The River Journal, May 2012

Because there’s more to life than bad news

A News

Local News • Environment • Wildlife • Opinion • People • Entertainment • Humor • Politics

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

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Regular Contributors

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509.534.3625 Contents of the River Journal are copyright 2012. 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.

May 2012

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3. WOLVERINES IN THE WOODS Phil Hough reports on the Friends of Scotchman’s wolverine study.

4. OSPREY OUR REALITY TV Sandpoint Online unveils the new osprey cam at Memorial Field 6. MEET THE MT SCRIBBLER Mona Vanek’s “Behind These Mountains� is a treasure trove of local history... and freely available.

8. THE COLLARED DOVE Mike reports on a new neighbor in town. A Bird in Hand.

12. RAIN AND SAGE The Scenic Route takes an olfactory journey.

13. HOOKING KIDS ON FISHING No, don’t actually use a fishing hook to do it while you’re On the Game Trail.

14. LET THE GARDENING BEGIN! Nancy helps you decide what to plant and when, Out in the Garden.

15. THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY ELECTION On May 15, it’s the Republican party offering up a plethora of choices.

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Meet the candidates asking for the Republican vote.

16 MAY IS BIKE MONTH Activities planned to help you get back in the saddle... or on the seat.

17 DRAWBACKS TO A STANDING MILITARY Gil theorizes about what causes us to support our troops in name only.

18. IDAHO’S CLOSED PRIMARY George reports on the new law that closed the Republican primary, and explains the process from A Seat in the House.

19. WHAT IS A CONSERVATIVE? Paul Rechnitzer defends a longstanding political outlook that’s no longer in fashion in Say What?

20. SANDPOINT CALENDAR There’s a lot going on in downtown Sandpoint.

21. CALIFORNICATION Trish says they’re here, they’re queer, and it’s not what we thought.

Politically Incorrect.

23. STOP! On Gary’s Faith Walk, it’s time to turn off the news.

24. DOPPELGANGERS Jody writes about the “dirty little secret� of ghost hunters.

25. BUILDING A SHED It’s an adventure when moose join you in your construction projects. The Hawk’s Nest.

26. THE REAL KIND OF CAMPING Jinx tells us that camping in Texas is nothing like camping at home.

27. 101 THINGS TO DO WHILE WAITING ON A TRAIN. Sing along with Scott on a musical journey of patience.

28. DON’T HIRE THIS BASKETBALL COACH Boots has some tips for the Zags, but they’re probably not going to like them.

COVER PHOTO BY TONY AVILA of biker, bodybuilder and brotherin-law Peter Broughton. Used with permission.

22. OBITUARIES

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REPRESENTING NORTHERN IDAHO’S TRADITIONAL CONSERVATIVE VALUES √ Senator Shawn Keough Legislative District 1 √ Representative Eric Anderson District 1A √ Representative George Eskridge District 1B Paid for by the Committee to Re-Elect Sen. Shawn Keough, Esther Gilchrist Treasurer and the Committee to Re-Elect Rep. George Eskridge, Verna Brady, Treasurer; and the Committee to Re-Elect Rep. Eric Anderson, Robbie Berg treasurer.

Citizen Science: Wolverines (and more) in our Woods Phil Hough T h e preliminar y results from our winter 2011-2012 Wolverine (Rare Forest Carnivore) study are in.

And from many measures, this was a stunning success. As a citizens’ science project we are proud to be setting new standards for what it possible!

First a big thank you to all the many volunteers who made this possible! And there are quite a few of you to thank. In fact, the number we would like to most celebrate is that we engaged 147 volunteers who contributed over 2,000 hours to this project!

We wrapped up the field portion of the study the last week of March. During the first week of April, our volunteers finished an initial sorting of the nearly 100,000 photos and Kelsey compiled some preliminary numbers and data.

A word of caution in using these numbers. We feel confident that the presence or absence of species from a particular station is accurate. But determining the number of unique individuals of any given species who visited any given station requires a review by wildlife biologists with training and experience. Individual martens, or fisher, have very few traits which distinguish one individual from another. The expert biologists at Idaho Fish and Game will be able to make a better determination of the final numbers based on their detailed review of our photos and on DNA analysis.

Sometime in late May IDFG will present a final report with data including our data, as well as the data that they and other partners collected from across the region.

For now, we know that many folks are anxious to see the preliminary data from “our” 40 stations set across the southern part of the Selkirks and southern part of the West Cabinet mountains, so here’s a quick look at the numbers: We engaged an estimated 147 volunteers. Of those volunteers, 39 were students working directly with their

school groups or classrooms.

Volunteers gave a total of 2,007 documented hours.

Of those hours, 1,741 were spent in the field deploying and monitoring Wildlife Camera Stations The remaining 266 hours were primarily spent reviewing photos, handling logistics such as bait preparation and training.

Sightings included a minimum of 41 marten, 23 fisher, 20 ermine, 33 flying squirrels, 7 bobcat and one red fox. The number of marten and fisher are likely to be higher. These were from the 40 stations our volunteers set—in addition, we know of at least one wolverine and one lynx found by IDFG on cameras they set out.

The full report can be viewed (and is available for download as a PDF file as well) online at scotchmanpeaks.org. This winter’s project was made possible by funding from the Zoo Boise Conservation Fund.

We hope the enthusiasm for this project will carry over to next year with the same number of, or more, volunteers.

If you were a volunteer during this season, we will contact you later this year with more info.

If you would like to add your name to our volunteer list for this project, send an email to mustelids@scotchmanpeaks.org Consider making a donation to FSPW to support our project next winter.

The bait station photos captured include bobcat (below) and from top to bottom at right, lynx, a very fat fisher, and marten, as well as the elusive wolverine (top left).

Phil Hough is the Executive Director for Friends of Scotchman Peaks. Reach him at Phil@scotchmanPeaks.org

May 2012| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| Page

Sandpoint’s Answer to Reality TV Sandpoint Online Osprey Cam Goes Live

Photo by Rick

Trish Gannon

Sandpoint’s War Memorial Field, located on Lakeview Blvd. on the south end of town and nestled up against the Pend Oreille River, is no stranger to cameras. Between Sandpoint Bulldog Football, Babe Ruth baseball, and the annual Festival at Sandpoint with its star-studded line-up of music under the August sky, cameras are a given.

And the ospreys who call War Memorial Field home are no strangers to cameras—or people—either.

In fact, there are many who have observed the birds as they go about their day who would insist these raptors actually ‘pose’ for photographs.

But the inevitable blend of bird and film has taken a new step this spring, as Sandpoint Online and the city of Sandpoint, with support from Avista and Northland Communication, unveiled the new Sandpoint Osprey Cam, allowing those anywhere in the world the chance to observe these birds in our local habitat, in real time, any time of day. Just visit sandpointonline.com/ospreys.

An ongoing renovation of the field resulted in the installation of new light poles, a favored nesting spot for the osprey. The pole on which the osprey cam is mounted was installed last summer, and an existing osprey nest was moved to a platform at its top in August. This location is one of two active nests on the field.

“The opportunity to place a web cam on the Memorial Field nest arose when the city undertook replacement of the aging light poles at the field in Autumn 2011,” explains the crew at Sandpoint Online. “Two of the old poles held osprey nests, and their replacement poles were built with nesting platforms above the light arrays. The new light standards soar 90 feet above the field, and placing the web cam was a project unto itself.” The complete story of how the project came about is available on the website.

Ospreys are raptors—the most widespread raptor in the world, in fact—reaching up to two feet in height and with a wingspan that can spread six feet. Just a few decades ago the osprey, whose population had been decimated by Miller the widespread use of DDT, were on the Endangered Species List.

Today, they are a testament to recovery, and the osprey who live at War Memorial Field are an integral part of the Sandpoint experience for many.

Ospreys tend to mate for life, and male and female share in the raising of their young. Their diet consists almost completely of fish, which is why they find this spot next to the river so attractive.

They are a diurnal bird, mostly active during daylight hours, though as night begins to fall they can often be observed in their nests, keeping a close eye on life in South Sandpoint. Although ospreys are noted for their apparent tolerance for life in proximity to humans, the ospreys at War Memorial Field seem especially adapted, their elaborate airborne ‘dance’ often triggering applause from those on the field attending an event.

Jane Fink, executive director of Birds of Prey Northwest, is a consulting biologist for the Sandpoint Osprey Cam and will be providing commentary and answering questions about our local birds in the blog that goes along with the osprey cam. She has prepared an extensive Q&A about the birds that is also available online, and includes information such as expected nesting behavior, and how to distinguish

between the male and female bird.

Ospreys migrate during the winter to South America, returning in the spring to our area, and Jane writes the raptors, “have a high nest-site fidelity and return to previously existing nest structures each year. You are likely seeing the same pair if you observe two birds early in the season at this nest site.”

Although there was only minimal nesting material on the nest site as the birds returned from their travels, a pair has already made great progress in crafting a new nest atop the light pole in front of the camera.

Jane’s observations of the recent osprey behavior led her to remark: “The female osprey is spending increasing time at the nest and the male has been bringing fish to her regularly.” She goes on to explain more of the process the birds are undertaking as they prepare their nest to receive eggs, which all hope will hatch into the next generation of osprey on the field. Once the female lays eggs, Jane writes, “Some 35-37 days or so will pass and she will begin to incubate after the first egg is laid. She will be relieved of her parental duties by the male daily, as he takes his turn at keeping the eggs warm.”

To watch the birds in action or to access the enormous amount of information available on osprey, the Osprey Cam project, the Memorial Field renovation, the “community chat” about the birds and the daily blog, visitsandpointonline.com/ ospreys/.

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May 2012| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| Page

T

he Festival at Sandpoint will be announcing our 30th annual season line-up of big stars under the big tent on Thursday, May 17, 2011.

Your last chance to buy season passes (if any are left) at the Early Bird price of just $179 (plus tax and city parks fee) will be midnight on Wednesday, May 16.

Buy your tickets online at our website at www.

Festival at Sandpoint.com, or call our office at 208-265-4554 (toll free at 888.265-4454).

For the earliest notification of our line-up, “like” our Facebook page, or visit our website!

A

nd don’t miss our poster unveiling on July 12!

Page | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| May 2012

The Montana Scribbler has History at her Fingertips A Q&A with the Sanders County Historical Author

For history buffs who have lived in this area for a while, Mona Vanek is one of our favorite little secrets. A prolific and award-winning author, Mona spent years researching, interviewing and compiling stories of the “old-timers” of Sanders County, a treasure trove of local history neatly bound in the three-volume series, “Behind These Mountains.” Long out of print, copies of these books are like written gold, and many an hour has been lost between their pages.

Not content with the one-shot publishing of what she looked at as a service project, Mona developed a website, behindthesemountains.com, where the contents of these books have been made freely available to any who want to learn a little more about the people who carved communities into the western edge of Montana. Mona’s accessible and engaging writing style will keep you glued to the page, and her stories of hard work and hardship will leave you in awe of the grit and determination demonstrated by the pioneers of our communities. Included with the stories are a stunning array of early photographs.

Mona graciously took the time to answer a few questions about herself, as well, and if you haven’t yet had the pleasure of making her acquaintance, we are honored to introduce you to Mona Leeson Vanek.

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?

A: My life was transformed from city luxuries to near homestead conditions one month before my thirteenth birthday.

On November 1, 1945, my parents retired and moved our family from Spokane, Washington, my birthplace, to a remote ranch in the Bull River Valley in Sanders County, Montana.

Instead of electricity, hot and cold running water, libraries and museums, dancing, acrobatics classes and swimming pools, I read Range Land Romances in the glow of gasoline lamps, milked cows in pre-dawn hours by the light of kerosene lanterns, fetched buckets of water from a hand-pump or river, and bounced over nearly 20 miles of primitive dirt road, in a converted van/school bus, to a combination elementary and high school in Noxon.

Before the end of the school year, I read through the 6th, 7th and 8th grades’

miniature library housed in the coat closet.

Four years later I graduated grade 12.

At age 16, I married Art, my handsome

logger. We settled down, built our home five miles west of Noxon on Highway 200, and raised our daughter and two sons.

Q. What led you to become interested in history?

A. I began writing news for the Sanders County Ledger after a five-year stint as Noxon’s Clerk of School Board and Secretary to the Superintendent ended with a disabling injury. I was left with a BIG VOID to fill and bills to pay.

