THE ACREAGE EXPERT

Make sure your Realtor fits your needs.When it comes to acreage chooseTHE ACREAGE EXPERT.MICHAEL WHITE Realtor®B.S. Forest Resources and Ecosystem Management

Experienced in timber values, forest health,soils, wetlands, pasture management,road layout and more.

208.290.8599www.NorthIdahoLandMan.commdwhite@coldwellbanker.comGET MORE knowledge, skills & service

Resort Realty

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE PAIDTROUT CREEK, MT

PERMIT #1

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Unless you’re an

internationally renown cowboy artist and an internationally

renown mule artist, that is. Here’s Boots Reynolds and Bonnie

Shields, showing their hometown ‘roots’ at the Cowboy Christmas

art show in Vegas, where the pair was “roasted” by Leanin’ Tree

Because there’s more to life than bad news

A Newspaper Worth Wading Through

Women’s Circle Pays it Forward

by Cassandra Cridland

HOTSHOT! Old man winter’s giving up the ghost and springtime fog is moving in. Betsy Canfield got this shot up near Elmira. Got your own great pics to send in for our front page? See page 2 on how to be a River Journal Hotshot.

Inside this Issue:

Land: mapping out your estate management p. 2 HUMOR: Come and get it and Jinx talks about how to have fun p. 4 & 5EDITORIAL: Trish is a chimney-hugger, Marianne visits with Helen Newton and Lou wants campers to clean up their act p. 6-8SPORTS: Football season over, it’s time to Play Ball! p. 3FAITH: We are what we speak p. 9EDUCATION: More on the supplemental levy p. 16OUTDOORS: The secrets of snowpack and harvesting trout p. 10 & 11Community: Relay for Life Kick-off and why 9-11 is still a mystery p. 12

Continued on page 9

With a total population of 530 people in the last census, an average of 241 households, the

turnout of 80 people at a Clark Fork city workshop on zoning regulations might have come as a surprise to city council members. But with a plan to increase zoning regulations from nine pages to 75, including items like time lines for when residents must remove Christmas lights, and color-coordination of homes and outbuildings, only the most politically naive would have been unprepared for such a turnout.

And what a turnout it was. A room full of regular citizens upset and dismayed over regulations they viewed as unrealistic, unenforceable, and most of all unnecessary, versus a city council who wants to guide their

community into the new century while guarding against the pitfalls of the old that allowed the creation of unbuildable and unsafe pieces of property, and left Clark Fork, in many areas, looking less than attractive.

“We found out about this (the new ordinances) when we wanted to survey our place,” said Clark Fork resident Gail Brashear. “What they’re trying to do to us is not right.”

Brashear began calling friends and neighbors to let them know what was going on, and to encourage their attendance at the next council meeting. “We had about 20 people show up and the council tabled the new ordinance. We posted fliers all over town before the next meeting, and had over 80 people show up to talk about their concerns.”

That meeting was heated, with suggestions made that council members and ordinance advisor Dave Reynolds “go back where you came from.”

“These ordinances simply do not reflect what the people of Clark Fork

Continued on page 17

Clark Fork Looking to be Next Sun Valley?

700 Percent Increase in Zoning Regulations Generates Controversy

by Trish Gannon

A Q&A with Helen NewtonSee page 7

28 Feb. - 14 Mar. 2007 • Vol. 15 No. 04 • Clark Fork/Pend Oreille River Valley

Who can resist a challenge? Certainly not the Women’s Circle in Sandpoint, who met

one week in December, and watched the Oprah Winfrey Show on TV. Oprah informed her studio audience that she was issuing them a challenge to pay-it-forward. She gave them each a $1,000 credit card and told them it couldn’t be spent on themselves or their family, but must be used to help a stranger. She asked them to film or photograph their deeds and get back to her in a week. Over 300 people spilled out of her studio, their minds racing with the possibilities. What could they do with $1,000? Who could they help?

By the end of the week stories came pouring in on how these people found ways to help others. They

Community Responds to

Zoning Changes by Jinx Beshears

Continued on page 20

The small community of Clark Fork, nestled in its comfortable valley, holds a

certain charm that draws people to it, but the thick scent of change is in the air for Clark Fork residents.

Clark Fork is a place where a person’s smile and wave still matter, a place where a handshake and a person’s word are still honorable. Clark Fork is a place where you can still reach out to people and where those same people band together in a crisis. The people are finding out now about a crisis they weren’t aware existed.

Clark Fork’s city council has proposed a 75-page zoning ordinance (Ordinance 248) that would replace the nine-page ordinance that is in effect at this time. It would seem that a majority of Clark Fork citizens are not happy about the proposal, and even less happy at not being informed of it in a way they deem proper.

Page 2 | The River Journal | 28 February 2007

<?xml version=”1.0” encoding=”UTF-8” standalone=”yes”?><Root></Root>The “Estate” in

Real Estate by Michael White

DOWN1. Real estate association or dreaded disease2. Cedars at Ross Creek3. First Sandpoint radio station5. Governs ID high school sports8. Lake in Clark Fork11 Huckleberries make great...13 David Thompson sidekickACROSS4. Racy Angels fundraiser6. Sanders County weekly7. Priest River mascot9. Mountain home to Ruby City10. Assisting non-profits12. Sandpoint bridge14. Endangered local nickname15. Their roots are in town, not just their branches.

A Newspaper Worth Wading Through-just going with the flow-

P.O. Box 151 Clark Fork, ID 83811www.RiverJournal.com • www.theriverjournal.blogspot.com

208.255.6957 • Fax # 208.263.4045 email all writers at editorial@riverjournal.com

Calm Center of TranquilityTrish Gannon– Clark Fork and Sandpoint208.255.6957 • 208.266.1154 • trish@riverjournal.comSurrealist Bureau EditorJody Forest- Dover. “Ministry of Truth and Propaganda...and profreader.”dgree666@sandpoint.netSalessales@riverjournal.com • 208.255.6957CartoonistsBoots Reynolds, Scott Clawson, Matt Davidson, Jim TibbsRegular ContributorsDoug Archer; Jinx Beshears; Scott Clawson; Sandy Compton; Marylyn Cork; Carol Curtis; Susan Daffron; Ernie Hawks; Julie Hutslar; Hobe Jenkins; Scott Johnson; Carl Jones; Marianne Love; Melody Martz; Kathy Osborne; Gary Payton; Paul Rechnitzer; Lou Springer; Jim Tibbs; Idaho Rep. George Eskridge; Former Mont. Congressman Pat Williams; Mont. Senator Jim Elliot; Sherry Ramsey; Boots Reynolds; Michael White; and Kate Wilson

Send River Journal Hot Shot photos via email, full color and highest quality, to trish@riverjournal.com. Or mail to our address above.

Order the River Journal online, check out our blog and readour letters to the editor. www.RiverJournal.com

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” -Aristotle

Proudly printed at Griffin Publishing in Spokane, Wash. 509.534.3625Contents of The River Journal are copyright 2007. Reproduction of any material,

including original artwork and advertising, is prohibited. The River Journal is published the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month and approximately 7,000 copies are distributed in Sanders County, Montana and Bonner, Boundary and Kootenai counties in Idaho.

The next issue of The River Journal will be out 14 March 2007

LAST ISSUE’S ANSWERS

Joshua Mitteldorf, PhD – Researcher, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona. Former instructor of physics, math, astronomy, and evolution at Harvard, University of California at Berkeley, Temple University, University of Pennsylvania, LaSalle University and Bryn Mawr.

Statement to this website 1/15/07: “Three prominent and readily observable features of the collapse of the Twin Towers on the morning of 9/11 are inconsistent with the official explanation involving fires and “pancaking”. ...

First, the towers collapsed quickly ...

Second, the collapse was symmetrical. Natural events (including fires) will always be governed by a certain amount of randomness. Some situations are stable and inherently restore symmetry; but the collapse of a tall building is not one of them. ...

Third, each collapse began with an explosion in the upper storIes that carried impressive energy. Jet fuel will burn, but not explode. ... The explosions that are readily observable in videos of the towers’ collapse could only have been produced by commercial explosives. ...

Finally, I mention only for extra emphasis that a third tower (WTC 7

The term estate tends to conjure up

images of a big, fancy home on a lot of land. But for the purposes of this column we will consider an estate to be land and any structures either existing or planned. The focus is land management but it includes the infrastructure too, because the impact of man-made infrastructure on a property can be profound. It affects ecosystem health, real estate value, as well as, the overall functionality and enjoyment of the property. So a land manager should consider the infrastructure of their property, both current and future, as well as the natural resources and ecosystem health. To this end it is important to develop a management plan which essentially functions as an inventory and an assessment of the property, as well as a plan for the future.

The first step in developing an estate management plan is to construct a map of the estate. This base map should identify the location, shape and size of man-made infrastructure, as well as the geologic and natural resource features of the property. The map with its features will need to be relatively accurate in shape, dimension and direction. This can be accomplished with a good compass and a “pacing pole” used to establish sample lines across your property from one boundary to the other, at regular intervals. All along these sample lines and at regular intervals you will collect data, make notes of features and even draw features on a sketch map. You will then be able to use the information collected in the field, to depict the size and location of the various property features, in relation to the distance from the boundaries, on a more accurate map.

While traversing the property in the manner above you can establish sample plots, at random intervals, for more in-depth data collection. The data you collect from sample plots along the sample lines can be worked up into decent estimates of the types, quantity and quality of various natural resources or other features of the property. You can derive estimates for timber, wildlife, water, grazing forage, noxious weeds, and much more. Some information will relate to the size of relatively homogeneous areas but there could also be in-depth analysis of natural resources such as timber types and volumes. If the sample plots are set up in a more permanent manner, you can monitor and measure change over time too. The level of detail will depend on the time and effort you want to put into learning the techniques, along with collecting and analyzing the data.

I also suggest that you create an overlay for your base map depicting potential lines of subdivision whether you intend to subdivide or not. It is important to remember that while you are currently the Estate Manager, this is a temporary trust and sooner or later someone else will be in charge. Future owners or inheritors of the land may want to subdivide for real estate development, to pass down the property to multiple heirs, or in the event of financial hardship, have the option to sell a portion of the property rather than the entire property, to meet those financial needs.

It is also important if you wish to prevent future subdivision and/or development of the land. There are several ways to accomplish this but in each it will be helpful, if not necessary, to know where the potential lines of

subdivision are (future column topic). If you were to build structures, roads, fencing, etc… without consideration to the location of potential lines of subdivision, it could negatively affect the property.

Now that you have a base map with subdivision overlay and an inventory, you can begin to develop a plan for the future of the estate. This plan may be to harvest some timber, create a building site, construct roads, create a pond, or fence an area for livestock, but the important thing is to get it into a management plan. This will help ensure that development and utilization of the property is not done in a “willy-nilly” fashion but is preformed in a well-planned manner.

Using the base map and the overlay showing potential lines of subdivision, you can now construct another layer depicting the location of planned infrastructure from the management plan. Structures are best placed at least a hundred feet away from lines of subdivision, but the closer to the center of the potential parcel the better for the sake of privacy and view shed considerations.

It is also important to keep in mind that wells and septic systems are regulated with respect to how far away from each other they are located, and septic systems must be a certain distance from the house, property boundaries and water bodies. In addition, septic systems must be permitted and will not be permitted without a percolation test, which determines if the soils are adequate for the septic system to function. So it is important to consider the drainage capabilities of the soil where you plan to locate a septic system.

This is also important in considering road construction, both in locating and designing the road and its drainage features. Roads are best located along existing lines of subdivision and/or potential lines of subdivision when possible. This will ensure that if a parcel is subdivided out, it will not have easements through it for other owners to use, thus negatively affecting the value, privacy and enjoyment of the property. Locating roads along boundaries or potential boundaries will also provide for access to multiple parcels with minimal road construction.

Development a Management Plan which is acceptable to government agencies, for the Forest Stewardship Program and/or tax exemptions, must be done by certified land managers who are registered with the state. Most land owners acting as their own land manager will not be able to produce results with the statistical validity and computational accuracy for many applications. It is highly recommended that land owners employ foresters, civil engineers, environment consultants, certified contractors, etc to implement complicated infrastructure projects, timber harvest and more.

This column is intended to give general guidelines for creating a basic management plan but cannot substitute for well-trained and experienced professionals. Due to word limits and time constraints, the information in this article does not contain the level of detail necessary for an untrained Land Manager to go out and perform some of the tasks discussed. If you would like more information and detail regarding the subjects in this article and how to perform them, please go to my web site at www.NorthIdahoLandMan.com or call me at 208-263-6802.

The River Journal | 28 February 2007 | Page 3

As I See ItScott Johnson Puts an Eye on Sports

by Scott Johnson

WANTEDFast Pitch Umpires

For an exciting and rewarding experience join the North Idaho Official’s Association and umpire girl’s high school Fast Pitch Softball. Call:

• Scott Lickfold at 208-683-3902 or 208-661-3646• Hilary Chick at 208-667-4776 or 208-667-4776 • Dave Broughton at 800-304-4117 or 208-290-6577

What a whirl… what a whirl… It has been a rough couple of

weekends since the Super Bowl. The NFL Pro Bowl… a professional football exhibition game… a yawner… a “who cares” game of the highest order! Why play that game? Most players have been done playing for about a month. They are getting out of shape, they’re just healing up nagging injuries and they are out of the rhythm of the game; someone could get hurt (just ask Drew Brees who received a separated elbow on a sack). Sure, it’s nice to be recognized as the best of the best. Sure, it’s nice to be in Hawaii. Sure, it’s nice for us viewers to see beautiful Hawaiian seascapes. But for the players to actually play a game??? I just don’t get it. Why subject the fan to a sub-standard game, and subject the players to possible injury?

I kinda like all the competitive deals leading up to the game: The fastest man, the most accurate quarterback, the receiver who can catch the most passes, the lineman that can push a Cadillac Escalade the farthest and the fastest, you know, stuff like that.

I guess until we can come up with a better option, or, unless the advertisers stop buying airtime, this’ll be how we honor our top professional football players. I, for one, think we can do better. Whaddya say we put our heads together and try and come up with a better format?

I’m thinking as we speak!So that weekend was shot. Then

we have this past weekend and the woo-woo NBA All-Star game from Las Vegas. Talk about the lost weekend. Okay, here’s the deal. I have to come clean, and say that I’m not a big basketball fan in the first place. I didn’t watch the “game” and I didn’t read the articles in the sports section leading up to the “game.” All I saw were the highlights on Sports Center and the final score, something like 183 to 171. A real defensive struggle! The dunk highlights alone took 15

minutes. Maybe it’s just me, but, doesn’t one dunk pretty much look like all the other dunks?

Since I have spilled my guts on my feelings toward the NBA, I might just as well go ahead and alienate fans from the other big event of this past weekend, the Daytona 500. I have to say that I’m not a racing buff either, so ergo, you won’t be reading about NASCAR, Indy, Formula One, drag racing, moto-cross, snowmobiling, etc. in this column. Suffice it to say that any “sport” that involves the burning of fossil fuels to determine a victor will not be represented in this space.

