church gatherings also and is a blessing to those who are able to meditate on the Lord and enter into worship because of the music. But he is also a drywall contractor and it is amazing how much art is involved in his job. He pieces rock together like a puzzle and then places a covering over it, decorated with a texture of the homeowners’ choosing.

Every home is different. Every drywall texture is a little different too. Matching a homeowner to the proper texture is art.

Because of this unique relationship he is also often able to spend quite a lot of time with his clients getting to know them and their life circumstances. Some are faced with cancers; some with the loss of loved ones. Some are in a faith crisis or at a life crossroad. Most just need a word of encouragement and to be reminded that God loves them. This, too, brings honor to God. My little nuclear family is a blessing to me because they have found ways to bless others. Once again, the peace and contentment Jesus intended for those who follow him has found its way into our lives just by loving God, and loving people.

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Page 18 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| February 2010

The Scenic Route

Star Peak Winter Approach Sandy Compton

mrcomptonjr@hotmail.com www.SandyCompton.com

Winter has managed to stay pretty much above 3,500 feet this year so far. Part of me breathes a sigh of relief in that regard, especially after the back-to-back beatings that 2007-’08 and 2008-’09 dealt us. Some folks have tennis elbow. I have snow shovel elbow.

I miss snow down low at odd moments, though. No out-the-back-door snowshoeing this year, that’s for sure. This year, we have to drive far or hike hard to go for a walk on top of the snow. Susan Drumheller, Brad Smith, Bev Newsham, Cabell Hodges and I recently took the second alternative (actually, the others had to do both) and went in search of a winter hike.

At the risk of turning this into a product review, let me say that the Lightning Ascent snowshoes from Mountain Safety Research— which made their debut in my life on our subsequent Friends of Scotchman Peaks hike up Star Peak­—are a bit pricey, but boy, do they work well.

Star was not the original destination for this hike. It was planned and listed on the FSPW website as a snowshoe walk up East Fork Creek in the Lightning Creek drainage, but the snow has not manifested itself in enough abundance down low to justify risking bumps and bruises that could be garnered attempting a hike up ice-covered Road 419. So, we flexed, plans changed and it was good.

The first couple of miles of the Star Peak Trail #998 is really an old logging road that some folks still run ATVs on, though I’m

not sure that’s legal. The big Kelly hump at the base of the road seems to indicate that it’s not, but there’s no sign to back it up.

I’ve made a mental note to ask the Forest Service about that.

Use notwithstanding, this steep, rocky, old twin-track is a fair approach to a great “trailhead” that still sports an old-fashioned routered Forest Service sign that reads, in part, “Squaw Peak L.O. – 2 1/2.” In the interest of cultural sensitivity, Squaw Peak was renamed “Star” by the Forest Service over a decade ago.

One of the first Forest Service trails in the Cabinets was Trail #998, built long before that road came about by the first ranger on what was then the Cabinet National Forest, Granville “Granny” Gordon. Gordon, who came into this country in 1907 with his wife and family, also built the stacked rock cabin that still graces a spot near the summit of Star Peak, just below the 1930s lookout cabin that sits at the pinnacle of the mountain.

We packed our snowshoes as far as that “politically incorrect” sign, and farther, finally putting them on near the bottom of the big patch of lodgepole that covers many acres on the south face of the peak. Many of the trees have been killed by beetles, and the sparse cover makes for great snowshoeing.

We abandoned the trail and took off up the fall line, and a couple of us were making a mental note to bring skis next time. As we began up through this open, snowy forest, too, we noted that standing among the dead are a fair amount of the living, some of which have already begun to reseed the stand.

We didn’t make the top to get a winter gander at Granny’s rock shelter, as concerns about running out of daylight turned us around a few hundred yards shy. We were justified in our decision when we got back

to the truck about 30 minutes after sunset.

Star (nee Squaw) Peak is at the very southern end of the proposed Scotchman Peaks Wilderness. Although the mountain has gotten a new name, some folks are resistant to that change, or simply not used to the new name. In the close neighborhood, the names are interchangeable yet. After all, it had been Squaw Peak for a long, long time, and the first name of it was somewhat more indelicate than that.

I like the new name. To me, it means more than the other, for the mountain itself has been part of my personal landscape since I was a boy. When we were young, we camped out each summer in the front yard of our home in Montana. On those evenings, before sleep, we would watch for the lookout light in that white cabin atop the peak. Often, we knew whose hand it was that lit the lamp, and more than once, I looked at it and thought how much it looked to me like an extra star.

Friends of Scotchman Peaks has another hike to Star this winter, led by Jacob Styer.

I’m going, and I bet this time, we make it to the top. I owe it to my new snowshoes and the memory of Granny Gordon. I almost hope we get to put our snowshoes on before we get to that politically incorrect sign.

Sandy Compton is a writer based in Heron, Montana; and program coordinator for the Friends of the Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, online at www.scotchmanpeaks.org. Visit www. bluecreekpress.com.

To learn about the Scotchman Peaks, go to www.scotchmanpeaks.org. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/scotchmanpeaks

Question: What is the biggest threat to Lake Pend Oreille?

Answer: Perpetual pollution from the Rock Creek mine.

Protecting Lake Pend Oreille since 1996 February 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| Page 19

Radio Ghosts of Mars

“... No one gave a thought to the older worlds of space as sources of human danger, or thought of them only to dismiss the idea as impossible or improbable” H.G. Wells, “The War of the Worlds” A story in Sandpoint’s Daily Bee during the holidays brought to mind a memory from the late 1960s when I was twelve years old. The story was about KGKX, Sandpoint’s first radio station, which began broadcasting in February 1929 from the second floor of what is now the MacFarland building on the southeast corner of Second and Cedar (for two years, the offices of the River Journal).

In 1968, I was sitting with my uncle Pat and cousins Bob and Molly in Grandma’s house across the street from 615 Forest as my grandmother related a memory from 40 years earlier.

A little background first. When my dad was six years old, his family moved here from Flagstaff, Ariz. in 1922. Granddad was headed back to Canada where he had been born in 1888. Fortunately, or unfortunately, their money ran out here in Sandpoint so they figured it was close enough to Canada.

They first settled on a piece of land just past where the Sagle school is now. In the early 30s they moved to a small ranch (see “The Decade After,” a two-part story in the July and August issues of the River Journal), close to what is now the fire station.

Anyway, my grandparents were unable to afford one of the huge old tube radios and my grandmother, especially, would often go over to a neighbor’s place to listen to those early broadcasts in the late afternoon after chores. She would sit and listen to the broadcasts and have tea—one of the few social activities at the time from what I’ve gathered.

KGKX’s first eight months of transmission in 1929 were only heard as far as Cocolalla.