To write news stories, I interviewed homesteaders, and become aware of the incredible challenges faced by people who opened the area to settlement after the Northern Pacific Railroad’s arrival in 1883.

My first questions were: “Where did you come from?” “When?” “Why?” and “Why did you stay?”

Although I was 32 years old and had spent nearly 20 years in the fabulously beautiful northwestern Montana mountains, I could not conceive of a single reason anyone would willingly remain in a region so economically depressed. It didn’t even have a library.

I’d learned just how hard it is to exist on beautiful scenery, pure air and clean water. My writing income for a year paid for our kids’ gym shoes and rented musical instruments, so they could continue to play

basketball and remain in the school band.

Q. In writing “Behind These Mountains,” what lessons did you come away with?

A. After recording the homesteaders’ stories and copying pictures from their private photo albums—during a dozen year or longer time-period—I began to understand what history classes made no mention of: those remarkable, enduring people and what they accomplished. To my immense pleasure, additional research revealed how these homesteaders had helped shape pivotal eras of our nation’s development.

Q. How long did it take you to write?

A. In the late 1970s I began compiling the interviews, documenting my research and writing many drafts of the actual manuscript. After I pitched it to several publishers who rejected it— saying it had everything but the kitchen sink, and I should cut and compile it into a proper history—I despaired of my book ever being published. However, Marylyn Cork, my friend and writing confidant since 1969 when we met in a creative writing class in Sandpoint, Idaho, suggested I offer the manuscript to Patrick Graham, owner-publisher of a newspaper, the Statesman-Examiner, in Colville, Wash.

Marylyn lives at Priest River in Idaho and I lived at Noxon, in Montana.

She and I still laugh about getting lost early that morning in the mountains between Priest River and Colville, when she accompanied me to offer my manuscript to Graham. We backtracked from a logging operation before taking the right road, and I was scared to death of being late for my appointment. But, Graham put us at ease by laughing about our escapade.

He welcomed my big box full of pages, and didn’t want even the smallest detail omitted. I was such a novice, and knew nothing about publishing, so it was a revelation when Graham explained that perfect binding a soft-cover book meant separating the material into several volumes.

Graham, whose passion is saving local histories, envisioned at least five volumes.

I went home from our meeting walking on air but terrified. However, on that sunny day in May, I had no inkling that my work had just begun.

Six months later, in November 1986, Volume 1 rolled off the presses, was bound and published. I was thrilled, and

Page | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| May 2012

honored and feted at autograph parties.

Nevertheless, my health continued to severely limit me, so I didn’t have Volumes 2 and 3 ready until late 1991. By then, Graham had invested in other local history books. The best he could offer was a deal whereby I paid publication costs only as the books sold, and he didn’t take a commission. Volumes 2 and 3 were published in 1992.

I wasn’t able to physically or financially continue the project. I donated my research and the unpublished material for two or three more volumes to Montana Historical Society in Helena, Montana. I donated copies of all three published volumes to the Historical Society at Heron, Montana, and to Eastern Washington Historical Society, Spokane, Washington. Each also maintains permanent files of much of my research. All my donated files are available to the public, and I hope some day another writer will continue the uncompleted and unique history series. Idaho Writers League awarded me as its 1992 Writer of the Year, mainly for the detailed documentation.

Every resource and every picture is noted in bibliographies.

Q. What is your favorite story of the history of this area?

A, Ohmygosh! There are so many incredible stories! Frank Berray and Clifford R. Weare tell hilarious, outrageous

stories, filled with pathos, and in more than one instance, nearly unbelievable.

1910 fire stories are heart-rending. The railroad building stories are eye opening, because the Noxon division was the most difficult and dangerous portion of the entire NPRR line. It also brought Chinese into the region. The laws that resulted from World War I are unbelievable. Accidental deaths break your heart. The stories about the beginning of the U.S. Forest Service are compelling, defining, and pivotal. At their most elemental level, they teach about the federal government’s impact on the region. I created a 28-minute docu-drama, “Aunt Lena, Cabinet National Forest’s Unsung Heroine.” That video is comprised of verbatim tape-recorded memories and actual pictures from the era. It aired on Montana PBS-TV, and a college cable-TV for an entire summer in Virginia.

Q. What made you decide to make “Behind These Mountains” freely available to people on the Internet?

A. Naive as I was, I wrote the history to honor and commemorate the homesteaders and intended that it be available for posterity. However, the limited edition (1000 volume 1; 500 each volumes 2 & 3) are out of print, and long ago became rare collectibles. Being softbound, they deteriorate rapidly, and many libraries no longer allow them to

be checked out. When I learned how to publish online—voila—it provided a way to make the history available to anyone anywhere who has a digital connection!

The books can be accessed by computer or mobile iPhone. The Google domain license costs me $10 a year, so why not make them freely available? I only regret I haven’t the time to complete formatting all the homesteaders’ pictures to get them online. I need a helper!! ;0)) Q. Any final words?

A. The online editions, which are digital, will cease when I die. So I decided to learn how to create e-book editions. As I format them for electronic books (Kindle, Nook, etc.), I’m editing and revising to add information I didn’t have access to earlier. With luck, all three volumes will be available by 2013. I’m told that Amazon. com will also format and publish print copies of Kindle e-books—for a nominal fee. It’s my hope to make Edition 3 of “Behind These Mountains,” Vols. 1, 2 & 3 available in print as well as in as many e-book formats as I can learn. However, the pictures won’t be included. I don’t know how that is done, but God willing, someday I’ll figure out how to make those incredible images available, also.

VOTE Joyce

BROADSWORD As your state senator, I worked to keep your taxes low while providing the services you want, to promote job growth, and to limit government regulation. I will do the same for you in Bonner County as your commissioner. I appreciate yourcontinued support, and your vote on election day in the Republican primary.

RESPONSIBLE, CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP VOTE MAY 15 PAID FOR BY THE COMMITTEE TO ELECT JOYCE BROADSWORD

May 2012| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| Page

A Bird in Hand

We have some new neighbors in town and they are not the “usual” types. They are a bit flashy in appearance, and while they keep to themselves and are polite to the point of fault, they are, uhm... different.

They make strange sounds! Sometimes I walk by their place of residence and, well, to put it bluntly someone needs to close the window! But since we can’t always pick our neighbors I guess the best bet is get to know them better—in spite of their oddities. So let me introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Dove, or the Eurasian Collard Doves. Yes, they are not only new to town, but to the continent!

The Eurasian Collard Dove is our newest immigrant. Originally from southern Asia and the Middle East, for some unknown reason this species began to spread into Europe in the 1930s. By the 1950s they had reached Great Britain and now breed throughout Europe, nesting even above the Arctic Circle. So how did these birds get to our side of the globe? In the mid-1970s they were introduced into the Bahamas.

In less than a decade they had reached Florida, though at first no one noticed.

Another non-native dove, the Turtle Dove, had also established a breeding population in south Florida. These were probably all escaped pets. The Turtle Dove and the Collard Dove are very similar to the point that, except for size and voice, they can be virtually indistinguishable. When ornithologists noted the explosion in this invasive dove population and the rapid expansion of its range, they took a closer

Eurasian Collared Doves: Meet The New Neighbors Michael Turnlund look. They discovered that this bustling new immigrant wasn’t a Turtle Dove, but the Eurasian Collard Dove. Today this pretty bird ranges from Florida to Alaska and from coast to coast.

So why has this species been so successful? What is driving its manic expansion? That is a good question and one that ornithologists are still discussing.

One theory suggests that it is exploiting an ecological niche that hasn’t been filled since the extirpation of the Passenger Pigeon. I do not know if this theory can be supported, but the Collard Dove does not appear to compete with the other dove and pigeon species. In fact, so far there is no evidence that the Collard Dove is putting any pressure on either native or non-native species. This bird appears to prefer the spaces between the large urban centers—the domain of the Rock pigeon (what most people think of when they hear the word ‘pigeon’)—and the open regions of farmlands and pastures— those preferred by the Mourning Dove.

This Collard Dove complements both by competing with neither.

So what does this beauty look like? The non-discerning might confuse it with a Mourning Dove, thought it is heavier in build and larger. A very light fawn or buff color dominates and it has a distinctive half-collar on the nape of its neck, hence its name, like a fat horseshoe draped around the neck. The soft collars are accented by the dark wing tips. In contrast, the Mourning Dove is a few shades

darker overall, especially the wings. The Mourning Dove also has that distinctive dark speckling on the wing primaries.

The tails of the two species are also quite different, especially when noted in flight. Whereas the Mourning Dove sports an elegantly pointed tip, the Collard Dove makes do with a blunt fan.

The sounds these birds make is a field mark in its own right. The Collard Dove will coo somewhat like a Mourning Dove, but it is notably different. In fact, the bird’s call might be what gets your attention. It is similar to a Mourning Dove, but different enough to for it to register in your mind that something is amiss. The Collard Dove coos in groups of three, with an emphasis on the middle note, though the third note may not be distinctive from a distance. What is really odd is the weird shrieking the birds occasionally make— completely out of character from what one would expect from such a gentle creature.

Reminds me of a crabby mother yelling at her teenage daughter. Take it someplace else, please!

We’ve got new neighbors moving in, but these are a welcome addition to the community. Keep your eyes peeled for them. They’re worth meeting. Happy birding!

Michael Turnlund is an educator, published author and avid birder. You can reach him at theturnlunds@gmail. com.

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The Scenic Route Rain & Sage

A long time ago, back when I still had some vestige of innocence about me, a friend and I made off with a summer, stole it out from under the noses of responsibility and progress and squandered it on travel and camping and thunder storms and sunshine.

We had a red Mustang, fat wallets and time to kill, and we began our travels by escaping the sun-fried city of Las Vegas into the red sandstone of Zion National Park and the water-carved wonders of the Virgin River. From there, we wandered east and north, skirting the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, camping where we pleased. We meandered up the continental spine, treading lightly the muscular back of North America, and for our first week, not a cloud scattered the light of the sun.

We turned right in Utah and crawled up into the Wasatch, past Heber City, past Bridal Veil Falls, past Park City, and on into the great state of Colorado. Somewhere along that stretch, we ran into our first rainstorm, up in that empty country between the Utah border and Grand Junction.

In that storm, the sage stretching out from that tiny speck of red crossing the plateau turned from gray to green and the fragrance of that simple shrub filled our car, an aroma that still takes me to a hundred places: to Nevada, Utah, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Arizona.

In those places, off the Interstate and over the hill from the neon and pavement, is nothing; just openness, air, sky, wind, and soil.

What can grow there?

Just prickly pear, cholla, rabbit brush, grease brush, bunch grass and sage.

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Who could live there?

Just rabbits, magpies, redtails, lizards, rattlesnakes, mice and the occasional mule deer.

Common critters, common plants, common commodities; common as dirt, common as every day, common as the sun coming up. That’s all.

Who needs it? What good is it? By the standards of this crazy world we live in, that country isn’t worth much. It takes a hundred acres to support a cow.

There’s not enough water to grow a crop of anything. The only thing that would make it worth having is oil, gold, coal, or some other comparitively rare commodity under the surface. Then, we will tear holy hell out of it to get at the hidden treasure.

It’s just scrub, after all.

The native tribes who occupied the West before Western European Man came and kicked them out had a different view of the land and resources. I am not sure we can understand it, living in the times we live in, and with the emphasis that is placed on the rare and outlandish in our culture. I suspect sometimes that the current social order could no more comprehend the mind-set of a pre-European native than we could an alien from outer space.

We may think we are understanding, even compassionate, but until we immerse ourselves in their world, and experience it as they did, how can we know what they saw, or how? Compassion is a human invention, and I wonder if we have learned how to use it yet. Often, it is based in pity, not simple respect for other humans.

Often, we offer it from the seat of superior morality, not the footing of common ground.

Some of the native tribes of the

Sandy Compton continent—many of them, in fact—saw the sacred in the mundane. They found things to worship in the air, the water, the plants, the very rock that frames the earth. We treat the rare as sacred in our society; gold, diamonds, celebrity, power.

We worship the unavailable. We even place God beyond our reach, in inaccessible dogma and perfection.