I found Phil Mickleson’s collapse at the Nissan Open at the Riviera Country Club disappointing, but not surprising. Now, if it had been Tiger Woods with a stroke lead with two holes to go, I’d bet dollars to donuts that he’d have closed it out for the victory. And probably with a 30 foot birdie putt allowing him to win by two strokes instead of one. But not Philly. He has a way of keeping us on the edge of our seat, knowing he may make a brilliant shot to win, or, hit a drive into another fairway and lose the tournament. So, in a way, watching Phil is much more exciting than watching Tiger for the sheer surprise of it all!

Oh, turning back to football news for just a bit. Why would you hire a head coach (Norv Turner) in San Diego who has a losing record with his previous two stops as head coach of the Redskins and the Raiders? He has proven time and again that he is a brilliant offensive coordinator, but also a consistently losing head coach. Why, San Diego, why? Why not hire Rex Ryan or Mike Singletary as your new head coach? Hire a dynamic assistant coach hungry for his first head coaching position. Try to find the next Sean Peyton (New Orleans new head coach and coach of the year). Why not roll the dice and hire a new up-and-comer instead of hiring a guy because he has experience?

Especially when the guy’s experience has a win-loss record of something like 45-79. That just frosts my pumpkin!

Well, baseball’s spring training camps are starting in Florida and Arizona, and we can look forward to some exciting Grapefruit and Cactus League games right around the corner. American and National league teams can play against one another, evaluate talent, make trades, assign players to the minor leagues and solidify the major league starting rosters. We can also count on endless media coverage on the latest Barry Bonds sightings, injuries, supplements, creams, lies, lawyers and cover-ups. Oooo-boy, I can’t wait (he said sarcastically).

It’s a shame that Barry will probably surpass Hank Aaron’s home run record this season (barring injury), because he will have done it through extensive use of performance-enhancing drugs. I know, I know, innocent until proven guilty, but gee whiz, could Barry’s head have grown that large by itself? Anyway, if Barry does surpass Hank’s record it should also include a very large asterisk by its side, and a detailed disclaimer of how the record was achieved (in my opinion).

Anyway, I’m really looking forward to the upcoming baseball season since there has been lots of player and manager movement throughout the league this off-season. There are a lot of teams with a different look (Chicago Cubs, could this finally be your year?) to watch and enjoy. What can I say, but, Play Ball!

Bennett Heating• In-Floor Radiant Heat

• Snow Melting Systems

• Gas Piping

Call: 208.304.9668

or 208.255.2160

The Clark Fork Booster Club thanks the community for coming together at the last minute to raise the funds nec-

essary to send our boys’ basketball team to state. You are awesome!

Page 4 | The River Journal | 28 February 2007

From the Mouth of the River

Boots Reynolds

Soup’s on! How many times have you heard that? Only to find out it wasn’t soup at all. Just a

regular meal. I don’t know how many verbal methods there are in calling someone to dinner but here are the ones I respond to. (Call me anything as long as you don’t call me late for dinner!)

Dinner’s ready; Come and get it; Soup’s on; Chow time; Let’s eat; Dinner is being served. I personally haven’t heard that one too often, as I try not to eat where a tuxedo is required.

The rental place always charges extra cleaning fees when I take it back. So I bought my own.

That’s right, I do own a tux. Okay, maybe I got it at a yard sale, and it was while we were traveling in the South. It belonged to some old southern gentleman who believed the South was going to rise again and saved it, as he was in the War Between the States. Did I mention it’s a gray tux?

Not all southern belles are women, some are made of brass and hang just off the porch. These, of course, are for ringing to call the field hands to dinner. They are also used as alarms for house fires and to signal when the Yankees are coming.

Southern belles got their name from being bell ringers. As in, “She’s a real bell ringer!” Or, in some cases, just a dingaling!

My grandmother would hang a dishtowel on the clothesline or on the top wire of the fence to let Dad know when she had dinner on the

table. A white dishtowel can be seen for a long ways.

For the younger women who may be confused as to what a dishtowel is, it’s a cotton cloth about two and a half feet square, used primarily to dry dishes that have been washed in a dishpan full of soapy water.

Now there’s a novel idea, washing dishes by hand! When one is done drying dishes, the dish cloth is usually spread out to dry by covering the condiments left on the table. This also keeps the flies off.

Condiments being homemade (canned) jellies, jams, ketchup, hot sauce, chowchow, pepper sauce, salt, pepper, and other cooked food that wouldn’t spoil before the next meal.

Food like, Mexican cornbread, cornbread, biscuits, corn, taters, turnips, boiled cabbage, any kind of cooked greens plus cut up tomatoes and onions and some cooked meats!

The term dinner in the South means the noon meal. Supper is the last meal of the day, thus, “the last Supper.” Duh.

Come and get it. Grits is ready. Let’s eat it or I’ll throw it out. It’s you or the dogs! Pot lickers up!

My one funny uncle was fond of saying, “grab a tit an growl,” until one day my little cousin was showing off in front of company and bit his mother. For weeks the kids in school thought he had a birthmark the shape of a hand on the side of his face!

“Chuck’s ready,” the chuck wagon cook would yell. Biscuits, butter ‘em and bawl! Beans!

“Wash fer dinner,” granny would say, “and not just the hand you eat with! Wash both of ‘em!” Last one at the table has gotta say grace!

Ah yes, I remember the good old days. The border house reach, the elbow in the eye, the fork in the back of the hand. Yep, there’s nothing like home cookin!BOOTS

The River Journal | 28 February 2007 | Page 5

I had been rehearsing for weeks, singing the song over and over until I heard it even in my deepest sleep. As I was driving, I was

singing. I sang my granddaughter to sleep with it, I drove my daughter nuts with it, I sang it in the shower, and even made my dog Aspen listen to me sing it.

The Angels Over Sandpoint were presenting “The Follies” and I was going to be on stage singing in front of a bazillion people. Well, not a bazillion, only 500, but you couldn’t tell my heart that.

Tech-rehearsal took place the Monday before the Follies. I was sweating incessantly and I only had to sing in front of a few people! Even during dress rehearsal, my heart pounded so hard I was pretty sure you could hear it over the microphone and my saliva glands had migrated south, leaving my mouth a desert, and my bladder full and scared, which is very bad.

My daughter, Stacey, was doing my hair and makeup. My friends Carolyn and Bugsy had created my dress, revealing more boobs than I am comfortable with and complete with a sexy slit up the side, that my notorious thigh kept creeping out of. I looked really good. Not very modest, but I looked good in a Mae

West/hooker sort of way. It didn’t matter how good I convinced myself I looked though, my terror mounted as it grew near the time to perform. How do stars do this all the time?

I stood trembling backstage while watching cowboys and Bo Peep make fun of Montana and sheep on stage, laughing at their antics, wondering how they managed to look so calm and so funny! My heart nearly exploded when “Queen Kate” introduced me and I was seriously afraid I was going to barf.

I traipsed out on the stage, pretending to be fearless, my voice quivering as I sang my song, “There’s Lightning in these Thunder Thighs.” Even with the help of fellow performer Audra’s Clear-Voice spray, my mouth was so dry, I was pretty sure my teeth were going to be stuck to my lips forever and that my tongue had become a brittle, useless twig.

I am not certain whether I swayed my hips the way the director, Deb had instructed me, or if I was twitching uncontrollably. I seem to remember showing my thigh off at the appropriate moment in the song, but as I look back, I am not real clear on those three minutes of fear and trembling that well. I was hoping that people were laughing as they should, but I can’t really remember hearing anything except my own voice shaking out the words. I remember praying before I went on stage, “Please God, don’t let me freeze up out there and please don’t

let me faint,” and I thank God I did neither.

While most people wear bands that say WWJD, (what would Jesus do), my own mantra is WWDD, (what would Daddy do… to me). While my Daddy would definitely not approve of the song, he would appreciate the fact that it was all done as charity work.

The Angels over Sandpoint provide an awesome array of services in our community, from school supplies for kids that need them, to meals, support and transportation for area cancer patients. It was a privilege to be a part of something that would help raise money for such needs.

Before I went on stage, Angels Gail and Deb kept telling me I would be fine and just to go out on stage and “have fun.” Have fun? It crossed my mind that they might not realize how close I was to a complete melt down. I was trying to sing and convince my hips to move and my feet to dance and my entire body was on strike and just not very cooperative. I was down to the last verse of the song when the air that I was breathing suddenly vanished and I was spitting words out of my withered lips, hoping it sounded somewhat the way it was supposed to.

Do you know how long 180 seconds are? Let me tell you, three minutes is a lot longer than you would think, especially when you are on stage beneath the lights, with several hundred strangers looking to you for some entertainment. I was grateful that Chris Lynch was playing the piano and I knew he would cover up any errors I made.

Even with all the encouragement beforehand, after I finished the last line of the song, I nearly sprinted off

stage, flooring everyone who knows me with my speed. Who knew I could move that fast? I sure didn’t. If there had been a curtain call I don’t believe I could have gone back out, my fear was much greater than my desire to be applauded.

I made my daughter Stacey walk with me over to Mick Duffs, where the Follies were being fed - live to the big screen TVs. All the performers walked over there after their act to say hi to everyone and let them know that they were a part of the Follies and very much appreciated.

I was amazed when I walked in; some of my Clark Fork friends were there and started clapping for me. But that’s a requirement. I am from Clark Fork, they are my friends, but soon the whole crowd was clapping! I felt like a celebrity and the quivering mass of nerves that I had been toting around for a week faded away. I stood smiling and basking in the applause as if I were Elizabeth Taylor. A young Elizabeth Taylor!

I went back to the Follies to enjoy watching everyone else perform, wondering if they were anywhere near as nervous as I had been. I didn’t notice any stuttering, or puddles beneath the performers, so I am thinking that I might have been the only one that was spazzing out like that under the pressure. Somehow, that just doesn’t seem quite fair.

My boyfriend, Russ, had asked me earlier in the day, before I left to go the Follies, why I would put myself through that kind of stress. I looked at him amazed, stunned that he would even ask me that. I cleared my throat, looked dead into his blue eyes and with my most earnest voice, replied, “Because it’s FUN.” Duh!

Jinxed by Jinx Beshears

Page 6 | The River Journal | 28 February 2007

The “crud” as they seem to be calling it, has been hitting people pretty hard. It got my brother Joe (and it’s turned into bronchitis in his case), it felled my sweet partner David, it had our own Jinx for 24 hours and it even got... me?

A while back, I was feeling more miserable than I’ve felt in a long time. “It’s just a silly cold,” I told myself, as I huddled in a fetal position on the couch. “You shouldn’t be feeling this bad.” But bad was how I felt.

I won’t go into detail about how bad, or just what lengths I went to to feel better (though I will mention right now - a hot toddy made with tequila and drank at noon after 24 hours of no food is not going to help at all), but my chest was tight, my body ached, my head was pounding and my stomach thought it would be a good idea to not eat again for the rest of my life.

I felt that way for days. I slept on the couch, mostly so that I would wake up in the middle of the night to put more wood on the fire when it needed it.

About 1 am one dark, lonely, miserable morning, I performed exactly that task before falling back into a whimpering ball on the couch. For some reason (God loves me?) I found myself in the exact, perfect position to notice what appeared to be a small gap between the top of my chimney and the housing box where it goes through the living room ceiling.

I squinted at it through sleepy eyes for a few minutes and, when it didn’t go away, dragged myself off the couch to inspect the pipe more closely. Sure enough, on the side of the pipe hidden in the back, there was a gaping, three-inch gap.

If you wonder how a chimney pipe can simply detach itself from its neighboring piece, I should mention my aversion to screws.

Well, not to screws themselves. I love screws. I think the guy who invented them should get some kind of prize, simply for the way they dig in and hang on with so much more tenacity than a nail has ever even thought of. But the truth is, if I ever find myself taking apart something that’s been screwed together, the chances are nil that I’ll replace the screws when I put it back together again.

Before you laugh (in either derision or astonishment) let me point out that this practice has served me will over the course of several decades. I once even took a car engine apart and put it back together with only the absolute necessary fastening pieces, and I drove that car for at least another two years without a problem.

It’s a karma thing (I think). Some small part of me believes that if I don’t put the screws back in, I won’t ever be required to take that specific object apart again.

The chimney came apart the first time I had to clean the creosote out of it and, when I put the pieces back together, it seemed to stay just fine without ever reinserting the screws. So I didn’t bother.

Mostly, a cast iron stove doesn’t move around too much, and it likely would have operated just fine sans screws. But when you find yourself trying to shove in a piece of wood that’s just slightly bigger than the available room in the firebox, the stove can get jostled a bit.

I assume that’s what happened. And jostling, I should note, can cause unscrewed pieces of chimney pipe to come apart.

It’s still 1 am. I am tired - very tired - and let’s not forget that I’m sick. I brought my trusty little stepping stool to the side of the stove, wrapped my arms around the telescoping chimney pipe, and attempted to lift the chimney back into place.

Remember, I had just re-stoked the fire.

No, the chimney pipe wasn’t more than a tad bit warm. But the pipe doesn’t telescope as well as it used to. (That’s another story, and a situation I blame firmly on Ernie) After gripping and grunting and groaning for a few minutes with no success, I placed my bare foot on the surface of the stove in order to get a little more leverage.

Did I say I was very tired, and very sick? Keep that in mind before you decide I’m dumber than a box of rocks.

Unlike the chimney pipe, the top of a cast iron stove gets very warm, especially once you’ve got a roaring fire going on.

I don’t think I screamed out loud, but I did fall off the step stool, and the tears filling my eyes were induced by pain.

After I regained control of myself, I shut down the stove as well as I could, opened the window next to it, cranked up the electric heat and took myself off to my bed.

Every year, more than one hundred people die from carbon monoxide poisoning. They call it the silent killer. And it presents like a common cold.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to the flu, but without fever. They include, “headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea and dizziness.”

Every single symptom I was demonstrating, in fact.

The first line of response to carbon monoxide poisoning, they say, is “get fresh air immediately.” Oxygen is what combats carbon monoxide poisoning and, if that’s what I was suffering, I was lucky indeed. My wood stove includes a fresh air intake fan that pulls in outside air and passes it over the heated top of the stove to circulate the heat. That undoubtedly helped. Opening the window, and going to sleep in my bedroom where the windows were cracked open certainly helped as well.

Of course, they go on to

recommend that you get medical attention immediately (depending on the amount of CO in

your blood, medical personnel may recommend you breathe pure oxygen for a while) and that you have the fire department inspect your home and tell you when it’s safe to go back inside.

Those things I didn’t do, figuring that I have enough bills in the first quarter of the year that I didn’t need to add a visit to the emergency room to them, as well.

I did spend an awful lot of the next few days outdoors, however, and I drank a lot of water, as well. (Water can help flush toxins from your system.) I also continued to use my electric heat.

Slowly, I began to feel better. The nausea passed first, and the general “oh my goodness, I feel like I’m going to die” improved hourly.

