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Drought-Tolerant
Plants The Boring Reality of
SB1067
Diverse Group Takes on
ABOLISHIONISTS
JUNE 2015 • FREE
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June June June June June June
6 - Saturday - Tennis block party 8 - Co-ed Softball registration due 13 - 7th Annual Sand Creek Paddlers Challenge 15 - Tennis Lessons start 15 - Swimming registration opens 22 - Skyhawks Sports Academy starts
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June 2015
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 RiverJournalIdaho@gmail.com
STAFF Calm Center of Tranquility Trish Gannon • trishgannon@gmail.com
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“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 2015. 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.
• June 2015 •
On the Cover: Flowering quince is a beautiful landscape addition, and is drought-tolerant. Photo by Reggaeman, via Wikimedia Commons 6. DIVERSE GROUP FORMS TO OPPOSE ABOLITIONISTS. People from both sides of the abortion debate join in opposition to group picketing with graphic abortion photos. Trish Gannon 8. CHILD SUPPORT AND INTERNATIONAL TREATIES What you should know about how these two things come together. 12. SANDPOINT VFW POST REVISITED. Michael Harmelin shares progress made remodeling the Sandpoint VFW Hall 13. VETERANS’ CHOICE & TOXIC REVIEW Gil explains recent changes that allow veterans greater flexibility in health care, and progress in the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses due to toxic agents used in recent wars. VETERANS’ NEWS 14. THE FINAL DEATH OF THE DODO BIRD Jody reports on the dodo hoax, the higgs boson, an Ogopogo sighting and asks for
your input on a potential UFO. SURREALIST RESEARCH BUREAU 15. CLARK FORK’S REPRISE Sandy reports on his annual travels into what was once Nez Perce country. THE SCENIC ROUTE 16. DRYWATER LANDSCAPING Yes, the weather is nice, but now might be a good time to think about plantings that don’t require a lot of water. Nancy gives the rundown. GET GROWING 17. RED-TAILED HAWK There’s all kinds of raptors in this area, but Mike says a bright orange tail makes this one easy to spot. A BIRD IN HAND 18. FALL OF THE EMPIRE Kathy reflects on commonalities between Rome’s fall and America’s decline. KATHY’S FAITH WALK 19. SANDING THE INSIDE Ernie sees similarities in continuing his years-long, log home project, and his years-long project in self improvement. THE HAWK’S NEST 20. GONE FISHIN’ With rhyming meter, Scott bemoans his fishing talent and asks, “what the hell’s a burbot?” ACRES N’ PAINS
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June 2015
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Diverse Group Sets Out to Stop
North Idaho Abolitionists It all started simply enough, when Jenny Baker, a young mother of three, posted a question on Facebook’s Sandpoint Local Forum during May’s Lost in the 50s celebration. “Anyone know if the loonies are out holding signs at the car show this morning? Would like to take my kids but am hesitant.” Seven hours—and 162 comments— later, Citizens for Common Sense had its own Facebook page and, just before we went to print, 239 members determined to respond to “the loonies” —or, as they are officially known, “Abolish Human Abortion North Idaho.” Part of a national coalition, this group of anti-abortionists spreads their message with large, graphic photos of abortions, tends to target young mothers on the street, and in the minds of Citizens for Common Sense, employs harassment, slander, and abusive behavior in order to get their message across. It is those tactics, and not AHA North Idaho’s anti-abortion message, that Citizens for Common Sense is determined to eliminate. It is a diverse group of people, with members representing both liberal and conservative viewpoints and, perhaps more important, representing both support for and opposition against abortion. They are united simply by their feeling that AHA North Idaho goes too far in taking their message to the public, and that such actions should be banned in public areas where children are present. “I don’t mind the message I mind the manner in which they promote their message...” wrote Crystal Bertolucci, and Heather DuMars wrote, “I messaged these people a while ago when I was in high school trying to appeal to them to not use the graphic signs in front of schools and was called a murder supporter, was told that God pretty much hated me, and that I was going to hell, just for asking them to remove those signs so school busses of small children and those mentally handicapped at Page
our school wouldn’t be traumatized.” But it was people who encountered the group with small children in tow who seemed most furious. “One of them yelled at my 6-year-old that her mommy killed babies and was going to burn,” said Amanda Bailey, adding later, “So their children are passing out papers to other children. I just stopped a 7- or 8-year-old from giving my child information on rape abortions. Are you kidding me?” Local conservative radio personality Dan McDonald, who encountered the group while with his three grandchildren, called them the Bonner County version of Westboro Baptist Church, while others called for the community to come together against the displays in the same way it did when the Aryan Nations was openly active in the area, recalling the message that “Sandpoint is Too Great to Hate.” Common Sense member Heidi Christine said, “the KKK had every legal right to fill our streets with hate too. Did our small town say, hey, come on in, let’s have dinner and get you financially rewarded? Hell to the no! We took a stand and forced them out.” The group’s early efforts have focused on identifying local members of the Abolitionist group and picketing them in return. To date, Vern Spencer and Scott Herndon have been identified as members of AHA North Idaho. Spencer operates Vern’s Veggies and More in Cocolalla, and generally man’s a booth at the Sandpoint Farmer’s Market. In a standard, libertarian free-market approach, Citizens for Common Sense has prepared to peacefully picket his booth whenever he shows up to the market. “Remember, no confrontation, no interaction, stay focused on informing the public who and what these folks are and what they are up to,” was McDonald’s instruction to potential picketers. The goal of picketers is not to create uproar or even controversy, but to allow people to know the activities of a person with whom they’re spending
by Trish Gannon
their money. There are no current plans to picket Herdon’s construction business (Scott Herdon Construction), though the group has stated they will if a suitable opportunity presents itself. Of greater concern to the group is the Abolitionists’ participation in Sandpoint’s Fourth of July parade, and a planned national convention of Abolitionists to be held in Sandpoint on June 26—”Christians, Government and Righteous Resistance,” which, according to an event poster, is a “conference on abolitionism and higher law” presented by the International Coalition on Abolitionist Societies. According to the Facebook page for the ICAS, the “tentative” plan is for the conference to be held at the Sandpoint Events Center. On the March for Life Events Finder website, it states that in addition to a major community meeting, “there will be local agitation” at the event, and other communications state there will be “agitation” at the Federal Courthouse in Coeur d’Alene on that Friday. It has been advertised that a “local government official,” Matt Trewhella, will be in attendance, along with Chet Gallager and Rusty Thomas. Herdon also shares on his Facebook page that two of our Idaho representatives will also attend. The conference is described on a number of websites as “a great entry point for local Christians to abolitionism.” Citizens for Common Sense say they are working on plans to respond to any Abolitionist participation in the local Lion’s Club parade, as well as any conference activities. Additional work by the group is underway to determine what limits might legally be placed on the signage carried by the local abolitionists—the graphic photos displayed where young children are fully exposed to their view. The signs clearly fall under the category of freedom of expression, and are protected by the First Amendment right to free speech; the ability to
June 2015