Last night, I sat in my old green chair, under the lamp my grandmother used to darn socks under, thinking of nothing in particular. Mostly, I was tired, having had a day of reaching for the rare in life. Yes, I’m guilty, too, and I know it.

But, as I sat there, a smell came to me, a smell of wide-open places as sacred as any cathedral, as holy as any fought-over spot in the Middle East, more valuable than any jewel; and I knew, just for a moment, that it is the most common things that are the most sacred.

Water. Wind. Air. Sky. Sunshine. Stone.

Wood. Common food. Soil. Children.

Memory. Friends.

Rain and sage.

Sandy Compton’s books can be purchased online at BlueCreekPress.com, with a new book, a compilation of the best of the Scenic Route, coming out this year. You can reach him at mrcomptonjr@hotmail.com. “Sage” was first published in June, 1996. Sandy still tries to make off with summer—at least, as much summer as he can—and he still travels with the smell of sage.

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May 2012| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| Page

The Game Trail

Matt Haag

The fish are biting if you are hitting the right spots, and at the right times. If not, at least it’s an excuse to get out of the house and dust off those cobwebs. There are a great variety of fish in the sloughs and backwaters this time of year including crappie, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass, perch, and bullhead catfish. Fishing is a great opportunity to get the kids out, teach them the fundamentals of fishing and experience instant positive reinforcement when they catch a fish! Additionally, some of those fish can arguably be the best tasting fish we have around, and you can teach the kiddos how to fillet a fish properly. Anybody can hack away at a trout and call it filleting but you need some skill to get the best meat out of a crappie, perch, or bullhead catfish!

If you prefer a more organized setting to take the kids fishing, there are some really neat events coming up in our neck of the woods. Of course, we always have a Free Fishing Day every year, and that will occur on June 9 this year. We encourage everybody, veteran or first-timer alike, to come join us at one of our event sites. The Clark Fork pond will host this year’s event at 9 am, Round Lake State Park is the host for those in the Sandpoint/Sagle area, and the Priest Lake Golf Course in Priest Lake will serve folks to the west for the Bonner County Free Fishing Day. If you live in another county, please call our regional office in Coeur d’Alene 208-769-1414 for a location near you.

On June 16 the bluegill clinic at Hauser Lake will take place for kids 5 to 13 years

Get Kids Hooked on Fishing old. We take only the first 60 kids to sign up and you can do so by calling our regional office at the above listed number.

Sixty children is the max, not because we want to make it an exclusive event but because we feel this will allow for a quality experience for all involved. We will have experienced volunteers taking the kids out on boats available through the generous donation of time and equipment from the Bass Masters. This is really an event that you don’t want to miss—an opportunity to rip across Hauser with a 200hp bass boat and catch some fish! IDFG with also provide prizes for every kid and a grilled lunch. Get those kids signed up before it fills up.

Idaho Fish and Game also offers a “Take Me Fishing” program. These events include the “Take Me Fishing” trailer which is stocked with equipment and information and travels to local ponds and lakes across the state. Wrapped with vibrant fish illustrations, the trailers are hard to miss.

Getting kids excited about fishing will build a new generation of anglers. The only thing kids and their parents have to do is show up! The fishing equipment can be checked out for free during the scheduled times listed for your area on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants will be granted a permit to fish without a license. If kids get “hooked on fishing” after the event, parents will have to purchase a license. To find a location near you, please call our regional office, or go to our website to and click on the fishing tab, and then the Take Me Fishing tab.

For those of you who still have hunting

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running through your blood, don’t forget May is the month to get those applications for controlled hunts submitted. The period to get the applications in for controlled hunts on deer, elk, pronghorn, fall black bear, and fall turkey starts May 1 and ends June 5. You can apply at any IDFG license vendor, or IDFG office, and with a credit card by calling 1-800-55HUNT5, or online at our website fishandgame.idaho.gov .

I know I remind you all every spring about bears and their very predictable behavior. If you invite them to a free meal on your property by leaving out and accessible garbage, bird feeders, dog food, and chicken coops, they will come and cause property damage, along with the possibility of human injury. Only you can stop the bears from engaging in harmful behavior by removing any attractants.

Over the next few weeks of May I will have Conservation Officer Jake Leal with me. Officer Leal is entering into our Field Training program where he will be begin the final stages in preparing to become a full time Conservation Officer with IDFG. Officer Leal successfully completed POST academy, Idaho’s police training facility, during the fall and winter months and will now be on this final stage of training during his training with me. If you see Officer Leal, be sure to say Hi and don’t be too mean to him. Okay, maybe just a little!

In other news, District Conservation Officer Ed Jochum has retired after 30 years of service as a Conservation Officer in Idaho. Officer Jochum was our supervisor in the Sandpoint area for roughly 13 of those 30 years. If you see Ed now, he may be out fishing or just plain relaxing but be sure to congratulate him, and thank him for 30 years of not only service to the people of Idaho, but 30 years of resource protection as well.

I hope to see you all out there this spring whether it’s fishing, hunting, mushroom picking, or just taking a hike.

Leave No Child Inside... take them fishing.

Matt Haag is a Conservation Officer with the Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game. You can reach him at mhaag@ idfg.gov.

May 2012| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| Page 10

Get Growing!

It’s that time of year again when we look to the skies and the soils and ponder the question: to plant or not to plant? It can be a perplexing question, especially after a few teaser days of 70 degrees in April. You may think just because the snow is off your raised garden area it is time to dig in. Alas, we will still have some cold, soaking rains in May and probably a few near freezing or below freezing nights so be prepared for anything… this is North Idaho.

Planting seeds or transplants out too early, before the ground is warm enough to jump start their germination or begin the growth process, will only lead to mush and mud. Take a small amount of your garden soil in your hand and squeeze it in your hand. If the soil remains in a clump then you should wait to plant ‘til the soil dries out. If the soil crumbles through your hands like cake, then you can begin to choose your favorite early season crop and get started!

Rutgers Cooperative Research and Extension has developed a great planting

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Let the Gardening Begin!

Nancy Hastings

guide, shown partly above, that includes most every vegetable you can also grow here in the north country. (The hardiness zone for Rutgers is similar to that in our area.

You can get a complete copy of the planting chart at http://tinyurl.com/cpjt5ko To determine the exact hardiness zone for where you live, visit http://tinyurl.com/ 9slrr). Notice that many of your favorites like lettuce, chard, broccoli and radishes can be actually seeded in May, and then reseeded for a second crop in July or August.

Bonus! The only disagreement I have with the chart is in planting potatoes. In Idaho, our April is a bit too cold and the soil too wet, leaving your well-selected, certified seed potatoes to rot before they sprout.

Wait to plant your potatoes when you see the dandelions in your neighborhood bloom, usually sometime in May. Don’t forget to branch out to a few new veggies every year—perhaps this year it’s sweet potatoes. Up here, the best success for sweet potatoes has been found in planting them in large black pots in a hot, sunny location. The black bucket soaks up and stores the sun’s heat faster than raised beds and the portability of pots will allow you to cover them with plastic or move them into a hoop house to mature when

September nights get cool. Sweet potato plants can not take any mild frost.

For those of you with limited space, Corn may not be a wise choice. Ideally you should have no less than 3 rows, 2 feet apart and 5 feet long, to get optimal cross pollination. My first paid job was pulling tassels from acres upon acres of corn fields in the hot August of Minnesota—but I still love fresh grilled corn on the cob!

If you’d like a little help with your garden planning, check out this handy tool from the Mother Earth News at gardenplanner. motherearthnews.com Cheers to Growth!

Nancy Hastings grew up on a 300+ acre farm and now is co-owner of All Seasons Garden & Floral in Sandpoint, She and her husband John have been cultivating environmental awareness and sustainable communities through horticulture for 15 years in North Idaho. You can reach them with garden questions or sign up for classes at allseasonsgardenandfloral@gmail.com.

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May 2012| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| Page 11

Bonner County’s

Republican Candidates It’s an embarrassment of riches for Bonner County Republicans as they head to the polls for the primary this May 15. A full fifteen Republican candidates will be vying for six positions: both seats in the Idaho House of Representatives, a senate position, two county commissioner seats and the position of sheriff. And that’s just the contested races! In an effort to provide information for voters heading to the polls, we asked those candidates in a contested race for the Republican primary to answer a question for you.

Their responses are below. In addition, we have included whatever contact information that was made available to us for these individuals, so that if you choose, you can get in touch with them directly to learn more. Don’t forget—the Republican primary in Idaho this year is a closed primary! In order to vote, you’ll need to officially register as a Republican for the purposes of this election. (This does not effect your voting in November in the general election.)

The website of the Bonner County Clerk (http://tinyurl.com/838sk4v) has information on polling times and places, absentee voting, maps of where to vote, the party affiliation declaration form, dates for some candidate forums, and a list of all candidates for a position (not just those running as Republicans). Sandpoint Online’s “Election Central” (http://tinyurl.com/2afosll) also has information on the 2012 primary election.

Due to the large number of candidates, we have only included information on candidates in contested positions (all Republican) for the primary.

Candidates for Idaho STATE SENATE District 1 include incumbent Shawn Keough, and challenger Danielle Ahrens. Candidates for Idaho HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Seat 1 B are incumbent George Eskridge and challenger Pam Stout.

The question asked of these candidates was: Legislative District 1 has been very lucky to have two legislators on JFAC, the powerful budget-writing committee. In the case of the incumbents, please describe three specific situations showing how you were able either to further or to protect the interests of North Idahoans due to your influential position. In the case of challengers, please describe at least three specific instances in which you believe your opponent took a position detrimental to the interests of your constituents.

Sen. Shawn Keough responded: 1) As Idaho went into the economic downturn I, along with the Senate JFAC (budget committee) co-chairman, was able to convince our leadership and our Governor, that holding the K-12 budget harmless as long as possible would be a good priority. We did so for a full 3 years. No

other state agency was spared cuts in this time frame except for the budgets for our vulnerable populations. Keeping the K-12 budgets intact for as long as possible kept requests to raise local property taxes for lost funding lower than they would have been otherwise and minimized disruption in the system that provides education to a majority of our children.

2) This year, I worked with the Senate JFAC co-chairman to change the funding stream for the new technology requirements in the K-12 reforms. When passed last year, the money for the new technology came out of the salaries line item. This caused school districts to either cut teachers and increase class sizes or to increase the amount of supplemental levies on the local property tax payers or both. We were successful in fixing that unfunded mandate this session and will now be providing a new stream of money for that mandate, thus relieving cuts to staff and increases in property taxes to fund the technology.

3) I worked to establish the Priest

Shawn Keough, Incumbent for State Senate District 1 shawnkeough.com facebook.com/shawnkeough twitter.com@shawnkeough

Danielle Ahrens for State Senate District 1 ahrensforidaho.com Lake, Priest River, and Pend Oreille Lakes Commission (known as the Lakes Commission) which is our local voice for water quality and water quantity issues in our area. I’ve worked to secure funding for this as well and though we temporarily defunded it last year because of the downturn in our economy, Rep. Eskridge, Sen. Broadsword, and I were able to re-fund it this year and put it into the base budget which will make funding more secure over

Page 12 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| May 2012

enough money to support a reduction in maximum corporate income tax from 7.6 percent to 7.4 percent, and the individual income tax rate for taxable income over $20,000 from 7.8 percent to 7.4 percent.

3) I supported and assisted in preparing JFAC appropriations recommendations to the legislature that were ultimately approved and allowed restoration of the state’s cash reserves by about $49.5 million.

Challenger Pam Stout responded: At a time of economic uncertainty, the JFAC Committee assumed that revenue will increase in the year to come. The current budget was increased to $2.7 billion. State spending increased early in the 2000s due to increased revenue. This year’s budget is 35 percent greater than the FY 2004 budget of $2.004 billion. It is irresponsible to increase spending during these difficult economic times.

Rep. George Eskridge, Incumbent for State Legislature House Dist. 1B www.sandpoint.com/geskridge geskridge@coldreams.com

Pam Stout for State Legislature House Dist. 1B www.stoutforidaho.com

time. The local, volunteer commission members have been instrumental in making sure our water stays in our lakes, our water quality issues are being addressed and that our voices are heard on lake level issues.

Challenger Danielle Ahrens responded that due to the short notice for this question (candidates had five days to respond) and because her Internet was down for a day, she was unable to answer the question and

Rep. George Eskridge responded: 1) For the general fund appropriations for FY 2009-FY2012 I supported prepared budget recommendations for the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee that resulted in an overall reduction of 14.5 percent in General Fund Appropriations for state agencies.

