The River Journal, July 2010

Because there’s more to life than bad news

A News MAGAZINE Worth Wading Through

Festival Debuts Dancing Venue

Local News • Entertainment • Politics • Education • Other Worlds • Wellness • Humor • Outdoors

July 2010 | FREE | www.RiverJournal.com

Plug In, Power Up & Go! Get Mobile Broadband with a Verizon Wireless USB modem.

FREE

UMW190 GLOBAL USB MODEM

Compatible with most computers, this compact device is a reliable option for notebooks equipped with a USB drive.

• Fast global Internet access on the go • DSL-like speeds, but wireless!

• Access to email in GSM Networks while traveling overseas • No Wi-Fi hotspots needed!

• Pre-installed SIM card

• Easy to set up.

Secure to use With new 2 yr activation on a Mobile Broadband plan.* After $50 mail-in rebate debit card.

MSRP $49.99 - mail-in rebate debit card $50.00

518 Larch St., Sandpoint • 208-263-8226 *Activation fee/line: $35 IMPORTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION: Subject to Cust Agmt, Calling Plan, rebate form & credit approval. Up to $175 early termination fee ($350 for advanced devices) & other charges. Add’l $20 upgrade fee may apply. Device capabiities: Add’l charges & conditions apply. Offers & coverage, varying by svc, not available everywhere. While supplies last. Shipping charges may apply. Limited time offer. Rebate debit card takes up to 6 wks & expires in 12 months. © 2010 Verizon Wireless 0710 T244

July 2010

Hungry bears in the back yard (p. 2), Saving the sturgeon (p. 5) Come on and dance (p. 6)

Departments Editorial 8..........News Briefs 12-15......Outdoors 16..........Veterans 18..........Education 20-21......Other Worlds 22..........Faith 24..........Politics 26..........Obituaries 27..........Humor

Cover: For two weeks every August, locals and visitors rush to Memorial Field for seats at the Festival over Sandpoint. From rock to regaee to the reeds of the Spokane Symphony, there’s something to delight almost everyone. See the complete lineup on the back cover. The Festival, by the way, asks that you walk, not run. Photo by Trish Gannon.

9 Love Notes Mr. Jones goes to Washington 11 Currents Cowbirds, China and Chinooks 17 Politically Incorrect Why I live here 19 The Hawk’s Nest Intentional attention 23 The Scenic Route Searching for truth 27 From the Mouth of the River A great fourth

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

SALES Call 208.255.6957 or email trish@riverjournal.com

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

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

Ministry of Truth and Propaganda Jody Forest joe@riverjournal.com

Touchstone Massage Therapies At Stepping Stones Wellness Center Oncology • Sports Medical • Energy Stress Relief Krystle Shapiro, LMT

803 Pine Sandpoint•208.290.6760

Is your Internet Service Provider Missing in Action?

Need reliable, high-speed Internet service? Call for a free site survey today!

Intermax serves many areas of Bonner County from Dover to Hope.

208.762.8065 - Coeur d’Alene

208.265.3533 - Sandpoint www.IntermaxNetworks.com

Cartoonists Scott Clawson, Matt Davidson

Regular Contributors

Desire Aguirre; Scott Clawson; Sandy Compton; Marylyn Cork; Dick Cvitanich; Idaho Rep. George Eskridge; Lawrence Fury; Dustin Gannon; Matt Haag; Ernie Hawks; Lt. Cary Kelly; Emily Levine; Marianne Love; Kathy Osborne; Gary Payton; Boots Reynolds; Sandpoint Wellness Council; Lou Springer; Mike Turnlund; Michael White

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle Proudly printed at Griffin Publishing in Spokane, Wash. 509.534.3625 Contents of the River Journal are copyright 2010.

Reproduction of any material, including original artwork and advertising, is prohibited. The River Journal is published the first week of each month and is distributed in over 16 communities in Sanders County, Montana, and Bonner, Boundary and Kootenai counties in Idaho. The River Journal is printed on 40 percent recycled paper with soy-based ink. We appreciate your efforts to recycle.

Bears in the Backyard

by Thomas McMahon

If

t he twister dropped Dorothy and Toto off in North Idaho instead of Oz, she would have been exclaiming, “Bears and bears and bears, oh my!� Toto probably wouldn’t have survived the night either.

It’s hard to miss the telltale signs that the VS_CO-OP.X3.pdf 4/13/10 11:31:03 AM bears are out in full force this summer. The

gigantic piles of poo left strategically in the middle of the driveway and the trash cans with their contents flung across the yard like a giant nine-year-old went off his Ritalin are both sure signs that Mr. Bear visited. While usually just a nuisance—or a tourist’s dream come true—the bears this year are causing some real concern in the community.

Take Friday night at Trisha’s Place in Hope a few weeks ago. Early in the season is like that Billy Joel song, if you change the day... and the time. But at five o’clock on a Friday, the “regular crowd shuffles in.�

Mostly it’s locals, there to enjoy Trisha’s famous shrimp and clam soup, though as summer arrives more and more tourists are poking their heads in the door. But a few weeks ago, as Trisha was preparing for the

Renewable Energy Systems Solar Panels Storage Batteries

C

Water Pumps

M

Power Inverters

Y

CM

Grid-Tie Systems

MY

Efficient Appliances

CY

CMY

...and much more

K

Packaged Systems & Free Custom Design 4BOEQPJOU t

Don@Voodoosolar.com

www.VoodooSolar.com

night, soup bubbling on the stove, there was an unexpected visitor. “Trish, whatever you do, don’t move.�

Trisha’s boyfriend, Jay McGinnis, had come in the front door of the building where outside, the Food Services of America delivery truck pulled in. Trisha had just finished mopping and propping—cleaning the kitchen floor, then propping open the back door so the floor would dry more quickly—and was working on paperwork at a table near the kitchen. At Jay’s words, she jumped and yelled, “What?! What?!,� thinking a spider was creeping toward her head.

This, of course, badly frightened the young black bear that was nosing around through the kitchen. Jay sent Trisha outside to warn the FSA driver not to bring deliveries in through the propped-open kitchen door and shortly after, seeing a path to safety, the bruin rushed past Jay and out the front door to freedom, in full view of the early arrivals of the Friday night regulars.

The residents of Trestle Creek, just a few miles down the road from Trisha’s Place, know all about the busy bears’ schedules.

So far Scott Hancock has seen up to eleven different bears this year at Trestle Creek, even seeing as many as six bears in one day (only two of which were repeats). Personal belongings left outside are no longer safe; bird feeders, trash cans, and anything else smelling of food is being taken into the woods. Sadly, even some cats have been reported missing but these cannot be directly related to the bears as coyotes have been seen in the area as well.

When asked about precautions, Scott stated in true North Idahoan fashion, “My bear-proofing measures are a large caliber hand gun shot into a dirt mound. And while I have no intention of shooting ‘em, I have no intention of becoming a meal on wheels.� Hancock, you see, has been in a wheelchair since he was a youngster, after a bout with polio.

The rest of the Trestle Creek residents have all shelled out for heavy duty bear spray and rubber bullets.

So why have we been seeing so many bears around the area this year? Matt Haag, an Idaho Fish and Game Warden, has attributed the boom to a few factors. For the last three years or so Unit 1, the Fish and Game area that accounts for everything

Page | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| July 2010

north of the Clark Fork River, Lake Pend Oreille, and Pend Oreille River, has had very low bear harvests. Of course, I got confused and thought people farmed bears (did I mention I’m not a hunter?) but Matt was referring to the fact that hunters have taken very few bears for a while. This, plus a bountiful huckleberry crop, has boosted bear populations.

Now the reason why they are getting to be such a nuisance this spring and summer…

Matt explained that the extremely rainy spring and late frost was very hard on the bears. The cold, wet, and all-around miserable weather is a heavy burden on an animal that must constantly eat to survive.

Bears lose a lot of valuable calories when their bodies are stoking the furnace all the time and a furnace needs fuel.

“It’s tough goin’ when the spring’s wet,” Matt said about the bears, “and it only gets harder when they are competing with each other [for food] at the same time.”

This competition and trouble finding food has forced bears out of their usual foraging and into easier pickings. The backyards of residences around the Panhandle have turned out to be the coolers for a bear’s

summer picnic. Matt claims that most of the calls he gets about bears around residences can be traced back to three things: bird feeders, dog food, and trash. If these things go, so will the bears as a rule. It doesn’t even have to be your home that’s attracting the bears. If a guy three houses down is responsible for drawing in the bear you’ll still most likely get a visit.

“We haven’t done anything wrong,” Trisha Stockman explained. “We don’t like it, but if we can’t get to the dump, we lock our garbage in the car. But other people have not been as careful. The bear scat around here has been filled with bird seed.”

Even if you aren’t on the bear’s paper route yet, it’s still a great idea to preemptively avoid a visit. While bird song is a wonderful thing to have around your home a twohundred-pound black bear might not be.

Taking down bird feeders, keeping pet food inside, securing trash cans so bears can’t get to them, and removing other areas that smell of food around the house will protect not only you, but the bears as well.

Bears, while naturally afraid of humans, will start coming around if they are hungry enough. If the food supply stays constant

bears will start to become habituated.

This means they lose their fear of humans and start associating us with food. A bear works hard to find enough food to sustain life, and they’re quickly appreciative of such easy pickin’s as black oil sunflower seeds or protein-packed dog food. And that flat iron steak you cooked outside is every bit as tasty three days later to a bear who catches the scent of greasy grill in the wind. Bears, by the way, are thought to have the best sense of smell of any animal on the planet.

They can sniff out a food source upwind from about 20 miles away. Yes, that’s 20. Tw-e-n-t-y.

Relying solely on human-related food, bears will stop their natural foraging habits.

This becomes dangerous not only because there are bears hanging around, but they start viewing the trash cans they’ve been eating out of for weeks as their territory. So when someone does finally try to shoo away the bear it is viewed as a challenge rather than being something scary the bear should run away from. continued on next page

July 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| Page

FACEBOOK.COM/ RIVERJOURNAL or text “like riverjournal” to 32665

Bears- Continued from page This is not to say that every bear that doesn’t run away is habituated. Matt says that the bears are so hungry they will ignore the flight response when the smell of food is so close. In fact, a bear’s eyesight is so poor they might not even see the person screaming and waving their arms around. Matt described bears as having “eyes on their noses.”

Look for predatory responses when encountering a bear. Ears back, accommodating a boxer-like stance, and walking while actively looking at a person are all signs that point towards “get the hell out of there.” If these signs aren’t being displayed then the bear is probably just curious about where all the delicious smells are coming from.

If a bear has been getting too close for comfort Matt, or any other Fish and Game warden, is happy to drop off some rubber bullets. These are shot out of a twelve gauge shotgun and “while they won’t do any damage, they’ll hurt a ton,” he said. In an extreme case, Fish and Game will also come out and trap the bear, and remove it to a more remote area, which is what they did with the young bear who threatened to become a regular customer at Trisha’s Place.

You can reach Matt at (208)-946-0671 or email him at matt.haag@idfg.gov with any questions regarding bears. Just keep in mind that trapping and moving a bear is a last resort and most of the time the problem can be taken care of by the home owner taking away food supplies.

While it is a last resort Matt has had to move two bears from Hope and may have to do more. He feels that there are between five and seven bears (including the ones already moved) that are close to being 100 percent habituated in the Hope area alone. Matt has tried trapping more of these bears but they have eluded him so far.

If trapping does not work then the only other option is euthanizing the bear which no one wants to see happen. So please, we must take it upon ourselves to keep the balance not just for our sake, but for the bears as well.

The regional Fish and Game office is located in Couer d’Alene and can be reached at (208)769-1414.

In the photo on the previous page, Carl Zmuda of Hope got this picture of a trashcan raiding bear with the security cam on his house. He says the ‘real’ garbage is locked in the garage; the cans outside didn’t contain garbage at all. Nonetheless, the bear had to check them out.

Page | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| July 2010

Saving an Ice-Age Relic Kootenai River white sturgeon in danger of extinction

by Laura Roady

Diminishing at a rate of four percent a year, the Kootenai River white sturgeon population is in danger of extinction unless a solution is found. The population has been declining for the last four decades, with between 500 and 1,000 sturgeon remaining. Biologists and scientists are searching for answers for this ice age relic.

Since the last ice age, thousands of white sturgeon have swam the Kootenai River between Kootenai Falls in Montana and Kootenay Lake in British Columbia.

Then, in the 1960s, biologists noticed limited recruitment (fewer young fish surviving). In 1994, the Kootenai River white sturgeon was added to the Endangered Species list.

There is no straightforward answer to the population’s decline, but the decline may be related to changes in the river’s ecosystem. Dikes along the Kootenai River disconnected the floodplain and vital wetlands from the river. The completion of Libby Dam in 1972 changed the flow regime of the river and eliminated historic spring floods.

“Historic spring floods used to scour the river bottom and remove the sand covering the cobbles and gravels,” says Vaughn Paragamian, Idaho Fish and Game Biologist. “But with the altered ecosystem, those cobble substrates are now covered with sand. Sturgeon are spawning in the same areas as pre-Libby Dam, but they are spawning over moving sand dunes. Just a quarter of an inch of sand will suffocate an egg.”

Currently, the sturgeon are only spawning downstream of the bridge in Bonners Ferry in sandy substrate.

Biologists are unsure why the sturgeon will not swim above the bridge to spawn in suitable substrate consisting of cobbles and gravels. However, they have discovered that sturgeon key in on accelerating velocity during spawning and they spawn when water temperatures are warmer than 48 degrees Fahrenheit.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has focused on high flows and temperature management at Libby Dam to help the recovery of the sturgeon. Since the sturgeon have not responded to these operations separately, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is required to release extra water this spring and for the next two springs per the 2006 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Opinion. The Biological Opinion requires an extra 10,000 cfs (cubic

feet per second) to be released during the peak spring flow for seven days. During that time, the water temperature needs to be favorable for spawning and there needs to be fish positioned above Ambush Rock (just downstream of Bonners Ferry) ready to swim upstream of Bonners Ferry.

The hypothesis is that the extra water released from Libby Dam will scour the sand from the cobbles and gravels for the spawning sturgeon and coax the sturgeon upstream to suitable spawning areas.

“This is a hypothesis that has been a long time coming,” says Jason Flory, Kootenai River Sturgeon Coordinator at the USFWS North Idaho Field Office. “It has been needed to be tested for 15 years.

We will test the hypothesis and learn from it.”

“Let’s do this for three years, if we don’t get a response, we’ll move on to something else,” says Mick Shea, Libby Dam Project Manager.

The Kootenai Tribe of Idaho is already working on ‘something else’: habitat restoration. The Tribe completed their Kootenai River Habitat Restoration Project Master Plan in July 2009 with implementation to begin in the summer of 2011. The Master Plan addresses river morphology, aquatic habitat, riparian vegetation and river management in order to create a more resilient ecosystem that supports sturgeon and other aquatic species, such as bull trout, burbot and kokanee.

“The best chance is to restore habitat using a long-term, large-scale restoration program,” says Sue Ireland, Kootenai Tribe of Idaho Fish and Wildlife Department Director. “We don’t want a project that requires high flows.” The extra water released from Libby Dam will not come close to historic levels and for that reason additional flows may not be the answer, according to Ireland.

“The Kootenai Tribe is using an adaptive management approach to bring back ecosystem functions,” says Ireland. “We are trying to make sure we have the ability to be flexible.”

The first project will address stream bank erosion upstream of the Hideaway

Island complex, which is downstream of the canyon reach. The project will utilize engineered wood structures to reduce the energy on the bank and change the inlet into the adjacent side channel to help create wetland habitat.

Future projects i n c l u d e establishing lower floodplain b e n c h e s , regenerating riparian areas, creating wetland habitat and modifying channel shape. The restoration will be done within the confines of the dikes.