Then, in October, the power was increased to 100 watts and they could be heard all over the country and into Canada. This shows you how pristine the transmission bands were in those days. Nowadays, 100 watts would be drowned out in short order.

It was conditions such as this that may have led to a mystery that dated back over 30 years, to the 1890s and Marconi’s early radio experiments. From 1895 until around 1903, this radio pioneer’s work led to the oscilloscope, among other things. He would later testify concerning the Titanic’s marine telegraphy’s functions. Further, he also related that a number of times he had received odd transmissions from parts unknown, even though there were no other

Valley of

ThE

ShadowS with Lawrence Fury

known radio transmitters at that time.

In this same era Nikolas Tesla (fodder for another column) was obsessed with the possibility of contact with Mars. His work was officially scoffed at in governmental and scientific circles. He later became an advocate of the occult, which further dampened his reputation. Once employed

by Thomas Edison, he died in 1943 and his papers were mysteriously seized by the U.S. government.

During the 1924 close approach to Mars

by Earth, the government and the U.S. Navy asked all radio transmitters in the country to maintain radio silence for five minutes on the hour, every hour, for two days in August of that year so they could listen for signals from Mars. It was called National Radio Silence Day, if you want to look it up.

The leader of the project was David Todd, astronomy professor and friend of Percival Lowell. At his direction, a radio receiver was lifted 3,000 meters into the air by a dirigible tuned to a frequency between 5 and 6 kilocycles to record any extraterrestrial/ Martian signals. A radio-camera at Amherst College produced flashes of light that was recorded on film whenever an incoming radio wave was detected. On August 21 a roll of sensitized paper 30 feet long and 6 inches wide slowly moved and signals modulated by electrical radio signals fed from an antenna on Todd’s dirigible aimed at Mars produced some surprising results.

Recording for 36 hours, the film was developed and Francis Jenkins, the machine’s inventor, told a press conference that the device had indeed received signals. Fairly regular dogs and dashes appeared about every half hour along one side of the page.

Inexplicably, however, on the other side, at almost evenly spaced intervals, were curiously jumbled groups each appearing to be a crudely drawn human face. (Now where have we seen that before? Oh, yes, the Face of Mars on the Cydonia plain as photographed by the Viking probes as well as more recent orbiters.)

The radio camera-generated drawings were later sent to the Virginia Military Institute, where it’s said they were confiscated at some point by the National Security Agency (established in 1952).

Surprise!

Mysterious radio signals continued,

however. In 1927 Americans Taylor and Young heard odd signals that seemed to come from space. WHAS radio station in Louisville, Ken. added to the mix, claiming interference with their broadcasts from Mars. Then there were the Boston “zzzip” signals....

The American Amateur Radio Relay League, headquartered in Newington, Con., has records that indicate members were convinced that they were picking up radio signals from Mars, pre-World War II. Back to my grandmother’s story and her once-a-week visit to her neighbor in the fall of 1929. On Fridays, waiting for the threehour broadcast from 10-watt station KGKX over tea I listened as Grandma told my uncle and cousins the story from those many years ago that before and after the music and talk from the new station they would hear... other things. A clicking, a moaning, a static interspersed with an electronic jumble in those long ago days of radio. One time they even heard what sounded like a voice speaking in a strange, ghostly, alien tongue.

All this gave my grandma a thrill. It was something beyond the mundane life of the early 20th century. But are or were these automated transmissions from a dying or dead civilization? My cousins asked if Grandma ever told anyone. She replied that Grandpa (Robert A. Fury) wouldn’t have believed in such nonsense.

LollaBelle’s (Grandma’s) friend’s husband had walked in one afternoon a little early from the field as the two ladies were still listening to the radio and heard some odd noises for himself coming from the huge speaker.

He clammed up, refusing to acknowledge the sounds, but refusing to debunk them. He just remained safely silent.

The government denies any alien signals or anything else, just as they did eightyplus years ago. With today’s cluttered airwaves of satellite signals, internet, cell phones, multiple television HD signals and more, the average person has no chance of intercepting a strange voice from another world. But is it still out there? Still sending a plaintive call for anyone to listen to a world now dead many millennium? Waiting for the day mankind visits the red planet himself and discovers the truth?

Until March, and “The cry of the Banshee...”

Page 20 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| February 2010

From ThE

Files

of The River Journal’s

SurrealisT Research BureaU Ripperology 101

Though his crimes were committed more than a century ago, in the foggy London autumn of 1888, the world’s first and most famous serial killer Jack the Ripper still holds a fascination to crime scholars down to the present day. Indeed, in the last decade much more information and evidence has come to light, including the original autopsy photographs (sent anonymously in the mail to a “Ripper” researcher) and by the public release of Scotland Yard’s files on the case. New theories and suspects have since burst on the scene, some of them flying in the face of the evidence, others downright hoaxes.

The so-called “Ripper Diary” hoax of 1993 (The Diary of Jack the Ripper) fell apart and was revealed as a forgery by its “finder,” who confessed after traces of a modern ink was found in its composition, though in shades of the Hitler Diary hoax it still has its adherents. Some theorists have gotten rich positing the then-Prince of Wales Clarence as a suspect, conveniently ignoring the fact that the Prince’s social calendar of the time is well known and places him far away from

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London at the time of the murders. Queen Victoria’s personal physician, Sir William Gull, has likewise been accused of the murders, its adherents once again ignoring the sheer improbability of a 70-year-old man with a stroke history committing the incredibly brutal and savage crimes. (Most Ripperologists, by the way, put the number of victims at five though I tend towards an apocryphal nine).

Some recent studies have even cleared once promising names as suspects. M.J. Druitt, a London barrister who committed suicide soon after the last known murder, has since been found by Ripperologists to have been working far away as a night clerk during at least three of the crimes.

Crime writer Patricia Cornwell’s book (Jack the Ripper: Case Closed, Putnams, 2002) opened to huge fanfare. Cornwell spent over 2 million dollars re-investigating the case but, in Caleb Carr’s scathing review of her book in the New York Times, he referred to it, as many other reviewers would, as “a sloppy book, insulting to both its target and its audience.” One of the book’s key deficiencies was that Cornwell couldn’t prove her main suspect

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was even in England at the relevant times.

Other, more careful, researchers have since maintained he was in France at the time of the murders.

Ripperology is a fertile field and I’ve barely scratched the surface here. (The Sandpoint Library has a number of books on the subject). So where does that leave us now?

Some of the most fascinating new investigative tools of the past 25 years to shine light on the Ripper Mystery are those of geographical and criminal profiling. According to the FBI’s profile unit the Ripper was, most probably, “a white male between 28-35 who lived and worked in the Whitechapel area, of menial occupation, possibly a butcher fishmonger, or upholsterer (due to his dexterity with knives) and his ordinary appearance and demeanor would throw police off his scent, though they’d probably interviewed him more than once.” (All of the killings took place on weekends, which leads to the conclusion he was working during the week. In those Victorian times before labor unions were formed workers (including children) put in long and grueling 18-hour workdays.)