speak freely without government intervention is predicated on the idea that someone will find that speech offensive. Nonetheless, the government has exercised the right to limit speech in certain restricted areas. For example, the right to free speech does not include the right of slander or libel; the right to lie (say, to a court or police officer); the right to threaten; or the right to appropriate “speech” that belongs to others (i.e., violation of copyright). In all those cases, however, there are punishments that can be applied for the speech in question after it occurs; at the heart of the issue of Abolitionist signage is the concept of prior restraint— preventing the speech from occurring to begin with. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a similar case regarding Westboro Baptist Church, where members were picketing at military funerals holding signs reading, for example, “God Hates Fags,” that the speech was protected as it “was at a public place on a matter of public concern,” and “is entitled to ‘special protection’ under the First Amendment. Such speech cannot be restricted simply because it is upsetting or arouses contempt.” (Snyder v. Phelps) But Citizens for Common Sense is looking closely at a ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court in a case specifically involving Abolitionist images. In that case, abolitionist protesters had picketed at the Palm Sunday services of St. John’s in the Wilderness Church, and the church had filed suit against them. Part of the trial court’s ruling prohibited the Abolitionists from “displaying large posters or similar displays depicting gruesome images of mutilated fetuses or dead bodies in a manner reasonably likely to be viewed by children under 12 years of age attending worship services and/or worship-related events at plaintiff church,” a decision which the defendant Abolitionists appealed to Colorado’s supreme court. In their opinion, the Supreme Court in Colorado stated, “we recognize the presence of a compelling governmental interest in protecting children from disturbing images,” and then laid out the limited manner in which the government may impose a prior restraint on speech: when it is “necessary to serve a compelling state interest,” and when the restricting regulation is “narrowly drawn to meet that end.” In preventing the display of the graphic images, the court ruled that both those conditions had been met. Although the Court stated, “Blanket bans on signs with images of aborted fetuses have not survived the narrow tailoring requirement,” in other cases, this particular case managed to meet those requirements because of the limits within the ban; specifically, that “large” posters could not be shown (though small pictures on pamphlets to be handed out would be allowed), and that the ban was limited to a specific place and time where the children might be exposed and traumatized. The ability to carry those signs at other places and times remains in place. This decision was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case. That means the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling holds valid as law. At some point in the future, the group plans to present their concerns to Sandpoint’s City Council (and potential
other city/county councils) in the hope that some similarly limited types of bans might be possible locally. It’s an effort that the Abolitionist group—local, national and even international—would oppose, as for them, the images themselves are the message they want to convey. As they state on their Facebbook page, “The reason abolitionists are active in our communities is because we are trying to get the culture to recognize the humanity of the preborn being slaughtered. We are attempting to awaken the apathetic and get them to act like thousands of children are actually being murdered today. We are attempting to convict the consciences of those who support the slaughter of the innocent.” Herndon’s Facebook page links to a 14-page defense (published by Restoration Press) of the use of graphic images in opposing abortion, relying on historical and biblical precedent for doing so. As to the presence of small children—one of the issues that has Citizens for Common Sense riled up—the pamphlet states “Activists with several years of experience on the street with the signs have noted that the pictures do not adversely affect children as long as the parent remains calm and reasonable,” and adds, “Christians who have exposed their own children to the graphic materials, some nearly from birth, report no ill effects in their children.” It concludes that “The public display of graphic photos of aborted babies is a proven and effective tool.”
Season’s Open
at the Bonner County Fair!
Aug. 11-15 • Sandpoint
• Aug. 12-15 Carnival • Aug 14 Challenge of Champions Tour Bull Riding, 7:30 pm, followed by Devon Wade dance • Aug. 15 Market Animal Livestock Sale, 9 am • Aug. 15 Demolition Derby at 7 pm PLUS: Open class and 4-H exhibits, wildlife exhibit, jugglers, clowns, live music, magic shows, antique tractor display, The Dating Game and more, more, more! Don’t miss the 2015 PRCA RODEO 7 pm Aug 7 & 8
Bonner County Fairgrounds 4203 N. Boyer Rd. Sandpoint • 208.263.8414
June 2015
Page
Senate Bill 1067 the Boring Reality April started out warm and ended up warmer, but if political pundits thought they could collapse like cats into a torpid puddle as the Idaho legislature wound its way down to sine die, they learned differently on 10 April when the House Judiciary and Rules committee tabled what seemed to be an innocuous bill amending existing laws regarding the collection of child support. Although the bill had passed the Senate easily, nine members of the House committee—self-styled upholders of the Constitution and guardians of state sovereignty— objected to the bill, stating that Idaho was being forced to place foreign laws above its own, including that most dreaded of foreign laws, Sharia—a legal system derived from the Islamic religion. While this concern dominated the committee’s discussion and public testimony, the “Group of Nine,” as they became known, later stated they “didn’t have time” to understand the full ramifications of the bill, and insisted they were “not allowed” to make any changes, and had further concerns about data protection as reasons for tabling it. Local Rep. Heather Scott, a vocal part of the Group of Nine, stated on her Facebook page after tabling the bill that doing so was a “victory for Idaho citizens” and that “This is what happens when Idaho citizens elect State Legislators who have the guts to stand up against bribes & bullying by the Federal government and the Department of Health and Welfare.” Others saw the action differently, given that tabling the bill meant
Idaho would lose federal funding that provides a substantial portion of the state’s efforts to collect over $200 million in child support every year. Loss of that funding would also have resulted in a reduction in force of close to 100 of the 160 employees in the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare who work on child support collection, and would have further jeopardized an additional $30 million in Temporary Aid to Needy Families. In addition, Idaho would have lost access to the federal systems that it uses to track down payee parents, establish income withholding, and both track and process child support payments. Effectively, it would have shut down the current operations of the department, which would have then been left with trying to put together an entirely new system of child support collection, along with negotiating numerous interstate and international collection efforts with other territories. Scott and her committee did not address these ramifications when they tabled the bill. Richard Armstrong, director of Idaho’s Department of Health and Welfare, spoke to the concerns of parents who rely on child support to make ends meet: “All of this rhetoric and anxiety doesn’t put groceries on the table. It’s absolutely wrong for the legislature to get in the middle of the household budget when it’s their money, when it’s the household’s money, not the legislature’s money.” Scott’s “victory” was also a concern for Governor Butch Otter, who responded by calling the legislature back to Boise for a special session on 18 May, at a cost to Idaho taxpayers
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of approximately $36,000. Both the House and the Senate held a joint hearing on the bill, with 36 people speaking both to pros and cons regarding its wording. The same committee that voted to table the bill during the regular session then voted 12-5 to send it on to the House with a recommendation to pass it. (Once again, Rep. Scott voted against the bill.) The House approved the bill 49-21 (with District 1 representative Sage Dixon now voting against it); a Senate committee then approved the bill (now called HB-1) and sent it to the Senate for a vote, where it passed 33-2. Governor Otter signed the bill into law at 3:24 pm on 19 May. Rep. Scott again took to Facebook, writing that the process meant “your voice is being limited,” and calling the special session “a top down bully attempt by the federal government and the Idaho establishment...” So what was really going on here with this bill? You might want to grab some caffeine, because it’s not the most enthralling story. Idaho’s legal code can make for boring reading at the best of times, and when the legislature undertakes amendments to it is generally not the best of times. Nonetheless, this process captivated the state, and even the nation, when an update to the rules and regulations governing child support became a cause célèbre for a handful of Idaho representatives. Uniform laws to address the collection of child support across state and national lines have been drafted and amended since 1950, beginning with the Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Act (URESA). URESA eventually became the Uniform Interstate Family Security Act (UIFSA), which has been further amended throughout the years. States adopted these rules voluntarily over time, but in 1996, the U.S. Congress passed welfare reform – the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 – and mandated that states must enact the UIFSA complete with the