Wetland habitat will be created by limiting flows into side channels and diverting that water into a deeper, mainstream channel.

While the Kootenai Tribe is working on habitat restoration, they are also prolonging the sturgeon population by raising juvenile sturgeon in their hatchery.

Since the hatchery began operating in 1991, they have released 170,000 young sturgeon into the Kootenai River. Survival of the released sturgeon is 60 percent the first year and 90 percent the following years. Released sturgeon are helping overcome the bottleneck of fertile eggs not surviving.

To augment the population until eggs start surviving, hatchery technicians collect eggs and milt from sturgeon and raise the young. Technicians dutifully keep track of which sturgeon the eggs and milt are collected from in order to maintain genetic diversity in the population. The juveniles are also marked before they are released.

“The aquaculture program is preventing extinction,” says Ireland. Since females do not mature until they are 30 years old, the Kootenai Tribe is still waiting to see where they spawn. Even if the released sturgeon spawn in suitable substrate, the population will take a long time to rebound since sturgeon spawn once every five years.

With its late maturity, long reproductive cycle and hundred year life span, the sturgeon is slow to adapt to change. If it can adapt to the changes in the Kootenai River, then this ice age relic may see the next ice age.

Sturgeon, above, from a Bureau of Reclamation photograph. Kootenai River (background photo) courtesy Montana Department of Natural Resources.

July 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| Page

The Festival Says “Get Up and Dance” Michael Franti concert to debut The Wedge

The Festival at Sandpoint offers one of the finest venues for an intimate, small-scale outdoor concert in the Pacific Northwest. No seat on the field is more than about 175 feet away from the stage, and concert-goers are welcome to bring food and beverages along with their blankets or chairs to enjoy an evening of music under the stars with their friends and family.

Except.

Every Festival season it seems there’s at least once concert (from Blues Traveller last year back to the Pretenders in ‘98) where fans can’t seem to help but stand on their feet and dance through the night. Which is fun for them but not so much fun for those behind them who might wish to stay seated.

It creates a wedge not only between concertgoers, but between unhappy ticket buyers and Festival staff and volunteers.

“You can’t make everyone happy,” acknowledges Dyno Wahl, executive director of the Festival at Sandpoint. Nonetheless, she said it’s her intention, as well as that of the board of directors and the Festival’s staff, to try to do just that. “There is a wide variety in the types of people who come to the Festival,” she said, and that variety shows itself in how people choose to experience a concert at their hometown football field.

“People want to experience (the music) in their own way, and that’s one of the great things about the Festival,” Dyno said. “People create traditions. For some, they head straight to the grandstands, because they’ve

learned that’s where you get the best sound.

Others want to spread a blanket and just sit and enjoy the evening. They don’t come just to hear the music, but to enjoy the social aspect as well. Others sit in higher-backed chairs, and they want to see everything that’s going on.”

And then there’s the dancers, the people who want to get up and boogie through the night, and the artists who expect them to get up and dance all night long. “[These types of expectations] can clash when they’re all together on one field,” she said. That’s a rather masterful understatement for what can happen on certain nights, with certain performers.

So how to keep everyone as happy as possible? The Festival has tried many things throughout the years, from asking the artist performing to request that dancers sit down (spectacularly unsuccessful) to various forms of ‘designated’ dancing areas.

And still, the people stand.

“We put together a task force of board members, volunteers and production staff to brainstorm the best way to address the issue of dancers,” said Dyno, “and it didn’t take long to come up with an answer.”

This year, knowing ahead of time that fans at Michael Franti’s concerts typically spend the entire night on their feet dancing, the Festival is implementing a new strategy for the field, a designated seating plan they hope will solve the dancing issue once and for all.

The Franti concert on August 13 will debut

“the Wedge.”

The Wedge (see the map, below, or the photo on the facing page) is pretty much what it sounds like: a wedge-shaped area in front of the Festival tent that will be roped off and restricted to dancers only. No coolers or chairs will be allowed in the area, and no dancers will be allowed anywhere else on the field. Those who prefer blankets or chairs will be seated in “wings” at each side of the dancing area where they will still have an unobstructed view of the stage.

Concert-goers can spend the whole evening in the Wedge if they’re so inclined: an area next to the bar and merchandise booth will be reserved where they can check in their coolers and other supplies. At any time during the evening they can come back, grab food or something to drink, and enjoy a break from dancing.

Others may want to stake out an area with a blanket or a chair where they’ll spend the evening, except for when the music takes them and they just have to get up and dance.

At that point, they can make their way into the Wedge and do so, because any dancers outside of the Wedge will be firmly escorted to the proper dancing area.

“We’re recognizing here that it matters how the music is presented by the artist,” said Dyno. The symphony, she points out, generally doesn’t expect ticket-buyers to be on their feet. But other musicians do. “[A seated audience] can be very frustrating for some of our performers,” Dyno explained.

Dance Venue Set-up for Michael Franti & Spearhead Concert Friday, August 13, 2010 Backstage Hospitality —Restricted Area

Festival Street Food Vendors

Parking

Smoking Area

Blanket & Short Lawn Chair Area

Blanket & Short Lawn Chair Area

Pa tr on Se /S at po in ns g Tall Lawn or

r so on Sp g / n on ti tr ea Pa S Tall Lawn

DANCING AREA No Chair or Coolers Allowed

Chair Area

Patron Sponsor Entrance Tickets & Will Call Booth

Entrance

Info Booth

Chair Rental

Merchandise Booth

Festival Bar

Chair Area

Cooler Check-in area

FOH Sound/Lights

Special Events Area

Patron/sponsor seating

Covered Grand Stand Seating

Open Grand Stand Seating

Field Office

Page | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| July 2010

Lake Pend Oreille

855 Ontario Street

Artist Merch

Blanket and short lawn chair area

DANCING AREA No chairs or coolers allowed

Blanket and short lawn chair area

“The course of true love never did run smooth.”

Patron seating

“They can’t understand why people aren’t getting up and getting into the music.” She added, “Many of the members of our booking committee, as well as myself, have been to see these performers at other venues. So we understand the types of concerts we’re booking, and we can prepare accordingly.”

Franti, she says, is a performer who is “guaranteed to have people on their feet.”

Ziggy Marley is another, and the Festival anticipated a dancing crowd when he appeared here two years ago. While the attempt was less than perfect—those who didn’t want to dance indicated the plans could use some improvement—it was still one of the most successful shows yet for the 27-year concert series. “It was our top-selling concert ever,” said Dyno, “and I got more compliments from ticket-holders than is usual. People who want to dance were thrilled that we recognized their expectations of a concert.”

Dancing is, of course, not the only expectation that the Festival recognizes. Not only does a symphony crowd generally prefer to sit, but they also like it quiet on the field.

In recognition of that, and in response to complaints about noise, Festival volunteers carry “SSSHHH” signs on symphony nights to gently remind the crowd of where they’re at. And regardless of the type of music, many concert-goers don’t care to enjoy listening to it while enveloped in cloud of cigarette smoke; responding to feedback from ticketbuyers, the Festival banned smoking in the bar, and established a smoking area on the far side of the field, where the breeze can send the smoke off over the lake.

“That’s one of the really cool things about the Festival,” offered Dyno. “It’s tweakable.

Our board is very open to receiving feedback from the public, and works hard to try to incorporate suggestions that will make the Festival experience more enjoyable for everyone.”

Ultimately, she says, it’s about respect

for the people who come to see a show.

“For example, we carefully incorporated our patron and sponsor seating into the Wedge concept,” Dyno explained. These are the people who donate anywhere from $2,500 and up to the Festival’s budget each year.

“Without them, the Festival wouldn’t exist.

So we want to make sure that if they prefer not to dance, they still have the ability to see the show.”

They’re also doing all they can to get the word out ahead of time what people can expect when they buy tickets to the Franti concert. “It’s in all our advertising, we include the map with all Franti tickets sold (as well as with season passes), it’s on our website, and when people call to buy tickets, we’re making sure they understand that the field will be set up differently that night.” The Wedge seating concept will not be used on any other concert night.

The concert with Michael Franti & Spearhead, with the Pimps of Joytime opening, takes place on Friday, August 13. Gates open at 6 pm and the music begins at 7:30. Tickets are $44.95 plus tax and city parks fee.

The Festival is held at Memorial Field in Sandpoint, which seats approximately 3,000 people. Concert-goers are invited to bring in their own food and drinks, or they may purchase from vendors or the Festival bar located on the field. A limited number of chairs are available for rent, or you may bring your own. Visit the Festival online at www.FestivalatSandpoint.com for more information or to purchase tickets, or call 888-265-4554.

Montana’s Shakespeare in the Parks presents

A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the Heron Ballfield

Saturday • August 21 6:00 PM (MT Time) FREE to the public!

Editor’s Note: “The Wedge” is what I am calling the dancing venue set-up and is not a term created or endorsed by the Festival at Sandpoint.

Map: Courtesy, the Festival at Sandpoint. View a larger version at festivalastsandpoint.com.

Photo: This is an approximation of how the Festival field will be laid out for dancing venues.

July 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| Page

BATTLE OF THE BULLS

Friday, July 16 at the Bonner County Fairgrounds!

Gates open 7 pm • Show at 8 pm Top Riders! • Top Barrel Racers!

Tough Enough to Wear Pink Cancer Benefit Tickets at the gate $10 adults/$5 under 12

Over 45 great sponsors!

In Brief GO GREEN WITH SANDERS COUNTY 4-H: The Go Green 5k run will be hosted by Sanders County 4-H on Saturday, July 17. Registration opens at 8 am. Entry forms are available at The Runner’s Edge in Missoula, Sanders County Extension Office, picked up at the Falls Motel between 8 am and 8 pm or by downloading the form from www.ThompsonFallsMarket. com. For more information email Sarah Naeglei at tfl4887@blackfoot.net.

KOOTENAI CENTENNIAL: The city of Kootenai in Idaho will celebrate its centennial on Saturday, July 24 in Kootenai City Park. Didn’t know they had a city park? You’ll find it at 200 Spokane Street. It all starts with the opening ceremony at 8 am and includes an Injectors Car Club Showcase, antique tractors and engines, a pancake breakfast, gymnastics, circus crafts, performances of taekwondo and bagpipes, a BBQ lunch, live music, kids’ games, a bouncing castle, a historic photo display and more.

E-TICKET RIDE?: No, it’s not Disneyland, it’s Idaho State Patrol who, as of July 1, are now issuing electronic tickets for traffic citations.

ISP says the benefits include faster, more accurate citations. A mere $900,000 Federal Economic Recovery Act grant makes this possible.

CRIME IN IDAHO: The Idaho State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification has released their annual “Crime in Idaho” report for 2009.

Although the crime rate is down almost 4 percent, violent crime, they say, is up 6.9 percent. Reported hate crimes went up 16.7 percent with 35 reports filed, and crimes against property were down 2.5 percent. You can read the entire report here http://tinyurl. com/272bp3q.

COLDWATER CREEK: The accomplishments of this catalog giant based out of Sandpoint were recognized when they were inducted into the Idaho Hall of Fame, business category, this year.

EMERGING CINEMATOGRAPHERS AWARDS FILM FESTIVAL: Hosted by the Sandpoint Library, this event will take

place on Saturday, July 17 from 1 to 5 pm at the library. The ten short films were all produced by new names in the field of cinematography and all ten won awards in 2009. This event is free to the public.

SILVERCREEK TO JAM: In a benefit for earthquake victims in Haiti, and the drilling of water wells in Kenya, the Sandpoint Rotary is hosting the band “Silvercreek” at the Panida Theater on July 23. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door and are available at Eve’s Leaves, Hoot Owl Café, Main Street Music and Games, Pack River Potions and at the box office on the evening of the concert.

MUSICAL THEATER PROGRAM: Sandpoint Parks and Recreation introduces the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint and their Musical Theater Program. Class will be held at 110 Main St. from 9 am to noon on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, July 13 through July 29. Class fee is $95, and ages 8-16 years of age are welcome. This is a great summer class for students of all levels interested in musical theater. For more information, contact Ruth Klinginsmith at 304-9085 or Karin Wedemeyer at 255-7206. Pre-register

by July 9 at Sandpoint Parks and Recreation, 1123 Lake St., or call 208-263-3613.

The new Super1 Foods in Sandpoint, opened at the end of June, was packed with customers stocking up for the Independence Day weekend.

All About Weddings Wedding & Event Rentals

Tables • Chairs • Dishes Linens • Vases • Lights Decorative Accessories and more!

1201 Michigan St. • Sandpoint www.weddingsinsandpoint.com

208.263.9748

Page | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| July 2010

Love Notes

Mr. (Bryant) Jones goes to Washington Marianne Love

slightdetour.blogspot.com

billmar@dishmail.net

Almost any time I turn over calendar to the next month, I think of Bryant Jones.

Whenever I reflect on the six months my family spent living at Condo del Sol back in the mid-1980s after our house fire, I think of Bryant’s mom who moved into a neighboring condo during that time. She had come to Sandpoint from Southern Idaho to serve as the new Magistrate Judge in town. She has remained a good friend ever since.

For a time, Debra Heise lived there alone. By the time we moved back home, however, Debra’s husband Jeff Jones and her little boy Bryant had joined her in Sandpoint.

Later, the Jones-Heise family would add Zach (now working on a Master’s Degree in South Korea); then came Mackenzie (a Sandpoint High junior).

During his early youth, whenever I saw Bryant, I was impressed that he always took time to chat with me. Then, suddenly, it seems, he was sitting in my sophomore honors English class as a fully engaged student. The next year when I was assigned junior honors English, Bryant again showed up on my roster. Outside of school, I helped him with one of scouting projects, which eventually led toward his Eagle Scout rank.

We became friends a long time ago and continue to stay in close touch. In fact, I decided to feature him in this column after our recent visit over coffee and tea at Monarch Mountain Coffee. Bryant had flown home to attend his classmate and friend Tasha Thomas’ University of Idaho MBA ceremony. As usual, I came away so pleased that such an accomplished young man would take time from his busy schedule to visit with an old coot like me.

But that’s Bryant Jones. Anyone who knows him could provide similar observations. In this column, I’d like to share a few fun and impressive tidbits about him as yet another reminder of the phenomenal youth our community nurtures and sends

out into the world.

After high school, Bryant went away to school at the University of Vermont, eventually serving as its student body president and overseeing a staff of nearly a dozen employees as well as a $1.2 million budget.

After college, he spent a year teaching English to Chinese middle school students in classes averaging 70 each. While there, he also earned a certificate for teaching English as a foreign language through Peking University.

Later, he moved to Washington, D.C., and worked as a research intern for Idaho Second District Congressman Mike Simpson. In 2008, he earned his Master’s Degree in public administration through George Washington University.

During his visits home, Bryant would often stop by our house to bring me a small gift. First, there were the Duck Boy calendars, then a calendar about trains and even one featuring wildlife paintings. Heck, he even sent me a Redneck calendar. One time a can of moose seeds from Vermont came in the mail. I never did plant them.

Free calendars provide just one motive for my continued admiration of this caring, accomplished and inspiring young man of 27 who views the arrival of his little sister as one of the more monumental memories of his life.

“I was 11 and remember lots of commotion and excitement. I was nervous when I first held her,” he recalls, “but she was so beautiful and had the fattest baby cheeks. Watching her bloom into a young woman continues to be memorable. Even at a young age she was compassionate and witty.”

Nowadays, Bryant works as a career

budget analyst at one of the White House Executive office buildings. Career personnel serve no matter who is President. Bryant has worked for two U.S. Presidents so far.

“Specifically, I work in the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB),” he explains. “The main role of my office is to coordinate the vastness of all the executive branch agencies’ budgets to make sure of consistency with the President’s priorities.