Advances in geographical profiling (deducing a suspect’s home from the locations of the bodies) have advanced to such a degree that profilers now believe the Ripper’s home can be pinpointed to within a couple of blocks in the Whitechapel slums area.

Its my belief that the Ripper will eventually be identified. How? Most likely through DNA. It infuriates Ripperologists that Cornwell, in her massive DNA testing for her book, simply neglected to examine the few definite samples widely believed to be provided by the killer (for instance the “Lusk” letter the killer sent along with a kidney he’d cut from a victim’s body).

Add the DNA to a possible suspect located through geographical and behavioral profiling and I believe he will be named. I believe as well that advances in science will lead to still other forms of identification in the future which will seem like magic to us today, much as fingerprinting and DNA would seem like magic back then. ‘til next time Comrade Citizens; All Homage to Xena!

February 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| Page 21

A Holistic Approach to Drug-Free Pain Relief

by the Sandpoint Wellness Council www.SandpointWellnessCouncil.com

Many physicians are now referring pain sufferers to non-drug based therapies in order to reduce drug dependencies, invasive procedures, and/or side effects.

The challenge has been to find the least invasive, affordable, non-toxic approach that is easy to administer with verifiable results.

One of the fastest growing methods of natural pain relief is Pulsating Electromagnetic field therapy. Used by doctors, trainers, and for personal use, over 400,000 sessions with results are a testament to its power. This safe and effective modality is used for accelerated therapeutic purposes with a wide range of conditions including injuries, chronic pain, neurological conditions, and more.

By applying PEMF, cellular functions can be improved considerably, and therefore this procedure is being used as a means of drug free therapy.

Hospitals use PEMF therapy to accelerate the healing of fractures which can be treated even through a plaster cast, since magnetic fields permeate all materials.

There have been over 2,000 double blind tests performed on PEMF therapy showing positive results. Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, Wash. conducted a double blind test for migraines using PEMF therapy with positive results of 75 percent showing decreased headache activity.

From clinical experiments we know that PEMF can reduce pain sensations almost immediately. When cells are toxic, degenerated, or damaged, the cell membrane gets thick and stiff; therefore, the electrical and chemical receptors don’t

function properly. During a PEMF session when the pulsating field reaches the cells, the cell membranes are exercised and they become more flexible and more vital like they were when they were younger and healthier. The cells expand; fresh nutrients and oxygen rush into the cells. The cells then contract and push toxins out. As a result, the cells are cleansed and refreshed.

We can also think of PEMF as a battery recharger for the human cell. We now know that the voltage of a healthy cell is about 70 millivolts, and when we get sick that voltage can drop to as low as 30 millivolts or lower in the cases of terminal cancers. Pulsed electromagnetic fields act like a catalyst and battery recharger for the human cells and these PEMFs are critical for human metabolism All types of cells respond: muscle cells, blood cells, brain cells, and bone cells. Why? The magnetic field “permeates” all cells in the body simultaneously down to the last molecular level—reaching parts of the body that cannot be influenced efficiently with other methods for the purpose of enhancing ion exchange, cell voltage, normalizing circulation, and increasing the oxygen utilization of the cell. Acute and even chronic conditions may disappear completely.

Just as with medications, there are precautions to take with PEMF therapy. It should not be used with electrical implants, pregnancy, seizures, or prior to surgery.

Unlike some medications, there are no harmful side effects.

If cells do not receive the PEMFs of the earth, they die within hours. Human beings, as well as all earthly life forms, are somehow energetically attuned to the weak background magnetic field of the planet. The earth emits a magnetic field, but you may not realize that this magnetic field changes with time and has a very precise frequency and intensity that drives all life on planet Earth. Much

more than a simple directional guidance for birds, bees and human navigation, this pulsed electromagnetic field of the earth is the catalyst, the very spark of all biochemical reactions occurring in life forms. We as humans need these pulsating magnetic fields not only to be healthy, but to actually stay alive!

NASA scientists observed a new, previously unreported illness experienced by a number of the first astronauts.

This illness came to be known as “space sickness.” Eventually, a decreased exposure to the earth’s magnetic field was found to be responsible for space sickness.

Since those historic flights zero field studies, experiments done in chambers made of a special metal called “Mu,” which blocks all magnetic fields of the earth, have confirmed that living cells will die within hours if they do not receive the PEMFs of the Earth. That includes human cells. So PEMFs are as much a required element of health as food, water, oxygen, and sleep. In fact you can live longer without food and water than you can without PEMFs. Because of the Earth’s weakening magnetic field and the steel and concrete structures we inhabit, we are not getting the full benefit of the earth’s electromagnetic field. We are also being exposed to more high frequency electromagnetic pollution today then in past years. This comes in the form of computers, TVs, cordless phones, cell towers, and cell phones just to name a few.

Thus, PEMF devices are more applicable now than ever before. Who wouldn’t want to get your millivolts up? It is fast and easy and if you can find effective pain relief and healing without drugs—why not? The technology is restoring vitality and hope creating a large impact in today’s world.

Robin Mize is a Certified Stress and

Page 22 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| February 2010

Downtown Sandpoint’s

Madcap Mardi Gras February 11 - 16

more details at www.SandpointMardiGras.com February 11, 2010 • •

Guess the Beads Kick-off (ongoing throughout the celebration at participating businesses). Ends at noon on Fat Tuesday.

Open Mic Night and Mardi Gras Costume Contest at Coldwater Creek Wine Bar, 311 N. First Ave. Arrive incognito dressed in a crazy Mardi Gras costume and belt out your favorite songs during Open Mic Night from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

February 12, 2010 Pain Specialist and a proud member of the Sandpoint wellness council You can reach her by email at mizewell@ gmail.com, on the Internet at www.scionow. com, or by phone at 208-263-8846.

Please call any of us or visit our blog at www. sandpointwellnesscouncil.com to ask questions or leave comments. Our goal is to be a resource for our community; our blog is your forum to interact with us and other readers.