June 2015
amendments that were being proposed regarding these family maintenance Other objections to the bill stand on at the time in order to receive federal issues. It first did so in 2011, to include equally shaky ground. In fact, Idaho’s funds to support efforts at enforcing provisions relating to the Idaho DNA office of the attorney general drafted child support orders, as well as Database Act of 1996. Didn’t I warn you a specific, point-by-point response subsidies for Temporary Assistance for this was boring? to those concerns, pointing out that Needy Families (TANF). Idaho, along In 2015 the bill was introduced to the issues raised had already been with every other state, enacted the the Senate on 12 February for proposed addressed, or were invalid on their face. 1998 version of UIFSA, providing for amendments that would bring it up to His rebuttal, however, carried no weight uniform procedures for the collection date with UIFSA, and passed with all with those who continued to oppose the of child support obligations across in favor on 20 March. The bill was sent bill. state lines, and in foreign territories to the House on 23 March where it Both Rep. Scott and North Idaho’s (primarily Canada). Additional was referred to the Judiciary, Rules, & other local Representative for District 1, amendments to UIFSA were then made Administration committee. It was after Sage Dixon, voted against passing the in 2001, and in 2008, though Idaho did three hours of testimony on 10 April, newly named House Bill 001. Senator not update its own regulations to match much of it focusing on Sharia law, that Shawn Keough voted for it. In District those amendments. nine of the 17 legislators voted to hold 7 (which covers portions of southern According to the Uniform Law the bill in committee, effectively killing Bonner County), Representatives Commission, which wrote the UIFSA, passage of the bill in the regular session. Shannon McMillan and Paul Shepherd in 2008 amendments were made in Which brought us to the situation the voted against it, while Senator Sheryl order to bring the federal government state was facing that required Otter to Nuxoll voted for it. into compliance with provisions of the call for a special session. Despite the efforts of the Group Hague Convention on the International Scott’s (and other’s) stated concern of Nine and their associates in the Recovery of Child Support and Other about Idaho being subjected to legislature, Idaho’s ability to collect Forms of Family Maintenance. foreign law comes out of the fact that child support payments on behalf of From 2003 through 2007, over UIFSA requires Idaho to implement the nearly 155,000 families in Idaho 70 countries met in The Hague, the collection of a foreign support who receive them is not currently in Netherlands in order to develop a order—that is, a citizen of Idaho jeopardy. But the fact that it ever was uniform, international agreement who was required under a foreign in jeopardy should be a reminder relating to the collection of family order to pay child support (generally that there are consequences to our maintenance fees. This agreement used because they had parented a child actions, and when it comes to political UIFSA as its basis. The Convention in that foreign country) could not grandstanding, the consequences may was signed for the United States by escape that obligation by moving to be large, and paid by those who can then-Secretary of State Condoleeza (or returning to) Idaho. EXCEPT... least afford it. Rice on 23 November, 2007. It was and this is important... when the state -Trish Gannon this treaty proposal that drove the doesn’t have to make those collections. 2008 amendments to UIFSA, as the Both UIFSA and SB1067 contained amendments included new features to the following language regarding the address the processing of international times when Idaho (and other states) cases. are NOT required to enforce a foreign Because this was not a self-executing support order: when “Recognition treaty, federal legislation was required and enforcement of the order is for treaty implementation, and the U.S. manifestly incompatible with public Congress had to ratify the treaty. In policy, including the failure of the 2010, the U.S. Senate gave its advice issuing tribunal to observe minimum and consent to ratification, and both standards of due process, which the House and Senate approved the include notice and an opportunity to legislation required to implement the be heard...”. (Emphasis mine.) treaty’s provisions. It was signed and We don’t require our representatives Custom Jewelry & Repairs approved by President Obama on 29 to be legal scholars, but it seems hard to September 2014. fathom how Rep. Scott, who stated in a This law required all states to come legislative update on 15 April that “The into compliance with the most recent committee wanted to add language amended version of UIFSA (2008) to protect Idaho from enforcing after the close of the regular legislative objectionable foreign orders,” could fail session in 2015 in order to maintain to understand that this language within their federal funding. the bill specifically protects Idaho from www.SunshineGoldmine.com Meanwhile, back in Idaho... enforcing objectionable orders. What Senate Bill 1067 amends Idaho law language did she want to add—”Ditto”? June 2015 Page
110 S. First Ave. Sandpoint 208.263.6713
• The Way I See It David Keyes • A Year of “Catching the Crab” in the Idaho Legislature Daniel James Brown’s book The Boys in the Boat is one of the best reads I have had in years. I am not alone in thinking so. The tale about the 1936 Olympic rowing team from the University of Washington was recommended to me by Gov. Butch Otter who shared he polished off the 400-page book basically in one sitting last year. Everybody I know is talking about this best-selling book and it is in the national spotlight. In a coincidence, the Idaho Legislature also gathered national attention this session, but not for anything remotely as positive as winning an Olympic Gold Medal. So it isn’t inconceivable Gov. Otter may have had the book’s plot in mind—as well as lofty goals—on Jan. 12 at the start of the 1st Regular Session of the 63rd Idaho Legislature. The book follows Joe Rantz’ hardscrabble life that took him from a mine from north of Bonners Ferry to being abandoned by his so-called family and left at a stump ranch in Sequim, Wash. in high school. He finds his way to the University of Washington with barely enough money or self-esteem to attend. Rowing crew didn’t necessarily come
easy to Joe but in the end, it changed his life. Each of the eight rowers who comprised the crew came from humble backgrounds in an economy wracked from the Dust Bowl and the Depression. What they did have was an elusive magic called flow. Flow is the moment when all the rowers in a 60-foot boat that weighs up to 2,300 pounds work as one and the boat sails along a body of water as if it is being pushed along on the wings of angels. Our citizen legislators also come from varied backgrounds and had the best intentions when they arrived in Boise for the session. Unfortunately, for most of the session, flow was nowhere to be found. More often than not, a crew never finds that flow state and instead any assortment of bad things can happen. The faster the boat goes, the more that can go wrong. It is bad enough when an errant oar skips above the water but it is a disaster for the team when one of the oars goes deep into the water and “catches a crab.” This accidental maneuver can stop a boat cold, killing any momentum or any chance of
crossing the finish line first. The legislators flirted with flow at the end of the session as all 35 senators voted in favor of increasing funding for public education by 7.4 percent as well as promising five years of raises for new teachers and some other goodies like mentoring. Gov. Otter signed this into law. Smooooth. It could also be argued that state leaders also figured out a way to start funding improvements along Idaho’s deteriorating roadways. The $94.1 million bill passed at 1:20 a.m. on the last day of the session. This amount is far short than what was recommended (or needed!!!) but a small increase in the gas tax and registration fees kept farmers, truckers and others from going bonkers while digging in to solve a huge issue. There were a few other highlights during this session but what will be remembered was how the 63rd Idaho Legislature ended up catching more crabs than an entire season of “Deadliest Catch.” Big crab: On March 3, three lawmakers refused to attend the Idaho Senate’s daily invocation after objecting to the offering of a Hindu prayer. Rep. Sens. Steve Vick of Dalton Garden, Sheryl Nuxoll of Cottonwood and Lori
With one cover or the other, this book will be available from Blue Creek Press by mid July, 2015. To order your copy, write to books@bluecreekpress.com Blue Creek Press Page 10
Weigh in on your choice for the cover at the Blue Creek Press Facebook page.