The draw on my chimney was good enough that I never had enough smoke leakage to either be visible or to set off my smoke alarms. Yet there’s a very good chance that my home was a source of poison for both me, and for my daughter. (Amy had remarked earlier in the week, “I don’t know what’s going on, Mom. I’m getting enough sleep at night, but when I sit on the couch to do my homework, I can’t stay

awake. I had suggested she might be going through a growth spurt.)

A simple carbon monoxide detector costs only $20, and possibly would have sounded the alarm that something was wrong. It’s such a simple thing to have in your home.

And not just if you have a wood stove. There are many ways your home can become a source of CO poisoning, including a malfunction in any gas appliance, or a leak from a running car in an attached garage

The CPSC says clues to a possible CO leakage include: rusting or water streaking on a vent/chimney; loose or missing furnace panels; sooting; debris or soot falling from a chimney, fireplace or appliances; loose or disconnected vents, chimneys, fireplaces or appliances; loose masonry on the chimney; and/or moisture on the inside of your windows.

As for me, I’m fine right now. Maybe I had the “crud” that’s going around, and maybe I didn’t. But I’ll tell you this. I bought a carbon monoxide detection and, when I got the chimney back together (with David’s help), I used all the screws.

Here’s to health for all of us the rest of the year.

Politically Incorrect by Trish Gannon

The River Journal | 28 February 2007 | Page 7

Tables have turned during the past year for Sandpoint’s Helen Newton, not only health-

wise but politically. Shortly after retiring in 2005, the longtime former Sandpoint City Clerk decided to try her hand in politics. That fall, she won a 4-year term on the City Council.

Now, with more than a year’s experience under her belt, Newton maintains the same sense of responsibility and meticulous attention to detail which earned her accolades from several past mayors and current Mayor Ray Miller, whose term expires this year.

Serving, “on the other side” as an elected city official, however, Councillor Newton has encountered strikingly different roadblocks. In January, for example, she was diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening disease, Guillain-Barre Syndrome which tested her determination to carry out her council duties.

Newton shared her observations with me in this exclusive Q & A. Look for an expanded version at www.riverjournal.com and at my March 1 www.slightdetour.blogspot.com. posting.

How do those with whom you’ve worked in the past react to you now that you’re a council member?

My perception is that it has been a difficult transition for some elected officials who held office while I was clerk to work with me as their peer rather than as their employee. Some department heads who worked with me as a peer now appear to see me differently because I can potentially influence how their departments operate through budget decisions.

What was your biggest surprise/adjustment?

My biggest surprise/adjustment would have to be the way in which I have been treated by the mayor. During my 24 years as clerk while Ray Miller was on city council, I particularly respected him because I felt he frequently tried to represent the ordinary citizen – not special interests. I felt the respect between us was mutual and letters he wrote and had placed in my personnel file would attest to that. However, since my election to city council, any remnant of respect he once had for me has disappeared. I feel that even when people disagree on issues, they can still do so with respect.

How do you find yourself acting differently now that you’re on the council?

As city clerk while I was entitled to my opinions on issues, I did not have any authority to act on those opinions by voting on laws or policies. Now, my opinions translate into votes, and those votes impact people. I take this responsibility very seriously.

I know it is very important that I take the time to do my homework and cast my votes based upon informed opinions.

What are your assigned duties?

Interestingly enough, what is written in Idaho Code and the Sandpoint Code concerning the duties and responsibilities of city council members would fill less than one type-written page. Council members should see attending all council meetings to vote on items of business as their basic duty. I have not missed a regular council meeting.

In Sandpoint each council member is appointed by the mayor to serve on one of two council committees which meet monthly. I am on the public works committee and have missed one meeting when I was in Alaska with our daughter.

In my 13 months on the council, I have also missed two “special” council meetings called by the mayor – one to fix the memorial Field bleachers (I was in Alaska) and the other while I was in the hospital in CDA recently and the city failed to provide the necessary connections for me to participate by phone.

Explain how you prepare for meetings.

One: The time I take to prepare for a meeting depends on the items on the agenda. For example, a decision on the annual agreement with the Festival at Sandpoint takes very little time. The agreement hasn’t changed in years. We have a history with the Festival board and we have every reason to believe that they will meet the terms and conditions of our agreement. I don’t hear complaints from constituents about the event. Therefore, I have confidence that our arrangement is working so I don’t’ have to spend much time on it.

Two: At the other end of the spectrum, matters relating to planning and zoning require the most work. I study the minutes of the commission meetings and the public testimony. I thoroughly review the site plan and I personally visit the site. I walk, bike or drive around the surrounding neighborhoods to get a feeling for what impact a new subdivision will have on the established neighborhoods. I carefully weigh testimony at the council meetings. I try to remember the mantra of Cecil Andrus from his years in

government: “Who will this affect and how will it affect them?”

Three: Because one of the tasks I performed

as city clerk was to review all items that went into the city council packet, I continue to do that. As a consequence, I have found errors and inconsistencies in contracts, agreements and ordinances and I believe that correcting those before they are signed and/or published has saved the city money as well as embarrassment.

How do you keep in touch with your constituency?

I receive telephone calls, emails and visits from a number of people on a regular basis. On an issue-by-issue basis, I find that residents do not hesitate to call me to express their concerns or ideas. I think people know that I am open to listening to what they have to say and they appreciate that. Whenever any person suggests others I might want to talk with or material I might want to review, I do that as well. The network keeps growing and I think it serves both me and constituents well.

What messages do you get from voters? What frustrations do you encounter in trying to represent your constituency?

The one message I receive over and over is a variation of encouragement, support and appreciation from individuals whenever I speak out on issues that have mattered to them. This occurs particularly when the issue affects people’s pocket books. So few people will attend a meeting either

because they feel uncomfortable speaking in public or they feel intimidated. That doesn’t mean they don’t care and they don’t have opinions. People appreciate having someone represent their opinions and I try to do that for them. The frustration comes from articulating those concerns and then having that message met with silence at council meetings. I think the public would be better served and the decisions more understandable if there were an actual debate of differences of opinions. Unfortunately that doesn’t happen very often. Now, that is frustrating!

What strategies do you think could help overcome the frustrations you’ve seen so far, i.e., little debate among the council, respect from the mayor?

Your question prompts me to try to find ways to encourage the full council to engage in more conversation about issues. I am constantly thanked for expressing my opinions on issues - whether the person agrees with my position or not. I think if given options on the 2006 ballot, the voters will support people who are respectful of their constituents and peers and people who are inclined to be conversationally engaged when making decisions.

To read more of Newton’s thoughts on issues dealing with Sandpoint’s future, on the upcoming mayor’s race and her recent bout with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, go online to addresses listed above.

Love Notes by Marianne Love

The Angels Over Sandpoint thank the following people who made the 2007 Follies

such a success!Perky Smith-Hagadone, Ivano’s, Bambi Marshall, Eve’s Leaves, Kathleen Hyde, All Star Photo, The River Journal, Kate McAlister, Dave Nygren, Kathy Chambers, Sandpoint Property Panagement, Sam Marshall, Pierre Bordenaive, Yolanda Willeke, Avalanche Graphics, Trish Gannon, Brady Matousek, The Paint Bucket, Leslie Goffinet, Maria & Larry Larson, Petal Talk, Tim Dougherty, Insight Distributing, Wendy Carlson, Mountain Sky Unlimited, Audra Mearns, Staples, Jinx Beshears, Odom Northwest Distributing, Dorothy Prophet, Keokee Publishing Company, Ernie Hawks, Richard Shultz, Linda Robey, Sandpoint Madcap Mardi Gras, Becky Lucas, Gi Daniellson, Mic McCrum, John Siegmund, The Daily Bee, Blue Sky Broadcasting, Yokes Pak n’ Save, Annie Jackson, Eichardts, Chris Lynch, Mary Ann Kraemer, Beth Pederson, Monarch Mountain Coffee, Kathy Andruzak, Deborah McShane, Safeway, Chuck Smith, F.C. Weskil’s, Gail Fendley, Laurie Hillenbrand, Bearweare One Stop Fun Shop, Shasta Hankins, Jeff Poole, Beata Golan, Pend Oreille Winery, Bob Carlson, Becky Luther, Ray Allen, Rand Gurley, Frank Moore, Gail Lyster, Adam Tajan, Amy Flint, Jan Fitzgerald, Ron Ragone, Janelle Spencer, Crystal Closson, Cherita Hatch, Leila Lucht, Misty Grage, Jill Garrett, Avril Lucas, Rob Pierce, Barbara Pressler, Chris Parks, Jodi Pignolet, Kathe Murphy, Stitchin’ Sisters, Café Trinity, Sarah Nixon, MickDuff ’s Brewing, Pat Ficek, Lizbeth Zimmerman and to all the MANY volunteers that helped to make this year’s production such a great success!!!!

Page 8 | The River Journal | 28 February 2007

Last fall, we took advantage of a few hours of warm sunshine and sought out a dry site to walk around.

We went to a favorite spot where the old highway sinks below the reservoir waters. Ever since the building of the Cabinet Gorge Dam, local people have used this access to launch boats. For many years, this was a quiet, clean, and friendly sort of place. If you ran into someone else, most likely you knew each other.

Then, in the late 80s, the USFS at the Cabinet Ranger District decided to develop it as a picnic and launch site. The above ground portions of the road were re-paved. Picnic shelters were built, an outhouse placed, and a proper boat launch added. At that time, Heronites requested that no camping be allowed, and the USFS agreed.

Then the development creep began. Campsites were carved out of the cedar grove, and a sign on the highway directed travelers to camping. This was quietly accomplished in direct violation of the verbal pledges made to Heron people. Now, in the summer, it is a circus with some people living there for months. Large trailers with propane tanks and snarling dogs, bikers from Spokane, and out-of-state pickups fill the area. Although local people have complained to the USFS about long-term camping and under-restrained pit bulls, the Cabinet District only has one law officer and the campground is low priority.

Two years ago, the Cabinet District requested a Resource Advisory Committee grant to add

another outhouse to serve more campsites they built on the hillside. The folks camped on the hill were pooping behind trees, rather than walking a couple hundred feet. Other committee members must have felt as I did - if you can’t take care of the site, why continue to expand it - because the project was not chosen for funding.

Last fall when we took a little walk, the campground was empty of cars, dogs, camping trailers and people. Blowing wads of toilet paper, dog poop and a fire pit filled with trash indicated it had been recently inhabited. Shotgun shells littered the ground. On top of the fire pit grill sat a pair of sandals with an inch-high foam base and plastic straps. One shoe had been repaired with duct tape. Crammed under the grill was a bright red polyester blouse with raised fuzzy design, sized extra large, and a child’s blue tee shirt on top of plastic containers that had held juice and water. Under this debris was a leaking black plastic sack filled with disgusting wet stuff - perhaps diapers, food scraps - my curiosity did not extend far enough to explore further.

This small example of unthinking development and its ignored impacts reminds me of the

USFS’s approval of the proposed Rock Creek Mine. The Troy Mine, touted as an analog to the proposed Rock Creek project, is experiencing above ground disturbances (sinkholes). This is an unexpected consequence of the honeycomb mine below, and one that caught the Forest Service flat-footed. The proposed Rock Creek project will create honeycomb caverns under the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness. The possibility of sinkholes under designated wilderness and high country lakes cannot continue to be ignored.

Revett is operating their Troy Mine without an adequate reclamation plan in place. The mine and tailings pond (which dangerously lies inside an old creek bed) continues to expand, yet the mining company has been stalling for seven years. These are some of the same people who left Montana taxpayers cleaning up their Zortman-Landusky mess.

You can’t invite the slobs in, particularly without a funded plan to clean up after them.

Currents by Lou Springer

The River Journal | 28 February 2007 | Page 9

Faith Walk by Julie Hutslar

Are We What We Speak?

Forward- Cont’d from page 1

One day while amusing myself, I sat quietly and started repeating words with a specific flavor. I said them

slowly to myself and tried to imagine the feelings as I said the words. I began to repeat them and as I did, I found that they had begun to change the way I felt. I was feeling calmer and my mind was not filled with its usual chaos.

The words I chose to repeat were: infinitely loving, eternally peaceful, unconditionally allowing, graceful and gentle, kind, joyful, accepting, generous, honest, patient, fulfilled and childlike. I especially liked it when I let the words become their meaning and as I slowly enunciated each word, I allowed what they stood for to seep into me and fill me up. Before long, I felt like the strongest muscle man couldn’t lift me from my chair, I was so grounded in peace.

That evening I was sharing this intimate experience with my husband and he asked me if other words would have a similar or reverse effect. So we tried a few on. We began with guilt, hatred, anger, worthlessness, hopelessness, judgmental, blame, and separated. Before we had finished the short list, we were feeling depressed. Just the words alone had the power to bring our energy down, or depress us.

Years ago while managing in a large firm, the term “Loser” became popular and several of my friends and employees started calling each other that whenever someone did anything half bumbled. I noticed the effect on the “loser” and outlawed the word inside the building. I didn’t know if I really had the authority to do that;

I mean, can your boss keep you from using a certain word? Anyway, it worked. I think people didn’t really like being called a loser, even in fun. So one guy who wanted to kid with me, but not break the rule, began to hold his hand up to his forehead in the shape of an ‘L’ for Loser in place of the word. Somehow, that didn’t seem to bother anyone. The word was what held the power. And a word is simply the symbol of what it represents.

If someone were calling you all sorts of horrible names in a language you didn’t understand, you might simply smile and wave! But in your own language, complete with life-felt meanings, words have the power to create your mood, and enough similar moods begin to define your life.

So I guess the next question would be, what are your favorite words to use? Do they ground you in peace and make you feel loving and kind, or do they make you feel like not even trying? Makes you stop and think about how you speak to your children and pets, spouse, and friends, but mostly to yourself. And also, it gives you an idea of how to bring your mood up if you really want to. Simply start repeating your lovely list, and eventually you can call yourself those words. Okay, precious, you truly are a joy!

Julie Hutslar is the author of “Relationships: Gifts of the Spirit” and is a spiritual counselor specializing in Core Belief Restructuring. She works out of Pinnacle Health Center in Sandpoint and you can reach her at (208)255-2925. Visit her website at www.jrhutslar.com

bought used cars, bus tickets for people who rely on public transit, and made repairs to rundown homes of people who couldn’t afford it. Some used the money for marketing strategies to raise more money for their cause. Two sisters managed to get in the papers, on local television and radio to help a battered women’s shelter in Chicago, and raised over $200,000 in cash and donations - which overwhelmed the shelter, so they paid-it-forward to other shelters in town.

But it didn’t stop there. People all over the nation were inspired by the pay-it-forward phenomenon, and started projects in their own towns. This is what happened to the Sandpoint Women’s Circle, who’ve been meeting every week for over 15 years. Each week they put their spare change in a big jar, and when it’s full they choose a worthy cause and donate to it.

“We’ve donated to different local charities,” said Lois Miller, a long time member of the group. “It doesn’t always amount to much, but this time we had a hundred dollars. During Circle one day we watched Oprah’s pay-it-forward show, and we were so inspired by what some of those people did that we decided to pay-it-forward with our little one hundred dollars.”