“On a typical day I might be tracking appropriations legislation being debated in Congress, collecting information from agencies to respond to a drill from the President or OMB Director, Peter Orszag. Or, [I might be] tracking congressional earmarks to determine if earmarks are going to for-profit companies, which the President has said he doesn’t support,” Bryant adds.

Lately, the Gulf Oil spill has required the OMB office to coordinate the effort in determining what agencies have the legal authority to respond to the disaster and where more funding is needed.

“My office works with agencies, specialists within OMB, and the political appointees to determine a response,” he says. “For this situation, we sent what is referred to as a supplemental appropriations bill to Congress where the House and Senate must vote to approve the supplemental in order for the funds to be released to the agencies responding to the oil spill crisis.

“For instance, the Department of Defense needs funding to pay for National Guard troops filling sandbags and dropping them from helicopters,” he adds. “The Department of Labor will need temporary unemployment insurance benefits now that thousands of fisherman and fishing outfitters are potentially out of work.

“The EPA needs funds for monitoring the toxic contaminants washing ashore, [while] the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [will require money] to monitor the location of the oil spill and affected fish patterns, [etc.]” he says. “It is a huge coordination involving a lot of people that begins with budgeting the proper resources needed to respond effectively to this emergency.”

Continued on next page

July 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| Page

y the of the arack er. Try look. e you eople g and ay be

nd of trees e and oorer armer e it as u can way to y, the

IT RUNS DOWNHILL -

Bryant Jones Cont’d from page 10 Local group provides opportunity for community When this River Journal edition hits the Bryant will be vacationing in Chile, to protect Lakestreets, Pend Oreille

GO HOME TO COUNTRY EVERY NIGHT Very nice five-acre parcel just a few minutes south of Spokane, Wash. Farmland plus a nice little bubbling brook. Good year-round roads, utilities, plenty of wildlife and views out over the countryside. $59,950/TERMS

Lakeshore homeowners have the ADJOINS 2,000 ACRES OF GOVERNMENT opportunity to helphideout protect the quality LANDS! Wooded five-acre located halfway between Coeur d’Alene Sandpoint, of Lake Pend Oreille byand way of a new Idaho.

About ten minutes the pavement replacement septicoff program.

Thebut “Lake the seclusion of a parcel way back and hidden Nearshore Committee” will be initiating away - take over payment opportunity. $59,950 the program this fall in an effort to curb

THE VERY BEST THAT NORTH IDAHO HAS TO pollution outdated septic systems OFFER YOU!!! from 12 acres just off a well-maintained nearlane Lake Pend Oreille.

A Very site nice has very country near Sandpoint, Idaho. forest lands, springs and bubbling recently been chosen for abrook, pilotwildlife project. everywhere and good neighbors - you could “This program is a way that we can easily get lost on this one as it adjoins a large help willing landowners install more block of timber company lands. $79,950 WITH efficient systems that will also protect OWNER FINANCING AVAILABLE.

Lake PendMEADOW Oreille,”&says John Sugden, TWO CREEKS, POND. 13.5 acre Program Tri-State parcel south ofDirector Sandpoint,for Idaho.

Mostly Water meadowland with all day sunshine, just theto get Quality Council.

“We are excited right amount of trees and setting in a valley this project on the ground.” surrounded by lush, forested mountains. Good tomaintained the voluntary of this access Due via well countynature road plus water, phone project, and electric. $129,950! privacy is potential homeowners’

dshed oneINof theWOODS top priorities.

Another priority THE Remote but accessible d in a LOST five-acre parcel homeowners north of Priest River, Idaho. South is helping understand that sloping, property withCommittee good cabin is a the wooded Lake Nearshore site. Seasonal access - just over one mile to the useful resource when they are making pavement - a perfect getaway. $38,950 WITH management decisions for their homes OWNER FINANCING and properties.

NATIVE FISH IN THE CREEK... 10 acre parcel Thegovernment Lake Nearshore Committee adjoining lands with nice little creek is justmade outsideup of Bayview, Idaho and Lake Pend with of a variety of members Oreille.

Good access and hundreds acres towater a diversity of expertise; theyoftackle wander around on - this is an unusual opportunity issues and land use practices for quality all outdoor recreational opportunities and isthat impact the$79,950 nearshore waters of Lake Pend easy to get to.

- TERMS Oreille. of local LAKE VIEWSThe Nicegroup doubleis lotcomprised with Lake Pend entities, government Oreille views,state water, and power,federal telephone and tucked away in aprivate hidden spot on Cape Horn just agencies, professionals, and outnon-profit of Lakeview,organizations.

Idaho. A great place to hide out and an excellent investment at $74,000 Excess nutrients from upland runoff CABINET MOUNTAIN 45 remote and other sourcesWILDERNESS fertilize aquatic plants acres tucked away into a mountain valley and in the lake, which leads to potentially completely surrounded by National Forest lands. harmful or fatal oxygen levels forand fish as Bubbling brook, large spring, good access nicely Lots of animals elk, deer, welltreed. as nuisance plantincluding and algal growth. bear, moose, mountain lion, bobcat, ruffled and Poorly maintained or substandard blue grouse and turkey and, of course, lots of septic have atthe potential to other forest systems critters. A bargain $159,950 increase nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, in the lake.

This septic pilot project is being introduced in order to comply with water quality standards as determined by the Federal Clean Water Act. Designated to protect water quality, the plan, known as a “Total Maximum Daily Load” for Lake Pend Oreille, addresses nutrient issues in the nearshore waters.

Sundance Realty many • Doug lakeshore Ward In addition, PO Box 827participated • Bayview, Idaho homeowners in a survey in 2007 concerning a variety of water quality issues. As is turns out, their sundanceidaho@roadrunner.com

208-818-1140

with his two siblings, his mom and his girlfriend Marie. Marie is working on her biggest Degree concern regarded Master’s at Harvard.

Theseptic family and trip sewer systems; the issue is a priority for fulfills a special dream of his dad’s. theJeff Lake Nearshore Committee.

Jones, Sandpoint City Attorney and City A Planner forhas whom theselected town square is project been on the named, diedofsuddenly 2003. He always south side the LonginBridge.

Members yearned visitNearshore Chile. of the to Lake Committee will “We will be traveling to Santiago and be working on securing grant funds to then down to Patagonia,” Bryant told me assist with the project throughout the last month. “We will take a cow-and-sheep winter.

Implementation planned for cargo ferry to travel throughis the fjords and 2009. in Patagonia. channels “My a bit worried about the Thefamily projectis will feature a community cargo ferry have a history system thatpart willbecause replacewe individual septic ofsystems precarious while on andboat betrips designed tovacations,” eliminate he added. “I’m looking forward to skiing nutrient contribution to Lake Pend on a smoldering volcano and to see if Oreille.

The project is alsoway intended toilets really flush the opposite in the to raise general public awareness of Southern Hemisphere.” theThepotential outdated to trip fits inforwith Bryant’s systems core belief that one musttoseize every opportunity and contribute water quality problems. every adventure possibleisinsuccessful life.

If the pilot project and “As far as I know, this is my one deemed worthwhile, the committee will opportunity to consciously exist,a solonger I am work towards implementing going to use my brief time to enjoy life,” he term“Iprogram other says. especiallyforwant tohomes cherishthat my meet time the criteria.

Stay tuned. with family, challenge myself professionally “Outdated septic systems and see the world with my own eyes.” near theSo lake have the list potential to several cause far, his bucket features ambitious goals, visiting District all 50 problems,” saysincluding Greg Becker, states and sevenfor continents, studying Conservationist the Natural Resource cartography, maybe returning to graduate Conservation Service. “This pilot septic school and moving back to the Northwest. project will address the issue by working “I’d like to own some pack goats,” he with “That’s interested landowners to replace says. a Jones family tradition.

I’d individual systems an updated like to become an avidwith fly fisherman and community system.

It is thesequenced kind of action geocacher, have my genome and learn .” that German... builds bridges to make a positive Bryant’s drive towater utilizequality.” every moment step in protecting available has been inspired on by the his family For more information septic and close friends. pilot project, call the Bonner Soil and “Watching my parents serve in state Water District/NRCS at and localConservation government roles gave me the 208-263-5310.

For more information inspiration to be involved with government the nearshore TMDL for LakeI never Pend ason a profession,” he says, “although Oreille see the Tri-State Water Quality imagined I would be living in Washington, Council website at tristatecouncil.org.

Hay’s Chevron Gas • Convenience Store Unofficial Historical Society

Oil Changes Tire Rotation by appointment

D.C., and working for the White House.

“I personally like state and local government more because it is closer to the people who are affected by policy decisions,” he adds. “I really enjoyed watching my dad advise the towns of Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint at city council meetings and observing the benefits my mom offered our community through drug and youth courts.”

His parents also lead Bryant’s list of role models, each demonstrating a different strength of character that he tries to weave within his own framework.

“My dad... was passionate about his family and serving in government. He worked hard, coming from a family with very limited resources, to obtain an education and start a good life,” Bryant explains. “My mom... instilled in me an appreciation of women’s strength and independence. She was one of the first female judges in the state of Idaho.

“Day to day, I observe people and notice strengths of character in everyone,” he adds.

“Anyone can be a role model. I try to find those traits and emulate them in my daily life. Whether it is Zach’s skill to befriend people with very different backgrounds, Marie’s compassion for people facing life’s many challenges or Tasha’s warm personality.”

Those influences and some meaningful experiences have molded a delightful, thoughtful young man who has achieved more in his 27 years than many of us do in a lifetime.

Wherever he travels in the world, he takes along his warmth, charm, curiosity, enthusiastic interest and a never-ending desire to leave a positive footprint and a smile on the faces of those who meet him.

I thoroughly enjoy profiling people like Bryant Jones. What I love even more, though, is knowing that our community has produced so many just like him who, with each new calendar year, embrace the world’s offerings while cherishing their deep-seeded local roots.

Bryant’s words say it best.

“Growing up in Sandpoint provided me with a strong and supportive community and the courage to challenge myself,” he says. “In a small town, people stop and genuinely listen when you talk. Not in all places can you find so many people who appreciate true friendship and loyalty.”

Photo, above: Bryant at the Jefferson Memorial. “I live a few blocks away from (it) and ride my bike past it every day on my way to work,” he says. “It is one of my favorite memorials in the District.”

208-266-1338

e Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol 17 No. 18 | November 2008 | Page 5 Page 10 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| July 2010

Currents Cowbirds, China and Chinookian hats Lou Springer

nox5594@blackfoot.net

There is a small grassy meadow ringed by alder, serviceberry, hawthorn, and dogwood. For a month or so the morning song of a dozen species of birds, drawn to this riparian habitat, creates an astounding concert. I carry my camp chair, coffee cup and binoculars to the meadow nearly every non-raining morning. Our black and white cat bounds along in front of me and waits for the chair’s side table to be unfolded so he can sit up high and dry above the wet grass.

The bird song bounces like a confusing strobe light circling the room. A yellow warbler, moving through the serviceberry, stops to sing his sweet refrain. A male catbird has loud, querulous conversations with himself and stays hidden in the low, dead tangled branches of hawthorn. A northern waterthrush sings invisibly from the depths. Tree swallows swoop, a cedar waxwing pauses. A warbling vireo sings on the move; his pleasant tune is the only evidence of his presence. A pair of song sparrows is rightly worried about the cat.

A couple of cowbirds, those with voices like chalk on a blackboard, seem to be following an American redstart.

And if the meadow is full of sound for me, imagine how the cat senses this strobe surround song of the most delicious flavor.

Ears erect, head swiveling—he is intensely involved.

As often happens, my thoughts wander.

Cowbirds seek out a warbler’s nest to remove the warbler egg and lay a cowbird egg. The warbler incubates, hatches and nurtures a large cowbird. But how and when does a cowbird know what it should be? It has heard warbler song while still in the egg; it has called for food and been fed by a warbler. Does it migrate south with its foster flock? Yet, someday it must hear that super sweet chalk-on-a-blackboard call, and experience the aha moment. Aha, I was born to sit on the back of a large hairy animal that attracts flies for me to eat.

A willow flycatcher perched on a dead alder throws his little head back and repeats ‘fitz-brew’ every 7 seconds—like a metronome for the morning concert. From wondering why all flycatchers have slanted foreheads, I wonder why some coastal Native Americans squeezed the heads of their babies to create a flycatcher forehead.

The Flathead Indians were so named because, unlike their linguistic ‘cousins’ on the coast, they did not mess with the skull shape they were born with.

The Chinooks were the tribe most

described by Lewis & Clark and other early Northwest explorers and trappers.

All who met them remarked about their slanted foreheads. Mothers used a cradle board adapted with a cedar shake to gently reshape an infant’s head. Reportedly, this was done as a sign of beauty and tribal identity.

But thinking about the never-ending rain of the Northwest coast, I began to see the value of a slanted forehead. If the only waterproof material available is cedar roots and these roots can only be woven tightly into a water-shedding conical design, well then, a conical head is necessary to stay dry.

Easier to change the head than the hat.

This tangential thought leads to the grossly elongated ear lobes of some African chiefs that also have a practical use. If there are no highways to drive your Mercedes on, you can prove how wealthy you are by wearing large gold discs in your ear lobes.

Some African tribal groups preferred that wives carry the wealth around their necks in a stack of tight necklaces. A rich man’s wives had very long necks.

The image of swan-necked women leads to Chinese foot-binding. The custom didn’t grow out of a practical need like the coolie hat of the Chinooks; bigger shoes can be manufactured. There is no sensible purpose to crippling little girls. There must have been a powerful sadistic pedophilic emperor with a foot fetish who so loved the tiny precious feet of a three-year old girl, he decreed all upper class female children must have their toes broken and taped back to their insteps. Little tiny feet, almost useless, always painful—this is one cultural habit that belongs in history’s dust bin.

Snapped back to the present by a family of ravens on their morning squawk-about, I considered the cat, whose thoughts presumably did not wander to ancient China or Chinookan hat design. He was clearly only in the present, quivering like a tuning fork.

Something—imperceptible to me—caused him to turn and stare into and through the deep gloom of a tangled hawthorn. His tail became a lashing bat. He growled.

A house cat can be an effective predator, but he is only about midway up the food chain. Lots of critters see cats as just another item of prey. The cat growled again.

I remembered neighbor John’s sighting of a large cougar last week, and considered that I also could be another item of prey.

I stood up. An empathic snort, a clatter of branches; I still didn’t see the whitetail that the cat had sensed and I had spooked.

If the black and white cat had random thoughts, he would be long dead.

M&E Custom Building LLC Homes Built for Living

Residential and Commercial Construction

Dan McMahon, General Contractor Visit us at www.mebldg.com 208.264.6700

Is this what doing your taxes was like?

It doesn’t have to be. Call today.

1211 Michigan, Sandpoint

208.265.2500 800.338.9835

July 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| Page 11

DON’T GET CAUGHT IN THE DARK!

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

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

We pay attention to detail 1200 Triangle Drive Ponderay

208.263.1258

A Bird in Hand

The Gray Catbird Mike Turnlund

mturnlund@gmail.com

The neighbor you didn’t even know you had

What would compel a grown man— outside of hunting season, mind you—to get out of bed on a Saturday morning in order to chase birds with a pair of binoculars? Curiosity. I would guess that my primary interest in birding is simply one of curiosity. I am curious to know whom my feathered neighbors are and I am continuously surprised by who shows up in our neck of the woods. And few birds are more interesting or unusual than the gray catbird.

Say what? A catbird? Perhaps you have never heard of, let alone seen, a gray catbird? This might very well be one of those neighbors you didn’t even know you had.

Growing up, I spent half of my youth in Minnesota and the other half in Oregon.