June 2015
Den Hartog of Meridian found their way back into the statehouse after the prayer was over. “Hindu is a false faith with false gods,” Nuxoll said. Biggest crab: With the finish line of the session almost in reach, Rep. Heather Scott and eight others caught the biggest crab of the session. After the Idaho Senate unanimously passed a bill that brought the state into compliance with federal guidelines in order to continue using the federal child support enforcement program, an oar went down... way down. Rep. Scott’s committee decided it couldn’t pass the bill and as a result, the state’s ability to make sure child support is paid almost came to an end in mid-June. The state is part of a national and international network and would be the only state not onboard with this agreement. This move should pretty much lock down the deadbeat dad vote in Rep. Scott’s next election. In March, for example, 2,466 children received child support in Bonner County at the tune of $285,396. Boundary County has 701 children depending on $94,000. This is every month. If there is no enforcement or cooperation with other states and countries, this could dry up. Oh crab: The governor, attorney general and nearly everyone else said they had to fix this – with a special session of the legislature that cost Idaho taxpayers approximately $36,000. It is obvious Rep. Scott and others on the committee who killed SB 1067 were led off the rail during a private meeting with Shaham Hadian, a Muslimturned-Christian pastor. The special session was expensive but had to be done to protect Idaho’s children. When the solons returned to Boise and okayed what Scott’s committee killed, the committees’ actions were seen as nothing more than an expensive political stunt. Rep. Scott, however, held to her stance and once again voted against the bill. At the conclusion of The Boys in the Boat, Joe and his mates overcome some shenanigans by east coast universities as well as gamesmanship by hosts
Nazi Germany to win the gold by the slimmest of margins in front of Adolph Hitler. Unfortunately, our legislators couldn’t get to the finish line without a “do-over” on keeping Idaho children safe—a fundamental job description for legislators, one would hope. The Boys in the Boat is a national bestseller while this year’s session—if it were in book form—would be banished to the free bin at the monthly book sale at the East Bonner County Library, where it would gather dust. Stay tuned… David Keyes is the former publisher of the Bonner County Daily Bee, Bonners Ferry Herald and Priest River Times. He also serves as the vice chairman of the Idaho Lottery. Reach him at davidkeyes09@ gmail.com. Over the years, the River Journal has welcomed many of the area’s finest writers to our pages. That tradition continues with the addition of David Keyes, my longtime friend and colleague, to our list of columnists. Look for David’s view of our always-interesting political scene each month. -Trish Gannon
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June 2015
Page 11
Sandpoint VFW Post Revisited by Michael Harmelin
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Welcome to the new interior of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2453 located at Pine and Division Streets in Sandpoint. The 250-person capacity Hall interior has been painted; we’ve added additional ceiling insulation, conserving energy, bringing the ceiling insulation factor up to R -38. The parking lot will have the cracks filled in and be seal coated May 18th, and we will line-out the parking lot a few days after the seal coating is done. The aforementioned improvements are courtesy of our VFW Post Ladies Auxiliary. Additionally, all the old lights have been replaced with newer, more energy efficient lighting. A very special “Thank You” along with our “Grateful Appreciation” goes out to John Cloud of John Cloud Construction for donating all his time, labor and expertise in re-remodeling our Ladies restroom, making and
DAV Fundraiser My thanks to all who participated in the DAV Van Fundraiser on Memorial Day, the 25th of May. We raised $2390.10 - all of which goes help areas vets. Special thanks go out to Safeway, Super 1 Foods and Yokes Fresh Market for allowing us to be at their front doors for six hours in this worthy cause. At the risk of running out of space I’d like to list the names of all the volunteers. They are Carrie & Dan Logan, Jessica Chilcott, Bob Wynhausen, Vance Adelman, Martin
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Chilcott, Ross Jackman, George Eskridge, J.P. Carver, Laura Bry, Larry Pedersen, Maggie Mjelde, Jim Ramsey, David Broughton, Trish Gannon, Donna Brundage, Wayne & Martha Henderson, Vera Gadman and Randy Quinn. Ross Jackman told me that Martin Chilcott deserved some special recognition so here it is – “Thanks, Martin” My thanks to all of you for “Shaking Your Cans for the DAV.” - Gil Beyer
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installing the arch in the entry to present a brighter, lighter and more open Hall presentation upon entering the building. Along with John Cloud, the following businesses and personnel contributed to this secibd phase of our remodel: Northstar Plumbing – Matt McCoy, Ron MacDonald, Gary Worley; Done Right Drywall – Shane Carnegie, Matt Tillberg; Eagan Flooring – Mike Eagan; Burnett Electric, Inc.(BEI) – Wade Burnett; and Zeke The Painter - James ‘Zeke’ Solsvig. The Hall is available for multiple venues, for example: Private parties (with or without alcohol); Memorial services; organization functions; as a meeting place for various groups; and so much more. To reserve the Hall for your specific use, please contact the VFW Hall at 263-9613 and our “Hall Donation Fee” schedule will be provided to you.