Sandpoint Wellness Council members: Krystle Shapiro, BA, LMT, CDT,Reiki, Touchstone Massage Therapies Oncology Massage Specialist 208.290.6760 Owen Marcus, MA Rolfing 208.265.8440 www.align.org Mary Boyd, MS, PT Mountain View Physical Therapy 208.290.5575 J. Ilani Kopiecki, BA, CMT Integrated Bodywork and Craniosacral Therapy 208.610.2005 Robin & Layman Mize CBS Quantum Biofeedback 208.263.8846 Chris Rinehart Homeopathy 208.610.0868 Will Mihin, Chiropractic 208.265.2225 Suzanne Avina Herbology 208.946.6640 Peter Mico Yoga 208.265.1570

• • •

Merlove & Chocolate. Pend d’Oreille Winery, 220 Cedar St., hosts a special event featuring Merlot, chocolate and live music. 5- 7 pm Under 21 Party. EFX Bowling, 120 S. Division in Sandpoint, offers up Mardi Gras fun for families. 7-9 pm The Follies. Angels Over Sandpoint presents their annual adult variety show production, The Follies, featuring zany local acts in the Panida Theater. The performance begins at 8 pm (doors open at 7).

Please note, you must be 21 years or older to attend. This show is rated R; the producers urge that it is NOT for the easily offended!

February 13, 2010 •

• •

Downtown Golf Scramble. Shotgun start at 9 am with an awards luncheon at 1 pm. Price to play is $25 per person or $12 for caddies.

Fees include awards and lunch. Register by Feb. 9 - call the DSBA at 208-290-7565.

Rubber Chicken Fling. Visit participating businesses downtown from 1 to 5 pm. Each business has a different theme and different prizes.

Merlove & Chocolate. See above

February 14, 2010 • •

Family Day. Cedar Street Bridge hosts a free Family Day from 11 to 1.

Mask making, Spam carving and an Oreo-stacking competition.

Merlove & Chocolate. See above.

February 15, 2010 •

Mardi Gras Poker Run, 3-6 pm. Bring your poker hand to MickDuff’s Brewing, 312 N. First Ave., at 6 pm for an awards party.

February 16, 2010 • • •

Mardi Gras Finale throughout the downtown “French Quarter” Trivia FAT Tuesday. MickDuff’s, 312 N. First Ave., beginning at 7 pm.

Relay for Life Mardi Gras Kickoff. The Masonic Lodge in Sandpoint, 319 N. 2nd Ave., hosts the kickoff of the Relay for Life at 5:30 pm. Appetizers, plus wine and beer, will be provided by Laughing Dog and Pend d’Oreille Winery. For more information, contact BJ Tietjen at 208-2632441, e-mail bjnet@hughes.net, or visit RelayforLife.org/bonnerid.

February 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| Page 23

Coffelt Funeral Home, Sandpoint, Idaho.

Get complete obituaries online at

www.CoffeltFuneral.com CLARA HILLS Clara Harriett Hills, August 13, 1936—January 5, 2010. Born and raised in New York, moved to California and worked for Disney in the film industry. Moved to Sandpoint in the late 60s. Worked as hostess and cashier for Mitzi’s Fifth Avenue. Married Lawrence Darlin, then Alan VanEtten. Attended New Song Bible Church. Mother to one son, Mark Darlin.

GEORGE PALMER George Addison Palmer, March 24, 1921—January 10, 2010. Born in St. Mary’s, Wash. Worked in aeronautical engineering with Lockheed and Boeing. Retired and lived in Hope and Sandpoint with his wife, Blanche for 25 years, until 2005 when he moved to Stanwood, Wash. to live near his oldest son.

MARVIN A. EMERY Marvin A. “Barney” Emery, March 19, 1916— January 10, 2010. Born in Marlin, Wash., grew up in the Palouse. After high school worked for the CCC. Married Hazel Trimmer June 6, 1936. Became a welder, and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Moved to Sandpoint in 1943, worked for Mountain States Power and Pacific Power. Member of Sandpoint United Methodist Church and American Legion. Coached Little League baseball. He was active in the I.O.O.F. (Odd Fellows Lodge) serving locally as Noble Grand of the lodge, a term as Grand Master for the State of Idaho, and helped with the Patriotic Essay program. He was also a member of Plummer I.O.O.F. Lodge #142 and the Tillicum Rebekah Lodge #109.

RACHEL DALLAS Rachel Anne Dallas, November 16, 1991 - January 11, 2010. Born in Lake Arrowhead, Calif., moved to Sandpoint with her family in 1997. Involved in Sandpoint Soccer Asso. and Sandpoint Junior Miss. 2009 graduate of Sandpoint High School. Attended U of I as a biology major until her death.

ESTER MOORE Ester Mae Moore, December 18, 1929 - January 11, 2010. Born in Dallas City, Ill, moved to Southern California as a child, married Donald Moore in 1947. Moved to Sandpoint in 1978 where they owned a video store in Sagle until 2000.

NANCY CRABB Nancy Colleen Crabb, December 6, 1939 - January 14, 2010. Born in Dover, Idaho, a 1958 graduate of Sandpoint High School. Worked at the Bootery, then Sandpoint Super Drug. Married Frank Chapin, then Theodore Crabb. Moved to Bonners Ferry in 1993. Was a past president of Sandpoint Eagles Auxiliary and past president of Rainbow Chasers of North Idaho RV Club.

An avid stamper, she enjoyed many crafts. Attended the Free Methodist Church. Was a mother of three and stepmother of three. Died after a brief and courageous battle with cancer. Memorials may be made to American Cancer Society, 2676 Vista Avenue, Boise, ID, 83705.

ROBERT HERNVALL Robert Lewis Hernvall, May 1, 1924 - January 15, 2010. Born in St. Maries, Idaho and a 1942 graduate of Sandpoint High School. Served for three years in World War II and survived the Battle of the Bulge. Married Mabel Jensen July 28, 1946.

Lived in Priest Lake, Kenniwick, Wash. and Sandpoint. A true woodsman, logger, carpenter and huckleberry picker, he volunteered at the Sandpoint Animal Shelter. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and gold dredginng.

JAMES WOODHEAD James “Jim” “Woody” Woodhead, October 30, 1940—January 17, 2010. Born in Columbus, Ohio, a graduate of Columbus High School and attended Ohio State University. Moved to Phoenix, Ariz. and joined the Phoenix Police Dept. Married Linda Audette on November 23, 1983. Retired after 23 years as a police officer and moved to Flagstaff, Ariz., and then to Heron, Mont. in 1998. Was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police and enjoyed fishing.

KIRK SAUER Kirk Von Sauer, October 3, 1961—January 22, 2010.

Born in Missoula, Mont., moved to Sandpoint in 1965 where his family managed the Ben Franklin store. Later moved to a ranch in Sagle and raised award-winning cattle for 4-H. Worked as a logger for Shorty Blood and for his brothers with Sauer Logging. Worked for Tony Lowery doing construction. Married Kathy and had three kids. Enjoyed the outdoors and his children. Died after a courageous battle with cancer.