2) I supported JFAC appropriations recommendations to the legislature that were ultimately approved and saved

Rep. Eric Anderson Incumbent for State Legislature House Dist. 1A eanderson1718@gmail.com

thanked us for the opportunity.

Donna Capurso for State Legislature House Dist. 1A Capurso4Idaho.com

Candidates for Idaho HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Seat 1A include incumbent Eric Anderson, and challengers Donna Capurso and Louis Kins. They were asked: Do you believe that ethics reforms are needed in the Idaho Legislature, and what specific proposals would you make to enforce improvements in the standards of conduct and behavior required of legislators and other state officials?

Rep. Eric Anderson replied: Yes the Idaho Legislature is in need of ethics reforms and I will address the House of Representatives in my response. I helped

Continued on next page

Louis Kins for State Legislature House Dist. 1A kinscampaign.com

May 2012| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| Page 13

Continued from previous page draft a proposal last year that would have taken the appointment of an ethics committee away from the Speaker of the House and placed it with the body as a whole. Each party would elect two members to sit on an ethics panel, and they would oversee any complaints filed by any member of the House. They would serve for one year and then new elections would be held. Any complaint filed from outside of the House would be heard by

Sheriff Darryl Wheeler, Incumbent for Bonner County Sheriff wheeler4sheriff.com

Tim Fry for Bonner County Sheriff timfryforsheriff.com facebook.com/timfryforsheriff Twitter: @Fry4Sheriff

a committee formed under the direction of the Attorney General’s Office, and they would determine the merits of the complaint and whether it was valid. If so, it would be forwarded to the House Panel for a full hearing. I am fully aware that this methodology may need some additional tweaking, but it is imperative that we have that debate and establish greater confidence and transparency in the conduct of our affairs.

Challenger Donna Capurso replied: I believe that ethics reform is most definitely needed. Until last year a member of the public could file an ethics complaint, but that rule has been changed where only a legislator can file a complaint against another legislator. There is no venue for a citizen to file a complaint against a legislator, which I believe is wrong. Also, when ethics complaints only go through the legislature, they can easily be swept under the rug. I would suggest an ethics commission comprised of members of the public as well as members of the legislature.

Thorough training should be undertaken by those ethics commission participants so that competent, fair and non-political decisions can be made.

Challenger Louis Kins did not reply to our question, and I’m not confident he received this question in a timely manner.

Kins has made no personal contact information available. Please see his website listed underneath his photo.

BONNER COUNTY SHERIFF. There are three candidates on the county ballot for

Lewis Rich, Incumbent

for Bonner County Commissioner Dist. 3

lewisrich.com

the position of sheriff: Incumbent Daryl Wheeler, and challengers Tim Fry and Shawn Winker. The River Journal was unable to obtain contact information for Shawn Winkler, and he therefore did not receive the opportunity to answer this question. The remaining two candidates were asked: What does a ‘constitutional sheriff’ mean to you? Can you subscribe to a ‘nullification doctrine’ without selective enforcement of laws duly passed by a legitimate legislative authority?

Sheriff Daryl Wheeler responded: A constitutional sheriff is someone who knows how to apply the law in our Federalist governmental structure. At times, the various jurisdictions of local, state, and national governments are at odds with one another. Executive orders, court decisions and regulatory rules have made a mockery of our nation’s by-laws, the Constitution. The Constitution has not been followed for over 100 years. Because of this, we have gotten ourselves into many difficult situations and the tension between jurisdictions is ever increasing.

I think that it is a good thing that many people are realizing the folly of ignoring the checks and balances that the Founders put into place. However, we need to exercise great caution in unraveling the mess.

I believe the best approach is for the executive and legislative branches in each jurisdiction to work together to solve the dilemma. For instance, if the national government is acting outside

Sage Dixon

for Bonner County Commissioner Dist. 3

facebook.com/ElectSageDixon dixon4commissioner@gmail.com

Page 14 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| May 2012

its constitutional jurisdiction it is the job of the state legislature and governor to push back. If the state is acting outside its constitutional jurisdiction it is the job of the county commissioners and sheriff to act in concert.

Let us use wisdom as we return to the principles of our Founders.

Challenger Tim Fry responded: A “Constitutional Sheriff” is a Sheriff who follows the admonition found in Article VI, section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, insofar as he “shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution,” and who understands that the U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land.

No Sheriff has the authority to nullify any law duly passed by a legitimate legislative authority. That being said, a clarification as to what constitutes a duly passed law can be found in the 16th American Jurisprudence, Second Edition: “The general misconception is that any statute passed by legislators bearing the appearance of law constitutes the law of the land. The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the land, and any statute, to be valid, must be in agreement ... The general rule is that an unconstitutional statute, though having the form and name of law, is in reality no law, but is wholly void, and ineffective for any purpose; since unconstitutionality dates from the time of its enactment, and not merely from the date of the decision so branding it ... No one is bound to obey an unconstitutional law and no courts are bound to enforce it.”

Cary Kelly

for Bonner County Commissioner Dist. 3

carykellyforcommissioner.com facebook.com/carykellyforcommissioner carykelly@hughes.net

Challenger Shawn Winkler did not have the opportunity to respond to this question.

There are three candidates for the position of COUNTY COMMISSIONER Dist.

3: Incumbent Lewis Rich, and challengers Sage Dixon and Cary Kelly. In District 1 there are two candidates: incumbent Cornel Rasor and challenger Joyce Broadsword.

All candidates were asked: Do you believe that the recent discord among various county elected officials has been detrimental to the efficient and effective conduct of the People’s Business, and, if so, if elected, what would you do to improve the situation?

Incumbent Lewis Rich responded: I do believe that the discord involving Marie Scott, Cheryl Piehl and the other two county commissioners is very real and unproductive. The issue of disrespect of the fact that the Clerk and Treasurer are elected officials and are on equal footing with all other elected officials, with the exception of budget controls, is the case or point of dissension. The other two commissioners have totally isolated the BOCC relationally with our chief budget officers. We have gotten an opinion from prosecutor Louis Marshall stating the statute often quoted to give the BOCC absolute control over any and all elected officials and department heads is in disagreement with Nielsen’s and Rasor’s opinion. I don’t know how to effectively fix the problem without changes to the BOCC makeup. As far as the dissension between the commissioners themselves, I can

truthfully say it has involved less than 3 or 4 percent of the county’s official business.

Challenger Sage Dixon responded: I do believe the recent discord has been detrimental to the efficient conduct of the “People’s Business.” It appears an inordinate amount of time has been spent devising ways to combat a perceived injustice instead of working towards a mutual understanding, and far too much information that could have remained private has been presented publicly with the sole intent, apparently, of political leverage. More damaging, perhaps, is the public’s cynicism towards government and the impression that elected officials are only concerned with themselves. I believe this discord is the expected result of elected officials remaining in office too long and seeking to maintain that position instead of putting a priority on executing the “People’s Business” to the best of their ability.

If elected, I will continue my habit of treating others as I wish to be treated; with respect and yet being held accountable for the work I am required to perform. As no conflict is one-sided, open and direct communication is essential to avoiding misunderstandings and the grudges that tend to fester without reconciliation.

There will be inevitable disagreements as to policy, but my focus will be on serving the citizens’ interests and not political alliances.

Challenger Cary Kelly responded: The

Continued on next page

Cornel Rasor, Incumbent

Joyce Broadsword

www.cornelrasor.com

Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/847c2od

for Bonner County Commissioner Dist. 1

for Bonner County Commissioner Dist. 1

May 2012| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| Page 15

Continued from previous page current discord among current elected officials is unproductive, time consuming, unnecessary, and has the potential to become very expensive. The situation is not only affecting the commissioners, but has spread to other elected officials. It has led to a break down of communications and coordination, and now two elected officials have requested their own lawyers, at government expense, to be present when dealing with the commissioners.

In addition, this discord has led to an unhealthy work environment and low morale among county employees. The elected officials involved in this discord are good, hard-working, talented, intelligent employees who are dedicated to serving Bonner County. I see no reason why reconciliation cannot be achieved with the proper leadership.

If elected, the first week in office, I will have a one-on-one meeting with each elected official to discuss his/her statutory requirements, near term and long-range goals, and what obstacles are ahead. Most importantly, I would ask each one what I could do as commissioner to assist in attaining those goals. I would assure them that they are essential, appreciated, and have my full support. It’s one thing to say that I support them, but it’s another to prove it by actions and decisions. That will take some time, but it will happen.

COUNTY COMMISSIONER Dist. 1 Incumbent Cornel Rasor responded: The allegations of discord have been overstated. The substantive business of the county has been attended to very well. If elected, I will continue my current actions.

For example, after meeting with Marie Scott twice last week discussing budgets, she stated at the conclusion of one of the meetings “You know Cornel, although we differ on many things you always treat me like a gentleman should and I appreciate it.”

Challenger Joyce Broadsword responded: The situation at the County Administration Building is not good for anyone. I believe we were all raised to treat others with respect and in the same manner, we would have them treat us in return. I have a proven track record of working with diverse groups and individuals and finding common ground.

There is no doubt in my mind I would be able to treat all county workers—elected or not—with the courtesy and respect they deserve. I feel my experience and demeanor would add a calming influence over the situation and if elected I will work to find a common sense solution to resolve the problem.

May is Bike Month!

Despite the water-logged start to the month, May officially heralds the beginning of bike season in the Idaho Panhandle and area bikers will be celebrating during the fifth annual Bike Week.

This year’s events include Bike to Work and Bike to School Day, a Bike Swap, a Ride of Silence, and Free Bicycle Film Festival.

All the events are free of charge, though bicycles and bicycle gear will be for sale at the annual Bike Swap. In addition, select merchants will be offering daily “Wheel Deals” for cyclists.

Sponsored by Pend Oreille Pedalers bike club, Sandpoint’s annual event began with Bike to Work Day in 2007 when about 250 riders rode to work. In 2008, the folks behind that initial event decided to expand the fun to a full week of cycling activities and Bike Week was born. Last year, more than 700 kids rode their bikes to school on Bike to School Day. “It’s been great to see Bike Week evolve into such a community-based event,“ Brian Anderson, President of the Pend Oreille Pedalers, said. “It really takes the commitment of volunteers and sponsoring businesses to make it happen.

The true reward is seeing the variety of riders, young and old, biking during the week. The goal is keep the momentum going throughout the summer.”

There are several events to mark on your calendar, including a Bike Rodeo from 9:30 to 11 am on Saturday, May 12 at the Eureka Institute on Church St., for children aged 6 to 16. Learn about bike safety and then, at noon, participate in the Bike and Gear Swap until 1:30. You can even consult with bike mechanics while you swap or shop for gear. (Drop off any items you wish to trade between 9 and 11.) A barbeque will also take place.

On May 15, join the Ride of Silence at

5:30 pm at Sandpoint’s City Beach. This is a silent, slow-paced ride in honor of those injured or killed while cycling on public roadways. The ride is part of a worldwide share-the-road campaign. The route is fewer than ten miles, and all riders must wear a helmet.

On Thursday, May 17, take part in Bike to School or Work day. There will be four aid stations with free goodies for riders, plus a free raffle to win prizes. All students who ride their bikes to school will get a prize. Aid stations are located on the Dover Bike Path at the corner of Division and Hwy. 2, at Outdoor Experience on First Ave downtown, at Evans Brother Coffee, 525 Church St., and at the old Chamber of Commerce located on 5th Avenue headed north. Aid stations are open from 6:30 am to 9 am, and bike week t-shirts will be on sale for $10.

A free, bicycle film festival will take place at the Panida Theater on Saturday, May 19 at 7:30 pm featuring familyfriendly, short films on cycling. Raffle prizes from the Bike to School/Work day will be awarded this evening, though you need not be present to win.

New this year are Daily Wheel Deals.

Pend Oreille Pedalers’ corporate sponsors will be offering different specials to cyclists during the week, including: Coldwater Creek Wine Bar, Eichardt’s Pub Grill, Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters, Greasy Fingers Bikes N Repair, Laughing Dog Brewing, Loading Dock, MickDuff’s Brewing Company, Pend d’Oreille Winery and Trinity at City Beach. Visit www. pendoreillepedalers.com for the Wheel Deals.