They chose to help Panhandle Special Needs, Inc., a rundown building where mentally and physically handicapped people are taught life skills.

“It’s our goal to see the old building on North Boyer have a complete make-over, which is sorely needed,” said Miller. The ladies’ vision includes an updated kitchen, new bathrooms, new carpeting, and many other improvements. “All of this will make PSNI nice and warm and comfortable, instead of that old machine shop they’re in,” she adds.

The ladies put their plan into action by writing letters, making phone calls and letting the public know what they were doing, with articles in the paper. The community has stepped up and in only two months has given $10,000 and volunteered thousands more in plumbing supplies, labor, lumber, carpeting and architect services.

“One man came in with a crock full of loose change,” said Miller. “My husband counted, and packaged it, and it came to $555.26, and the guy just came in and handed it over.”

“We’re really jazzed. We’re all grandmas and great-grandmas. I mean, we’re no spring chickens,” she laughed. “People aren’t really aware of all Panhandle Special Needs does.”

The generosity has been heartwarming, not only for the ladies

who started this movement, but to the people who frequent PSNI, and work there as well. Rosemary Gwaltney of Sandpoint believes the life skills training at PSNI has made all the difference for her adult son, J.D. “If it weren’t for PSNI, he wouldn’t be able to live in his little apartment, learn to cook his own food, and work on learning to budget his money,” said Gwaltney. “He can’t read or measure, so learning to cook is a particular challenge. Budgeting is something that he may never be able to grasp very well, and learning these things will take years. Even so, PSNI is giving him every chance to be able to master them some day.”

If you’d like to help the Women’s Circle help Panhandle Special Needs, you can donate time, money or materials. Please contact Panhandle Special Needs, Inc. at 208-263-7022. Donations can be made out to Panhandle Special Needs and write “Pay-it-Forward” in the memo section so it goes to the correct account. Mail to:

Panhandle Special Needs, Inc.c/o Pay-it-Forward1424 N. Boyer Ave.Sandpoint, ID 83864

Our Challenge to You:Do you belong to an organization

that might like to start a pay-it-forward project, or are you a person who wants to do something nice for someone? Do you have money, skills, materials or time that could make someone else’s life a little easier? There are so many ways, and you don’t have to have a single penny to make some of them work.

Do you know someone who never leaves their home because they have a live-in parent or disabled person to care for? You can offer to sit at their house while they enjoy a day or afternoon away.

Do you know an elderly woman who might like her hair done? Buy her a gift certificate or, if you have skills, she might enjoy the visit while you fix her hair for her. Shovel snow from someone’s sidewalk, or walk into a café and anonymously pay for somebody’s lunch. The possibilities are endless and we want to know what ideas you have.

Here it is Sandpoint, the challenge. What are you going to do? Whatever it is, email me with the details and how your gift was received, if you were around to get a reaction. If you were a person on the receiving end of our pay-it-forward challenge, let me know what it meant to you. We’ll publish some of the most innovative and most simple ideas. I can’t wait to hear what you do! E-mail your good deeds to Sherry at Lramsey@supersat2.net.

Page 10 | 28 February 2007 | The River Journal

Snow Pack and What it Means By Kate Wilson

The science of snowpack predictions and weather forecasts is a complex notion (not to mention that it often sounds like a foreign language) and maybe even a bit of an art. Regardless of complexity though, many agencies and organizations are highly dependent upon these predictions and measurements for the operation and/or management of their businesses or charges.

Let’s take a look at snowpack predictions in the Panhandle and in the Clark Fork Basin for the upcoming spring and what is left of the winter. Temperatures have been fluctuating wildly - no surprise, we hardened and wise Westerners are used to this sort of thing (“don’t like the weather? Wait five minutes”).

Snowpack, just to make sure we are all on the same page, is essentially all of the snow that accumulates in mountain areas. So far this winter we are just a little below normal. If you can remember back that far, it was a very wet November, followed by a normal December, a dry January and a wet February. The “water year,” commencing October 1, is off to a fairly wet start, as levels of snow

water are near normal due to the wet November and February, even after the dry January.

Patrick Maher, Senior Hydro Operations Engineer for Avista, the utility company that operates the Noxon Rapids and Cabinet Gorge hydroelectric facilities on the Lower Clark Fork River, notes that, from

a generation standpoint, this is a pretty decent position. “The wet November saturated the ground and filled up the reservoirs to give a good start to the year,” he says.

In the Clark Fork and Bitterroot drainages, snowpack is at approximately 85 percent of normal, according to “SNOTEL” (Snow Telemetry) stations, automated snow measurement sites that measure many parameters, including snow depth, snow water equivalent, rainfall, temperature and soil moisture in real-time data. The data is sent by radio waves through the air to National Resource Conservation Service offices, where the information is made available on the Internet.

There are about 780 SNOTEL sites in the Western US. The SNOTEL shows that everything south of us (Snake River, Boise area) is dryer than normal, and everything north of us (Kootenai, Moyie area) is wetter than normal.

The National Weather Service’s River Forecast Center, as of February 15, projects that the Clark Fork drainage runoff will be about 95

percent of normal. Another division of the National Weather Service, the Climate Projection Center, is projecting a wetter than normal season for April, May, and June in the west.

So how does this information affect Avista? Maher states that probably the biggest factor with

respect to how much generation is available for the summer is how warm the weather is in late spring and how much it rains at that time. “This actually trumps the amount of snowpack,” he says.

Last spring, for example, there was above average snowpack in the late spring, but three days of temperatures in the 90s in May peeled off most of the remaining snow, resulting in a below normal snowpack thereafter. In June, however, near record rains produced plenty of opportunity for hydropower generation.

“Peak runoff for our drainages usually occurs around June 1,” says Maher. “If May and June are cool, then we have more hydro generation left for late June and July when temperatures are warmer and loads are higher.”

On the other side of Lake Pend Oreille, we have Albeni Falls Dam, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Project Manager, Joe Summers if Albeni Falls says that he doesn’t really look at snowpack with a “critical eye” until forecasts for spring are a bit more reliable. “Using the weather and snow pack information, our reservoir control folks can run their models and give us a better idea of how the snow will melt and what our refill rate [should be],” he says.

Spring lake elevations for Pend Oreille are mostly driven by Mother Nature, and like Avista’s projects, Albeni Falls’ refill fate is limited by weather and snowpack. “With warmer weather, the flows increase and the lake naturally fills,” says Summers. “Constrictions at Dover and along the river limit how much water can leave the lake at any given elevation.” As the lake fills, more water can exit the lake at Dover and pass through the powerhouse (and/or spillway as necessary).

“We try and keep the last foot or so available for the final runoff from Montana that comes late in June and early July,” says Summers. “Without this cushion there is potential for flooding around the lake as the last peak inflows arrive.”

Aside from power generation, other agencies, such as the US Forest Service, utilize and even contribute to predictions and measurements. Craig Neesvig, hydrologist for the Trout Creek/Cabinet Ranger Station, manually takes measurements once a month at three “snowcourse” stations in the Rock Creek drainage. He has been collecting data with NRCS personnel for four years at the three sites. The snowcourse station is similar to the aforementioned “SNOTEL” station, but is not as fancy, meaning measurements must be taken manually, and it measures only snowpack. This can be quite difficult when winter or spring conditions make access a challenge. Neesvig says that the measurements are ultimately used to get at how much water is in the snowpack, also known as “snow water equivalent.”

“Although this information is mainly used for drought/flood forecasting, it has many applications spanning from recreational uses to long-term climatic trends,” says Neesvig, who is working on getting a SNOTEL station in Sanders County, Montana.

Though there are many SNOTEL stations in Idaho and Montana, no current sites in operation accurately represent the Lower Clark Fork Valley. The specific location for the

much-anticipated SNOTEL station has yet to be determined, though it would most likely be in one of the three snowcourse station sites. These sites are: 1) Chicago Ridge at 5,900 feet elevation. As of the beginning of February, Chicago Ridge had a snow depth of 95 percent of average, and a SWE of 107 percent of average. 2) Government Saddle, at 5,200 feet elevation, had a snow depth of 123

percent of average, and a SWE of 139 percent of average. 3) Rock Creek MDWS, at 3,400 feet elevation, had a snow depth and a SWE of 110 percent of average.

Last summer the NRCS converted an old manual snow course to a SNOTEL site on Ragged Mountain, in Idaho just East of Mount Spokane and North of Rathdrum. This site now remotely provides information for snow melt into Spirit Lake and Twin Lakes.

Kevin Davis, also a hydrologist for the US Forest Service at the Sandpoint Ranger Station, points out that though predictions and forecasts are important, they are looking further out than one spring runoff to the next, as they manage for a landscape scale, ecosystem-wide approach. “We don’t really alter our management based on runoff predictions,” says Davis. “But we do long-term management for risk,” such as infrastructure issues like the building of roads, installing culverts, and planning bridges.

So there you have it, a quick glimpse into the snowpack predictions and measurements, and how that information is processed by various businesses and agencies here in the land of lots of water. Information like this is certainly valued in regions such as ours, where a lack of foresight, planning, and information could easily be our undoing.

Excited about the prospect of a SNOTEL? I’ll let you know when and where that extraordinary machine comes to be. For more information on snowpack or temperature predictions, see the NRCS SNOTEL sites at www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snowcourse/sc-snowpack.html, or the National Weather Service River Forecast Center (http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/water_supply/ws_fcst.cgi). Seeing as how it is dumping snow as I am finishing this article, you just might need another snowpack update shortly. Always a pleasure.

Kate Wilson is a project journalist for Avista’s Clark Fork Project. She has been interested in environmental issues and the great outdoors since she was a youngster.

Graphic and explanation/sidebar provided by Patrick Maher (Avista)It can be a challenge trying to figure out how much water is really in the mountains each year. Snow doesn’t just blanket the area in a uniform pattern. One area may get a lot of snow, while another location in the same drainage may have below normal snowpack. Also, this year, while precipitation is higher than normal, snowpack is below normal. Precipitation isn’t always snow, even in the higher elevations.”The above graphic shows typical information from a SNOTEL site at Lookout pass Near I-90 on the Idaho-Montana border. The graphic compares this year’s precipitation and snow water equivalent (SWE) to a 37 year average. These charts provide interesting information about annual precipitation in the mountains. Weather forecasters talk about the low- land annual rainfall amounts, for example Spokane = 17 inches per year. Look at how much Lookout gets, on average, 55 inches per year!

A forest service employee checks on snowpack at a SNOTEL site. Photo by Kevin Davis

The River Journal | 28 February 2007 | Page 11

Where We Areby Hobe Jenkins, PhD

www.CoffeltFuneral.com

This is a story about the harvest of predatory trout in Lake Pend Oreille. How did the anglers do in the effort

to reduce the predation on the last lingering age groups of kokanee?

In a report to the Lake Pend Oreille Fishery Recovery Task Force, (of which your author is a member) the IDF&G provided these numbers which included nine months of 2006 and one month of 2007.

For 2006-2007, 6,072 Rainbow were harvested by anglers.

For 2006-2007 11,456 lake trout were harvested by anglers, for a total angler harvest of 17,528.

The net harvest in the fall of 2006 resulted in 4,431 lake trout, 18 Rainbow, 2,363 pike minnow, 60,173 and 288 Bull Trout. The whitefish and Bull Trout were released alive; all other species were killed.

Tag returns from marked rainbow provided significant information to estimate rainbow trout population. In December of 2006 IDF&G statistical analysis estimated the overall population of rainbow was 35,384 with 19,091 of those exceeding 16 inches in length. Anglers had greater success in spring fishing than in the fall effort. In the spring a bit over 500 rainbows caught were 14 inches long, 425 were 17 inches long, and 200 were 20 inches long. The catch curve showed almost none under 12 inches and only a handful over 30 inches. The vast majority harvested were between 14 inches and 24 inches in length. This was true for both spring and fall fishing reports.

The estimates of the percentage of harvest to total population were calculated at 23 percent for rainbow and 45 percent for lake trout. When natural mortality is added, it brings the rainbow mortality to 39 percent and to 60 percent for lake trout. The target for harvest of both species was 50 percent.

Dr. Mike Hansen, Professor of

Fisheries from the University of Wisconsin, has developed a model for predicting what it would take to reduce the lake trout population to almost nothing. The reason this is so important is because we know there is no lake in North America that has a combined fishable population of lake trout, rainbow trout, bull trout and

kokanee. Lake trout simply will not coexist with those species. Lake trout do coexist with whitefish, grayling and spiny rays species (bass, perch, etc.). On the other hand, rainbow, bull trout and kokanee can coexist in cold water lakes. That is why it is so important for the return of kokanee and trophy rainbow fishing to exploit the lake trout population to the point of collapse.

Dr.. Hansen’s model predicted it would take five years of combined angler and net harvest of lake trout to reach the point of lake trout collapse. The model assumes the percentage of the population remaining is harvested at the same rate each year. The number of fish caught will decline as the total population declines but the percentage of harvest is the same.

Unless the lake trout population is kept low over an extended period of time by some extensive harvesting measures, the lake trout will come back. The environment for lake trout in Lake Pend Oreille is so good it will not be possible to eradicate them.

Lake trout have a huge spawning habitat to use. Lake trout fry have an almost unlimited food source in the mysis shrimp and therefore lake trout fry will have a high survival

rate. The struggle to limit lake trout population will persist.

Discussions on how to keep harvest pressure on lake trout have been directed at several potential options. Continued netting is expensive and might not be eligible for subsidizing at the same rate as now. Angler incentives might be increased to target the smaller lake trout.

It could be possible to authorize a commercial harvest of the plentiful whitefish with the understanding that lake trout caught in the same

nets as whitefish would be killed for human consumption. Lake whitefish can withstand substantial harvest annually without causing significant reduction in their population because their spawning habitat is excellent, they grow to sexual maturity quickly and they are not heavily targeted by sports fishermen.

The advantage of a commercial whitefish program is that the market place would provide the money needed to replace the present trap net subsidy. Whitefish are quite abundant and would provide a profitable prospect for a commercial fishery. However, this is only one of several options on the discussion table.

Idaho Fish and Game has applied to the Clark Fork Settlement Agreement’s management committee to fund the angler incentive program for 2007, as well as extending the fall net fishing for lake trout. A good case for funding can be made because anglers really did make serious inroads in the predator population. Rainbow will be legal targets in the tributaries of the

lake all winter and spring. Biologists hope anglers will pursue the larger rainbow in these tributaries, especially in March and April. That could bring the rainbow harvest up to the 50 percent target.

What has all this fishing and net pressure done for the kokanee? We do know there are 17,528 fewer mouths eating kokanee today. But is that enough to raise the kokanee survival up to the levels needed for recovery?

We do not know the answer today. It will be early in September before Dr.. Maiolie finishes his hydro acoustic survey of kokanee. He will then know how many fry have survived for the few months after emerging from spawning bed gravels and hatchery release. The critical count will be the number of age 1 that survived to age 2 and that is what we really want to see go up.