MARJORIE FINDLAY Marjorie V. “Jones” Findlay, April 22, 1922—January 22, 2010. Born in Billings, Mont., spent the early part of her life in Canada but was mostly raised in Billings. Moved to Spokane, Wash. after graduation where she worked as a “soda jerk” in a drugstore. Married Frank Findlay, Jr. on June 29, 1941. Several years later moved to a 640 acre cattle ranch in Cocolalla. Raised livestock and farmed until 1955 when they built Findlay Lumber, which they operated from 1955 ‘til 1971. Was chairwoman for the Farm Bureau for 8 years and had a radio program on KSPT for five years. From early 70s through the mid-80s owned an apple orchard in Washington and Findlay Apartments in Spokane, while maintaining their Cocolalla farm. Loved music and literature and wrote poetry. Family and sharing and living her Christian faith were her joys.

Lakeview Funeral Home, Sandpoint, Idaho.

Get complete obituaries online at

www.LakeviewFuneral.org RUBY JAMES Ruby Inez James, February 21, 1936—January 4, 2010. Born Oconto Co., Wisc., grew up and attended schools in Auburn, Wash. In 1952 was Miss Puget Sound. Became a Physician’s Assistant and worked for Dr. Wilde. Married Gorden Tresness in 1955 and had two children, later married Richard James. A beautiful woman she loved both dressing up and the outdoors, including elk hunting. Also loved to cook. In 2007 moved to Sagle due to health reasons to be near her sister.

Mother of two. Memorial donations may be made to Panhandle Animal Shelter, 870 Kootenai Cut-Off Rd., Ponderay, ID 83852.

DAVID BUTTS David Baxter Butts, November 7, 1930—January 5, 2010. Born Hinsdale, Ill, graduated Hinsdale High School and attended New Mexico A&M. Served four years in the U.S. Navy including two tours in Japan. Received a B.S. in Forest Recreation from Colorado State with a minor in Forestry, plus an M.S. in Wildland Resource Administration with an emphasis in Fire Management.

Was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Xi Sigma Pi forestry honorary and the Society of American Foresters. In June 1958 married Marjorie Madison.

Spent 31 years working for the National Park Service.

Retired in 1989 as the Chief of the Branch of Fire Management. Retired again in 1996 from Idaho Bureau of Disaster Services as an emergency planner, and

built a retirement home in Sandpoint. His work assigned him to various spectacular places, including the Natchez Trace Parkway, Yosemite National Park, Glacier Bay Nat’l Monument, and Rocky Mountain Nat’l Park, among others.

Developed and implemented a Backcountry Management Program applied throughout the park system. Was a kids’ soccer coach and assisted with scouting. Fishing, fly tying, downhill skiing, woodworking, hiking, gardening, winter camping and cross country skiing were some of his favorite past times. Memorial donations may be made to Parkinson’s Resource Center of Spokane, 910 West 5th Avenue, Suite 256, Spokane, WA 99204 or Daybreak Center c/o Sandpoint Area Seniors Inc, 820 Main St, Sandpoint, ID 83864.

DARLYS ADAMS Darlys Novella Adams, February 13, 1936—January 5, 2010. Born in Yuba City, Ariz., where she grew up, attended school and then married Jess Harris. Moved to Sacramento, Calif. and worked as an Opthalmology Asst.

Later married Raleigh Adams. Mother of two. Moved to Clark Fork in 2007 due to health reasons. Loved her cats, needle point and crocheting. Memorial donations may be made to Panhandle Animal Shelter, 870 Kootenai Cut-Off Rd., Ponderay, ID 83852.

PATRICIA HOLMES Patricia Nancy Poling Holmes, January 12, 1922— January 9, 2010. Born in Casper, Wyo. Shortly after birth her family moved to Denver, Colo. Graduated Denver East High School and attended University of Redlands, earning a B.S. in music. Married Cliff Holmes June 5, 1943. Raised three children and took Montessori training as a teacher in 1972. Earned a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education. Played the pipe organ and the folk harp.

LEWIS TIFFT Lewis Randolph Tifft, June 25, 1941— January 13, 2010. Born in Sandpoint and a 1960 graduate of Sandpoint High School. Married Linda Bullock February 8, 1961. Enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and worked as a jet engine mechanic.

Returned to Sandpoint after 7 years of service, worked for Pack River Lumber. Moved to Priest River in 1990 and worked in lumber mills ‘til his retirement in 2009. Father of four. Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Enjoyed fishing, hunting, camping, having coffee with his friends, and taking drives in the car.

SANDRA COURTNEY Sandra Lee Courtney, December 5, 1939—January 15, 2010. Born in Sheridan, Wyo. Grew up in Richland, Wash. and attended University of Washington. Worked for Hughes Airwest as a flight attendant. Married Gene Courtney November 25, 1961. Mother of four. Moved to Laclede in 2007 after retirement. Donations in Sandy’s memory may be made to Kootenai Cancer Center c/o Kootenai Health Foundation, 2003 Kootenai Health Way, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814 or Celebrate Life, P.O. Box 420, Ponderay, ID 83852.

PAUL NYBANK Paul Eric Nybank, March 16, 1921—January 19, 2010. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark. Married Gudrun Petersen on November 12, 1944. Moved to San Francisco Bay area with his wife and two sons in October, 1953. Paul was an Honored Royal Danish Guard for the Queen in Denmark, a salesman of men’s clothing, a boat builder, and a finish carpenter. He was an avid sailor, a horseman, a hiker, and enjoyed time with his family and his animals. A special thank you to the compassionate staff and residents of Luther Park in Sandpoint.

VIRGINIA HINDMARSH Virginia Jane Hindmarsh, July 3, 1924—January 28, 2010. Born in New York where she grew up and attended schools. Married Del Hindmarsh March 4, 1946. Lived in Salt Lake City, Utah for 35 years until moving to 20 acres in Careywood on retirement. Mother of two. A member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, where she helped in the soup kitchen. Enjoyed cooking, quilting, sewing and her grandchildren.

A human life is a story told by God. ~Hans Christian Andersen

Page 24 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| February 2010

Currents

Developing Small Town Values Lou Springer

nox5594@blackfoot.net

To be developed or not to be developed is not the question; the question is how to develop. In 1988, there was a self-assured, 24-year-old forestry graduate who knew a lot about loblolly pine. One of his kinder nicknames among the seasonal employees on the Cabinet Ranger District was ‘Junior Ranger.’ When it was mentioned to him that the local people had knowledge about the region, his reply was, “I’ll be G*D dammed if I’m going to listen to any logger with an eighth grade education!”

That was the attitude Junior brought to planning development of Big Eddy. Here, where the old highway gently dropped under the waters of the Cabinet Gorge reservoir, was an unofficial boat launch used by locals. About a dozen or so Heron people, hearing a rumor of a boat dock being built, requested that the location remain low key, ‘day use only.’ “Sure”, said Junior, “anything you want.”