Though it was my grandfather in Crookston, Minnesota, who introduced me to the world of birds, it was my curiosity about a strange gray bird that caused it to become fully-fledged, so to speak. I remember as a child swinging on the tire swing outside the front of my home in Oregon, when I heard the mewing of a cat in the branches above me. Looking up, I expected to find a cat. Instead, I found a curious gray bird looking down at me. It was the source of the cat sounds. A bird mewing like a cat? And the hunt was on. I had to know

Ron’s Repair

Recycling - Lawn, Garden, Snow Equipment, Generators, Pumps and Older Outboards.

I also buy/sell batteries 2 doors west of the Hope Post Office

208-264-5529

what sort of bird sounded like a cat. As the library with its bird books was three miles from my house, I hit the road and walked the distance to town. Not only did I discover that this bird was the gray catbird, I also found out that it was an accidental in Oregon. That is, it was outside of its normal range. How interesting! A strange bird in a strange land.

But in our area it does belong, though most folks around here have probably never seen it. This is a curious fact I have discovered the past couple years writing this monthly column: many of the “common” birds I write about have never been seen by many of my readers, some of whom have lived their entire lives in this area. I guess it goes to shows the limits of how much many of us are out of touch with our surroundings. Golly!

Back to our featured bird. The gray catbird is a distinctive creature in many ways. It is smaller and slimmer than a robin and prefers dense shrubs to make its nest and raise its brood. As its name suggests, the bird is entirely gray. Males and females are identically colored. But keep an eye out for two important field marks. First, the small black cap on the top of its head.

Second, the rusty colored feathers under its tail. This combination is unique to this bird. The eyes and beak are black, as well as the tail. But where the gray ends and the black begins can sometimes be tough to see. The catbird also flutters about like an Eastern Kingbird and at first glance you might mistake it for one.

But what really gives the catbird away is its calls. Yes, it mews like a cat. Though this is a distinctive call, it often isn’t very loud.

Nonetheless, if you’ve come upon a bird that sounded like a cat, well, it probably was the catbird. As distinctive is the catbird’s other call. This is a loud, discombobulated repertoire of various bird songs all jumbled together. Think of it as a cross between a house finch and a song sparrow gone bad, but in a good way. In many ways this call reminds me of a Townsend Solitaire, though stronger, bolder, and even more confused. Distinctive and beautiful. If you want to partake in this little bit of glorious feathered operatic music, head for prime catbird territory: dense shrubs and thickets. The males will sit high and sing, until they see you. Then they duck into the dense foliage.

The catbird is a fine neighbor and one you’ll appreciate. Like many neighbors, you’re going to have to make the effort to knock on its doors, in a manner of speaking, but you’ll be glad you did. Happy birding!

Page 12 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| July 2010

The Game Trail

Restoring a Lake Matt Haag

mhaag@idfg.idaho.gov Rain and bears seem to have been the theme this spring. The cool wet weather combined with a late frost have made bears search for food in alternate places such as our homes.

We can only hope that the huckleberries come on big this year or we will be fighting off hungry bears all summer. So please be prepared for the worst case scenario and bear proof your property. There is nothing more frustrating than one neighbor who decides they don’t care and ruins it for everybody within miles by rewarding bears through negligently leaving food sources unsecured. There are some interesting things happening in the world of Fish and Game besides bears though.

Idaho Fish and Game fisheries biologists are planning a restoration on Porcupine Lake this summer. They plan on removing brook trout from the system to protect native fish. I know, brook trout can be fun to catch and are excellent fried up back at camp. However, in some places this nonnative species poses a significant threat to the future of native trout. Brook trout can out-complete native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout when the areas they occupy overlap.

Porcupine Creek in the Lightning Creek drainage is one these locations where brook trout overlap with native fish. Brook trout in the Porcupine Creek drainage largely come from an upstream source population in

Porcupine Lake. These fish not only create problems in Porcupine Creek, but also act as a source for distribution of brook trout to other locations in the Lightning Creek drainage.

To help conserve native fish in the Lightning Creek drainage, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game is planning to remove brook trout in the upper Porcupine Creek drainage and Porcupine Lake.

Porcupine Lake is located approximately five miles north of Clark Fork, Idaho. Take Forest Road #419 followed by Forest Trail #642 reach the area from Hwy 200.

The project is entirely within Panhandle National Forest.

Brook trout removal would be accomplished by applying rotenone, a naturally derived chemical commonly used to remove undesired fish. Rotenone only affects gill-breathing animals, so the impacts to the ecosystem are very minimal.

This treatment is planned for August 2010.

To restore fishing opportunities after brook trout are removed IDFG is planning to stock Porcupine Lake with westslope cutthroat.

On another note, I need some help solving a case. In April 2010, large links of homemade ‘sausage’ were observed in the East Fork of the Lightning Creek drainage in Bonner County near Clark Fork Idaho. The ‘sausage’ links were on US Forest Service property.

Unfortunately, one of the links was picked up and quickly consumed by a pet dog while hiking with its owner. The animal died. Two other dogs have been reported and verified as poisoned through consuming poisoned meat links in the same area.

Additional samples found in the area were collected, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service forensics lab has determined the ‘sausage’ was laced with an insecticide known as Carbaryl. Due to the rural location of the insecticide laced poison, law enforcement officials believe

IT MATTERS www.ScotchmanPeaks.org

that the person who placed it was targeting carnivorous wildlife.

The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, E.P.A criminal investigators, and the Idaho Department of Fish & Game are conducting an investigation. Investigators are interested in anyone with information regarding who may have made and placed the poisoned meat.

The public should be outraged not only because of the harm to people’s pets, but the threat to wildlife and more importantly people. The poison could have been consumed by a child, as it was placed right in the walking trail. Had that happened, we would be dealing with a human fatality. We need to catch the person responsible for this act and we are asking for help from the public.

There is a reward for information that leads to an arrest. As always, callers may remain anonymous. Information may be provided to the Citizens Against Poaching Hotline, 1-800-632-5999 or you call me directly at 208-946-0671.

Summer is here so let’s get those kids outside for some good ole’ fashion fun.

Remember to be safe and respectful of the bountiful resources we share in North Idaho.

Leave No Child Inside

It’s all about visibility.

Chip repair • Windshield replacement • Aquapel treatment • window tinting

600 Schweitzer Plaza Drive (Behind Super 8 Motel) Ponderay • 263-2600

July 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| Page 13

STORMWATER: Seepin’ it up With spring rains ending, stormwater is exiting everyone’s mind. But with one third of Idaho’s surface water and 30 inches of precipitation a year, North Idahoans shouldn’t forget about stormwater.

Stormwater is defined as rain or melted snow that does not soak into the ground immediately after it falls. Stormwater runoff creates soil erosion, delivers eroded sediment to waterways, and adds nutrients to water bodies. Stormwater can also carry other pollutants from the ground to groundwater or surface water. To reduce and prevent pollution from stormwater runoff, decrease impervious surfaces, slow down stormwater runoff, use and dispose of hazardous materials conscientiously, and engage in responsible construction practices.

Impervious surfaces like rooftops, patios, sidewalks, compacted soils, and driveways decrease soil infiltration and increase the amount and speed stormwater runoff.

Increased runoff increases the likelihood of washing pollutants into local waterways and increases the intensity of flows that erode soils. The new Bonner County Land Use Code signed by County Commissioners last November sets maximum impervious surface requirements for shoreline lots.

The maximum impervious surface area requirements for new shoreline construction include 15 percent for lots greater than one acre, 25 percent for lots between 10,000

WHAT IS YOUR PHOSPHORUS PHOOTPRINT?

Phosphorus (P) is the nutrient that in excess threatens the health of our beautiful Lake Pend Oreille. It feeds invasive plants, clouds water clarity, and robs oxygen from fish. You may be unknowingly adding excess phosphorus to the lake. What is your Phosphorus Phootprint? Find out by taking this short quiz, and learn how you can minimize your Phootprint.

A CLEAN LAKE BEGINS AT YOUR DOORSTEP!

For more information and the entire Phootprint Quiz, please visit www. tristatecouncil.org. This message brought to you by the Tri-State Water Quality Council “Working together to protect water quality in the Clark Fork—Pend Oreille Watershed.”

square feet to one acre, and 35 percent for lots less than 10,000 square feet. Whether on the shoreline or away from shore, limit the amount of impervious surface on your lot to minimize stormwater runoff and related pollution.

A variety of pollutants, like automotive wastes and herbicides, find their way into stormwater runoff. To reduce stormwater runoff impacts, use the least harmful product as sparingly as possible. If you have finished with the product, but the container is not empty, either give it to a neighbor who will use it and dispose of it responsibly or take it to the appropriate waste transfer facility. There are 11 transfer facilities that are run by the county. For information on transfer facilities in Bonner County please see www.co.bonner.id.us/solidwaste. For

by John Sugden and Jamie Davis Tri-State Water Quality Council information on recycling, contact the city of Sandpoint, Abco Wood Recycling, or Pacific Steel & Recycling. Minimize your impacts on stormwater runoff and related pollution by using and disposing of hazardous materials responsibly.

Construction sites, especially near waterways and storm drains, are notorious for stormwater runoff and erosion because of newly excavated ground and, exposed soils. Proper planning and construction methods work to protect exposed soils, slow down surface runoff, and contain and filter runoff that is carrying sediment and other pollutants. An important choice when hiring a contractor for landscape or construction projects is picking a contractor who is knowledgeable in the proper practices. This protects your investment as well as water quality. Pick a Panhandle SEEP (Stormwater Erosion and Education Program) certified contractor for your project and protect your lot from soil loss and pollution. You can also visit the Panhandle SEEP website at http:// www.plrcd.org/SEEP/faqs.htm for a list of questions you can ask your contractor to ensure your resources are protected. Land owners need to follow local, state, and federal regulations and obtain the necessary permits when engaging in land disturbing construction. For more information see www.tristatecouncil.org. A clean lake begins at your doorstep.

Phosphorus quiz

What percentage of your property is made up of impervious surfaces, such as rooftops, patios and other paved surfaces?

(A) Less than 10% (B) 10 to 20% (C) 20 to 30% (D) 30 to 40% (E) More than 40% Have you done any ground disturbing construction near a lake, stream, river, slough or wetland recently?

(A) No (B) No over 300 feet with sediment control (C) No over 300 feet without sediment control (D) Yes, within 300 feet with sediment control. (E) Yes, within 300 feet without sediment control If you have bare soil, a garden, or a construction project on your lot, how close is it to surface water?

(A) No bare soil (B) Over 100 ft (C) 40 to 100 ft (D) 20 to 40 ft (E) Less than 20 ft.

Where do you dispose of hazardous materials?

(A) At a hazardous transfer facility (B) In the garbage your house (D) Dispersed on your lot (E) Down a storm drain SCORING: (a) = 0 points (b) = 2 points (c) = 5 points (d) = 8 points (e) = 10 points

(C) Down a drain in

TOTAL SCORE: 0 - 10 points = Tip Toe 11 - 20 points = Flip Flop 21 - 30 points = Phat Foot 31 - 40 points = Sasquatch

Page 14 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| July 2010

Marine Patrol

Boats and Booze Don’t Mix Lt. Cary Kelly

ckelly@bonnerso.org Every summer we have boating accidents in Bonner County that are a result of boating under the influence.

Often these accidents result in serious injury and occasionally death. Many of these accidents happen at night, and in most cases the boaters are not wearing life jackets.

Boating under the influence of alcohol or dangerous drugs continues to plague the recreational boating community. Over 20 percent of boating related fatalities are a result of alcohol use. Sun, wind, noise, vibration and motion intensify the effects of alcohol, drugs and some medications.

They can slow reaction times, impair vision, reduce the ability to distinguish colors, especially red and green, and lead to boating accidents. Alcohol also causes dehydration. Research has proven that onethird of the amount of alcohol that it takes to make a person legally intoxicated on land will make a boater equally intoxicated on the water. Statistics for 2007 show 145

fatalities, over 340 injuries and nearly 400 boating accidents all alcohol related. These statistics represent much more than random numbers. Each one represents some event of human tragedy. Whether it was the loss of a loved one or a friend, the result is the same, another preventable loss.

Idaho law prohibits anyone from operating or being in actual physical control of any vessel while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or other intoxicating substances. A person 21 years of age or older is to be considered to be

“under the influence” if he or she has a blood concentration of 0.08 percent or higher or he or she is under the age of 21 and has a blood alcohol concentration of 0.02 percent or higher. By operating a vessel on Idaho waters, you have consented to be tested for the presence of alcohol, drugs, or other intoxicating substances.

Those found guilty of boating under the influence may be fined not to exceed $1,000 and imprisoned for a period not to exceed six months. Furthermore, if convicted of aggravated operating under the influence (causing great bodily harm or permanent disability to another person) shall be sentenced to prison for a period not to exceed five years and fined not more than $5,000.

Always designate non-drinking boaters to operate the vessel and to act as an observer if your group plans to consume alcohol. Since many of those killed or injured in the alcohol related boating accidents are passengers, never allow your skipper to operate the boat if he or she is drinking. Above all, remember: booze and boats don’t mix.

Happy and Safe Boating!

8th Annual Sandpoint Wooden Boat Festival July 10-11 • Downtown Sandpoint

Mountain Man Breakfast • Presentation of Colors • Retiring of Colors • Ships Store • Beer & Wine Garden Family BBQ • Ducks for Peace • Model Boats Parade Wooden Boat Parade • Flat Water Regatta The Regatta is a fundraiser for Sandpoint Rotary to raise money for area scholarships.

Sponsored by the Inland Empire Chapter of the Antique & Classic Boat Society and Downtown Sandpoint Business Association

Complete schedule of events online at http://sandpoint.org/boatfestival

July 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| Page 15

Veterans’ News

Where the numbers come from Gil Beyer, ETC USN Ret. vintage@gotsky.com

Over the past couple of months these articles have been about one of the hazards our veterans have been exposed to that hasn’t been explored, recognized or treated by our government. That hazard is asbestos exposure. My last article invoked a response from a representative of the Mesothelioma Resource Center [http://www.mesorc.com] who asked me how I arrived at the number of 500,000 potentially affected veterans. He stated that the “number was staggering.”

So, I went back to my abacus and reworked the numbers.

Asbestos has been widely used onboard ships since the early 1930s. It wasn’t until the 1970s that it began to be removed from ships. It was, and still is, a very effective and efficient heat insulator. Asbestos is able to resist heats up to approximately 580ºC (that is over 1075ºF for the metrically challenged) without breaking down. In the engine rooms of ships built after WWI efficient and effective insulation was a necessity with the introduction of high pressure steam turbines and oil fired boilers. Simply put almost every ship built—civilian and military—between 1930 and 1975 was insulated with asbestos.

As WWII loomed on the horizon most nations went into a frenzy of ship building and the U.S. was one of them. One shipyard— Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine—turned out over 125 destroyers between 1939 and 1945. Each of these destroyers built at Bath had a crew of about 250 officers and men. There were no less than 15 shipyards turning out ships during WWII. At the end of WWII the U.S. Navy had over 1,500 ships of all classes (not counting landing craft or numerous other auxiliary craft—that total would exceed 4,500) in its inventory. Far and away the majority of these ships were powered by oil-fired boilers, steam turbines and insulated with asbestos.

There were over 900 destroyer sized ships of different classes and types in service as of October 1945. Those ships alone would account for over 225,000 potentially exposed veterans. Now if we look at cruisers, battleships and aircraft carriers—and there were more than 145 of them—with their much larger crews, it isn’t hard to see where one could easily come up with my 500,000 number. It appears that I may have erred on the low side. The very low side since I haven’t even included the ships that were in service after WWII. Nor

to the tens of thousands of sailors that were onboard them over a 30 year period. One cannot help but wonder just how many of “The Greatest Generation” died prematurely due to asbestos exposure.

The ‘super carriers’ that were built after WWII and before 1975 may have a crew of between 3,500 to 4,000 (not including any tenant aviation squadrons that may be onboard which could bring the total to 6,000) and all would have been insulated with asbestos in their engineering spaces.