Survival of age 1 to 2 needs to approach 50 percent in order to say we have turned the corner to kokanee recovery. It would be wonderful if the survival of age 2 to 3 would also go up to 50 percent. Since there are significant numbers of age 3 kokanee that make their only spawning run, we cannot expect survival of age 3 to 4 to be very high. If kokanee are restored, Lake Pend Oreille will be the first lake ever to overcome a lake trout dominated body of water and restore the kokanee. If this happens it will be due to the perseverance of the area’s fishermen and cooperation with Fish and Game biologists.

There may be light at the end of the tunnel. Until September we all should keep up the fishing pressure, hope the angler i n c e n t i v e program is funded again and keep turning in those fish heads.

Unless the lake trout population is kept low over an extended period of time by some extensive harvesting measures,

the lake trout will come back.

Page 12 | The River Journal | 28 February 2007

Sandpoint’s Panida Theater was packed last week for a presentation put on by a couple of locals regarding a national issue - the events surrounding September 11, 2001.

“I didn’t really get into any of this until last June,” explained Sandpoint’s

Woody Aunan, a science teacher who was part of the effort to bring the film 911 Mysteries (Part 1 - Demolitions) to a local audience. “And then I started realizing there were things that just didn’t make sense.”

For example, no steel-framed building before or since 9-11 has ever collapsed due to fire. Yet that’s the explanation given to us by the 9-11 Commission for how three buildings fell, in less than ten seconds each, in New York City that day.

It was the jet fuel that made the fires hot enough to melt steel, right? But steel melts at 2750dF and the maximal burning temperature of jet fuel, an ordinary hydrocarbon, is 1200 dF in open air.

And the buildings fell in a way that mimics what happens in a controlled demolition - when explosives are used.

Those are some of the issues considered in 911 Mysteries, a 90-minute documentary film produced by In the Wake Productions.

911 Mysteries has a home on the

internet at www.911weknow.com, a website which includes a narrator’s script, movie outtakes, media stories related to the film, and 911 FAQs and forums. It also offers links to other websites that discuss the anomalies surrounding the events of that day,

America’s new Pearl Harbor.

It should be said that Google video provides the entire film online for viewing, although the documentary is not in the public domain. (http://v i d e o . g o o g l e .com, then use the search term “911 mystery.”)

Aunan is hoping that

people who saw the movie at the Panida will encourage others to begin researching

information on the mysteries surrounding

the official explanation of the events of that day.

“Ultimately, we want a full and complete investigation of what happened,” he said. “We deserve that.”

Until that happens, Aunan and others will continue to work to raise local consciousness of this effort, and will likely bring further presentations to the area, as 911 Mysteries is currently making part two of the documentary.

Thought-Provoking Film Raises Questions About What

Really Happened on 9-11Members of the Sanders County

Relay For Life Core Committee are gearing up for the 2007 Relay and to kick things off on March 10 is, well, the “Kick-Off.”

Organizers for the 2007 Relay For Life are Kathy Miller and Joyce Dougan, who were also in charge for 2006. They may be reached at 406-826-4278 (home) or at Joyce Dougan Physical Therapy Office in Plains (406-826-4383).

The core committee had a recruiting DVD created that used photos from last year’s Relay combined with the music of the 1993 hit by The Proclaimers, “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).” To tie in with the video, the Kick-off theme is “Walking.”

Anyone who is interested in participating in this year’s Relay For Life - or who just wants to know more about it - is encouraged to

attend the Kick-off, beginning at 6 pm at the Fairground pavilion. There will be food, entertainment, and information.

The theme chosen for this year’s Relay is “Battle for Survival,” with the Relay itself set for August 3-4. The event will return this year to the Sanders County Fairgrounds in Plains, and will run from 7 pm on Friday evening until 10 am Saturday. Organizers decided to make the change in the start time in the hope that it will be easier for those who wish to attend or participate to get to the opening ceremony after work, as well as to avoid the severity of the afternoon heat during the Survivors’ Reception.

Relay registration this year is $125 per team, but there is a discount of $25 for any team that registers before June 1.

-Cheri Seli

When Shoes are Made for Walkin’

911w

ekno

w.com Chamber Education

Committee

Town Hall

MeetingThursday, March 1

6 to 8:30 pm

Sandpoint High School

Refreshments will be served.

Roundtable Troubleshooting on Provocative Issues

The River Journal | 28 February 2007 | Page 13

Small Business ClassesMarch 27 through April 24- Do you want to start a business but don’t know how to get started? Are you in business but need help growing it? The Idaho Small Business Development Center is a resource center that can assist you. We have started conducting Business Basics workshops for small business owners and entrepreneurs at the Ponderay Center in Bonner Mall. Upcoming workshops are:Managing Your Business Finances Like a Pro. Tuesday, March, 27, 5:30-9 pm $29. Good business decisions aren’t guess work. They require accurate, objective information. Good financials give real-time data on the condition of your business. Gain an understanding of essential financial statements and learn how to use them for business success!Planning for Business Success. Tuesday, April 24, 5:30- 9 pm. $29. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Learn how to chart a course for your business success. Discover the essential ingredients for a business plan and how to use it to grow your business.

If you are interested in attending, please register online at www.workforcetraining.nic.edu or call 208-769-3333.Friends of the Library

March 1- The Sandpoint Friends of the Library will be holding their monthly meeting at noon on Thursday, March 1 at the East Bonner County Library in Sandpoint.

The guest speaker for March will be Trish Gannon, owner/publisher of The River Journal, the area’s newspaper worth wading through. Trish will talk about the history of the paper, how it all comes together, and what it’s like to be a female publisher and sole-proprietor in a small town.

As always, the talk is open to the public and free of cost.Ruthie Foster

DiLuna’s Cafe is pleased to announce the upcoming concert with Ruthie Foster, March 1. Tickets to the first show at 7:30 pm were sold out before promotions began. The second show will start at 9:30 pm, tickets are $25.00, and the show will be 75-90 minutes long, without a break.

If you have not yet been introduced to the music of this prodigiously gifted singer and songwriter from Texas, you are in for a major epiphany. And if you’ve been following Foster’s career ever since her self-released, 1997 debut, Full Circle, or even since her 2002 breakthrough, Runaway Soul, you’re in for an even bigger surprise, because you really haven’t ever heard Foster until you hear her now. Simply put, mama’s gotta brand new bag.

By pretty much anyone else’s standards, Foster had already been soaring for years. Since returning to her native Texas in the mid-’90s after a period of walkabout that found her touring with the U.S. Navy band Pride and even spending a few years in New York City under contract to Atlantic Records. Foster quickly established herself as one of the acoustic music world’s brightest stars. From the Kerrville Folk Festival to Austin City Limits to stages all across North America and Europe, she was winning thousands of new fans each night.

You can still hear traces of that Foster on her new album, “The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster,” most notably in the rootsy fun of “Beaver Creek Blues,” the gospel revival spirit of “Mama Said” and the dark, stomping a cappella thunder of the Son House cover “People Grinnin’ In your Face.” However, Papa Mali had an entirely different kind of Ruthie Foster sound in mind when recording commenced at Austin’s Congress House Studio, and Foster was delighted to discover that his vision tapped deep into her own roots as a music lover. Together with a crack band including drummer George Sluppick (Mofro), bassist Glenn Fukunaga (Dixie Chicks, Terri Hendrix) and Hammond B3 player Anthony Farrell (Greyhounds), they set out to make an honest to goodness classic soul album. In a different era, with a different singer, could have just as easily have been called The Phenomenal Sam

Cooke. “A lot of folks don’t know this, but that

really is my background,” says Foster. “I come from a deep background of old soul and blues and even R&B. Early on, long before I ever got into the folk thing, I was doing more soul on acoustic guitar than anything else. And that’s always been a part of the sound that I have.” The difference, she says, is all in the instrumentation — and more importantly, the groove. That became apparent early in the sessions, when Foster blew the dust off an old song of hers called “Heal Yourself” that she had recorded a decade earlier for her first album.

Di Luna’s Cafe, located at 207 Cedar St., and is a wonderfully intimate venue for a concert - with a seating capacity of just 100 seats. Come experience the wonder of Ruthie Foster in concert on March 1 at 9:30 pm at DiLuna’s Cafe in Sandpoint. For more information about this concert, including dinner reservations, call 208-263-0846.Little WomenMarch 2 & 3- The Monarch School presents Little Women at Sandpoint’s Panida Theater at 7 pm on Friday, March 2 and at 2 pm on Saturday, March 3. A donation of $5 is requested, and larger donations are happily accepted. Proceeds of the performance will benefit the Angels Over Sandpoint.Benefit Dinner for Animal ShelterMarch 3- A benefit lasagna dinner and live music will be held on Saturday March 3, at 5 pm at the Sandpoint Community Hall, with proceeds going to the Panhandle Animal Shelter. The event will be hosted by EzyDog with help from Harris Dean Insurance.

The dinner includes lasagna, salad, and bread provided by Ivano’s Ristorante. Tickets cost $15 each or two for $25. Kids under 12 eat free when accompanied by an adult. Wine and Laughing Dog Beer will be available for purchase. Live music will be performed by Girlfriend in a Coma.

Tickets are available at the following locations: Carter Country, Pampurred Pets, Green Meadow Kennels, Ivano’s Ristorante, Panhandle Animal Shelter, PAS Thrift Store, and Selkirk Press.Radical ReelsMarch 4- Faster, steeper, higher, deeper – The Banff Mountain Film Festival Radical Reels tour is making its only North Idaho stop, coming to Sandpoint, on Sunday, March 4. Show time is set for 7 pm at the Panida Theater. Radical Reels is presented as a benefit for Sandpoint’s Panida Theater.

Growing out of the famous Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, Radical Reels screens the best in action sports filmmaking programmed for maximum excitement.

With up to eight totally new films not shown previously, this years Radical Reels will take in the steepest and deepest in high adrenaline outdoor sport films. Whether its catching amazing footage of the world’s best paddlers, flying high with BASE jumpers in Oslo, Norway or pushing the limits in mountain biking, climbing and skiing Radical Reels will provide an action packed evening of films at the Panida Theater.

The Radical Reels Tour kicked off in the winter of 2004 in a limited number of special locations, and now visits about 15 states and provinces.

Tickets are available in Sandpoint at Monarch Mountain Coffee, Eichardt’s Pub & Grill, The Outdoor Experience and F.C. Weskils located next to the Panida Theater. Tickets in Bonners Ferry are available at Far North Outfitters.

For more information, call Michael Boge at 208-263-4282. Training for Care GiversMarch 6- Starting March 6, family caregivers and paid caregivers will have an opportunity to increase their skills working with people with Dementia and Alzheimers with a training session being offered in the evenings that covers beginning information

on Dementia and Alzheimers.Using professionally developed

materials from Mather Lifeways, participants will learn the elements of “person centered care.” This material will provide caregivers a look at Dementia and Alzheimers by exploring what effects the disease and symptoms have on a person’s abilities to function through their daily activities.

“Once we understand what physical losses a person is experiencing, we can then apply different caregiving techniques to promote a meaningful day of activity for an individual.” states Barbara Larsen of Sage Wood Assisted Living Services in Thompson Falls. Larsen has successfully completed a “train the trainer” program using the S.E.L.F. Program in which caregivers develop problem-solving skills to work with people in all stages of dementia.

The class is open for attendance by both family caregiver and paid caregivers.

“There is a real need for information and education for all caregivers and the public. It is hoped that this will be the first of several specialized trainings for caregivers that Sage Wood will provide the community.”

“ Respite services are being coordinated with the help of community members to entertain those who need our help so that their caregivers can attend this training” said Kristi Denson, Day Manager at Sage

Wood. People can sign-up for the training by calling Sage Wood at 406-827-6111. It is free for family care givers and a fee will be charged for paid caregivers. Paid caregivers will receive a certificate of completion for continuing education that they might need for their employment as a paid caregiver.Philosophy SeminarMarch 9- St. Agnes Episcopal Church is hosting a thoughtful evening of lecture and discussion lead by Dr. Antonia Galdos on the topic of, Happiness, Transforming Life By Creating Possibility. Dr. Galdos will present the work of Conductor Benjamin Zander of the Boston Philharmonic on this topic and facilitate an open forum discussion. Join us at St. Agnes Episcopal Church, 518 Oak Street in Sandpoint at 7 pm for sweet treats, coffee, and lively discussion.Life SkillsMarch 29- Young, old and in between, Life Skills NW wants everyone in the Sandpoint community to mark their calendars for Thursday, March 29th, 7 pm at the Panida Theater in Sandpoint, when they will present renown psychiatrist Foster Cline for “Live Your Best Life… NOW!”, an evening devoted to learning about relationships of all kinds featuring Dr. Cline’s inimitable mix of wisdom and humor.

The evening will focus on the importance of self awareness and healthy relationships in all areas of our lives: at work, at home as a parent, teen, romantic partner or friend. Topics of discussion will include “How do we get the way we are?”, “Rules for successful relationships”, “Principals for successful human interactions” and “Tapping into the law of attraction.”

Tickets will be available starting March 1st at various locations around Sandpoint to be announced, for a suggested minimum donation of $5 at the door, however, organizers want to encourage all to attend regardless of the cost.

“This is important information we are excited to share with the community. We want people to know that there are tools and information to help all of us sail more smoothly through life,” said Linda Spagon, Executive Director for Life Skills NW.

“And, we really want people to know that this isn’t just relevant for people who are in crisis. It’s great information for everybody. As we like to say, you don’t have to have a bad life, to want a better life!”

This event is presented by and benefiting Life Skills NW, a local non-profit organization with a mission of “Building relationships though personal growth.” For more information regarding this event and other Life Skills Classes and Programs, call 208-265-6796.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation BanquetMarch 31- The 16th Annual RMEF Big Game Banquet and Auction promises to be the best one yet. Last year, the Selkirk Crest chapter netted almost $60,000 at the event, with over 400 people in attendance. The chapter, in a 16-year period, has raised over $500,000 for the Rocky Moun-tain Elk Foundation. The mission of the RMEF is to insure the future of elk, other wildlife, and their habitat. In 2006 the RMEF has partnered with the Forest Service to provide funding for controlled burns on the east side of Lake Pend Oreille. The Bon-ner County Sportsmen’s Association, who are Habitat Partners with the RMEF, annu-ally contributes $2500 to projects in North Idaho.

Local businesses, artists and craftsmen, and the Idaho Fish and Game Department all are generous with their donations to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and this year’s banquet will feature an original painting by Janene Grende, several hunt-ing and fishing trips, outstanding artwork and furniture, and opportunities to win lots of guns, and even a Matthews bow.

The games and raffles are always fun, and Sportsmen’s Warehouse, Sandpoint Outfitters, and Inland Northwest Consul-tants are all helping to make this banquet a extra special one. Ivano’s Ristorante will again be catering the dinner. Tickets will not be sold at the door, so call 208-610-1838 to reserve your spot, or a table for you and your friends.