A pit toilet, nice addition, was erected. A few picnic tables, a parking lot; for the first few years, Big Eddy remained a nice place.

Then campers and trailers moved into the parking lot. Some people were seasonally employed and needed a place to set up; some were on extended camping trips and or squatting. The entire idea of day use was discarded and a brown sign designating campground was erected on the highway.

This no fee, unregulated campground has continued to attract squatters, bikers and other long-term campers. It is no longer a pleasant summer spot. Some locals go in the fall to clean up the astounding refuse of sloppy people. In one fire pit were a couple dozen Bud Lite and Pepsi cans, one torn size 8 flip flop, plastic wrappers of chips, blown shot gun shells, empty cans of chili, bread wrappers, plastic forks and covering a stinking, oozing pile of disposable diapers was what appeared to be a small red pup tent. Picked up with a stick, it proved to be a size 3X, sheer polyester blouse. Who are these people?

At the January Heron Town Meeting, Brian Burkey, recreational specialist for AVISTA told attendees that the private landowner had given right-away for AVISTA to improve the road leading to Heron’s unofficial swimming hole. Did the people want a better road and maybe pit toilet, Burkey asked? At first the fifty or so attendees thought this was a swell idea since the road is in really bad shape and the old privy had fallen years ago.

Then the doubts arose. Several people voiced concern that the swimming hole would become as ill-used as trashed out Triangle Pond. With better roads into and And they don’t have to—after don’t around to Triangle, people now canall, encircle wewater Americans believe if it’sand ours, it’s ours the with cans, plastic, discarded and we canOthers do withfeared it whatthat we want?

Or fishing gear. it would become a campground filed with strangersis we want it, then like Big Eddy. At least theand squatters/campers atyou thehave quarry swimming holeif had been to give it to us and you don’t, locals. then you sponsor terrorism and we’ll It seems a great opportunity to have AVISTA of road improvement, By bear the the way,costs China wants that oil as but it will take careful planning avoid who the well.

Remember China?

The to people well-meaning mistakes that have resulted in loaned us all that money? China’s oil neglected campgrounds. consumption is around 6.5 billion barrels In the 70s Rodney Brooking built and a year, and is growing at 7 percent every hauled a raft down to the swimming hole.

It produces about 3.6hauled billion in barrels Inyear. the 80s, the Sellmer bunch tons Does this math look good to ofevery sand year. to create a beach.

There once was, when the road in better shape, daily anyone?

Canwas anyone other thana Sarah rhythm use.

Young mothers with toddlers Palin of and George Bush believe we can came and left Anyone before drill in ourthe waymid outmorning of this problem? nap time.

The afternoon belonged toground rowdy who doesn’t think we better hit the teenagers—pushing each other off the running to figure out how to fuel whatraft we and daring each other to jump from the want fueled with something other than rocks. In the evening hours, families came, oil probably deserves to go back to an bringing grills and ice chests.

If the Heron community wants to hold I could on onto the values of small: town life, go it will forever, but you’ll quit Rodney reading.building So one final call for effort, just like the discussion for the use.

American public. raft for everyone’s We need, like First, the Sellmers hauling sand, to take responsibility let’s have a true, independent analysis of forwhat our happened own recreational ‘day use’ 11, site.2001. on September If those of us who live along Clark The official explanation simplythedoesn’t Fork do not take part in development, we hold water. This is one of those “who will continue to see diminished landscapes knew what, when” questions that must be that don’t nourish the soul, and do damage toanswered—and our communities.people/institutions must

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February 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| Page 25

A Seat in the House Budget projections worse than expected George Eskridge

Idaho Dist. 1B Representative

idaholeginfo@lso.idaho.gov 1-800-626-0471 The second regular session of the 60th Idaho legislature convened on January 11, opening with a combined State-of-the State and budget report by Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter in a joint session of the Idaho Legislature.

In his fourth State-of-the State address the Governor recognized the adverse economic revenue condition of Idaho and proposed a budget that recommended reductions in the current fiscal year 2010 budget and a fiscal year 2011 spending that would include no increase in spending over the final FY 2010 budget The Governor has limited authority to reduce state spending if revenues aren’t sufficient to meet current spending; however the legislature has to approve his actions during the next session in order to make any reduction in spending permanent.

Because of the decline in revenues since the legislature adjourned last spring the Governor instituted a 4 percent holdback in spending a few months ago. In his budget address to the legislature he recommended that the legislature not only approve the 4 percent reduction he implemented earlier, but also approve another 1.6 percent reduction to accommodate a worsening revenue situation.

Recognizing that the legislature was going to have to make some difficult decisions in spending priorities the Governor suggested that the legislature follow the five fundamental principles listed below in order to set a balanced budget as required by the Idaho Constitution: 1. We must not raise taxes. “It is not our place to impose an additional economic burden on the people of Idaho who already are struggling, or to put a damper on our economic recovery.”

2. We must continue to maintain some level of cash reserve against the prospect of our economic recovery taking longer and being less robust than we hope.

3. We must do whatever we can within the people’s means to protect the educational opportunities and safeguard the potential of the next generation of Idahoans.

4. We must do whatever we can within the people’s means to protect the health, safety and well-being of our

citizens-especially the neediest and most vulnerable among us.

5. We must do whatever we can to avoid any duplication of effort or any waste of the taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars.

Unfortunately, Idaho’s economic situation has continued to worsen since the Governor’s budget recommendations were provided to the legislature at the beginning of the session. Given this the legislature’s Joint Legislative Economic Outlook and Revenue Assessment Committee has approved a General Fund revenue projection for the end of this fiscal year of $2.28 billion and $2.29 billion for FY 2011 and is recommending that Senate and House Leadership and the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee use these amounts in finalizing General Fund appropriations for the current fiscal year and FY 2011.

The FY 2010 projection is about $69 million below the Governor’s estimate used in his budget recommendations and about $59 million below his FY2011 estimate. Assuming these numbers will be used by the legislature in setting the final budget for this year and the upcoming fiscal year, it will mean even deeper cuts for public schools, higher education and other government services than was anticipated when the session began.

Already the difficulty the legislature is going to experience in determining how to reduce spending is exemplified by two major recommendations from the Governor to help reduce spending; one was a recommendation to remove the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation from General Fund support by moving administration responsibilities into the Department of Lands and the Department’s reservation responsibility into the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

The Governor’s recommendation was met by a large outcry of opposition by the public resulting in a challenge by the Governor to Park Director Nancy Merrill to “develop a plan that would get Parks and Recreation off the state’s General Fund while keeping Idaho’s state parks open.”