In addition to the engineering spaces, asbestos was probably utilized in and around the steam powered catapults that launch aircraft. That means that in addition to engineering personnel being potentially exposed to asbestos so are all of the flight deck personnel who lived and worked around these catapults. One must also remember that one only had to be near someone who was exposed to asbestos to be potentially at risk. That means the guys who did the laundry for the crew could be exposed to asbestos fibers. The guys who swept the decks were also at risk as these little fibers floated around. In short, every single soul who served onboard any naval vessel was at risk of asbestos exposure.

And I don’t want to exclude the shipyard workers who installed the stuff in the first place. They were probably at a higher risk than the guys who worked in and around it years later.

The numbers are indeed ‘staggering’.

To make matters worse there is still no ban on this pernicious killer. Yes, there are many state and federal regulations on the treatment and handling of asbestos but its use has yet to be banned outright.

It is still in common usage in industry and manufacturing. Granted it is the best heat insulator known at this time, but there remains no known means to cure asbestosis or mesothelioma. All of the treatments I’ve seen would fall under the heading of ‘palliative’ at best. None of the medical treatments that are normally and routinely used on the various cancers works with mesothelioma. It is a crystalline mineral material that cannot be killed by radiation or chemical cocktails. It is roughly analogous to trying to kill a rock with radiation. All you end up with is a radioactive rock. It is still a rock even if it does glow in the dark.

I believe it is about time that our various governmental bodies and agencies face up to the fact they have some responsibility to make amends for this situation. I believe it is far past time for this material to be banned from use completely. The Europeans banned its use five years ago. I don’t know what

they are doing to replace it but that isn’t my concern. Quite simply, we have to correct this mistake that is costing thousands of lives to end prematurely. There can be no doubt that asbestosis and mesothelioma have and are needlessly shortening lives. It is time for something to be done. Banning asbestos use would be a small first step.

To all of you who feel that you may have been exposed to asbestos during you time in service you have a couple of choices.

I’ve mentioned them before but they bear repeating. You could ask your doctor to set up an appointment to be x-rayed for signs of the damage done by asbestos exposure.

Or, you could decide you really don’t want to know if you have been damaged by asbestos. Those are pretty much the choices one has.

If you find out you have been damaged by asbestos can you be cured? Truth is probably not. If you opt not to get tested will it make it any more likely that you are okay? Again the answer is probably not.

There is no cure so knowing or not will make no difference. If you have been exposed to asbestos long ago you cannot be ‘cured’.

You will probably eventually die from that exposure. Personally, I haven’t decided yet if I want to know or not. I’ve lived the past few years on the philosophy that sooner or later something is going to kill me. I try to live each day as if it could be my last and still dream about a wonderful future. To quote the late, great Satchel Paige, “Never look back. Something might be gaining on you.”

On a somewhat cheerier note: I have received a notice that authorizes all military retirees a free pair of reading glasses annually. Even those retirees with TRICARE for Life, may receive one pair of free standard issue eyeglasses each year from the Naval Ophthalmic Support and Training Activity.

Visit the NOSTRA website at http://tinyurl. com/2e96d9n for more information. Hey, it may not be much but I for one appreciate anything that I can still get for my service.

The Vietnam Virtual Wall Click on a state. When it opens, scroll down to the city and the names will appear. Then click on their names. It should show you a picture of the person, or at least their bio and medals.

www.VirtualWall.org/istate.htm

Page 16 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| July 2010

Politically Incorrect

Trish Gannon

trish@riverjournal.com Sometimes, I just go crazy. That’s the only way I can think to explain why, on the third of July, I loaded up with 14 others of my ‘extended’ family and headed out to the Gorge in George, Washington to spend the day enjoying Lilith Fair, a festival of female musicians.

Immediately after Misty called to tell me that Live Nation was offering (one day only!) ten dollar tickets to the show, I came up with dozens of reasons why we shouldn’t go. I was on deadline, it was the day before the fourth, we’d have to take more than one vehicle... the list grew quickly. The next 30 minutes of our conversation featured a lot of “buts.”

Canadian singing artist Sarah MacLachlan started Lilith Fair back in 1997 and in 1999, hearing it was to be held at the Gorge, Misty and I had considered going. Her son Tyler, however, was a newborn baby and we decided he was just too little to haul him across the state to listen to music all day and camp in a tent. That turned out to be the ‘last’ time that Lilith Fair toured—until this year, that is.

Remembering that, I mentioned to Misty during our conversation a term I had run across on the Internet that tends to describe both me and my daughters pretty well. It was “paralysis by analysis,” or, in simpler terms, we can think anything to death. Her response? “I’m buying the tickets,” and then just a click in my ear as she hung up the phone.

So at 5:30 in the morning on July 3, in the middle of deadline, I began packing bags full of things we’d need. A lot of things (mostly food) as this had become a family affair and fourteen others of my extended family were to accompany us on this day. That would prove to be a wise choice as I think the only way we got my partner David to attend was by inviting his daughter, Erin, and his two grandsons, Gavin and Landon. David was a driver—my driver—and I’m not sure I’d be writing this story now if he hadn’t taken over that part of the day.

I left Clark Fork at 7:30 am and didn’t return until 4:45 am the next day, which would be the fourth, and the absolute best celebration of Independence Day I’ve ever been privileged to attend. If I were willing to forego Clark Fork’s fourth, things would have been easier.

Once on the road, I must admit I started to get excited. After all, some of July 2010| The River Journal - A News

the mainstage artists for the day included Sheryl Crow, Sugarland, Colbie Caillat and Sarah MacLachlan herself, and I enjoy all their music. The second stage artists also promised to be good and yes, Gail, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals were stunning... “awesomely good” was how Dustin put it.

The Gorge... well, let’s just say it’s no Festival at Sandpoint. Although the location is gorgeous, I was surprised to learn that once we were on the field, we would not be allowed to return to our vehicles for all the

stuff we’d left behind on our first hour-long trip through the line to get in. That included, of course, all of our food and our warm clothes. I would have a lot more sympathy with the venue if they had posted a warning about that on the tickets, their website, or even on signs before we went into the

Di Luna’s presents

CAHALEN MORRISON

Friday, July 16 $10 advance/$14 door

gates but they didn’t, so I’ll remember it as a terrible venue. Their loss.

So no food, as none of us were willing to pay $8 for a slice of pizza or even, god forbid, $9 for a can of beer. I, a person who doesn’t really (really doesn’t really) like crowds, sat on a field with around 9,000 other people. And once the sun went down, which it did just as Sheryl Crow sang her last song, we just about froze to death.

Did I mention it was worth it? The music, of course, was awesome—my god, the talent in some of those voices simply astounds me.

But the family is the memory I’ll carry with me through the years. Landon, rocking out to Erykah Badu (I think he learned to dance from his grandpa); Greg, asleep by 5 pm and Misty dripping the huge block of ice all over him; Natalie and Emma dancing all over the place while Amy sat stubbornly on the ground; Dustin’s thrill at being interviewed by Spin magazine (about being a “dude” at Lilith Fair. He wants me to post a link on our website to the story when it comes out. I told him it depends on how big a dork they make him out to be.); sitting next to Misty while we enjoy the music we’ve shared on CDs for years; David and the flashlight sometime around 2:30 in the morning and driving into the sunrise with him as we crossed the Long Bridge on the way back home.

Too many times I can come up with too many reasons why I shouldn’t do something that is simply fun. And the reasons aren’t bad ones—staggering down the street in Clark Fork at 9:30 am trying to film the parade after three hours of sleep pointed out exactly how on-target my misgivings had been. But boy, I wouldn’t trade the memories for a little bit more sleep.

I hope I remember that next time.

Doors Open at 5:30 Show starts 7:30

Paralysis by Analysis

DI LUNA’S

Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| Page 17

JULY 13 • 10 am - 2 pm Check your canners and have your canning questions answered by experts from the Extension Office at Clark Fork’s Evergreen Supply/ACE Hardware on Hwy. 200

Focus on Education Growth in Adequate Yearly Progress Dick Cvitanich

Superintendent, LPOSD

dick.cvitanich@lposd.org

Colleen’s

Coffee Corner Located at Colburn Culver Rd & Hwy. 200 •

Open M-F 5:30 am to 5:30 pm • Sat 7-2

NOW OPEN! BRING THIS IN FOR $1.00 OFF YOUR NEXT COFFEE DRINK!

Colleen’s Coffee Corner

will celebrate its Grand Opening on Saturday, July 10 from 7 am with a community yard sale, no-host barbeque and many specials. Stop in and check it out!

Recently the Lake Pend Oreille School District Board of Trustees heard the latest update on Adequate Yearly Progress for students. The report is based upon student ISAT scores from this past spring, and is the major component of the No Child Left Behind mandate. Board members were particularly pleased that in the critical subject areas of math and reading, students scored the highest totals ever.

Of the students tested in reading, 94.7 percent attained proficiency, eclipsing last year’s total of 92.3 percent proficiency.

Board members and district administrative staff were thrilled with the efforts of the students and quickly credited staff, students, and parents for continuing the focus on literacy skills. Student reading scores have climbed every year beginning in 2005 and much credit was given to the adopted reading program and teacher implementation of all components as designed. Fidelity to the program is a common phrase for teachers throughout the district. Highest scoring elementary schools in reading were Southside Elementary (97.6 percent) and Kootenai Elementary (96.2 percent) proficient. Clark Fork Junior-Senior High (99.1 percent) and Sandpoint Middle School (96.1) led secondary performance.

Math scores demonstrated a similar jump with a total of 89.4 percent of the students deemed proficient by the 2010 results.

Again, this was the highest proficiency scores ever recorded by the students. A new program was adopted in the fall of 2009 and there was some worry regarding an “implementation dip.” Often, in the first year of an adoption, student performance can fall slightly as teachers learn the program nuances. Fortunately, the upward trend in student performance continued. Highest scoring elementary schools in math were Southside Elementary (95.8 percent) and Sagle Elementary (94.9 percent) proficient.

Sandpoint Middle School (92 percent) and Clark Fork Junior-Senior High (91.3 percent)

led the way at secondary.

Language usage is also a component of AYP at the elementary level. Again, scores rose across the district. Highest scoring elementary schools were Kootenai Elementary (91.7 percent) and Northside Elementary (91.5 percent).

All public schools in the state of Idaho are required to administer the ISAT test to all students. These scores form the basis for the AYP designation, with some minor variables. Private schools are not held to these same testing requirements. Public charter schools are required to administer the ISAT. The following ISAT results demonstrate our local test results on the ISAT. • LPOSD sixth grade reading: 88 percent proficient • Sandpoint Charter sixth grade Reading: 88 percent proficient • LPOSD seventh grade Reading: 93 percent proficient • Sandpoint Charter seventh grade reading 87 percent proficient • LPOSD eighth grade reading 92 percent proficient • Sandpoint Charter eighth grade reading: 90 percent proficient • LPOSD tenth grade reading: 89 percent proficient • Sandpoint Charter tenth grade reading: 62 percent proficient • LPOSD sixth grade math: 83 percent proficient • Sandpoint Charter sixth grade math: 81 percent proficient • LPOSD seventh grade math: 82 percent proficient • Sandpoint Charter seventh grade math:71 percent proficient • LPOSD eighth grade math: 84 percent proficient • Sandpoint Charter eighth grade math: 69 percent proficient • LPOSD tenth grade math: 78 percent proficient • Sandpoint Charter tenth grade math: 46 percent proficient

Discover it!

www.OnlyInClarkFork.com Events • News • History • Family Albums • Merchants Bulletin Board • Photos • Jobs • Commmunity Calendar

Page 18 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| July 2010

Politically Incorrect- Cont’d from page 19

demand of it. TheNest private sector will do The Hawk’s

we can’t produce.

According to the CIA (yep, they keep these kind of statistics—wonder why?), Americans consumeon7.56 billion day, was still focused making the barrels top of of hill. oil per year, almost 70 percent which this Even with our focus on the of top, we is usedseeing in the any internal weren’t trails,combustion but we didengine. create Weown produce billion barrels per year. our way to2.77 the top. stopped a small SoWeevery yearforwea bite run to aneat oilondeficit of bench thebillion hill. Linda sat on rock proven in the aboutin4.8 barrels.

Weahave shade, our dog besideofher.almost I wandered American oilNikki reserves 23.5 around the bench that billionlooking barrels.forSoa way if weoffdrilled out every took us closer the top.

We didn’t want bit of oil we have, no matter where to it’s go back the way we came. We had climbed located, we would run out of oil in just up a steep, rock-covered east face to get to over we three years. where were only to find the same down That leaves ussome in theexploring, position ofI buying on the west.

After found consider a necessity from a what small we saddle, which would take us people to the who,mountain. let’s face it, don’t really like us much. main While the saddle Nikki And theycrossing don’t have to—after all,found don’t a we small, slime-covered pond and Americans believewetlands if it’s ours, it’s ours waded in.can We do hadwith tried to give fresh and we it what we her want?

Or water at our but she take it,is do we onlystop, believe thatwould whennot it really now sheWhen was drinking murky ours? it’s yoursgreen, and we wantwater. it, then There is quite a sense of personal you have to give it to us and if you don’t, satisfaction when, even though there have thensome you roadblocks sponsor terrorism been in the way,and you we’ll can invade your country. find a way to accomplish your intention. I the way,who China oil as don’tBy remember said wants it, but that the quote well. how Remember China?

Thebepeople who stated scientists can only successful loanedtheir us failures. all that How money? oil through manyChina’s of us have been taught thatisitaround is okay6.5 to fail?

I, for one, consumption billion barrels have learned over the a year, andaislot growing atyears.

7 percent every As we came down off the we took a year. It produces about 3.6hill, billion barrels break big grandfather tree.good To me, everyunder year. aDoes this math look to they represent lovingother energy.; anyone?

Canold, anyone thanenergy Sarah that provides support for younger growth Palin and George Bush believe we can with its shade and the way it blocks the drill our way out of this problem?

Anyone wind and weather. who doesn’t thinkofwecultures better hit thebestow ground I have learned who running to figure out to fuel we the title Grandfather onhow anyone whowhat shows wantspiritual fueled wisdom. with something otherbethan high It may not an elder male, butdeserves a female to or go child could oil probably back to be an given thelifestyle. title.

1880s I Terrorism began to think again I about a and War: couldbeing go on grandfather, if I couldSo live upfinal to forever, butwondered you’ll quit reading. one those traits—either grandfather tree,First, or discussion for the American public.

Grandfather. There doesn’t seem to be a let’s have a true, independent analysis of direct route, a trail or any directions at all. what happened onaSeptember 11, Could 2001.

Maybe that is not valid concern.

The official explanation simply doesn’t I be underestimating myself? I had no hold water.

Thisupisa one of thosea trail, “who problem heading hill without knew when” questions that must be only an what, intention to have a good day.

A day must ofanswered—and hiking where wepeople/institutions had never been before, a be dayheld thataccountable. may or may not have included reaching the top the hill. It came me Speaking of of accountability, youtomight that is important for me take that be itsurprised to learn that to I would not adventuring new era of my support anspirit effortinto to this impeach President life.

Bush after the November elections. First, The path for me will be an intention to because that’s too late, knowing and second, love unconditionally, without what more Bush been orbecause how, which will than help me servehave this child involved in crimes against the American as a grandfather or as Grandfather. people.

What would like see and are That is the gift II can give to thistochild, charges least, of treason) the child’s (at giftthe to me willcharges be this process. brought against Bush, Cheney, et al. Bring the charges and let’s let the evidence of

what is best for itself—sometimes that will Intention an adventuring spirit translate into being and best for the general good as well, and sometimes it won’t; Hawks of energy. considerErnie the deregulation photosbyhawks.com Hello, Enron.

One ernie@photosbyhawks.com free market system that demonstrably does notwas work the Years ago, I heard there a trailisupinthe payment for health care.