CLASSIFIEDSClassified advertising—

$5 for 35 words. Call 208-255-6957

OPPORTUNITYCAREER OPPORTUNITY– Part time or full time. High earning potential. Get paid to learn how money works and help families solve financial problems. Call 208-265-0473NOW HIRING– Handyman Services of Sandpoint is now hiring. Pay is $9 to $15 per hour depending on experience. This is a drug-free workplace. Call 208-265-5506 or go online to sandpointmovers.comVOLUNTEER DRIVERS NEEDED-The Bonner County Disabled American Veterans has an urgent need for volunteer drivers to take Veterans to and from their Doctor appointments at the Spokane VA Hospital. If you are in good health and have a clean driving record and can help just one day a week, please call 208-255-5291 for info or stop by the Veterans Service Office on McGhee Road and pick up an application.

FOR SALEGUN SAFES In stock. Delivery Available. Mountain Stove and Spa, 1225 Michigan, Sandpoint. Call: 208-263-0582.BOAT MOTORS, SMALL ENGINES AND MORE Best buy on marine deep cycle batteries and auto batteries. Call about generators. Ron’s Repair in Hope. Call: 208-264-5529 For Sale– 1977 15hp Johnson outboard. $515. 1980 9.9hp Evinrude long shaft outboard. $795. Gas string trimmer, $95. 3000 watt generator, almost new, $195. Call Ron’s Repair at 208-264-5529.

MISCELLANEOUSNOW’S THE TIME FOR SMALL ENGINE REPAIR. Don’t wait. Ron’s Repair, Hope, Idaho. Call: 208-264-5529.MUSICIAN AVAILABLE- Live music from the 30s,, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. Jazz standards and pop songs. Ray Allen playing a single on guitar and vocals for private parties, special events, restaurants, etc. Low rates. Call 208-610-8244.

Page 14 | The River Journal | 28 February 2007

Veterans News by Jody Forest

Please stop by and visit the Gun and Horn Show Veterans booth at the county fairgrounds the first weekend

in March. It will be manned by volunteers from all of the local vets organizations (VVA, DAV, VFW and more). Say hi to the guys and ask them if they would like a break.

Due to a scheduling conflict at VFW Hall next month, the next meeting off V.V.A. Chapter #890 will be held at Lakeview Funeral Home on March 13 at 6 pm. Thanks to Doug and the gang at Lakeview for their help.

Speaking of the Vietnam Vets, our local group’s website is finally up and running and you can check it out online at www.VVA890.org

The Local DAV chapter would like to express its deep thanks to the family and friends of the late Richard Cox for their generous donations in his memory. The Kaniksu Loop Bowling Club gave a $350 check to the DAV Van fund recently, as well as $50 from the Wild Horse Chapter of the DAR. Our thanks to you all!

Nationally, the issue of health care for veterans has received a lot of attention after the Washington Post broke the story of deplorable conditions at Walter Reed Hospital. Writer Joseph Galloway (co-author of We Were Soldiers Once... and Young) wrote in an editorial for Editor and Publisher, “As the Washington Post probe proves, there’s more to supporting our troops than making “Support Our Troops” a phrase that every politician feels obliged to utter in every speech, no matter how craven the purpose. How can they look at themselves in the mirror every morning?”

He went on to write, “The

Washington Post published a probe, complete with photographs, revealing that for every in-patient who’s getting the best medical treatment that money can buy at the main hospital at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, there are out-patients warehoused in quarters unfit for human habitation.

“Some of the military outpatients are stuck on the Walter Reed campus, a couple of miles from the White House and the Capitol, for as long as 12 months. They’ve been living in rat and roach-infested rooms, some of which are coated in black mold.”

He added, “All this came on the heels of my McClatchy Newspapers colleague Chris Adams’s February 9 report that even by its own measures, the Veterans Administration isn’t prepared to give returning veterans the care they need to help them overcome destructive, and sometimes fatal, mental health ailments. Nearly 100 VA clinics provided virtually no mental health care in 2005, Adams found, and the average veteran with psychiatric troubles gets about a third fewer visits with specialists today than he would have received a decade ago.

“The same politicians, from a macho president to the bureaucrats to the people who chair the congressional committees that are supposed to oversee such matters, have utterly failed to protect our wounded warriors.

“They’ve talked the talk but few, if any, have ever walked the walk.”

I concur with Galloway’s statements. No one can be said to “support our troops” when funding for basic physical and mental health care for our veterans continues to be an issue of debate. In fact, I think Galloway said it best: “If the American people are not sickened and disgusted by this then, by God, we don’t deserve to be defended from the wolves of this world.”

‘til next time, smoke ‘em if you got ‘em and all homage to Xena!

If you’ve spent any time with cats, you’ve probably noticed that they spend a lot of quality time snoozing. In fact, cats

sleep anywhere from 13 to 16 hours per day. In other words, your friendly companion feline spends approximately two-thirds of his entire life in dreamland.

Cats sleep more than almost any other mammal. Realistically, your cat sleeps about twice as much as you do. How much an individual cat sleeps depends on his age, hunger, the temperature and the weather. Like humans, cats go through both Rapid Eye Movement (REM) and non-REM sleep. Although no one can actually ask a cat, the assumption is that your cat dreams during REM sleep. You may notice his whiskers twitch or his eye moving behind his eyelids. The deep non-REM sleep is when the cat’s body grows and repairs itself.

As with other aspects of your cat’s behavior, you should pay attention to how much he sleeps. Some variation in sleep habits is normal, but if you find your cat is sleeping more or less than usual, it may indicate a problem. If you notice any change in sleep habits, you should contact your veterinarian.

A cat that seems lethargic or depressed may be ill. Conversely a cat that is sleeping less than usual may have a thyroid problem. Although dogs are more often hypothyroid (meaning they don’t have enough thyroid hormone), cats are more likely to be hyperthyroid (meaning they have too much thyroid hormone). Because the cat is producing extra thyroid hormone his metabolism goes up, and he sleeps less.

Most cats, particularly house cats,

do a lot of their sleeping at night. People who have cats that wake them up in the middle of the night often say their cat is “nocturnal” although that’s not technically true. Cats are “crepuscular,” which means they are most active at dawn and dusk. They do their hunting at these times because their prey is most active. During the heat of the day, the cat is asleep. Although they have good night vision, cats can’t see in complete darkness, so they tend to sleep then as well.

If you have a cat that wakes you up early every morning, she may simply be reacting to her crepuscular nature. When the sun comes up, the cat wakes up. At certain times of year, dawn is undoubtedly going to happen before your alarm clock goes off. (It helps to have very thick curtains in your bedroom to keep the light from waking up you or your cat.)

Of course, you also can inadvertently reward your cat for getting you up too early. If you feed her in the morning, don’t feed her right after you get up. Don’t ever respond to a feline demanding that you get up either, or you are doomed to be awakened by your cat forever.

Finally, if your cat has turned around her schedule, so she is on “the night shift” wake her up during the day and play with her. After all, the animal needs 16 hours of sleep, so it’s got to happen sometime.

Susan Daffron owns Logical Expressions Inc., and is the author of Happy Hound (http://www.happyhoundbook.com). She is a former veterinary assistant and owns four dogs and two cats. Articles are archived at http://www.pet-tails.com

Pet Tails by Susan Daffron

The River Journal | 28 February 2007 | Page 15

Computer Help by Melody Martz

When Excel Won’t Accomodate

Cold and flu season is well upon us and those of us with no interest in sharing others germs may well be relying

heavily on hand sanitizers at this time of year.

But are they safe? A couple of emails circulating suggest they’re not.

In one, a rather gory picture of burned hands says that the unfortunate owner of the hands used a hand sanitizer at work, then immediately went outdoors to smoke a cigarette. When he attempted to protect the flame from his lighter with his hand, the gel on his skin caught fire.

True? Well, no. The picture included in the

email is actually a picture of burns suffered by an electrician at the Idaho National Lab. He was installing lighting fixtures, and a tool he was using came into contact with a live wire.

So the picture was false, but can you catch your hands on fire after using a hand-sanitizing gel?

The urban legends website at Snopes says that “hand sanitizers are typically alcohol-based gels containing isopropanol and/or ethyl alcohol, both of which are flammable.” They state they conducted their own experiments and found that even a small amount of the gel was readily flammable, though “the resulting fire burned relatively cool and was easily extinguished.”

In contrast, a 1998 study by the Federal Aviation Administration found an ethanol-based hand cleaner was “often difficult to ignite,” though they also found any resulting fire relatively easy to put out.

No one, however, conducted tests whereby the gel on someone’s hand was lit on fire in order to measure how easily it ignited, or how easily it was extinguished. (Or even how much it hurt.) Understandable, and this information should probably carry that well-known proviso, “don’t try this at home!”

If you want to make sure you’re completely safe, any trace of hand sanitizer should probably be removed from your hands before you place your hands near flame.

That handy hand-sanitizer is also implicated in another circulating email. This one tells of a small child

who ingested just a small amount of the sanitizer, and ended up with alcohol poisoning.

The email, which happens to be a true story for a change, says that doctors warned the child’s parents that even three “squirts” of ingested hand sanitizer for child as small as theirs (a two-year-old) could result in a blood alcohol level of .10.

The point, of course, is that hand sanitizers are similar to other substances found in most households in that they contain ingredients that are potentially toxic to young children. Remember Mr. Yuk? Hand sanitizers need a big Mr. Yuk sticker right on the front.

Given these two emails, you might want to toss your hand-sanitizer right into the nearest trash receptacle, but consider this before you do. In a 2005 study by Children’s Hospital, they discovered that those who use hand-sanitizer gels experienced a 59 percent reduction in gastrointestinal illness, and that increased use of hand sanitizers corresponded with a decreased spread of contagions.

A study by James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center of the efficacy of hand sanitizers showed that a 62 percent alcohol concentration was necessary in order to be an effective anti-bacterial.

By the way, the CDC estimates their are approximately 36,000 deaths each year caused by flu and/or pneumonia.

All this information together would seem to suggest that hand sanitizers have a place in a family’s plan for wellness. Just treat it as you would any other medicine - don’t make it readily available to small children, and exercise some minor precautions.

And whenever you have questions about an email you’ve received, take time to check it out. Visit Snopes at www.snopes.com.

-Trish GannonTO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION...

YES!laser image

your computing solution208-263-2422

Joel Whittaker

I have lots to say. But when I am in an Excel spreadsheet, the cell into which I am typing my thoughts does not

readily accommodate all that I have to share.

If I begin typing in cell A1, the text can easily overflow its borders, overlapping cells B1, C1, and more. But Excel doesn’t actually consume those other cells when I type. All my text is still effectively a part of cell A1, but it is just “sitting large” on my worksheet. As soon as I select B1, for example, and begin to type, my lengthy prose stored in cell A1 slips behind the new content of cell B1. This can be very frustrating.

So, I have learned a few of Excel’s features that help me deal with text.

One option is to change the format of the cell that contains my text. In my example, if I select cell A1, then choose “Format” from the menu options at the top of my screen, then select “Cells…” from the drop-down list, a “Format Cells” window will display in the middle of the screen. After selecting the tab labeled “Alignment,” there are three Text Control options displayed in the middle of the window.

The first option is to “Wrap Text.” By checking this box, all of the text I began in cell A1 will now wrap to the width of the cell, pushing the row height to accommodate all the text. If I resize the cell, the wrapped text will adjust to the new size.

The second option is “Shrink to Fit.” By checking this box, Excel will adjust the font size of the text small enough to fit the entire string within the width of the cell. This can result in some pretty fine print, so you might want to reserve this option for less long-winded dissertations. The larger I resize the cell width, the larger the text becomes, and

vice-versa.The last option is “Merge Cells.”

This is one of my favorite options, and one I use quite frequently. I typically reserve this option for when I am in need of placing a descriptive label across a number of columns.

Given the example I have used here, if I wanted to use this option, I would start by selecting cells A1, B1, plus C1. Then I would choose, Format, Cells, Alignment tab, then click the box next to the Merge Cells option. This effectively combines all three cells together into one large cell in order to accommodate the string of text started in cell A1. The merged cells now become known simply as A1 (B1 and C1 having been consumed in the merge).

It is such a useful tool, and so commonly used, that there is a shortcut button at the top of the screen on the Format toolbar. The button is just to the left of the dollar sign, and has a small letter “a” in the center of the button. This shortcut not only merges selected cells together, but also centers the text in the middle of the new merged range. If you make a mistake, just click on the shortcut button once again to return the cells to their un-merged state.

If you find yourself in need of including long-winded strings of text in your spreadsheets, I have some additional thoughts. Next time, I will explore text boxes and comments.

As always, if you have any comments or questions, email me at melody@netw.com

Page 16 | The River Journal | 28 February 2007

On March 20, the Lake Pend Oreille School District will place before voters an 8.96 million dollar replacement

levy to support our schools. In the next two columns that I write, I will provide information for readers that will help them make an informed choice on this critical topic. Below is some information from the District’s fact sheet.

Why do we need the proposed replacement levy?

The 2005 levy expires on June 30, 2007.

The State of Idaho funds only 68 percent of the District’s current overall expenses and 80 percent of the current operational expenses.

Schools continue to experience increasing costs due to the following: fuel, utilities, paper, labor, insurance, etc. Maintenance costs, transportation costs, food service needs continue to increase.

We need to continue to support improvements in student achievement, success in academic and athletic competition, and most of all preparing students to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Are we alone in asking for a replacement levy?

No. In fact, 97 percent of the school districts in Idaho count upon voter approved levies. Half of them rely on replacement levies to support their day to day operations.

Will this replacement levy support the construction of new buildings or remodeling?

No. Dollars from this levy will not be spent upon construction or remodeling.

What will this replacement levy support?

This levy will be used specifically to support curriculum materials and instruction, activities and athletics, technology, staffing, kitchen equipment, maintenance, and pupil transportation.

Will this levy be added onto my current taxes for school?

No. On June 30 the 2005 levy expires. This will simply replace the current levy.

How does our levy cost compare to our neighbors and state?

Currently, residents of our district pay approximately $68 per $100,000 dollars of assessed taxable value. West Bonner residents pay approximately $48; Coeur d’Alene $112; Lakeland $160; Post Falls $222; Boundary County $234. The statewide average is $310, a full four and one half times more than residents of the Lake Pend

Oreille School District.How much will this cost me to

support the replacement levy?If you have the Homeowner’s

Exemption you would see the following change per month) if the replacement levy is successful:

A home with an assessed value of $100,000 is currently paying $2.85 per month. The cost would increase to $3.75 per month, an increase of 90 cents.

A home with an assessed value of $200,000 is currently paying $7.14 per month. The cost would increase to $8.30 per month, an increase of $1.16.

A home with an assessed value of $250,000 is currently paying $9.99 per month. The cost would increase to $12.05 per month, an increase of $2.06.

A home with an assessed value of $300,000 is currently paying $12.84 per month. The cost would increase to $15.80 per month, an increase of $2.96.

A home with an assessed value of $350,000 is currently paying $15.70 per month. The cost would increase to $19.55 per month, an increase of $3.85.

A home with an assessed value of $400,000 is currently paying $18.55 per month. The cost would increase to $23.30 per month, an increase of $4.75.

Clearly, this is an increase, but one that is very minimal to keep our schools serving our children, families, and communities well.