The Director did develop a plan that was accepted by the Governor and jointly announced by Governor Otter and Director Merrill on January 22. In summary the plan presented to the Governor “reduces operations to functions that are essential to the agency’s mission, implements agencywide efficiencies, and identifies partners within other state agencies to eliminate duplication of services. It also calls for

using money from the RV Registration Fund to help offset the costs of personnel and operations within state parks that have a direct relationship to the RV use, such as Farragut, Ponderosa and Bruneau.” The plan also eliminates 25 full time positions, most of which are Boise headquarter’s personnel.

The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation plan agreed upon by the Governor and the Director is subject to the approval of the legislature.

The other recommendation was that of eliminating Idaho Public Television from state funding. Under the Governor’s plan the $1.6 million General Fund appropriation for Public Television would be completely eliminated by 2014. The $1.6 million is about one-fourth of Public Television’s $7 million annual budget.

The legislature will ultimately have to decide what action to take on Public Television funding but public opposition to the recommendation is significant. I have currently received over 100 e-mails in opposition to this measure and other legislators are experiencing the same reaction from Idaho citizens opposing the recommendation.

These two instances are only examples of the difficulty the legislature will face in the upcoming days of the session as we decide on agency appropriations that will meet our balanced budget requirement and still maintain the most needed government services.

I will keep you informed on additional legislative issues and actions as the session progresses. In the meantime please feel free to contact me with your thoughts on issues of importance to you. I can be reached toll free at 1-800-626-0471, by regular mail at P.O. Box 83720, Boise, Idaho 83720-0038 or by e mail at idleginfo@lso.idaho.gov.

Thanks for reading! George

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Page 26 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| February 2010

Scott Clawson

acresnpains@dishmail.net I’ve recently become excruciatingly aware of external forces bent on trimming my finances regarding the ever-present need to stay mobile, beyond those I was already aware of like driving habits, maintenance (preventative as well as emergency), idiots in parking lots, kamikaze pilots on borrowed time, wildlife intent on suicide and over friendly dogs with sharp claws and big bladders. (Urine eats nice wheels and I like nice wheels.)

I’ve gone through an amazing array of vehicles since 1967 when I bought my first Yamaha at 15. All of them chosen carefully for one reason or another. Almost always the almighty dollar had a lot to do with it.

Occasionally, stupidity played a larger role, without my being aware of it until later of course. We are quite cable of hiding things from ourselves in order to satisfy other hungers. Keep this in mind later on as it has a lot to do with the plot on this page of the magazine.

Once in your late fifties, one becomes painfully cognizant of the financial treadmill you’ve been on for so very long and that one day, sooner’n you think, you will fly off that amusement ride and find yourself surviving on yer wits and yer Social Security checks and whatever else you’ve managed to hide from your ego over the years. In my case, precious little has been stowed away due to other criteria such as eating and payin’ taxes. I can see it’s gonna be tough and I have an ever-expanding respect for those already in that pair of shoes.

A couple of months ago, I did something I’ve never done before (in this life anyways) and figured I’d better do it now or fever hold my credit. I bought a brand new rig!

A Chevy Colorado from Joe and Brett at Taylor Parker Motors. I love it, pamper it, talk to it, and would probably throw myself bodily between it and any threat to its well-being. The day after bringing it home, admiring its lustrous beauty in my driveway and pinching myself repeatedly, I was horrified as a large sploop of bird poop made a perfect landing on the hood. I can’t remember what I blurted out, but it made my dog pee without thinking!

Two days later, I was taking my new unit on its maiden voyage to work, rollin’ down the ‘Cocolalla Flats’ at 6:30 am and following not too closely a train of cars dutifully tagging along behind a state plow in the process of pre-treating the pavement with sodium chloride brine in the event

the temperature dropped below freezing, which it didn’t. Six miles later and pretty well pre-treated myself, I turned down Sagle Road and headed for work, sodium chloride dripping off every brand new, shiny part. By the time I pulled in to work, my sweet new ride was blown dry and resembled a salt-cured silver ham. It didn’t sit well with my newly elevated pride. I almost cried!

This turned into an almost daily, or twice-daily, occurrence, which kept it in my thoughts like a thin tamarack sliver directly penetrating a fingertip and unwilling to come out until Uncle Fester shows up. After two months and roughly 100 treatments later, that sliver is still there penetrating my thoughts. This has led me to talk to a wide assortment of people in an attempt to pull it out and thus lighten my demeanor, which it hasn’t.

I called the state to find out what they were currently using on our racetrack; sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, calcium/magnesium acetate, or whatever they deemed suited to making sure nothin’ ever freezes out there on the highway. I was informed they were using ‘salt brine’ (the first one on that list).

I also asked if the traffic was also on the list of things to be sprayed and related that, even though I’d pulled over to the apron to avoid a direct hit from an oncoming spray unit thirty feet away, I got pressure treated and temporarily blinded anyway!

The response my ears received was, “Well, sometimes they forget that they have it on.” This put me in a ‘prickle,’ that bein’ a situation where you want to say something profound but realize you’d better not.

I know a lot of people who run in the ‘Cocolalla 500’ on a regular basis—some even go as far as takin’ in the ‘Beyond Hope 200’ as well—and I’m finding out there’s a fair amount of fergettin-what-they’re-doin goin’ on out there. A lot of people I talk to are getting hosed down (with their own tax money, ha ha).

For this reason, always keep your washers operable and primed to use them.

This could save yer hide and those of other participants. Be prepared for hydroplaning, too (and I’m not referring to a boat race, either).

Everyone knows what salt does to your automobile. Anyone hapless enough to fall in like with a used vehicle from Michigan, Chicago, or anywhere else they use a lot of salt to de-ice roads or even from hurricaneafflicted areas will tell you, or their mechanic

will, what it does to the underside of things mobile. Have any vehicle you are thinkin’ of purchasing inspected by someone you trust to look out for your interests.

“You can pop a nut just tryin’ to get a tire and wheel off a hub sometimes, an’ I don’t mean ‘lug nut’, either!” This I got from a well-seasoned mechanic who now wears a truss to avoid further distribution of his lower intestines down his pant legs. I’ll leave him anonymous but a little grumpy.

“I’ve received a mixed reaction from mechanics and other service-related guys I’ve queried lately over my current hobby of tryin’ to keep my new truck from decomposing before it’s even paid for. One said “park it or at least get those nice rims off ‘til summer!” Some, I’ll admit, seemed hesitant, like they may receive a bolt of retribution for bad-mouthing some higher authority. Most others don’t care about that and happily showed me their skinned knuckles and hernia scars.

“You oughta see what it does to brake rotors! Uglier’n my mother-in-law’s cookin’!” Scott, the service manager who babies all my things automotive, told me the other day while I was wringin’ my hands and frettin’ over my newfound concerns. Jeff Kemp replied, “It’s disgusting what it makes chrome, stainless steel and aluminum look like if you don’t keep ‘em clean and protected!” Barry Frazier told me, “After I rebuild my El Camino for the third time, I’ll probably quit driving it completely!”