Yes, I would mountain south of Round Lake, sometimes advocate for hike. single-payer health called heart attack Finally, we were insurance. youoflittle going to get to(Trish, the top it. socialist, you.) I think it’s time recognize the $12.6 Starting the we day meant that taking the well-maintained trail outin of the by state park billion in profits seen 2007 insurance around the lake.

It isinone ourinterest favoriteof companies is not theofbest short hikes.

Hiking through cedar Americans as a whole. And if yougroves wonder andwhy wetlands, along theprescriptions lakeshore andcost pastso your mother’s beaver a good of muchactivity, money,it gives let meuspoint to dose the $46 nature without much effort. It was the day billionthat in profit by the pharmaceutical to leave trail seen and take a chance on that industry.

That’s profit, mind you—the heart attack—we were not very worried. amount over an after their The trailleft follows oldthey roadpaid for aall while for their CEO’s salaries, andbills, we understood it wouldinflated pass a trailhead marketing, administration, lobbyists, thattheir would let us challenge our coronary strength. could not sign ofDark a denial We specialists andfind theany Vienna trail; still inour was pot. to have a fun blend theintention office coffee day hiking we this had never You someplace don’t think hurts been. you? A We hikedstudy through alongUniversity a small recent by a valley Harvard stream with occasional ponds surrounded researchers found that the average outby skunk cabbage and ferns. Wetlands of-pocket medical debt for those who surrounded by cottonwood and birch filed the for path. bankruptcy was $12,000, and flanked that 68 percent thoseabout whoa filed had As we walked, weoftalked change healthininsurance. fact, 50 percent and of all coming our life. In Linda’s daughter bankruptcy wereinpartly the result son-in-law are filings expecting December.

Weof medical have noticedexpenses. our attention has shifted a bit.

We seem to notice baby stuff a lot. I found A report for the Commonwealth Fund myself some ofcool rocking showschecking that 41out percent working-age animals created by72a million local woodworker.

Americans—or people—have Normally, I am only looking at his furniture problems with medical bills or are paying andoffwood sculptures.

Linda bought some medical debt. onesies at a yard sale the other day—I what are you it? Not what didn’t And know what theygetting were.forAnd I find you wondering would expect forit’ll thebemost myself what like expensive to be a health care in the world. According to the grandfather.

World Health Organization, rank 20th After following the road forwenearly an in life from birth, our the babies are hour, weexpectancy were wondering about trail.

Themore sounds 95 and BNSF likelyoftoHighway die before they the reach their railroad were penetrating into the sounds first birthday, and our medical system itself, of the foresterrors, where drug we walked, but no sign through reactions, hospitalof aacquired trail. infections and more, is the number Finally, Linda said, for “This looks like a three cause of death Americans. good place to start up.” Even though it American Oil Dependence: The one looked just like the last mile or so, she was point never hear to made discussions right. We Ihad intended hike in to the top of about the American dependence on just fossil the mountain and why should we not, fuels is the fact that we want something we because we couldn’t find the track. don’t can ‘drill, baby, Now, have. as we You talk about things thatdrill’ needall in the U.S.—tear up the baby Rocky to you be want finished around the house, proofing comes up and morethe andBob more, and Mountain front Marshall Linda wants herstack own camera.

Wilderness, the oil drills five deep Butour lastcoastlines week, the task handpolar was bear to on and killat every pick ourgets wayinover downs through that the blow way of moreand drilling in the brush, taking an ascent that was not and marked, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that’s as we talked about how our attention had not going to change the fact that we’ve changed some while our intention, for the made ourselves dependent on a product

Face to Face

the trial see the light of day—no more ‘executive privilege.’

That goes for all of ‘em. The Bill Litsinger • Bob Wynhausen investigation brought against Palin in 1400 KSPTof• 1450 AM has KBFIshown Alaska forAM abuse power clearly how the McCain/Palin presidency would treat malfeasance among its own.

Now Obama/Biden must step forth with some courage and demand that our checks and balances be returned to the system, and all elected congressmen need to grow some cojones and start living up to their oversight responsibility, or get booted out.

If they don’t, I guess I could always run, myself.

Friday lunch at 12:15 They have ‘slipped the surly bonds of earth’ and ‘touch the face of God.’

Coffelt Funeral Service helping those who are left behind.

P.O. Box 949 • Sandpoint, Idaho

208-263-3133

www.CoffeltFuneral.com Moon Chapel Pinecrest Cemetery Member by Moon Crematory invitation only

July 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| Page 19 Page 26 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol 17 No. 18 | November 2008

Summer of

Fire

“Where time has stored our foot bats and the long skin of our voices... The guests in their summer colors have fled... and (we) kill the fire with a savage stick...” Stanley Kubrick This summer is shaping up a lot like 1957.

That year we also had a wet spring and early summer producing lush foliage, that then dried out, providing the fuel that fed the Sundance Fire that began in late August and eventually burned 56,000 acres.

Of course it was a serious matter, but that summer I was 11, the year before the “Jones House” adventure I related in my first column. AS a kid, for us it was a glorious end to summer before starting school a week later. Bright summer days that turned to a dull, brownish-yellow haze that the sun had difficulty at times piercing. And when it did, it was a red color which reminded me then of being on an alien planet with a red sun such as in my favorite TV show. (I won’t say it.) At night, a sullen red glow appeared in the sky over Schweitzer and Baldy.

All this added a depth of mystery to our kids’ summer. One thing I always thought odd, but of course this was still the time of the milkman, was Mrs. Tomoskovitch, the egg lady. A, shall we say stocky woman with gray hair tied up in a bun, she sold fresh farm eggs from her place on South Sagle Road. I’m not sure it was that fall, the following spring, or both when men came around selling buckets of morel mushrooms. As with most kids and their extremely sensitive taste buds, I hated the flavor I now love when I can (rarely) get it.

The next summer more salespeople came around, this time with a bonanza of ‘fireweed’ honey, then huckleberries from the fire area.

Somewhere, I believe, I still have the National Geographic special edition chronicling the fire.

All this was the backdrop to the kid’s story of the old abandoned house on Fir and Ruth where nice town houses have since been built. On the enclosed front porch was what looked like a classic, black witch’s hat which was likely a black iron skillet. This still did not dissuade us kids from believing there was something mysterious going on there.

Several times we would see a figure that appeared to be a stooped old woman in dark clothing enter the back door just as we happened to be riding our bikes in the area.

Informal investigations by us (we later triedKinnikinnick the back door) got us nowhere. Asking

Valley of

ThE

ShadowS with Lawrence Fury

our parents, all the kids reported that as far as the adults were concerned, the house was vacant and had been for years. My dad asked why I was asking after telling me to stay away from the place (there was likely loose boards, and it would be trespassing, anyway). I said I wondered why there was a house with no one living in it was all.

Adding fuel to the fire of our imagination was the growth on the 50-foot lot seemed to be dry and dead or dying. On top of that, three of the kids during the last couple of weeks of August had bike accidents either on Fir or Ruth—naturally, a witch’s curse. Looking at the house and not paying attention to where we were riding didn’t have anything to do with it.

That fall was my last year at Lincoln School and, of course, all the talk was about the fire that was still being fought. The smoke was beginning to dissipate, but at the end of the week of classes, I remember my parents relating the rumor that it was coming down Schweitzer and that Sandpoint itself might be in danger. Of course, it was a story spread by alarmists, but for kids our age it was a thrilling prospect. We knew in the end that the all-powerful adults would have everything well under control, no matter what.

As bad as the Sundance Fire was, it could easily have led to catastrophe. Two smaller fires, one north of Trapper Peak and the other at Caribou Creek, would likely have joined with the other fires had they gotten out of control and, if so, North Idaho would today be a much different place.

That weekend, when the inferno failed to appear in our back yard, we hatched Adventure Plan B. I and three other kids were going to try to get into the house on Ruth and settle once and for all the issue of witch or no witch. When the time came, though, two of the guys suddenly came up with suspiciously convenient reasons (excuses) why they couldn’t do it.

My one brave, or dumb (however you look at it), friend who that winter exposed me to mumps (which I luckily didn’t come down with) and I rode our bikes around the neighborhood that Saturday afternoon, never passing directly in front of the house, to scout the best stealthy approach.

We decided the best way was down Fir

from Division, lean our bikes against one of the large cottonwoods in the back yard, and sneak through the tall, dry grass to the back door.

The day was still smoky, but not as bad as it had been, though a gray overcast made for a gloomy day.

Things were eerily still as we snuck up to the house and peered in through the back door. All there was to see was deeper gloom. My friend tried the old, dull knob but it wouldn’t turn. That was the end as far as I was concerned. I’d never go to the length of breaking a window.

Starting back to our bikes, we suddenly heard the sound of someone coming through the old, overgrown shrubs and dry grass at the alley. We both scurried around to the south side of the house and thankfully the cover of an old bush just as a stooped figure appeared and came limping to the back door.

The person wore an oddly shaped floppy hat and unseasonably long, greasy-looking coat that looked like oilcloth. We couldn’t tell if the person was man or woman. Whomever it was withdrew an old-fashioned key, unlocked the door, then slowly and deliberately closed it behind them.

After a few moments to make sure the person wasn’t still just inside the door, we hightailed it to our bikes and took off.

Later, being that they refused to be part of the adventure, neither my friend nor myself told our other two “gang” members what we had seen. On Halloween seven weeks later, we did walk by with the intention of actually trick-or-treating the place, but the house was utterly dark, except where a streetlight illuminated the front porch. The black hat (or iron frying pan) was gone. Was the witch out on patrol during her favorite night?

(Author’s note: I’d like to briefly address some posts that I only recently became aware of concerning my Oct. 2009 column “What the college student saw.” First, I do not endorse any particular belief system. It is inappropriate for this publication. Secondly, I made generalizations about Wicca due to the limited space here. There was a suggestion that what I did report was inaccurate. I stand by what I wrote as it relates to the belief system in general. As with Christians and with other world faiths, there are sects within Wicca that may vary particular practices from what I reported.)

Page 20 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| July 2010

From ThE

Files

of The River Journal’s

SurrealisT Research BureaU Of Bloops, Behemoths and the Massive Moving Mountains of the Marianas

“What Rough Beast?”

We’ve all heard legends, usually fairy tales like early versions of Pinnochio or Sinbad, of maritime travelers encountering a large barren island in the midst of the ocean and sending a small skiff ashore to explore it when suddenly the massive “island” suddenly comes alive and roars loudly, sinking into the sea once more, leaving the survivors swimming for their lives. These tales may be more than legends!

Saint Brendan of Ireland’s pre-Columbian travels to America in 565 A.D. (documented in the 12th century manuscript “Voyages of Saint Brendan”) are discounted largely due to this very reason, his tale of encountering just such a living island; this despite his strikingly accurate descriptions of other places and sights he’d likewise visited on the way, such as Iceland’s then unknown “smoking mountains/volcanoes.”

According to nautical folklore such massive beasts are only sighted once every 200 to 300 years though as our modern day submarines and robot submersibles explore ever deeper and previously unknown sections of the oceans, we’re quite rightly coming into scattered, fleeting contacts and glimpses of “something big down there.”

During the Cold War with Russia the U.S. government placed thousands of underwater listening devices over wide areas of the ocean’s bottom in a top secret mission to track the movements of commie submarines, and in 1991 after the Cold War had faded, these underwater tracking systems were transferred to the civilian National Geographical Data Services Agency, which began recording

by Jody Forest

“Where slimy monsters ward the way Whose eyes of phosphor, luminous, large, Make darker still the nighted marge Burning in bulks obscure for aye;...

Clear emblems, perfect similes, Of an irremediable doom.”

From Clark Ashton Smith’s translation of Baudelaire’s “The Irremidiable”

peculiar underwater sounds (now called Bloops) that were the loudest noises ever heard underwater. These noises or Bloops came from no known animal; the Navy had previously recorded the sonar, sounds and voiceprints of whales, octopi, dolphins and anything else to help differentiate them from the sound of Russian, Chinese and foreign subs. Whatever the Bloops were, they were coming from a massive, football field-sized being that swam quickly away from any U.S. submarines closing in to investigate.

On 20 September 2003 the Russian newspaper Pravda reported that they were having their own Bloop reports after a deep sea research vessel in the Marianas Trench encountered a huge, unknown animal some 200 feet long.

Once again, after comparing the sonar and voiceprint recordings, according to the Global Underwater Search Team’s website, the object was compared to all known sea creatures but remains unidentified.

Recently there’s been scattered reports around Tahiti of 40- to 50-foot great white sharks, 100-foot Megalodons sighted off Australia’s coast

and 100-foot giant octopi and killer squid sightings around the globe. Cadbosaurus (a 40- to 50-ft long sea snake) is regularly seen off British Columbia’s shoreline, but the Bloop, whatever it is, is singularly unique. It’s a moving, living mountain, as big as a football field and it makes the loudest noises ever recorded under the ocean in history. Perhaps like turtles they are long-lived; maybe we’ll find the one who startled Saint Brendan so long ago.

But I speculate and digress; There’s a number of groups and websites devoted to solving the Bloop mystery; just Google “Bloop” and a few should pop up, I’d suggest www.bloopwatch.org. And for you fellow Lovecraftians out there, I find it supremely ironic that the greatest number of Bloop reports come from close by that area of the Pacific where HPL put his fictional, mysterious underwater ruined colossus of R’leyh with its gargantuan dreaming Cthulhu!

You can listen to the Bloop online here: http://tinyurl.com/9gaqu. ‘til next time, All Homage to Xena!

Museum now open with Summer Hours

Tuesday - Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm • 611 S. Ella, Sandpoint • 208.263.2344 • $3 adults/$1 age 6-18 July 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| Page 21

$75,000 Level and ready to build Trees provide privacy from Highway, yet the access is easy. Room for a home, a barn and outbuildings.

No building restrictions or CC&Rs. Views of the Selkirk Mountains.

Property has been perc tested. MLS 21002026 $79,000 Beautiful, wooded parcel Five acre parcel with easy access yet private. Circular driveway in and ready for your dream home.

Area of good wells and close to endless recreation options! Nice trails throughout property. MLS 21002420 $89,000 Close to Camp Bay and Livermore Lake. Almost 19 acres with lots of trees. Nice benched area for a house with views of surrounding mountains. Fenced on 2 sides. MLS 21002028 $99,021 Build your dreams!

Great 20 acre parcel priced right and ready for your building dreams or recreation enjoyment. Wooded with great rock features and seasonal stream. Zoned for 10 acres so you have options. Borders hundreds of acres of Forest Service land. MLS 21002309 $225,000 Beautifully set up for family. Two-story home located at the end of a quiet street with sidewalks and just a short distance to the new grocery store, Walmart and Schweitzer Mtn. Four bedroom, three baths, family room and big fenced back yard with a large deck for entertaining. Check out this peaceful spacious setting.

MLS 21001994 $282,500 Seasonal creek runs through it. 3 br 2 ba cedar-sided home on 6+ heavily timbered acres.

Wrap around deck, masonry touches and custom amenities make this home a very comfortable place to live. Easy access to town. MLS 21002502 $389,921 Immaculate waterfront home 133 front feet on Cocolalla Lake. 2 BR, 2 BA, 2 decks, 2-car garage, surround sound, radon system, circular drive, large, mature trees on .34 acre. MLS 20903412

315 N. Second Sandpoint, Idaho

Gary’s Faith Walk

The Family Plan Gary Payton

gdp.sandpoint@gmail.com

The Christmas 2008 dinner table had held the midday feast. Plates with reminders of turkey, dressing, and cranberries had been cleared. Desert of pies and topping was past, and we simply glowed in the light of family together— mother, father, sons, daughter-in-law, and newborn grandson.