As always, be aware of the rules of the road when out on a bike, and those in cars, please pay special attention to bikes on the road.

The Scotchman Peaks Keep ‘em wild.

For our Families, For tomorrow. www.ScotchmanPeaks.org

Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness

May 2012| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| Page 16

Veterans’ News

Before starting this month’s column I wish to report that the local veteran’s community has lost a valuable member.

Keith Nickisch passed away on April 15.

His passing leaves a hole not only amongst his circle of family and friends, but in the larger community too. Keith was a volunteer driver for the VA van that ferries vets to the VA Hospital in Spokane several times a week.

This volunteer service means that area vets can be assured of getting to their appointments at the VA Hospital in Spokane in a timely fashion and, most importantly, free of charge. The passing of this dedicated volunteer driver leaves a big gap. The remaining volunteers are being called upon to put in more hours and they need help. If there is anyone reading this who can give a few hours per month, contact either Don Carr at the County Veterans Office (208 255 5291) or Ross Jackman (208 265 2738) for all the particulars. ********************************* As most of you should know by now I am committed to having every veteran receive every benefit they have earned.

The 97 percent of Americans who have never worn a uniform owe a debt to these men and women that can never be fully repaid. The very fact that the 97 percent have the freedoms they have and don’t even understand this is evidence of that insurmountable debt.

As tens of thousands of young men and women come home from Afghanistan and Iraq they want one thing and one thing only: reenter society and become contributing members of their communities. What do they get instead? The simple truth is most

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Drawbacks to a Standing Military of their fellow citizens are only vaguely aware there is even a war going on. Sure, there are the occasional TV news reports of death and injury. But unless those injured or killed are family members or immediate neighbors, most people don’t have a recognizable face to put on those reports.

How did this happen? According to “Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power” by Rachel Maddow, it happened slowly over the past 40-plus years. Throughout most of our history the conduct of our wars was a shared burden; shared between our soldiers and those who stayed home. Less than 35 percent of the Colonists were even in favor of separating from Great Britain. The battles of that war were fought largely by citizen militias supported by the communities from which they came. The hardships were shared by those in the field and those who stayed home.

This shared hardship was a prominent feature in all our wars. During our Civil War, both the CSA and the USA depended mostly on volunteers supported by the communities they came from. Or supported by the wealthy men who founded the force they lead. It was not unusual for troops to elect their officers since they were prominent people in the communities that they came from.

Both World War I and World War II were large scale examples of shared sacrifice and hardship. Communities and city neighborhoods had Victory gardens in vacant lots and fields to supplement the loss of men that used to work large farms.

Scrap metal was collected by Boy Scouts to add to the metals needed to make our armaments and other war machinery.

Those on the ‘Home Front’ dealt with ration cards and ration books so that the men and women wearing the uniforms had the equipment and materials they needed to defeat the nation’s enemies.

When did this concept of shared sacrifice change? According to most sources I’ve found, it began during the Viet Nam war. As the war escalated in the 1960s, then-President Lyndon Johnson gradually increased the number of troops by increasing the draft and not calling up the Reserves and National Guard. Why would he do that? The conclusion that Ms Maddow arrives at is that it might have caused the USSR and China to become more directly involved in the conflict and mobilize their reserves too; and two; it

Gil Beyer

would have been politically unpopular to call up the Reserves and National Guard.

After all, both those forces were the place the children of the well-to-do went to avoid being drafted.

So, for the very first time in our history the National Guard and Reserves—our well-regulated militia as defined in our Constitution—was not directly involved in a large scale conflict. What was the impact of this decision on our nation? For one thing, the fabric of entire communities was not disrupted. Companies and other businesses across the country did not have to shut down due to the loss of their work force to the war effort. The other impact was that the women of America were not called upon to take the places of the men who were called to war.

Of course, the increase in draft call-ups impacted many individual families across the country but it did not affect entire cities or towns. If you mobilize an entire state’s National Guard you’ve put a pretty big hole in that state, whereas if you draft a few thousand from a population of five to ten million, it barely causes a ripple.

When on January 27, 1973 Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird announced the creation of an all-volunteer armed forces, he pretty much wiped out the need for the military draft, although all men must still register with the selective service on their 18th birthday.

No longer would we find entire neighborhoods filled with only old men, women and children. No longer would we find factories with women building the machines of war.

We have come back to a point that was most worrisome to our founding fathers: a standing military force. And most Americans have zero contact with that military, nor any understanding of it. I intend to pursue this subject further in upcoming columns as I feel it is a topic that needs to be understood and discussed.

In the meantime, have a great month of May and remember to participate in all the activities that honor our veterans over the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend. I’ll be out there shaking my can at Wal-Mart on Monday the 28th. Stop by and say ‘Hi!’ and bring money—it goes to support our local veterans.

Gil Beyer, ETC USN Ret., can be reached at vintage40@frontier. com

May 2012| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| Page 17

A Seat in the House The Idaho primary election is May 15 and I have been asked questions by several voters regarding the new primary election laws. There is some confusion on what changes have been made to our election laws.

The 2011 Idaho legislature passed House Bill 351, which implemented a “closed primary” system. This means that voters who are not members of a party may not participate in the selection of that party’s nominees if the party requests a closed primary.

The law does allow the parties the option of opening their primary elections to non-party members, i.e. unaffiliated voters and members of other parties if the party chairman notifies the Secretary of State six months prior to the primary.

Because Idaho has never required party registration prior to the 2011 legislation, there are about 742,000 registered voters who are not officially affiliated with any political party.

Voters can designate their party affiliation, or elect not to affiliate, by filling out a new registration card, filling out a party Affiliation Declaration Form, or they may declare a party at the polls when they go to vote at the May primary.

A voter who chooses not to declare a party affiliation will be registered as an unaffiliated voter.

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The Closed Primary Election

Rep. George Eskridge

A voter can choose to change his or her affiliation anytime after the primary to another party or choose to become unaffiliated.

The Republican party has elected to close the Republican party primary for this year’s election, which means that only those who affiliate with the Republican party can vote the Republican ballot on May 15. The Democratic party, however, has decided to open its Democratic primary election to registered Democrats, members of other parties and unaffiliated voters.

Voters who choose not to affiliate with a party may vote in the Democratic primary election, or may vote the non-partisan ballot, which includes judicial offices, bond and levy elections, constitutional amendments and local measures.

The closed primary has created concern with many voters, especially with this primary, when many of the contested offices have only Republican candidates running, and will therefore only be listed on the Republican ballot. This means the election for those positions will actually be decided in the May primary. Unless one affiliates with the Republican party, the voter will not be able to vote for the candidate he or she supports in these elections.

One example is the Bonner County District 3 county commissioner position.

There are only three candidates running for election to this position and they are all on the Republican ballot. This means the District 3 commissioner position will be decided in the May primary by only those voting the Republican ballot. This is also true for the position of Boundary County District 1 and District 3 county commissioner positions.

Republican candidates are the only ones campaigning for these positions and those elected to these positions will be decided in the May primary.

Many Idaho voters consider themselves as Independents, and although many have voted on the Republican ballot in past primaries, they are unwilling to officially identify themselves as Republicans. This means they will be denied the opportunity to vote the Republican ballot and support those candidates they would like to see elected to state and county positions.

There are also ramifications impacting other voters who do not feel comfortable in affiliating with a particular party. These include Judges, citizens who are appointed

to state boards and other positions as independents, and employees of the news media.

These voters are in a non-partisan position, either by election, appointment or professional position, that would open them to a questioning of their nonpartisan standing if they affiliated with a particular party.

Because many of the voters in this situation will elect to not affiliate in the primary election because of the concern with losing their non-partisan status, they will in essence be disenfranchised in primary elections.

I believe this is an unintended consequence of the closed primary and would hope that in future primary elections we can find a way for these voters to participate without losing the nonpartisan creditability of their position.

The decision by many of these voters to not participate in the election will impact voter turnout and result in a lower than normal number of voters participating in the primary, thus influencing the outcome of the primary and the candidates elected to various state and county offices.

The May 15 primary however, will be conducted as provided in the legislation and voters will have to decide whether or not to affiliate recognizing that some positions will be decided in the primary and not in the November general election.

Our right to participate in the electoral process provides each one of us an important voice in influencing the direction of our government and the election of those who will be representing us. The legislation allowing parties to close or open their primaries has caused concern among many voters, but I would urge every voter to participate to the degree he or she feels comfortable given the complexities of this election and the potential impact on the outcome of the May 15 primary.

As always, I welcome your questions and comments on issues of importance to you. I can be reached by phone at (208) 265-0123, by email at geskridge@ coldreams.com or by mail at P.O. Box 112, Dover, Idaho 83825.

Thanks for reading! George George Eskridge, is the Idaho Representative for House District 1B. Reach him at 208-265-0123 or P.O. Box 112, Dover, ID 83825

May 2012| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| Page 18

Say What? What is a Conservative?

As a political junkie I have been trying for the past several years to figure out just what is a conservative. Being of the Republican persuasion, I have for some time relied on a few loose principles that like-minded people accepted as a basis for a political party. Here are some of them.

Local government usually is a better fit as it more nearly represents the views of my neighbors.

Party affiliation doesn’t mean all that much unless you live in a place that has a ‘machine’ (I can easily recall the Pendergast (Democrat) machine in Kansas City of which Harry Truman was a part). And then in my earliest days, the Republicans had a machine in Chicago, Cook County to be specific. Local government seems to be more manageable unless there is a warped sheriff, as has happened too many times.

As we move up (or down) the ladder of government we come to the state level, where ideology begins to have more effect. Evenly balanced legislatures seem to do less harm. Whatever party that has no trouble dominating generally can’t help going over the cliff of reason, often.

It would seem that some of the dumbest people can get elected to office simply because they say what the voter wants to hear. That they are incapable of thinking is another matter. We have had such representation in Boise over the years, the kind that makes you shake your head.

And then there is the Federal government. Perhaps our concerns are the result of a seemingly endless stream of legislation. Governing apparently requires the effort of thousands every waking and sleeping moment of the day.

When trying to define something I often refer to my huge dictionary where, on page 216, there are a couple of definitions of a conservative. You need to be “inclined to keep up existing institutions and customs, opposed to radical changes... MODERATE or cautious.” The next definition also includes “MODERATE and cautious.”

Whoa! To the really hard-line right fighters, moderate also means compromise.

The very thought of conceding anything is abhorrent. Therein lies the problem. Life is a compromise. If you think you don’t have to give to get, you are going to not only be miserable, but make all who associate with you miserable.

So if you are upset with the status quo, as are apparently some rhinos in the Central Committee, tell us just what is it you want to change other than what the Democrat presidency has inflicted on us.

Contrary to what Rush thinks, being a moderate is a sign of conservatism. A true conservative avoids extreme positions and is also concerned with the interests and positions of others. So those who wear the badge of Conservative so proudly on their chests need to do more than spout a few meaningless slogans. They need to clearly define what it is they would change that doesn’t destroy systems that work for all the people.

Those who apparently are going to great lengths to replace some of our sitting representatives need to be explicit about what the incumbents are doing that is wrong and why they think they are right. Waving the Constitution is like flag waving—anyone can do it. Owning a cook book doesn’t make you a good cook.

Sort of like Ron Paul and his contention

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Paul Rechnitzer

that the Federal Reserve system has to go.

Okay, what will you create to accomplish what any central banking system does?

You don’t like the Internal Revenue System (who does?). How else would you generate the revenues any government requires?

None of this is to indicate any system in place can’t be improved. The General Services Administration is proving this in their current DVD series.

So one might conclude that a true conservative is one who works within the system (cautious) to correct the flaws seen by most people, bearing in mind that all people don’t see the same flaws you do.

What to some in a serious defect is not seen that way by others.

One of my pet expressions pertains to catching a run-a-way horse, aside from providing no food. There are two ways.

One, you ride wildly toward him with a lasso flying. If you are lucky you might throw the loop successfully.

On the other hand you might ride up alongside the horse, match his speed and calmly drop the rope around his neck.

That is how a moderate might do it. A wildeyed conservative would probably preach to the horse about the evils of jumping the fence and wave the horse owner’s manual at him.

