The "New Sandpoint " Ten Years Past

I searched in vain this morning for a Spokesman-Review column I'd written several years ago about the Senior Citizens Thrift Store ladies dolling out $10,000 worth of scholarships to Bonner County's graduating seniors.

My desire to find the "Panhandle Pieces" column arose from reading another Spokesman story this morning about the Senior Citizens Thrift Store moving from its headquarters today. Seems their rent was recently raised at least threefold by the new property owner. Seems he said it was just "pure economics" to up the rent by that much and that he "wanted to help."

Now, I know only what I read in the paper, but it seems to me that it's pure economics for this owner to consider the humanitarian angle on this deal between landlord and tenant. I wonder how far the several thousand dollars donated by the Senior Citizens Thrift group every year for decades have gone to ensure countless young people's college educations or to ease the burden that our poverty-stricken locals or troubled teens face.

Seems also to me that this person---if he's the one I'm thinking of who owns several hunks of valuable real estate here and throughout the country---could go far in enhancing his community image by stepping back, reconsidering his rate hike and extending a generous humanitarian gesture toward the Senior Citizens and their store.

Anyway, I hope this problem gets worked out for the betterment of the Senior Citizens and for our community before this afternoon when that donated Litehouse truck has to haul off all the thrift store's donated items for storage while the organization finds more "affordable housing" in our town.

Speaking of my hometown and thinking about the fact that this is the last full day I'll be a resident of the city of Sandpoint, I did find another column, I wrote ten years ago in July for the Spokesman. It shows just how far we've gone in a decade, and the column certainly makes me wonder what's in store for the ten years ahead.

Enjoy:

Spokesman Review, The (Spokane), Jul 20, 1996 by Marianne Love Correspondent

Not long ago, a gentleman told me he had heard that I knew all there is to know about Sandpoint.

His comment flattered and amused me. I guess I do know a lot about my hometown because I've lived here for nearly half a century and my journalistic dealings take me places where I ought to learn these things.

However, the more I see, the more I realize that the gentleman's compliment was a bit far-fetched. My wanderings take me throughout the Kootenai, Ponderay and Sandpoint area.

While driving past the new Wal-Mart to the Coldwater Creek campus last week, I discovered the area's seventh stoplight. I silently wondered if more stoplights could even begin to slow the changes that take place on a daily basis in my community.

During my rounds, I discovered that one restaurant that had closed its doors and thanked its customers three weeks earlier, had reopened.

While at another, the owner told me the place would be closing for good in two days.

One art gallery on my itinerary had moved to the newly renovated Old Power House, which used to be known as Sandpoint Marina.

While at the Power House, I met the manager of one of the two new bank branches, due to open in Ponderay later this year. Speaking of banking, this summer both places where I do my financial business have changed names.

While continuing on my way, I discovered that another store, which had moved three times this year, was completely empty. Further on, a restaurant that had closed in the spring was now thriving with new owners and a Mexican menu.

Down the street, I even noticed that someone felt the need to change the Tervan's name to "Tavern." I also passed several new vendors who are among the herd that continues to spring up on the Sandpoint sidewalks.

Last month, I attended the opening of the new Cenex farm store, which moved from Sandpoint to Ponderay.

Parishioners at St. Joseph's where I attend Mass are planning for a new church to replace the building where Sandpoint's Catholics have worshiped since 1907.

The high school where I attended and began my teaching career is now a middle school, and the Bulldog our Class of 1965 had painted above the gym doors was covered up with paint a few years ago.

Sandpoint's fire and police departments also have moved.

Bonner County voters have finally agreed to finance a new jail, which will be constructed in my rural neighborhood inside Sandpoint's city limits.

Within the past two weeks, Sandpoint's boundaries have once again changed because of a court decision to void the city's most recent forced annexation. Now, the residents in those areas may be forced to seek different fire and police protection.

I look around my hometown for places that haven't moved, changed their name or gone out of business since my childhood years. The numbers are dwindling.

There's the Pastime Cafe and Sports Shop and the 219 Lounge on First Avenue.

I beam with pride every time I drive down Boyer Avenue and see my once-condemned Lincoln Elementary school still thriving as an educational facility. I hope it stays there forever as a last vestige of the community I knew as a child. And when someone says, "You know all there is to know about Sandpoint," all I can do is chuckle and say, "I wish!"

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Note: We do intend to start moving to our new home on South Center Valley Road by tomorrow. I hope to document these activities, but if by chance our major detour in life, gets the best of my time for posting on the Slightdetour.blogspot.com, please stay tuned.

I'll get back soon with stories of what it's like to once again live in the country. And, wherever the Senior Citizens Thrift Store ends up, we'll probably have a few items to donate when the move is completed.