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• Veterans’ News Gil Beyer ETC, USN Ret. • Veterans’ Choice and Toxic Review Boy, go away for a couple of months responsibility for the damage caused to calendar for this summer. All veterans and their families are encouraged to and you end up with a lot of ‘catch up’ military personnel by toxic chemicals participate in these events. stuff to do. Over the past two months and materials during the wars in Viet • Veterans Annual Yard Sale August I’ve spent some time going through old Nam, Iraq and Afghanistan. The VVA 1st at the Sandpoint VFW Hall. Contact reports, bulletins and emails trying to has long sought action on this overdue Mike & Ann Rhoads if you have items glean some gems of information I think front. to donate. Funds go to assist Veterans will be of use to area veterans. What Veterans all over have suffered in Need. follows is the result of that culling and and died from unexplained illnesses • Career and Resource Fair – winnowing. that have long been suspected to be presented by Inland Northwest Hiring Much of the information that the result of exposure to everything Heroes – 27 August 2015 – Spokane appears here I’ve found in bulletins from Agent Orange in and offshore County Fair & Expo Center, 404 N. that come from the national veterans Vietnam to chemical agents in the Havana, Spokane, WA service organizations like the VFW, ‘burn pits’ of the Middle East. These • Honor Flight Breakfast Fundraiser DAV and American Legion. This illnesses are not only afflicting our September 12th at VFW Hall. Contact info may not be easily accessible to servicemen and women but their is George Eskridge 265-0123 veterans—or their families—that do children and grandchildren. National • 8th Annual Elks Patriotic Golf not belong to any of these invaluable Vietnam Veterans of America President Scramble on September 20th. If you associations. John Rowan said, “This legislation, would like to be a hole sponsor please One of the biggest and most recent when enacted, will establish within contact local Veterans organizations. announcements concerns the Veterans the Department of Veterans Affairs a • Veteran Stand Downs supported Choice Program. In April the VA made national center for the diagnosis and by Spokane VAMC and the Spokane the decision that one of the major treatment of health conditions of the Veterans Center 2015 – Various dates determinants in the authorization of descendants of veterans exposed to and locations – more info forthcoming. using outside providers will no longer toxic substances during their service.” As always, my thanks and the thanks be an “as the crow flies” 40-mile radius Hundreds of veterans have died of area veterans to Yokes, Super 1 of a VA facility. It will now be “as the or had their quality of life severely crow drives.” The best quote I found degraded due to their exposure. These Foods and Safeway for allowing our veterans to “shake the can” and gather to explain this major difference is from veterans and even their children have donations for our local, Disabled the VFW’s National Commander. He been affected by their service and it American Veterans. This year’s said, “The north rim of the Grand is mandatory for their government volunteers (see our thank you on the Canyon is roughly 10 miles away from to finally step up and do the ‘Right facing page) once again gave their time the south rim—well within the 40Thing’ for the less than one percent in support of those who mile radius rule bubble—but it is 200 of Americans that enable the other 99 supported us all. All monies miles away “as the crow drives.” This percent to live the way they do. raised are spent locally for change, that was effective immediately, Moving on to local events, here’s local vets. has a large impact on veterans living in a list that should be on everyone’s rural areas. There are nearly 300,000 veterans nationwide affected by this change who should soon receive a letter informing them that they are now eligible. If you believe you are Affordable & Accessible Health Care eligible and have not yet received Primary health care for both adults & children, preventative health a Choice Card in the mail, you can care and education, STD screening, women’s health, sports physicals, contact 1-866-606-8198 for more vaccinations, X-Rays, Stress-reduction classes, prescription assistance, Medicaid information. Next up is a bill that was recently pediatric and adult dental emergencies. Sliding scale for those with no insurance. introduced in both houses of Congress Saturday Clinics and Walk-In Appointments available. by Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Dick Blumenthal (D-CT), and Bonners Ferry Clinic Priest River Clinic Ponderay Clinic Veterans Clinic Representatives Dan Benishek (R6615 Comanche St. 6509 Hwy 2 Ste 101 30410 Hwy 200 30410 Hwy 200 MI) and Mike Honda (D-CA) with the 208-263-7101 208-448-2321 Ponderay daunting title of “New Toxic Research 208-267-1718 Act of 2015.” The gist and purpose Dental: 255-3459 208-263-0450 Dental: 267-3201 of this bill is to recognize and accept June 2015 Page 13
Kaniksu Health Services
• Surrealist Research Bureau
Jody Forest •
The Final Death of the Dodo Bird In the April TRJ I relayed the the water!” Because they were in shock
exciting (to me anyway) news that a wildlife sanctuary trail cam video from Costa Rica had apparently captured on film a supposedly extinct-for-300-years Dodo bird cavorting through the rain forests. Though I did mention a few caveats (such as how the flightless Dodo managed to travel from the island of Mauritius to Costa Rica), I’m sad to relate the trailcam video has been exposed as a clever CGI hoax released by a conservation group (who shall remain nameless here) to help publicize the near extinction of other rare and endangered species. As distasteful as the video now appears to me, I must admit it was really masterfully done. To see it yourself check out www. cryptomundo.com. In the Homer-Simpson-as-the-newEinstein category, in the 1998 episode “The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace,” of the Simpsons, Homer wrote an offthe-wall calculation on the blackboard giving an equation of the mass of the then-hypothetical Higgs Boson, which turned out to be only a tiny bit larger than the nano-mass of what a Higgs Boson actually turned out to be. A really weird coincidence! In Ogopogo news, two women boating on B.C.’s Lake Okanagan recently had a memorable sighting of a 50-foot-long snake, two feet around with three humps trailing behind it. “It does exist, I saw it with my own eyes and now I believe,” said Susan St. Cyr Cowley. Her boating partner, Marie Letourneau, had never heard of the beast before and had just arrived in town from Quebec. She yelled out, “Susie, Susie, there’s a great snake in
and afraid, they forgot to take a picture before the animal sank beneath the surface once more. Finally, in the found pictures category, I should mention my brother
Clay, a shyster lawyer I only halfjokingly refer to as working for the law firm of Dewey, Cheatem and Howe, who recently vacationed in Ireland. While taking a series of photographs of famous ancient churches in Dublin, he found on his return home that near the dome of one such cathedral there was a strange object in the sky. Neither Clay nor his companions had noticed it while they were there, but after magnifying the image later it became obvious it wasn’t a bird, kite, drone,
wind-blown debris or far off aircraft. Further, look closely in the photo above (aided by our helpful arrow) and you should be able to make out what appears to be a double vapor trail streaming behind the object. You can
check out the original picture on the River Journal’s Facebook page. So, with the vermouth-lipped duck of Doubt slowly roasting in my oven of Truth, I bid you adieu. Keep spreading the word: Soylent Green is People! All Homage to Xena. Photo above by Clay Presley, who is decidedly NOT a shyster, though he is a lawyer. (Clay: it really wouldn’t be fair to sue me for what Jody says.)