The word of the day is “GET REAL.” A true conservative recognizes the great things about our society and, instead of deploring the bad things, works through the system to get them fixed, to the extent the majority want them fixed. Being negative makes some people feel better but it is the positive side that produces results.

An effective conservative feels there are too many regulations, that there is little or no common sense among the liberals, that reasonable expectations should be the rule, that they are open-minded and tolerant without being a pussy cat. They also find being a ‘right-fighter is futile and doesn’t get the job done.

So if some candidate doesn’t fit your mold there are two choices (1) go with the winner or (2) run for the office yourself.

And good luck to you.

Paul Rechnitzer is a wellknown local conservative and author, and a practiced curmudgeon. You can reach him at pushhard@nctv.com

May 2012| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| Page 19

DOWNTOWN SANDPOINT EVENTS SANDPOINT EVENTS May 17-20

Get LOST in downtown Sandpoint

Parade, street dance, car show, concerts & More!

Lostin50s.org

May

11-13 Mother’s Day Rosette release at Pend d’Oreille Winery. 220 Cedar St. 20% off all wine.

12 VFW Gun Show, 1325 Pine, 9-4, $3 admission.

12 Tony Furtado at DiLuna’s Cafe, 7:30, $15. 208-263-8055 13 Mother’s Day Puppet Show, Panida Little Theater, 1 pm matinee. 208263-9191.

17-20 Lost in the 50s. lostin50s.org 17 Rock & Roll Heaven 7 pm, $30.

208-265-LOST 18 Vintage Car Parade, 6 pm, downtown Sandpoint.

18 Street Dance (free) following the parade, Town Square.

18 Rocky & the Rollers show and dance, Bo.Co. Fairgrounds, 6:30 pm. $30 208-265-LOST 19 Car Show, 9:30-3:45 downtown Sandpoint.

19 Rocky & the Rollers show and dance, Bo.Co. Fairgrounds, 6:30 pm. $30 208-265-LOST 19 Bicycle Film Festival, Panida Theater. 208-263-9191.

20 5k Fun Run, 10 am, 2nd Ave. Pizza 20 Car Rally, 11:30 am, 2nd Ave. Pizza.

25 The BoDeans in Concert, Panida Theater. $22/advance at ticketfly. com. 208-263-9191

June

Experience

2 Arbor Day Ceremony and Arboretum Open House. 9-1 Lakeview Park. 208-627-3292 2 Medieval and Spanish Blues with Claude Bourbon, DiLuna’s, 7:30 pm.

208-263-0846 3 Allegro Spring Dance Concert, Panida Theater. 208-263-9191.

6 The Fairytale History of North Idaho. Panida Theater. 7 pm. 208263-9191

PLUS:

Trivia every Tuesday night at MickDuff’s.

Tuesdays with Ray, Trinity at City Beach, 6 to 8 pm.

Sandpoint Swing Tuesdays at 6:30 pm, $3. Bongo Brew/Earth Rhythms Cafe 208-610-8587 Visit www.DowntownSandpoint.com for a complete calendar of events Bingo Night: hosted by The Loading Dock, every Thursday, 5-8 pm.

Winery Music - Live music every Friday night at Pend d’Oreille Winery Live Music with Bruce Bishop. 41 South, 6-9 pm on Saturdays Sandpoint Farmer’s Market, Wednesdays 3-5:30 pm, Saturdays 9-1, Farmin Park downtown.

Lounge Music with Neighbor John, Thursdays 6-9 at 41 South.

Live music, Coldwater Creek Wine Bar, 7-10 on Fridays.

Old Time Music Jam, Cafe Bodega @ Foster’s Crossing, 6-8 pm first and third Thursdays.

May 2012| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| Page 20

Downtown Sandpoint!

Politically Incorrect

Trish Gannon

Californication. I’m not sure who came up with that word, but it’s a great one. I remember many years ago (though it doesn’t seem like that many) when bumper stickers sprouted all over proclaiming “Don’t Californicate our State.” The sentiment at the time seemed to be directed at liberal newcomers, and generally came about in response to suggested and sometimes implemented restrictions—both real and perceived— against the traditional way of life for many Idahoans.

Looking back on those days, it’s not so hard to see we were so busy guarding the front door that we neglected to secure the back, where the Californicators arrived in droves. These weren’t the hippie liberals we were worried about, though. These were far right radicals—a disproportionate amount of them former cops, it seems—who came here with their often government-funded retirements and pockets of money from inflated property sales, determined to “save” us from the perceived wrongs of other areas, and dedicated to demolishing a way of life that those who were born and raised here had built. Which is rather ironic, given that the lifestyle of this place was presumably what caused the Californicators to move here in the first place.

Sometimes these people are seen as anarchists, in that they say they believe the best form of government is basically no government at all. In practice, of course, they still want big government— they just want it to focus in a different direction, primarily in enforcing their personal morality, which they generally consider to be “Christian” even though it’s not particularly Christ-like. But in reality, what these people are is incredibly greedy: “Don’t tax me,” they say, “And don’t try to stop me from doing... well, just about anything I damn well please, unless it has something to do with sex, in which case, bring on the big government.” These are people who apparently feel no sense of responsibility toward the community they have become a part of—and that’s just about as far away from the practice of a traditional Idahoan as I can imagine, because the first thing one notices when moving here, is that most people are actively working to keep this place a wonderful area to live in and raise a family.

Idahoans (like many of our neighbors in

Californicators

Montana) freely give of their time and their money to do whatever it is that needs to be done. They have supported schools and libraries, fire districts and EMTs—and they’re not afraid to pay taxes to do it. In fact, if Idaho has an obesity problem, I’d be willing to venture that it’s due to all the darned spaghetti dinners we pay for and eat to support all those things that make this a place where you want to live.

And you know—they’re on the right track, because their efforts have been so successful we all wanted to move here.

I say “we” because I’m a newcomer myself, having arrived in Idaho in 1987 after living in dozens of places throughout the U.S. and even beyond—including the dreaded California.

There have always been tensions with new people to this area who want to change things, of course, but lately we have seen this desire rise to new levels, as many of those newcomers realized they had no broad base of support for their radical ideas, and determined that the best way to get what they want is to simply take over government. That sounds... I don’t know... alarmist at some level, but it’s hard to argue with the facts. Take a good look at the people who are somewhat newly in office, as well as those who are currently running for office, and take a look at where they came from. Just on the Republican ticket, there are eight challengers for six positions in the contested races. Of those eight, only one has lived here for most of their adult life (he’s a native): of the remaining seven, over 90 percent didn’t even move here until this century—that is, after 2000.

That is not to say that newcomers don’t have value to our community; we have seen many times that they do. But it does suggest that in future, the people making the choices for this area may not be people who share the values of those who have put their time and effort into creating this community. I have to ask myself: “If they think things are so off track that they must run for office to “change” the system—why did they come here in the first place?”

Change, of course, is inevitable. What worked 50 years ago, or 100 years ago, might not work any longer given the impacts on our community of time and growth. The key word there, however, is “might;” indeed, the system might

also work well as it is. My desire for only responsible and responsive change would lead my friend, Paul Rechnitzer, to call me conservative, even though I’m about as liberal as they come in these parts. But I think it important that we don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater, as they say, and it certainly appears that this new breed of people who want to govern the rest of us is all about throwing the baby out, along with everything else.

I believe in this representative democracy we have. I believe that people have a right to vote for those people they think will make choices about our future that are in line with their own values and goals. It’s certainly possible that this area has changed so greatly since I moved here that the majority of our residents truly want the kind of change that’s being promised lately by those who want your vote. And if that’s the case, so be it.

But I don’t believe that’s the case. I believe my friends and neighbors here in North Idaho are the same as they ever were—hard working, giving people who work day and night to continue to build up this place where we all live and make it better. They want to send their kids (and their grandkids) to school, visit the county fair, check out a book or a movie at the library, watch a parade and fireworks on the 4th of July, and know that these things weren’t just given to us, and didn’t happen against our wishes—we have all worked and sacrificed and handed over our hardearned dollars to make them happen.

Empty rhetoric, no matter how many images of flags and the Constitution it’s wrapped in, doesn’t cut it in my Idaho.

We have worked too hard to stand idly by while newcomers come in and try to dismantle everything we’ve built. We will not be Californicated, will not give up our vision in return for one that grew somewhere else.

Please, take the time not just to vote on May 15, but to truly understand the various candidates’ ideas of what Idaho should be. Then mark your ballot in support of those whose vision matches your own. See you at the polls.

Trish Gannon is the owner/ publisher of the River Journal. You can reach her at trish@riverjournal.com.

May 2012| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| Page 21

PASSAGES

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Deborah Jean “Debbie” Hall GROSSMAN November 29, 1955 - April 5, 2012 www.LakeviewFuneral.com

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Richard Van WY, Sr. July 22, 1930 - April 6, 2012 www.LakeviewFuneral.com

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Sylvia B. Petrill WALL May 18, 1924 - April 14, 2012 www.LakeviewFuneral.com

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increase nutrients, such as nitrogen and George Frank ELLIOT February 7, 1926 This septic pilot project is being - April 11, 2012

introduced in order to comply with water www.CoffeltFuneral. com standards as determined by the quality Federal Clean Water Act. Designated to water quality, the plan, known as • protect Ernest Merton ZUMWALT a “Total Maximum Daily Load” for Lake MayOreille, 8, 1927 addresses Pend nutrient issues April 15, 2012

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In addition, many lakeshore homeowners participated in a survey • in Jack 2007Leroy concerning a variety of water STEVENS quality Marchissues.

22, 1922As - is turns out, their April 15, 2012

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www.CoffeltFuneral.com The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol 17 No. 18 | November 2008 | Page 5 Kenneth Sterl And they don’t have to—after all, don’t WILSON Americans believe if it’s ours, it’s ours J. Williams • weHelen April 14, 1926 - April They have ‘slipped 15, 2012 WEINAND and we can do with it what we want? Or www.LakeviewFuneral.com December 23, 1936 is the surly bonds of April 17, 2012 and we want it, then www.CoffeltFuneral.com earth’ and ‘touch the you have to give it to us and if you don’t, • Vera Jean MARTEL • Keith Charles then you sponsor terrorism and we’ll face of God.’ NICKISCH

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May 21, 1946 - April 15, 2012

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Ruth Post DEVRIES November 7, 1919 - April 21, 2012 www.LakeviewFuneral.com

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Lloyd Nicholas MARTIN December 8, 1962 - April 21, 2012 www.LakeviewFuneral.com

November 30, 1922 - April 17, 2012

By the way, China wants that oil as www.CoffeltFuneral.com well. Remember China? The people who us all“Jo” thatMarie money? China’s oil • loaned Josephine consumption is around 6.5 billion barrels Surma HANSON August 17,is1923 - Aprilat 7 percent every a year, and growing 17, It 2012 year. produces about 3.6 billion barrels www.CoffeltFuneral.com every year. Does this math look good to anyone? Can anyone other than Sarah • Palin Deanna PENCE-SCHENDEL and Lee George Bush believe we can April 24, 1928 - March 31, 2012 drill our way out of this problem? Anyone www.CoffeltFuneral.com who doesn’t think we better hit the ground • running DonaldtoOliver figureLOWRY out how to fuel what we May 23, 1934 - April 19, 2012 want fueled with something other than www.CoffeltFuneral.com oil probably deserves to go back to an •

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Dennis Lee JOHNSON June 2, 1945 - April 23, 2012 www.LakeviewFuneral.com

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Dale Elaine Covert LINSTRUM December 15, 1911 - April 9, 2012 www.CoffeltFuneral.com

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Mae Marie Tilton BEERS November 27, 1935 April 10, 2012 www.CoffeltFuneral.com

Juli MURPHY-NELSON October 17, 1962 - April : I could go on 25, 2012 forever, but you’ll quit reading. So one final www.CoffeltFuneral.com

discussion for the American public. First, let’s have a true, independent analysis of what happened on September 11, 2001.

The official explanation simply doesn’t hold water. This is one of those “who knew what, when” questions that must be answered—and people/institutions must

A very happy Mother’s Day to all of our readers.