In my next column I will outline specific items in the proposed levy, improvements our last replacement levy made in our school program, how we kept our promise on how we would spend the dollars, and finally and most importantly, the academic growth our students made. We are proud of their progress. We are a good

Scholarship Available

Help with History

2 T Oil1 lb White Chocolate3 C Mini Pretzels2 C Raisins2 C Dry Roasted Peanuts(1) melt white chocolate with oil in a

large sauce pan.(2) stir in pretzels, raisins and

peanuts (other nuts and dried fruit may be used)

(3) line a 9” x 13” baking dish with foil and pour in hot mixture.

(4) place in refrigerator until cold.(5) remove and break into small

pieces. Store in a cool place A simple, fun and tasty treat. Place in

decorative jars or tins and give as gifts.This recipe and 250 others can be

found in the new cookbook published by the Community Assistance League, Savoring Sandpoint,Recipes Across the Bridge. The book is available only at Bizarre Bazzar, 105 Vermeer Drive, Ponderay, ID. 208-263-3400.

What Does the Levy Mean to Our Students?

by Lake Pend Oreille School District Superintendent Dick Cvitanich

The Bonner County Human Rights Task Force is pleased to announce the ninth annual $2000 scholarship being offered to graduating seniors from Bonner County who will be enrolling in higher education next fall. All graduating students are eligible whether they are attending public school, private school or are home-schooled.

In order to be eligible a student must reside in Bonner County, have a minimum grade point average of 2.5, and plan to enroll in higher education in the fall. Children of Task Force board members are not eligible, but children of the general membership are welcome to apply. However, families are not required to be members of the Task Force to be considered.

Each year the Task Force has awarded the scholarship to a student who has consistently shown concern for the rights and dignity of others. The criterion includes not only traditional human rights activities, but also community services and volunteerism.

Application forms are available at counselors’ offices at the public schools or by calling the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force at 208-263-0275.

Are you interested in area history? Do you want to make a contribution towards protecting, saving and recording it? The Bonner County Historical Society will be electing new Board Members to replace those outgoing at its April 28 annual meeting and we invite any interested folks to contact Will Valentine, who somehow ended up on the nominating committee! His phone number is 208-255-1114 or you can email him at valentine66@isp.com and he can explain what the board does, when it meets, and other relevant information. Please give this some consideration.

Spring on the Way

Sandpoint’s Jim Fulling, of Mountain Spa and Stove, announced he saw the first robins on February 13, almost two weeks earlier than he usually sees them. On February 18, five days later, Marianne Love reported on her blog (www.slightdetour.blogspot.com) that out in the Selle Valley, “The first robin sighting at the Lovestead occurred at precisely 7:45 this morning as two or three brown-breasted beauties dug for goodies and snacked alongside a flicker in the green grass ring at the bottom of one of the trees south of the house. I opened the sliding glass door, bid them welcome and then went to the sunflower seed sack to add to their morning brunch. Robins seem to love this place, so I’m expecting several dozen appearances before day’s end.”

Eatin Good in the NeighborhoodSWEET

NIBBLES

County Code Revisions

Bonner County is currently in the process of updating its land use codes, which govern how development occurs in the county.

On March 1, the first official public hearing will be held on the county’s draft Title 12 code revisions. The revisions include many changes that are meant to protect our natural resources

The Public Hearing begins at 5 pm in the Sandpoint Community Hall. An open house will precede the hearing at 4 pm.

SHS Curriculum Night

Sandpoint High School parents are invited to pick up their students’ schedules and get a brief overview of this semester’s curriculum at Sandpoint High School. Pick up schedules and school map between 4:30 and 5 pm; teacher presentations from 5 to 6 pm. Immediately after, the 2-year Technical College Night program happens in the common area from 6 to 8 pm. Call 208-263-3034 for more information.

The River Journal | 28 February 2007 | Page 17

want to see happen in their town,” Brashear stated. (For community reaction, see “Community Uproar” on page one.)

Councilman Russ Schenck admitted that the ordinances had not been developed by a trained planner and Mayor Tom Shields stated that a local planner who looked through the proposal characterized the ordinances as “ambitious.” But, he added, “No one wants to hurt the people of Clark Fork. Our intent is to make sure the growth coming our way will be managed in a way that benefits the town and its residents. We weren’t looking to create problems for our current residents.”

Schenck said the council requested copies of ordinances from small towns (under 500 population) throughout Idaho. “We started with a 300 page document and whittled it down.”

Shields said that while the committee did not consider any specific, objective criteria when determining whether an ordinance was worthy of adoption, “We looked at the ordinances of other cities and the ordinance of Clark Fork to address current development needs and also to try to predict as many of the future development needs as we could. We chose the parts of those ordinances that we thought would apply, sometimes changing the wording to fit Clark Fork’s situation. Our goal was to look at the property interests of the whole city and not just individual interests here and there.”

Residents question what other small cities in Idaho have ordinances requiring “complimentary” paint colors, for example, on homes and garages, or landscaping requirements so specific that they require landscaping in buffer zones be “60 percent evergreen.”

“Did these ordinances come from some super-wealthy community? They don’t seem typical for a small town,” Brashear said.

The mayor said he couldn’t remember which towns they obtained ordinances from, but added it wasn’t “important” where the ordinances came from as they adopted only those they felt would apply to Clark Fork.

“The ordinances do seem to be more of a type associated with a gated community,” said Bonner County Commissioner Lewis Rich, who was contacted by community members about this issue.

Community concern centers around a few specific areas in and around the proposed zoning changes. The first was community notification.

“I had no idea this was going on until I saw (Brashear’s) flyer,” said Bob Hays, owner of Hays Chevron.

While the council pointed out that legal notice was given of each meeting (via posting in the local post office), community members said they had no idea the council was contemplating such an enormous change to existing regulations.

And indeed, state law is in support of adequate notification. Idaho Code 67-6507 reads, “As part of the planning process, the commission shall endeavor to promote a public interest in and understanding of the commission’s activities.”

Residents feel that requirement was not met.

Jim Junget, for example, didn’t know what was going on, and that was a surprise to him as he stated he attended “most of those meetings,” estimating that in the last year and a half, he might have missed three. “Almost all of this was a surprise to me,” he said.

Junget explained that “most of the time I didn’t know what they were talking about (in the meetings). They would say things like, “what if we change this word on line five of page six to ‘if.’” There wasn’t

discussion (on the specifics of an ordinance) to where you knew what they were planning on doing. And I had no idea there were going to be so many of them.”

When reference to sections of Idaho Code 67, which includes such provisions as the previously quoted adequate notification, and examples of objective criteria, was made, Mayor Shields responded that those references deal “specifically with developing and adopting a Comprehensive Plan and (don’t) really apply to creating a Zoning Ordinance.”

Yet the ordinance itself states it is adopted “pursuant to authority granted by Title 67, Chapter 65 of Idaho Code.” The short title of

that code? The “Local Land Use Planning Act;” the portion of Idaho Code the mayor said didn’t apply.

A second area of community concern has to do with the issue of “grandfathering,” whereby current structures would be permitted even though they do not meet the new standards.

Mayor Shields pointed out, “Under Section 15.0, Subsection B (of the ordinances) it states that if a lawful use involving individual structures, or of a structure and land in combination, existed on or before the effective date of this Ordinance, that would not be allowed in the district (this refers to a zoning district) under the terms of this Ordinance, the lawful use may continue as long as it remains otherwise lawful, subject to certain conditions...”

Council members stated the intent of the changes is focused on guiding new development, not imposing undue hardships on existing properties.

Yet the proposed ordinance states only “maintenance and repairs” may be performed on a non-conforming property and that re-construction of a non-conforming structure is only permitted, if the “building (was) destroyed by no fault of the owner...”

“My bank loan is in jeopardy,” stated Eric Cox, who recently purchased a former bed and breakfast and planned to open a gun store. “They won’t give me a loan

because (the city) won’t guarantee it could be rebuilt.”

Another major concern has to do with ordinances that deal with aesthetics: paint colors, businesses having to match sign “motifs” to the architectural style of their building, landscaping issues and the hot-button issue, a date when Christmas lights have to be taken down. (The actual wording of the ordinance states, “Reasonable seasonable decorations within the appropriate holiday season (are allowed). However, such displays shall be removed at the end of the public holiday season.”

“Why in the world would they care when we take our lights down?” asked Brashear. “And who’s going

to decide this?” Who, indeed, will determine whether signs match the “architectural style” of a building or whether the color of the garage “compliments” the color of the house?

Shields responded he believed it would be up to the mayor to do that, with a little help from residents themselves. “... in a small city this enforcement is most often times triggered by a written complaint.”

The ordinances also include the provision for fines for non-compliance - $1,000 per day that the property owner is out of compliance - and penalties as well; a misdemeanor charge carrying up to six months in jail, for each and every day of non-compliance.

County Commissioner Rich noted that planning and zoning issues generally are something the public has a “strong interest” in, and suggested Clark Fork’s council might want to follow the example of the county’s planning and zoning department.

“As the county has developed its Comprehensive Plan, (P&Z Director) Clare Marley and her staff have been very successful at addressing the community’s concerns, and coming up with a document that people support,” he said.

Clark Fork’s council members, however, don’t seem overly enamored with the idea of public participation at this point. Although they were asked repeatedly by the public to engage in debate on the specifics of

the new ordinances, Shields stated, “It is my feeling that this is not feasible and I would not promote it. A workshop, by law, is a meeting for the public to observe the council discuss and consider proposed ordinances, resolutions, etc. and as such the public is not guaranteed a right to speak. However, the Clark Fork City Council has, to my knowledge, always allowed the public to participate in the discussions. But to have approximately 100 people go through a 75 page ordinance line by line is not realistic. The people, by law, are given their chance to speak at the Public Hearing, but even that can have certain restrictions such as length of time.”

Several residents, however, have vowed to initiate a recall petition against any elected city officials who refuse to listen to concerns from the public. It’s a question of representation, they say.

In order to allow for community feedback on the ordinance proposals in a manner that doesn’t place an undue burden on council members, the River Journal has posted the complete proposal online, where those interested can read the individual ordinances and post their comments regarding the same. Follow the link from our website (www.RiverJournal.com) or visit the ordinance blog directly at www.cforkord.blogspot.com.

The next city council meeting will be held at 7 pm on Monday, March 12. Council meetings are held at City Hall unless large attendance requires the meeting to be held elsewhere. If you want to attend the meeting and prefer to call beforehand regarding any changes, you can reach Clark Fork’s City Hall at 208-266-1315.

Idaho Code Title 50 deals with Municipal Corporations (cities) and Idaho Code Title 67 deals with Land Use Planning. Both are accessible on the internet at www3.state.id.us/idstat/TOC/idstTOC.html.

Council- Cont’d from page 1

Just a Minute, Please

When asked by the River Journal to produce minutes from the meetings held to develop this ordinance, city clerk Jonelle Davis apologized and said that no minutes were kept.

The Idaho Attorney General’s office states, in their Open Meeting Law Manual, “Section 67-2344(1) requires that the governing body of a public agency must provide for the taking of written minutes of all of its meetings.”

It further states, “If an action, or any deliberation or decision-making that leads to an action, occurs at any meeting which fails to comply with the provisions of the Open Meeting Law, such an action will be null and void,” and adds, “In sum, any information that you wish to use to form the basis of your decision must be made a part of the public record.” (Emphasis ours.)

In order to meet legal requirements, the council has the option to “correct errors by repeating the process in compliance with the law.”

Shields stated this won’t be necessary, however. “...there are minutes to each and every workshop we held,” he said, though he did not explain why the clerk would tell the media that was not the case, nor why he didn’t correct the clerk when she made that statement, as he was present when it was stated no minutes were taken. If an explanation is provided, we will print it in our next issue.

The River Journal attempted, prior to press time, to obtain the minutes a second time, but City Hall was closed.

Page 18 | The River Journal | 28 February 2007

Montana Viewpoint with Sen. Jim ElliottCorporate Income Tax and the Public’s Need to Know

A Seat in the House with Rep. George Eskridge

In 2003, 40 percent of the top 500 national and multinational companies doing business in Montana paid less income tax

than 50 percent of Montana wage earners - $500. When I discovered that, I wanted to know why, and so I launched a quest to make the state income tax records of these mega-corporations public knowledge.

Ever since the corporate income tax was introduced in 1909 by President William Howard Taft, there has been controversy about whether or not this information should be a matter of public record. Taft, a Republican, didn’t think there should be any controversy at all; he specified in his address to Congress that public knowledge of corporate earnings and taxes would serve as a check on the fast and loose methods corporations were using at the turn of the 20th Century.

Taft followed his good friend Teddy Roosevelt as President, and it was Roosevelt who led the charge against the corporate “Trusts” which

colluded to control their respective industries of coal, railroads, steel, and meat-packing.

So when the corporate income tax was established, the earnings and taxes of the big corporations were public knowledge. It didn’t last long. Corporations were then, as now, far more powerful than mere Presidents, and the Congress soon removed the publicity provisions.

From time to time in the wake of the discovery of widespread corporate fraud activities, most recently with Enron and other companies, there have been attempts at reviving the publicity provisions. But corporations are still the most powerful political force in the world, and the attempts have fizzled at the national level. There are a few states that have some measure of corporate disclosure, and I believe Montana should join them.

There are several valid reasons for shining light into the world of corporate finance, not the least of which is because they do have inordinate political power. If we require financial disclosure of the President, senators, and members of Congress, why not require it of the most powerful political force?

Corporations have gained this power through twists of fate and legal

decisions, and for many purposes have the same rights as individual Americans. For some purposes they have more rights than mere humans.

Through an offhand notation in an 1885 Supreme Court decision, corporations gained the status of “personhood.” That status gives them the right to freedom of speech, among others, and spending money on political advertising is a way of exercising that freedom of speech. That is a tremendous amount of power given the vast amounts capable of being spent.

But because of the very nature of corporations, the people who make the decisions are - except in extraordinary circumstances - free from any legal liability incurred as a result of their decisions. That’s a right individual Americans do not have.

While individuals exist through the grace of their Creator, Corporations exist by the grace of individuals. They are licensed by a state to do business in the state, and that license can be taken away by the state, although it rarely is unless the corporation doesn’t pay its annual fee. If corporations are the creation of the public then they are accountable

to the public.In Montana, corporations,

although “persons,” do not have the same rights as individuals. The Montana Constitution specifically gives the Right of Privacy only to individuals, and a recent Supreme Court decision (Great Falls Tribune v Montana Public Service Commission) states specifically that corporations do not have an expectation to the right of privacy.

This year I have introduced SB 242 to require that state tax information of certain national and multinational corporations be made public. Specifically, the corporations would have to be required to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, traded on a major national stock exchange, and have over $2 billion in capitalization. No company headquartered in Montana meets those criteria and would not be subject to disclosure.

The major argument against this seems to be “it will send an anti-business message.” But in Wisconsin, where state taxes paid by Harley Davidson, Snap-On Tools, and a host of other corporations headquartered in Wisconsin are public record, businesses have not left the state.