Now that bothers me a lot, because I like to see his El Camino.Russ out at the UPS Depot put in, “Our guys hose their trucks down (and even me) when they come back in at night so it cuts way down on exposure to corrosion. My biggest problem with the de-icers is what it does to wiring and connections!” This was echoed twice to me by both Cliff Irish and Wes Olsen, who run a sizeable fleet of trucks and equipment up and down these roads.

The auto and concrete industries have been trying to mitigate damage to cars, trucks, concrete bridges and roadways and there have been gains, especially in the auto sector, but they are far from making them corrosion proof!

The problem is so convoluted due to the benefits of safer road surfaces versus overall costs of materials and collateral damage, we may never see a handshake between all parties concerned.

Environmental and mechanical fallout is becoming more pronounced all the time. If

February 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| Page 27

De-icer- Cont’d from page 27 you can Google, type in “highway deicers and automotive corrosion,” click enter and start readin’. It’s that easy! Get informed, for ignorance sure as hell ain’t bliss.

I’ve learned a lot in the past couple weeks and plan to do a bunch more digging.

In the meantime, and probably thereafter, I’ll continue to try and protect my ‘rolling investments’ by visiting a full underbelly car wash once a week and maybe install one at home! I realize that ain’t cheap, but neither is complacency. Your mechanics will reward and thank you later, and so will your checkbook.

And speaking again of hiding things from ourselves to satisfy other hungers, getting somewhere faster always has a cost applied somewhere, be that stopping to wash your rig all the time or watching your unit rot out from under you. Time is money

and money is time. Sure, you can pass the problem off to someone else (something we’re famous for anyways) and trade it in before the damage gets obvious, but sooner or later the buying public is gonna wise up and have any rig inspected before opening their wallet because the investment is well worth it.

And unless you do some listening, you won’t hear the horror stories about unsuspecting car buyers and there are many in our own little neighborhood. Recyling headaches is one of this country’s new industries; where the job market seems to be heading these days. Just another form of false advertising no matter what color collar yer wearin’.

Idaho Department of Transportation’s website provided me with this little gem: “... merely reducing a speed limit has little effect on the speed at which motorists will travel.” Well, that was certainly reassuring, but then again I already knew it.

Twenty years ago, on a rainy, cold evening, Highway 95 glazed over in the middle of the main event and I found myself tryin’ to keep my feet, watchin’ one man die and listening to five of my friends and fellow firefighter/EMTs crying to get out of a mangled little Blazer. They were on their way to Spirit Lake for an EMT class and got in a ‘head-on’ with a jerk. I’ve wished a million times that night never happened, ‘cause it screwed things up for some really good kids and for the dumbest of all reasons.

But nights like that are going to continue no matter what they spray on our roads and no matter what the speed limit is. The drier the road, the faster they fly. Those with no time to spare will push the envelope and sometimes it’ll rip open, spilling consequences all over everyone.

I ain’t done with this subject, but I’ve run out of magazine in which to put it. In the meantime, ‘keep it clean!’

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Page 28 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| February 2010

From the Mouth of the River

Christmas is the time of year when you hear from old friends and family. Most are people you haven’t heard from since last year at this time. In fact, you had forgotten a lot of them, or at least tried. Some of these people you haven’t heard from since they tried to borrow money, but they take this time to bring you up to speed on their pending divorce or that they’re getting out on work release and wonder if you could put them up for a few days or until they can find work. This, of course, would be from your drinking uncle who’s never held a job a day in his life outside of trash pick up for the sheriff ’s department. Or his niece, who has three kids all under the age of three and who wants to stay with you until she finds a job.

All of this news usually comes in the form of a Christmas card with a family newsletter attached filling you in on all that’s happened since last they wrote. There will be pictures of their latest arrivals, which include dogs, kids or grandkids. All of them look like little kids or dogs from anywhere in the world and they expect you to put their pictures on your refrigerator. The ones I like most, of course, are the pictures of the babies with writing on the back saying things like, he or she has its mother’s eyes or it looks just like its father, but no one knows who he is. All of these are to be placed alongside of all those other kids on the fridge whose pictures you don’t recognize either.

My wife, Lovie, went to every store in three cities trying to pick out the refrigerator that best matches our kitchen, and today she can’t tell you what color it is unless we take down some pictures. That’s

coming to an end as we speak as there is a new refrigerator sitting in the back of my truck. Lovie is redoing our whole kitchen.

There is nothing wrong with any of our appliances, it’s just that women have to do that every so often. Sorta like men needing a new truck or a new boat when there’s nothing wrong with the one they have. It’s just something we have to do.

Anyway, we’re giving the fridge to a needy person to live in or to someone who needs a fridge that works. We’ll even leave the pictures on it so they won’t have to replace them with pictures of kids their family sent. I did have to snicker this year when we received a Christmas card from some family members in Missouri. They are some distant cousins and their spouses, and standing next to one of the young ladies was her new black husband. I am putting that picture on our new fridge because this is indeed a new beginning for family as well as the state of Missouri.

As I said before, Lovie is redoing our kitchen and as much of the house as she can before I spend any more money on fishing gear. Because of my close relationship to Red Green, along with my inability as a handy man, which by the way I had to work at, she hired a hammer swinger named Rich to do the job. I soon figured out where he got that name when his chauffeur asked where he should park his limo. But I don’t deny my wife anything when it comes to our home. After all, as she pointed out, she lets me live there.

If there’s anything excessive about our house it would be the three dining rooms.

Perhaps I should explain. We have our large dining room where we eat when we have special guests such as the President, Sarah Palin, heads of state, that sort of thing. Then we have our dining room where we eat with our friends and neighbors and last but not least, the TV trays where we eat when we’re at home alone in front of the TV. The way I see it, with a half dozen more TV trays we could eliminate two rooms in our house.

I hope you’re enjoying the New Year and received all the gifts you deserved from Santa. As it turned out we received stretch pants and just in time, too, as that turkey grease was

starting to ease out through the pores of our skin. I obviously ate so much over the holidays that my stomach stretched to the point where I have to eat a half a loaf of dayold bread before I can start to eat lunch. I’m pretty sure we will loose it all by spring, just like we have for the last thirty years. Okay, maybe we will put on an inch or two like always, that’s normal, right? I had a twentynine inch waist when we got married and I still have it, but it’s twenty-nine on each side now. Boy, that woman can cook!

Lovie gathered up my clothes the other day and hung them in the closet and underneath all those clothes was a treadmill.

“Son of a gun,” she exclaimed, “all this time I thought that was a valet.”

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February 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 2| Page 29

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