Speaking of accountability, you might be surprised to learn that I would not support an effort to impeach President Bush after the November elections. First, because that’s too late, and second, because more than Bush have been involved in crimes against the American people. What I would like to see are charges (at the least, charges of treason) brought against Bush, Cheney, et al. Bring the charges and let’s let the evidence of

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Page 22 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| May 2012

Gary’s Faith Walk

Gary Payton

More Stop! than be still

“Stop!”… more than “Be still” Okay, I admit it! I’m a news junkie. My daily addiction embarrasses me as I list it. Online: BBC World News, the International Herald Tribune, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Moscow Times (Russia). Television: Euronews, Today (Russia), and the PBS News Hour. Radio: National Public Radio. Print: the Spokesman Review and the Bonner County Daily Bee. So, is it any wonder that the end of the Republican presidential primary process has left me feeling battered? All that anger, all those charges and counter charge—all that puffery. But wait, I let it in. By choice, I read, or watched, or listened. And that was just the preliminary round! Now we move into six more months of super charged rhetoric and hyperbole before the election on November 6th.

When I analyze my addiction, I discover my need to orient myself, to affirm my relevance in the world, this nation, and my community. Staying up on the news allows me to take my bearings relative to the swirl of life around me. It serves rather like a gyroscope, a way to maintain my orientation.

Yet knowing that I have “overdone it” lately in the news department, I’ve sought reflection in scripture. “Be still, and know that I am God,” rings out from within Psalm 46. Ah, to quiet

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oneself, to reduce the volume of the surrounding sound, to, well, to be still.

But, in this part of my Faith Walk, a deeper examination of the text seemed essential. Turns out that the “be still” we read in so many of our bibles is actually a rather poor translation of the Hebrew word “rapa.’ The psalmist’s intent was to convey the much more emphatic “Stop!” or “Attention!” “Stop and know that I am God.” This is certainly more direct, more grabbing than “be still.”

Even living amidst the mountains and endless forests of our North Country, I let myself get caught up in events. The forever war in Afghanistan, Israeli-Palestinian jockeying, Russian human rights abuses, Chinese oppression of Tibetans, the antics of the current Congress, challenges to conserving the environment in this part of the West, and so much more. That’s a lot to “stop” in order to “know” God. But, perhaps, that is the take away message from my overdosing on Republican presidential primary news. It seems I’ve been shown a path forward through this summer, this year, and into the future. Stop the mental clutter. Stop the overdosing on the repeated stories via the Internet, TV, radio, and newspapers.

“Stop and know that I am God,” the Psalmist wrote.

For me, the knowing is a richly layered revelation. Reading the Word, seeking out wisdom literature, loving and being loved within my family, opening myself to seeing the image of God in the faces of people around me, watching with awe the unfolding of spring in lupine blossoms and birds nesting and white tails nibbling fresh buds.

If I am brave enough to stop, the months ahead will return to me great joy. The tumult of the recent news cycle will recede, and my knowing the Divine will bring great peace even as the events of the world continue to unfold. Try it with me! We both may like it. I’ll start by powering down my lapto…

Gary Payton is on a Faith Walk that takes him to Russia, Eastern Europe and Sandpoint, Idaho.

You can email him at gdpsandpoint@gmail.com though with his laptop off... well, good luck.

NEW SAILING CLASS

for all of you new to sailing or those who just want a skill ‘tuneup’ Bruce Robertson is holding a NEW SAILOR WORKSHOP on May 19 from 9 AM to 1 PM at the Community Hall on 1st Avenue in downtown Sandpoint.

GET READY FOR SUMMER and JOIN THE FUN!

May 2012| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| Page 23

Strange

Doppelgangers I have known

FROM THE FILES OF THE RIVER JOURNAL’S

Surrealist Research Bureau

Though my young nephew Tyler enjoys it, I don’t watch Ghostbusters, the Discovery Channel’s green-tinted, night vision TV show, since hearing that the film crew which follows the hosts’ antics had been caught throwing stones and making sounds for the “ghosthunters” to react to, creating gasps and false drama for the camera.

Besides, it’s a dirty little secret among parapsychologists and fellow ghosthunters that what we call “ghosts” is but the tip of a strange iceberg of unknown and bizarre apparitions, “phantasms of the living” (according to one of the earliest classic collections of the same name).

Now Doppelgangers, or Twin-Walkers, have a long and documented history.

Goethe, the German philosopher, told in his autobiography how, at 16 years of age, he was walking down a country road when he saw an open carriage drive by him and was surprised to see his double in the seat, wearing a strange gray coat trimmed in gold. Eight years later he found himself driving in a carriage down that same road in the opposite direction and he realized as he passed the exact same spot he had seen himself so many years before, as he was now wearing the same gray coat trimmed in gold that he’d seen in his vision so long ago.

One of the most exhaustively researched accounts is that of 32-yearold Emily Sagee, a Frenchwoman who taught at a girls school in Latvia. Although the school administration was pleased with her performance they were finally forced to let her go. It seems her exact double would sometimes appear in her classroom, mimicking her movements in full view of her frightened students. In the teachers’ lounge eating lunch, her double likewise appeared beside her, copying her movements of eating though her twin did not appear to be holding utensils.

The most disturbing incident occurred during a school assembly when the entire school witnessed both the “real” Emily sitting primly onstage and her double, who could be plainly seen outside the windows picking flowers in the garden. Two girls ran outside to confront the “other” Emily but when they reached out to touch her, their fingers passed through a spiderweblike substance and she disappeared. The school was forced to ask Emily to resign.

She’d go on to lose 18 jobs over the next 16 years.

In another well-documented case, this of a so-called “crisis apparition,” the Admiral of the British Mediterranean Fleet, Sir George Tyron, was at the helm of the HMS Victoria as she slid bow first beneath

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the waves after a collision at sea, losing 358 sailors lives, including that of the Admiral.

Meanwhile, 2,000 miles away at the exact same time, the Admiral appeared in his home library to four witnesses who saw him standing beside a globe of the earth, looking sadly down on it before vanishing.

It wasn’t ‘til the following day that word reached his family of his death at sea.

While a number of Saints and holy men have been credibly “blessed’ with the gift of bi-location (St. Anthony of Padua and St. Adolphus Ligouri come to mind) it’s rather unusual for politicians to be so gifted. But in 1905, Sir Gilbert Parker was attending a debate in his usual desk in the House of Commons and was noted present both by his colleagues in the House and by the reporters and attendees there as well. Only problem was, he was ill at home with the flu that day. He later stated he’d been wishing while in bed ill that he could attend the important Home Rule debates that day, so perhaps he got his wish after all.

At any rate, I don’t watch Ghostbusters.

The vast majority of apparitions and sightings that people call ‘ghosts’ are not the spirits of the departed, but are representatives of the more un-testable and random Phantasms of the Living! ‘til next time, All Homage to Xena and Keep Spreading the Word: Soylent Green is People!

Want to talk to Jody? You can reach him at joe@ riverjournal.com.

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Page 24 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| May 2012

The Hawk’s Nest Building a Shed

Ten years ago my wife and I built a muchneeded storage shed. As usual, the project turned into an adventure.

Due to another adventure (project) we are working on now, I didn’t get a column written this month. This is the story of that first shed published in The River Journal in May of 2002. I also added a very short addendum.

I hope you enjoy it again and I promise a brand new story next month.

The lawn mower has stayed under the overturned wheelbarrow for years.

This hasn’t been a problem because the wheelbarrow protects the mower very well from the elements. When it looks like it might rain, rest assured the wheelbarrow was not being used, but was still protecting the mower.

While looking at some fresh moose prints near the mower, I thought about putting it and its cover inside, but there just wasn’t a place for it. We needed a new shed.

The idea was mine but my partner in all projects would need to be consulted.

She becomes the design department on things like building sheds, arranging furniture, etc. My role is engineering. This is important because when engineering has a problem due to lack of skill, knowledge or intelligence, it’s easy to blame it on design.

So the system works—for me.

First, we built the footings and made sure they were level. I can’t believe there are people who still think the world is flat.

Apparently, they’ve never tried to level footings. Finally the earth was flat enough so we stopped to the day.

As we came out to start on the shed the next day, a large bull moose was standing in our fresh dirt. Since he wasn’t on our footings, waiting seemed like a good idea.

Things went fairly smoothly as we built the floor and the walls.

While framing rafters, standing on the old wooden, rickety ladder I was supposed to replace several years ago, my partner started screaming at the top of her voice. I suddenly realized the reason she was yelling; I was shrieking words that would have sent my mother after a new bar of Lava soap to wash out my mouth.

See, the ladder had broken and left me hanging by an elbow over a two-by-four.

Looking down, as most of the ladder fell away, I saw only jagged, sharp pieces of broken wood appearing to take aim at my landing. I made a vow to the great master shed builder that if I ever got my feet back on the ground again I would wash out my own mouth. I did too—with a barley and

hops solution.

By the end of the weekend the walls were up and the rafters for the roof were in place. Monday morning my partner called from town saying she heard it might rain during the week and maybe we should put a tarp over the shed.

There wasn’t’ a cloud in the sky, but I was on a new fiberglass ladder putting up a tarp.

A light breeze blew through just as I got the tarp over the entire roof frame. I grabbed a bungee and reached up to hook the corner of the blue fabric and as my hand went up, the tarp lifted and landed beside the shed.

I climbed down. I got the tarp. I put it back on the roof. I was trying to focus on the task at hand, but my mind kept wondering if this was necessary since the sky was clear.

This time I was ready. I had a bungee in my mouth, like a pirate carries his knife. Just as soon as the tarp was in place I grabbed one end of the cord to make the hook. As I jabbed at the grommet in the corner of the sheet, the hook on the other end of the cord caught my nose and lifted me up through the skeleton roof. From there I was able to watch the temporary roof lift and lazily float off the building, down the hill and into the pond at the bottom. As it was settling, there were some strange ripples—almost waves— on the water. I thought it odd but had never seen a tarp land on water before.

With frustration mounting I jumped off the ladder, dangers on the ground be damned, and stormed down the hill to the pond. I charged into the eight-foot reed grass at the water’s edge with all pistons firing. Look out fish, look out fowl, and look out anything in my way! Nothing, nothing, would stop me now.

I broke out of the reed grass. My foot went into the water and the man-eating mud below. Out of the tall vegetation I could see again. There, only one step away, just one, was the head of a huge bull moose, my tarp draped over his humongous rack. One corner hung down over an eye. With the other eye he was looking at me and seemed to be saying in a Clint Eastwood voice, “Go ahead, take the tarp. Make my day.”

Some of the pistons kind of misfired. I knew if I could get my foot out of the mud, or any part of it for that matter, I could run. But first I needed to mainline all my onboard stores of adrenaline to jump-start a totally stalled system.

The moose moved slightly. Due to the overdose shot of adrenalin, the mud let

Ernie Hawks

go and instantly I was on the other side of the tall grass. I don’t remember the trip through, or maybe over, that eight-foot grass, but I was there.

The mud had not given up one boot, which was fine; I had no trouble scrambling up the hill. From here I could see the pond, the tarp and the head of the moose, his body still completely submerged—now I understood those strange ripples.

I had some thoughts about that close call and the need for this project, which will remain my own.

Grabbing another tarp I put it on the shed, then looked up at the clear blue sky and demanded it start raining now!

The next weekend, as we were finishing the roof, the design department looked down at the pond and noticed a tarp floating on it. “How did that tarp get on the pond?” she asked.

I studied the tarp while I formed my thoughts to answer. Then I said, with all the sincerity I could muster, “I don’t know.” Thank God that seemed to end the conversation. If you see her, please don’t tell, okay?

Once construction was over, we moved the stuff from under the bed, under the desk, under the house and under foot into the new shed. I also moved my tools from the house, the car and under the trees, into their new home. How handy to have them all in one place. In addition to the tools we put three bicycles, a couple pair of skis, some snowshoes and one boot in the new building.

It’s a good shed, filled to capacity with important things we need.

Granted, it hadn’t come out exactly as planned, but it hadn’t exactly been planned either.

As I walked back to the house for a celebratory beer, I realized I should find a place for the lawnmower and wheelbarrow.

Maybe next year I can build a…

Addendum It is now 10 years later and there is still a need for another shed. Or, maybe a dump run would be easier.

Ernie Hawks is a writer, photographer and motivational speaker. Reach him at michalhawks@gmail.com, and check out his photos at www.PhotosbyHawks. net

May 2012| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| Page 25

Jinxed

I never camped before I came to Idaho.