Another argument is that the public is incapable of understanding the intricacies involved and will misinterpret the numbers. This argument is made by the same folks who think that the public is fully capable of making sophisticated decisions about buying corporate stock - without knowing the amount of taxes paid or not paid. When Enron was claiming record corporate profits, they were also taking record corporate losses against their taxes. That information would have told the stockholders something, and prevented millions from losing their life savings invested in Enron and other, similarly “ethically challenged” companies.

I think it’s in our best interests to allow the Montana public access to this corporate tax information, as taxpayers, investors, and just plain citizens. How about you?

Read more of what Jim has to say online at www.JimElliott.org.

The pace is starting to accelerate as we get closer to the end of the session. The

Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee set the budget for about 50 agencies the week of February 19; however the large budgets of Public Education and Health and Welfare are yet to be done.

In addition to the appropriations process there are several pieces of legislation that I think would be of special interest to our River Journal readers.

House Bill 81, that increases the grocery sales tax credit to $70 for senior citizens and to $50 for all other Idahoans, ran into a problem in the Senate. The Local Government and Taxation Committee held committee hearings on the bill on February 22, but after lengthy testimony by many citizens supporting different versions of a grocery tax credit, the committee couldn’t reach any consensus, and as a result, voted to send the bill to the Senate floor for possible amendments. Depending upon Senate floor action the bill could wait for several days (possibly weeks) until Senate Republican leaders decide to

hold a debate on the Senate floor over which changes, if any, should be made to the legislation.

House Bill 206 is proposed legislation that would phase out the tax on business personal property, including machinery, tools, furnishings, equipment and some fixtures.

The legislation phases out the tax over a set period of time, immediately and retroactive to January 1, 2007 for property up to $50,000 of taxable value. The remaining personal property in excess of $50,000 taxable value will be phased out from 2008 to 2016.

The $50,000 immediate exemption would shift between $4 and 7 million in tax liability to other classifications of property.

The remaining phase-out of the higher value personal represents a loss of revenue to local governments; but to keep local governments whole, the loss of this revenue would be covered by reimbursement to the counties from the state general fund account. By the end of the phase-out period in 2016 it is estimated that the amount required annually from the state general fund to reimburse the local government’s loss will be approximately $96 million.

House Bill 184 provides that

Idaho’s minimum wage be linked to the Federal minimum wage law. Congress is expected to raise the minimum wage this year and House Bill 184 allows the Idaho minimum wage to take effect on the same date as the federal law would take effect.

This legislation was not without controversy, but did pass the House on a 47 to 19 vote. There were some members of the House who wanted to both increase the minimum wage over the proposed federal government proposal and, in addition, add an index to the minimum wage that would increase the minimum wage in parallel with increases in the CPI index. The bill now goes before the Senate.

House Bill 121 removes the exemption for bowling alleys from the clean indoor air prohibition on smoking in a public place. The bill, if passed into law, would outlaw smoking in bowling alleys. After a lengthy debate over personal property rights and the philosophy that business owners shouldn’t be mandated to eliminate smoking in their own place of business, House Bill 121 passed the House by a vote of 48 to 17.

House Joint Memorial #3 is a joint memorial sending a message to Congress and to our Congressional Delegation that the Idaho legislature objects to the mandates of the Real

ID Act of 2005 passed by Congress. The REAL ID act of 2005 has

serious constitutional and privacy problems. It forces all states to issue driver’s licenses to the federal ID standard and attempts to force the states to become part of a national database with 50,000 access points to sensitive data on every American citizen. The act also creates an unfunded mandate on every state with an initial cost to Idaho estimated at $39 million and over $9 million annually.

Governor Otter has also expressed opposition to the REAL ID act and announced that he is working to get other governors to join him in opposing the act.

This legislative session is still scheduled to end March 19, and based on the speed at which the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee is doing its work on setting the budget, it appears that we may in fact end the session on the 19th.

In the meantime, please feel free to contact me with issues of concern to you. My phone number in Boise is 1-800-626-0471, e-mail at idleginfo@lso.idaho.gov. and my mailing address is: House of Representatives, State Capitol Building, P.O. Box 83720, Boise, Idaho 83720-0038.Thanks for reading!George

The River Journal | 28 February 2007 | Page 19

Coffelt Funeral ServiceSandpoint, Idaho

Esther Mae Jean Bopp, 82, passed away on Tuesday, February 20 in Sandpoint, Idaho. A Vigil Service was held at Coffelt’s Funeral Chapel in Sandpoint. The Funeral Mass was

held at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church with Father Dennis C. Day officiating. Burial followed at Pinecrest Memorial Park Cemetery in Sandpoint.

Jean was born on December 8, 1924 in Sandpoint, the daughter of Adolph and Bertha Pedersen. She married Bill Bopp on June 25, 1941 in Sandpoint. She lived in many towns as the family followed heavy construction projects.

Jean suffered poor health for many years with living with Multiple Sclerosis. She enjoyed her family and grandchildren as well as her flower and vegetable gardens.

She is survived by her son Joe Bopp of Priest Lake, Idaho; four grandchildren and four great grandchildren; and her brother Doug Pedersen of Yakima, Wash.

Jean was preceded in death by her parents and 2 daughters Judy Yost and Betty Bopp.

Family and friends are invited to sign Jean’s online guest book at www.coffeltfuneral.com.

Donald G. “Don” Pratt, 74, passed away on Monday, February 19, in Sandpoint, Idaho. In respect for Don’s wishes there will be no public services held.

Don was born on August 22, 1932 in

Fargo, North Dakota the son of James and Mabel Pratt. Don joined the United States Air Force in 1950 and was stationed in Germany where he met his wife Elfriede in a town called Kempten.

Don and Frieda returned from Germany in 1954 and settled in Oldtown, Idaho, moving to Sandpoint. shortly thereafter where Don built his own home.

Don was employed by the U.S. Postal Service in 1957 where he worked until his retirement in 1989.

Don and Frieda also celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary in May of 2006. Don was a master wood worker who spent much of his free time working in his shop, where he made furniture and many other well crafted items for his family and friends.

He is survived by survived by his wife Frieda of Sandpoint, his brother Ken Griffin of Lynnwood, Wash., a sister Vi Gravlin of Moorehead, Minn. and a sister “Shortie” along with many nieces and nephews. Don and Frieda were also blessed with four children; Georgia of Spokane, Wash., Jim (Marilyn) of Kootenai, Idaho., John of Post Falls, Idaho., and Jack (Polly) of Sagle, Idaho. They have seven grandchildren; Ericka (Chad), Christy (Mike), Donella, Donny (Julie), Carl, Jennifer, and Brian. Don and Frieda also have two beautiful great grandchildren Maci Mae and Ashlee Ann.

Family and friends are invited to sign Don’s online guest book at www.coffeltfuneral.com.

Voters in Idaho might soon be required to identify their political affiliation when registering to vote or else they may not be allowed to vote in a primary election, according to a bill introduced in the House State Affairs Committee.

The committee may vote to send the bill to the House floor as early as February 27. If the bill passes, it would be the first time in Idaho history that voters would be required to list their political affiliation.

When registering to vote, a person would list his or her political party preference and then receive a primary ballot specific to that party. The parties themselves – not a state election official – would decide whether to let those who did not pick a political affiliation, opting to be an “independent,” participate in the primary nominating process.

“We’re going to have many angry voters when they realize they must select a political party on their voter registration card,” said Nez Perce County Clerk Patty Weeks. “If they fail to declare a party, then they probably don’t get to vote,” she said.

The Idaho Association of Counties’ legislative committee voted last week

to oppose this measure under the grounds that the bill does not address the cost of notifying registered voters of the need to identify a political party and also that it fails to provide provisions for a voter to change party affiliation.

“The bill does not address the difficulties of administering this significant change in election policy,” said Kelci Karl-Robinson, policy analyst for the Idaho Association of Counties. “There are currently more than 700,000 people registered to vote and there is no provision in the bill that says how these folks will go about selecting a political party. The county clerks and poll workers will be the ones who face the anger of voters showing up on primary election day who thought they could vote as they previously did, but are now forced to declare a party in order to vote.”

Weeks said the bill has the potential to eliminate privacy in the voting process. “Anyone can see what political affiliation you list,” she said. “It’s not a fair piece of legislation and people need to contact their representatives and let them know.”

-Press Release provided by the Idaho Association of Counties

Legislature to consider requiring voters to

identify party affiliation

Congratulations Sandpoint High School Wrestlers, 2nd in State!

You missed the show?!

Order your personal copy

of the 2007 FOLLIES today!

This show proudly brought to you by the Angels Over

Sandpoint and not intended for viewing by anyone under the age of 21.

Call 208-263-7171VHS - $20DVD - $25

VideoSmith Saves the Day!

Page 20 | 28 February 2007 | The River Journal

“I think when they put the ordinance together they were trying too hard and got about 80 percent too much in there,” said Bob Hays, a long-time resident of Clark Fork. Bob, who served eight years on the

council himself, knows that the city council job is a thankless position.

“You have to think about what the majority of the people want and the good things it will do for them and their livelihoods. You can’t decide to do something like this because you personally would like to see it; it’s (all about) what the majority wants.”

Bob also stated, “While there are some good things in this ordinance, there are too many things that deprive the townsfolk of their rights, petty things such as taking down Christmas lights when they deem the season is over, (or) coordinating colors for your houses and out buildings.”

Bob found out about the meeting through a flier and truly thought the council would be revising what they already had, not creating “such an extravagant package that should be in retirement complexes such as Palm Springs.”

Many Clark Fork residents are of the same mind. “I don’t feel that it was the intent of the council to hurt its residents,” newcomer Eric Cox said. “I don’t think they realize that they haven’t protected us with this ordinance. It restricts our individual growth. How can they decide how we use our property to grow as long as we stay within our setbacks?”

Eric and Belinda Cox brought their young daughter Cassidy to Clark Fork because it is a small friendly town that they felt they could settle in and begin a new business. However, they are unable to get financing on their home because their bank wants a standard “letter to rebuild,” but the city refuses to issue it because they are commercially

zoned. Eric’s financial counselor told the Clark Fork city council at the last meeting that no bank would finance a new home on commercially zoned property and that their insurance without this standard letter to rebuild would be null and void.

Like Eric and Belinda, Katie and

Jim Junget, owners of Clark Fork’s Sweet Bicycles, were told by their advisors that this ordinance would drastically effect the value of their commercial property.

“When we bought the yellow house (on Hwy. 200) approximately five years ago, we were required to find out if the house could be rebuilt as a residence if it should be destroyed. My insurance company and mortgage company took Mayor Shields’ word that it could be rebuilt and we were given the loan. Now there is a definite question as to whether it can be rebuilt according to the way Ordinance 248 is written.” Katie says that without a letter in writing stating they can rebuild, her mortgage company has the right to demand payment in full immediately, because the use of the land will have changed.

Katie also brings up the Comprehensive Plan, which the city quotes in Ordinance 248 section 2.0 as their authority to take this action. “The Comprehensive Plan repeatedly states that it is intended to protect the aesthetic values and natural resources of Clark Fork. The policy is to encourage land uses that are harmonious with existing natural resources to preserve the unique character of the city and its surroundings.” Katie feels that Clark Fork citizens are only trying to protect their town from damaging expansion.

Katie believes that with this ordinance, the city council is trying to change the entire complexion of the town and the result is too restricting.

Townspeople are definitely speaking out against this ordinance.

Al and Andrea Stoffels opened up the Bee Top Bistro in Clark Fork two years ago and feel the city council is way out of line.

“Some people say that a recall would be too radical, but going from nine pages of ordinance to 75 pages of ordinance is pretty radical.”

Al and Andrea would definitely stand behind a recall, “with the exception of (councilperson) Linda Reed, who has tried to get people involved. They should all answer for just trying such a Nazi Regime approach.”

They are not the only citizens behind a recall. The new pastor of Clark Fork’s Baptist church says, “Perhaps the original intent was to beautify our city, but what is happening is our homes are almost not our homes anymore.”

Pastor Paul Abbott states, “At the last meeting I almost got the feeling that the council didn’t want to specify wording of the ordinance, and then it becomes a matter of interpretation. It appears that there is an agenda someone has down the road; they just aren’t showing their cards yet.”

Pastor Abbott also states, “The townspeople are being managed, not represented.”

Abbott, by the way, brought up a specific question at the February council meeting regarding new sign

ordinances. The sign at the Baptist church currently features the name of the former pastor, which Abbott said hasn’t been changed because the church didn’t have the money to do so yet. He asked whether the church would have to pay the $300 fee stated in order to put his name on the sign. His answer was, “yes.”

There are people in Clark Fork that were born and raised here, as were their parents, and they feel the changes proposed in this new

ordinance are unseemly. Duane and Sissy Snider are two of those people.

“The city council should have a committee comprised of various members of our community to help compose a new ordinance, consisting of some of the older residents, younger newcomers, and already established business owners, not just realtors who in the long run stand to benefit from this document.”

Sissy Snider, whose grandfather, Frank Vogel, delivered home grown vegetables to many Clark Fork homes when they were going through hard times, says, “Clark Fork is like no other place in Idaho. We’d like to keep our little town as long as we can!”

Sissy’s husband Duane points out that while there are good points in Ordinance 248, they are trying to cram too much down our throats at once and the council should be willing to meet and explain the ordinance in more readable terms to the average citizen.

Phyllis Brashear, a 91-year-old native, wrote to Mayor Tom Shields, “We certainly need rules and regulations, but the ones stated are absurd, as are the penalties. Have you read them?”

Most people in Clark Fork are taking a stand against the ordinance,

but not the council. However, several residents felt that council members did not respond to their questions, instead allowing someone who is neither on the council, nor a resident of Clark Fork answer for them.

Gail Brashear said “Dave Reynolds had more floor time than all our elected council members put together. I would like to have those we trusted, those we elected, speak to us and answer our question.” Reynolds, a former Clark Fork resident who now lives in Hope, was referred to by the council as their “advisor” on the new ordinances.

Gail also feels several members of the council were a bit condescending in their tone when trying to answer questions. The majority of Clark Fork would most likely agree with Eric Cox, who said, “The city council is governing us, not representing us.”

“In short,” said Bob Hays, they are trying to make a town that loves what it is today, into something we will hate tomorrow.”

Questions remain unanswered for many residents in Clark Fork, questions they are hoping the city council will take the time to review before they pass Ordinance 248, making it a law that no one is happy with, a law that most of them will resent.

Concerns- Continued from page 1

Got an opinion on the new ordinances? Visit our “Ordinance Blog” online at www.

cforkord.blogspot.com to read them in full and comment on individual sections,

plus find links to Idaho Code

Katie and Jim Junget’s house, a Clark Fork residence since the early 1900s, would become a “legal, non-conforming use” under Clark Fork’s proposed new ordinances. That not only puts their mortagage in jeopardy, but could also prevent its replacement in the future. Photo by Trish Gannon

Clark Fork’s Bob Hays, a former city councilman himself, says there’s “too many things that deprive the townsfolk of their rights,” in the new ordinances. Photo by Jinx Beshears