Bonner County History Museum Open Tues.-Fri. 10 am to 4 pm • 1st Saturday of each month 10-2 FREE
611 S. Ella in Sandpoint next to Lakeview Park
208.263.2344 • BonnerCountyHistory.org
Page 14
June 2015
• The Scenic Route
Clark Fork’s Reprise
Niece and I spent a night last month in one of my favorite places on the planet, the Clark’s Fork of the Yellowstone canyon, where the other river named for William Clark egresses the Absaroka batholith, makes a feint to the south, scribes a big arc to the north and runs off to join the Yellowstone River at Laurel. Here, in 1877, the non-treaty Nez Perce bands defied logic and topography, fooled the US Army once more and escaped again in their attempt to just be allowed to be Nez Perce. The lower Clark’s Fork Canyon is just one small part of the Nez Perce journey to their surrender at the edge of the Bear Paw Mountains 300 miles to the north. From where the Nez Perce dropped into the canyon from the top of Dead Indian Hill to where they turned north out of the canyon and began toward Laurel, is one percent of the distance they traveled from the Wallowa Valley in northeastern Oregon to the Bear Paws. But, it is a spectacular one percent. Standing half that distance up the canyon from our camp, I imagine them riding and sliding down the precipitous crack in the canyon wall they used to
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Sandy Compton •
get to the river. I visualize a cavalcade of 750 men, women and children — with 1,500 horses and what is left of their worldly goods — picking their way through the boulder-strewn canyon floor; splashing across the late-summer river. I wonder if they could see it as I do, beautiful beyond words — though I try — fearsomely rugged and of such a rare nature as to be precious in itself. Here’s the try. Rock of every color, but muted by age, stacked every which way in piles reaching thousands of feet toward the sky encase the space of the canyon in insurmountable walls about a mile apart at its widest. The walls are connected by a parabola of alluvia ranging in size and color from fine black sand to red, cubic boulders as big as a small house. In the center of this arc built of 120 centuries of accumulated detritus meanders the river, murkier than I have ever seen it on this trip. It carries a load of silt from somewhere upstream, and I suspect the Cooke City vicinity was where it was loosened. Between here and there are not many places with enough soil to stain the river chocolate brown, for the route of the Clark’s Fork is most often through solid rock or something freshly derived from such. Griz tracks populate the sandy edges of the stream. Mountain goats and big horn sheep leap up and down the canyon walls. Rattlesnakes leave winding
impressions in the dust of the trail and my imagination. The river changes mood several times between where the Nez Perce came to the canyon bottom and its exit from the canyon into the miles-wide, flat lower valley. At the upstream end, it runs swift and quiet, 40 yards wide, 3 feet deep. The slope is such that it hurries without running. It then makes a big left turn and slows, spreads into an expansive, braided collection of gravel banks laced with dozens of varieties of granite and the occasional agate as big as a fist and channels five to 100 yards wide. It drops many of the fines it’s been carrying, and scours new passages for itself with each passing year. Brave cottonwoods attempt to get a footing over the years, but not many survive more than a couple of decades before the river betrays them and takes their water away. Bored and aimless after this respite, the stream takes a direct interest in getting out of the canyon and jumps into a slot, boiling mad, it seems, rumbling over rocks, growling and roaring. The sound fills the canyon, echoes off the walls, creates a wall of white noise which will lull us to sleep — and cover the sound that any critter, slithering or lumbering, might make as it approaches the tent. I don’t mention this to Niece, but I do make sure every bit of anything a bear of any sort might be interested in is secured in the car. As the sun lowers, the angle of light makes the place even more lovely, if possible, and I find myself thinking again of the Nez Perce. For the crime of wishing to stay in a homeland they had occupied for centuries, to live as they had lived for all of their communal history, to mind their own business and try to tolerate the new neighbors as best as they could, they were forced into an exile they never returned from. This place was witness to a tiny part of their travail. And that makes it more precious still. And, I know I will come back again. Many of Sandy Compton’s explorations of the Nez Perce Trail are chronicled in Side Trips From Cowboy. Visit sidetripsfromcowboy.com to read an excerpt.
June 2015
Page 15
• Get Growing Nancy Hastings • Gardening Without Water
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As we enter our real summer, following a mild winter and dry, warm spring, you might well be looking around your property wondering whether you’re going to be able to keep everything watered—and alive—in your landscape. NOAA’s 3-month forecast says to expect a warmer than normal summer this year which creates higher water needs for plants. With extremely low snow pack this winter, streams and rivers and well water reservoirs we may rely on are already low. It sounds like the perfect year to try out some drought-tolerant plants in your yard. Let me emphasize that we’re not talking fruits and vegetables here. Edible plants need plenty of water to flower and set fruit, so your best preparation for potential low-water situations is drip irrigation (soaker hoses) applied to the base of plants as to not waste water and mulch, mulch, mulch! You can reduce your water usage by 30 percent with 3 inches of mulch around plants. When it comes to decorative plants, however, and even a green “lawn,” there are plenty of options available in our area that are light on water requirements and, as an added bonus, provide flowers for pollinators and are deer-resistant as well. In the ‘lawn’ category, if you’re not hosting the neighborhood little league for games on your grass, replace the grass with less thirsty perennial alternatives that are beautiful and need NO MOWING! Creeping thymes, sedums, Irish moss, herniaria, lysmachia, mazus, ajuga and cerastium are all creeping groundcovers to use as flowering lawn alternatives. Planting is
generally done from established plants (though it can be planted from seed), planted 8 to 12 inches apart and, in the beginning at least, keep it moist. All plants need a chance to get established. If you must have a lawn, seed drought resistant varieties of grass seed with a high percentage of red and hard fescue instead of Kentucky Bluegrass. The great thing about Quince, Spirea and Potentilla shrubs are after coaxing them through the first transplant season, they seldom need additional water. They also come in so many great colors of flowers for everyone’s palette like the new Double Orange Storm Quince. Oaks, Ash, Linden, Gingko, Horse Chestnut and both the gold and purple Locust are all great shade trees that are also drought tolerant once established. Plant as early in spring/summer as possible and when you water try to make it a deep soaking water once a week instead of a couple gallons 2-3 times a week. Consider the new 20 gallon watering sacks by DeWitt used by city parks across the country where no irrigation is available. These wrap around the trunk and take just 5 minutes to setup, fill and then slowly drip the 20 gallons of water right where you need it... not around the thirsty grass that sucks up all your sprinkler water. If you are looking for some understory perennials start with monarda, rudebeckia, phlox, poppies, artemisias and achillea...all available in many colors of the rainbow! These are just a few of the plants that can beautify your home without requiring a lot of water. There are plenty more, so get growing!
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June 2015
• A Bird in Hand
Michael Turnlund •
Red-Tailed Hawk:
The easiest hawk to identify... maybe
In most latitudes they are year-round residents, though the more northern birds might come south for the winter. In spite of the red-colored tail (I mean, orange), this big hawk is not always easy to identify. First, there are many subspecies (12 to 16, depending on the authority), which reflects the diversity of this adaptable predator. But as with other large raptors, there is a lengthy juvenile period. This means that the bird in sight, though full-sized, will not sport the coloration of a mature adult. This might take three years to develop. Until then, these young birds can be rather nondescript, their coloration being a molted pattern of browns, buffs, and whites. And possibly even some tail stripes. Even the adults can be highly variable, ranging from being very light in color to almost chocolate brown. You really need to get a good guide, e.g. Sibley’s, in order to wade through the options. So there you go, now you’re on your way to becoming an expert! Just remember, all hawks with red tails are probably red-tailed hawks and that not all red-tailed hawks have red tails. Happy birding!