Well, I take that back, I have seen pictures of my parents and I camping when I was young, but I don’t actually remember it.

I admit, learning to camp is an art and I didn’t really get it for a long time. I came to Idaho with the idea that if others can do it so can I, not realizing it’s not as easy as it looks or sounds!

I came with a companion, Aspen, my pup. Just the two of us on a wildlife adventure, ready to outwit even the smartest of creatures! First, however we had to conquer our portable shelter. I didn’t know anything about tents and I’m pretty sure I bought the most complicated tent in the store. They say one “pitches” a tent, but for me, it was as difficult as building a small house! I had taken the term “pitching” literally. Instructions?

Ha! I don’t need no stinkin’ instructions!

It only took me a mere four hours to figure out how to set my tent up and even then it was not real stable. I had it in my mind that I could come to Idaho, pitch my tent and live off fish and rain water forever! After my first camping experience I realized just how naïve I was.

Even fishing was (and is) a sport I have yet to become accomplished at, but not for lack of trying. Evidently, the only way I am going to catch a fish is to take Capt. Ken’s Seagull Charter—to date, that’s the only way I have managed to wrangle a fish!

It was a good thing I did bring snacks to Idaho, because living off the land wasn’t happening for me. The whole way from Texas to Idaho, all I could think of was the relative calm I was fixing to collapse into.

I rented motel rooms twice on the way north; I didn’t want to open the tent box until I had reached my Idaho destination.

There were many things about camping I had not thought through. I never even considered the call of nature, which soon horrified me! How could I not have thought of that? Then I came across a camp space that said “no facilities.” I quickly learned that camping could be pretty primitive and I had better learn to deal with it.

I thought I took everything needed to camp, and I thought I had a great set up for camping. My vehicle was packed top to bottom with what I thought I would need to successfully camp. Then, after camping on my own for a few years, I spent a summer camping with Kathy Neumann from Clark Fork and learned all about Idaho camping, Martha Stewart style! Kathy and I pulled

“Real” Camping is the Best into a camp spot, she pulled out her little 4x4 box of camping gear (antique salt shakers, lace tablecloth, candles, almost complete with a rainbow back drop!). It was amazing for me to think camping could be so “pretty.” Not at all like my initial camp outing, which was plain, and even dirty.

Far be it from Kathy to have even a dust particle at her table.

That was an awesome summer and I learned a lot about not having to do without just because you’re sleeping outdoors. After that summer with Kathy the camping Queen, I left for Texas to babysit my youngest granddaughter, Loralei, so she wouldn’t have to go directly into day care. Weekends were mine, so I thought I would take what I gleaned from Kathy and try camping in Texas.

First of all, you have to know I was staying in Wylie, which is near Dallas.

I looked for weeks to “reserve” (yeah, reserve, no spontaneity there!) a spot to camp, near some water, near some shade, yet away from the hordes of campers who crowd the lakes in the area. For a mere $30 a night you to could stay near water, overnight. I couldn’t find anything isolated, and ended up setting up camp by a lake in a spot that barely accommodated my tent and car. No spreading out, that would be an additional fee.

Sharing the lakeside with what seemed like a small city I set up my little area, keeping in mind all the tips I had learned from Kathy. There was a picnic table and I placed my tablecloth and accessories in a way I knew would make Kathy proud. My decorative candles flickered in the breeze and the laughter aimed at my camping skills floated over to me from the adjacent camp areas. The Texas air currents furiously whipped my tablecloth into the neighboring campsite, and my camping frills were gone with the wind. I was only slightly comforted by the thought that I didn’t catch anyone else’s tent on fire.

Camping in what is referred to as the “solitude” of a Texas lake is very different than an outing in Idaho. I could safely camp in Idaho and never see more than two or three people, sometimes less. In Texas, I couldn’t even take Aspen with me because there is no real retreat from the people there. Aspen would have been offended by all the people surrounding our tent. I gave it a good try though. It was like sleeping under the stars in the backyard of a high rise apartment building. At least, there were supposed to be stars in the sky, but the sky is so bright from the street lights,

it was impossible to see them.

There were those people who didn’t respect the “no pets” sign, ignoring it and bringing along their dogs and from the sound of it their neighborhood dogs also.

Children screaming not six feet from where my head was trying to relax. The woman next to me lay griping at her husband for noisily passing gas. I didn’t need to hear her nag to know exactly what he had done.

I could hear every little repulsive noise with my own ears. Even though people were supposed to pipe down after sunset, there were still those few determined to keep me awake into the wee hours of the morning. It wasn’t crickets and frogs that lulled me to sleep, there was no sleep to be had!

With no relaxing I left my $30 campsite feeling more than a bit agitated. I knew for that 30 bucks, I could have had a massage and slept in my own comfy bed at home.

For that 30 bucks, I could have visited a chiropractor and had my aches and pains whipped into submission. Thirty bucks would have bought me room service and a movie, or a trip to the theater twice (plus popcorn!) or even a boom box and a couple of Kenny G CDs from the local thrift store to relax with. The list goes on.

I quickly determined that dusty, Texas camping wasn’t what I was yearning for. I needed the mountains, fresh air and the friendly faces of Idaho! Here, I can camp in my own back yard and find more comfort than I did in Texas.

It’s not that Texans don’t try, don’t get me wrong. Texans are friendly most of the time and they do enjoy visiting while they’re camping, learning everything they can about their fellow campers. They just don’t understand what real camping feels like. They don’t know what it’s like to dip your toes in water so clean and clear you can see the bottom. They certainly don’t know what it’s like to swim in a lake that you don’t have to share with snake. Yikes! They don’t know what it is to sleep peacefully, unworried about small, poison critters trying to creep into your tent. Nope, even as little as I know about camping, Idaho camping trumps Texas camping hands down!

So get out in the woods. But if you see my tent, keep your distance, okay?

Jinx Beshears (and her little dog, Aspen) live in Clark Fork and camp when they can. You can reach her at jinxbychoice08@yahoo.com.

Page 26 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| May 2012

In light of the ever increasing train traffic servicing the Canadian and Wyoming coal fields and rolling downstream to China where it’s converted into electricity to make us more stuff to grow their economy and our trade deficit, I had a thought.

Well, several actually, so I wrote some down on my way to work a while back as I waited patiently for a train to get through Sagle.

Working independently (a trait I learned playin’ marbles with my older brothers), the left side of my brain was counting coal cars while the right side conjured up verses as my eyes recorded snapshots of all the vivid lettering going by. It was almost I-MAX in scope, although it’s possible I may have parked too close to the cross arm.

And it just so happened that early rapper Johnny Cash was braggin’ over my radio about all the places he’d been to, followed immediately by Bob Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues.

This had some effect on the construction of the following lyrics.

Chorus: You can do anything man, almost anything, man You don’t have to scream, man, waitin’ for a train, man Don’t let it get to yer brain, man, you can do anything…

U can take a break, learn to bake, rub an ache for Pete’s sake stare, glare, take care, be aware, mend a tear, don’t be square look over there, read a book, create a new look, turn over a new leaf, face yer grief zone in or zone out, sit and pout or pick yer snout or both at once, practice grunts, even punts or other stunts but you can’t go to the can even if you ran or make a pan of peanut brittle or go forward more’n a little, relax, listen to the clacks, send some tweets, read some Keats or clean the crap from under yer seats play with your hair or some solitaire, truth or dare, check the air in your spare, play with your phone, apply for a loan, polish yer trombone, if you’ve got one, have some fun, think up a pun, train’s almost done! play musical cars, compare scars or hardy-har-hars pretend you’re on Mars, clean yer glasses, cover yer asses look before ya leap, go to sleep, pole dance, romance try to find some miscreants.

Chorus: From Wyoming to Seattle, man, you can hear the rattle, man China needs our coal man, train after train of coal, man with a mile and a half of train, man, you can do anything.

Clean your purse or make it worse, take a pill, write a will learn a new skill or just sit still and meditate on how often yer late, family trait, I can’t wait. think about God or a new fishin’ rod, toe jamb, boo jam, how to fix yer wig-wam, put on some make-up go ahead and wake up, eat some groceries, rub your rosaries, readjust your hosieries detail your dashboard, give me the patience Lord and deliver me from bein’ bored or take a nap if yer prone, contemplate yer vast unknown, acid rain, personal gain, down the drain, future pain, goin’ insane, brush yer teeth, make a wreath, pull those mats and clean underneath, get plowed, be proud, self endowed, re-avowed, read aloud, grow a beard that’d be weird, knit, spit, ‘get lit’, throw a fit yell “That’s it!”, turn around, rebound, pet yer hound, check your vitals clean yer whitewalls, fly a kite, see the light be less contrite, more erudite, who’s right give up spite, bird watch, hold yer crotch don’t pee, c’est la vie, revue your life, call yer wife knock yerself out, think about trout, hock a loogie learn to boogie, study graffiti, dream about Tahiti, check a score, tell the train what for and so much more.

Chorus: ‘Cause you can do anything, man, almost anything, man you don’t have to scream, man, waitin’ on a train, man don’t let it blow yer brain, man, you can do anything!

Scott Clawson

acresnpains@dishmail.net

May 2012| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| Page 27

BAsketball the Old-Fashioned Way March madness has come and gone and things are getting back to normal. Snarl, mumble, gripe, growl.

Everyone here in the northwest was let down by the Zag’s losing in their second game. I know it’s not uncommon for them to do that because every time they make it to the big dance and come up against a team of equal strength, they tighten up like a bung in a whisky barrel—even the junior high girls from Chipmunk Falls could score more points. Now I know their coach is an outstanding coach but he, to, needs to stand up and take the bull by the horns and quite swaddling his players.

As a for instance, we had the smallest basketball team in Oklahoma when I was growing up. Even though some of the players were married and owned their own mule, we still couldn’t score many points up against larger teams until our coach, an old farmer, came up with this brilliant idea. We didn’t seem to be able to concentrate with those big guys hovering all over us, so to teach us to pay attention to our shot, the coach came up with a plan. It worked, too, that is, up until the accident.

Coach took a set of brass rings off of his mule harness and placed one in the crotch of each player’s cup, or in the jock straps of the bigger boys; and hooked up a transmitter with a transistor from an old battery radio he had out in his shop. The transistor was wired to the 12-volt tractor battery he borrowed from his John Deer. Every time one of his players crouched to shoot a basket, Coach Farmer would cross a wire from the positive post on the battery to the negative, causing it to short out, resulting

in the transmitter lighting up the brass ring in the shooter’s shorts. This had the effect of causing him to pas gas and let out a blood-curdling scream that sounded like a panther in estrus and coming from deep down in his gut.

It was all good; the shooters made their points and the center stopped all the opponent’s points and got all the rebounds.

When the cheerleaders picking up on what Coach Farmer was doing, they wanted to borrow his equipment for dates. And this is how the jump shot came to be.

I am sending all this full disclosure to the Seattle Seahawks, as a way for their coach to try to get them all facing the same direction for a change.

There’s gotta be something to that old story about the water in Seattle being bad. I’m here to tell ya, folks, I can drop the ball, miss-dribble, strike out, and miss a basket for half the money those nit wets get.

Seriously, I could do all that for three, maybe four million a year.

And they only have to work a third of a year, with most of that work accomplished in the motel after hours.

Just call me Old Double Dribble Boots

From the Mouth of the River

BOOTS REYNOLDS

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Lost in the 50s May 17-20 • Sandpoint, Idaho

Hot Cars

Vintage Car Parade, downtown Sandpoint, 6 pm Friday Car Show - Saturday 9:30 to 3:45

Hot Music

Rock and Roll Heaven VIII,

Friday 7 pm, Panida Theater $30 (Doors open 6 pm)

Rocky & the Rollers

show & dance at the Bonner County Fairgrounds, 7:30 Friday and Saturday (doors open 6:30 both nights).

Hot Moves

Don’t Miss the free BBQ at Friday, immediate after parade, hosted by Bashful Dan, FREE! Mac’s tie-Downs & Lucky Dog Trailers. Friday, Sunday, 5k run 10 am, Car Rally 11 to 2

Street Dance,

Aspirin Rally Run, at 11:30 am.

Questions / Tickets: Call 208-265-5678 (LOST) or 208-263-9321 • www.Lostin50s.org May 2012| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 21 No. 5| Page 29

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