Like so many American families, we are spread out across several states. Our Christmas gathering is extraordinarily special, but it is not enough. The time is just too short. So with tummies full that December day, with a fire in the wood stove and the joy of being together, we developed the family plan. With 18 months lead time, we each committed to a summertime week together once every two years. Each adult blocked her or his schedule, and we pledged that short of death or the birth of another grandchild, we would gather again in a new way as family in June 2010.

Our June week was glorious! We delighted in sandy beaches, new foods and vistas, and lots and lots of time together with no pressing agenda. Clearly, this was not about the “doing.” It was all about the “being.” While a new locale every two years adds excitement, the meaning of the gathering is family.

My faith walk this year has in fact drawn me tighter within that circle of family. The death of my father, the special times with

Clark Fork Baptist Church

Main & Second • Clark Fork

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

JOLENA OVERLAND

208-265-4120 208-255-8870

CAROL CURTIS

208-255-2244 888-923-8484

Bible Preaching and Traditional Music

my mother, turning 60 (it is really more of a milestone than I first expected,) the joy of watching once erratic teens turn fully into the growing maturity of their 20s, the boundless enthusiasm of a two-yearold grandchild, and the steadfast love of my wife and life partner—all this has brought a new emphasis on the life of the family.

Sorting out loyalty to God and loyalty to the family takes prayerful consideration.

Scripture affirms that family loyalty stands under primary loyalty to God. Rereading the Ten Commandments certainly brings clarity on this subject, as our responsibilities to our earthly family don’t come around until Commandment Five!

But in quiet moments of reflecting on the Divine and on my family, I’m drawn to a recent theological statement on families.

“Responsibility and accountability move in all directions—older toward younger and younger toward older, children towards parents and parents toward children… All members of a household share a common vocation toward one another and the whole household… Families are called to a life together that is lived by grace, for love, in communion. God calls families, as well as individuals and churches, to lead a life worthy of the vocation to which they are called, promoting the family’s growth in building itself up in love.”

Our family plan developed a year and a half ago and lived out so joyfully this June was a response to a deep yearning, a desire to be together more than our too busy schedules had previously allowed.

Throughout this year, I’ve been reminded anew that family “love is delightfully irrational, transcending explanations…

Receiving love, we become ones who give love. Familial love is not dependent on the worth of the other, or the health of the other, or the success of the other. Instead, love grows from the sheer presence of the other. For the love of God, families are called to love openly and to extend circles of God’s love beyond immediate family structures.”

My summer months are filled with activities—tending to my work, clearing brush, kayaking on the lake, enjoying friendships, and most of all receiving and giving love within family. It is a good place to be. And, I pray that you too are finding that place within your family.

Page 22 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| July 2010

The Scenic Route

The Four Conclusions Sandy Compton

mrcomptonjr@hotmail.com www.SandyCompton.com

Concluding a search for The Truth Once upon a time, I was asked by Somebody—or believed that I was—if I would give up the woman I loved for world peace. I agreed—eventually—that, as a decent human, I would have to. And, I did—again, eventually. After arguing and posturing and trying to make deals and rationalizing for a few years—or was it a decade?—I finally did.

This giving up was accomplished in my search for The Truth, and I believed it would lead to something remarkable, and it did.

But, it wasn’t what I wanted or envisioned.

World peace did not ensue. In fact, the world has since gotten less peaceful; crazier, more violent, more unpredictable. But, my world, the personal space in which I live, has become more peaceful. The Truth was that this woman I loved did not love me, and moreover, it wasn’t in her to do so. And, I have become at peace with that, which is what I can do for world peace. Funny how that works.

It’s been 25 years since I embarked on that search for The Truth in earnest, during which I found and embraced The Truth perhaps as many times as it has been years. Each time, though, it was eventually revealed to me that I was, at least partially and sometimes wholly, wrong. Speaking of funny stuff, it is somewhat hilarious in retrospect, watching the clown me run from one Truth to the next. There is also the hilarity of relief in knowing that, more than likely, I don’t have to do that anymore.

Ray Allen is available for private parties, special events, restaurants, etc Jazz standards and pop tunes. Solo on guitar and vocals. Also booking for the Monarch Mountain Band, great bluegrass and newgrass

Call 208-610-8244

In seeking The Truth, I also sought God, for I believed—and still do, for that matter—that God is where The Truth lies. In the search, I read Thomas Moore, Viktor Frankl, Marianne Williamson, Don Miguel Ruiz, Deepak Chopra, The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, The Bible, When I Say No, I Feel Guilty, The Shack, The Road Less Traveled, Addiction and Grace and dozens of other self-help, spiritual and religious books. In each of these, I found nuggets, strands, hints and clues—even an occasional Answer, as I initially viewed Chopra’s Seven Laws of Spiritual Success—but in a quarter of a century of reading, research, prayer, reflection, meditation and memorization, I did not achieve a lasting peace or find the God I thought I sought.

I have come to some conclusions about this.

The first is that I will never quite know what is The Truth, no matter how hard I seek it.

The second conclusion, then, is that after all of my seeking God and peace, it is time now for God and peace to seek me.

In this game of hide-and-seek, it’s my turn to be found. I didn’t ask to be born, nor did anyone on this planet. If I was, indeed, blessed with a life—and I think I was—the Giver of that life is somewhat responsible for giving it to me.

So, I have stopped seeking, for the most part, though after a hard day, week, month, year—of which sometimes there seems to be no end—I still tend to whine and wonder what in the world God is up to. At the risk of apostasy, I question God as to God’s purpose in all of this. At the risk of being Job, I ask God, sometimes, just who the heck He thinks He is, playing with us humans as She does.

There’s Hope if you need physical therapy.

There’s also Sandpoint.

But, so far—here is a third conclusion— it appears to be none of my business. So, I do the best I can every day with what I have to work with and let God be God and me be me—an error-prone, ignorant, sometimes frustrated and angry, but trending toward more peaceful human.

Don’t get me wrong. I love God, Whoever God is; particularly for all the gifts of living on this planet in the place and time that I live. I am awed and somewhat confounded by the Grace I experience every day. In world news and history, I find myriad places and times that I might otherwise have been placed and breathe a sincere and fervent “Thank you!” for when and where I fell into this planet. How can I not?

But, it’s easy to say “Thank you,” for where and when I live. Others say the same prayer living in a mud hut in Africa or under siege in some Middle Eastern city or marching to a death camp in Siberia or Eastern Europe—they continue to be grateful for what little they have. In gratitude, I’m a piker.

A fourth conclusion, then, is that judging others for their beliefs, ignorance, education, poverty, wealth, success, failure, living conditions, history, culinary habits, dress, customs or any other diversion from my own culture is counter-productive and really also none of my business.

As a friend once said to me, “The less I judge others, the happier I am.” Amen, sister!

I fail this—often. But, it doesn’t add to my personal peace when I engage in judgment.

It only brings me closer to my own failings, exposes my foibles and frequent mistakes.

This is not all bad. Pointing that finger makes me increasingly uncomfortable with my own points of departure from living the life that is good for me. And, The Truth is, I think, that God wants us to live a life that is good for us. Not self-indulgent, nor selfcentered, but a life that makes us happy through what we see to be right action and striving for personal peace.

This sort of life is the great hiding place in the cosmic game of hide and seek. If we are going to play, let us find an incredibly good place to hide. Let us quit seeking so hard for something we know not what and let God instead find us busy tending the garden She set us in. Let us play hide and seek by rules in which God finding us is as important and fruitful as us finding God. And let everyone have a turn.

Caribou Physical Therapy

Hope: 264-5067 • Sandpoint: 265-8333 www.CaribouPHysicalTherapy.com

July 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| Page 23

A Seat in the House

Planning for the Energy Future The Idaho legislature is a parttime legislature Idaho Dist. 1B Representative meeting annually idaholeginfo@lso.idaho.gov beginning in January 1-800-626-0471 of each year and adjourning usually in March or April of the same year. The actual end of the session is dependent upon the difficulty of establishing a balanced state budget and taking action on legislative proposals independent of the appropriations and budget setting process.

This does not mean that a legislator’s responsibilities are over for the year; we continue responding to constituent concerns and many legislators are involved in interim committees to assist in keeping informed about issues that are important to Idaho citizens.

One of the issues important to our state is our ability to meet our energy needs. There are many options available for meeting our current energy needs, but planning for our future needs is becoming more complex as we look at various economic and environmental impacts associated with each energy resource.

As a member of the House Committee on Environment, Energy

George Eskridge

and Technology and as Co-Chair of the interim joint committee on Environment, Energy and Technology I attempt to keep abreast of issues that impact Idaho’s ability to meet the energy needs of our state. In conjunction with this responsibility I participated in a workshop on gasification held in Terre Haute, Indiana and hosted by the Gasification Technology Council.

Gasification of coal and other carbon based fuels (such as petroleum coke or biomass) converts these fuels into a clean synthetic gas (syngas) that can be used for a slate of products, including several chemicals, fertilizers, liquid fuels, substitute natural gas (SNG), or hydrogen.

I was particularly interested in the use of the syngas to produce electricity from coal. Gasification has been used for more than 35 years in the electric power industry and currently there are nineteen plants located in the United States and over 140 gasification plants operating worldwide.

Advancing gasification technology has reduced environmental impacts significantly, but carbon dioxide emissions resulting from coal fired electric generation continue to remain a serious environmental problem. In an attempt to solve this problem publicprivate partnerships in the United States and other nations continue “developing carbon capture and storage technologies capable of achieving up to a 90 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants.”

Given the advances in technology “clean coal electrical generation” is becoming more of a reality and more acceptable as a clean alternative source of baseload electricity. As one U.S. Department of Energy participant in the workshop stated: “clean coal is not an oxymoron”!

Notwithstanding the advances in coal fired electric generation the use of coal as an energy resource remains controversial.

Because of controversy surrounding a proposal to build a coal fired generation plant in Idaho in 2006, the Idaho legislature passed legislation in that same year that placed a two year moratorium on construction of certain coal fired power plants in the state.

However the legislature still recognized the value of plants utilizing “the integrated gasification combined cycle technology” to produce electricity from coal and excluded this generation process from the moratorium.

The 2007 Idaho Energy Plan states that “when acquiring resources, Idaho and Idaho utilities should give priority first to cost effective conservation, energy efficiency and demand response and second to cost effective renewable resources. However the legislature also recognized that these options might not suffice to meet our energy needs and included a recommendation in the energy plan that Idaho utilities “should have access to a broad variety of resource options consistent with Idaho’s policy objectives, including both renewable and conventional resources”.

Based on the information that I learned at the workshop I believe that because of the continuing advancement in “clean coal technology” that we will be able to utilize our vast coal reserves in an environmentally sound matter to help meet our nation’s (and our state’s) energy needs and at the same time reduce our dependence on foreign oil and natural gas.

As I stated in the beginning of this article, planning for our future energy needs is complex and will require a diversified energy resource mix. Coal can be and needs to be an economical and environmentally acceptable part of that energy mix in order for us to be able to meet our future energy requirements!

Thanks for reading! And as always I welcome your input on issues important to you. You can contact me at my home phone at (208) 265-0123 or by mail at P.O. Box 112, Dover, Idaho, 83825.

George

Page 24 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| July 2010

DOWNTOWN

SANDPOINT EVENTS SANDPOINT EVENTS

Long Bridge Swim Aug. 7

July

13- Girls’ Gala (Community Hall) 14- Taste of Nepal Benefit (Community Hall) 14- The Gourds (Panida) 16 & 17(Panida)

Hearts

Online

17- Sing China (Panida) 23- Clothesline Art Sale (518 Oak) 23- Silver Creek (Panida) 29- Yappy Hour (Trinity @ City Beach) 29-31- Babies (Panida) 30- ArtWalk II (throughout Downtown) 31- Crazy Days (Businesses throughout Downtown)

August

4- Carrie Rodriguez (Panida) 5-15- Festival at Sandpoint (Memorial Field) 7- Long Bridge Swim 7-8- Arts & Crafts Fair (City Beach) PLUS: Farmer’s Market Wednesdays from 3 to 5:30 and Saturdays from 9 to 1 at Third & Oak Summer Sounds - Free concerts at First & Cedar from noon to 2 pm every Saturday

Experience

Downtown Sandpoint!

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

Winery Music - Live music every Friday night at Pend d’Oreille Winery Open Mic Blues Jam every Monday night at Eichardt’s Trivia every Tuesday night at MickDuff’s.

DI LUNA’S

207 Cedar St. • 208.263.0846 www.dilunas.com 212 Cedar St. • 208.263.4005

YOUR IMAGE, YOUR WAY www.ImageMakerPhotoandVideo.com 320 North First Ave ~ 208.263-5322

World Cuisine Night

Every Saturday night starting at 6:30 pm.

Explore different In-store Photo Studio • Film & Digital cuisines from around Printing • Video to DVD • Photo Cafe Open Tuesday- the world. Live music.

Restoration • Classes • Cameras • Open mic starts Friday 7 am to 3 pm Regular menu also Worth Repair Wading•Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| Page 25 Open weekends Camera Accessories atJuly 8 pm2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine available. starting at 8 am

MONDAY NIGHT BLUES JAM

Coffelt Funeral Home, Sandpoint, Idaho.

Get complete obituaries online at

www.CoffeltFuneral.com

TITO TIBERI Tito Terrance Tiberi, uly 5, 1950 - June 26, 2010. Born in Uniontown, Penn.

Had a Master’s Degree in Counseling.

Married Patty Vajda and they worked for the U.S. Army for two years in Europe. Had two children. Moved to North Idaho in ‘94. Worked as a drug counselor for the school district, and opened Handyman Services in ‘97.

BILLY EZELL Billy Charles Ezell, February 19, 1941 - June 30, 2010. Served with the U.S. Army. Moved to Sandpoint in 2000. A complete obituary will be posted online at a later time.

ROBERT “BOBBY” MOORE Robert James “Bobby” Moore, December 18, 1931 - June 17, 2010 Born in Sandpoint, Idaho. Married Beth Roos and they raised four children. Worked for Signal Oil Co. (18 yrs) Sandpoint Motor Co. (23 yrs) and Alpine Motors (9 yrs). Retired in ‘96. Served as a basketball official, and as timekeeper for Sandpoint High in two sports.

Married Trudy Mendenhall in ‘85.

SANFORD GATES Sanford Joel Gates. December 18, 1931 - June 17, 2010.

Passed away near his home on Bloom Lake near Elmira.

Sanford was a retired machinest.

THOMAS SMITH Thomas Benjamin “Tom” Smith, March 4, 1930 - June 18, 2010. Served the U.S. Coast Guard in Korea. Worked as a mechanic and crew chief for the Indianapolis 500. A complete obituary will be posted online at a later time.

HENRY EDWARD DAWSON Henry Edward “Eddy” Dawson, August 31, 1935 - June 20, 2010. Born in Williston, North Dakota, moved to Idaho in ‘45 and to the Sagle area in ‘48. Served with the U.S. Army from ‘55 to ‘55. Worked as a union carpenter, firewood cutter and huckleberry picker. He was a true “mountain man.”

SHARON COHEN Sharon Anne Cohen, October 16, 1958 - June 23, 2010.

Born in Sandusky, Ohio. Worked as a certified nurse’s aide in home health care. Mother of three children.

Passed away at her home near Clark Fork, Idaho.

CLEADIS GUNTER Cleadis “Sonny-Boy” Orville Gunter, August 18, 1939 - June 25, 2010. Born in Sandpoint, Idaho. Served two years in the U.S. Army. Married Sandra Warren and had two children. Married Teresa Williams and they had a daughter.

Worked at Health Techna Factory in Kent, Wash., drove a combine and worked as a gandy dancer for the railroad.

MARJORIE LISTUG Marjorie Pauline Lamanna Listug, July 23, 1930 - June 26, 2010. Born in Priest River, Idaho. Married George Listug and was the mother of four children. Worked as a nurse’s aide. Moved to Hope, Idaho in 1995.