Our area is rich in raptors; that is, for size. birds of prey. Raptors are the lions of And as is common with raptors, the bird world and come in all different the female is significantly larger shapes and sizes—all specialists for than the male, often by 25 percent exploiting some particular or more. As hawks are at the top of niche. Birds of prey are also the food chain in their respective some of the most satisfying pyramids, a single hawk needs a lot of birds to add to your life territory from which to support itself. list, as they are frequently Imagine what two hawks keeping a the most spectacular to common nest must need in territory. observe and identify. They In order to minimize competition are often strikingly arrayed between the male and the female in coloration and are all while they cohabit the same athletic on the wing. And hunting grounds, mother they got talons... oh man, nature adjusted their sizes. those talons! I mean, what’s The birds are not to love about a feathered monogamous killing machine? and mate for life. Our list of area raptors includes If you’ve ever a handful of falcons, a pair of eagles, an seen a large, soaring bird with a bright, outlier (the osprey), a single harrier, a orange-colored tail, you’ve probably plethora of owls, and lastly, two distinct seen a red-tailed hawk. Yes, the tail groups of hawks. And don’t forget a is actually orange, in varying shades. representative species of vulture, if But “orange-tailed hawk” just doesn’t you are inclined to include them in roll off the tongue, so the color red Have a question to ask or a our list. As for the hawks, there are was substituted in the naming of comment to share? You can write two sub-families: accipiters and buteos. the bird. I’m sure that is the reason. me at mturnlund@gmail.com. I also Accipiters tend to be more lithe and Undoubtedly. have a website where I post pictures sporting whereas the buteos are, well, And that is where you’ll see most of birds that I’ve captured with my a bit more robust. But both groups get red-tails—soaring in lazy circles over digital camera. You can find them at the job done; they just do it in different a field or other open area. Their main birdsidaho.blogspot.com. styles. prey is rabbits and rodents. But, like Of interest to us for this month’s the opportunists and non-specialists column is what is probably the most that they are, they’ll take just about common hawk of them all: the redanything living and breathing that tailed hawk. But don’t think that comes their way: birds, reptiles, skunks, common means boring, because this maybe even a stray cat. Traditionally, bird packs it all: good looks, a sleek these birds were called chicken hawks, carriage, pretty plumage, and talons. though taking a chicken was probably Can’t be a hawk without talons, and the atypical. bigger the bird, the bigger the claws. But by being generalists, red-tails It’s a law of nature, I suppose. have ensured that they can exploit The red-tailed hawk will be about almost any terrain at almost any the biggest hawk you’ll ever see, and latitude. That is why these birds are subsequently one of the biggest birds in so common. The only place you’re the air. Yes, there is one bigger hawk— unlikely to find them is in the Arctic, in the Ferruginous—but the differences deserts, or in deep forests. Anywhere in size are slight and impossible to else, there they’ll be. They are most determine in the field. So be content. often spotted sitting at the top of a 216 N. First The red-tailed hawk is towards the top power pole or fence post; or soaring end when it comes to hawks specifically. above, riding the warm afternoon Among raptors in our area only eagles thermals. They range across North 208.265.8996 (or turkey vultures) are going to beat it America, from Alaska to the Caribbean. June 2015 Page 17
Sandpoint
• Kathy’s Faith Walk
Kathy Osborne •
Fall of the Empire
manifestations is to invite accusations of “bigot,” “intolerant,” “unloving,” “close-minded,” and “standing in the way of sociospiritual progress.” Left unchanged and absent a voice of Godly truth the bigots and the intolerant must be removed so the rest of humanity can transcend, or at the very least not have to ponder a God to whom all must answer. Now that really is an inconvenient truth. And we as a culture are moving violently toward it. So my Faith Walk… my faith walk has been whittled down to a single, narrow, rocky path. This is where I put up or shut up. This is where I tighten my grip on the commitment to follow Christ no matter what the cost, be that losing the respect of friends and family, or losing my head. This is where I embed in my heart that the Bible, the Living Word of God is my guide. That Christ has the words of life and none other will receive my worship… words to die by probably. The world is changing and truth will not be tolerated much longer. Specifically, Jesus said He Himself (is) Truth. (John 14:6) Jesus loves all of us and extends the invitation to follow Him; to accept His payment for your and my sin; to mimic His behavior; to become like Him; to tell the truth about everything that matters. I have already decided. You get to decide too. No matter how it plays out, tears may last for the night but if our souls are safe in the arms of God, joy comes in the morning.
I have been attempting to be a but it lacked the finances to support disciple of Jesus for a very long time. growth or to protect the outlying lands Some days are better than others and it had conquered. The economy was in none of them have been perfect. It’s decline due to numerous factors. The a good thing He knows that about me empire had spread too large, spent too ahead of time. It is getting harder to much, taxed too heavily, played too serve Christ in this my homeland as the much, and attacks from outside began days go by. Although no radical way of to take a toll on the weakened entity. thinking is ever really, truly new, it has The Roman Empire had been been disheartening to see the trends of largely accepting of the local deities thought move steadily away from the of conquered people, understanding rule of law and the laws of Yahweh, my that this helped keep the fabric of God. Everything He set in motion was the merged cultures stable. But this for the good of the human race. But changed as Rome began to come it continually chooses the lesser path apart. New leaders felt that changing of existence. It’s like a homeless man to a single religion would stabilize getting excited about a piece of pizza in the failing culture. All anyone had to a dumpster when a banquet has been do was regard Caesar as God and go set before him. along with the state religion. To reject As we move through history as this new faith was basically treason. a republic-based culture the trends It was easy: worship the Emperor or toward our own demise are enough die. Naturally, Christ Followers had to make anyone queasy. Based on a problem with this and the first and historical evidence I wonder why second centuries found quite a few of anyone would believe the United them ending their lives in the Circus States is headed down a good road. Maximus or on crosses lining the Back in college I remember asking main roads. The empire of tolerance my history professor just exactly why had itself become intolerant… toward Rome fell. After he got done laughing Christ Followers in particular. History and scoffing at my “too large” question has a funny way of repeating itself. he proceeded to tell me that for all The thing about Rome or even intents and purposes “it rotted” from the Greek culture is that strength the inside out. Although this was not and wisdom were valued as long as an adequate answer, it was largely true. the human being was the focus. That The United States is following the very appears to be true in this culture as same path… eerily the same. well at first glance. Yet the continued Rome had been a spectacular degradation of the family unit, the empire. Strong in battle and huge in likewise willingness to discard infants, expanse the western portion of the the lack of respect for women and empire encircled the Mediterranean children be usedsuch primarily as sexual increase(to nutrients, as nitrogen and Council website at tristatecouncil.org. Sea. The rule of law brought stability objects) as well as the love of money everywhere it conquered but there and power tell thepilot real project truth. No This septic is one being eventually came a time when the minds if I aminstrong orcomply wise aswith longwater as introduced order to Gas • Convenience Store conquered began to push back. Rome I quality credit myself withas thedetermined achievement, standards by the Unofficial Historical Society had relied on cheap or slave labor not the God whoWater created If I Federal Clean Act.me. Designated to pulled from conquered lands as well credit God for quality, helpingthe meplan, be wiser or as protect water known as tribute to build the empire. But the stronger it means I believe there a “Totalthen Maximum Daily Load” for Lake Oil Changes costs of constant wars, the flight of the isPend something beyond myself, something Oreille, addresses nutrient issues Tire Rotation people from high taxation, and the greater than myself that transcends by appointment dwindling military began the erosion my human capabilities.many This culture In addition, lakeshore process. Basically, the Roman Empire cannot abide such a concept.inMan must homeowners participated a survey was an illusion by the end of early first beinthe center and his transcendence 2007 concerning a variety of water century. Roman citizenship had been toquality a godlike planeAs theisnext frontier. issues. turns out, their 208-266-1338 offered to anyone born into the empire In fact, to reject humanism in all its The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol 17 No. 18 | November 2008 | Page 5 Page 18 June 2015