VERN ESKRIDGE Vern Eskridge, August 23, 1935 - July 3, 2010. Born in Moravia, Idaho. Served with the U.S. Navy from ‘55 to ‘59. Worked as a plumber and electrician, then spent 33 years as a civil engineer with the U.S. Forest Service. Retired in 1991. Was the father of four children.

Lakeview Funeral Home, Sandpoint, Idaho.

Get complete obituaries online at

www.LakeviewFuneral.org

KIM WARNER Kim Wesley Warner, Nov. 28, 1953 - June 12, 2010. Born in Brainerd, Minn. Married Diana Lampton. Father of two children and a stepdaughter.

Worked as a chef and caterer at tourist lodges and resorts. Moved to North Idaho in 2000, worked as a chef in Hope, Idaho.

MAJOR FRANK EVANS Frank Butler Evans, February 13, 1919 - June 22, 2010. Born Sugar City, Idaho. Moved to Dover, Idaho in 1923. Served in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a pilot.

Married Jane Pier. Father of five children. Was a partner in the Ford Motor franchise Cady & Pier, Inc

LYLE PARDEE Lyle R. Pardee. November 16, 1933 - June 29, 2010. Born in Inglewood, Calif. Served in the U.S. Marine Corp.Worked in construction, HVAC and as a longhaul truck driver. Married Barbara Foerstel. Father to two sons and three stepdaughters. Moved to North Idaho in 1944.

CAROL MCDOWELL Caroline V. Yaw McDowell. April 21, 1942 - July 1, 2010. Grew up north of Sandpoint. Married John Sylvester and had three children. Married Robert Blessington and raised eight children. Ran the Dover post office.

Married Mike McDowell in 2006.

Retired from the Tam O’ Shanter.

PHILLIP DURBIN Phillip Durbin, Oct. 4, 1918 - July 2, 2010. Born in Tulsa, Okla. A complete obituary to be published later online.

ESTHER PARKER Esther Violet Gephart Parker, May 26, 1918 - June 8, 2010. Born in Hot Springs, Mont. Married Ray Norman and Oliver Loren Parker. Raised four children. Worked as an LPN at Olympic Memorial Hospital for 25 years. Moved to Sandpoint, Idaho in 2005 to be closer to her family.

I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge—myth is more potent than history— dreams are more powerful than facts—hope always triumphs over experience—laughter is the cure for grief—love is stronger than death.

-Robert Fulghum

You can’t afford to advertise.

But you can’t afford not to.

Advertising solutions for small business. Call 208.255.6957 or email trish@riverjournal.com today to find out how affordable your advertising can be.

Page 26 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| July 2010

From the Mouth of the River

In the river city of Chipmunk Falls, one of the most laid back towns on the river, if not the most laid back, I have noticed there are certain words, when spoken during fishing or hunting season, that will send the men here into spasms of major proportions; words like; work, honeydo’s, job, or anything related. I have seen entire construction crews not show up on Monday morning, the opening day of elk season, much to the surprise of the out-ofstate contractor. In fact, the only ones who showed up at all that week were the ones who got their elk on opening day. When the outraged contractor threatened to fire the whole crew, they just shrugged their shoulders and said, “‘at’s okay, we were looking for work when we found this job and besides, we haven’t got our deer yet.”

I might add, that contractor later moved to Chipmunk Falls and now hunts and fishes with the rest of ‘em.

“Why people all over America work their butt off and go a hundred miles an hour trying to get far enough ahead to live like we do every day is beyond me, when they could be doing it now,” Charlie Fuddruckers said.

It doesn’t make sense to me neither, because 30 days after they retire their bodies go into shock from all those years of stress and they have a grabber and die.

They leave a rich widow for some of our most needy bachelors to mother up to. It works out good for both sides. He gets her old man’s fishing boat and all his tackle, teaches her to fish and pick huckleberries and she gets to teach him how to shave, bathe, and be respectable.

Speaking of respect, we just had the 4th of July celebration and before that the Memorial Day celebration. Both days were set aside to honor our country’s fallen servicemen and women. One, for giving us this country and the other for keeping it. If you’re one of those people who wondered what that feels like you should stand on Main Street in Chipmunk Falls during the 4th of July parade, or better yet, join it.

Main Street, which is also state highway 200, is blocked off at both ends of town just for the parade. Traffic is not rerouted and you just wait until the parade is over, which can take up to 20 minutes on a good year.

It only goes for two blocks, but it’s the best parade in the state and the ever-growing crowds prove it. Everything in the parade is homemade and every entry is expected to throw a ton or two of candy to the kids.

Sometimes it even gets thrown back at the floats, there’s so much. The entire town waits all year for this day and they celebrate it from dawn to way past dark. Oh sure,

some grown men drink a little too much Kick-a-Pooh juice and try to climb a greased pole or get in a three legged race with their mother-in- law, but all and all it’s a fun day of celebration with family and friends.

Then, there’s the fireworks. Like any small town along the river you can hear fireworks being set off at any time of the day all day long. Kids missing fingers from holding firecrackers too long before throwing them will tease other kids about throwing theirs too soon. Dogs with hairless tails, or no tails at all, will hide under porches until after the fifth or sixth of July. Cats? Nowhere in sight.

As dark approaches, adult men will try to out-do each other when it comes to creating fireworks to entertain and impress their family and friends. Putting a cherry bomb under a tomato can as a kid to see how high it would go has been replaced by bigger things—oil drums and dynamite. It was soon discovered that anything over a half stick of dynamite would just blow the barrels apart and wouldn’t get much lift at all. However, Fred Hollertree come up with the idea that if he put a pound or two of black powder in a sack and tied it up in the barrel about half way, it would serve as a second stage rocket. The dynamite would lift the barrel off the ground and set off the black powder which burns slower than dynamite and would serve as a booster rocket sending the barrel way above the town.

At the same time Ed Shagnasty over on Second Street was taking this opportunity to unclog the drain field of his septic system.

Not wanting to spend the kind of money a pump truck would charge to clean it out, Ed had remembered what Stubby McGillas had said about using dynamite to unplug a drain field. It seems the pressure from the explosion would blow out any clogged up drain field and because the dynamite would be underground no one would hear an explosion, maybe just a ka-thump.

After digging the lid up and removing it, Ed found the tank to be full with a foot or two of heavy crust on top, an obvious reason the drain field wouldn’t drain. Out in his woodshed Ed found he only had one stick of new dynamite, but found an old rusty brittle stick left over from his mining days. Tying them together and inserting a

cap and lighting two feet of fuse he shoved the explosives down to the bottom of his tank and pulled the iron lid shut. Ed walked over and leaned on the fence next to the alley. Somewhere along here is buried a hundred feet of plugged up drain pipe, Ed thought, that’s about to be unplugged.

A rocket streaked across the sky from the baseball field signifying the start of the town’s fireworks display. All eyes watched as the rocket exploded with a golden starburst of pink and green flares followed by a septic tank lid cutting through the glow with its own spray of malty colored fragments settling over the town. The septic tank lid took out a Kenworth load of logs parked over on Fifth Street as it re-entered the city limits. A hundred feet of drain field pipe plowed through two gardens and fertilized as it went, coming to rest against the courthouse steps. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to anyone until they saw the damage the next morning and Ed didn’t show up for coffee at the Mercantile.

“The shit stops here,” the mayor declared as he addressed the city fathers the next morning. “We will clean this mess up and the city of Chipmunk Falls will have its own swimming pool, thinks to Ed Shagnasty.

May his soul rest in peace as his ass is all over town.”

PS. When dynamite becomes old and crystallized its makeup changes and it becomes nitroglycerin. Two drops can blow the hinges off a bank safe. Don’t try this at home.

Boots Reynolds

July 2010| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| Page 27

Scott Clawson

acresnpains@dishmail.net When I was a runt, and even before that, I had very little knowledge of what girls did in the summertime. I was always too busy to notice, being intent on keeping up with my two older brothers who were like my very own ‘previews of coming attractions.’ Whatever they were up to somehow soon enough ended up on my plate. Forewarned is forearmed as the saying goes (not to be confused with getting “forearmed” fer gettin’ too close to the plot line while yer lips were in motion).

I learned by their victories and most indelibly by their mistakes. I learned to avoid the backhand, the welt, the belt, the hangar, the hangover, car wrecks and STDs. In most cases, prudence warns off things like bloodshed and sufferin’, but it also deprives one, if over used, of all those cool memories prudes don’t get that are acquired when near death, dismemberment and/or public humiliation. I went for the blended approach, not too much of this, not too much of that. A little dab’ll do ya through the salad bar of life, as small amounts of scar tissue go a long, long way (title to a song I’m writing).

I never broke a bone (although I did crack a few ribs during my second childhood), or lost more than four square inches of skin at any one time, or got throw’d in jail. Okay, I admit I was real lucky in all those categories. I was also real lucky to be a kid in the 50s and 60s, to be sure.

Back in the day... when you could still enjoy activities of the soul without raising a lot of eyebrows or causing some kind of intervention by one organization or another.

I mean, somehow I can’t see fifteen to thirty grade-schoolers reenacting the battles of Bull Run, Antietam or the Little Bighorn on a nice sunny afternoon these days without a SWAT team being deployed to safeguard the public demeanor. Things have changed.

We never lacked for ways to fill our days. Fun on the run! Burnin’ through summer vacation

like meteors through the atmosphere. Some of the things we used to do that you just don’t see anymore include marbles (my first lesson in profit and loss), rock throwin’, champeenship rock throwin’, tag, tag with rocks, hide and seek, hide and seek with rocks, just plain hidin’, gettin’ dirty, gettin’ someone else dirty researching new and cool ways to offend or startle adults that don’t happen to know yer folks or can otherwise trace your lineage in such a small town, riding bikes, comparing likes, sharing dislikes, swapping lies, mubletypeg, water balloon battles, nothin’, and my favorite by far on a summer day: Work-ups.

My second favorite was messin’ with tourists heads, of which there were many.

Work-ups is baseball without teams, uniforms, umpires, coaches, jeering sections, stress or parents on Prozac and beer. Just kids, mitts, bats, balls and free time!

Without the benefit of cell phones, the word would go out in our little hamlet that a “session” was forming. The first four or five to arrive would start off with some ‘flies up’ until there was enough to man a full diamond and outfield as well as three or four batters.

Kids could fade in and out at will to do chores or take leaks. No scores, no arguments.

Everyone was an umpire so the consensus ruled. Even bad-asses couldn’t get away with anything! We got to experience the whole game, from right field to catcher, learning and growing as we went. Offense and defense in a ‘musical chairs’ sort of way.

If you caught a fly ball, you traded places with the batter. Otherwise, if you struck out or got tagged, you went out to right field and ‘worked’ yer way back ‘up’ again.

If the weather went to crap, as it often did, there was no unfinished business, no inning half over and no score to settle. Just happy kids running for cover (and something to eat).

It didn’t require batteries, computer skills, parental guidance, money or transportation or even lawyers. It burned calories, built character, strong bones and inner strength, forged friendships, taught patience and humility as well as heroism, tenacity and the value of effort.

We learned how to throw, catch, run, hit, spit, pitch and pay attention. How to strike out an older brother and not get a bloody nose.

How to catch a line drive with yer mitt and not your mouth. How to land on an imaginary base and convince everyone else you did, too.

How to sprint, slide, zig, zag or even strut if you got walked or managed to nail one past the outfield line. And how to act like a sport if you didn’t make it back home. Come to think of it, I learned a lot of new and useful cuss words here as well.

One also learned how to approach the plate, hock a respectable loogie, plant yer sneakers, size up the outfield and pitcher and decide where you might want to put his next throw if it comes across the way you like it. How to look cool in right field if it doesn’t and not do much at all until you rotate to center field, then left, where you can easily find plenty of action with the possibility of returning to bat if you catch one before it touches the grass. And especially how each position in the infield is unique in its relationship to the game, giving out lessons in forced outs, double and triple plays, bruises, bunts, stunts and confusion.

How to focus, as catcher, on a 50-mile-perhour white dot coming home from deep center and at the same time gauging the impending doom of a runner 50 pounds your senior and startin’ to shave already who’s drawin’ a bead on yer butt with an outstretched Vibram sole.

How to stand on the mound with ‘presence’ even when you don’t think you belong there and know in your heart that you’d better not blow it. How to not only look your equal in the eye but also some dude in size eleven sneakers and still in the seventh grade and even though the look on his face shows he wants to part your hair with the ball you’re holding, you convince yourself not to walk him. You figure that you only live (and die) once and, therefore, while you are there, you may as well learn how to ‘slide one past’ someone who least expects it.

And when you do, you’ll discover it was worth all the rib jabs, bruised shins, burned calories, dislocated fingers, road rash, sweat and green knees encountered along the way.

Show your “Friendship” this Summer

www.ScotchmanPeaks.org Page 28 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 19 No. 7| July 2010

SUMMER DAY CAMP for 5th & 6th Graders!

Birds, bees, flowers and trees. Meet your native neighbors! Summer day camp hosted by American Heritage Wildlife Foundation and sponsored by The Whittenberger Foundation and The International Osprey Foundation. Snack, lunch and take home crafts. Schedule, program information and waivers all online at ahwf.org or call 208.266.1488. Space is limited, so reserve your place today!

Kinnikinnick

July 26 - 30, 9 am to 3 pm • $100 (just $20 a day!) • Space limited to 20 students

Our biggest BBQ sale ever!

ONE DAY ONLY!

Saturday, July 17 • 9 am to 4 pm

SAVE $100 TO $500

ALSO: select stoves & fireplaces up to 50% off plus deals on Marquis Hot Tubs

Mountain Spa & Stove www.MountainStove.com

208-263-0582 1225 Michigan St., Sandpoint, Idaho Tues-Fri 9 to 5, Sat. 9 to 3 or 4

Pacific Calcium Pacific Calcium organic fertilizer products provide various plant nutrients the soil needs, including the King of Nutrients - Calcium, and it provides them from natural sources.

Granulated Gypsum • Calpril • 9-3-4 Feathermeal • Rock Phosphate and Steamed Bone Meal Fertilizers for the earth, from the earth.

THE

CO-OP

Country Store

125 Tibbetts Lane Ponderay, Idaho 208-263-6820

FeStivaL =PcdaP[[h atSandpOint aUgUSt 5 - 15, 2010

E N J O Y

G R E AT

the

M U S I C …

Music Under the Stars, On the Lake in

SandpOint, idahO…

Thursday, augusT 5

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

sunday, augusT 8

3UPER #OUNTRY

&AMILY #ONCERT

with 4ENNIS 7:30pm • $34.95

with The Spokane Youth Orchestra Gates open 4:30pm • $5.00

Friday, augusT 6

Thursday, augusT 12

saTurday, augusT 14 Starring

…

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Brandi Carlile )AN -C&ERON

CViVa^Z BVXBVhiZg

#ROOKED 3TILL

…

…

sunday, augusT 15

…

with 7:30pm • $34.95

Keb’ Mo’

Starring with special guest

3HARON ,ITTLE

6:30pm • $39.95

…

with 4HE 4URTLE $UHKS 7:30pm • $29.95 Free Microbrew Tasting @ 6pm

350%2 ",5%3 saTurday, augusT 7

with special guests

Friday, augusT 13

Michael franti and spearhead with THE 0IMPS OF *OYTIME

6:30pm • $44.95

…

DANCE CONCERT

'RAND &INALE 2USSIAN -ASTERPIECES featuring the Spokane Symphony Conducted by 'ARY 3HELDON with Special Guest Piano Soloist,

!RCHIE #HEN

7:30pm – $44.95

…

7:30pm • $34.95 Complimentary Wine Tasting @ 4:30pm

…

Info and TIckeTs: Become a fan of The Festival at Sandpoint on facebook today and follow us on twitter too!

or order online visit us at:

888.265.4554

www.festivalatsandpoint.com