Hay’s Chevron
• The Hawk’s Nest
Ernie Hawks •
Sanding the Inside
Spring-cleaning time is here. The people who know me will be surprised – shocked! – that I know those words, or what they mean. But this year I am getting into it in a big way. After years of living with rough logs on our log home, we finally had the outside blasted and refinished last summer. This summer, after watching the pros, we decided we could do the inside ourselves. So we have begun sanding the interior log walls of our home. Over 90 percent of the work is the preparation. We had to purchase the tools to do the work, including massive amounts of sandpaper. To aid our work my wife and I both have face shields, and masks to stop most of the dust before it becomes part of our eyes or lungs. We started with the bathroom because it’s the smallest room and we thought we could close it off and prevent most of the dust from escaping into the rest of the house. Have you ever tried to mask off a room? We moved all of the furniture out of the bathroom and covered what we could to keep at least some of the dust off. The floor collected about 2 inches of rust-colored dust from about 2 hours of sanding. We were covered in dust and when we opened the door, found that the rest of the house was wearing a fine covering of dust. Spring-cleaning is not always as simple as “they” tell you! While dressed up in my “outer space” outfit and manhandling a disc sander on the logs my mind wandered to the metaphysical meaning of sanding down the inside. The outside, the place most others see, is done and looks good; now it is time to work on the inside, the place
where we spend most of our time but few others ever see. Of course there will be a big mess; in fact as we get further into the project we will have to move out for a while. As I take off the rough dark outside, the inner beauty of the wood is revealed. It is much the same as when we start working on our own inner self, cleaning and polishing by removing those pockets of dramas and traumas that keep us stuck and unable to be present. Often times the outside, the part we show the world, can be cleaned without much inner turmoil or mess. Maybe even a new haircut would do. Identifying what needs to be sanded off from the inside nearly always brings up memories or perceptions that we may not even know are still there, but are influencing out current behaviors, and not allowing our inner beauty and abilities to shine. The forces and energies of nature
had colored the outside of the logs. The energies of the residents have and will influence the vitality of the internal structure both of our home and of ourselves. All of the preparation is time spent revealing that inner beauty which is already there but covered with age. For me it seems to be the same as I work to sand off those feelings of anger, inadequacy, and inferiority. Often, when we see them as they are, they become just like the piles of dust on the floor, something to sweep up, then allow the logs, our inner self, to shine. Just as I will no longer be able to say “those logs have been unattractive since we bought the house,” or “It is hard to keep the walls clean and looking good because of their condition,” I am no longer a victim of circumstances that happened in the past as I choose to let go of them. We are not finished and there will be a big mess as we move into the more open areas of the house, which is why we will move out. One thing about sanding the logs of our home is the job will end and be finished. Though we are not naive enough to think that we won’t ever have to dust again. The cleaning we do with our inner selves is a process and will continue long after the logs are smooth and shiny. Ernie Hawks is the author of “Every Day is a High Holy Day: Stories of an Adventuring Spirit” available at your favorite bookstore, Amazon.com, or on Kindle. ernestmhawks@gmail.com
DiLuna’s presents
Hilary Scott
Indie-Americana singer/ songwriter
Tickets $10/$12 at door 220 Cedar St. Sandpoint 208.263.0846
Friday, June 12
Doors 5:30/Concert 7:30
June 2015
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Making • Acres n’ Pains a New Gone Friend is Here I sit, all weak and tired Of these rules, my mind is mired If I die before I take Easy
Fishin’
Scott Clawson •
Even one damn fish, my meal to make Then bury me here beside this lake
So I wrote this little ditty The first thing I caught was on page 13 A warning ‘bout something I’d never even seen “NO BURBOT ALLOWED”, it solemnly vowed Without image for me to glean
And pray to God my soul to slake For all I want is to catch a fish That is all, my singular wish To cook it here o’er an open fire
So I turned to my phone for a different “net” In hopes of getting some fishin’ in yet But the signal was lax, not to mention the facts Gettin’ outa bed, I was startin’ to regret
While I gaze upon sweet nature’s attire I’m never one for being wasteful Or doin’ stuff considered distasteful I simply want to catch a fish
I should have studied this back on the farm Where it would have caused a lot less harm Could’ve taken my time with a wedge of lime Which normally works like a charm “NO Harvest of Cutthroat” covers this hole I patiently read by my fishin’ pole But will a hybrid cross cause me a loss?
And have it on my dinner dish But what I got along with my tag Was a manual thicker’n a Hollywood rag A booklet so big I thought I might gag
Through these rules, I still had to troll In pursuit of avoiding an expensive infraction Before even thinkin’ of settin’ my drag The pictures are nice, some are quite pretty I sat there in study of this little distraction But I can’t help thinkin’ it’s some kind of pity Deliriously missin’ some serious fishin’ My mood shutting down in reaction For what it’s done to my mood ain’t fun Then I noticed my wife’s dripping line No hang-ups at all, just doin’ fine Perched on the rocks, no frets, shoes or socks Her cares drifting downstream without mine “What the Hell’s a Burbot?!” I yelled at my honey She just smiled and thought I was bein’ funny After forty-three years of blood, sweat and tears Her love still makes my nose runny
Your eyes may change with time but your lifestyle doesn't have to.
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I wish it weren’t such a pain in the butt To tell just what the hell’s what from what All’s I want is one nice catch Not a heap, a horde or even a batch I’m not bein’ picky, a bass or a trout But to put it back would force me to pout A “too little” Largemouth would send me a reelin’ At this stage of the game, I know I’d be feelin’ Like burning this book, removing the hook, Get out some spuds and start peelin’ But a conscience is a terrible thing to waste In order to have “just a little taste” Of a “Bull” or a “Cut” or a Burbot in rut On account of my humanly haste
Offices conveniently located in the Vision Center at Ponderay WalMart
June 2015
It isn’t as simple as throwing a hook If everyone out there kept what they took Be fewer to spawn until they were gone No traces ‘cept those in a book Fishing’s a lot like salve for our souls Whether out on a lake or a few favorite holes By catching sunrises or sunset surprises While casting from the ends of our poles The tranquility alone in itself is a lot But working a riffle just hits the spot To clear the mind and let it unwind Water being the solvent of thought FISH ON!
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Page 21
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Custom design and repairs by Karl and Jason June birthstones are Alexandrite, Pearl, and Moonstone. All are on sale now along with Dads and Grads specials throughout the store Sayers Jewelers, inside the Bonner Mall in Ponderay Open 7 Days a week
208.263.0110 All Seasons Garden & Floral
31831 Hwy 200 Sandpoint Open Daily Monday-Saturday 9 to 6 Sunday 10 to 4 208.265.2944
Father’s Day Tree Sale! Valid June 10-June 24
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CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS VS. BULL RIDING
Saturday, June 20 • 7:30 pm Gates open at 6:30 - Al Parsons, announcer
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